Free Finding Dr. Right (Contemporary Medical Romance) by Lisa B. Kamps

one hand in the air, a smile finally breaking free on his face. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that he was back to being himself. There were too many other changes, too many uncertainties, in her life right now. She didn’t need her anchor to reality changing with them.
    “So do you plan on releasing him?”
    “Who, Nathan?” Brian took his glasses off, rubbed a spot with the edge of his sleeve and settled them back on his nose. “Of course I’m going to release him. Probably by the end of the week, depending on how his next visit goes.”
    “Oh.”
    “‘Oh’ what?” Brian’s attitude was suddenly cautious. He straightened in the chair, fixing her with a steady gaze that made Catherine silently curse herself for opening her mouth. What on earth had possessed her to even bring it up? She blew a breath between pursed lips and decided to forge ahead.
    “Are you sure his knee is ready?” She looked away from Brian before she continued. “I mean, it’s obvious he’s still having problems even though he tries to hide it. And he’s going to continue having problems, no matter what you do. Playing is only going to worsen the condition. Have you told him that?”
    “For someone who just said you liked him, you really seem to have it in for him.” The quiet accusation in his voice pierced her dead center and she rocked back in the chair, shocked and deflated. Brian leaned forward and held up his fingers in response. “One, his knee has healed considerably since you’ve seen him. Two, he’s capable of making his own decisions. Three, he knows his knee will never be the same but he’s not willing to give up.”
    Catherine opened her mouth to speak then closed it again with a snap. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she focused on the one thing that struck her hardest.
    “Why do you think I have it in for him?”
    “Oh, Catherine, come on.” He pushed himself out of the chair and paced around the small room. “Today’s the first time I’ve heard you say anything nice about him. You yourself said you didn’t like the guy when you first met him!”
    “That is not true.”
    “Isn’t it?” Brian stopped, leaning across the desk until he was only inches away from her. “Catherine, you said you didn’t like him because he made some comment you didn’t agree with. He gets you and Matty tickets to a game and you damn near don’t go.
Wouldn’t
have gone if I hadn’t forced you. And who would have been hurt by that? Matty, that’s who!” Brian pushed away from the desk and resumed his pacing.
    “You finally come to your senses and allow Matty to use his prosthesis, then nearly start a war when he wants to join a sports camp. You jump all over me when you find out I helped encourage him, and then blame
my
patient for interfering!”
    “I most certainly did not —”
    “That’s baloney and you know it. And you wonder why I think you have it in for Nathan Conners? For crying out loud, Catherine, I’d think you would be thanking him for encouraging Matty, but instead you seem to resent him….” Brian’s voice trailed off as a look of realization lit his eyes. He turned and faced her, a mixed expression on his face. Catherine looked away, knowing what was coming next, not wanting to hear it.
    “You resent him!”
    “That’s ridiculous.”
    “It’s the truth. Matty is finally doing what he wants to do, things that don’t always include you anymore, and you think it’s Nathan’s fault!”
    Catherine pointedly studied her hands, not daring to answer. She wanted to deny it, to jump from her chair and scream and yell, to tell Brian that he had never been more wrong, but she couldn’t move.
    Because he was partly right. Maybe completely right.
    Her whole life had been spent taking care of others, the last few years devoted especially to Matty. That was what she did, possibly the only thing she did well, and the thought of not having that scared her. Seeing Matty become so