Was she mouthy and abrasive? Occasionally.
All right, regularly. One might even argue, frequently. But sometimes PT patients needed a well-intentioned kick to the rear more than they needed to be coddled. Lord knows I did.
At twelve years old, Sierra had been a pampered rich girl whose parents treated her with a much different standard than her three rough-and-tumble brothers, as if she were fragile. Dr. Frederick Bailey and his wife, Muriel, had raised their sons with aspirations of global domination; theyd raised their daughter with the promise that shed be a beautiful Houston debutante someday. No one had challenged her until the gruff physiotherapist whod helped her after shed been thrown from a horse.
Hed taught her to challenge herself, a lesson she still appreciated fifteen years later. The side effect was that she also tended to challenge authority, a habit the hospitals board of directors resented.
Given the barely concealed hostility in Eileens icy blue gaze, it was a miracle Sierra had lasted this long. Youre partially to blame here, Bailey. While shed deny with every breath in her body that her conduct with Lloyd Carson had ever been flirtatious or unprofessional, Sierra could have been more of a team player. She could have made an effort to care about occupational politics.
As Eileen went over the legal details of the termination, Sierras mind wandered to the future. Her savings account was skimpier than shed like, but she was a trained specialist. Shed land on her feet. It was a point of pride that shed been making her way for years, without asking her parents for money.
Youll find a new position. And when you do? Stay under the radar instead of racking up a file of grievances. In the interests of her career, Sierra could be detached and diplomatic.
Probably.
Chapter Two
Darling, youre being needlessly stubborn, Muriel Bailey chastised through the phone. Coming home for an extended visit would be a win for everyone. Since you arent busy with work
Im busy looking for a job. Word had spread through the medical grapevine from Dallas to Houston that Sierra had been fired. Ever since Muriel had learned about it last week, shed been relentlessly campaigning for Sierra to move back to Houston. Theres a better chance of my being elected president and moving to the White House.
Her mother sighed. But its always difficult to get vacation time approved after starting a new position. What if they wont give you the days off for your brothers wedding? According to Muriel, Kyles December nuptials would be The Social Event of the Decade. I need you here so you can help me with the millions of details! Then youll start job-hunting again after the holidays. New year, new career.
Trapped under her parents roof from September until January? Little spots appeared in front of Sierras eyes, and she gripped the edge of the granite-topped kitchen island for support. Ill be sure to mention that my brother is getting married during interviews and give prospective employers a heads-up. Assuming she got any more interviews.
By affronting the hospitals board of directors, she seemed to have damaged her options here in Dallas. Only two people had been willing to meet with her so fara sleaze whod ogled her breasts throughout the entire conversation and a sycophant whod gushed about what an honor it was to meet the daughter of esteemed Chief of Neurosurgery Frederick Bailey. She didnt want to take a job that was offered because of who her father was, but if nothing better materialized...
Sierra, are you even listening to me?
Um. Not for the past five minutes or so. I may have missed that last part.
Douglas Royce has been asking about you. He cant wait to see you at the wedding.
Oh, for pitys sake. Her mother couldnt possibly think there was still a chance Sierra might one day become Mrs. Douglas Royce? Opening the fridge, she searched for a bottle of wine. Damn. The downside of no paycheck was a serious lack of groceries. We broke up years ago.
Yet you havent had a serious relationship since! Perhaps because, deep down, you
Paul and I were plenty serious. Just not transcontinental serious. When Dr. Paul Meadows had left a couple of months ago to do medical work in Africa, theyd shared an affectionate goodbye. It was true she hadnt dated much between Douglas and Paul, but three years of grad school and twelve months of residency hadnt left much free time. Youre conveniently forgetting, I never loved Douglas half as much as you and Dad did. So youre not going to use him to lure me home.
Parents shouldnt have to lure their own flesh and blood. Wheres your sense of familial duty? Muriel huffed. Whos going to help me with this mountain of wedding tasks?
