Soul Possession(42)

Truitt stood, suddenly anxious to be near Jessie again. The truth was, he wasn’t over his own terror, a fact he dealt with every single day. How the hell did you ever get over nearly losing the woman you loved?

Jessie wrapped the towel around her neck and leaned back, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She was tired and her knee ached from the exercise regimen she’d performed, but giddy excitement coursed through her veins because today was the day she was going to surprise Rick and Truitt by walking out to them without her cane.

“How you feeling?” Carmen, her therapist, asked.

Jessie smiled. “Tired. Jubilant. Excited and nervous.”

“You should be proud of yourself. You’ve made excellent progress in a very short time.”

Jessie leaned forward to rub her knee, but Carmen sat on the stool in front of her, moved Jessie’s hand, and began massaging some of the soreness away.

“I’m ready to get on with my life,” Jessie said, feeling better just for saying it. “I’ve spent far too much time putting pieces back together and now it’s time to look ahead.”

Carmen smiled. “I wish all my patients were as motivated as you. But then I wouldn’t have a job.”

Jessie’s phone pulsed, signaling a text message, and she pulled it out of her pocket. She smiled when she read the message from Kirsten.

I’m rooting for you, girlfriend. Knock ’em dead.

Jessie slid the phone back into her pocket and then took a deep breath. It was time and she didn’t want to mess up her moment by having the guys come in after her.

“I’m ready,” she said to Carmen.

Carmen stood and extended a hand down to Jessie, but Jessie shook her head.

“I can do it.”

She pushed herself up, flexed her knee once and then put all her weight on it. Though she wasn’t completely pain-free, she experienced only twinges and a dull ache when she pushed herself too hard.

She took a few experimental steps, testing her steadiness without the security of her cane. Delight fizzed through her nervous system until she was positively twitching with excitement.

“Want company on the walk out?” Carmen asked with a broad smile.

Jessie smiled back. “No. I need to do this on my own.”

As Jessie made her way toward the front, the team of therapists that had worked so diligently with her gathered and started to clap. Jessie’s cheeks warmed and she smiled as tears gathered in her eyes.

Joseph, one of the techs blew her a kiss and held open the door as she walked out into the midday sunshine.

As soon as her feet hit the concrete of the circle drive in front of the clinic, she looked across the parking lot to see that, indeed, Rick and Truitt were coming toward her. And they hadn’t seen her yet.

She increased her pace and walked out from underneath the awning and farther away from the place she’d spent so much time in over the last few months.

She forced herself to have restraint. The very last thing she wanted was to fall on her face for her big moment. She was pleased that there was hardly a noticeable limp. Just a slower, steadier walk that would change as she gained more confidence.

For now, all that mattered was that she was taking her first steps without the aid of a walker or a cane.

Her gaze never left Rick and Truitt as they hurried toward the building. She knew the moment they saw her and realized it was her. Truitt stopped cold. Rick took two steps and then also halted.

At first they looked shocked but then slow grins spread across their faces. Truitt let out a whoop and then ran toward her. Rick’s grin was no less huge but he strode behind Truitt.

When Truitt reached her, he lifted her up and spun her around until she was laughing and dizzy. Then he slowly and carefully lowered her to her feet but held on to one arm as if he was afraid she’d fall.

“What do you think?” Jessie asked.

She shook off Truitt’s hand and slowly turned in a circle. When she came to a halt, Rick’s eyes looked suspiciously bright and Truitt was still grinning like a maniac.

“What I think,” Rick began slowly, “is that you are one incredible woman. I’m so proud of you, Jessie. You just don’t know how to quit.”

Jessie threw her arms around his waist and hugged him fiercely. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you and Tru. I love you so much. I won’t ever forget that you were with me every minute of my recovery.”

As soon as she pulled away from Rick, Truitt tugged her into his side and wrapped a strong arm around her.

“What do you say we go home and you let us show you just how damn much we love and admire you,” Truitt said.

She wrapped her arms around their waists and let them pull her close into them as they headed toward Rick’s truck.

“I like that idea. A woman can never be told or shown too much how much their man—or men,” she cheekily corrected, “love them.”

“Damn straight,” Rick growled as he leaned over to claim her mouth. “And we plan to tell you a whole hell of a lot for the next fifty years or so.”