by Amy Davies
“He’s a douche, Mom. He thinks he runs the school. He pushed Kasey over the other day. He was lucky that I didn’t throat punch him. She’s smaller than him.”
The mug freezes halfway to my mouth. Where the hell did my kid learn to speak this way? But to be fair, I am happy that he is defending people. I smile behind the mug, then give him a stern mom look.
“Okay, it’s great that you want to defend this girl, but I am very happy that you didn’t take the violent path and hit him, because, baby, that would have ended badly for you. Believe me.”
He blushes when I talk about the girl, Kasey. Aw, I think my baby boy has his first crush.
“I know,” he says, looking down at his now empty plate. I stand and clear the table, adding everything to the dishwasher while Tuck goes and gets his school bag. We have a routine, and so far, since we have been here, it is going to plan.
We chat on our way out to the car and the drive to the school is quick. It’s the reason I picked our house. It’s close to the school but also the main shopping street.
Arriving back at my place, I park my car and head in to change into my work clothes. Black leggings and a pale blue polo shirt with my company’s name on it: Next Step.
We moved in just over three months ago and the soldiers I have seen have been amazing; strong and so determined to fight back and regain their life back after their injuries.
Not every soldier responds the same, some have horrific injuries and take longer than others. They need mental counselling as well. I am always there for them when they need to vent. Don’t get me wrong, I was never injured over there, but I did see some God-awful things, so I can relate to some degree.
My new patient is an ex-soldier friend of a friend of mine. I served two tours with Preacher before Tuck came along and we have remained friends ever since. He told me that he served with this guy, a Stefan Bryant, for years before me. Stefan wasn’t hurt in the line of duty, but he came off his motorcycle and broke his ankle and now has pins in it. He needs help to regain full motion of it so he can ride again.
I don’t normally take on cases like this, but since Preach is an old friend, I made an exception. The man saved me a time or two so I will do pretty much anything he asks—well, legally anyway, and non-sexual because that man is a freaking whore.
Mr. Bryant sent me a copy of his hospital notes, so I know what I am getting myself into. He pretty much mangled his ankle and needed a pin to keep it in place and add stability after he crashed his motorcycle. A hit and run according to reports. I hope the police find the person that hit him and throw the book at him.
I still have a few weeks before he comes here for his first session because he has his cast and pins outside of the bone, so once the cast if off and the pins are out, we will get together and get his plan of action started.
Once I am happy that I have read over his notes enough to commit them to memory, I set about getting the coffee on because my next soldier is a fucking riot. But only once he has had his coffee.
Rich was in a convoy when it was hit by an IED. He lost his left leg below the knee. His wife left him after, telling him that he wasn’t a complete man anymore. She is a fucking cunt if you ask me, and I never use that word lightly.
But there are still some amazing women out there in the world. While out shopping, Rich met Winter. She wasn’t fazed by his missing leg or his prosthetic one. I have met her a few times over the last two months since he came to me, and they make me laugh whenever they are here.
The doorbell rings and I smile, knowing he’s here for his session. Walking over to the door, I pull it open and smile wide, seeing Rich and Winter standing there, bickering.
“Good morning,” I say happily. Rich scowls at me and Winter rolls her eyes at him, before greeting me.
“Morning, Jodie. How’s your morning going so far? How’s Tucker?”
“I’m good thanks, so is Tuck. He got into a little scuffle at school but all good,” I explain and step back so they can step inside. We walk through my house and out to the physio hut.
“Coffee me, woman, before you wreck my body again,” Rich pipes up, walking over to the bed. He removes his leg and lays down. Chuckling at him, I set out to make him his hot mug of coffee.
“How’s things been since the last time I saw you, Rich?” I ask him, stirring the coffee before handing it to him. I take a sip of my own, leaning back against the unit behind me.
Winter shakes her head, taking a seat in the corner. She pulls out her phone before dropping her bag on the floor. She clears her throat because Rich still hasn’t answered me. I smile at her behind my mug, then look at my soldier.
