An Exception to His Rule(65)

                ‘What do you think of that?’ he asked with obvious pride.

                Harriet jumped up and flung her arms around him. ‘Oh, Brett,’ she cried joyfully. ‘That’s such an improvement! When? How? Why? I mean...’ She stopped. ‘You’ve been holding out on me!’ she told him.

                ‘Yes. I wanted it to be a big surprise.’ He hugged her back then rocked slightly. ‘There’s still a way to go, though.’

                ‘Sit down, sit down,’ she insisted immediately, ‘and tell me all about it. I think I can guess a bit of it, though. Your new physiotherapist?’

                Brett sat down in his chair and nodded. ‘Yes. Ellen has made a huge difference, but not only as a physio. She—’ he paused ‘—she got me talking. See, I seemed to reach a plateau that I couldn’t get beyond and she asked me one day if there was anything I was worried about, other than the obvious. And I found that there was and it was something that made me feel helpless and hopeless.’

                ‘What?’ Harriet asked fearfully.

                He smiled at her and put his hand over hers. ‘You,’ he said simply.

                Harriet gasped.

                ‘Because of all the things you gave up for me,’ he said. ‘Because I didn’t know how I could ever repay you. Because I didn’t much like the sound of this guy you went to work for but there was not a damn thing I could do about it.’

                ‘Oh, Brett!’

                ‘And somehow I found myself telling Ellen all this—she said the best thing I could do for you was to walk again. It just seemed—’ he shook his head ‘—to put the fire back into me,’ he marvelled. ‘But there’s still a way to go.’

                ‘And will Ellen be with you down that road?’ Harriet asked.

                ‘I think so. I hope so. She...we—’ he managed to look embarrassed and uplifted at the same time ‘—really get along.’

                Harriet hugged him again. ‘I’m so glad. So glad,’ she repeated, ‘because I’m going back to Sydney tomorrow. I know, I know,’ she said to his look of surprise, ‘it’s a bit out of the blue but I’ve finished the job at last! And I’d like to look around for another one. Also, I told you about his brother?’ Brett nodded. ‘Well, they’re due home from Darwin in a couple of days and it’ll be a family time, I’m sure.’

                Brett stared at her. ‘What’s he done to you?’

                ‘Done?’ She blinked.

                ‘Yep,’ Brett said grimly. ‘Damien Wyatt.’

                ‘Nothing! He’s been quite—he’s been quite kind, all things considered—’

                ‘Don’t give me that, Harry,’ Brett said concernedly. ‘I can see with my own eyes that you look all haunted.’

                Harriet put a hand to her mouth. ‘Do I really—? I mean, am I really that easy to read—? I mean—’

                ‘Yes, you are. For someone who goes into her own little world quite frequently, you’re amazingly easy to read,’ he said somewhat dryly.

                Harriet bit her lip then took a deep breath. ‘If there’s any trauma, he didn’t cause it,’ she said. ‘I did. And I want you to believe that and—’ she stood up ‘—I want you to put it out of your mind and continue this...this marvellous recovery. Ellen is right, you see; it’s the very best thing you could do for me.’