“No,” Darren said. “You know how this works, Cathy. There are priorities.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Mom snapped. “Who is it?”
“Dr. McGee,” Darren said.
“That child?” Mom scoffed. “I’ll be right back.”
She stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with Darren, who was also a doctor at the hospital. I laughed to myself, imagining the things my mother would say to this Dr. McGee. She was a badass nurse but an even more badass mom. Despite the hell I put her through when I was young, she stood by me through everything. She defended me. I knew she would rip Dr. McGee in half if he dared to contradict her.
“I’m sorry you got hurt,” Darren said.
“Thanks.”
That was more than I could ask from Darren. He’d been my step-father since high school, but that didn’t make us close. We weren’t father and son. We tolerated each other for my mother’s sake.
Just when the silence stretched a little too long, my mother walked back through the door. I expected to see this Dr. McGee person behind her, but instead, a familiar face appeared over her shoulder.
For a split second, I stopped breathing.
A pair of pale ocean blue eyes pierced me, and my mouth fell open in shock. All my pain disappeared as I took in the sight of Tara Jones walking toward me. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. It caught the sunlight and shimmered. I swallowed hard and tried to speak, but no words came out. What was she doing here?
My eyes trailed over her body, taking in the sight of her gorgeous curves, long legs, and full, round breasts hidden beneath a pair of black stretch pants and a gray top. The top hugged her breasts, making my heart pound inside my chest. She stared at me for a few seconds before tearing her eyes away and walking toward Darren.
He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She smiled back before turning to face me.
“Tara,” I said, finally finding my voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” Tara began. She shifted her feet beneath her and realization suddenly dawned on me. Her pants were scrubs, and her top sported a name tag. She wore black tennis shoes and had a chart in her hand. I’d been so preoccupied with her presence that I hadn’t realized what she must be doing here.
“Wait,” I said slowly. “Are you my physical therapist?”
Tara nodded and moved around to the side of my bed.
“You knew Tara moved back to town,” Mom said softly. “Remember?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Sure.”
“I’m doing my last clinical rotation here,” Tara explained.
“How is that possible?” I asked.
I felt hot and confused. My face was still flushed, and every word that poured from my mouth felt wrong and awkward. I knew I had to pull myself together.
“Well, I went to school,” Tara said, a snarky tone in her voice. “Now I’m here. Not exactly complicated.”
“No, I know. I just meant…” I trailed off, clearing my throat and starting over. Tara did always have a way of throwing me off my game. “It’s good to see you, Tara.”
“You too,” Tara said, though her eyes betrayed the truth. “All right, let’s talk about your injuries.”
“Sure,” I nodded and tried to sit up, but Tara put one hand on my shoulder and held me back. I looked at her fingers, just inches from my face and felt myself burn even hotter. Her touch was more than I could take. She cleared her throat and moved her hand quickly.
“You shouldn’t move,” she said. “Your injuries are quite substantial.”
“I can tell,” I said, wincing at the pain.
“Dr. McGee will discuss things with you when he arrives,” Tara said. “But for now, let’s talk about your leg.”
“Okay.” I nodded.