by Kat Mizera
“Fi-ne.” She huffed out a breath and pulled her sweatshirt over her head. She wore a simple tank top beneath it and he wondered if he was going to be able to act unaffected by seeing her naked. He would never touch her when she was this drunk—this was a whole level beyond the night they’d slept together—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t enjoy looking at her.
“I got this,” she finally muttered. “I can get my shirt and panties off by myself and it’ll take me five minutes to wash my hair and body. If you bring me my bathrobe, I can put that on when I get out and you can get the bag off my leg.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “I’m drunk, but not stupid.”
“I’ll get your bathrobe—don’t do anything until I get back.” He raced into the other bathroom, found the robe hanging on the back of the door and brought it to her. “I’m waiting right outside the door,” he said. “Just in case you start to feel woozy. Please call me if you feel like you might fall—we don’t want to make a trip to the ER tonight.”
“Aye, aye, captain!” She saluted him smartly before he walked out. He stood against the door and let out a sigh of relief. He’d probably just dodged a bullet, because seeing her naked would remind him of everything wonderful about when they’d made love. He didn’t like to think about it, because it made him want to do dumb shit, but he had to remember she was more important than that.
“I’m ready…” she called out.
He walked into the bathroom and found her on the toilet again, wrapped in her bathrobe with her hair up in a towel.
“Hey.” He smiled. “Let’s get the bag off, okay?” He cut open the tape and slid off the bag. “Looks like we did a good job.”
“You did.” She smiled back, though she looked sleepy.
“Are you going to pass out?”
“No. I mean, I will soon, but not yet. Can you bring me the brush in my bathroom and the bottle of Paul Mitchell mousse?”
“Sure.” He went back to her bathroom, thinking he should just move all her things into his because running back and forth was going to get old and she really did need the extra space.
“Thanks.” She brushed her hair and put some white, foamy stuff in it. Then she held out her hand. “Help me up? I want to put on clean PJs.”
“Of course.” He helped her stand and handed her the crutches he’d left outside of the door. She hobbled into her room, shutting the door behind her, and he went into the kitchen.
“Tweet, tweet, motherfucker.” Merlin looked annoyed.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Has she been ignoring you?”
SQUAWK!
“I know.” He got him a piece of carrot and then rummaged through the refrigerator. There really wasn’t anything to cook other than eggs. Maybe they could have breakfast for dinner and then he’d make protein shakes in the morning. He got to work, sautéing broccoli and mushrooms before adding the eggs and cheese. He was out of turkey sausage but he had tofu, so he threw some into the mix to add extra protein. He put a bagel in the toaster figuring they could split one since he tried to go light on carbs this time of year, and he dug out some fruit to cut up.
By the time he was done cooking, he wondered if she’d passed out, but he would try to get her to eat at least a little so she wouldn’t go to bed with nothing but chips and vodka in her stomach. She usually took better care of herself than this but he figured she was due a little slack after the week she’d had.
“Sara?” He quietly knocked on her door and opened it. She was sitting up on the bed in clean pajamas, her head lolling to one side, apparently dozing.
“Hmm?” She didn’t open her eyes.
“I made us dinner. Why don’t you try to eat a little something and then you can come back to bed?”
“Okay.” She opened her eyes and blinked. “Ugh. I’m going to have a headache tomorrow.”
“We’ll get you some Tylenol before you go to sleep. It’ll help with the headache and take the edge off the pain in your leg. But let’s eat first.”
She held out her hands and he impulsively slid one hand beneath her knees, the other around her lower back, lifting her in his arms. “You’re being nice again,” she whispered against his chest.
“I have my moments.” He carried her to the kitchen and set her on a chair. “Eat.”
“Thanks.” She nibbled on her half of the bagel, not really touching the eggs.
“You don’t like it?” he asked.
“I’m not that hungry.”
“A few bites?” he cajoled. “For me?”
“I’m not four,” she giggled.
“No, but you need something in your stomach.”
She ate half of what he’d put in front of her before she started to droop again.
“Okay, bedtime.” He lifted her up again.
“You’re not going to start carrying me all the time, are you?” she asked.
“Just when you’re drunk.”
“Okay.”
“You want to brush your teeth first?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I think my dentist will forgive me if I skip that just this once.”
He got her settled in bed and put her crutches within reach. He went back to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and two Tylenol, handing them to her when he got to her room. “Take these and go to sleep.”
“Thanks, Aaron.” She swallowed the pills, closed her eyes, and seemed to go right to sleep. He watched her for a minute, hoping she was okay, and then quietly slipped from the room. He’d never wanted to curl up next to a woman so badly in his life, and that was a dangerous thing to want.
10
Sara was in a better mood the next day, grateful she didn’t have a hangover and particularly grateful for Aaron. The Aaron who’d taken care of her last night was her best friend, the one she’d fallen in love with. The jerk who’d tossed her clothes at her right after they had sex was an Aaron she didn’t know—and one she didn’t like all that much. Why had that guy shown up after they’d made love?
