by Dale Mayer
Of course that wasn’t true. So often they were much better men now because of what they’d been through. Then again it was also unprofessional to have a relationship with a patient—unethical, if not downright illegal between a doctor and a patient. So, even though she was not a doctor, she’d avoided even the smallest hint from any of the patients like the plague. Which was why Aaron’s presence was suddenly very confusing. The rules had always been black-and-white for her, until he arrived and brought his own set of problems with him.
Aaron was also the only patient she’d known in the past, before they came here. Maybe that made the difference.
She picked up the phone once again and immediately put it down. She needed his permission to bring this to somebody else’s attention. She ran her hands over her face.
“What do I do?” she whispered to the empty room. “I didn’t tell him our conversation would be confidential.” But she also knew it would be a betrayal, no matter how she looked at it. As she sat here, wrestling with the dilemma, her phone rang in her hand. She turned to look at the number and froze. As if Levi had read her mind. She answered the call, her voice tentative.
“How is Aaron doing?” Levi asked.
She was stumped. She didn’t know what to say.
“What’s the matter?” This time Levi’s voice had a hard edge. “Has he had a relapse?”
“No,” she said slowly. “In fact, maybe it’s a breakthrough, but I don’t feel I can discuss it with you because it’s confidential. But …”
“But what?”
“Something’s holding him back from healing. I just don’t know how to help him get through this.”
“Shrink?”
“No. Maybe justice?” She winced. That was the can opener for ten more questions. Questions she didn’t have answers to. She brightened. Maybe if Aaron would tell Levi … “I guess there’s no chance you can come in and talk to him, is there?”
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t want to see me,” Levi said calmly. “I haven’t seen him in a long time now.”
“You might be able to help him with something. Something that your specialized skills and connections could possibly get him answers to.” Then she took a big breath and continued. “Maybe not. He says the case is closed, and he’s been blamed. There’s probably nothing anybody can do.”
“Case closed? Blamed? What the hell happened?”
“Shit. I didn’t mean to say that blame part, honest,” she cried out. “I’m no good at keeping secrets. But ethically I can’t say anything. Something is wrong. Something is stopping him from moving forward.”
“His accident?”
She didn’t answer. How could she?
“I’m on it. I heard about what happened, but I didn’t believe it at the time. Still, shit happens to all of us sometimes. Let me look into it.” He hung up.
She placed her phone on her desk and stared at it. Then the tremors started. Oh, dear God, what had she done? If Aaron ever found out that she had talked to Levi about this, Aaron wouldn’t ever speak to her again. Any potential friendship, let alone a relationship with this man, drifted right out of the window. He’d already been betrayed twice, by Cain, then the navy—a third betrayal would be too much. “I didn’t betray you,” she whispered into the quiet room. “I didn’t mean for it to slip out. But Levi is the best person to resolve this.”
She shook her head. It didn’t matter. There was no redeeming this. She wasn’t one to take half measures, and she’d certainly blown it wide open this time. The only thing she could hope for was that Levi did find something to fix this problem and potentially to provide the avenue for Aaron to move on with his life. Sure, he also had a bit more reconstructive surgery to go through and more therapy to deal with, but he wasn’t far from being a fully able male again. However, he had to get his mind focused on his healing, off his revenge on Cain and clearing Aaron’s name with the navy.
She studied all the paperwork on her desk needing her attention and realized that, if nothing else, she had a perfect diversion to keep her mind off of what she had just done.
Her trick worked for several days. She stopped in to say hi to Aaron on a regular basis. She was nearly successful in convincing herself the whole thing would wash away, and it wouldn’t have any effect on their renewing friendship. Then, at odd times, she’d remember how she’d let the cat out of the bag, and she’d wince and realize just how delicate balancing her relationship with Aaron truly was.
“This is bad news, any way I look at it,” she muttered to herself once she was back in her office again.
She loved the long glances between them, the bright smile when he saw her, her uncontrollable urge to see him, her daily detours so she could catch a glimpse of him. Obviously something was developing between them, but it was bittersweet. She just felt like she was in quicksand, and if she said the wrong thing, it would all slip away. Whenever she felt like that, she’d sit down and say, “If I have to sacrifice my relationship with him in order to have him healed, then so be it.”
But she wanted both.
She dove back into work to bury the fear and panic of losing him once again. All those years she’d been out of touch, it had been easy to believe he’d moved on with his life and was probably happily married with the prerequisite two-and-a-half kids.
Then the tears rose, and she realized she would lose him forever this time if he found out.
She shook her head and snapped at herself. “Stop being a fool.”
She got another file and opened it, determined to whittle down some of this never-ending paperwork in front of her. When her phone rang, she didn’t think about it. She just grabbed it and answered it.
“Dani, I want to see Aaron.”
Levi. She sucked in her breath. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I think I have to. I’ve found some information, but I need to confirm the details with him.”
“The thing is, I didn’t tell him that I told you anything—”
“And you didn’t tell me anything. Nothing that I hadn’t already heard anyway. But I do have some questions. If I am to find a solution to this, I need to talk to him.”
