Working It Out (10 page)

G
race
waltzed into
her brother’s home office and set a takeout box containing
his favorite fast-food hamburger and fries beside him. She was on a mission,
and she refused to leave before that mission was accomplished.

Alec eyed the food warily. “Listen, Grace, I was serious
when I said—”

“Eat,” she said. “Then we’re going out.”

He let out a frustrated sigh and opened his mouth to say
something—probably a protest—but Grace planted her hand on the table with a
sharp rap. “After being such a royal pain all these years, you can do one more
thing for me. C’mon. One night. That’s all I ask.”

Alec rolled his eyes, but at least he didn’t protest. He
took the takeout box and pried the lid open. “What do you have in mind?”

“It’s a surprise.” One he might disown her for, but
hopefully he would come around in the end. If not, Grace would finally take her
parents advice and leave him be—not that she’d have any choice, because Alec
would likely never speak to her again.

“I don’t like surprises,” Alec said as he shoved a fry
into his mouth. “For all I know, you’ll take me to a cliff and shove me off.”

Grace smiled, happy he was cracking jokes instead of
resisting. “Tempting, but no. It’ll be much more painful than that.”

Alec groaned. “You’re taking me back to your clinic,
aren’t you?”

“No. And that’s all you’re getting out of me, so finish
eating and c’mon.” With that, Grace left him alone and retreated to the kitchen,
where she unloaded a few groceries—mostly produce—then loaded a few dishes into
the dishwasher, washed off the counters, and waited, fingers tapping, for Alec
to finish his dinner.

When he finally emerged from his office, Grace insisted
on driving. She waited as he scooted into her passenger seat, and then she
quickly pulled the wheels off his wheelchair and shoved everything into her
trunk. There. Alec was now at her mercy and couldn’t leave even if he wanted to.

Grace tried to appear calm as she headed down the road,
but a sliver of doubt crept in, making her wonder if she was doing the right
thing by giving Seth carte blanche to wreak chaos on her brother’s life as
well. But if she didn’t, would things ever change? Probably not.

A flurry of butterflies raged in her stomach as she
drove. It felt like a Hail Mary—her last desperate attempt to get Alec to see
that there really was life outside his dreary apartment and wheelchair. By the
time Grace pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the junior high, her palms
were sweaty from gripping the wheel so hard.

Alec stared at the building in front of them, making no
move to open the car door. “What are we doing here?”

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” said Grace, her voice a
little shaky. What would happen when they went inside and Alec heard the sound
of a basketball hitting the gym floor? Would he balk? Yell? Clamp his hands
around his wheels and refuse to let her push him into the gym? Would she be
forced to take Alec home before Seth and his friends even saw that they were
there? She hadn’t really thought beyond getting him here.

Grace drew in a breath and climbed from the car then
pulled Alec’s wheelchair from the trunk and quickly assembled it. With a wary
look, he swung himself onto the chair and brushed off Grace’s efforts to push
him. “I can do it on my own, thanks.”

“You’re acting like a two-year-old.”

“And you’re acting like a helicopter mom, so it works.”

He had a point. Why was Grace here anyway? Was she really
doing this for Alec? Or was it for her—a last-ditch effort to appease the guilt
she still carried? Maybe a little of both. She didn’t know anymore.

Grace walked ahead silently, toward the door at the far side
of the building that Seth had texted her about. He’d actually texted her about
a lot of things during the past few days, and as promised, they always related
to basketball in one way or the other.

Don’t forget to keep your eye on the ball at work
today.

Just nailed a 3-pointer. (That’s code for landed a new
client.)

And her personal favorite, though she’d never admit it:
My
Gatorade just dribbled down my chin—I mean “double-dribbled,” because it
happened twice. How embarrassing.

Biting back a smile at the memory, Grace pulled the door
open and waited for Alec to wheel himself through. Sure enough, the moment they
entered the building, voices and laughter echoed down the hall, followed by a
ball bouncing off a backboard.

Alec immediately froze. “What are we doing here, Grace?” he
said, making it clear that “It’s a surprise” wouldn’t cut it anymore.

Grace hesitated, not sure what to do. Should she tell him
the truth and insist he go in and give it a try? Should she send an “SOS” text
to Seth? Or should she duct tape his hands together and his mouth shut then wheel
him in like a prisoner?

“Grace.” It sounded like a warning.

The last option suddenly seemed like a really good idea. If
only she’d brought duct tape. “I, uh—”

The door opened down the hall, magnifying the sounds of
the basketball game. Something clanked a few times against the door, followed
by muttering, and a guy in a wheelchair appeared. Grace hated how her heart
raced at the sight of Seth, as though he were some handsome hero coming to her
rescue, but she’d never been happier to see him.

“Hey, you made it. Good.” Seth wheeled himself toward
them. “I was getting worried you weren’t going to show, which would be a bad thing
since we’re one player short.”

Grace didn’t dare look at Alec. She could only imagine
the thoughts going through his mind. “Sorry we’re late,” she said. “It took a
little longer to get here than I thought.”

Alec remained silent, probably working through various
scenarios involving the best way to murder his sister.

Seth stopped in front of them and extended his hand to Grace’s
brother. “You must be Alec.”

Alec hesitated then took his hand, giving it a quick
shake. “Sorry, but I have no idea who you are. Grace . . . surprised me.”

Seth’s grin widened. “She didn’t tell you where she was
taking you?”

“No.”

“And you actually trusted her?” Seth chuckled. “You’re braver
than I would have been.”

“Or just stupid.”

Seth laughed. “Well, there is that.”

Alec’s lips twitched, and Grace felt the first stirrings
of hope. If Seth could break through Alec’s defenses after only a few
sentences, maybe there was hope that he could convince her brother to stay.

