Mendoza's Miracle. Judy Duarte

especially about what was going on outside the hospital walls. Since he could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel, he was going to have to play catch-up if he was ever going to recreate—or, more likely, reinvent—his life.

      Just as his family was saying their goodbyes, Leah entered his room.

      She wore a pair of light blue scrubs today, so she was obviously working. And the fact that she’d made the effort to stop by to see him, especially when she didn’t have to, brought a smile to his lips.

      The Mendozas greeted her, then excused themselves and headed for the door.

      When they were gone, Leah said, “You have a nice family. They’re so loving and supportive.”

      Javier merely nodded his agreement.

      “I’ve noticed that you’re not always happy to see them,” Leah added.

      A stab of guilt robbed him of his smile. “It’s not that I’m unhappy when they stop by.”

      “Then what is it? Do you have issues with them?”

      “No, it’s just that… I don’t know. I guess you could say that I feel as though I’ve failed them somehow.”

      “How? I don’t understand.”

      By not being at the top of his game…

      By being flawed and less than perfect…

      By him needing their help instead of it being the other way around…

      Javier had always been the one to step up to the plate, the one who’d had money to loan, advice to give, but he didn’t feel like admitting any of those things. Instead, he said, “I guess it’s their sympathetic expressions that bother me. Sometimes, I wanted to climb the walls—and probably would have, if I could have gotten out of the damn bed.”

      “They love you, Javier. You can’t blame them for being worried about you. First because they thought they would lose you, and now because they sense you’re wrestling with something.”

      She was right on all counts, he supposed. But how did he admit that the struggle was in the realization that he was less than the best—something he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to?

      Competition and winning had always come easily for him, whether it was in academics, sports, business … or even romance. But now he wasn’t anywhere near as confident about anything, and that bothered him more than he cared to admit to anyone—even to Leah.

      “Your family would like to help,” she said. “But they can’t unless you let them.”

      He hated feeling helpless, something he’d felt ever since regaining consciousness. But instead of making that admission, he said, “Some roads are meant to be traveled alone.”

      Leah eased closer to his bed and placed her hand on his arm. “Most of the time, it’s nice to have someone at your side or in your corner.”

      Their gazes met and locked. For a moment, he wondered if she was offering her support even though he was about to leave her care. But before he could make any real assumptions, she withdrew her hand and took a step back, as if she’d realized that she’d overstepped her boundaries.

      And maybe she had. Javier wasn’t up for a relationship until he was back on top, and God only knew when that would be.

      While the patients ate lunch and Leah manned the nurses’ station, the call Javier had been waiting for finally came in. An orderly was on the way to get him and take him to the rehab unit.

      Leah hated to see him go, but it was really for the best. Hopefully, she’d find the old saying to be true—out of sight, out of mind.

      She took some comfort in that thought until another old adage came to mind. What if absence made the heart grow fonder?

      At that possibility, she clucked her tongue, then told herself no. Once Javier was gone, she was determined to put him out of her mind and to focus on her work and the other patients.

      Still, she was glad that she would be the one to give him the news that an orderly was coming to get him, even though it was Karen’s job to do that today. But Karen had taken an early lunch break and Leah was covering for her.

      So she turned to Brenna, the LVN who was working at the desk with her. “I’m going to step away for a minute or two. Will you get the phone if it rings?”

      When Brenna agreed, Leah went to Javier’s room, where she found him wearing a grimace as he carefully set aside a pair of crutches he’d been using for balance and then climbed back into bed. Earlier in the week, Dr. Fortune had surgically removed several of the pins that had held his broken bones in place until they healed, leaving some that would remain permanently. So now Javier could stand and bear his full weight, although it was still painful for him to do so.

      “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need any help?”

      “No… thanks.” His grimace morphed into a pain-streaked scowl, and his words came out in labored huffs. “I’ve… got it.”

      She hoped so. He’d just started to use those crutches, thanks to the seriousness of his fractures. He’d been through a lot physically, so there were going to be some tough days ahead. She wasn’t sure if he carried any scars beyond what she could see, but she understood why his family had suggested that he get some counseling.

      Since she’d already made a note of it in his chart, she wouldn’t bring it up to him again.

      “Does your family know you’re moving to rehab today?” she asked.

      “Yeah.” He shifted his hips in bed, lifting the sheets and moving his legs to get into a better position. As he did so, he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, clearly dealing with the effort and pain. “I told them about it yesterday, although I wasn’t sure when the bed would open up.”

      She watched him move again, straightening his legs out a little more.

      “Do you want me to call anyone and let them know which room you’ll be going to?” she asked.

      “No, that’s not necessary. They’re going to check with rehab before their next visit.”

      She waited a beat before adding, “I’m a little envious of you and your family. I know there’s a downside to having so many people in your life, but there must be some wonderful perks, too.”

      “Yeah, there are.” His expression softened, indicating that the pain he’d suffered from his trek to the bathroom had finally eased. “I take it you don’t have many brothers or sisters.”

      “I just have one—a brother. But Justin and I aren’t very close.”

      “Why is that?”

      “I don’t know.” She moved toward the serape that was draped over the chair, then began to fold it so he could take it with him. “I suppose it’s because he’s nearly ten years older than I am. He also lives out of state, so we don’t see each other very often.”

      “That’s a pretty big age difference. Is he only a half brother?”

      Leah could understand why he’d think so. Javier wasn’t the first to make that assumption, especially since she and Justin didn’t bear much resemblance to each other.

      “Our parents got married young,” she said. “They loved each other, but they separated and reconciled off and on for years. They finally got it together when he was nine, so they decided to have me.”

      “It sounds as though your childhood was probably a lot happier than your brother’s must have been.”

      “In some ways it was. But when I was four, my mom was diagnosed with cancer.”

      “I’m sorry.”

      Leah didn’t usually share that memory unless it was with a patient she wanted to help come to grips