LITMIR.BIZ

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a sheet and towels. “How do you feel about a massage?” She spread a sheet on the table.

      “I think I can be convinced.” He got up on his good leg, and with two hops he was on the table, lying facedown. He laid his head on his folded arms.

      She arranged the ice pack under his injured calf, and then she began to work her magic. First he felt the oil dribble on his back, then her hands. Oh, God. Her hands. He groaned as she moved those incredible fingers over his tight muscles. He tried to will himself to relax, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

      “Okay, I’m begging you, never stop what you’re doing.”

      “I’m glad you like it. Just part of the service when you work hard.” He could hear the humor in her voice. “And you gave me a lot of effort today.”

      He felt her fingers move across his shoulders, down his back, then his spine. He shivered as those fingers dug into his waist. Whoa, what kind of magic was she working?

      “How does that feel?”

      “Heavenly.”

      Her hands continued their journey over his gym shorts to his thighs. Okay, his relaxation just turned to stimulation as her fingers dug into his muscles at the tops of his thighs, then slowly worked their way down to his knees. It was pure agony and getting even more uncomfortable, possibly embarrassing.

      All at once, she stopped, then placed a warm blanket over him. “Rest. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” She left the room, leaving him aroused and aching. He turned his thoughts to all the different ways he could return the favor.

      * * *

      LATER THAT DAY Austin wandered around the quiet house. He’d managed to convince Erin to stay and nap in the back bedroom. He knew she’d had a rough shift the night before, and he wanted her to get as much sleep as possible.

      He sat down on the sofa and began surfing the channels on the flat-screen television. He needed to forget about the woman tucked into bed at the end of the hall. This time she hadn’t borrowed one of his T-shirts. Did that mean she wasn’t wearing anything?

      He groaned and began punching the remote once again, needing to forget the auburn-haired therapist. Just hours ago, that same woman used her magical hands to drive him crazy. His body stirred with the memory.

      Finally he gave up and tossed the remote on the coffee table. He made his way to the kitchen table and began going through the papers Jay left the other day. His manager was right. They were boring tax papers, along with his 401(k) reinvestment release.

      At the bottom of the stack, he found a recent bank statement with a note attached from his accountant, wanting him to okay payment of some sort of hospital bill.

      Austin usually went through the financials every month, but since the accident he hadn’t had the chance. Even though he trusted everyone who worked for him, he still needed to be alert about where his money was going. Most of his endorsement funds were put in savings and stocks. He wasn’t foolish enough to leave everything in his one account. His attention was drawn to the bank’s monthly electronic transfers, his utilities and upkeep on his condo in Denver.

      Someday he’d hoped for a few acres with a house and barn so he could have a couple of horses. And now since his stepmother’s passing, he owned part of this large ranch. He found he liked it here. Like Cullen had suggested, maybe this place could be a home base while he was on the circuit.

      He frowned upon seeing an unfamiliar monthly transfer to one DJ Lynch. The name sounded somewhat familiar. He looked at the sum and decided he definitely needed to contact Jay before he signed anything. He also found a form to continue temporary power of attorney for his manager. Jay had had that control while he’d been in the hospital and under the influence of drugs, but now that Austin was back, he wanted to handle his own finances.

      His silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. He checked his watch and wondered who would be coming by in the middle of the day. He stood, gripped hold of his walker and went to answer it.

      He opened the door and found a tall, slender gray-haired man standing on the stoop. A strange feeling came over him, and he wasn’t sure he could handle it as he stared at the man he hadn’t seen in years.

      “Hello, son. It’s been a long time.”

      Cullen had told him that Neal Brannigan had retired from the police force, sold the family ranch outside Denver and moved here. Austin managed to find his voice. “Yeah, I’ll say so, about ten years. What brings you by?”

      He saw his father flinch, but he couldn’t feel sorry for him. You get what you give.

      “I was hoping we might be able to talk,” his father said.

      “So you can tell me how I’ve been wasting my life? No, thanks.”

      “I deserve that, but no, son, I only wanted to see how you’ve been doing.”

      “As you can see, I’m standing.”

      He smiled. “I’m happy about that.”

      Austin moved aside and allowed his father to come in.

      His father glanced around the sparsely finished room. “The place looks good. A lot better since it’s been cleaned and painted.”

      “Yeah, Cullen and Trent made it livable.”

      Neal Brannigan nodded. “It’s good to have you here. I mean, I hate that you were hurt, but I’m glad you get to come here to be with your brothers.”

      “I’m not staying long,” he warned. “As soon as I get the okay from my doctor, I’m back on the circuit. Nothing you say will change that.”

      His father raised a calming hand. “I’m not going to try to stop you. You’re an adult and can make your own decisions.”

      Who was this man? Not the tough-as-nails police captain who’d been a no-show father. He never stood up for his sons and hated that one of them became a bull rider. Okay, so most parents wouldn’t like that, either. “That’s not what you told me the last time we were together.”

      “I hope I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

      This admission had Austin a little off center. “You’re saying you want to see me ride?”

      Neal nodded. “I’ve already had the pleasure a few years back in Lubbock, Texas.” He smiled. “I believe you won that day.”

      Austin frowned, recalling that had been the last time he saw his stepmother, Leslie. “I remember Mom being there, but where were you?”

      “I thought it might be better if you spent time with her.” He saw the flash of sadness. “Leslie had just learned about her cancer. Even I didn’t know the extent until much later.”

      Austin’s leg began to ache, and he went to sit down at the table. He offered his father the other chair. “I wish I had known. I could have spent more time with her.”

      Neal sat down. “You know your mother. She didn’t want you boys to make a fuss or disrupt your lives.” His gaze went to Austin. “It’s the way she wanted it, son.”

      Austin stiffened at the word son again. He was troubled that his father had suddenly remembered him as his child. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back to the funeral last year. I was in Australia competing. By the time I heard the news, it was too late to come back in time.”

      His father raised his hand. “It’s okay, son. Your mother knew you loved her. She was proud of you.”

      “I know Leslie was my stepmother, but I always thought of her as the real thing.”

      “She felt the same way about you boys, too.”

      Austin felt the old bitterness surface. “Yeah, she didn’t question our choices like you did.”

      The old man cringed. “I know. I had to be right about everything, and look where

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