“It’s nothing. Just a bump on the head,” he said, trying to assure her and took a step back, only his footing was unsteady and he stumbled. Before he could fall, she jumped toward him and anchored his weight against her, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“You’re not all right. You could have a concussion. We need to get you inside so I can examine you.”
He smiled a little too widely. “If you wanted to see me naked, Doc, all you had to do was ask.”
She laughed, unable to resist. “Try to keep it PG, big guy. I think I hit you harder than I realized.”
While they walked back across the grass toward the clubhouse, Benny tried to ignore the fact that Henry’s upper torso was toned and deliciously sculpted as she supported him, not an ounce of flab or anything extra to hold onto. Just sinewy strength. Combined with the heady aroma of eau d’Henry, it took every bit of her resistance not to attack him right there.
He was injured, for crying out loud. She was a doctor. And she was head over heels in love with Luke Seeley. She had to get a hold of herself.
Back in the clubhouse, she sat him down on a chair and knelt down in front of him to try and get a better idea of his injury. A guy in a green polo with the clubhouse name on it was there in a flash. “Mr. Ellison, is everything all right?”
“Fine, Nate. Just a bump on the head, I think. Nothing serious.”
She might beg to differ with him. “You might have a concussion, Henry. Let me just check you out.” She looked up at Nate, who she assumed was some kind of manager at the club. “I’m afraid we left our golf bags back at the driving range. Do you think—”
“Of course. I’ll have someone retrieve them right away and have them placed in Mr. Ellison’s car for him.” The man hurried away.
Wow, that was easier than she would have thought. Money did have its privileges.
She turned to Henry again. His brows were scrunched up, and he was looking a little dazed now. “I’m sorry. Have we met before?”
Her stomach sank. It was much worse than she thought.
She was a menace. That was all there was to it.
She placed her hand over his and lifted his hair up from his forehead to look at the damage. No laceration, but there was swelling and a red mark from where the club had hit him.
“You really don’t remember? I’m Benny. Your neighbor.” She bit her lip, unsure how to proceed as she stared into his brown eyes.
The pupils were even, no dilation. That was good. In fact, his eyes were shining a little too brightly. Henry’s lips trembled then, almost like he was trying not to—
“You jerk.” She slugged him just as a chortle shot from his mouth.
“The look on your face was priceless,” he said and rubbed his arm. “But you do carry quite a punch, so take it easy, slugger.”
“Serves you right. But I am serious about the concussion. Here.” She held her hand out. “Take it. I need to test your strength. Okay. Squeeze. Next hand.”
Ten minutes later, she was somewhat mollified that Henry wasn’t suffering severe brain damage, but from his stumble and his concession that he did have a mild headache, she hadn’t ruled out the possibility of a concussion.
“We should get you to the ER to be examined, just in case,” she said as he swallowed the two Tylenol the club had provided at her request.
“Absolutely not. What would they tell me that you can’t confirm yourself? I know a little something about concussions. I may have suffered one or two back in my Little League days. All they’d suggest is that I take it easy, not do anything too strenuous over the next few days, and if I feel any sort of confusion, dizziness, increased headache, that sort of thing, to get myself more thoroughly examined. All of which I can do without going to the hospital.”
He stood up, and two seconds later, sat back down. “No. That was nothing. Just a little head rush from coming to my feet too fast.”
She sighed. “Well, we should get you home, at any rate. But you should know, for the next twelve hours, I’m not letting you out of my sight. You shouldn’t be left alone in case your symptoms worsen.”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need a nursemaid.”
“Sure. And when I come by in the morning to see how you’re doing and find you either comatose or dead, having suffered massive brain swelling or bleeding, that will be of some comfort to me. To Ella.”
He quirked up a brow, probably about to deliver some zinger about not knowing that she cared, but his effect was diminished when he flinched and raised his hand to touch
the growing goose egg.
She couldn’t resist a tiny smirk. “See?” She came to her feet and held her hand out to him to offer assistance. “In fact, I think it only makes sense, considering your dizziness and lack of equilibrium, that I drive us home.”