tomorrow?”
Jeff chuckled and looked up at the orderly who answered. “No, you can avoid Maryanne tomorrow.”
Then, he wheeled Jeff out the door.
“She’s not as bad as she seems,” Smith said.
Leo nodded, his brain still clouded with the scent of her. What the hell had that been about?
“You need anything?”
Smith smiled and shook his head. “Naw, my mamma lives just outside of San Antonio. She makes sure I have everything I need.”
Leo still gave him his cell number and told him to call if there was anything he or Jeff needed. Then, he decided it was time to get back to work. As Leo walked down the hall, his mind went back to the physical therapist. It might seem silly, but he wanted to make sure that she was as good as they said she was. He owed Jeff a lot and he wanted to make sure that he was taken care of. And while his body might be attracted, he couldn’t let that get in the way. Jeff was on his own since his divorce. Both his parents were gone and he had been an only child. Someone had to look out for him.
Leo knew he owed the man at least that much for saving his life.
* * * *
“I know you said he’s okay, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t push him too hard,” Maryanne said into her cell phone as she tried to pull a basket free. The little plastic seat was stuck between two carts. She jiggled it a few times before giving up and moving onto another one.
“He’s fine, MJ,” Freddy, her supervisor said. “He’s tired, but you did right by him today. He needed to be pushed. He’s getting a little lazy. I have a feeling someone has conflicted feelings about going back in the field.”
She had seen it too many times to count these past few years—even with her own brothers. She didn’t blame any of them for questioning if they wanted to go back in the field, but the truth was, she couldn’t have Markinson get too lazy. He wouldn’t be able to recover properly from his surgery if he didn’t continue to move forward.
“Okay. Well, I’m going to pick up something for dinner here at HEB and then I am going to head home.”
“You need a life, girl,” Freddy said. “And a social life.”
“Don’t I know it, but I work for some pain in the ass at BAMC.”
“I will ignore that because I love you. I know a great guy I could set you up with.”
“I doubt you know a man who would be interested in me, Freddy.”
“No, I promise, I have it on good authority that this one is heterosexual.”
Freddy was the sweetest gay man with the worst gaydar. The last setup had been with a man who was more flamboyant than Liberace.
“No. No more setups. Call me if you have any issues with Markinson.”
She clicked off the phone before Freddy could retaliate with guilt and pushed her way into the grocery store. It was already dark outside and she wanted to get home. She had stayed late to keep an eye on Markinson. Plus, she’d had a lot of paperwork to do. Before she knew it was after eight on a Friday night. Freddy was right, she thought as she looked around the produce section. She needed a life. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a real date, let alone any kind of sex. Maybe that should be her mission for the summer. The mission for booty.
She chuckled to herself. She would settle for a nice night out with an attractive man. If she could find that, Maryanne was pretty sure Freddy would get off her back.
She started going through the oranges and her mind went back to Markinson. He seemed like the perfect soldier but she knew there was something holding him back. If she could figure it out, then she might be able to help him more.
Normally, the first person she would ask would be Santini, but that wasn’t an option. The moment she had seen him, her body had reacted. Those wide shoulders, the buzz cut, the bigger than life presence.
She shivered.
From the time she was a teen she had a thing for military men. Military brats often went one way
Jeff chuckled and looked up at the orderly who answered. “No, you can avoid Maryanne tomorrow.”
Then, he wheeled Jeff out the door.
“She’s not as bad as she seems,” Smith said.
Leo nodded, his brain still clouded with the scent of her. What the hell had that been about?
“You need anything?”
Smith smiled and shook his head. “Naw, my mamma lives just outside of San Antonio. She makes sure I have everything I need.”
Leo still gave him his cell number and told him to call if there was anything he or Jeff needed. Then, he decided it was time to get back to work. As Leo walked down the hall, his mind went back to the physical therapist. It might seem silly, but he wanted to make sure that she was as good as they said she was. He owed Jeff a lot and he wanted to make sure that he was taken care of. And while his body might be attracted, he couldn’t let that get in the way. Jeff was on his own since his divorce. Both his parents were gone and he had been an only child. Someone had to look out for him.
Leo knew he owed the man at least that much for saving his life.
* * * *
“I know you said he’s okay, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t push him too hard,” Maryanne said into her cell phone as she tried to pull a basket free. The little plastic seat was stuck between two carts. She jiggled it a few times before giving up and moving onto another one.
“He’s fine, MJ,” Freddy, her supervisor said. “He’s tired, but you did right by him today. He needed to be pushed. He’s getting a little lazy. I have a feeling someone has conflicted feelings about going back in the field.”
She had seen it too many times to count these past few years—even with her own brothers. She didn’t blame any of them for questioning if they wanted to go back in the field, but the truth was, she couldn’t have Markinson get too lazy. He wouldn’t be able to recover properly from his surgery if he didn’t continue to move forward.
“Okay. Well, I’m going to pick up something for dinner here at HEB and then I am going to head home.”
“You need a life, girl,” Freddy said. “And a social life.”
“Don’t I know it, but I work for some pain in the ass at BAMC.”
“I will ignore that because I love you. I know a great guy I could set you up with.”
“I doubt you know a man who would be interested in me, Freddy.”
“No, I promise, I have it on good authority that this one is heterosexual.”
Freddy was the sweetest gay man with the worst gaydar. The last setup had been with a man who was more flamboyant than Liberace.
“No. No more setups. Call me if you have any issues with Markinson.”
She clicked off the phone before Freddy could retaliate with guilt and pushed her way into the grocery store. It was already dark outside and she wanted to get home. She had stayed late to keep an eye on Markinson. Plus, she’d had a lot of paperwork to do. Before she knew it was after eight on a Friday night. Freddy was right, she thought as she looked around the produce section. She needed a life. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a real date, let alone any kind of sex. Maybe that should be her mission for the summer. The mission for booty.
She chuckled to herself. She would settle for a nice night out with an attractive man. If she could find that, Maryanne was pretty sure Freddy would get off her back.
She started going through the oranges and her mind went back to Markinson. He seemed like the perfect soldier but she knew there was something holding him back. If she could figure it out, then she might be able to help him more.
Normally, the first person she would ask would be Santini, but that wasn’t an option. The moment she had seen him, her body had reacted. Those wide shoulders, the buzz cut, the bigger than life presence.
She shivered.
From the time she was a teen she had a thing for military men. Military brats often went one way
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