River of Love(42)

His thoughts returned to his brothers. Ty was his adventure buddy, always willing to dive into risky situations headfirst. Nate was serious, never afraid to challenge him. He had a soft spot for the underdog and never put up with bullshit. Where Sam and Ty were quick to make decisions, Nate was more like Cole than he’d ever admit, often needing to see things from all sides before coming to a decision. And Cole? Cole had always been the good one. Never one to get into trouble or buck the system, he always looked out for the rest of them, sometimes even taking the heat for things his younger siblings had done.

That’s what Sam tried to remember now as he mentally rehashed their conversation. Cole was careful, meticulous, but above all, he was caring, which was probably why he made such a good doctor—and, Sam had to admit, such an insightful brother. The more he thought about Cole giving him hell despite how it might make him feel, the more he appreciated his brother’s stance—and the more he realized they weren’t so far apart after all.

Whether Cole realized it or not, his concern for Faith’s well-being mirrored Sam’s, which meant they were still on the same team.


**

FAITH DIDN’T USUALLY wish for days so busy she didn’t have time to take a lunch break, but today she was glad for a jam-packed schedule. Cole was back from his honeymoon, tanned and more relaxed than she’d ever seen him, which didn’t say much. Cole didn’t relax at work. Ever. He was always thinking, as evident in the serious slant of his brows and the intense look in his dark eyes. She could practically see the gears churning, retrieving medical data he’d probably learned ten years ago and still remembered every detail of. He was incredibly smart, but never arrogant, which said a lot, considering he was at the top of his field.

Today that serious slant was almost nonexistent, and his gaze was easy, not taxed, which told her his honeymoon had done him a world of good. She was happy for him, but that didn’t mean she wanted downtime where conversations could turn personal. Sam had reluctantly told her how Cole had reacted to their discussion, and it pissed her off. She worried she might say something she’d regret.

She imagined the awkward conversation they might have. He’d say something like, So, you’re dating my brother? Into which she’d read, So, you’re fucking Sam, the player? Her hands fisted just thinking of how that would feel.

After this last patient, she was done for the day. Maybe she’d gotten lucky and Cole wanted to have that conversation even less than she did.

She set her patient’s foot down on the exam table after checking her range of motion. Jackie Geiger was eighteen, had just begun running, and had come in with bilateral knee pain.

“You said you just started running two weeks ago?”

“Yes. Three miles a day.” Jackie was also an avid swimmer, biker, and had been on the basketball team throughout high school.

“And you’re stretching before and after?”

“Well, no, not really. I basically climb out of bed, put on my running clothes, and take off.” She shrugged, but the apologetic look in her blue eyes told Faith she already knew how bad that was for her joints.

“Based on the exam, and since your pain is bilateral, I think we’re looking at an overuse injury. Let’s give your knees two weeks to rest, without running, biking, swimming, or other sports that could exacerbate the pain.”

Jackie sighed. “Not even swimming?”

Faith smiled. “Not unless you like pain.”

“Okay,” she relented.

“Great. You can take ibuprofen for the pain. Two weeks of pampering your joints should take care of it, but schedule a follow-up in two weeks and we’ll reassess and do more tests if necessary.”

“Then I can run again?” she asked hopefully.

“If your pain is gone, but I’ll want you to ease into it and stretch before and after. You only have one set of knees. Let’s keep them healthy.” Faith reached for the door. “Go ahead and get dressed, and stop by the front desk to schedule the follow-up appointment on your way out.”

Outside the exam room she filled out Jackie’s chart and pulled her cell phone from her pocket to check her texts as Cole came around the corner.

The easy look in his eyes turned a tad serious. “Was that your last patient?”

Her nerves prickled to life. “Yes.” It used to be so easy to talk with him, but now it felt like the air between them thickened with tension. Maybe it was just her nerves getting the best of her.

“Great. Do you have a minute to talk? In my office?”

