“Summer.”
His quiet admonition made her sigh. “What happened at the doctor?”
He dropped his hand. “I’d rather not—”
“So you chased me up here to demand answers from me while not giving any yourself?”
It was his turn to sigh, though he craned his neck to stare at the ceiling while doing so. “He offered me another couple names of people to see, but the PT isn’t working. I don’t want to live my life on medication. What’s the difference between that and alcohol?”
“There’s a big difference.” She reached out and grasped his arm, rubbing gently. “What about surgery?”
“That’s an option.”
“You’re still considering it?”
“I am.”
From the strained set of his jaw, he didn’t want to be. She cupped his elbow, her fingers moving in slow, tender circles. Trying to soothe without words. Instead he tensed even more.
“You have to protect your dreams,” she murmured. “They’re worth any risk.”
“Show me one worth it, then we’ll talk.”
The hard glint in his eyes killed the response in her throat. He wasn’t talking about her, she knew that logically. The rest of her refused to listen to reason.
Destroying his own sense of hope was one thing. That was his choice, as sad and disheartening as it was. But if the day came that his bitterness spilled over and he attacked her dreams—
A knock came at the door and she hissed out a breath. For pity’s sake, it was like Grand Central Station in that back room. “Yes?” she called.
“Sorry to interrupt, kids.” Jax sauntered inside and gave them a relaxed smile. The patterned scarf he wore drooped down his bullish chest, giving him a sort of comical look while not diminishing his hotness factor in the slightest. Which Chase seemed well-aware of as he glanced between Jax and Summer with an obvious scowl. “Just figured I should talk to Summer about the plan at her next show, considering her boss is getting mighty antsy out here about not having her countermate at her side.”
“I am not!” came Cass’s distant reply.
Jax only smiled more widely as he came up behind Summer and set his broad hands on her shoulders. She stiffened, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or care. “You don’t mind if we talk a little business, right, Chase?” He gave her a squeeze.
Chase’s scowl turned into a glare centered on Jax’s hands. “What do you need to talk about that I can’t listen to?”
“Chase, I need you a sec.” Cass appeared in the door holding a giant vat of ice cream. “I ordered
this new sample tub and I can’t open it. Can you help?”
“Bring it here.”
“Can’t. Too heavy.” Out the door she went into the main shop.
Chase stalked to the door and glanced back accusingly at Jax and Summer as if he expected them to be in some state of undress. “I’ll be right back.”
Jax waited until Chase had gone to speak close to Summer’s ear. “You almost have him.”
“Huh?”
“He called me practically frantic about you, wondering if I could come by and talk to Cass, see if she’d heard from you. But casually. He didn’t want to set off Cass’s suspicions about you two. I’m guessing between when I told him you’d contacted me to set up an appointment and when he showed up here, he decided he didn’t give a fuck.” Jax shifted her to face him. “This is a good thing.”
“Is it?” She couldn’t make sense of anything at the moment. Fatigue and confusion and frustration hazed her brain. “He worries about me. I’m like Cass’s kid sister—”
Jax waved that off and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Tell me what shows you have coming up and we’ll devise a plan.”
“For my security?”