“This is Seth,” said Grace, introducing him. “He’s one of
my patients.”

“Her best and favorite patient.”

Grace wasn’t about to argue, not when she so obviously
needed Seth’s help. “Let’s just say he knows how to leave a lasting
impression.”

“Lasting . . . I like that.” Even in the dim light of the
hallway Seth’s eyes twinkled, making Grace roll hers.

Alec continued to stare at Seth, taking in his wheelchair.
“You’re a paraplegic?”

“No, just an idiot who tore his ACL. Hence the reason for
this.” Seth tapped the wheels on his chair. “It’s the only way your sister will
let me play ball.”

Alec nodded, his jaw working back and forth. His hands
found the wheels, as if ready to push himself away. “Well, good to meet you.
Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Seth cocked his head to the side. “Oh c’mon, you’re not
really taking off, are you? We need you. It might sound like we know what we’re
doing, but we’re all clueless, even after watching a YouTube video of a Paralympic
game. It’s not nearly as easy to maneuver these things as it looks.”

“It would probably be easier if you had the right kind of
chairs,” Alec said dryly.

“Yeah, probably.” Seth chuckled. “But beggars can’t be
choosers, and considering I had to go to three different places just to get
these, I had to take what I could get.” Seth paused, jerking his head toward
the gym. “So, you in?”

Grace held her breath as Alec hesitated. Was he actually
considering it, or trying to figure out the best way to let Seth down and get
out of there?
Please let it be option one.

Alec finally shrugged. “Sure, why not? I used to love
basketball.”

“Awesome.” Seth grinned. “Let’s go introduce you to
everyone. You can give us all a few tips before someone breaks one of these
chairs.”

Grace’s heart pounded as she followed them down the hall.
Did what just happened really happen? Had Seth really convinced her brother to stay?
She suddenly felt like pulling him out of his chair and giving him a giant hug.
Once again, her eyes followed his movements as Seth continued to wheel himself
forward. What would it feel like to put her arms around him? Probably good—too
good—which is exactly why she should never do it, no matter how much he
deserved it or how tempted she might be.

The sound of the gym door clanking against Seth’s
wheelchair brought Grace back to her senses. She grabbed it and held it open
for them.

Seth flashed her a meaningful look as he passed. “What? You’re
not going to make me get through it on my own?”

“Maybe next time,” she said, making him chuckle.

Inside the gym, Seth introduced everyone then quickly
formed two teams. With Alec, there were six altogether, and Grace suddenly felt
like a misfit. Should she stay on the sidelines like Alec’s babysitter or wait
in the foyer?

Seth glanced at Grace and nodded toward the corner of the
room. “There’s an extra chair over there if you’d like to join in on the fun.”

Sure enough, another wheelchair leaned against the wall.
But the last thing Grace wanted to do was get in the way. She’d rather be a
spectator. “I’ll pass, but thanks anyway.”

“Oh c’mon, Grace,” Alec taunted. “You can be on our team.
Now that they have me, we could really use a handicap to even things out.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to retort
when one of Seth’s friends—a guy named Owen—started chortling and slapping his
knee. “Did the handicapped guy just say he needed a handicap? Because that’s just
funny.” Owen must have realized how his comment might have sounded, because the
laughter died as quickly as it came. He shot Alec an apologetic look. “No
offense, man.”

Alec laughed, rich and deep. “None taken.”

Grace’s heart nearly stopped at the sound. How long had
it been since she’d heard Alec laugh? It sounded almost foreign to her, like a
distant memory—one she didn’t realize how much she missed until now.

A lump lodged in her throat, and her eyes met Seth’s in
wonder.
How did you do that?
she silently asked.
How?
In only a
matter of minutes, he and his friends had accomplished what she’d been trying
to do for years. She felt both grateful and jealous at the same time.

Who was Seth, exactly? What had prompted him to invite
Alec tonight? What had made him show up at that auction weeks before? Why were
all these guys willing to show up and play basketball in wheelchairs for him? While
Grace wanted to keep believing that he was an ego-driven wreaker of havoc, evidently
there was more to him than that—a deeper, more complicated side that Grace wasn’t
sure she wanted to know.

Shoving her thoughts aside, Grace walked a few steps to
the side of the court and retrieved the ball from the floor. “How about making
me the ball girl? Something tells me you’re going to need one.”

All of the guys chuckled, even Alec. A cozy warmth
ribboned around Grace’s heart, filling her soul with something that went beyond
joy. For the first time in years, Alec had laughed at something she said. It
felt like Grace had been given a tiny miracle—a glimpse of the old Alec she
used to love and idolize.

 And she had Seth to thank for it.

“O
nly twenty
more
seconds,” Grace said.

Twenty seconds had never felt so long. Seth’s face
practically exploded from the exertion it took to do a simple wall sit. His
injured leg screamed at him to let up, but he wasn’t about to do that—not with
Grace standing next to him and counting down the seconds. His pride wouldn’t
let him.

“Five, four, three, two, one.”

Seth’s knee buckled as he slumped to the ground,
extending his injured knee forward while his elbow rested on his uninjured bent
knee. He shook his head as he caught his breath. “This is crazy. A month ago, that
would have been no big deal.”

Grace sank to the floor beside him and rested her head
against the wall. Five minutes before, Cameron had waved a goodbye, saying,
“Grace, you work too hard,” then walked out the door, leaving them alone in the
room.

Once again, Seth had scheduled the last appointment on
purpose, hoping for some more alone-time with her. Since Grace’s appointment
times seemed to start earlier and go later than all the other therapists’, he
figured it was a possibility. No wonder Dr. Ross had to pull a few strings to
get Seth an appointment with her. She really was a popular therapist, and now
that Seth had gotten to know her better, he understood why.