She hobbled into the bathroom, cursing her leg, earthquakes and Anchorage. She hated having a cast, having to use crutches, and relying on other people, though she had to admit she didn’t hate living with Aaron. She missed Dani, Niko and working at the veterinary clinic, but Dr. Harjo had closed it down for now anyway. There was structural damage in the old building and he’d temporarily relocated all of the animals. He didn’t know how much it was going to cost or how long it would take to get the place back up and running, so he was seeing a handful of clients by making house calls, and he was referring everyone else to other veterinarians in the area. He treated a lot of large animals on the farms around the city, keeping him working, but without an office, he didn’t know how long he could keep up with it.
Sara felt bad for him, but she was feeling worse for herself. Not driving was already getting on her nerves and being stuck at home sucked. She didn’t have the energy to hang out at the arena all day and both Aaron and Dani would be too busy to drive her if she got tired. Her leg still hurt, both the one in the cast and the one that had required fourteen stitches to close the gash in her shin.
She padded into the kitchen to find it empty, everything clean and a note on the counter from Aaron, telling her he’d left a protein shake in the fridge for her, still in the blender. She got it out and wrinkled her nose as she smelled it. She ate fairly healthy, but Aaron’s protein shakes were the worst. He used everything she hated and threw in so many ingredients she’d given up trying to figure them out. Though he enjoyed beer and the occasional burger and fries, he was one of those guys who truly treated his body like a temple.
“Tweet, tweet.” Merlin gave her a sweet greeting and she smiled, opening his cage and letting him climb on her shoulder as she dug around for something to eat. Balancing on one leg was already getting old and she wasn’t sure she could do this for two months, but what choice did she have?
“We need to find new hobbies,” she told the big red bird.
&nb
sp; “Go fuck yourself.”
“You have a very naughty mouth for such a pretty bird,” she told him.
“Tweet, tweet.”
Sara toasted a bagel and made a cup of coffee. That was all she had the appetite and energy for. She’d been feeling sorry for herself last night, hence her alcohol binge, but she couldn’t do that very often. Especially now that she wouldn’t be getting much in the way of exercise. Physical therapy would help, but it wasn’t the same.
Sighing, she nibbled her bagel and wondered what to do with herself now that she couldn’t work. She had friends, of course, but they all worked. Amy was great, but she took care of twins all day, so hanging out wouldn’t be an option. Even Hailey worked during the day and sometimes on the weekends, which left Sara mostly on her own. Injuries like this always brought to light issues that had never existed before, like loneliness. She kept busy, and living with Sergei, Dani and Niko meant she was never truly alone. Now she couldn’t drive and could foresee being alone a lot. Dani had suggested she stay with Hailey, Amy, Niko and the twins during the team’s upcoming road trip, so that was something, but she didn’t like being so isolated. It wasn’t about actually being alone—she worked alone at the clinic all the time—but the inability to drive or do what she wanted, when she wanted. She couldn’t even shower by herself just yet, which was really weird.
She’d sobered up pretty quickly last night when Aaron had picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. His touch still did things to her, even though she wished it didn’t. But the idea of being that vulnerable—naked—in front of him hadn’t been an option. Thank god she could hold her liquor.
Her phone rang and she glanced down to see Amy’s name on the screen. “Hey, girl.”
“Hey. Hailey’s home until this afternoon because there’s a big season-ticket-holder event tonight that she has to work, so I thought maybe we could go to lunch or something? You must be dying to get out of the house.”
“Oh.” This caught her off guard. She hadn’t been expecting Amy to be free. “Well, yeah, that sounds great. Thank you.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up at eleven. Hailey has to leave by two so that’ll give us a few hours.”
“Perfect. See you then.” Sara disconnected, cleaned up the kitchen, and went to figure out what to wear. Having a leg cast was going to be rough as it got colder. She couldn’t wear jeans and wasn’t sure she had sweats big enough to go over the cast. This was going to be interesting. Could she wear shorts all winter? She had a couple of summer dresses. Maybe she could make it look warmer with a denim jacket? She would look ridiculous wearing dresses with spaghetti straps in Alaska in the fall, though. Geez, this was going to suck.
She rummaged through her things and finally pulled out an old pair of leggings. She would cut the one leg short enough to cover her thigh and be done. When this was over and the cast was off, she’d have to buy a few more pairs to replace them.
She cut the right leg around knee length and then pulled them on. She looked ridiculous, but it was better than shorts or yoga pants. She dug out an oversized sweater and went into the bathroom to do something with her hair. She’d fallen asleep with it wet so it was a little wild today and she sighed. There was no help for it now, so she put it in a ponytail and made her way back out to the couch. Maybe she could take a nap until Amy got there.
Other than her outing with Amy, Sara was essentially confined to the apartment. Aaron helped her shower every other day but everyone was busy and now the team was leaving on their first road trip. They’d be gone a week, playing the three teams in California. Aaron had helped her pack and would be dropping her off at Kane and Hailey’s house in the morning on his way to the airport, which she hated. She didn’t want to be alone, but she was already living somewhere that wasn’t home and that would be yet another place to lay her head.