“By phone?” she asked hopefully.
“No. I think this is better done in person.” An awkward silence followed, where she tried to figure out how bad this would be for her, when he added, “Is something going on between the two of you?”
Maybe? “No,” she answered in a shaky voice. “I just feel like I did something wrong by telling you that little bit I did.”
“If it’s meant to be …”
“Easy for you to say. I know he already feels like he’s been betrayed by everybody. I just can’t be one more in the long line of people who he can’t trust.”
“If you believe this is holding back his healing, then this is what he needs to do to get better. Isn’t it worth it for his sake?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose, and even though hot tears burned the corners of her eyes, she nodded. “Absolutely. It’s worth it for his sake. I’ll just be collateral damage,” she said bitterly. “But who cares, right?”
“Don’t look at it that way,” he said, his voice softening. “My brother’s not a fool. It might be a little bit rocky for a while, but he’ll understand why you did it.”
“Will he?” she said willfully. “Well, I guess it’s better now, before we get any farther into what might or might not have been.”
“Good. I’m flying in tomorrow morning.”
And he hung up. Again.
When Aaron woke this morning, he was still cussing himself out for having spoken like he had with Dani. It had been days, but it still ate at him. He was a private man and didn’t want pity from anyone—especially her. Like he’d gone back in time to be that teenager, so in love with the classy girl in front of him, that he’d been awkward as hell. He hadn’t been trying to woo her, but he’d certainly been honest, and she’d listened. He was grateful for that, but he hadn’t wan
ted to dirty what was between them. Of course assuming something was between them.
He got up and worked his way to the shower. He hoped the stream of hot water would improve his mood. He had been fiercely independent from the beginning, but some things were just impossible to do. He had his crutches, but that was also damned hard on his back. The doctors had some special surgery they’d wanted to do, but he’d been resisting. Now he was wondering why he was so against it.
He figured he should have a working prosthesis, so that if his back wasn’t strong enough, at least he could still walk. Unfortunately he hadn’t improved to the point of getting the prosthetic limb he wanted.
Moving carefully, he headed to the bed where he slowly dried off, then dressed. No way would he wear hospital clothes again. They’d given him one set for all the tests, but he’d been quick to change back into his everyday clothes. The thing was, he didn’t have very many of those either, and he wasn’t taking the damn Hathaway House bus to buy more, but as soon as he got the damned address of this place, he planned to order some online.
That thought stopped him outright. He let out a short, sharp laugh. Since when had shopping therapy been a solution to his problems? Still, if it would help, then he’d take it. He looked around for his schedule, trying to remember what was on tap this morning.
So far, everybody had treated him fairly delicately, but he knew the kid gloves were coming off on the physio pretty damned soon. Shane was already notorious for hard work and pushing Aaron past the point of exhaustion. Yesterday had been more about seeing how far he could work and how much strength he could apply. He figured today he would get his ass kicked. The one good thing about this place was that, after they’d done their tests, they’d quickly brought in support bars that helped him get in and out of bed. In fact, just enough extras were attached to his bed that he could do a lot more for himself. He realized that having independence went a long way to improving his mood as well.
Of course these extra mobility aids could very quickly become torture instruments too. He didn’t doubt it. Some of the bars had pulleys and weights attached to the sides, so who knew?
He sat on the bed, beads of sweat still rising on his forehead, even after he was finally dressed. He wondered if he should use his crutches or the wheelchair to get to the breakfast buffet. He checked his watch. He was running a bit late, but using the wheelchair seemed like giving in. If nothing else, he was damned stubborn. He grabbed his crutches, took a deep breath and moved quickly and efficiently to his door. He didn’t expect to see Dani anytime soon, but that didn’t stop him from looking around the corners to see if she was close by. He made his way onto the deck and took a seat in the morning sunshine. On the far side, a long buffet was set up, but he wasn’t sure he was up to carrying a tray and using only one of his crutches. He’d seen lots of guys do it, but he hated the thought of being the one who fell flat on his face—or rather, fell flat on his eggs. Maybe he should’ve brought the wheelchair after all.
George appeared at his side. “Aaron, go get in line and pick out what you want, and I’ll carry the tray for you.”
“I was watching the other guys and how they manage to carry it with the crutches,” he said with a dry laugh. “But I figured I’d be the first one to fall and end up wearing breakfast instead.”
“The thing to remember around here is, you’re not likely to be the first to do anything,” George said with a big grin on his face. “Takes time to learn some of these tricks. Let’s head over. First you eat. Then we can do a couple runs with empty trays, and then try it with a cup of coffee and a treat, before attempting the full shebang.”
That was a hell of a good idea.
Slowly the two of them made their way across the space to the buffet where George picked up a tray and a plate, then poured a cup of coffee. Together they walked along, Aaron making his choices. George never cheated him once on portions. “How can the center afford to feed all these people an unlimited amount of food three times a day?”
“Eating right is a huge part of healing,” George said firmly.
