Someday Soon Read Online Free PDF

room with a blanket over your head to close out the world.”
    Mallory ignored her. “All I want is peace and quiet. Is that so much to ask?” he demanded. Cain could almost feel the anger emanate off Mallory in waves. “It’s the season, you know.”
    “Your muscles can’t wait while you sit around feeling sorry for yourself.” Francine lowered her gaze to his mangled left leg, peeking out from beneath the blanket. Mallory covered it quickly. “Every day without therapy, you risk never regaining the use of that leg. You want to walk again, don’t you?”
    For the first time Mallory focused the full force of his attention on her. “I don’t need you.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve never needed anyone more in your life.”
    Mallory responded with a low snicker.
    “We’ll get started first thing this afternoon,” Francine announced, speaking to Cain. She pushed up the sleeves of her thin sweater as if she could hardly wait to get going.
    “Cain?” Mallory pleaded silently for assistance, but Cain purposely looked away. A minute passed before a string of abusive threats colored the air.
    “I’m pleased to see you have such an extensive vocabulary,” Francine said. “I imagine you’ll be using it over the next couple of months. Judging by those X rays, this isn’t going to be easy. I promise you one thing, you’ll never work harder in your life. But by the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be walking. Now,” she said, her words bright and cheerful, “are you man enough to accept this challenge, or do you want someone who’ll tuck you in at night and read you bedtime stories for the rest of your life?”
    “Cain, I’m warning you,” Mallory said between clenched teeth. His eyes were as dark and menacing as Cain had ever seen. “Get rid of this Amazon.”
    “I won’t do that,” Cain said mildly. “She may be your last chance.”
    “I don’t want this,” Mallory muttered, and rubbed a hand over his face. “And I don’t want her.” He gestured toward Francine. “If you think I need a woman, fine, send me a woman, not Attila the Hun.”
    Cain glanced at Francine, wondering if Mallory had offended her. Apparently not. Her face remained expressionless.
    “Don’t worry,” she said, “we just need to get to know each other better. Before long we’re going to be real good friends.”
    “Don’t count on it,” Tim Mallory muttered.
    “Oh, but I am,” she countered, grinning broadly as she walked out the door.
    Cain followed, waited until there wasn’t any chance Mallory could hear him and asked, “What are his chances?”
    “Good,” Francine said without hesitating. “Very good. He’s got plenty of spunk. Trust me, he’ll need every ounce of that tenacity. We’ll start right away.”
    Cain paused. “I apologize for the things Mallory said.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” was her automatic response, but a look flashed in her eyes that told Cain his friend’s words had hit their mark. “I know I’m no raving beauty, but that’s not why you’re hiring me.”
    Perhaps not, but if she could bring Mallory out of this depression and help him walk again, Cain would believe she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

3
    Cain needed to do some Christmas shopping. That was why he’d come to Fisherman’s Wharf. At least that was the excuse he’d used when he found himself wandering aimlessly along the waterfront.
    The harder he worked to convince himself his being there had nothing to do with Linette Collins, the more obvious the truth became. Hell, he could have arranged for damn near anything he wanted over the phone with little more than a credit card and a catalog number.
    The only reason he was on the wharf was the ridiculous hope he’d catch a glimpse of Linette. Just one. Without her knowing. Why he found it so necessary to spy on her, he didn’t know. Didn’t want to know.
    As it happened, he located her yarn shop tucked in a corner along Pier 39,