“We’re friends, Mom. I couldn’t handle my small apartment on my own and he offered to help.”
“You could have come home,” her mom began.
“You should have come home,” her father blustered, his face set in anger.
“Dad,” she said, softly. “I need space. I need time to figure out my life—”
“Your life? Your life is getting back in the pool.”
“And I will as soon as I’m cleared to do so,” she countered.
“Jaxon?” Her mother’s focus was on now on the man standing beside her. “Uh…I’d like to bring some food…or something…”
“Mrs. McAlister, I’ve got her covered, but I’m sure she’ll be glad for your company when she’s up for it. She can send you the address and you’ll be welcome at her invitation.”
Her mom’s short nod indicated she understood his response, and she realized Jaxon was saying he would open his home to them when she deemed it to be the right time. She looked at him, shocked at the level of generosity he was showing her family when he barely even knew her yet.
As if reading her mind, her father growled, his hands on his hips, “I don’t even know you.”
“Dad,” she brought his eyes back to her. “I need rest. I need to follow the physical therapist’s recommendations and continue to heal. If we push this too hard there will be no chance for recovery, you know that.” Throwing her hand out, she added, “I know you’ve got some athletic trainers itching to get at me. As soon as I can, I’ll be back in the pool.” Sliding away from Jaxon, she walked toward her dad and placed her hand on his arm. “I’m not giving up. This matters to me too, it really does. But, Dad, I need this. We can’t wish it away. This is how it is.” She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand.
His mouth worked but he did not argue. Sighing, he said, “I’m worried about how all this is messing with your head. I want you to see a sports psychologist—”
“Sam,” her mom said, softly.
He pinched his lips together and said, “I’d like you to see one.”
Nodding, she said, “I think that might be a good idea.”
Her father’s shoulders relaxed for a second, before he shifted his to Jaxon. “I still don’t agree with you living with a complete stranger.”
“We’re not strangers,” she said, a smile curving her lips. “We had already met before the accident. It just so happened that he was there to help when the accident occurred.”
Her father remained quiet, but she could see he was not happy.
“We’ve got to go but, Mom, I’ll come by to visit you and Dad in a couple of days.”
Her mother nodded, and she smiled as she kissed her cheek. Looking at Jaxon, she said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he replied, his voice warm as he slipped his hand around her waist once more.
Her parents left, leaving her slumping against Jaxon, allowing him to take her weight. He looked down at her, his eyes assessing.
“Let’s go,” he said. “You’re fuckin’ exhausted. Wish they hadn’t shown up at a time when you’re vulnerable and tired.”
“It had to happen sometime.”
“Yeah, well, your dad’s timing sucks.”
A giggle slipped out as she agreed. “You’re right about that.”
He led her to his Jeep and assisted her up into the seat, strapping the seat belt around her. “I’ve got an afternoon shift, so I’ll get you home and get you settled.”
She reached up to cup his jaw and smiled. “Sounds good.” As he started to close her door, she said, “Jaxon.” Once his eyes were back on hers, she added, “Thank you…for everything.”
He stared for a second before leaning in and placing a soft, barely-there kiss on her lips. “My pleasure, Morgan.”
As he closed the door, she leaned back in her seat, a smile curving her lips.
22
Before Jaxon left, he prepared Morgan a lunch and gave her strict instructions to take it easy. When it was time for him to leave, she stood at the door, watching him walk away, resplendent in his simple uniform of navy pants and RES polo—which did little to hide the muscles underneath.
Turning, a smile on her face, she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Looking at the contents, she wished she could cook for him. She loved to cook, although, during intense training, she stuck to chicken and fish and veggies. Sighing, she closed the door, inwardly vowing to cook for him as soon as she had more control over her left arm.
On her way back to the living room, she stopped as a knock came at the front door. Scrunching her face in confusion, she wondered who would be visiting, since it appeared Jaxon’s brothers knew his work schedule. Sucking in a sharp breath, she hoped it was not her parents. She had texted the address to her mother, but also told her to give her a few more days before visiting.
Peeking out the security hole, she saw several women standing there. Opening the door, she was struck by the individual beauty of each woman. Eyes wide, she latched onto Rosalie’s face and relaxed her stance.
“Morgan!” Rosalie called out in greeting. “I hope it’s okay we came by?”
Stepping backward, she swung out her right hand and enthused, “Yes, yes! Please come in.”
Rosalie entered and, turning, introduced, “This is Eleanor, Rafe’s wife.”
She greeted the dark-haired woman, noting the side of her face and neck were covered in burn scars. However, her smile was so wide and genuine it immediately stole her attention away and she was immediately filled with the desire to know her better.
“And this is Regina, Cael’s fiancé.”
She laughed as she viewed the beauty with the chin-length, reddish-blonde hair and joked, “Another ginger like me!”
Regina gave her a hug and cried, “Ginger sisters!”
Turning, she saw another woman stepping up to the door and her jaw dropped. “Ms. Wiseman! How?”
Taking her hand, the older woman leaned over to kiss her cheek. “My dear, forgive me for intruding, but when the girls asked me to come, I just had to. I’m just sorry I did not bring your grandmother with me.”
