I think I’m ready to walk again.
Guys like Will were one of the many reasons Cael had chosen to become a physical therapist for the military. He would have enlisted himself had he not broken his knee playing football right before high school graduation, resulting in metal pins permanently placed in his knee and an official medical record defining him as seven percent physically disabled.
That had been the biggest blow. His disability record had disqualified him from enlisting. Cael had been looking forward to service and was beyond bummed that he couldn’t join the Marines after that, but it was the physical therapist who’d helped him recover that gave him the idea of working here, and now, here he was, doing a job he loved, helping the men and women who’d been out fighting in his place.
“Hey, Will. How’s the new cane?” He’d just graduated from walker to full-time cane last week.
“Dude, I freakin’ love it.” Will beamed as he approached, his glowing smile a crescent of white against his ebony skin. He gave Cael a one-armed hug—something he’d been doing for weeks now. “So what’s the plan today?”
“I thought we’d just walk around a bit. I’d like to see how you’re doin’ with it.”
“Outside?”
“Sure.”
“Cool.”
They chatted as they walked and before Cael knew it, their hour-long session had come to an end. Two more clients and two hours later, it was time to meet Zach for lunch. As he documented his last patient’s treatment and progress notes, his phone vibrated against the side of his leg. Cael pulled it out and read the text from Zach.
Zach: I’m in the lobby.
Cael: Cool. Be right there
Cael rounded the corner a few minutes later, stopping at the desk to confirm with Sammie that his schedule was still open.
“Yeah, you’re clear until your one-thirty with Tara,” Sammie said. “By the way, is that him?” she added, pointing discreetly across the lobby toward the far corner.
Cael turned and looked, spotting Zach immediately. Zach sat with his head down, focused on his phone. Cael couldn’t help his spreading smile.
“Yeah.” The word fell out unintentionally as a whisper as he stared at Zach.
Sammie cleared her throat. Cael blinked, then breathed, because for some reason, his heart’s trained, immune response had failed to kick in like it usually did, and Cael had held his breath from the moment he saw him.
“You sure you aren’t more than friends?” she said quietly as she leaned in toward Cael a bit, close enough for Cael to get a whiff of the jasmine-scented lotion she always used.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
The look Cael gave her along with his answer must have revealed all his secrets or something, because Sammie drew her eyebrows together and said, “Oh,” like she got it, then added, “How long have you two been friends?”
“Twenty years.”
“And how long have you been in love with him?”
“I, uh…”Crap. Was it that obvious? Zach chose that moment to look up from his phone, and the way his face lit up when their eyes met almost did Cael in. Unbidden, Cael’s pulse kicked up a notch and a tingle danced down his spine.Dammit.
Zach pushed to his feet and grabbed the yellow paper sack and two drinks from the small table beside him, then started toward Cael. Cael pulled a much needed breath of air into his lungs as quietly as possible and let it go silently.
“Oh my God, this is so romantic,” she whispered.
“No, it’s not.” Cael could hear the panic in his own voice as Zach neared them. “Zach doesn’t see me like that.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“I’m completely serious.”
“Ugh, men,” Sammie muttered, rolling her eyes. Her comment failed to register in Cael’s brain, his efforts focused on regaining control of his body’s core functions. Cael hadn’t been this affected by Zach’s presence in years.
“Hey,” Zach said, coming to stand on the other side of the counter in front of both Cael and Sammie.
