Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
He sighed. Mila was right. There were no secrets among Davenports. He knew he was being difficult. But he was in pain and felt like a fool sitting there with his leg elevated while his mom and sister fussed over him. Plus, if he was honest with himself, the biggest reason he was in a bad mood was because the warm, fascinating woman he’d met on Carmel beach and gotten to know better at the birthday party seemed to have been replaced by a cool model of efficiency.
More often than not, his mom could read his mind, and his siblings’ minds too. In her most gentle tone, she said, “I know you’re in pain. I can see it on your face. Is there anything I can get you? Do you need more pain meds?”
He told her he was up to date with his meds, and in return she told him that the pain of a break was always worse in the first few days. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you would explain the injury to me in more detail.”
“I broke my tibia. It’s a simple fracture.”
She tousled his hair. “I’m glad it wasn’t something worse. You kids always have healed well from injuries. Still,” she added with a sigh, “it’s a broken leg. That’s what, four months for a full recovery?”
He felt his mood grow cloudy again and scowled. There was no hiding anything from his mom. She had spent so much time in the emergency room with six athletic kids that she was almost as good at giving a diagnosis as a seasoned ER doc.
“I start shooting my next movie in ten weeks. I need to heal in eight. Ten is the absolute max.”
His mom wasn’t surprised that he was pushing the timeline of his recovery. He had always played by his own rules, and if there was one thing she understood, it was that her kids were ambitious and driven. He was certain he could begin filming in ten weeks.
Betsy smiled and said, “Well, if anyone can heal that quickly, it’s you. And there’s no question in any of our minds that you’ll do all your exercises. I hear from Margaret Percy that Tessa’s extremely strict with her clients, especially when it comes to physical therapy.”
His scowl deepened. “She showed up here in a lab coat with her name stitched on the pocket. I feel like a science experiment.”
Mila snorted with laughter. “I love that! She’s letting you know who’s boss right from the get-go. I knew I liked that woman the moment I met her.”
Again, he recalled the way Tessa had scolded him when she’d first arrived. But Mila’s comment made him even more determined to keep the upper hand when his all too attractive companion returned from the store.
Mila brought over the vase of flowers and sat next to their mom. The flowers were perfectly arranged—a trick of the trade from her real estate business. She helped herself to an oatmeal cookie and then asked, “So, is she sleeping in the guest room down here?”
Their mom turned to her. “Mila, what are you suggesting?”
“Nothing, really,” she said with a shrug. “I’m just glad that when I sold Arch this house, it came with two beds on the ground floor as well as a gym and pool in the basement.” She turned to him. “It’s almost like I knew the day would come when you’d need water therapy and a gym within a thirty-second walk.”
Argh. His sister really knew how to push his buttons. Granted, all six of them knew exactly where to push one another to get a reaction. Which was why he tried not to show that she’d gotten to him as he replied, “I told Tessa she should sleep on the same level as me, but she chose a bedroom upstairs. Hauled a couple of heavy bags up there too. I couldn’t even help her.”
“Why did she do that?” his mom asked. “What if you need her in the night?”
Arch felt vindicated. “That’s exactly what I said. But she insisted that she’d keep her phone on and said I could call if I needed her.”
Mila laughed. “She’s probably worried that your snores will come through the walls and keep her awake. Besides, she doesn’t need to be on call twenty-four seven. She’ll need her space.” She paused a beat before adding, “I really do like her a lot, by the way. She seemed smart and intuitive when we met at Dad’s party.”
“And very pretty too,” his mom added.
He couldn’t believe it. Was his mother actually matchmaking? Arch knew there was nothing she wanted more than to see her kids happy and in love. Normally, his feathers might have been ruffled at the idea of his mother trying to set him up. But the truth was that in this specific case, he wouldn’t mind a little meddling, if that’s what she wanted, to encourage Tessa in his direction.