“Who added my name?” I hadn’t talked to a single soul since I had been back. Not even my family. Why was I suddenly on a charity’s list? I didn’t want or take hand-outs.
“The calls are anonymous usually. It’s just a way the community tries to help our veterans.” She smiled and I felt something warm in my chest.
I slid my hands into my pockets. “I don’t need a checkup, doc. I already did in-processing with my unit once I was Stateside. I’ll pass.”
“Well, sometimes a second opinion is a good thing.” She smiled. “It will only take a few minutes. And sometimes people have different physical reactions when they first get home that should be monitored.”
She took a step toward the front porch and I felt the swell in my chest lurch. Holy fuck, I was losing it. I could smell her hair, and she was wearing some kind of lotion that reminded me of rain. She was affecting every sense I had. Senses that I thought had been shut down two years ago.
“Can I come in?” she asked. “I promise it won’t take long.”
I was stuck. Stuck because in one moment she had awakened a part of me I had been trying to keep buried.
I was dying to grab her, throw her over my shoulder, and finally unleash everything primal in me that had been in hiding for two years. But I tried to read the doctor’s eyes. She wasn’t here to notice me in that way.
She meant business. That much was obvious. She was a volunteer. The kind of woman who wanted to help soldiers. Soldiers who truly needed her help readjusting. I wasn’t one of those soldiers.
“I don’t need medical attention,” I argued. “I’m not one of those guys on your charity list.” I tried not to bark it out, but I didn’t want an exam. I didn’t want pity or sympathy. I was fine. There was nothing wrong with me.
“How far are you from your Army base?” she asked. “Fort Helix is it?”
&n
bsp; I considered the drive I had taken yesterday when I was relieved from in-processing. “About two hours,” I answered.
“All right. Then you’re two hours from a medical facility that has your medical records. If something happened to you while you were home, we wouldn’t have any baseline information to use.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think I’m going to need medical help.”
“Really?” She eyed my thigh where the knife was attached. “What if you slipped with that knife? Or what if you were in a car accident? You never know, Captain Jackson. Isn’t it an Army motto to always be prepared?”
I laughed. I liked her sass. “I think you have the Army confused with the Boy Scouts.”
“Oh.” Her lips formed a perfect line. I tried not to lick mine, staring at the pillowy softness of her mouth.
“And, it’s Brett.”
“What?” Her green eyes searched mine.
“My name. I go by Brett. You don’t need to call me captain. We’re not in the Army out here.” I smiled.
“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip and I wanted to pull it to my mouth, and taste every inch of her lips. The problem was I knew I wouldn’t stop there. Her lips were only the beginning.
“Look, Brett. This will be simple and easy. I promise it will be painless. No needles.”
“You think I’m afraid of the exam?” I cocked one eyebrow higher than the other.
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s ok. A lot of men are scared of doctors. You don’t need to be embarrassed. I see it every day at the hospital.”
“I am not afraid of doctors.” I could feel my pulse rise.
“Would you tell me if you were?” she teased.
“You think a man like me would flinch at the sight of a needle? Or your shiny stethoscope?” I countered.
I saw her eyes dip to my biceps. She was checking me out. “I guess not,” she whispered. “But if you’re not afraid, why are you putting up such a fight?” Her eyes landed on me.
Why in the hell was I putting this off?