Free Love Lies Bleeding by Jess Mcconkey Page B

felt a small sigh escape before she could stop it. Rolling her shoulders, she tried to release the building tension while she plastered a smile on her face.
    “Look, just sit there and relax while I make breakfast,” Anne said, sliding the toaster toward her and popping two slices of bread into the slots. “After you’re finished, we’ll go out on the deck and start on some exercises.”
    Sam rose to her feet and took a halting step toward the living room. “I told you . . . I’m going back to bed.”
    Anne’s smile vanished. Great. What did she do now? Hog-tie her and haul her out onto the deck? Lawrence Moore would love hearing about how she manhandled his daughter.
    “No wonder you’re not making progress,” Anne muttered, and slammed the lever down on the toaster.
    Sam whirled. “What did you say?”
    Pivoting, Anne leaned against the counter and met Sam’s angry stare with one of her own. “I’m not surprised at your condition. You say you don’t want to be treated like an invalid, but that’s exactly how you act.” Frustration sharpened her voice. “You don’t have what it takes to work hard.”
    Sam’s head reared back. “That’s not true. Thanks to me, Dad’s agency is one of the best in this country.”
    “That was then. What about now?”
    Sam’s gaze broke away from Anne’s face and slowly traveled down her own body. Her focus settled on her left leg. She stared at it a moment before stiffening her spine and returning her attention to Anne. “How long?” she asked, her voice soft.
    “What do you mean?”
    “If I promise to cooperate, how long before I’m back to normal?”
    “You want a time frame?”
    Sam nodded mutely.
    Should she make false promises in order to ensure Sam’s cooperation? She’d never lied to a patient before, but if it meant hanging on to this job . . . Looking at Sam standing there—her chopped hair, her thin body—she wanted to help her. Feeding her a bunch of bullshit wasn’t the way to do it.
    “I can’t give you one,” she said finally. “All I can give you is a promise. I’ll work hard if you do.”
    Inside she prayed it would be enough.
    Sam barely touched her breakfast, but Anne had at least one victory. Sam had dressed in loose sweatpants and a T-shirt and was now lying on a chaise longue while Anne massaged the wasted muscle in her left leg. She’d almost gone into shock when Anne had insisted that they do the exercises on the deck overlooking the lake. Even now, as Anne kneaded her leg, Sam’s eyes were scrunched shut while tension vibrated through her small frame.
    Those eyes suddenly popped open and Sam’s leg jerked.
    “Did you hear that?” Sam whispered.
    Anne shifted as her eyes scanned the area around the cabin. “I didn’t hear anything.”
    “Rustling,” Sam replied, flinging an arm toward the deck railing. “Over there in the trees.”
    Anne resumed her massage. “It was probably just a squirrel. Try to relax.”
    “I want to go back inside,” Sam said as she tried to sit up.
    “It’s okay,” Anne answered, gently pushing her back. “We’re staying out here. The fresh air and the sunshine will do you good.”
    “I said I’m going back inside,” Sam repeated firmly.
    “No, you’re not.” Anne kneaded Sam’s thigh muscle in swift strokes. “You promised to cooperate and that means we stay out here.”
    With a disgusted sigh, Sam plopped back against the chaise and closed her eyes again.
    Perplexed, Anne shook her head. It was a beautiful day. The sun beat down on them, warming her back as she leaned over Sam’s leg. And bees, drawn by the heavy scent of the lavender oil she was using, buzzed lazily at the corner of the deck. How could Sam prefer being cooped up in the cabin? She moved her hands down Sam’s thigh, pressing firmly on the tightness gathered beneath the skin. Slowly, she felt the knots begin to ease. A smile tickled at the corner of Anne’s mouth.
    Another small win. If she could only gain