Project Detour (Castle View Book 3) by Lynn Cahoon Read Free Book Online Page A

anyway? Big date?”
    She laughed as she rang out the washcloth. “Sure, I’m going to have your mother come over to relieve me so I can go out on a lunch date? You don’t think much of me, do you?”
    “You have a right to personal time. You’ve been locked up with me for almost a week now. I wouldn’t blame you if you needed some me time.” He closed his eyes as she ran the washcloth slowly over his chest. “If you didn’t go on a date, where did you go?”
    “Didn’t you just tell me I had a right to personal time?”
    He heard the humor in her question. “So, I’m nosy. Can you blame me? I only recently got to even talk to my staff for an hour a day. My jailer is pretty strict.”
    “Now I’m a jailer? Well, maybe you’ll listen better if you think of me that way.” She moved the washcloth down by his legs, avoiding his privates. “If you really want to know, I went to talk to someone about helping him open a new physical therapy in Spokane.”
    “Won’t that cut into your business?” He opened his eyes and studied her.  “The area can’t be large enough to have clients for several clinics.”
    She finished washing his legs and then rinsed out the wash cloth. “I’m going to leave the room and let you handle your man stick.”
    “Man stick?” He laughed at the image, taking the warm cloth. “I haven’t heard it called that before, especially from a health care professional.”
    “Let me know when you’re done and I’ll clean up the mess.” Her face beet red, she ignored his comment and left the room.
    Brad watched her leave and realized she hadn’t answered his question. He was going to have to do some recon on Miss Brooks and St. Joseph’s Physical Therapy to see what was really going on with his helper. 
    And he knew exactly who to call. His mother wouldn’t break a confidence, especially since she liked Destiny. But his sister knew every piece of gossip there was in St. Joseph’s and thirty miles around the little town. Maggie kept her finger on the pulse of the community. Mostly because she liked to talk to people, a skill Brad had never acquired.
    Destiny had him curious.  And a healthy dose of curiosity never hurt anyone. At least anyone who wasn’t a cat, he amended.

CHAPTER 6
     
    “Why do you want to know?” Maggie sat on the chair next to his bed flipping through the channels. “Honestly, when you called and said we needed to talk, I never thought it would be about Destiny.”
    “Call it idle curiosity. I’m stuck here, at home, bored all day. The least you could do was feed me some gossip.” He put on his best wounded look.
    Laughing, Maggie slapped his arm. “That look didn’t work on me when you were five it’s not going to work now.”
    “It worked with Mom and Dad.” Brad rolled his shoulders. “So what’s going on that Destiny had to leave yesterday?”
    Maggie looked over her shoulder to the open doorway. “I shouldn’t be giving in, but you look so pathetic.”
    “Geez, thanks. That’s exactly want a man wants to hear.” Brad ran a hand through his hair. “My hair feels gross. Destiny tried one of her dry shampoos on it yesterday, but I don’t think it did much. Man, what I’d do for a shower.”
    “When is your doctor coming by? Maybe he can get you one of those fancy shower chairs all the old people use.” Maggie wrinkled her nose. “You stink.”
    “Again, thanks for the running commentary. I’m so glad I asked you to stop by. Besides, I got a sponge bath yesterday.”
    “Ohhh, tell me more. Did she strip down just so she wouldn’t get wet too?” Maggie waggled her eyebrows.
    He just stared at her.
    “What? Isn’t that what all the guys want to know?” She put a flip-flop clad foot on his bed frame. “I just want to be conversational here.”
    “You’re reaching for something that isn’t happening.” He’d known Maggie would get the wrong idea of why he was interested in Destiny. He had never been good at hiding the