Dangerous Therapy: O'Connor Brothers (Volume 1) Read online

  “Cora, I’ll do everything I can, but I can’t make any promises.” Stephanie said.

  “Once he gets a look at your beautiful smile, it might give him some inspiration.” Nick winked at her, and Stephanie felt heat flood her cheeks. Yep, he was definitely the cocky one.

  “I’m sorry my dear my boys are habitual flirts.” Kathleen smiled. “But they’re harmless.”

  The door suddenly burst open making Stephanie jump. A tiny older woman hurried into the room. Sean jumped up and pulled out a chair for her, but when he took her arm to help her into the chair she slapped it away.

  “I can sit down without you helping.” The woman glared at Sean. The other three men tried to stifle their amusement when Sean sighed and sat back down. “Now is this the lass that’s going to give our boy the kick in the arse he needs?”

  “Mudder!” Sean groaned. Stephanie pressed her lips together to stifle a giggle as the little woman glared at Sean.

  “Stephanie, this is my mother, Betty O’Connor.” Cora chuckled. Stephanie reached across the table to shake her hand but nearly fell when Nanny Betty pulled her over next to her.

  “Yar a tiny scrap of a thing aren’t ya.” Nanny Betty squeezed her hand. “But dat don’t mean yar not tough.”

  “Yeah, Nan’s the toughest one around and look how small she is.” Nick laughed but quickly stopped when Nanny Betty glared at him.

  “Ya look like a good girl, and my Cora says yar the one for our Johnny.” Nanny Betty smiled. Stephanie glanced at Cora.

  “I’ll do everything I can to get him back on his feet.” Stephanie smiled at Nanny Betty.

  “Yar gonna make him a happy man.” Nanny Betty reached up and stroked Stephanie’s cheek. She let go of her hand and pointed to the chair. Stephanie sat down quickly. The little woman kind of scared her.

  “So, Stephanie will you do this?” Cora asked. Stephanie never got a chance to answer.

  “Of course she will.” Nanny Betty said. “Now, I’ve got to get to da grocery store.” The little woman jumped up from the chair and out the door.

  Stephanie’s mouth fell open. “Um, I guess I don’t have a choice,” she chuckled.

  “You don’t want to cross Mom.” Cora laughed.

  She wouldn’t have a better offer if she waited a thousand years. The apartment was no charge, she’d be paid for five days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Anything she required to help her new patient would be supplied without question. Her duties included cooking, cleaning, some personal care, and physical therapy. It was a lot, but the pay was incredible. She could pay off the debt she incurred because of Brad. She signed it without hesitation and handed it back to Cora.

  “Johnny is being released on Monday.” Cora said. “He won’t know you’ll be living there until he gets home.”

  “Why?” They were hiding things from her patient.

  “Like we told you he’s fighting everything, and if he knows you’ll be living there he might kick up a fuss.” Kathleen sighed.

  The decision was made that she’d be moving in this weekend. Sean volunteered or voluntold his other six sons would help her move. It was so incredible that this couple had seven sons and chances were they all looked similar. It was not possible that these men were not taken.

  On the drive home, the sun was starting to break through the clouds. It was a sign she made a good decision. Something to change the course of her life in a better direction and she wouldn’t have to move back in with her parents. Not that she didn’t love them, but moving back home was like taking a step back in life. Cora didn’t know how much she helped Stephanie keep her independence.

  Stephanie pulled out her phone once she got back to her house. Telling her parents was easy. They were worried but had faith Stephanie could do the job. If only she had as much confidence in herself. Cora seemed to think Stephanie was some kind of miracle worker. It was odd because the woman should know about how these things worked. Not everyone would get better. Whether it was because of their injuries or because they just lost all hope. From what his family said, Cora’s nephew wasn’t going to be an easy person to deal with. She didn’t mind dealing with a difficult patient. She was worried this guy was going to be a challenge of a lifetime.