“I’ve been good, yeah. Ached a little after but yeah, I coped okay,” he explains, not looking me in the eye.
“Did you really cope, babe?” Winter speaks.
Rich clears his throat, a slight blush covering his pale cheeks. He sits up, then cracks his knuckles before speaking.
“Fine. I hurt like a motherfucker, okay? The Epsom salts baths helped a little, so did the pain meds. You, Jodie-Fucking-Simms, are a devil in a polo shirt. Evil I tell you!”
I can’t help but laugh at him. These soldiers may act hard and seem tough, but when it comes to it, they are still human and breathe, hurt, and bleed like everyone else.
“So, you want to take it easy today then, yeah?” I ask, putting my mug into the sink and walking over to him. Lowering the bed, I lean over Rich, waiting for his answer.
“No, give it to me hard. I need to get moving without a fucking limp. The stump isn’t so bad these days, especially with the new prosthesis.”
“We will have you walking without a limp before you know it, and then maybe wedding bells might ring.” I wink at him and smile at Winter over my shoulder, who blushes.
“I hear you, Doc,” Rich says, smiling up at me, then giving me a wink. Oh, the sneaky shit. He is going to propose. They both deserve happiness. I know Winter went through a rough life before she had help from a distant family member. They helped her get back on her feet.
Nodding, I get to it, stretching him and making sure he pushes his limits, though not enough to cause him more pain once he leaves here. Once the session is over, we sit and talk for a while before my next patient turns up.
By the end of the day I am both physically and mentally exhausted. So, I order Tuck and myself a pizza and we veg out in front of the TV and enjoy some action movie on Hulu.
Three
Opal
I sit across from Preacher, who is eyeing up the Regs that are walking around. Dezi winks at me as she passes, and I give her a smile. She has been my go-to girl over the last few years, but to be honest, even she isn’t satisfying me. Plus, she is pushing for more.
“Fuck me, brother. I would tap that for hours and still want more,” Preach says, following Dezi. I chuckle, taking a sip of my beer.
I look around the yard and see everyone is enjoying the weather and the party is in full swing. Finishing off my bottle, I signal to the prospect to bring me another one.
“Not happening, Opal. You are on strong pain meds, bud, no more beer for you,” Risky shouts across the yard at me. I salute her and send a glare to Abe, making sure he knows who the fucking boss is around here.
Kara may be the club’s queen, but she isn’t my mother. I know she means well, though. I throw her a wink and take the bottle from Abe when he hands it to me. I hear some of the boys chuckling as Kara glares at me. Magnum buries his head in her neck and does something that distracts her, causing her eyes to grow heavy.
“Fucking pussy whipped,” Preach says from my side. I smile over at him, tipping my bottle in his direction.
“What I wouldn’t give to be pussy whipped, brother. Sex on tap, anytime, anywhere. Damn, what I wouldn’t give for that,” I tell him.
What I said is true. I want more. Hell, I want it all. Dezi is a great girl but not someone I want to settle down with, if I’m honest. She’s too young in her ways for me. The
sex is crazy good with her, but like I said, I want more. More than just sex all the time. I want someone who can carry on a fucking civil conversation.
Dezi is the same age as Kara and is kind of controlled by her father and brother. She said she isn’t ready to settle down, but I have seen a change in her.
“Fuck that shit, man. I want me a variety of pussy. Oh, and speaking of the female variety, I spoke to my PT friend from the old Army days. Her name is Jodie Simms. She moved here a few months ago with her son. She started up a private homecare for wounded soldiers that wanted privacy, away from the base and the typical Army docs. She’s quite popular with the soldiers because she served time and is down to earth,” Preach explains and I nod.
“Don’t think I really need this, man. I’m sure that I can just do some stretches and flexes when this cast comes off and the pins come out.” I shrug.