Still astonished, she led the group over to Jaxon’s large living room and they were soon settled, but not before Eleanor made sure her arm was propped up.
“I should explain,” Rosalie interjected. “Miss Ethel told us that she had met you at the hospital when she brought your grandmother. So, I insisted she come today, so she could see for herself how you’re doing.”
“You’re, you’re Miss Ethel?” Her gaze jumped to the photograph on the wall and now she could clearly see that she was indeed the woman with her arms around the young boys. “Jaxon’s spoken so highly of you. It’s such an honor to meet you.”
“Oh, posh,” Miss Ethel said, her face beaming in spite of her words.
“So, how are you doing?” Eleanor asked.
“Fine. I’m fine, as you can see. I went to physical therapy today and should be able to get back into shape very soon.” She hoped her words carried more certainty than she felt, but years of giving the press what she and her father wanted to hear, made her an expert in speaking to the crowd.
“No,” Eleanor said, leaning closer. “How are you really doing?”
Eleanor’s eyes penetrated the fog surrounding her and before she could think, she blurted, “I have no idea.” A sharp intake of breath resembling a sob overtook her and she blinked furiously to keep from crying. Unable to understand what was happening, she looked down quickly, focusing on the edge of the t-shirt caught in her fingers.
Regina was sitting next to her and reached over to place her hand on hers. “I think we understand, Morgan. At least a little bit.”
She jerked her head up, torn between wanting to rail that they could not possibly understand and hoping against hope that they had a clue to her pain. Swallowing, she said, “Jaxon told me a little about each of you.”
Nodding, Regina said, “I was a childhood leukemia patient who
had a relapse a year ago. Jaxon and the others donated stem cells and I was treated successfully, but it’s been a hellacious couple of years. His little niece battled cancer successfully at the same time.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, realizing that Regina had fought a fatal disease whereas, for her, only her arm was broken. “How selfish of me—”
“No, no, not at all,” Regina assured. “Each of us has to take our own walk with pain, illness or injury, and grief at what might have been. Yours is just as real and since you are going through it in the shadows of the Olympics, more significant right now.”
She was unable to keep her gaze from drifting to Eleanor’s face, no longer focusing on the scars but on her kind eyes.
Nodding, Eleanor said, “My burns came from when I was a nurse in Afghanistan. After recuperating, I learned my family had been killed in an accident and so I shut myself away for several years.”
Slumping back against the cushions, she said, “Oh, my God, Eleanor. How horrible.”
Eleanor shrugged and smiled softly. “I probably would still be a recluse if it wasn’t for Rafe. He pulled me out of hiding and I began to find myself again. Redefined…but still me.”
“Redefined…” she said, the word sounding curious as she thought of her situation.
“And then, there’s me,” Rosalie said, with a shrug. “I was attacked and left for dead. Zander found me and stayed with me in the hospital. I had no memory and, together, we worked on finding the pieces until it all came back. So, I got my memory and got the man.”
“I’m…I’m…well, I have no idea what to say.”
“How about just letting us know how you really are doing, my dear,” Miss Ethel said.
She turned her gaze to the elderly woman, sitting erect in Jaxon’s comfy chair, her white hair pulled back into a bun and her wire-rimmed glasses surrounding her clear, grey eyes. She exuded warmth, so similar to Nonnie.
Nodding, she opened her mouth and the emotions began to flow. “All I know is swimming. And for a week, all I’ve known is pain. The physical pain has been agonizing, but at least there’s pain medication that keeps it at bay. But, it’s my head, what’s going on in my head that has me so unbalanced. I still can’t believe that the Olympic final trials have occurred and I’m not there. Not standing on the podium. It’s like a nightmare, but I’m not waking from it.”
“May I tell you what I said to Jaxon, when he told me he wanted to be with you?” Miss Ethel asked.
Turning to her, she nodded. “Yes, please.”
“Grief is the emotion we feel when we lose something. Not just losing a person to death, but losing anything that means something to us. We each grieve differently, but we each grieve. You, my dear, have lost something precious. No matter what happens in the future, you have lost the Olympic chance for this year.”
“Yes,” she breathed. “My dad, who’s my coach, wants me back in shape as quickly as possible to be able to go the distance next time, but all I can think about is now.”
“And now is what you should be thinking about,” Miss Ethel advised. “Taking care of you. Healing.”
“What about Jaxon?”
At the sudden change in topic, her gaze shot to Rosalie.
Rosalie blushed and, lifting her hands, said, “I know that sounded so rude. But, to be honest, I’ve never seen Jaxon like this. Caring so much—”
“Fiddle-sticks,” Miss Ethel interjected, pursing her lips at Rosalie. “He’s always caring.”
“Well, he certainly saved me, that’s for sure,” Morgan admitted.
Miss Ethel held her gaze for a moment as a slow smile crossed her face. “I think, my dear, that you once saved him as well.”
Not understanding her words, Morgan cocked her head to the side. Before she could ask her meaning, Miss Ethel continued.
“He may joke, but never mistake that for not caring. For him, it was a way of coping.”