“You okay?” Aaron asked as she mindlessly flipped through the channels of the TV.
“Yeah. Just a little bummed you’re going on a road trip. I’m really struggling with all of this…not being able to drive, not working, all of it.”
“I’m sorry.” He sank onto the couch beside her and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I wish there was something I could do to make the time go faster.”
“You’ve bent over backwards to make me feel at home,” she said softly. “I really appreciate it. I’m glad we’re back to being buds.”
“Me too.” He stared at the TV, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed twice.
He didn’t move his arm, though, and she decided to enjoy the moment. She rested her head against his shoulder and smiled when he drew her closer.
“Tweet, tweet! Pretty girl!” Merlin came flying into the room, making them both jump.
“It’s okay, boy. Come sit with us.” She held out her arm and Merlin hopped on it, crawling up until he rested on her shoulder. Then she relaxed against Aaron, and for one tiny moment in time, her life was almost perfect.
Staying at Kane and Hailey’s was a little hectic, but definitely not lonely. The twins, Kelsey and Hank, were not quite a year old and trying to walk. They kept Amy running constantly, and Sara was suddenly grateful for Niko. He seemed happy to see her as well, cuddling on the couch with her at bedtime so she could read to him and sitting with her after dinner to practice his letters since he was learning to write new words now that he was in kindergarten.
“You doing okay?” Hailey asked her on their fourth night together.
“Hanging in there.” Sara shrugged. “I’m not used to being laid up.”
“Dani said you’ll start some physical therapy not related to the leg next week.”
“Working on my arms and my core, making sure I don’t lose all my muscle tone while the bone in my leg is healing.”
“It’ll be good for you to be out and about.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What’s going on at the clinic?”
“The building needs a lot of work and Dr. Harjo doesn’t have the money for the deductible of his insurance. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but it looks like I’m out of a job either way.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah.” Sara sighed. This was the first time she’d told anyone about the phone conversation she’d had with Dr. Harjo the other day, even though she spoke to Dani and Aaron on the phone every day. What was the point of worrying them? There was nothing anyone could do.
“Well, look at it this way, it’s been almost two weeks since the accident, so two weeks down and…six more to go?”
“Four to six, depending on how it heals.”
“You’re young and healthy—it’s going to heal great!”
Sara laughed. “It doesn’t seem I’m that lucky these days, but let’s hope you’re right.”
“You’ve had a rough few weeks, but things will turn around. They always do.”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of spinning my wheels lately. I graduated college and started grad school without a clear direction, got into a terrible relationship that went really bad, and wound up in Alaska as a nanny. When I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life, I wasn’t accepted into veterinary school. So I became a vet technician, crossing all my fingers and toes I’ll get in for next year, and then I’ll have about a million years of school ahead of me. Not to mention student loans and finding a job.”
“You know…” Hailey hesitated. “Why not focus on what you have instead of what you could have or what you’re going to have?”
“What do I have?” Sara demanded. “I mean, I have wonderful friends, for sure. But I don’t have a job that’s going to be a career, or my own place to live, or a car, or anything. I haven’t even gone out on a date in, like, a year.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“What?” Sara stared at her.
“You could go out on dates. A couple of the guys on the team are interested, but you make excuses. I thought it was because of you and Aaron, but you’re not even going after hi
m. Why aren’t you just enjoying life? There’s a ton to see and do in Anchorage, even if it’s not where you want to end up. We have hockey and tons of natural wonders and all kinds of cute guys in our inner circle.”
“I want to be a veterinarian and—”
“And I want to be a lawyer. Right now, I’m kicking ass as the number one salesperson working for the Blizzard and I actually love it. Is this my career? I don’t know, but I’m having fun, I meet good people, I make money, and I can still be a great mom and wife. Is law school still on the table? Sure. I don’t know when, though. Kane can’t play forever, but my kids won’t be little forever either. So I’m making the best of what I have now and it’s pretty awesome. Law school isn’t going anywhere, and even if it is, who cares? My high school English teacher left teaching after twenty years to go to law school and she was in her forties.”
“I don’t know,” Sara sighed. “I don’t have any of what you have, though. No great boyfriend, no kids, nothing.”
“Come on, that’s not true. You work as a nanny and, though probably not very intellectually fulfilling, you can’t tell me you don’t love Niko.”
“Of course, I do.”
“And you work as a vet technician—which is in your field and something you love. It’s not the whole degree, but it’s money and it’s in your field. And, more than that, you can do it anywhere.”
“I can be a veterinarian anywhere too.”
“Yes, but getting a job as a vet has to be harder than as a technician. And anyway, the point isn’t getting a job, it’s living in the moment. I know breaking your leg has been awful, and I’m sure you’re frustrated and uncomfortable, but short of not letting the leg heal correctly, what are your options?”
“I know this intellectually, but my heart is all kinds of angry.”
“And maybe you need to think hard about why that is. It seems to me there’s more to it than just the inconvenience of a broken leg.” She paused. “Is it Aaron?”