“Not taking no for an answer, brother. You need this PT. You know that better than I do. Don’t be a fucking pussy, and get this shit done. Oh, and a word of advice: treat her right or you will feel my steel toe cap boots on your pretty face. She’s a good girl. She had a bad run of things with the ex, her kid’s father. He is a prick of the highest power, which is why she moved here.”
Nodding, I take it all in. Clearly, he thinks highly of this Jodie chick. One thing I know for sure is that I will never mistreat a woman. My sister’s ex-husband was a dick. He hit her a few times before me and my father, Duke, got a hold of him and beat the ever-loving shit out of him. She divorced him and he took off. Good fucking riddance I say.
“You can cancel the appointment, Preach. I don’t need it. Some weed and exercises will help me, brother, you know that. Fuck, you’ve self-healed plenty of times over the years,” I snark at him. Okay, he may not have had injuries as bad as mine, but he still took care of himself and smoked a little green to help with the pain and discomfort. Why can’t I?
“Not the same, brother, and you know it. You have fucking metal in your ankle, for fuck’s sake. You need this and Jodie is perfect for the job. She won’t take any shit from you, because she deals with thick-headed people like you all the time.” He smirks at me.
He calls me thick-headed like it’s an insult because I’m the complete opposite. I am the cool, calm and collected one of the club; the voice of reason, as Magnum says. Even in the Army, when we were in a tense situation, I always looked for a different way out of things rather than simply pulling the trigger and ending the scenario.
There were plenty of times when we were under fire, but rather than being a bull in a china shop, I made sure to see everything around us and then make a decision based on what I saw.
Preach was a dog while in Afghanistan, fucking any of the female soldiers or support workers that would spread their legs for him. He had a thing for the medical students that came over to support the main docs. I wonder if he had this Jodie chick.
“So, is Jodie one of your fuck buddies from back in the day?” I ask, signaling to Abe for a new beer.
Fuck me, they are going down smoother than usual. Clearly me almost losing my life is making me see, feel and taste things differently. Thinking about what could have happened if that fucker Omen had hit me at even five miles an hour more… The injuries I received were nothing compared to some. I was damned lucky, that’s for sure.
“Are you shitting me? Jodie is a classy chick. You don’t treat her like some one and done, brother. Oh, hell no. You savor our Angel.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me and smirks.
“Angel?” I inquire, cocking an eyebrow. He laughs, draining his beer before he answers.
“Yeah. She was the doc on base when a few of the guys got hit. She treated them, but she was a hard ass about it, wouldn’t let them puss out or anything. One of the boys was hit bad, and when he came into the medical tent, Jodie was hovering over him. He asked if she was an angel… well, the nickname stuck.”
Nodding at his explanation, I finish off my beer, then wince when a pain shoots up my calf from my ankle. Damn, I’m due a pain pill. I shift to grab my crutches, but Dezi is there handing them to me.
“Let me help you,” she says. I nod and she holds the crutches still so I can get to my feet—well, foot.
“Thanks, babe.”
“You need a pain pill?” Nodding, she smiles at me and guides me toward the main building. We were fucking lucky to get this structure. It was a big part of the town years ago. That’s why Colt, Crude and Magnum wanted to keep the Tower intact, so we built onto that. The Tower is now Magnum’s quarters as he is the club Prez.
We pass Magnum and Risky, who are sitting on the chairs that surround the firepit Sarge built years ago. Risky is glaring at me but I wink at her. She loves it when I rile her up by not actually responding to her bossy ass.
“What’s up, Risk?” I ask, leaning on my crutches.
“I get that you’re a rough and ready biker, Opal, but you are fucking human, for crying out loud. Can you just take it easy for a few more weeks? I’ve heard from Preacher that this PT chick will kick your ass to high heaven and back.” She smirks at me, but I can see the concern in her eyes.
“I don’t need Jodie’s help, Risk. I’m fine, yeah.”
“No, you aren’t fine, and you will go and see Jodie. You need her,” she fires back at me, folding her arms across her chest. I see Magnum’s eyes instantly drop to her tits, which are pushing up out of the shirt she’s wearing. “Later,” she says to him when she sees the lust in his eyes, and I snigger.
