Chapter 3
Stewart
I stood on the basketball court trying to wrap my head around the woman standing in front of me. She was nothing like I had expected, and that wasn’t just because I had expected her to be a man.
Now that I thought about it, that was sort of sexist. My mother was a very strong woman.
So were my younger brother’s girlfriend and my sister.
All of them commanded a room and respect.
A lot of my commanding officers were women.
Why wouldn’t the therapist that the military assigned to me be a woman?
The real question was, did they have to assign a woman who was a sexy as fuck spitfire?
We hadn’t known each other an hour and already she had me out of my pants.
Granted, it was into basketball shorts, but I wouldn’t mind it being the other way either.
I was still trying to figure out how I walked into her office with the goal of getting back to work and ended up here.
I had nothing against basketball, or any sport for that matter, but was this how she conducted all her sessions?
Was this even professional? I would never take a patient out on the court to see if he was well enough to be discharged.
“One on one or horse?” She bounced the ball in my direction.
I wondered if I could use this to my advantage.
“If I win will you sign off that I don’t need therapy?” I added my best smile. The one my mother always said would allow me to get away with murder.
“Nice try.” She held her hands open for me to give the ball back.
I tossed her the basketball. “There has to be a prize for winning.” I pointed out.
“Perhaps.” She held the ball under her arm as she tilted the top of her head. She’d pulled her black hair, which had these beautiful brown highlights, into a ponytail. The ends fell over her shoulder, and she wore the cutest little half smile.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back.
It had been quite some time since I found a woman this attractive.
Not since my last relationship. I didn’t have time for romance.
At least right now I didn’t. Plus, I had learned the hard way that military life wasn’t for everyone.
Romance and dating were going to have to wait until my service was done. Then perhaps I could settle down.
I rubbed my hand over my breastbone to relieve the sudden tightness in my chest.
“Hey, you alright?” She dropped the basketball and rushed over.
Her hand lightly touched my arm, but the liquid fire that filled my body from that touch was scalding.
The smile she had before faded as fast as it appeared.
There was no reason I should miss the smile, but I did.
It gave her a lightness that I didn’t think was normal.
What the hell? I shook my head. I didn’t know this woman.
She could smile all the time. It was possible she was only serious when she was working.
I had no space to make judgments about her.
Then again, we were on a basketball court for a session.
I was pretty positive that wasn’t normal in therapy.
“I’m fine.” I dropped my hand. She moved her hand and backed away.
“Let’s do horse.” I put a smile back on my face.
“You sure?”
“Yep.” I nodded.
“Alright.” She went back to the ball and sent it my way. “You start.”
“And my release papers?” I dribbled the ball as I walked over to the top of the three point line. I was sure I could win this easily. I used to kill my brother Rex when we played.
“Nope.” She followed behind me. “I will let you pick the game for our next session if you win.” She laughed. “That’s the best I can do.”
“We’ll see.” I tossed the ball and easily caught nothing but net. The ball bounced on the black top and Rita ran after it.
“Why are you in such a hurry to get back to work?” She stood in the same spot I’d been at and let the ball fly. Hers went in just as smoothly as mine.
“I have patients who need me.” I’d positioned myself by the net so I could catch the ball. I bounced it a couple of times as I went to the right side of the court.
“Don’t you trust the other doctors to take care of them?” She watched as I made another basket. This time she was under the net to catch.
“Sure, but my unit, my responsibility.” I watched her make this shot too. I was going to have to mix it up.
I wondered if it would help to start flirting. It was possible that it might throw her off her game and get my papers signed faster. It wasn’t the most ethical thing to do, but sometimes the ends justified the means.
“Do you play basketball with your boyfriend?” I saw her stumble on her way to the net.
“I’m the one who gets to ask the questions.” She sidestepped. “Why are they solely your responsibility?” I threw up the shot but missed.
“Because they are my unit.” I watched her ball go in. “How about we change the stakes?”
“I’m not signing the paper.” She’d made her way closer to me.
“We’ll see.” I was determined to get those papers signed today. “What if I get to ask you a question for every shot made?”
“Every shot I make or you make?”
“Both.”
She shook her head, and I could see her shoulders shake. “How is that fair?”
“Who said anything about fair?” I raised an eyebrow.
“How about I’ll answer a question for every question you answer?”
“Fine.” I took the ball from her hands and went to find another spot. “About that boyfriend?” I made my mid-range jumper.
“Don’t have one.” She grabbed the ball as it fell down. “Are you sleeping?” She jumped and nailed her shot too.
“Yes.” I went for a shot halfway between half court and the three point line.
“The same as before the accident?” She asked just as I let the ball go, and I completely missed the target.
“You did that on purpose.” I stared into her light brown eyes that weren’t really hazel but were almost as light as her smooth brown skin.
“Did what?” She let her own shot go and made it.
“No way.” I shook my head. “I want a do over.” I argued. “You asked me a question to distract me.” Was that her game? Get you out here so you weren’t concentrating on your answers?
“You can have a do over if you tell me why the idea of the other doctors taking care of your patients bothers you so much.” She’d picked up the ball after her shot. “That or why the mention of the accident made you miss?”
