Free Fearless Maverick by Robyn Grady Page A

history, she’d been
taken so off guard, had felt so undercut, she vowed never to talk personal
again. And she’d stuck to that.
                 But
so what if the fact she’d had an accident happened to come up? It would make no
difference to her attitude or commitment to their sessions, and shouldn’t she
give Alex the benefit of the doubt that he would still value her abilities as a
physio? As a human being?
                 And
what harm could come from hearing more about the mysterious Wolfe clan? In
truth, she was beyond intrigued. A father nobody missed. A brother who’d
escaped in the dead of night. Eight siblings in all, one of whom was Alex’s
twin, the sister who’d contacted him before his terrible crash.
                 After
Alex ordered a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, Libby said, ‘You and your brother
must have had a lot to talk about.’
                 ‘It
was a little awkward speaking again after so many years. I was only fourteen
when Jacob left. But we’d always got along.’
                 He
wove a fingertip aimlessly over the pearl etched on the menu, perhaps wondering
if he ought to divulge anything more. For a moment she thought she glimpsed
pain lurking in the shadows of his gaze and words of support rose up. Yes, she
was curious but they could talk about something else if the past hurt too much
to discuss. She understood, more than he might ever know.
                 But
then he swept up his water glass, took a sip and met her gaze again.
                 ‘Wolfe
Manor has been declared structurally unsafe and a danger to the community,’ he
said. ‘Jacob wants to repair the damage. No easy feat.’
                 Repair
the damage … Libby had the feeling Alex was speaking about more than fixing
some dilapidated ancient house.
                 ‘Does
Jacob think it’s salvageable?’
                 ‘Rising
damp, holes in the roof, crumbling brick, grounds grown wild. Vandals did a
number on it too. But apparently Jacob’s an architect now. He plans to
refurbish the manor completely, then sell it on.’ His jaw tightening, Alex
seemed to look inward. ‘Frankly, I can’t see how he can set foot in that place
again.’ His gaze cleared as it darted over her shoulder and his chin kicked up.
‘Here comes the wine.’
                 As
the waiter presented the label for Alex to acknowledge, Libby pressed her lips
together. These weeks she’d tried to keep a professional distance between
herself and Alex. He was the kind of man any woman could get distracted by. And
in only a few moments of conversation, she was looking at him not as a client
or even a world-renowned top athlete but a real person, with regrets and fears
as well as the courage to overcome them.
                 She
wanted to hear more about the ghosts that seemed to inhabit Wolfe Manor. She
imagined streams of cobwebs, fallen-down stairs, skeletons in every closet. But
how much more was Alex prepared to divulge?
                 Wine
poured, Alex raised his glass. ‘Here’s to my speedy recovery.’
                 ‘Here’s
to a healthy future.’
                 He
grinned over the rim of his glass and sipped.
                 ‘What
other news did your bother have?’ she asked, savouring the wine’s oaky flavour
while lowering her glass.
                 ‘Now
this is interesting.’ When he tipped forward, his shoulders seemed to grow as
the space between them closed. Libby’s nerve endings began to hum. Thank heaven
they would never kiss. She might go up in flames!
                 ‘Another
brother, Lucas, is involved with Hartington’s.’
                 ‘The
big UK store?’
                 Alex
nodded. ‘The venue which was supposed to host the company’s centennial party
pulled out at the last minute and Lucas ended