Under a Blue Moon

by Bru Baker

  She looked at the table dubiously, and Drew stepped forward to brace her good arm to help her up the tall step to the table. She flinched away from him, eyes widening as he came close. Drew stopped and put his hands up, taking a large step back.

  “Apologies, Ms. Chandler. I was going to help you up, but I should have asked first. Do you need help? I can go ask Leslie to help you if you’d rather I wasn’t the one touching you. I’m afraid I’ll have to touch just a bit to examine you, but Leslie can certainly be the one you lean on for this part.”

  The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head, her entire body slumping. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry. I’m just being stupid.”

  “Definitely not. I took you by surprise. It’s entirely my fault. You had a natural reaction to that. I’m going to come around your left side and brace your side with my arm, all right? And you lean into me, and we’ll get you up that step and onto the exam table.”

  He got her there with minimal wincing on her part, but Drew was deeply troubled by what he was seeing—and he hadn’t even started examining her yet.

  “Do you want me to call Leslie back? You’re our last patient of the night, so she can stay in here with us if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

  The woman glanced toward the closed door and back at him. She gave him a slight nod.

  “Just give me a second. I’ll go have her lock up the front and come back. Sit tight.”

  He left the door open in case it made her feel claustrophobic and hurried up to the front desk where Leslie was packing up her things.

  “Can you stay? My patient is skittish, and I think she’d feel better if a woman was there for her exam.”

  Leslie gave him a sharp look. “That’s Maura Chandler, Dr. Welch. Skittish doesn’t even start to cover it. That poor woman is in and out of every doctor’s office in the county with scrapes and bruises. Someday he’s going to succeed and kill her.”

  Shit. That was exactly what he’d been afraid of. “Who? Her husband? Boyfriend?”

  Leslie cast a glance down the hall and then out toward the lobby. “Boyfriend. Jimmy Preston. He’s a real piece of work. But Maura always says she fell, and the sheriff’s office can’t investigate if there’s no report.”

  “So she’s a regular?”

  Leslie clenched her jaw. “Just about every Thursday night. See, Jimmy plays in a bowling league on Mondays and Thursdays, so she’s able to leave and get to the doctor without him knowing. I think she’s a big reason the doctor kept his evening office hours those days even after he’d pared down hours the rest of the week.”

  “Did he ever recommend she talk to someone? Like a women’s shelter or a psychologist?”

  Leslie gave him a blank look. “There’s not anything like that around here. The only thing he could do was recommend she call the sheriff, and she wouldn’t ever do that.”

  “Dammit. Okay, head back and see if you can calm her down. I’m going to need to take her blood pressure and get her out of that shirt so I can look at her collarbone. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Leslie hurried down the hallway, and Drew slipped into the supply closet and pulled out his phone. The movie should have been over by now, so he called Nick.

  “What’s up?”

  The abrupt greeting startled Drew. “Of course you wouldn’t answer your phone with a something like ‘hello.’ That would be too courteous.”

  “Hey, you called me. Besides, I know you’re still at the clinic, so I figured something must be wrong if you’re calling.”

  What was wrong was that, even in this situation, Drew found Nick’s abrasive competence hot. Talk about inappropriate.

  “I’ve got a patient, a twenty-five-year-old woman who I suspect is being abused by her boyfriend. She’s a frequent flier in the office, always coming in with bruises and abrasions. Tonight I think she might have a broken bone, but she jumped a mile when I tried to help her onto the table.”

  “You should give her some information about how to get help. Do you have pamphlets for the local women’s shelter?”

  “There isn’t one. Leslie says there aren’t any resources for abused women here. It’s too remote.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Exactly. This sounds like it’s been going on for years, Nick. I’ll pull her chart, but I bet when I do it’ll show a pattern of abuse. What can I do?”

  “Other than refer her to a shelter or a psychologist? Nothing.”

  Drew hesitated. “About that. There aren’t any psychs to refer her to, not any that would see her for something like this. I was hoping maybe you might come down and talk to her? Not tonight, of course. But if I can get her to come back.”

