Chapter 24
Casey
The sun breaks through the horizon as Sage rolls her body toward me. I’ve watched the sky while she’s been sleeping for the past hour, unable to pull myself away. I thought about making breakfast for us, but I’m glad I didn’t or I would have missed the moment she opened her eyes.
They’re soft and kind and she smiles as she stares at me. “Good morning,” she says, her voice still groggy.
“Good morning.” I smile.
“You’re up early. Did you sleep well?”
Nodding, I kiss her lips. They taste like cherry and lemon.
She snuggles her body closer to mine. “Me, too.”
My hand reaches down to cradle her warm ass and squeezes. While my body is ready for more, my head reminds me that there’s a reason I woke up early this morning. A thought grew more urgent as I laid beside her.
“What was the name of that doctor you mentioned in San Diego? The one who helped McCarthy.”
She blinks, thinking. “I don’t remember his name. But I can check the reports I found. It’s in there for sure. Why?”
She’s so freaking adorable when she looks at me with hope in her eyes. I’m sure it’s reflected in mine, too. “I was thinking, maybe, we can go for a drive to San Diego. See if he’s willing to look at my scans.”
Her eyes grow bigger and she licks her lips. I lean down and kiss them slowly, unable to stop myself now that I know that she’ll let me.
“Are you sure?” she whispers against my lips.
I nod. “Yeah.”
I move down her body, but she throws the blanket to the side and scurries off the bed.
I laugh. “Where are you going?”
“I’m so excited. I’ve got to pee.”
My arm lands across my face and I cover my mouth from a fit of laughter. She throws a pillow from the floor at me while she runs to the bathroom. “What? Excitement frazzles my bladder.”
God, I really do love that woman.
More than love her. I want her beside me every moment of the day. My body instinctively follows her to the bathroom and she’s already washing her hands. She’s completely naked and doesn’t seem bothered by it. Good. She should never be worried about what she looks like in front of me.
I wrap my hands over her shoulders and lean down to kiss her. She throws her arms around my neck and groans. I love how she makes that sound every time I kiss her like this.
Her ass feels just as good as it did a moment ago. She sighs and pushes me away. “I’ve got to shower.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll join you.”
“I don’t know how that’s going to work. It’s tight in there.”
I raise my eyebrow, ready to make a snide remark, but change my mind.
Instead, I pick her up and wrap her legs around my waist. “Oh, I’m sure I can make it work, baby. Even if I have to lick you clean myself.”
“Casey!” she says and buries her face in my shoulder.
I’m not joking though, and the thought already makes me hard.
“Isn’t it like three hours to San Diego?” she asks between kisses.
“Two,” I say.
“Oh. Then I guess we can take our time.”
“Baby, I wasn’t rushing anyway.”
*
We don’t leave for San Diego for another two hours since Sage insisted we have breakfast.
I don’t let go of her hand in the car. I find myself reaching for her every time she’s near. Her skin is soft underneath my thumb and I bring her hand up to my lips for a quick kiss.
“I never knew you were such a romantic,” she says.
“I’m not.”
She grins at me. “Okay.”
“Really,” I say. “I’ve never been like this. I don’t know. It just feels different. I mean, this is different.”
She nods and our eyes lock. “This is different for me, too.”
We make it to San Diego in just under two hours. We find the hospital quickly thanks to GPS, park, and walk to the hospital’s information desk.
“We’re looking for Dr. Gregory Lukes,” I say to the woman at the desk.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No. I don’t. But I was hoping he could see me.”
She smiles condescendingly. “I’m sorry. Dr. Lukes is very busy. He doesn’t just take walk-ins.”
Sage steps in front and smiles just as condescendingly. “Hey, I know you’re doing your job, but you might want to give Dr. Lukes a call. I think he would be very interested in working with this particular walk-in.”
Her smile turns into a sneer. “I really don’t think so.”
“Do you want to take that chance?” asks Sage.
The receptionist hesitates, but finally she picks up the phone’s receiver and presses a couple of buttons with her long, pointy nails. “Hi Sheila. I have someone here who wants to see Dr. Lukes. I told him it’s not possible on a walk-in basis, but they just won’t leave.”
She pauses and listens to the voice on the other end. “Uh… yeah… one second.” She looks up at Casey. “What’s your name?”
“Casey Tucker.”
She turns back to the phone, bored. “He says his name is Casey Tucker.”
She flinches when the person on the other end of the line shouts his name back to her. “Yes. Ok. Hold on.” Then to Casey. “Sir, do you have some ID on you?”
Casey pulls out his driver’s license. She takes an annoying amount of time checking its validity, even running her fingers along the edges to see if it’s real. “He looks legit… yeah… ok… I will.”