As they arrived close to the end of the line, he was surprised to see somebody making smoothies behind the counter. “What are in those?”
“Very healthy stuff. How do you feel about kale, whey powder, and fresh fruit with a whole pile of other stuff in there?”
“Not as bad as I expected,” he said with a smile. With George carrying the laden tray, they made their way back to the table in the sunshine. Aaron kept his gaze on the deck, working carefully around the gaps between the planks. They reached the table, and George placed the tray on its surface. Aaron glanced up to grab the back of his chair.
He froze. “Holy shit.”
Levi, Aaron’s older brother, and the only family he had, laughed. “Now that’s a hell of a greeting, kiddo.”
Aaron winced. “Please don’t call me kiddo.” He turned his gaze to the man beside his brother and let out a gasp of delight. “Stone?” Instantly he reached out his hand to shake Stone’s. Stone and Levi had been buddies since forever, but then so had Aaron and Stone. Aaron turned to look around the common room and the deck and said, “Are you the only two here?”
“Merk and Rhodes are off on a job right now, so I dragged Stone out with us.”
Just then one of the most striking blondes Aaron had ever seen arrived at his table, carrying a tray. She placed it down, reached over and kissed his cheek in the softest, gentlest way he could ever have imagined. In a voice that matched her kiss, she said, “Hi, I’m Ice.”
She sat down between Levi and Stone. Both men reached over and helped themselves to items on the tray she’d brought while Aaron sat in stunned amazement. He’d heard about Ice. Hell, her reputation was well-known in military circles. Had heard the rumors about her and Levi, but Aaron had never thought he’d meet her. It wasn’t like they had any kind of real familial relationship. When he regained his voice, he said quietly, “Nice to meet you, Ice.”
She sent him a beautiful smile. She patted Levi’s hand and said, “See? I told you we’d be welcome.”
A subtle shift occurred in the table’s energy. He stared down at his breakfast, his mind in turmoil, but he wouldn’t waste the food. He set about eating. After a moment and several bites, he said, “Of course you’re welcome. Levi’s the only family I have left.”
She gave Aaron a nod of approval. Damn if he didn’t feel like that was something he needed. He glanced over at Levi and added, “I have no idea why you’re here.” Then a thought occurred. “Did Dani call you?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Levi gave him a blank look and said, “No, she didn’t. I called her.”
Aaron sat back, his stomach churning. What had she said? “Why would you call her?” Aaron hated the suspicions rolling through his mind, but they were there, and he was damned if he would hide them any longer. His life had been blown to shit in more ways than one. He wanted things on the table, straightforward and honest.
“Because she told me you had arrived here at her place.”
“Is that why you came running here to see me? Or was it to see her?” Aaron shot his brother a quick look. He shook his head. “Part of that rings true, but the other part does not.” He continued to eat while he thought about it.
“Part of it is true, yes,” Levi replied quietly, “but I’d also heard rumors. Rumors I didn’t like the sound of.”
Aaron laid down his fork very carefully and leaned back to study his brother. “Rumors?” he asked, his voice low and hard. “What rumors?” Aaron let his gaze drift from his brother to Ice and then to Stone—both of whom were quietly eating—before zinging back to his brother.
“Rumors I never believed. That I don’t like hearing. That I came to clear up.”
If Aaron thought his own voice had come out hard, he’d forgotten how icy-cold his big brother could be when he was displeased. And this went well past displeased. In fact, Levi was seriously pissed.
Aaron narrowed his gaze at
his brother. In a low voice, he asked, “Why are you so upset?”
“Because of the implication that you messed up.”
Aaron dropped his gaze to his food and worked to control his breathing. Either that or throw a fit and send all the food on the table flying in the red haze of rage that threatened to wash over him again. When he could breathe, he realized Ice had reached across the table to lay her hand on his fists. Fists that even now were forcing the tips of his nails into the palms of his hands. Slowly he released his fingers and stretched them out.
“I did not mess up.” When he could, he raised his gaze and stared at his brother, willing him to believe him. “I didn’t do this.”
Levi studied him for a long moment, then gave a clipped nod. “So who the hell did?”
Aaron blinked. His brother believed him. Feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he quietly launched into an explanation of what had happened. When he finished, he studied the three faces across from him, feeling lighter than he had in months. No love was lost between him and Levi. Yet the old adage was true—blood was thicker than water. And these three were even angrier than he was.
Shocked, he realized that made him feel a whole lot better. And suddenly his appetite spiked again.
With a small smile, he picked up his fork and said, “Seeing as I can’t do anything about it, what are you going to do?”
Chapter 7
How were they making out? The question burned inside her, but Dani deliberately avoided the deck and the breakfast buffet in order not to see Levi with Aaron. Would he know that the meeting was her doing? Would he hold it against her?
She bolstered herself with the thought that at least what she had done was the right thing. Even if it damaged the slow-budding relationship between the two of them. Besides, they were adults now. If he couldn’t deal with this, then they had no basis for a relationship anyway. With her mind still going around and around in circles, she tried to focus on work.