  Nick was silent for a few beats. “I don’t do private practice anymore, Drew.”

  “And you wouldn’t be practicing. Not really. Just giving advice. Like, you know, a friend. Someone nonthreatening she could talk to about her options.”

  Nick blew out a sigh. “It’s not my area of expertise.”

  Drew pressed his lips together before he could say something he’d regret.

  “Right. Because you don’t treat humans anymore.”

  “Because I don’t treat abuse victims. Don’t be like that, Drew. She needs real help, more than I can give her.”

  “She needs any help she can get, Nick. We can worry about making sure it’s the right kind after we make sure she doesn’t end up dead.”

  Drew hung up, slipped the phone back into the pocket of his white coat, and took a moment to center himself. He wouldn’t do her any good if she was scared of him.

  Leslie had the woman in a paper gown by the time Drew walked back in. He made a point of leaving the door wide open, something that would have been a HIPAA violation at any other time, but since they were the only ones in the clinic, he let it go. It clearly made her feel more comfortable, and that was more important than a silly regulation to safeguard privacy she obviously didn’t want.

  “Okay. What brings you in today?” he asked, perching on his stool and rolling up to the table.

  “I fell,” the woman said, glancing nervously at Leslie, who rolled her eyes. “I fell,” she repeated, her voice firmer this time, “and I think I might have broken my collarbone.”

  Drew moved slowly, narrating his intentions. “I’m going to take your blood pressure, and then we’re going to get a look at that clavicle, okay? I’ll have to touch you, but I promise I’ll make it quick.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, too quickly to be true. He realized she hadn’t looked him in the eye once since coming into the room.

  He had Leslie wrap the cuff around her arm and then took her blood pressure, which was higher than he’d like to see. It could be a reaction to the pain or anxiety about him being so close, or it could be something clinical.

  She winced and pulled away when he tried to probe along her clavicle, which wasn’t a good sign. He noted swelling and bruising too.

  “I’m afraid you’re going to need an X-ray, and unfortunately that’s not something we’re equipped to do here. Do you have someone who can drive you to the ER?”

  She recoiled. “N-no. I’ll be okay. It’ll probably get better on its own.”

  Drew looked at Leslie, who grimaced but reached out and put a hand on the woman’s back.

  “Honey, do you have anyone we can call? Family in the area who can drive you over to the hospital?”

  “No, it’s just me and Jimmy, and he doesn’t like hospitals.”

  “You didn’t drive yourself here, did you?”

  “No, we only have one car. I walked.”

  There were no houses within what Drew would consider walking distance, especially at night for a woman with a serious injury.

  “Tell you what, I live right close to the hospital,” Leslie said, lying through her teeth. Drew had taken her home last week when her battery had died, and she lived nowhere near the hospital. “Why don’t you let me take you?”

  Drew gave her a grateful
look, and she met it with a weak smile. He’d have to bring her flowers or something next week.

  “Jimmy’ll be mad if he comes home and I’m not there.”

  “Look, if you don’t get this taken care of you could have a lot of problems. I’m sure Jimmy will understand once he realizes it’s what you need to be healthy,” Drew said. “I’d like to see you again next week. Do you think you could come in Monday?”

  She hesitated, but nodded. “Only if it’s after five.”

  “Sure, of course. Mondays we’re here from six to nine, so that should work for you. Leslie is going to take you over to the hospital and I’m going to call them so they know you’re coming. You’ll have an X-ray, and if there’s a break they’ll put you in a cast and give you some pills to take. We’ll do our best to get you in and out quickly, okay?”

  Tears filled her eyes, but she nodded, bringing her chin up. “Yes, okay.”

  Drew tried to put on his warmest, most reassuring smile. “Feel better, Ms. Chandler. I’ll see you Monday evening.”

  And in the interim, he’d be figuring out how the hell he could help her, with or without Nick.

