"Only after you made that wisecrack about the goose he brought."
"All I said was that for what he paid for the damn bird, one would think they'd've cut its head off."
"He took offense, Lilah," Elizabeth said. "And I don't blame him. The goose was a thoughtful gesture. It had been beautifully prepared by one of the hotel chefs and — "
"Ladies," Thad interrupted with a long-suffering sigh. When they fell silent, he addressed Lilah. "We're well aware of the ongoing antagonism between you and Adam. But we also think that, under the circumstances, personal considerations should be set aside."
"My personal considerations. As the therapist I have to be cajoling and nice to him. He can be a bastard to me and get away with it."
"Maybe so, Lilah, but we're talking about the man's life."
"He's still alive."
"Not to his way of thinking he isn't. We're talking quality of life here. You know what an ambitious, driven man Adam was. He was like an avalanche about to happen. He moved with the impetus of a steamroller."
"He could again," she argued. "The doctors have all but come right out and guaranteed that there's no permanent damage and that his paralysis is temporary."
"But Adam's not convinced. Until he is, it doesn't matter what the doctors tell him. He needs to be persuaded that his condition isn't permanent. And soon. One doctor told me that the longer he remains paralyzed, the less hope for a full recovery."
"That's right."
Elizabeth stood up and went to her sister. Sandwiching Lilah's hands between hers, she said, "Please, Lilah. I know it's asking a lot. But how bad can working in Hawaii be?"
"Unfair, Lizzie. Who can resist a job in Hawaii, much less a begging prego?"
Elizabeth smiled, but her eyes remained earnest. "Please."
"I'd have to take an indefinite leave of absence from my regular job." She was grasping at straws now, and all three knew it. Still, Lilah felt compelled to put up token resistance. "I'd be deserting my other patients in the middle of their therapy programs."
"There's an entire staff of capable therapists to take over for you."
"So hire one of them to work with this glorified bellhop."
"None are as good as you."
"Flattery."
"You'd be getting paid triple what you're making now."
"Bribery."
"You'd come back with a fabulous tan."
"Coercion." After shooting them dirty looks, she thoughtfully gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "Be honest with me. How many therapists have tried with Cavanaugh and failed?"
"I'm not sure — "
"Three." Elizabeth, whose white lie had been shot down before it could take flight, turned to her husband with exasperation. "No sense in lying," he said with a shrug. "She would find out when she got there."
"But we'd have the Pacific Ocean between her and us when she found out."
Lilah laughed. "Three, huh? Good Lord, he's even worse than I thought. What were his objections to the therapists?"
"The first was a man," Thad told her. "Adam said his hands felt like hams with sledgehammers packed inside. Said he must have come straight from Rocky Balboa's training camp."
"Such a nice guy," Lilah said, exaggeratedly batting her eyelashes. "Go on."
"The second ran out of his room in tears. We're not sure what he said to her."
"Her? Young?" Thad nodded at Lilah's guess. "I can imagine. You'd be amazed at the lewd and imaginative propositions that are spouted from the mouths of paraplegics," she remarked. "What about the third one?"
Thad winced. "They tried another male. Adam claimed he was a, uh…"
"Homosexual," Lilah supplied.
"That kinds captures the gist of it, yeah."
Shaking her head, Lilah said, "The man is a classic case, I tell you, classic." She stood, slid her hands into the seat pockets of her jeans, and gave Thad and Elizabeth her back. She moved to the window and gazed through the open blinds. It was drizzling for the third straight day. Everything was autumnally gray. Hawaii would be a pleasant change of climate and scenery, certainly.
Was she seriously considering becoming physical therapist to Adam Cavanaugh, a man whose very name evoked shudders of dislike?
But he was still a patient, an accident victim, a seriously wounded man who might or might not walk normally again. A lot would depend on the extent of his injury. A lot would depend on the physical therapy he was given. And she was good in her field. She was exceptionally good.
She turned around to face Elizabeth and Thad. "Have you discussed this idea with the hospital staff in Honolulu?"
"Yes. They gave us the go-ahead."
"I'd have complete control over his therapy? I wouldn't have anyone questioning my methods, no stars-in-her-eyes nurse with a crush on him undoing my work, no one second-guessing or berating me?"
"What do you plan to do to the poor guy?"
Lilah smiled at Thad's suspicious inquiry. "If the doctors determine that he's capable of walking again, he'll hate me before he does. He'll set up a hue and cry and go through pure hell and so will I."
Elizabeth nervously clasped her hands over her swollen stomach. "You wouldn't … I mean, you and Adam don't like each other very much, but you wouldn't…"
"Deliberately hurt him?" Lilah asked angrily. "Give me some credit, Lizzie. I might not have many scruples, but my professional integrity is above reproach."
"Of course it is. Forgive me," Elizabeth said, rubbing her temples out of fatigue and distress. "I know you'll do the very best you can for Adam."
"I haven't said I will yet."
"Will you?"
"Who's paying me, him?"
"Actually his phalanx of subordinates is taking care of the bookkeeping, but the money comes out of Adam's personal account and not the corporation's."
"Good. He can afford me. One thousand dollars a day." At their shocked expressions, she said defensively, "Don't think I won't earn it. I'll earn twice that much. One thousand dollars a day plus my travel and living expenses in Hawaii."
"Agreed," Elizabeth said, knowing that she wouldn't have any difficulty justifying the expense to Adam's devoted staff.
"And he can't fire me. No one can fire me except you."
"All right. Are you formally accepting the position?"
Lilah rolled her eyes heavenward, said something that made Elizabeth glad she had opted to leave the children at home, and on a gust of air said, "Hell, yes. How can I resist having the mighty Adam Cavanaugh at my mercy?"
"There must be some mistake. Cavanaugh. C-a-v-a-n-a-u-g-h. First name Adam."
"I'm well aware of the name," the receptionist said condescendingly. "But as I've already told you, Mr Cavanaugh has been released from this hospital."
Lilah shifted her heavy flight bag from one shoulder to the other. "The man is paraplegic. Don't tell me he walked out of here."
"I can't discuss a patient's condition."
"Then get someone down here who can. Pronto."
The receptionist did, but not pronto. It was forty-five minutes before the summoned doctor approached Lilah where she sat in the lobby like a miniature volcano about to blow its top. "Ms. Mason?"
Lilah tossed down the magazine she'd practically memorized during her wait. "Yes. Who are you?"
"Bo Arno."
"You're kidding."
"'Fraid not. I'm sorry you were kept waiting so long." Though he grinned engagingly, Lilah didn't say anything to let him off the hook. His grin faltered. "If you'll come with me?"
He tried to take her suitcase, but she wouldn't let him. She lugged it and her shoulder bag into the elevator and remained ungraciously silent during the ride up to the sixth floor. Once seated in a chair in his office, she accepted his offer of a cold drink and nodded her thanks to the secretary who brought it to her. After one sip she demanded, "Is Adam Cavanaugh still in this hospital?"