9. Chapter 9
Chapter nine
Cal
“How’s the schedule today?” I asked Cammie.
“You have Rowan first,” she said and smirked. “Then a three-hour break. Then you’re booked solid until four. I put a new patient in during your usual lunch. He’s trying to squeeze in sessions without missing work. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’ll come in early or stay late if that helps bring people in.”
“Absolutely not,” Adam said, materializing at my shoulder like a damn ghost. The man could be alarmingly stealth. “You’re not working alone, and I’m not paying Cammie overtime.”
“Actually,” Cammie said, plastering on a megawatt smile. “I don’t have air conditioning at home, so I wouldn’t mind staying late. I could bring my Kindle and read after clocking out.”
Adam grunted, which could mean either yes or no, and went back to his office. I would never have called him a pleasant person before, but he was becoming more and more abrasive each day Avery’s reviews remained online.
I’d texted her several times asking to meet, going as far as admitting that her reviews were impacting my schedule. No response. I needed to see her face-to-face to tell her my job was on the line. Otherwise, the information could inspire her to double down. Once she saw how upset I was, she’d stop.
Avery wasn’t a bad person. She lashed out whenever she was hurt, but she always regretted it. In high school, she started bullying people after her dad left. She never did it in front of me, but I heard stories and called her on it.
Few people saw what I did. The guilt she carried for the things she’d done. The small ways she tried to atone. Leaving a closer parking spot open when she noticed one of her targets drive into the lot behind her. Shutting down the bullies who copied her, so the pain she caused didn’t blossom and spread.
I’d hurt her, and posting trash reviews made her feel better, just like how bullying kids lower on the social ladder made her feel powerful after her dad abandoned her. I knew she’d feel guilty soon enough and want to make it right, but if she didn’t talk to me soon, I was going to need a lawyer.
“Cam, you don’t have to stay late for me,” I said, doing my best to push aside any thoughts of Avery and my crumbling career.
“I wish I were lying about the AC. I typically go home and open the windows, then stay at Karma until closing while things cool off.”
The weather had been stifling for days. Even with air conditioning, the office got so hot in the afternoons, patients complained and sweated through their sessions. Thankfully, things were cooler in the mornings. It had been difficult enough working with Rowan through her third and fourth sessions. No telling how on edge we’d both be if we were also overheated.
“Can you put in a window unit?” I asked.
“It cools off enough,” she said as Rowan pushed through the front door, typing on her cell.
“It didn’t dip below eighty-five last night,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I’d noticed the dark circles swelling under Cammie’s eyes all week. I didn’t think she’d appreciate me pointing them out, but they were proof enough for me that the heat was making it hard for her to sleep. “There’s no telling when this heat will break. You need a window unit, Cam. We can go to Walmart after work, grab one, and I’ll put it in for you.”
“I’m fine,” she said and smiled at Rowan as she tucked her phone in her oversized bag. “Hi, Rowan. Dr. Cardoso can get you started right away.”
Rowan narrowed her eyes at Cam. “You don’t have any AC at home?”
Cammie blushed, and I felt like an ass for pressing her, especially in front of a patient. I didn’t know where Cam lived or her financial situation. Maybe she couldn’t afford the electricity to run a window unit even if I bought it for her.
“Do you rent?” Rowan asked.
Cammie nodded.
“Does the landlord allow window units?”
Cammie nodded again.
“Great. We have an old one that works fine. You’re welcome to it.”
“Really?” Cam said, a huge smile on her face. “I don’t want to borrow something you might need.”
Rowan waved her hand. “Mom installed central air a few years ago. The unit’s in Poppy’s way. She’ll be ecstatic to have more room in her studio, and Mom will be glad someone is using it. Poppy and I can bring it over tonight if you want.”
Of course Rowan would ignore her injury the moment someone needed help. It made me wonder what else she’d been doing to derail her recovery. “You can’t lift an air conditioner, Rowan,” I said.
“Fine, Chris and Poppy can do it.”
“Chris and I will do it,” I said. “Consider it part of our strength training.”
Cammie paled. “Oh, shoot,” she said. “I just remembered the super sent out an email saying the electric was at the limit. I don’t want to be the one to overburden the system. Better get started on your session before Dr. Cohen pops out of his office.”
Rowan studied Cammie a moment before following me to the table.
“She’s lying,” Rowan whispered.
I nodded. It stung that Cam had shot down my offer to bring the window unit to her place but had seemed ok with Rowan going there. I considered Cam a friend. Probably the closest I had apart from Aiden and Theo. Perhaps we were just work colleagues who’d bonded over our mutual dislike for our boss.
Rowan closed her eyes and let out another cock-teasing moan as I placed the heat mat on her back. “If you’re like a brother to her, why wouldn’t she let you help put in a window unit?” she asked.
