Chapter 5
Stewart
“Harris.” Years of training had me sitting up in bed as soon as the phone rang.
“Did I just wake you?” My younger brother Rex laughed.
“No.”
“Holy shit. Yes, I did.” His laughter got louder. “I just woke my ‘up by seven am’ brother. Has the world stopped spinning? Is it snowing in hell?”
“Keep laughing and you’ll be able to find out for yourself.” I swung my legs to the side of the mattress. “Why are you calling me anyway?”
“Can’t I check in on you?” His laughter slowly died. “You barely talk to Mom and Dad. Stella hasn’t heard from you in weeks, and when I call, you generally send me to voicemail. We’re worried.”
“I don’t generally send you to voicemail.” I argued. I just let the phone ring until the voicemail picks up.
“Whatever,” he said. “You were one voicemail away from all of us getting on a plane and tracking your ass down.”
“Why would you do that?” I’d made my way into the kitchen and was pouring a glass of orange juice.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“What?”
“Stu, you got blown up, man. You were in a military hospital for a week. You stopped answering our calls. Of course we were coming to find you.” My hand shook slightly, and I put the glass down so I didn’t spill anything.
“I didn’t get blown up.” I snapped.
“Close enough.” He replied. “You might be the big tough guy to your troupe, but we’re family. Mom still remembers every broken bone all of us had and treats us like we are still those little kids.” Considering Dad set all those bones, he does too.
“I’m fine.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I should be back to work any day now, and once everything is back to normal, it will be like nothing ever happened.”
“Are you sure?” Rex didn’t sound convinced. “If you need to come home for a few days, that would be cool. Mom and Dad would love to have you.”
“I can’t. Some of my guys are still in the hospital.”
“But if you aren’t working then you can’t treat them right?” Rex was the only one in the family who wasn’t in the medical field.
“I can still visit and make sure they are being taken care of the right way.” I finished off my juice.
“And it’s only a matter of time. I have another session with the appointed therapist tomorrow, and after that I should be good.
” There was no way that I wasn’t getting Rita to sign off on my going back to work.
Not just because I wanted to be done with all this, but because I also wanted to be able to call her without her thinking it was some sort of manipulation.
I leaned on my counter and let out a breath. I still couldn’t believe she thought I would do something like that. Then again, she didn’t really know me. If she did, then she would know I didn’t do relationships, and I was always professional.
I’d known calling her wasn’t the smartest move, but the whole afternoon I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.
That was why I went searching for her name.
I wanted to know more about her. What I didn’t expect was to find videos of her playing basketball in college.
She’d been good, and I really wanted to know why she stopped.
With the way she shot the ball yesterday, I wondered if she could have gone pro.
“Stu.” Rex shouted into my ear.
“Yeah?” I forgot I was holding the phone.
“Damn, man. I thought you passed out or something.” He let out a breath.
“What?”
“You said something about therapy and then went silent. I knew the thought of you in therapy shocked the hell out of me. Maybe just saying the words made you faint.” He joked.
“It’s regulation.” I shook my head. I loved my brother, but sometimes I really wished he was close enough to smack.
“That explains it.” He chuckled. “I knew my older brother would never voluntarily go to therapy.”
“There’s nothing wrong with going to therapy.” I defended.
“Of course not.” Rex agreed. “It’s just for you to go to therapy you’d have to admit you need help or that something might be wrong, and you’re not really good at either of those things.”
“What are you talking about?” I scrunched up my face. “I can admit when I need help.” I was a doctor. There were plenty of times I had to send someone to a specialist because I didn’t know what was wrong.
“Really?” I didn’t like the sound of doubt in his voice.
“Yes.”
“Is that a new thing? Something this therapist is helping you with?”
“Shut up.” I barked. “I can admit when I need help.”
“Okay, okay.” He went back to laughing. I could picture him holding his hands in the air as he said the words. “If you say you can admit you’re not perfect, then I believe you.”
“No one is perfect.” I ran my hand through my hair.