“He told me of his upbringing,” Morgan rushed to say, gaining the attention of the other women. “I was awed…and humbled.”
“I’m sorry,” Rosalie said. “It’s just that to see him so taken with you and, well, I just don’t want to see him hurt.”
“It’s fine,” she said, realizing her emotion was as honest as her words. “We got together for a short time before I was to leave town. We both knew it couldn’t be anything more. But now? I can’t give you a definitive answer. I really like him, but I can’t expect him to take on all my baggage. I have no idea what’s going to happen with me.” Sighing heavily, she added, “But I’m uncomfortable talking about this with you and not him. As soon as he and I figure out what we are and what we mean to each other, I’ll let you know.”
Rosalie’s smile brightened her face and she winked. “Perfect answer, Morgan.”
The group lightened their conversation and laughed as they listened to Miss Ethel’s stories of all the boys. Her admiration for the foster mother who became a mother grew as the afternoon progressed.
As they left, each hugged her and gained her promise to see them again soon. Miss Ethel reached for her, pulling her into an embrace, and whispered, “Helen Keller once said, ‘I wonder what becomes of lost opportunities? Perhaps our guardian angel gathers them up as we drop them and will give them back to us in the beautiful sometime when we have grown wiser, and learned how to use them rightly.’ You must focus on getting well, my dear, and you will find how to deal with lost opportunities at the right time.”
Her heart was in her throat as she watched the women leave, she shut the door before leaning her back against it. Emotionally drained, she also realized she felt lighter than she had in a long time.
“You’re not wearing a wedding ring.”
Jaxon turned to the side, sighing as he observed Susie standing at the nurses’ desk, her face a mixture of pissed and pouting. Her hand was on her cocked hip and her foot tapped out a staccato, illustrating her irritation.
He, Bob, and Mary had just brought in a man in his late forties who’d had a massive heart attack in his front yard. Unfortunately, he died in the ambulance. They tried to revive him and knew the ER had done everything they could, but to no avail. On top of that, he could still hear the wails of the wife as she pleaded for them to save her husband. Dropping his head for a few seconds, he tried to compartmentalize his thoughts to keep from lashing out at Susie.
Arms hanging at his sides, he lifted his head and looked her straight in the eye. “Susie, I’m not married. I lied and, for that, I’m sorry. But the truth of the matter is, when you and I spent a few hours together, that was all it was. I made that clear and you appeared to be on board with that situation. I’ve got no desire to spend more time with you and I’m not trying to be an asshole about it. I hope that you can forgive my lie and move on to find someone in your life you really want to be with.”
He watched the play of emotions cross her face and prayed she was not going to create a scene. She swallowed hard and looked down at her clasped hands.
He continued, “I’m now involved with someone and, while I have no idea where it will go, I plan on giving her everything I can.”
Finally, she nodded and sighed heavily. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she held his gaze. “Thank you, Jaxon. I’m sorry. You’re right. You made things clear the night we were together, and I thought that we could, well, I just thought I could change your mind. I…well, I wish you well.”
With that, she turned and hustled down the hall and he suddenly felt very tired.
“You handled that nicely,” Mary said, coming up beside him, her hand on his shoulder.
“It’s hard to face the fact that I’ve been a jerk.”
“I don’t think you’ve been a jerk, Jaxon. You’re young, not settled down, have enjoyed being single. As you say, you never led anyone on, so if they wanted more, that’s on them.”
He turned and looked at her, a smile playing about his lips and one eyebrow lifted in surprise.
“What?
You think just ‘cause I’m an old married woman I don’t remember what it was like to be young, free, and enjoying life? I wouldn’t trade my Hank for anything or anyone, but before we met, we both dated a lot of other people. I never thought you acted like a jerk just because you enjoyed the ladies.”
Chuckling, he said, “I appreciate that. No, I don’t regret looking for fun where I could find it. I just regret lying to Susie to get her to leave me alone. Hell, even Morgan lied to cover for me when we saw Susie out somewhere.”
“Speaking of Morgan, how are things with you two?”
As he and Mary walked out of the ER toward the ambulance, he smiled. “She’s staying with me as she recuperates, but we’re just friends.”
“Just friends?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to be more, but she needs time to cope with everything on her mind. Not feel pressured by me to take it to another level.”
Mary’s face broke into a huge smile and she clapped him on the back. “You’re a good man, Jaxon. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Climbing into the driver’s seat to give Bob a break, his heart felt lighter. Calling in their location, they headed back to the station.
23
Jaxon was anxious to get home, looking forward to seeing Morgan when he stepped through his front door. He had received a text from Zander warning him that the women had visited her earlier that day and had taken Miss Ethel with them. Hoping she had not been overwhelmed, he jogged down the hall.
Entering, he immediately observed her sitting on the sofa, her eyes closed, and her arm propped on a pillow. He tiptoed over and knelt by her, lifting his hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. Her thick eyelashes formed crescents on her cheeks and her pink mouth was open slightly, the deep breaths rising from her chest giving proof to her slumber.
Something stirred deep inside him. Something that had been growing since he first danced with her at Grimm’s. Something that had never been present with any other woman. Something that made him want to find out everything about her.
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