Making a Comeback. Kristina Mathews

of the things she’d hoped for with this move was to let her daughters live as close to a normal life as possible. That included public school, especially since the local elementary was one of the best in the state. She wanted to give them chores and an allowance. Maybe someday get a puppy, so they could learn responsibility.

      They spent the morning picking up where their neighbor had left off, trying to take care of her. They made her toast after Cooper left, with peanut butter and honey. Why not? It wasn’t like she had to worry about every calorie she consumed anymore.

      The doctor had warned her to get plenty of rest. No more than two hours of any type of cognitive activity until she was headache-free for twenty-four hours. That included reading, watching TV, or using the computer. She could gradually increase her time by small increments after each twenty-four hour period with no symptoms.

      She’d been given similar guidelines for physical activity. She could take short walks on the beach, gradually working her way up to her normal workout routine. Annabelle wondered if she’d ever feel normal again.

      Although she usually enjoyed listening to her daughters’ constant chatter, today the sound caused pressure to build behind her eyes.

      “Why don’t you put on your favorite princess movie?” She hated to plop them in front of the TV on such a beautiful sunny day. “Mommy needs to rest a bit.”

      They argued over which movie to watch, but when she told them they could watch both, it solved the problem quickly.

      She was just going to close her eyes for a few minutes.

      * * * *

      A quick run on the beach was just long enough to get Cooper’s heart rate up, but not long enough to let go of the troubling image of Annabelle’s injuries. Her beautiful face. It looked like someone had used her face to record a strikeout, a backward K, meaning the batter froze and struck out looking as strike three crossed over the plate.

      Damn. He should be thinking about baseball, the game that he’d played since he was nine. The game he thought he’d do anything to keep playing. He rubbed his shoulder. The pain was only in his head now. Man, he’d been an idiot, thinking he could outsmart his body, outsmart the league. They weren’t supposed to test him until after he reported to spring training.

      Too bad his number had been called for the random off-season test. His mistake had cost him fifty games. It had cost him his confidence. Instead of the healing powers of science, all he’d gotten from FITNatural was a weakened shoulder that he’d injured in his first appearance after being traded to St. Louis.

      A simple arthroscopic surgery had fixed his shoulder. A slight tear of the rotator cuff. Physically, he felt stronger than ever. But he couldn’t pick up a baseball. The thing that had brought him such satisfaction, millions of dollars, and more women than he knew what to do with now taunted him. Every time he touched a ball, he felt his throat close up, as if he’d swallowed the damn thing. He couldn’t breathe. It made him sick. No, he made himself sick.

      He would have preferred to do his workout at the gym, but he didn’t want to be that far away from Annabelle, in case she needed him. His home gym had the basics. He could get a good workout without leaving the house. He hit the weights sitting in his spare room, lifting a little more weight than he’d been doing. Just to test the shoulder.

      Cooper hated that there was a small part of him that hoped he’d feel a sharp pain, a sign that his shoulder was shot. Then he wouldn’t have a choice but to turn down the remaining offers that came his way. If he hadn’t already dropped the ball.

      * * * *

      Cooper took a chance and picked up Thai food for dinner. He chose a variety of dishes, ranging from mild for the kids to moderately spicy for his tastes. He figured if the girls wouldn’t eat any of it, there was always peanut butter.

      He knocked on the back door. For some reason, he was more comfortable using the kitchen entrance rather than going to the front door.

      Olivia greeted him with a pink bow in her hair and a sweet smile on her face. “Shhh. Mommy’s sleeping.”

      He stepped into the kitchen, closing the door quietly behind him. “How long has she been asleep?”

      “We watched two princess movies.” Olivia didn’t seem to realize that might be a little too long. “But we were really good and didn’t wake her up to ask if we could watch another one.”

      “Maybe I should check on her.” He put the takeout containers on the counter. “Why don’t you and your sister set the table for me? We’ll need plates, forks, and cups.”

      “Okay.” She skipped off to find Sophie.

      Cooper approached the couch where Annabelle was sleeping and knelt down next to her. She was breathtaking, even with the ugly gash across her face. He was tempted to wake her with a light kiss on the forehead, on the right side, where her skin was still flawless.

      Heaving a sigh, he gently touched her shoulder instead. Just as he’d done during the night.

      “Annabelle.” He spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. “I brought you some dinner.”

      She moaned.

      Oh hell. All the blood rushed straight to his groin.

      Focus. Think of anything other than waking up next to her.

      “Annabelle, honey, you need to wake up.”

      Her eyes fluttered open. A look of confusion was quickly followed by one of embarrassment.

      “I must have fallen asleep while the girls were watching a movie.” She sat up, looking around as if she wasn’t sure where she was.

      “You’ve been out for a while.” He didn’t want to show too much concern, didn’t want her to hear the worry in his voice. He’d already gotten the message loud and clear, she didn’t want to be coddled. “How are you feeling?”

      “Fine.” She ran her hands over her face, wincing when she touched the stitches. “I’m just a little tired is all.”

      “I guess that’s to be expected.” He offered his hand and she took it as he slowly lifted her to a standing position. “I hope you like Thai food.”

      * * * *

      “That sounds perfect.” Even if she wasn’t sure how much the girls would eat, she could always make them a sandwich later.

      She was surprised to find the table set with the plastic plates and cups she kept in the bottom drawer for the girls to use for snacks.

      Cooper pointed out which entrees were mild and which ones were more flavorful or even spicy. It all smelled delicious. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of garlic, curry, and basil.

      “Who wants to try some sticky rice and lemongrass chicken?” She hoped her daughters would be polite enough to try one of the milder dishes.

      Surprisingly, they both seemed eager to experience new flavors.

      “Would you like some curry, Annabelle?” Cooper held a serving spoon ready to dish out the spicy combination of meat and vegetables.

      “Yes, please. I’ll have a little of everything.”

      He spooned a serving of each dish on her plate and then heaped double portions for himself.

      “What’s that?” Sophie pointed to one of the spicier dishes.

      “It’s called evil jungle noodle,” Cooper explained. “It has lots of yummy vegetables and rice noodles and red curry sauce.”

      “That’s a funny name.” She laughed. “Could I try some?”

      He nodded and placed a small spoonful on her plate.

      “Is it spicy?” Olivia asked cautiously.

      “A little. But you might like it.” He spooned a few bites onto her plate,