I glanced at Cam, who looked near tears while she tapped away on her computer. “Why would you think I’m like a brother to her?”
“Because she told me,” Rowan said, opening her eyes.
All the hurt I’d felt moments before evaporated. I realized I felt the same. Cammie was like the sister I never had, which made her refusal all the more confusing.
“Does that surprise you? You know, not every woman wants to sleep with you.”
I wanted to ask Rowan if she was one of those women, but instead I locked eyes with her until her cheeks turned an adorable shade of red.
“Stop staring and let me enjoy the heat,” she said, slightly out of breath.
“I’m just surprised she told you. Cam keeps her thoughts close.” Like why she won’t let me help her despite telling Rowan I was like a brother.
Rowan made a sound between a laugh and snort.
“What?”
“Aside from Lauren, that woman is the most candid person I’ve ever met.” Rowan’s eyes snapped open, and her mouth softened into an “O.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” she said, closing her eyes again. “Just don’t press her about the window unit. I’ll handle it.”
“Don’t lift it yourself. I’m serious, Rowan. You could set back all your progress or injure yourself more. You shouldn’t be carrying anything heavier than twenty-five pounds. Less really, since you’re so small.”
“I’m not small,” she said.
It was adorable how angry she sounded. The woman barely broke five feet and could probably shop in the children’s section if she wanted. “I give the same advice to defensive linemen with a back injury. You’re small.”
“By comparison. Speaking of large football players, how are things going with Chris?”
I cleared my throat. “Great,” I said and pretended to add something to her chart notes. “We focused on strength training last week. I got him a student summer pass to my gym, so we can lift together.”
“That’s really nice of you,” she said and flashed a smile that sent an unwanted jolt of lust through my body. Damn this woman. No matter how much we butted heads, I still jacked off in the shower at night after every one of our sessions. I felt like a creep for fantasizing about a patient, but inevitably I’d end up with my hand wrapped around my cock, imagining all the ways I’d touch her, if only I could. And I wasn’t nice. Nice would have been tossing the ball to Chris for hours, so he could practice his catches. I still hadn’t picked up a football.
We sat in silence while the heat eased the tension from Rowan’s face. She started stepping down her medication last week, and I worried she might be in too much pain to get through her exercises. I let her stay under the blanket a few minutes longer than usual, hoping it might make today’s session less brutal.
“Chris is fun to lift with,” I said when I couldn’t wait any longer to move to the first exercise. “Aiden is too competitive.”
“You’re still friends with Aiden O’Malley?” she asked.
I nodded. “And Theo.”
She groaned when I lifted the mat from her back but swung her legs to the side of the table and stepped down.
“Get started with cat and cow while I put the mat back.”
Her outfit was especially form-fitting today. I swear her shirts shrank an inch with each visit. For the first time, I could make out a sliver of toned skin between the hem of her shirt and the top of her leggings. I hung up the mat, took a breath to calm my body, and joined her in the center of the room.
“Good, relax your shoulders.”
She followed direction well and never complained when I added repetitions or made the exercises more difficult. It shouldn’t have been erotic. With anyone else, I’d just be pleased to work with someone focused on their recovery. The fact Rowan followed my directions without question inevitably took my mind to all the things I wished I could direct her to do if she weren’t my patient.
“So, Theo and Poppy,” I said, hoping for a distraction from Rowan’s tempting curves. “Are they together or not?”
“No idea,” Rowan said, arching her back before dropping into cow pose. Staring at her ass was too much of a temptation, so I walked around to watch her from the front.
“Tighten your abs more when you’re in cat,” I said, even though her abs were tight.
“It’s hard to do while I’m talking. Maybe you shouldn’t ask me questions.”
I smiled. “Why do you think I was asking?”
“Because you’re an ass,” she said, working through the exercise again.
“Take a quick child’s pose.”
“If talking while I do this will help me, ask me something else,” she said, sitting onto her heels. “Poppy hasn’t even told me they’re friends. And that pisses me off.”
Talking would not help her back heal faster, but it might cut the tension between us. “Good,” I said. “Use that.”
“I don’t need to be angry at my sister. I’m usually pissed enough at you.”
I laughed. “Ready for the resistance bands?”
She nodded. We crossed the room to the band station and moved into the first exercise in the series I’d developed for her.
“I see you’re still carrying that overweight bag,” I said. “Do you remote into work?”
“No,” she said. “I quit my job. I’m looking for something else.”
I put my hands on her hips to correct her position. She sucked in a breath, and I involuntarily gripped her. She froze. I dropped my hands and stepped back. “You can start standing row now.”
She began the exercise, and I leaned against the wall to watch her. “What kind of work do you do?”
“I was an analyst for a capitol advisory group in DC.”
I scratched my chin. “Must not be many of those positions around here.”
