laughter.
Melinda dug out the alcohol pads and swiped them over her stinging palms. The corners of her eyes still prickled, but she sniffed quietly, embarrassed, not wanting any of the guys to see. Her knees would probably be bruised tomorrow. Other than that, they seemed fine.
It was her left foot she was worried about, and she bit her lip as she tried rotating it. It hurt for sure, but she didn’t think it was actually sprained.
Still, she dug back into the first aid kit for some anti-inflammatory medication to head off any swelling.
Just in case.
“Christian, grab some ice out of the cooler,” Jacob said.
Christian made up a baggie full, frowning down any more comments on her gracelessness in the rearview mirror. Jacob handed the bag over the seat.
“Thanks, Jakey,” she said coyly, batting her lashes to disguise their dampness and smiling teasingly at him over her shoulder. “You’re going to make such a good team doctor.”
“It’s not the ice packs, baby,” Jacob drawled. “It’s the dimples. They have magic powers.”
Next to Jacob, Gabe snorted. “Where’d you hear that bit of totally fallacious fantasy?”
“The cheerleaders told me.”
“Really? I heard it from the football players,” Melinda said, and the rest of the guys howled with laughter.
She flipped open the lighted mirror on the car’s sun visor so she could see Jacob’s reflection. He met her eyes and grinned, flashing his deep dimples.
“It’s true,” he said, mock sadly. “Day and night, they call begging for one little smile. They can’t help themselves.”
“I knew it,” said Gabe. “Jakey McDimplekins, team mascot, that’s you.”
“That’s Dr. Jakey McDimplekins to you, smart guy,” Jacob said.
“Is that what you make the football players say when they call?” Gabe waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Shut up,” Jacob said, popping him one on the arm.
It was true, though. Jacob would be a great doctor. He had the brains to be brilliant, but more importantly, he had the heart.
Melinda sometimes accompanied him when he volunteered at the local retirement homes or worked at the kids’ summer camps with Rick and Eddie. He’d hang out for an afternoon, playing cards and shooting the breeze with the old timers, holding balls of yarn for the women while they knitted and trash-talked the men. Swimming and shooting hoops with the kids. He simply enjoyed their company, young and old, and had been volunteering since long before he’d decided on medicine for his future.
Jacob had been scouted for baseball in high school. Though he played for the university, he claimed he didn’t have the drive to go pro. He loved intramurals and being in the thick of the action, being part of a team, but his first love was medicine and helping people.
Going into sports medicine and becoming a team doctor seemed like the ideal solution. He had the perfect personality to handle cranky sport-diva patients. He’d earn their trust because he genuinely cared about people, and it showed.
Plus, he wouldn’t take any crap from the multi-millionaire players, so they’d respect him, too.
Whichever pro team he wound up with would be lucky to have him. She had no doubt he’d make it onto one of their medical rosters, though the field was fiercely competitive, but she’d miss him outrageously when he left.
At least that time was still years down the road.
Working her boot carefully off her tender foot, Melinda left her sock on and applied the ice pack over it. It didn’t hurt as long as she didn’t press on it too hard or rotate it too sharply.
“Hey,” Danny said. “Look.”
He pointed at the rear bumper of the car in front of them. It bore a bumper-sticker that read Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may be in Utah.
“Great,” Wendell said, “where the hell are they taking us?”
Although the SUV was once again in motion, it took another ten minutes before traffic fully opened up and they got back to
Melinda dug out the alcohol pads and swiped them over her stinging palms. The corners of her eyes still prickled, but she sniffed quietly, embarrassed, not wanting any of the guys to see. Her knees would probably be bruised tomorrow. Other than that, they seemed fine.
It was her left foot she was worried about, and she bit her lip as she tried rotating it. It hurt for sure, but she didn’t think it was actually sprained.
Still, she dug back into the first aid kit for some anti-inflammatory medication to head off any swelling.
Just in case.
“Christian, grab some ice out of the cooler,” Jacob said.
Christian made up a baggie full, frowning down any more comments on her gracelessness in the rearview mirror. Jacob handed the bag over the seat.
“Thanks, Jakey,” she said coyly, batting her lashes to disguise their dampness and smiling teasingly at him over her shoulder. “You’re going to make such a good team doctor.”
“It’s not the ice packs, baby,” Jacob drawled. “It’s the dimples. They have magic powers.”
Next to Jacob, Gabe snorted. “Where’d you hear that bit of totally fallacious fantasy?”
“The cheerleaders told me.”
“Really? I heard it from the football players,” Melinda said, and the rest of the guys howled with laughter.
She flipped open the lighted mirror on the car’s sun visor so she could see Jacob’s reflection. He met her eyes and grinned, flashing his deep dimples.
“It’s true,” he said, mock sadly. “Day and night, they call begging for one little smile. They can’t help themselves.”
“I knew it,” said Gabe. “Jakey McDimplekins, team mascot, that’s you.”
“That’s Dr. Jakey McDimplekins to you, smart guy,” Jacob said.
“Is that what you make the football players say when they call?” Gabe waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Shut up,” Jacob said, popping him one on the arm.
It was true, though. Jacob would be a great doctor. He had the brains to be brilliant, but more importantly, he had the heart.
Melinda sometimes accompanied him when he volunteered at the local retirement homes or worked at the kids’ summer camps with Rick and Eddie. He’d hang out for an afternoon, playing cards and shooting the breeze with the old timers, holding balls of yarn for the women while they knitted and trash-talked the men. Swimming and shooting hoops with the kids. He simply enjoyed their company, young and old, and had been volunteering since long before he’d decided on medicine for his future.
Jacob had been scouted for baseball in high school. Though he played for the university, he claimed he didn’t have the drive to go pro. He loved intramurals and being in the thick of the action, being part of a team, but his first love was medicine and helping people.
Going into sports medicine and becoming a team doctor seemed like the ideal solution. He had the perfect personality to handle cranky sport-diva patients. He’d earn their trust because he genuinely cared about people, and it showed.
Plus, he wouldn’t take any crap from the multi-millionaire players, so they’d respect him, too.
Whichever pro team he wound up with would be lucky to have him. She had no doubt he’d make it onto one of their medical rosters, though the field was fiercely competitive, but she’d miss him outrageously when he left.
At least that time was still years down the road.
Working her boot carefully off her tender foot, Melinda left her sock on and applied the ice pack over it. It didn’t hurt as long as she didn’t press on it too hard or rotate it too sharply.
“Hey,” Danny said. “Look.”
He pointed at the rear bumper of the car in front of them. It bore a bumper-sticker that read Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may be in Utah.
“Great,” Wendell said, “where the hell are they taking us?”
Although the SUV was once again in motion, it took another ten minutes before traffic fully opened up and they got back to
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