Sierra supposed it would be sheer lunacy to suggest the bride. Was poor Annabel getting any say in her big day? I warned Kyle they should elope. Dont be afraid to delegate to the zillion-dollar-an-hour wedding coordinator, Mom. Thats what Annabels family is paying her for. I hate to cut this short, but I have a phone interview this evening. Could her lie have sounded less convincing?
Really? With whom?
Um... Sierra rubbed her temple. Oh, I think thats my other line. Gotta go, love to Dad, bye! She disconnected before her mother could respond, poured a glass of water and went to the living room, where her laptop sat on the couch. For a moment, she considered checking flights to Africa. Maybe she should follow Pauls examplego help people in another part of the world and put an ocean between her and her parents.
Instead, she checked email to see if her job search had netted any new responses, then fired off a quick note to Kyle.
Subject: Our Mother Is Off The Rails
Annabel must REALLY love you to put up with Mom. Hope you know what a lucky guy you are. See you in Decemberand not a single day sooner! S.
Her brother never replied to any of her messages. No doubt he was too busy plotting corporate takeovers.
She started to close her email, but her gaze lingered on a name in her inbox. Daniel Baron. Hed written to her two days ago, but she still hadnt decided whether to act on the information hed passed along.
Daniel was a former bull rider and past patient. Shed reached out to him last week when it became clear she needed more references. Not only had Daniel been happy to hear from her and more than willing to endorse her, hed learned of an unusual job posting through a friend of a friend. Hed told her about a family in Cupids Bow, Texas. Shed almost rolled her eyes at the town name, but she supposed it was no quirkier than Gun Barrel City, Texas. Or Ding Dong, Texas.
According to Daniel, the teenage daughter of the family had been in an accident, and the Rosses were looking for someone to live on the ranch and work with the kid for about a month. A ranch...where there were horses. She shuddered.
I am not a small-town person. But she prided herself on being tough when she needed to be, and it wouldnt be a long-term situation. With a guaranteed roof over her head, she would have time to investigate other opportunities. Three and a half weeks could make the difference between finding a position where she truly fit and simply accepting a paycheck so she could continue indulging in luxuries like food and water.
After shed first read Daniels email, shed looked up Cupids Bow online. It was tiny. Her parents country club probably had a higher populationironic, since the club worked at actively excluding people. Sierra doubted there were any symphony performances or science museums in Cupids Bow. But worse than a potential dearth of culture or even the presence of horses was the possibility of nosy neighbors. Werent people in close-knit communities subject to scrutiny and gossip? Given her parents wealth and high social standing, Sierra had spent her teen years feeling conspicuously visible. People whod never even met her had opinions about who she was and who they thought she should be. She detested feeling as if she had to answer anyone.
All right then, dont call the Rosses. Stay here and get a job waitressing. With your gracious nature, youre sure to make enough tips to pay off those student loans.
Lord. No wonder she couldnt get a jobshe even gave herself attitude.
Decision made, she pulled her phone from her pocket before she could change her mind. As she dialed, she reminded herself there was no guarantee the Rosses would hire her. If they did, shed survive roughing it in Cupids Bow one day at a time. How many times had she lectured patients on the necessity of breaking down tasks into less intimidating chunks?
Quit looking at it as months of PT, shed tell them. Just get through each set of exercises, one day at a time. This first sets only ten minutes. It may be uncomfortable, but you can handle ten measly minutes. Dont wuss out on me now...
She cajoled, encouraged and berated people into cooperating. The least she could do was take her own advice.
The phone rang, and she inhaled deeply. After a couple more rings, she began mentally rehearsing the message she would leave on the voice mail. But then a man answered.
Hello? The irritation in his deep voice made the word less a greeting and more a challenge.
She hesitated, but for only half a second. Tentativeness wasnt in her nature. May I speak with Jarrett Ross?
You got him. But if youre selling something
Only my professional services. Someone should tell Mr. Ross that anyone who placed a Help Wanted ad should curb his hostility; it made people not want to help. My name is Sierra Bailey. Im a physical therapist, and Daniel Baron, one of my former clients, gave me this number. He mentioned your family is looking for someone with PT experience.
