Chapter 23
The next cookout?June felt her heart gallop.So he did plan on seeing her more than just tonight.After the fake boyfriend fiasco, she feared she had put a damper on their friendship.Apparently, her fears were unfounded.
“I can do that.Though you said they happen infrequently, so that gives me time to learn more recipes.”
“I think I’ll have to try them before my friends get to sample them.Make sure they work.”He gave her a cheeky grin.
“Or I’ll just give you the good samples and leave your friends with the bad.”
“Ooh, diabolical.My friends would be upset about that.”
“Jack would cry about the injustice.”The man didn’t have a serious bone in his body.Everything seemed to be a joke to him.Maybe it was a coping mechanism from what had happened to him.
Out of all Rob’s friends, Jack’s wounds seemed to be mildest.He wasn’t missing any limbs.He had scarring on the side of his face.His injuries could be more concealed, and she hadn’t wanted to press by asking about them.Some people could be sensitive about them, and Jack was conceited enough to be.
“You seem to know a lot of Jack’s personality in the short amount of time you’ve known him,” Rob mentioned casually as he washed the dishes.
“We text a lot.”She hoped that wasn’t a problem that she was talking to Jack so much.He was a nice guy.She always laughed at the outrageous things he would send her.Some were dirty, but mostly it was silly stuff.He always asked her about her day.It was odd texting a man so much.The only other person she had done that with was her brother.
“I know.He makes sure to tell me at work.”
“So you work with Jack as well as you’re friends?”She didn’t know that.
Rob’s body tensed, and he seemed to freeze before relaxing.“Yeah, we do volunteer work with the VA from time to time.”
“Is he a contactor like yourself?”
“He is.”
“Oh, is that how you met him?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that how all of you met?”This was the most he had ever told her about work or the guys.Even when she’d asked Jack and Carson about it, they didn’t say much.They were as secretive about their work as Liam was.If they weren’t all medically discharged and from different branches, she would think they were all Deltas.
“No, some met through the clinic you work at and go to the VA.”
“That’s kind of how me and the girls met.Casey, I met through school, and she dragged me to a bar after graduation.Sue and Karla were already PTs and hanging out with some co-workers.Casey was being very loud about the fact we had just graduated, so they invited us to their table, and we’ve all been friends ever since.”
“I’d like to meet these friends of yours.You’ve mentioned them a lot.”
First, more hangouts with his friends and now meeting her friends…this was not something she had accounted for.Hoped, yes.Thought it would work, no.“They’d like that.I’ve been telling them about our lessons, and they want to meet you too.”
“We’ll have to plan a dinner or something.Or just another cookout so everyone could meet.”
Casey would think she’d died and gone to heaven.“If that’s the case, I’d warn your single friends about Casey.She is always looking for her next conquest.”
“Duly noted.”June shifted from side to side, trying to alleviate the pressure from the sockets as they finished the dishes.She had been standing in them longer than normal, so the limp was swelling and getting uncomfortable.She needed to take it off but wanted to wait until Rob left, but they weren’t making that possible.
“I need to sit down for a minute,” June said when they were done, heading for the living room and plopping down on the overstuffed chair.She groaned in pain and relief at finally getting off of her feet.She flipped up her skirt to reach for the lock on her socket.
“Here, allow me.”Rob came over and sat down on the coffee table in front of her, his legs braced on either side of hers.He slowly reached forward and unlocked her left leg and slid it off, setting it next to him.
The skin was red and slightly swollen.She should have left her legs off after her shower to give them a break, but she didn’t want their dinner to be had while she was in a wheelchair.The first time June had seen Rob, she had been in a wheelchair.She didn’t ever want him to see her like that again.Not that he would remember her like that.
June was well accustomed to her legs by now, but she had never had anyone help her take them off before besides Dr.Shane.It felt both intimate and strange.Rob peeled off the socks and lining and set the other leg on the floor on the other side of him before he started rubbing the muscle of her left leg.
“Oh…” June fell back against the cushion, and she forgot all about her reservations.The man had deadly hands.She felt like putty.He could do this any time, and she wouldn’t complain.