  Chapter 7

  “Are you all fucking crazy?” John roared. A strange woman was living in the apartment attached to his house, and she was going to get him back on his feet. His family had completely lost their minds

  “John, watch your language.” Kathleen reprimanded him. It made him feel like he was eight years old again. He shifted in the wheelchair, and pain shot through his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Mom but I don’t like the idea of someone I don’t know living in that apartment. Free of charge at that.” John was really trying to keep his voice down.

  “It’s part of the contract with Aunt Cora, and this woman is very sweet.” Sean helped John remove his jacket. If his father was on board with this, John was fighting a losing battle, and he really didn’t like losing. He also didn’t like the huge grins his brothers were sporting. Grins he wanted to smack off each of their faces. When his parents left, they were all getting shit for letting this happen.

  “I don’t want a stranger in my house, Dad.” John grimaced as his father pulled the jacket a little too hard on his injured shoulder.

  “Oh, I don’t think you’ll mind.” Nick chuckled.

  “Yeah, she’s going to give you the kick in the ass you need.” Mike grinned. He really wanted to punch them so hard. His glares at them had no effect. If he ever got back on his feet, he was going to make them pay dearly. Fucking assholes.

  “So where’s this miracle worker that’s going to make all my God damn problems go away?” The tension was making his body ache even more. Since the accident, the pain was becoming the norm. He couldn’t move without something hurting. The therapists in the hospital said he wasn’t working hard enough. He gave up two weeks after he started and demanded that he be able to go home. He was sick of being poked and prodded. If one more person at the hospital told him he needed to work the muscles to get the strength and mobility back, he probably would have snapped.

  “She’ll be here shortly.” Kathleen smoothed her hand over the top of his head. Then she disappeared into the kitchen with Sean behind her. Food was definitely involved. His brothers huddled together talking in hushed tones.

  “Okay, assholes. What’s all the fucking smirks about?” John kept his voice low to make sure his mother didn’t hear.

  “Jesus, John. Why don’t you calm down and just go with this?” Keith sounded annoyed. “What harm could it do?”

  “I don’t want some old woman coming in here and forcing me to do stuff I know is going to give me more pain,” John grumbled.

  “Maybe you should give it a chance. You haven’t given anything else a chance.” James growled. “You’ve been sitting around since the casts came off cursing at everyone and treating us like shit.” James walked closer and leaned down to eye level with him. “You’re acting like a fucking asshole, and we’re all tired of it. If you want to sit around and feel sorry for yourself, then go ahead, but for the love of God, give this a chance for Mom’s and Dad’s sake.”

  John turned away from James and toward the fireplace. Easy for James to say. He wasn’t the one that would never be able to go back to work. He wanted to scream. Tell everyone to get the hell out of his house but that would make his mother cry. It would kill him to break her heart.

  John was tired. He’d been home over an hour waiting for his live-in babysitter to arrive. His family’s excitement over this woman was playing on the last of his patience. Why should he tire himself out? She was going to be working for him, right. To hell with it, he was going to his room. He opened his mouth to ask one of his brothers to help when he heard the front door open. Aunt Cora’s voice floating through the house had John rolling his eyes.

  “Boys, can you get the equipment in the truck and bring it into the spare room.” It
was almost laughable how six grown men jumped, and ran whenever the women in his family spoke. All of them were not much bigger than five feet tall, but they ran the big burly men with iron fists. Himself included.

  Wait, what was she talking about? What equipment were they putting in his spare room? He didn’t have a spare room. He had his bedroom and his home gym. His temper started to flare. What the hell did they do to his gym?

  “Johnny, it must be good to be home.” Cora gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she walked up next to him.

  “What’s all that stuff?” He asked watching his brothers carry box after box back to the home gym. His fists clenched and he ground his teeth.

  “Oh, Steph thought it would be a good idea to set up a therapy room in your house so you could get back into shape in the comfort of your own home.” Cora squeezed his shoulder.

  “Oh, that’s what Steph thought, is it?” He didn’t try to hide his sarcasm. “And who gave anyone the authority to make changes in my house.” His blood pressure was rising and he could feel his face burning. “Who the hell does she think she is?” The stern voice stopped his tirade before it got off the ground.