No. Definitely not. I don’t want to talk about sleeping with your incredibly hot brother. “Sure.”

A smile lifted his lips, but she was too nervous to determine if it was a casual smile or something else as she followed him into his office. He closed the door behind her, and her stomach pitched.

This isn’t good. Act natural. Sit down. Good. Smile. She couldn’t quite pull that one off and decided to play dumb. Act like there was no chance this was about Sam.

Cole sat in the chair beside her. He’d never done that before, and it made her even more nervous. He always sat behind his desk. Angling his body toward her, he crossed his legs and breathed deep and loud.

“Well,” he said, his smile lifting his cheeks. “Are you as nervous about this as I am?”

“Um? Nervous? About what?”

He arched a brow.

You’re totally not buying this act. “Yes. A little terrified. Please know that I love my job. I hope dating Sam won’t hurt my career here, because I love the patients, and you and Jon are so wonderful. I promise I won’t allow my relationship to impact my work.” Except when your brother shows up unannounced and strips down to his skivvies. Oh God, now I’m thinking about Sam in his underwear!

“I wouldn’t expect your personal life to interfere with work. You’re too professional to let that happen.”

“Yes. Right. I am.” Whew.

His brows knitted, and that whew went out the window.

“I figured we should get this out in the open. I’m sure Sam told you I asked him not to ask you out.” He spoke calmly and confidently, like the professional he was.

“Yes, and I wanted to talk to you about that.” I did? Holy crap, shut up! She had no idea where her confidence was coming from, but she felt protective of her relationship with Sam, and of her independence. “I appreciate you worrying about me, but I can handle those types of decisions on my own.”

He nodded in silence, his assessing gaze rolling over her face.

I’m fired. Totally fired.

He drew in another loud breath, taking all of the air in the room with it. “I’m sorry I overstepped my bounds.” He paused, and she finally breathed. “You’re a hard worker, Faith, and an excellent physician assistant, and Sam doesn’t exactly have a history of stable relationships. I just didn’t want to take a chance of you two…” He shifted his eyes away, and when they came back to her, he let that thought hang in the air for a moment. “Of you two getting together and, well, of you getting hurt. You’re a nice girl, Faith, and the idea of Sam hurting you worries me.”

She bit back the fury vying for release and gripped the edge of the chair, willing herself to speak professionally.

“While I understand where you’re coming from, given Sam’s reputation, he is nothing short of the most thoughtful, caring, and insightful man I have ever met.” As her heart poured out, her tone softened. “Everything about him has been unexpected, and I didn’t make the decision to go out with him lightly.” She smiled with the memory of him whipping off his shirt at the car wash after she’d blown him off. “The poor guy has worked really hard to gain my trust.”

“Sam?” Cole’s brows lifted with surprise.

“Yes, Sam. Your brother, the guy everyone knows has never committed to a woman in his life, has committed to me. And I trust him, Cole. That’s really all you need to know.” Boy did that feel good. And scary. Definitely scary.

Cole nodded, and a smile formed on his lips. “That was unexpected.”

She laughed softly. “Yes. For me, too. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so vehement, but…I am.” She stopped short of saying, falling hard for Sam. That was private.

“You really believe Sam can change?”

“No. I believe he has changed,” she said, and couldn’t hold back what followed. “But it’s disappointing to see you don’t.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe he can change. Sam’s incredibly intense, focused, and smart. He’ll do anything he puts his mind to.” Cole rubbed his chin, as if he was thinking. “But this is a side of Sam I thought was long gone.”

His shoulders dropped, and his tone softened. “I thought I needed to see you guys together to believe this was real, but that makes me an ass, doesn’t it?”

A laugh slipped out before she could remember Cole was her boss, and she shouldn’t agree with or laugh at that comment.

“It does,” he said with a laugh. “I’m an ass. I’m sorry for butting into your business.”

“It’s okay,” she said, even though it wasn’t. He was still her boss.