She hangs up the phone and smiles politely. “Dr. Lukes is willing to take you in this one time.”
“Which floor can we find his office?” asks Sage without returning her polite smile.
“He’s on the seventh floor. Room 727.”
“Thank you.”
While I knew I could interject at any time, I had way too much fun watching Sage school that woman. “You were magnificent,” I say when the elevator doors close.
She grins cheekily at me. “Wait until you see what else I can do with my tongue.”
My smile fades. “Damn, now I’ll walk into his office with a hard on.”
She laughs and covers her mouth. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I close my eyes and think bad thoughts. I think about the time a rookie hit my jock strap while he was warming up. It hurt like the devil, and the memory quickly shrivels any burgeoning desire.
The receptionist jumps out of her seat the moment she spots us walking out of the elevator. “Mr. Tucker,” she says, extending her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you,” I say. “This is my friend Sage Summers.”
I instantly regret using the term friend, but if it bothers Sage, she doesn’t show it.
“Please follow me. I’ll show you to one of our examining rooms. Dr. Lukes will be with you shortly.”
She opens the door to a typical examination room, albeit this one is larger with more comfortable chairs. I take a seat next to Sage and grab her hand while we wait. I’m rubbing my thumb over her index finger when I say, “I’m sorry about calling you my friend.”
She waves me off. “Don’t mention it.”
I turn my chair toward her and caress her cheek with the other hand.
“I want you to be my girlfriend, Sage. I just didn’t want to say it for the first time to a receptionist.” Her eyes soften and she swallows slowly, so I continue.
“I want to be exclusive with you. I don’t want to date anyone else. But what do you want?”
Her gaze shoots up to the ceiling and her leg bounces beneath my hand. “Sage, baby, look at me.”
She does and her eyes are watering. “Shit. I don’t want you to cry. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” she sobs, which is confusing, of course.
“Then why are you upset?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. This is complicated,” she says as she points between us. “You’re in L.A. I’m in Cedar Brook Falls. How are we going to make that work?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. A lot of Facetime. I can ask Caleb for his private plane and see you more often or you can come to me. We’ll figure it out.”
She nods, but she isn’t smiling. “Yeah. We’ll figure it out.”
I’m about to kiss her when Dr. Lukes walks in. “Casey Tucker,” he says with a broad grin. “Great to meet you.”
We shake hands and he turns to Sage before I can introduce her as my girlfriend and introduces himself.
“So, what can I do for you today?”
“As I’m sure you’ve heard, I experienced some head trauma a few weeks back. At the time, the doctor told me I would never play again.”
He rifles through my reports while leaning back in his chair. “I don’t see any signs of a skull fracture in these scans. Did they say there was one?”
“They were worried I suffered from one in the beginning, but the scans do not show anything that would suggest that there was any fracture at all.”
“That’s good. Go on.”
“Well, since the concussion was severe, the doctors feel that another head injury could cause serious brain damage. They recommended to the team and myself that I do not play professionally anymore. The risks are too great.”
Dr. Lukes purses his lips as he turns over the last page of the file. “Hogwash.”
I blink. “Pardon?”
“That’s hogwash. The chances of you getting hit in the first place were pretty slim. The chances of you getting hit again are nearly impossible.”
I point to Sage. “That’s what she said.”
He nods. “Well, she’s right.” Then, he leans forward.
“Look. I would like to do my own tests and scans, but if you’re telling me that the reason you’re not playing is because some doctor doesn’t like the odds, then that’s not good enough.
If you’re willing to work hard to get back into playing shape, we can work on your reflexes and get you some equipment that will protect your head even if the odds are not in your favor. ”
Sage sits up. “What sort of protective gear?”
“There are already pitching caps that come with added padding for protection, but I’m developing a new cap that comes down a bit lower and the protection isn’t just padding; it’s a lightweight steel.”
“Really?” I had heard of the padded caps but nothing like this. “Can I try it on?”
Dr. Lukes grins. “I thought you’d never ask.” He stands up from his desk. “Give me a second.” Then he calls for his receptionist, and she returns a few minutes later with a black baseball cap. “Mind you, this is only a prototype for now.”
He hands me the cap, and I place it on my head, shimming it left and right. It’s a little tight, and definitely stiff, but not uncomfortable. “Not bad,” I say, playing around with it.
“We’re still working on the final touches, and I’d love to get your input for that. If you’re willing to work with us, we will do whatever we can to get you back on the mound. What do you say?”
A knot forms in my throat, and I cough to clear it. “Um… yes. I’d like that.”
Dr. Lukes smiles and folds his arms across his chest. “Well, then. Let’s get to work.”