“I just…well.. I wasn’t expecting it.” I shrugged, hoping she didn’t hear the way I tripped over my words.
“Have you talked to anyone about the accident since it happened?”
“Nope.” I took the ball from her hands. “My turn.” I went to the free throw line. “Other than basketball, what do you like to do for fun?” I made the shot, but I knew I would.
“I paint.” She picked up the ball and went to take her shot. “Have you talked to someone? Your unit? Doctor? Family? Significant other?”
I smirked. “If you want to know whether I have a girlfriend, just ask.”
She made her shot. “Nice deflection. I noticed you skipped the other options I gave you first.” She pointed out. “Have you talked to the others in your unit?”
“You already asked your question. It’s my turn.” I held the ball.
“You didn’t answer the question. Technically, it’s still my turn.”
I rubbed at my chest. “They have enough on their minds.” My thoughts went to the guys in the hospital. They didn’t need me bringing up what happened.
“What about the doctors who treated you?”
“I told him everything that was relevant.” I answered, forgetting that she’d already asked a question, and it was supposed to be my turn.
“About the accident?”
“To treat me.” I threw up the ball from where we were standing and completely missed. “Why basketball?”
“I like sports.” She didn’t go for the ball. “What about your family?”
“What about them?” My hand shook slightly.
“Have you talked to them since the accident?”
“I talked to my father and my brother.” I ran my hand through my hair. How was I letting her get under my skin?
“About the accident?”
“Why would I burden them with something that would only make them worry?” I rubbed at my chest. “I’m fine. I wish everyone would stop questioning me. I’m perfectly healthy and able to go back to helping others.”
“Is this about helping others or avoiding the help you need?”
“I don’t need any help.”
“With regard to the accident or in general?” She tilted her head.
“Both.” I blew out a breath. “Isn’t my hour up?” I was done with this ridiculous game and her questions. It wasn’t as if she was going to give me what I wanted, and I didn’t care how beautiful she was. This entire afternoon had been a waste of time.
“Who said you only get an hour?” She crossed her arms. “Are you sleeping?” She’d asked me about that in her office.
“Yes.” The word came out harder than needed.
“How many hours?”
“What difference does that make?” I rubbed at my chest. “It isn’t like I’m tired.”
“Physically, you mean?”
“Yes.” What other kind of tired was there?
“How about emotionally?” She asked. “What about socially? Have you been going out? Talking to others?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “I was just at the hospital visiting my guys the other day.”
“I said socially.” She repeated. “Were you there to shoot the shit or check their progress?” Was she supposed to say shit?
“Does it make a difference? We talked, and I even talked to the head of the clinic. That’s socializing.”
“Okay. Let’s finish the game.” She turned for the ball and gasped. Her hand went to her side as she bent over.
“What?” I was next to her, and I reached out to place my hand over hers. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing.” She shook her head, but her breathing had completely changed. It was coming out labored, and her eyes were screwed closed.
“Yeah, right.” I knelt down. Everything else forgotten except taking care of her. “You’re clearly in pain. Let me help.”
“I’ll be fine.” She shook her head.
“Where does it hurt?” I pressed lightly against her abdomen.
She winced. “Let’s sit you down.” I helped her to the ground and straightened out her legs.
“Take a deep breath for me.” I wished I had my stethoscope, but I’d been in the field plenty of times with nothing and been able to help my unit. This was no different.
Rita drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe your hour is up after all.”
I chuckled. “Now that you’re the one needing help you want to be done.” I felt around the spot where her hand was still touching.
“So you admit you need help.” She nodded.
“That wasn’t exactly what I meant.” I moved her hand to the side. As soon as I replaced her hands with mine, she jumped. “Easy.” I lightened my touch. I could feel something there. I would have to lift her shirt in order to get a good look. As soon as I told her that, her eyes flew open.
“I’m good.” She smiled and tried to stand.
“No, you’re not.”
“Look, it’s just an old injury.” She shook it off. “I pushed a little too hard during our game. I’m on my way home after this. I’ll be just fine by tomorrow.”
I should have pushed to take her into the clinic on base and get some x-rays, but it wasn’t like I could order a full workup right now.
“Fine.” I helped her to her feet. “Let’s get you to your car.”
I kept a tight hold of her as we walked over to the car. “My ball.” She looked behind us when we reached the door.
“Stay here.” I went over to pick up the basketball and bring it back.
“Thanks.” She was already sitting behind the wheel.
“Promise me something.” I knelt down beside her.
“What?”
“If you don’t feel better in a few hours, you’ll go over to the clinic and get checked out.”
“I’ll be fine.” She insisted.
“Just for my peace of mind.” I didn’t back down.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, I promise.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks.” I stood back up.
“I’ll see you next week.”
I stopped in mid-stride. “Next week?”
“Our next session,” she said. “I’ll text you the address.”
She pulled out of the parking space and turned onto the road.
I stood there watching her disappear, surprised that I wasn’t as annoyed as I should be. I was actually looking forward to seeing what she came up with.