  Chapter Nine

  “I’M not saying I won’t do it, but it’s ridiculous. I mean, werewolf yoga? Really?”

  “I believe they just call it yoga, but go ahead.” Drew crossed his arms and gestured for Nick to continue.

  Nick growled and tossed the class schedule he’d been holding onto the table. They’d closed down lunch in the mess hall ten minutes ago, so they were the only people in the room. He’d held it together when Anne Marie had given him the schedule, but now that the wolflings were out of earshot, he wanted to vent.

  “I can’t believe she’s making us take all of the classes.”

  “It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. I mean, more for you than me, but I’m willing to do it along with you. Think of it as orientation. This way you’ve experienced everything your wolflings will while they’re here. It’ll make it easier for you to commiserate with them when they complain about Kaylee’s gong.”

  Nick gave him a flat look. “She does not have a gong.”

  “Oh, but she does. It’s part of her centering exercises during meditation.”

  “Meditation?” Nick grabbed the paper, scanning it with wild eyes. “Oh, you have got to be shitting me. Ninety minutes of meditation?”

  “With gongs,” Drew said helpfully.

  Nick didn’t have time for this. Harris had been held up at the compound out on Catalina Island, which meant Nick and Kenya were still splitting his counseling load. He’d already had four sessions this morning, and he still had a list of check-ins that was longer than his arm. And now Anne Marie wanted him to sample all the classes Camp H.O.W.L. had to offer? Was she crazy?

  “We’ve got tonight and all weekend,” Drew said with a smug smile. “You don’t teach any weekend classes, and wolflings can’t schedule sessions during those hours anyway because they’re required to be in class.”

  When had Drew become an expert on his schedule? Not that he was wrong. He wasn’t. But somehow they’d managed to get wrapped up in each other’s business. Nick knew Drew’s clinic schedule better than his own session schedule, which definitely was clear this afternoon and all weekend.

  “Fine. We can’t do all this in one weekend, though. There have to be twenty classes there.”

  “So we do six this weekend and six next weekend, and so on and so forth until we’ve taken all the classes on the list at least once. You’ll have to find some time to sit in on the weekday classes too, you know.”

  Nick knew that, but that was different. He could see the value in taking Harris’s class on social media or even Drew’s class on werewolf health. But yoga? Meditation? Horseback riding?

  “Does that say Ultimate Frisbee? Are you shitting me?”

  He shoved the schedule at Drew, who laughed. “It’s a big thing in cities, I think. Don’t tell me there isn’t Ultimate Frisbee in Denver.”

  Nick was sure there was, but he was also sure he didn’t care. At least that session was only thirty minutes.

  “How about we make it interesting?” Drew suggested. “Put a wager on it. I bet you I can kick your ass at whatever we do this weekend.”

  Nick slitted his eyes at him. “Who picks?”

  “If we’re doing six, we can each pick three.”

  “And who decides if an ass-kicking has been administered? Assuming, of course, they’re not peeling you off the floor. Because I think that’s an automatic win.”

  Drew smirked. “We’ll let the instructor decide who was better.”

  “What’s the wager?”

  “A favor.”

  Nick opened his eyes and studied Drew. He looked innocent enough, but his heart was going a mile a minute. He either had something up his sleeve, or he knew he had no chance in hell of beating a werewolf.

  “Fine. I pick fencing, agility training, and swimming.”

  Drew held a hand out to shake. “Yoga, meditation, and martial arts.”

  Oh, it was on.

  “You’ve got to let the staff know this was your idea,” Nick warned. “I don’t want them coming after me because I massacred you.”

  Drew saluted him with his phone. “Oh, no worries. I’m going to tell everyone.”

  His thumbs flew over the keyboard, and a moment later Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn’t need to check it to know Drew had messaged everyone the terms, guaranteeing them an audience. It was probably part of his plan to distract Nick so he could cheat.