  “Now just one minute, young fella.” Nanny Betty stomped into the living room. Where the hell did she come from? He didn’t even know she was there. “We’ve had enough of yar self-pity.” She stood in front of John with her fists on her hips. “If I hear ya as much as speak a word out of line to this young one, I’ll show you exactly who I am.” John glared at Nanny Betty, but she could outglare anyone. “We’re trying to help ya, and sparing no expense to do it, because we love ya, and we want ya back to yar old self because this man ya are now, I don’t like him very much.” She reached out and cupped his cheek. “Johnny, we love ya, and we’re doin what’s best for ya. So ya treat this young lass with respect or you’ll have me to deal with. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Nan!” John felt like a kid. Nanny Betty had a way of doing that.

  “There you are!” Kathleen reached for someone in the foyer. “I’m sure you heard Nanny Betty’s lecture, so there’s nothing to be worried about.” This was it. He was about to meet his babysitter. Jesus this was humiliating. John looked up as Kathleen walked into the living room. The woman she pulled behind her made his heart stop. Their gazes met and he couldn’t breathe. The name should have given him some clue. It was her.

  Stephanie.

  Chapter 8

  Nanny Betty didn’t sound very happy as Stephanie walked into the foyer. She smiled shyly at the six men lugging the equipment from Cora’s van. They were doing a lot of that over the past few days. They helped her move into the apartment and she had to admit watching their muscles flex as they carried things was very entertaining. They were truly a gorgeous bunch, but none of them sparked her interest.

  “There you are.” Kathleen linked an arm with Stephanie’s. “I’m sure you heard Nanny Betty’s lecture, so there’s nothing to be worried about.” She wasn’t so sure about that. From what she overheard from James, Ian, Keith, Mike, Nick and Aaron, their older brother was not a happy camper. They were depending on her. This sweet family was putting all their hopes on her. God help me.

  Kathleen steered her toward the living room. Sean stood behind a man in a wheelchair with his fists pressed into his eyes. Nanny Betty gave her a triumphant smile as she hurried out of the room. Kathleen gently squeezed her arm.

  “John, this is Stephanie,” Kathleen said cheerfully. John. She knew that name. It couldn’t be. When he looked up she gasped. Officer Hunky. She’d never even questioned the J. O’Connor written on the top of the file. Cora had called him Johnny. How did she not know the man she was supposed to be helping was the same man she couldn’t get out of her thoughts?

  “Are you okay my dear?” Kathleen put her arm around Stephanie’s shoulder.

  “Yes!” Her voice squeaked. “It’s just well…I ahh.” She didn’t know what to say.

  “Mom, we’ve met before.” His deep rasp of his voice made her stomach flutter.

  “You have?” Cora walked into the room. Sean was looking back and forth between John and Stephanie. All the noise of the men walking back and forth in the hallway stopped as though they were waiting for a bomb to drop. She shoved her hands into her jeans pocket. This was embarrassing.

  “I pulled her over a few months back for running a red light.” The corner of his lips quirked up. Her cheeks heated.

  “Oh dear.” Kathleen chuckled.

  “Well, my sister was in labor, and she was screaming and I was really freaked out because it was happening so fast and ….” Stephanie slammed her lips together and clasped her hands together in front of her. Rambling was not helping the situation.

  “John, you didn’t give the poor girl a ticket, I hope.” Kathleen wrapped her arm around Stephanie’s shoulder.

  “No mom!” John shifted in the chair. Stephanie’s cheeks burned hotter by the minute when he explained. That day was etched in her memory. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that the strong confident Police officer she’d met that day was the same man sitting in the wheelchair. He’d lost weight. His eyes didn’t have the light in them that she’d seen the first time she met him. He looked so broken and beaten.

