Free More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) by Alexis Morgan Page A

the other guy’s body language reeked of resentment, with a touch of “fuck off” thrown in for good measure. Isaac, on the other hand, wasn’t putting up with it any more than he had with Leif. His deep voice rang out across the room.
    “Fine, Mitchell, sit here and do nothing if that’s what makes you happy. When you decide you’re ready to get to work, let me know. Until then, I’m going to be over there with my man Corporal Brevik.”
    Isaac stalked away, leaving the other patient glaring at his back in frustration. Embarrassed for the other man, Leif opened his book again and pretended an interest he certainly didn’t feel. While he stared at the page, it dawned on him that the other man looked familiar for some reason. Maybe he’d seen him around town.
    Before he could place him, Isaac appeared at his side. “So, Corporal, how did you do with your exercises over the weekend?”
    Leif sat up taller. “I’m bunking with my sergeant here in Snowberry Creek. The jerk made me a chart and gave me a gold star for each time I did them.”
    Then he added proudly, “I earned a bowl of ice cream for all my hard work.”
    Isaac’s deep laugh rang out and his mood brightened considerably. “Seriously? That’s some great stuff.”
    Then he raised his voice enough that it carried across the room. “At least some of my patients are smart enough to take responsibility for their own rehab, unlike some lazy-assed people I could mention.”
    Leif couldn’t help but look to see how the other patient reacted to Isaac’s comment. His embarrassment was obvious, but so was his anger. His hands coiled into tight fists, and if his eyes could have shot bullets, Isaac would’ve been dead. Leif jerked his focus back to his therapist, figuring the other patient didn’t need everyone staring at him. It was hard, though, until Isaac’s big hands started digging into the painful knots in Leif’s leg.
    “Son of a bitch, Isaac, that hurts.”
    Isaac didn’t ease up on his efforts. “Yeah, Leif, I know. Doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you, but let me know if it gets to be too much.”
    Leif nodded and bit his lip. Holding on to the sides of the table, he tried to resist the need to cuss loud and long. He might have given in to the urge if it had been just Isaac and him in the room, but Leif’s mother had raised him better than that, especially when there were women present.
    Isaac’s dark eyes were sympathetic. “I know this hurts, but the muscles are actually not as tight as they were on Friday.”
    It sure as hell didn’t feel like it, but Leif gritted his teeth and didn’t complain. Not out loud, anyway. After a few more minutes of legalized torture, Isaac stopped. He flexed his hands as he looked around the room.
    “Think you can handle a little time on the exercise bike over there? I’m thinking low resistance and going slow, aiming to stretch things out a bit more but without putting too much stress on the leg.”
    “You’re the boss.”
    Leif slung his legs over the side of the table and gingerly eased down to the floor. He hadn’t done much walking without the boot’s support, so he held his breath and waited to see if his leg would hold up under his weight. It was dicey at first, but the first step was the hardest. After that, he managed to find his balance as he slowly shuffled across the short distance.
    Isaac matched his steps to Leif’s, staying close enough to rescue him if necessary. A slug could’ve crawled across the floor faster, but at least Leif reached the bike on his own. Wow, what a victory. With considerable effort, Leif hoisted himself up onto the seat while Isaac set the controls for ten minutes and the lowest resistance the bike offered.
    “If it gets to be too much, stop. The idea is to push yourself a little further each time but not so much as to cause more damage. Got that, Corporal?”
    Isaac put enough growl in the question to have Leif grinning. “I’ve got it.”
    He pushed