Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Well . . . she had one idea. But that would take a level of trust and vulnerability she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
“Right. What happened?” Jameson asked as he walked into the room. He sounded professional, but there was a strange intensity in his eyes that she didn’t understand.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” she said as she sat up.
“Lie back!” Ian ordered as Jack gently pressed her down with his hand on her shoulder.
She huffed out a sigh while Jameson eyed the two men curiously.
“It’s her hip,” Ian told him.
“An old injury from a car accident that’s flaring up,” Jack added.
“Her pain level was an eight earlier. She nearly collapsed. She said it’s six now, but I don’t think we should believe her.”
“Definitely don’t believe her,” Jack said. “She’s been in pain for days and never told us.”
“Hey! I feel so attacked,” she protested.
Jameson raised his eyebrows. “All right. How about the two of you clear out so I can examine my patient.”
“Not happening,” Ian said.
“We’re not leaving,” Jack added.
Jameson crossed his arms over his chest. “You will if I say you have to.”
“We’re her guardians,” Ian said.
Jameson sighed. “You’re her guards, but that doesn’t take away her right to privacy. Out.”
Both of them glared back.
Wow. Jameson was even more gorgeous like this. In Protective-Doctor-Mode.
“We need to be here,” Ian insisted. “We’re the ones taking care of her.”
“Either leave, you assholes, or I’m calling an ambulance to take her to the hospital.”
Whoa. Okay. Things were getting out of hand. These guys were friends. Did they even remember that?
Jameson and Ian were practically nose-to-nose, and Jack was doing nothing to separate them.
“I don’t mind if they stay,” she said.
Wait. Why had she said that? Probably because she didn’t want any more tension between the three of them.
And she wanted this over and done with.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Jameson asked. “Don’t let them bully you into it.”
“I’m sure.”
“Then the two of you sit over there and shut up.” Jameson pointed to the far wall.
They both went. Huh.
“Oh, wise one, give me your magical powers,” she said.
Jameson blinked down at her. Then he turned to look at Jack and Ian. “Did she hit her head?”
Ian rolled his eyes. “Of course she didn’t. I caught her.”
“That’s just Maggie being Maggie.”
“That’s me. Maggie.” She blew out a breath. Why was she feeling nervous?
Because the sexy doctor is going to touch you.
This was like that romance novel she’d just been reading. Well, there hadn’t been two other sexy men in the room in that book.
But imagine if there had been . . .
Yep. She was self-combusting.
“Okay, sweetheart. Can you tell me about this injury? When did it happen? What happened?” Jameson asked.
Great. She really didn’t want to talk about that.
“Do I have to?” she asked.
“Um. Yes.”
And now he was looking at her like she was a crazy person.
Way to go, Maggie.
“I need to know what is going on,” he added gently. “Again, if you want them to leave at any time, say the word.”
Ian glared at Jameson. But Jack just stared at her.
“All right. I was the passenger in a car accident five years ago. I shattered my hip. And my Olympic dreams.”
“What?” Jameson asked.
“I was meant to compete in the Olympics the following year. I couldn’t do that after the accident, though.”
And she hadn’t been able to skate since. Every time she tried to get on the ice, she had a panic attack.
Which hurt almost more than the physical pain of the accident. It was like losing a limb.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Pain filled his face.
“You and my family, both.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
She shook her head. She’d already said too much.
“All right, tell me about the injury to your hip.”
“Um, what’s to tell? I shattered it. Had to get it bolted back together. Yeah. So that happened.”
Jameson stared down at her for a moment. “That would have been very painful. And a long recovery. Not to mention upsetting.”
Yeah. To say the least.
“I was in the hospital for three weeks, in a wheelchair with lots and lots of physical therapy.”
It had been painful. But made worse by the fact that she’d known her career was over.
And that her family blamed her for it.
She’d grown depressed and had withdrawn into herself. If it hadn’t been for Indie and Uncle Willy, she wasn’t sure what she would have done. She owed them everything.
“And since then?” Jameson asked. “It’s obviously still giving you problems.”
“I’ve learned how to manage any problems. Usually, by trying to prevent them. I do yoga most days. I try not to spend all day on my feet. Not to push too hard. When it starts to hurt, I usually take a rest. Heat and rest work well.”
“What about painkillers?”
“I try to avoid them. I don’t want to become reliant on them.”
“I understand that. But there’s no shame in taking some over-the-counter painkillers when it’s this sore.” He searched through his bag. “See? Just paracetamol. Jack, can you get some water?”