  “He was very understanding.” Stephanie wanted him to know how much she appreciated what he did that day. “And he was really sweet with my sister.” His eyes met hers. The same eyes in her dreams. Her stomach fluttered. Butterflies. Really. No man had ever had that effect on her with just a smile. That’s why his brothers seemed so familiar. Those blue eyes and dimples were family traits.

  “I guess you can stop complaining about the stranger taking over your house now, huh John.” A voice came over her shoulder.

  “Shut up, A.J,” John growled as his eyes glanced over her shoulder. A chorus of laughter and the expression on his face made her giggle. When he met her eyes again and she pressed her lips together. He was making it pretty clear when she walked in the house that he didn’t like the idea of her living in the apartment.

  “You know John; she doesn’t look bad for an old woman.” One of the brothers spoke behind her. Another chorus of laughter. She giggled again. When he glared at her, she covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Aren’t you guys supposed to be moving stuff?” John grumbled. The shuffling started behind her again.

  John had tension written all over his face and dark circles under his eyes. Over the past couple of days, the information she received told her that he was angry. Who would blame him? He’d been a cop and was probably used to having people depend on him. Nobody liked to be dependent on other people. Especially strangers.

  “I’m going back to the kitchen to finish cooking supper.” Kathleen gave Stephanie a quick side hug. “Sean, you want to help?” Sean nodded and followed Kathleen out of the room. Nanny Betty seemed to have disappeared, but the muffled sounds of pots told Stephanie, Nanny Betty wasn’t far. His brothers went back to bringing in boxes from the van and Cora followed them, leaving her alone with John.

  “You’re welcome to take a seat.” John motioned to the large armchair in the corner of the room. She was glad he offered because her legs were weak. “I have to say, I’m surprised.”

  “Why?” Stephanie sat straight and clasped her hands in front her.

  “I didn’t know you were a physical therapist and a personal care attendant,” He said. “I’m impressed.”

  “One just led into the other.” She watched his brothers walk back and forth. “You know they really care about you.” He dropped his head.

  “I know!” He lifted his head and met her eyes. It took her breath away. “I’m just worried they’re doing all this for nothing.”

  “What do you mean?” This was the root of the issue. Like so many of her patients before, he didn’t believe he could get better.

  “What if none of this works?” His voice cracked. “What if I’ll never be able to do the things I’ve always done? What if I can’t go back t
o work?” The tears in his eyes broke her heart. He really was giving up. This was not going to happen. Letting him give up was not an option.

  “John, listen to me.” Stephanie laid her hand on top of his. “I’ve read your file inside out. I’ve spoken with your doctor as well as the therapist in the hospital. You don’t have any permanent damage. The problem is, all the muscles and tissues were compensating for the injuries. It’s going to take some time to get those muscles back in shape.” When he tilted his head, she knew she had his attention. “It’s not going to happen overnight, and it’s going to be a lot of work. It’s going to hurt. I won’t lie to you, but you will get better. If you work hard. I know you can do this, your family knows you can do this. They told me you’re not a quitter.”

  “I never used to be.” He closed his eyes and sighed.

  “John, I’m going to make you a promise.” She squeezed his hand and he opened his eyes. “You’re going to curse at me, and probably hate me, but if you do everything I tell you, I promise, you’ll be able to do everything you could do before the accident.”

  “I don’t know if I believe that.” He pulled back and rolled his neck.

  “Believe me, please.” Stephanie knew she was right, but convincing him was not going to be easy.

  “I’ll try.” John sounded so defeated.

  “Okay, we start right now.” She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “You need to rest.” The confusion on his face made her smile. “You haven’t been doing much for the past couple of months, and today’s been a long day. You need to lay down for a while.” Not giving him a chance to respond, Stephanie called out to one of his brothers. There were so many of them, but she was almost sure Nick was the one sauntering over to her.

  “What can I do for you, Beautiful?” Nick winked. He was hot, but his attempt at flirting just made her mentally roll her eyes.

  “Can you stop hitting on the girl long enough to help me into my room?” John snapped. Nick chuckled and pushed John to his bedroom.