“I’m going to follow up with my own ortho in California, and then you won’t be my doctor. How’s that?”
This got her to look at me. I’d forgotten our chemistry and ability to lob quips back and forth. It was the most fun I’d had in a while. Considering my knee was in disrepair and my ass was in a wheelchair, that said something.
Wren’s gaze narrowed and she lasered in on my eyes. “You always had a solution, a loophole, didn’t you? Still do, huh? I betyou would have found a way to sneak around with me back then, against your father’s wishes.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely. I knew what I was doing with you and golf—my eyes were on the prize. My dad underestimated what I was capable of.”
“Congrats on all your success, by the way. The Masters, the US Open, the PGA, multiple times over. Golf pro to the stars…star on television. You did it all and more.”
My pulse sped at the idea of her following my career, knowing the titles and tournaments, before sadness washed over me.We could have shared all that together—was what I wanted to say.
Instead, I went with, “Golf pro emeritus. In name only. Which means—”
“Please, don’t try to act humble. I know what it means. You win enough, they make you a pro. You won more majors than I can count, and every celebrity in Los Angeles would love to rub elbows and play golf with you, so you have a job.”
“Thanks for following my career,” I said without emotion, but my heart was beating double-time.
“I’m an ortho. Which means I work with mostly men, who are overall obsessed with golf, so it was hard not to. I’m sure any one of them would be happy to fix your knee.”
“You refused to talk with me. Brutus missed you…” I changed the direction of the conversation. “I wanted to reconnect, but I didn’t think it would be welcome. Clearly, I was right…”
She finally granted me a softer expression. “Brutus,” she whispered. Wren was a goner when it came to animals.
“Lived until he was fifteen. Was a good boy, best there ever was,” I stated.
She nodded and ran a hand through her hair, taking a moment to stop, close her eyes, and think. “I’m sure he had a great life. You were a very sweet dog owner.” It was the only positive nod she’d given to our brief time together; she’dfallen for Brutus the minute I brought her back to my luxury apartment. Usually it was all the trappings and wealth that secured the women, but not Wren.
“You wanted to be a veterinarian,” I made the mistake of saying.
Immediately, Wren’s expression went hard. “Well, I’m not one, that’s clear. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called me to fix your knee. I did what my dad wanted, became an MD, and now I have enough money that I don’t have to speak with him. My mom died happily knowing I’d done what everyone expected. The end.”
“Wren, I’m sorry—” I started to say.
“We’re all set. See you in the morning, Daniel, before anesthesia visits you.”
She walked out of the exam room without looking back, and if I wasn’t sitting in a wheelchair with one of my legs in some sort of air support thing, I’d have kicked myself.
Wren
“The answer is no. A firm no.” I glared something fierce and nasty at Genie while I spoke.
With her hands up in the air, she said, “Okay, okay. It was only a suggestion. It doesn’t hurt to be nice, that’s all. Because clearly you’re old friends. And he’s alone.”
“It’s not a good idea, and I’m not nice. Also, I just got back from a workout, and I smell. Exposing someone to that wouldn’t be very kind, would it?”
It was obvious Genie knew more about Daniel and me than she let on.
“I don’t think he would mind. Your smell, I mean,” Genie countered. She had an answer for everything.
“My heart rate is supposed to be coming down, not going up.”
“Oh, he does that to you?”
“Grrr.” I actually growled. A grown woman, capable of operating on the human body, a board-certified physician, andI made a sound like an animal. “No, you are doing it by aggravating me.”
“Sorry, boss,” she said, but we both knew she didn’t mean it.
It had been a week since I’d operated on Daniel Campbell. Of course he had a successful outcome and was moved a few days before Christmas to the rehab facility in this very hospital. I begged Genie to have him placed elsewhere, but she couldn’t get through the ‘newly minted red tape.’ Apparently Ryan Strauss, the star himself, made a generous contribution to the hospital for the excellent care they provided his friend, in exchange for their zippered lips. And apparently he’d footed the bill for a long rehabilitation, making sure Daniel stayed for physical therapy. In turn, keeping him in close proximity to me.