“Who’s this Jodie woman you are all talking about and why does Opal need her?” Dezi asks from my side, but I don’t miss the annoyance in her voice. Great, here we fucking go.
“Jodie is the physical therapist that Preacher arranged for Opal to see once he gets the cast off and the pins out. He needs a few weeks of PT to get that ankle back to full strength,” Magnum explains, before kissing Risky’s neck. My dick jerks in my jeans, which is wrong on so many fucking levels.
I haven’t had sex in a while due to me recovering from the crash.
“Well, I’m here. He doesn’t need anyone else. I can help him with his exercises if he wants them,” Dezi adds, then looks over her shoulder and glares at Preacher, who is now happily sitting with Elsie in his lap.
“Not happening, Dez. Opal needs a professional to get him back on his bike. You aren’t that person, Jodie is. She will get him healed up and back on his bike. That’s the main thing right now,” Magnum tells her with a hard edge to his voice, not leaving any room for her to argue. Clearly, she has been hanging around Risky way too fucking much.
“I don’t want another woman putting her hands on him. I can take care of him.”
I can see Magnum is getting pissed. To be fair, I’m getting a little pissed with her myself. This is what I was talking about. She thinks she has a claim on me, but fuck me, that is far from the truth.
“Joey,” I hear Risky mutter before she climbs off his lap and stands next to him. He stands to full height and throws a glare at Dezi that has her flinching and taking a step behind me.
“Tell me something, Dez. Are you his girlfriend? His wife? His old lady?”
“No,” she answers quietly, shaking her head.
“No. So why the fuck do you think you have the right to take care of him over a woman whose job it is to help people with their recovery after a bad accident? Fucking brave soldiers that have fought in war, like us. You have no claim on him, so you have no fucking say in what happens in his life. You are a fucking Rugged Reg, Dezi, don’t ever forget that.”
“Opal, can—” she starts to speak, but I cut her off. I didn’t want to do this out in the open, but I think now is the time.
“What Prez said is right, Dez. You are a Reg. We aren’t ever going to happen. I’m sorry if I ever gave you signs that it would happen, but no dibs will be called.”
Her face looks crestfallen and a few tears trail down her cheeks. Biting her lip, she gives me a small nod and turns on her heels and leave
s the yard. I stand there and watch as her car drives out through the main gates. Surely, I should feel something over the fact she’s gone, but that is just more proof that we weren’t going anywhere.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like hurting women, physically or mentally, but what’s the point in stringing her along further when I knew things wouldn’t progress the way she wanted.
Magnum holds his fist out to me to bump, but I can’t do that, not in this situation. I know that Dezi is hurting right now, but she is young enough to get over it and find the white knight she’s looking for.
“Joey, really? For fuck’s sake he just ripped her heart out and you want to fist bump the dude. Talk about insensitive,” Risky snaps at him, but he just smirks at her.
“Baby, she needed to be put back in her place. Opal wasn’t going to call dibs. I know my brother; he saw she was getting clingy and he had to put a stop to it. Would you rather he starts something heavy with her and then breaks her heart? No, you wouldn’t. I know she’s your friend, baby, but Opal did what he had to do, yeah.”
I thought I was the voice of reason but damn, Magnum just hit the nail on the head. Risky pouts but nods in understanding.
“Your man is right, Risk. We may have had some enjoyable times together, but we weren’t right for each other. Am I sorry I hurt her? Yeah. You know I don’t like upsetting women, so of course I am. But now was the time to put a stop to it.”
“I know. I just don’t like seeing my friends hurt, you know?” Leaning in, I kiss the top of her head and hobble back.
“I know, babe. Listen, I’m going to take a pain pill and crash for a while. My ankle is aching like hell today. Later.”
I leave them to it, crashing on my bed as soon as I make it to my room. I don’t even have the energy to strip my clothes off. When the pain eases and the tension leaves my body, it doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep.
Four