Oh! Yes. God, yes. Sorry, you just caught me at a bad time. Of course, that describes all of the time lately, but Sorry, he repeated. I wasnt expecting applicants to call me. Most of them have been phoning my mother.
Ah. Youre not the girls father? Daniel had given her a name and a number. He hadnt outlined the family tree.
Definitely not. Im Vickis older brother. But I might as well talk to you. After all, you and I would be the ones living together while my parents are away.
Living together. The words gave her an odd jolt. Although Paul had spent enough nights at her place to warrant his own dresser drawer and a sliver of counter space in the bathroom, shed never technically lived with a man. You wouldnt be living with this one, either. Not in any personal way.
My parents trip is why were seeking the extra help with Vicki, he continued. Not only could she benefit from physical therapy here at the house, we could use someone to keep her company while Im working the ranch. If she needs something, Im not readily accessible on the back forty. What was your name again?
Sierra. Sierra Bailey.
And Daniel Baron gave you my number? Hes a good guy. I used to compete against him and his brothers all the time.
Ah. So youre a rodeo rider. She hadnt meant to sound judgmental. It just wasnt a lifestyle she could wrap her head around. She worked with so many people who were injured through no fault of their own that it was hard to understand anyone deliberately pursuing such a potentially dangerous career.
I was, he said tightly, but not anymore. Im committed to the ranch. And to Vickis recovery.
The patient. Here was comfortable ground. In her other interviews, shed had to talk about herself, which made her prickly. It was easier to sound competent and professional while discussing the person shed be treating.
She asked about the girls agenineteen was older than shed expectedand injuries. There was a pause before Jarrett began describing them. When he started talking again, the words came in an uncomfortable rush, as if he wanted to get through the list as quickly as possible. His younger sister was healing from several injuries, including a broken wrist, but the major issue was that her pelvis had been crushed in the accident.
Sierra winced. It was the kind of pity shed never show in front of a patient because pity made a person feel weak. But the young woman had a rough time ahead of her.
You obviously know your field well, Jarrett said after theyd spent a few minutes discussing medical specifics. Yet he sounded more grim than impressed. Wasnt her expertise a good thing? To tell you the truth, Ms. Bailey, you may be overqualified. We were thinking more in terms of a semiretired therapist or a home health care assistant who might not mind some light housekeeping and making sure Vicki gets dinner if Im working past sundown. I dont know if Daniel mentioned salary, but
He did. Calling that sum a salary was a generous overstatement. Its below what I would normally consider, but honestly, Im taking some time off to decide between several future options. Yeah, like whether to waitress at a steak house or bartend at a West End nightclub. This gives me time to carefully evaluate my choices. Well done, Bailey. Shed managed to make herself sound methodical, not desperate.
So youre all right with our terms?
Well, I wont argue if you decide after a week that I deserve a raise, but what youre offering is at least worth my driving to Cupids Bow for a face-to-face meeting.
Thats fantastic. It was the happiest hed sounded during their entire conversation, and it highlighted how dour his mood had beenfrom his tense tone when hed answered to his obvious discomfort discussing his sisters accident to his doubt Sierra would deem the job worth it. Jarrett Ross clearly wasnt the president of the Cupids Bow Optimists Club. I just wish my parents hadnt already booked their flight. Theyre leaving in two days, so unless you can be here tomorrow, they wont be available to sit in on the interview.
Sorry, tomorrows full. Since she hadnt known where and when shed be working again, shed scheduled a number of personal appointments, taking advantage of the time left before her health and dental insurance ran out. I can manage the next day, though.
They agreed on a time, and he asked for her email address so he could send her directions. GPS or internet maps will get you most of the way, but were a bit off the beaten path.
Which didnt bolster her enthusiasm for making a temporary home in Cupids Bow.
Then again, if the town could evade the reach of an orbiting satellite system, she should easily be outside the meddling reach of Muriel Bailey. Ever since Sierras last relationship ended, her mother, undaunted by living three and a half hours away, had tried arranging meetings between Sierra and Dallass most eligible bachelors. The good news about a town the size of Cupids Bow was that there couldnt be many men who met her mothers exacting standards.