“I’m not staying in Peace Falls,” she said. “As soon as I find a job somewhere, I’m gone.”
A flicker of pain crossed her face, and I wasn’t sure if it was the exercise or the conversation. “Let’s move to the treadmill,” I said. “Have you been walking between our sessions?”
“Almost every day with Skye.”
I stopped halfway through programming the treadmill and stared at her. “You’ve been walking my dog?”
“Whenever Chris does,” she said, stepping onto the belt. She gave me a confused look, and I remembered I still needed to finish programming the machine.
“Do you hold the leash?” I asked, hitting the start button.
“Why?” she said, flashing a smile that made her eyes dance with mischief. “Is someone protective of his dog?”
“Yes,” I said. “Skye can be hyper. She also runs after anything that moves.”
“I noticed,” Rowan said and chuckled. “Don’t worry. Chris has leash duty. And poop duty. I’m just there for the exercise and post-walk snuggles. We stay on the porch until she’s ready to go inside. I wouldn’t invade your space without asking.”
Avery hated dogs, mine in particular, but some of the women I’d slept with had fussed over Skye as much as Theo did. Whether a woman liked Skye or not had never made them more or less attractive to me. I assumed they wouldn’t be around long enough for it to matter. But the thought of Rowan cuddled up with Skye made my chest ache.
Not my dick. My chest. Shit. This couldn’t be happening. Lust was something I could handle, barely. But longing for something beyond sex? I’d avoided that my entire adult life.
Rowan’s expression shifted from teasing to worried. “I’m sorry. I should have asked before I tagged along with Chris. Mom didn’t want me walking alone in case my back seized up and I thought—”
“No, it’s great,” I said. My voice sounded off, and Rowan looked like she wanted the treadmill to take her far away from me. “This program takes about ten minutes. I’m going to get some charting done before our next set of exercises.”
I turned and walked to my office, ignoring Cam’s concerned look and Adam’s stare. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it.
I needed to get my shit together. My sessions with Rowan had been the most awkward of my career, yet I felt this undeniable, terrifying pull toward her that had nothing to do with keeping my job. This couldn’t be happening. I wouldn’t let it. I grabbed my cell and typed a message into my group chat with Theo and Aiden.
I have a problem
A reply popped up immediately.
Aiden
You have many. Be more specific
Theo
Don’t be a dick, A. What’s up?
Problem with a patient. I can’t dismiss her because my boss will fire me
Aiden
She trying to nail you?
No
Theo
How often do you dismiss patients?
Never. She would be the first
Aiden
What the hell did she do?
Nothing
Theo
You woke me up because a patient is doing nothing wrong, and you want to dismiss her even though you’ll probably get fired if you do?
Aiden
Who’s the dick now?
Is she hot?
What’s that got to do with anything?
Aiden
Answer the question
I blew out a breath and rubbed my forehead.
Theo
She’s a smoke show
Aiden
How do you know?
Theo
I assume it’s Poppy’s sister. I’ve seen her picture
Aiden
Wait. Rowan Stevens? Since when was she a smoke show?
She’s gorgeous
Aiden
Dude. You cannot fuck a patient
I’m not
Theo
But he wants to
Did Poppy say something?
Theo
Believe it or not, your sex life or Rowan’s isn’t something we discuss
Aiden
What do you weirdos talk about?
Focus, A. I’m at work
Aiden
Then why are you texting? Do you want to get fired? Get back to work dickhead
Theo
He’s not wrong. You can’t dismiss a patient because you’re attracted to her. That’s had to have happened before
Not like this
Aiden
GIF of Kevin McCallister Screaming
What does that mean?
Theo
GIF of Pepe Le Pew with heart eyes
Aiden
You like her asshole
Theo
You do
You guys are no help
I put my phone on the desk and ignored the chimes of incoming texts. So what if I liked Rowan? It wouldn’t change the fact she’s my patient or that she’s leaving Peace Falls as soon as possible. She wasn’t even my usual type. My body might disagree, but I wasn’t a hormonal teenager anymore. I could control myself. I was a professional, damn it.
I left the phone buzzing across my desk and returned to Rowan just as the treadmill finished. “Good job,” I said. “Let’s cool off with more stretches.”
“Is everything ok, Caleb?” she asked.
She would stop calling me Dr. Cardoso when I needed the professional distance the most. The fact she’d called me Caleb instead of Cal felt even more intimate. Since I share a first name with my dad, I’ve used a nickname my whole life. Caleb sounded like a pet name, at least when Rowan said it.
“Yeah. You’re doing great.”
And she was. I was the problem.
“Feel free to play with Skye in the house if you walk her later. It’s going to be really hot. I don’t want either of you overheating.”
“Ok,” she said and gave me a small smile powerful enough to knock me over.