Dare To Tempt (Dare Nation 2)

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Damon walked into the team doctor’s office outside of the stadium, Evie by his side, his stomach in knots. Although the doctor’s decision didn’t mean he’d be allowed to play in the first four games, it would be an important step toward returning both to the team and to his exercise and readiness routine. And those would keep him in shape and get him ready to play as soon as he could return.

The receptionist checked him in, and soon after, the nurse, Lana, opened the door to the treatment rooms. “Damon? We’re ready for you.”

He rose to his feet and gestured for Evie to join him. If he was going to get to the bottom of his issues, he wanted and needed her by his side.

She stood, following him inside. Once in the patient room indicated by Lana, he sat on the exam table and Evie took the chair against the wall, watching him intently. She had a calming influence on him, his rapidly beating heart slowing just because he could look over and see her there.

And when she smiled, he was able to return it.

Two raps sounded at the door, and when it opened, Dr. Jonas walked in, clipboard in hand. As usual, he wore a white jacket over his clothes and a stethoscope around his neck. He looked around the same age as Damon’s uncle Paul, with a head of salt-and-pepper hair and a kind look in his eyes. Always.

“Damon! Good to see you.”

“Wish I could say the same,” Damon said wryly. He’d prefer not to have to deal with a concussion on top of a suspension.

Doc chuckled. “I understand.” He turned to Evie. “And who is this?” he asked, extending his arm.

“Evie Wolfe,” she said, and before Damon could introduce her, she rose to her feet and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Wolfe,” he said with a curious expression on his face.

Damon glanced at Evie. “Evie’s my … girlfriend.” He played the ruse because it was necessary, and Evie seemed to smile and go along.

The older man looked surprised. No doubt because Damon never had a long-term girlfriend, no woman he’d labeled as such, and none he’d ever have brought with him to an important appointment like this one.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Doc said, grinning at Evie. “A miracle happened.”

Doc had been with the team so long, blurting things out was second nature, and now he’d just helped cement Evie’s belief that Damon didn’t do relationships.

“How’s the head?” Doc asked, putting his items on the countertop, then turning to Damon.

He shrugged. “Fine, Doc.”

“Dizziness?”

Damon shook his head. “Nope. Once it went away, it never came back.”

“Ears?”

“No ringing.”

Doc slapped his shoulder. “Good. Now let’s check you out.” Over the course of the next half hour, he ran a series of neurological exams that included cognitive and balance tests before turning to the computer that hung in the room and pulling up Damon’s chart.

“So. Looks like you’re back to your baseline,” Doc said.

Damon glanced at Evie. “Every player takes these tests early in the season so Doc here has a baseline of comparison. He knows what he expects to see if he’s going to clear me to come back.”

She nodded in understanding. “Makes sense.”

He was surprised she hadn’t asked any questions yet, but knowing Evie, they would come.

“Let’s go talk in my office,” Doc said.

Damon’s hand on Evie’s back, they followed Doc out the door to the end of the hall and entered the man’s domain. He had wooden bookshelves behind his desk and an array of team memorabilia on the shelves.

He settled behind his desk and picked up a pen, rotating it between his palms. “Okay, Damon. I’m going to clear you for light aerobic exercise with Jimmy. Once he sees that’s no problem, you can move to step three. Continued aerobic exercise and strength training. You know the drill for return to participation protocol. After that, we can get you into full football activity and clear you. Unfortunately, you can’t play for the next four games. Five weeks pretty much. I’m sorry.”

Damon’s gut churned at the reminder.

“Doctor, do you have any theories on how Damon tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs considering he hasn’t taken any?” Evie asked, perking up now that Doc had reached his conclusion.

The man glanced at Evie, eyes narrowing at her question. It wasn’t every day an NFL player let a woman ask questions about his treatment, that much Damon knew. Unless it was his wife.

Still, Evie had a job to do, and Damon had every intention of letting her do it. He nodded at Doc, encouraging the man to answer.

“It’s as much a mystery to me as it is to Damon. We’ve spoken about it and I don’t know. There has to be something in a supplement or medication he ingested that he doesn’t remember.” Doc picked up his clipboard. “Still an old-fashioned kind of guy. Don’t trust computers completely,” he joked as he made some notes.