Page 42 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“I prefer Elijah to ‘intruder,’ even if Autumn doesn’t,” he said, taking her hand.
“Charli, her physical therapist. It’s great to put a face to a name.”
He wondered what Autumn had said about him.Hopefully, it wasn’t all bad.Elijah cleared his throat, not sure where to begin. “Can I ask you how she is? She hasn’t told me anything.”
Charli waved a hand, silently telling him not to continue. “Sorry, I can’t do that. She’s my patient, and I would be breaking her confidence,” she said, offering him a sympathetic smile.
“The other night, I heard something. I thought she fell, but she said she was fine,” he said, following her to her car.
“Sounds about right. In rehab, she was known as Ms Perfectly Fine,” Charli said, then looked horrified. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Rehab?” How long ago had she needed treatment? Her back injury must be a lot more serious than he’d thought.The medicine cabinet is a big hint. She must have slammed the door in my face last night because she didn’t want me to see she wasn’t so fine.
Charli’s eyes were wide. “Please keep that to yourself. Autumn is terribly private. It’s my job to keep her secrets.” She rested her hand on his shoulder, a plea for his understanding. “It’s up to Autumn to tell you as much or as little as she wants. I understand you aren’t in a relationship?”
“We might not be romantically involved, but we live together. If something happens to her, I want to know what to do.”
She looked unsure. “If you want to help her, there is something…”
“What?” Elijah stepped closer, eager to help.
“Right now, she needs some distraction. Something that doesn’t involve the piano. I’ve been trying to convince her to go swimming, but she won’t listen,” Charli said. He could see how worried she was about Autumn.
“If you can’t convince her, what makes you think I’ll be more successful?” He knew it would be an impossible sell.
“I think she’ll want to prove you wrong, so you might be the fire she needs. She’s wanted a dog for years, and somehow, you got her to accept Brinkley,” she told him.
So that’s why she was so quick to allow her to stay.“Any suggestions?”
“Surprise her, and don’t tell her where you’re going so she can’t back out,” Charli said.
Elijah had his work cut out for him.How am I supposed to get her to go anywhere without telling her where? But if she goes, then it shows she’s starting to trust me.Such a thought was all the motivation he needed.
“Swimming won’t hurt her or make her worse?” Elijah needed to know he wouldn’t be furthering her pain.
“No, it will help her. I wouldn’t do anything to put my client at risk, but don’t push her. The sea would be great, but she always says it’s too cold. The salt water would do her good and the cold won’t do her any harm, but there’s also the Wickford community pool. Let her do it herself. She has the weekend off, so I would try before she gets back to rehearsals,” Charli said, putting her folded table in her car.
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.” He didn’t know how he was going to get her to go swimming. He could barely get her to stay in the same room as him.“I don’t have any meetings tomorrow, so I could try and surprise her in the afternoon.”
“Good luck,” Charli said. “I’m glad you’re with her.”
Her words caught him unawares as he opened the car door for her. “Why?”
“She could use a little fire in her life,” Charli said with a wink before starting the engine.
Elijah wasn’t sure what she meant, but it was clear that to hear the rest of her story, he would have to win Autumn’s trust.
He closed the door loudlybehind him, as if he was coming back for the first time.
“I’m home!” he called, following the music to the kitchen.
The sight of her stopped him in his tracks. Her auburn hair, free from its usual bun, flowed down her back as she swayed to the music. His T-shirt moved with her as she shook salt into the wok she was cooking in. She looked relaxed.Whatever Charli did must have helped.He knocked on the marble counter, as she was oblivious to his presence.
“I didn’t know you could move like that,” he teased, moving behind her.
She jumped, jerking the wok off the heat. Afraid it would fall into her, Elijah shoved the pan away with his forearm. He hissed as the hot metal burned his flesh.
“Jesus! It’s hot!” Autumn yelped.