“I know that, but sometimes you do act like you are.” He paused. “Or at least like you have to be. I thought that was why you went into the military.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the military has such a high standard cause lives are on the line. I just thought that appealed to your sense of being the best.”
Was that true? Was that how people saw me? That I had to be the best? Be perfect? Was that how I saw myself?
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Rex added. “You’re a great big brother, and I’m sure you are an exceptional doctor. The whole family is. Except for me, but I’m okay being the slacker.”
“Says the guy running a successful marketing company and making six figures a year.” I shot back.
“Gretch, runs the company. It’s her baby.
” There was so much pride and love in his voice that, for the first time, I felt a little jealous of my brother.
“She’s amazing, and there’s no way she can afford to pay me six figures.
The company is only a year and a half old.
She might try next year, but I didn’t leave our old company and join hers for the money.
I did it to support her. The rest we will figure out as we go. ”
“Is it hard? Dating the boss?” They were in a relationship where most people would say they shouldn’t be together, and they made it work. My mind drifted to Rita.
Rex took a moment. “We made sure to set up enough people between us so that Gretchen isn’t my direct boss.
We still get a few looks and a couple of snickers, but we knew that would happen.
It’s also interesting the things some people say considering it’s normally the other way around.
The guy is the head of the company, and the girl is the one working in the trenches. ”
“But they can say whatever and laugh all they want. I love her,” he said it so easily. “I’m going to marry her one day, and that’s all that matters. She’s my person, and I’m hers. We’ll deal with everything else together.”
Why did it sound so simple when he said it?
“I gotta go.” For the first time in a while, I felt like working out.
“Okay. Take care of yourself and think about coming home.”
“I will.” It was true I needed to get back to Georgia soon. Maybe Rita could come with me.
“Love you, bro, and keep answering your damn phone.” He laughed.
“Love you, too.” I smiled. “Remember that the next time you’re leaving a message.” I laughed too and hung up.
I pulled up to an industrial building with glass windows surrounding it. Rita stood outside in a cute pair of jeans and a thigh-length jacket. The temperature had dropped quite a bit from last week when we were playing basketball. Today was definitely an indoors kind of day.
I got out with a jacket on myself and smiled as I walked toward her. She was biting her nails and looked so anxious. Was she worried I wouldn’t show up? I might not want to keep doing therapy, but I would never stand someone up. If I wasn’t going to be here, I would have called.
“Hi.” I hoped my smile put her more at ease.
“Hi.” She didn’t smile back.
“What is this place?”
“The best kept secret in Ridgeway.” That earned a tiny smile. “You don’t have any allergies, do you?”
I shrugged. “Coconut.” Were we going to lunch? I liked that idea.
“We should be good then.” She turned and reached for the door, but I beat her to the handle.
“After you.” I held it open for her.
She walked past me, and I had to tighten my hold on the knob.
She smelled amazing. It was like she took a bath in raindrops and sunshine.
How was that possible? I also noticed she was much taller than I originally thought.
The top of her hair actually grazed the bottom of my chin.
I so wanted to reach out and put my hand on her back.
Maybe let it slide around her waist and draw her into my chest. I had a feeling she would feel perfect next to me.
The inside was far different from what I’d been expecting.
It was very bright and cheerful, and not just because of the sun coming through the windows.
They literally had a sun painted on the wall that took up so much room it reached the ceiling.
There were plush pillows thrown around on the floor and a few seats that looked as if they were made for kids.
Each of the walls were painted with different bright colors, and the whole place felt as if it was surrounded in light.
“What is your beef with real chairs?” I leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“No beef.” She gave me a genuine smile. “They just don’t always fit the vibe.”
“Do you at least have normal chairs in your home?” I could imagine her sitting on the floor when we talked the other night.
“Yes.” She laughed. “I have normal chairs and a couch and all the regular furniture you would expect a house to have.”
“Good.” I really wanted to see her house now. I wondered what her style was like.
“Rita.” A short, round woman called out, drawing my attention back to where we were standing. She gave her a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She pulled back. “We have some newbies that I know are going to steal your heart.”