“No, they let me and my brothers and sisters bring friends all the time.”
She looks down at her ugly-ass boots again. “But I’m not your friend.”
A loud sound cracks above, and she jumps. She looks at the sky with wide eyes. Boy, she really is afraid of thunder.
“You are now. I want to be your friend, Emilia Campbell. And I will protect you from the thunder.”
Chapter Two
Emilia
Present Day
“Please, please, please, let us have some hot rock star or actor on the list with new patients.” My best friend Abby stands behind the reception desk, staring intently at her computer.
“Anyone interesting?” I ask her. This is one of the most sought-after physical therapy clinics in San Francisco. As such, we often work with high-profile athletes who must recover after an injury, and even the occasional celebrity. In the case of the latter, it’s nice to get a scoop beforehand, because sometimes paparazzi show up. While Abby surveys the list on her computer, I make a mental note to stop at Target on the way home and buy a box of cheese crackers for my grandmother. No matter how bad a day she’s having, they always make her happy. Because she has Alzheimer’s, most of her days are bad lately. Watching the strong woman who raised me slowly fading away is excruciating.
“Nah.” Abby shakes her head in disappointment. “We’ve had a dry spell with celebrities lately. Just more businessmen.”
I grin. Ah, yes, we also get the assorted businessmen who decide all of a sudden that their lifestyle is too sedentary and they have to incorporate training into their routine. They sometimes overdo it, which is a recipe for injury.
“Look at this one,” she says with a laugh. “Went skydiving and screwed up the landing.”
I cover my mouth with my hand. “That’s not funny, Abby. He could have—”
“Been seriously injured, I know. But he wasn’t. I mean, he needs therapy, but his ligament injury isn’t too bad. I can’t help laughing when a hothead decides to be adventurous and then screws it up.”
“You’re a bad person,” I say, shaking my head. “Making fun of others’ misfortune.”
“I need to fill my free time with something. Judging and gossiping fit the bill.”
“Have you tried reading or cooking?” I challenge her. “I’ve heard they can be fun.”
“Nah, too much work.”
“Who is he?”
“Forgot the name.” She focuses her attention on the computer again. “Max Bennett. Hey, the name sounds familiar.”
“Max B— Are you sure?” I ask, my heart suddenly doing a somersault. The name is not exactly uncommon, but still….
“Yeah.”
“What’s his date of birth?”
As Abby rattles off the date, I grin because it’s him. Two different people sharing a name and a birthday would be too big of a coincidence.
“He’s my Max. Come on, I told you about him,” I admonish her when she raises an eyebrow. “My neighbor when I was a kid.”
“Ohhhh, I remember now,” Abby replies.
He was so much more than my neighbor. He was my best friend after Mom died, and I absolutely adored him. I haven’t seen him in fifteen years, though, which is about fifteen years too long. “Can you assign him to me?”
“Your schedule is already full.”
“Can you shift one of my other patients to someone else? You can do that for your best friend.” I bat my eyelashes at her, certain I look absolutely ridiculous.
“Fine. I’ll see how I can shift things and let you know.”