Free My Sunshine by Catherine Anderson Page B

she does.” Isaiah stripped off the surgical gloves and deposited them in a waste container. “Laura’s a friend of the family. My mom recommended her.”
    â€œAh.” Belinda stepped over to the sink to rinse the implements before putting them in the sterilizer. “Have you known her long?”
    â€œNo, just met her.” Isaiah recalled Laura’s expressive eyes and smiled slightly. “You’re all going to like her. She’s a sweetheart. Right, Susan?”
    Susan shrugged. “So far I like her fine. She talks kind of slow, and every once in a while she looks at me like I’m speaking Greek. But otherwise I can barely tell there’s anything wrong with her.”
    Belinda turned from the faucet. “There’s something wrong with her?”
    â€œAphasia,” Isaiah replied, deciding on the spot that it would be easier for Laura if all her coworkers knew about her disability from the start. “It’s a form of brain damage that affects language and math skills.”
    Belinda gave him a wondering look. “You hired someone who can’t talk or do math?”
    â€œIt isn’t that bad,” Isaiah countered. “She speaks slowly, like Susan says, and she gets confused if you throw long words at her. But otherwise she does fine. As a favor to me, I’d appreciate it if all of you would make a special effort to help her settle in.”
    Belinda lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Sure. I’ll help her out any way I can.”
    Â 
    Her first morning of training was over, and Laura felt as if her bones had turned to water. She had never shied away from work, but this job taxed her mentally as well as physically. There was so much to remember. She’d met at least a half dozen people, Tucker, her other boss, included. Oh, how disconcerting that had been. She’d known that he would resemble Isaiah. They were twins, after all.But she’d never expected them to be so identical at a glance, both tall, dark, muscular, and too handsome for words.
    She’d been cleaning a cage, and he had appeared out of nowhere to jot something on the dog’s chart. “Hello!” she’d said. “How are you this morning, Isaiah?”
    He’d given her a long look and then smiled. “I’m not Isaiah; I’m Tucker. You must be Laura.”
    Laura’s face had gone instantly hot. They were slightly different when you really looked. Tucker was just a little heavier, and there was a sharpness to his gaze that was absent in Isaiah’s, an edge that said, I’m here, I’m paying attention, and nothing gets past me.
    â€œYes, Laura, I’m Laura,” she’d said.
    He had thrust out a big brown hand. “Good to meet you, and welcome to the clinic. Our mother has only good things to say about you.”
    In between the lines, Laura had heard, I’ll still be watching you closely. Don’t think I won’t. As far as I’m concerned, the jury is still out.
    As unnerving as that had been, Laura respected it. An employer who didn’t demand excellence didn’t get it. Tucker Coulter would be fair. She sensed that in him. But he’d also put her on notice that he wouldn’t overlook anything, either.
    â€œI’ll do my best to do a good job,” she’d said.
    He had given her another long look, a straight-into-the-eye look. Then his expression had softened. “I’m sure you will, Laura. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask someone. We’ve gota great team here at the clinic. Everyone is always willing to lend someone else a helping hand.”
    Everyone had been the key word in that sentence. There were so many people, all of Tucker’s team as well as Isaiah’s. Just keeping their names straight would be a challenge. In addition to that, she’d had to learn the layout of the clinic and where everything was stored. Her eyes ached from staring at