  “So, what favor are we playing for?” Nick didn’t think Drew would be too underhanded, but he wouldn’t put it past him to use it as an excuse to get him out on a date. Not that it would be the end of the world, spending time off campus with Drew. Nick still wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted, but it was becoming increasingly obvious Drew was an important part of it—whether as a close friend or a lover, he still wasn’t sure.

  He’d have to talk to Drew about it eventually, but things were good between them right now, and he wasn’t in a hurry to jeopardize the fragile peace just yet.

  “I’m playing my cards close to my chest,” Drew said with a wicked smile.

  “If you don’t tell me now, I’ll never know, because you’re definitely not going to win.”

  Drew laughed and leaned in, and for a wild moment Nick thought he was going to kiss him. Instead, he just poked him on the nose with his index finger. “Oh, I’m going to win.”

  AGILITY training with Luke was offered in the late afternoon, so they hit that up first after they’d both taken care of their office chores. It didn’t look like anything Nick had ever done before, but he fell instantly in love with the course. It was like the love child between a ninja gym and a skate park.

  “Agility training my ass,” Drew muttered as he looked around. “This is some straight-up werewolf parkour shit.”

  Nick grinned at him. “Nervous?”

  “Hell yes I’m nervous. Have you seen the course? It’s insane!”

  Luke walked over with two bundles in his arms. “Great to have you with us today! Since we’re upside down a lot, we wear these while we’re on the course. There’s a changing room at the back of the gym.”

  Drew looked at Luke’s skintight outfit and frowned. “Is it optional?”

  “Nope! Safety first. Surely you understand, Dr. Welch. This course can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions.”

  “It looks pretty dangerous even with precautions,” Drew said lowly. “And please, call me Drew.”

  “Have we finally met a staffer you aren’t intimately acquainted with?” Nick asked as they made their way back to the changing room.

  “Fuck off,” Drew said easily, sweeping the curtain aside and stepping into a room lined with cubbies.

  “I mean, you yourself admitted you’re attracted to multiple people here. So I was just asking.”

  “You were just probing to see if I’d slept wi
th him. Which I haven’t. Luke is straight. Or at least, that’s what Kaylee tells me, and she’d know since she’s the one sleeping with him.”

  “Hit a nerve, have I?”

  Drew tossed his shirt into the cubby and turned to face Nick. “We’ve talked about this. I can’t keep up with all the mixed signals you’re sending. I get it if you don’t want to date me. But it’s either/or, Nick. You don’t get to toss me aside and also be a protective, jealous bastard.”

  Nick stepped in closer. “I’m not trying to send mixed signals. I’m trying to figure this out. But I’m sorry. I was out of line with the comment about Luke.”

  “I’m still not telling you who I’ve slept with here. It’s none of your business.”

  Nick edged closer until he could feel Drew’s breath against his cheek. “And if I were to decide I wanted to date you? Would I get the list then?”

  Drew didn’t back down. “Only if I decide I still want to date you. I like you, Nick. You’re hot as hell and funny. You’re smart, and you’re surprisingly kind when you want to be. But I’m going to be honest here, the longer you string me along, the less likely it is I’m going to say yes if you ever get your head out of your ass.”

  Nick couldn’t take his eyes off Drew’s lips. “I want to get my head out of my ass. I’m working on it.”

  Drew leaned in and kissed him, lips soft and pliant, and Nick gave himself over to it, letting Drew control it. He kept it disappointingly sweet, pulling back before it escalated.

  “I’m still okay with waiting—for now.” Drew looked down at the spandex shorts in his hands. “And I’m going to do my best not to look at your ass while you’re werewolf parkouring.”

  Thirty minutes later, Nick was soaked in sweat but exhilarated. Ridiculous outfit aside, the agility course was fun. Luke had helped him literally run up a brick wall like Spider-Man. Drew was good-naturedly struggling through the course, though he hadn’t tried the wall.

  “Why don’t you grab a drink while I work with some of the others? You’re golden on all the obstacles, man. Jump back in wherever you’d like when you’re done,” Luke told him.