He's the Man (The Alexanders 3)

No pushover, she didn’t hesitate to yank him back in line if he got out of order. She didn’t respond to any of his suggestive comments, just gave him a stern look that was quickly becoming his favorite on her. By the time his hour was up, he was sure he’d never been so rebuffed by a woman.

He’d also never smiled as much.

* * * * *

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, PENNY got her first glimpse of Matt’s determination. Most patients needed a break by the second or third appointment. This was when it sank in how much hard work was ahead if they wanted to reach their goals. This was often when self-doubt made them want to reconsider.

Matt’s features were pinched and strained ten minutes into the appointment, but he never balked, no matter what she asked him to do. He didn’t ask for a break or back down. His ego probably wouldn’t allow it, she realized.

Ego could get a patient in trouble just as quickly as giving up. She didn’t want him to push himself too hard this early. After the first half an hour, she let go of his arm and stepped back. “Time for a break.”

Matt glanced at her in surprise. “No, I’m good. Let’s keep going.”

She pinched his triceps when he didn’t lower his arm. “Pushing too hard this soon can do more harm than good. I want to do some massage now.”

He lowered his arm reluctantly. She motioned for him to turn so she could reach his back. After one last suspicious glance, he turned to face the wall. When she placed her hands on his shoulders, he jumped.

“Just relax, Matt. I’m not going to do anything painful. So, how are your parents doing?” She figured it couldn’t hurt to distract him with small talk.

Matt grimaced as she pressed gently on the top of his trapezius muscle. “They’re great. My dad retired a few years ago, so they moved to Florida to be near his family. We see them a few times a year at holidays. Which is about all we can stand, honestly.”

“What? Your parents are awesome. I remember being completely in awe the first time I met your mom. She had the best clothes, and the way your dad looked at her…” She sighed. “I’d never seen anyone so glamorous.”

Matt acknowledged her comment with a slight grunt. “What about your folks? The Colonel should be retired by now too, right?”

“Yeah, although my mom had to bribe him to go through with it. I’m sure if he had his way, he’d work until the day he dies. He’s taken up playing checkers and reading biographies. Mom’s happy to have him home, even though she complains he’s driving her crazy.” Penny chuckled thinking about her parents.

“I bet they’re really proud of you. All that studying paid off.”

“Yeah, they are. My dad wanted me to go to medical school at first. He couldn’t understand why I chose physical therapy specifically. But even though he didn’t exactly get it, he was cheering the loudest when I graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy. Every article that mentions my name, he has it saved in a scrapbook somewhere.”

“That’s as it should be,” Matt said. He glanced at her as she massaged down the muscles of his back. “You know, I used to envy your family.”

Penny was so shocked that her hands stopped moving. “Why would you envy us? Your parents were so in love.”

He shrugged, his muscles bunching beneath her hands. “My parents’ brand of love didn’t leave much room for us kids. I always felt like they were waiting for us to grow up so they could be alone again. We were more like cute toys they could play with and show off to their friends. Until we got too big to be cute anymore.”

“Oh. I see.” Penny hoped her voice didn’t convey the sorrow she felt. He’d balk if she showed any pity. So she tried to sound unaffected when really she just wanted to hug him.

“It’s not that big of a deal. I’m not the sensitive type, so I didn’t really care.”

He hesitated just long enough for Penny to get the sense that it had mattered, even though he hadn’t wanted it to.

Matt glanced over his shoulder again and this time he raised his eyebrows. He sent a pointed look at her fingers until she started massaging again. She rolled her eyes. He grinned at her before turning back around.

“I didn’t care, but Mara did. She used to follow my mom around, trying to act like her and do her hair the same way. They had a decent relationship until we were teenagers. When Mara didn’t want to compete in beauty pageants the way my mom used to, that strained things a lot. They haven’t been close since.”

“That’s hard,” Penny said when he didn’t offer anything else. She was surprised by the swell of anger she felt on his behalf. “No child should be made to feel like their presence isn’t wanted. I’m sorry you were ever made to feel that way. You’ve done pretty well for yourself, Matt Simmons. I’m sure you’ll do even better things in the future.”

“You haven’t changed a bit,” he whispered. “You were always softhearted.”

He turned to look at her and she realized how close they were. Close enough that she could see the faint shadow of his beard where it was starting to grow in. Close enough that she could smell the scent of his skin.

See the look in his eyes.

He was staring at her mouth. She momentarily stopped breathing. When he looked up, he didn’t even try to pretend he wasn’t looking. She could read the question in his eyes as clearly as if it was written on his forehead in magic marker.

“We can’t,” she blurted. “I can’t get involved with a patient.”