My eyes narrow as Pops plasters a sad puppy dog look on his face. “You’re a wily old fucker, arent ya?”
“Meh. I wouldn't go that far.” He grins at me and pulls his pants up.
“Was there a reason you were sitting here with your balls out?”
“I like to let them breathe now and then,” he says winking, before throwing open the door and whistling his way to the front desk where Joy is sitting.
Shaking my head I check in with the duty nurse to see who we have next. Rose Grove is a great close knit town but fuck me, if there’s something going around, the whole damn town will catch it. Case in point the stomach bug that seems to have originated at one of the schools and swept through town.
After Pops leaves to go do whatever the fuck it is he does I’m slammed with back to back patients. By the end of the day I’m wrung out with the scent of shit in my nostrils. All I want is to go home, shower and sleep, in that order. I don't even give a shit if I eat or not. Unfortunately, until the DRMC can get rid of Matthew Thompson, his business partner and the fucker that bought Kit, I will be dozing in the DRMC SUV outside Joy’s house.
Spraying antiseptic on the exam table and giving it one last wipe, I inhale, feeling the burn of the cleaning products.
“Um, are you sniffing the exam table?”
I whirl around, spray bottle and paper towel in hand. “No. Yes. Maybe?” I answer as my cheeks heat at Joy’s amused look. She rolls her lush lips between her teeth to hide her smile, but I see it there. “It’s notthatweird.” I roll my eyes.
Joy shakes her head side to side, a pretty smile on her lips. My eyes rove from her lips to her pert little nose and then her chocolate brown eyes. They’re alight with amusement, but they don’t hide the dark circles.
“Joy, did you get any sleep last night?”
Her gaze darts away as she picks at her nails. “It was just really hard to convince myself that everything will be alright.After, after what you told me,” she ends in a whisper. She stands stock still for a moment before straightening, “In the end I just remembered that you and the DRMC are five minutes away. I showed Kit this morning which way to go if she needs help and Miss Willa also said that we are welcome at her home anytime, but, well…”
My brow raises. “Well?”
“It just doesn't feel as safe as it did when we were at the clubhouse.” Joy hangs her head and as shy as she looks I can’t help perking up. Shit, I want to punch the air and fucking do a dance right about now.
“Do you want to come to the clubhouse? I was going to offer but I didn't want to push you into anything. I know you love your new little house -”
“Yes. Please.” She stares up at me and I nod.
“Sure thing, babe. You tell me what you want to do and we’ll do it.”
The smile she gives me is one full of relief. She blows out a breath before looking around her. “OK, I’ll head home and pack some things. Mama Debs had Kit today because I didn’t feel comfortable dropping her at school.”
I nod. “How about I drive with you? I’d feel better having eyes on you, I know that it sounds fucking barbaric but it’d make me feel better.”
“Like when you slept outside last night?”
Shit. “Ah, what makes you think that?”
She rolls her eyes, “Willa saw you out there. Asked if I was attached to ‘the strawberry blonde in the MC vehicle outside’,” she says using air quotes. “I told her I was and she said that she wouldn’t shoot you, but she would fuck with you a little.” Her lips twitch.
“Why do I feel like Willa could be a bad influence on you?”
“Switch! You leave Willa alone. She reminds me of the Ol Ladies.”
“Yeah, that's what I’m afraid of,” I mumble, turning to toss the paper towel into the trash and hanging up my white coat.
Turning to Joy I catch her eyes on my ass and I can’t stop the devilish chuckle that escapes me when her eyes shoot to mine and her cheeks to pink.
“Ready?”
“Always.”
Joy
I don't know what it is about Switch but being near him calms me. I may not have slept all that well last night because of all the things bouncing around in my head, but at least I wasn’t afraid. No, that fear came on after Switch left to head to work and I drove Kit to the clubhouse. Once on my own I started to see shadows everywhere. The relief I felt when I walked into work this morning physically took over. It’s like my whole body relaxed. My shoulders dropped, my limbs heavy as if I’d just had a massage. That’s how relaxed I feel just being in the same vicinity as Switch. I’m sure my therapist would tell me it's unhealthy how attached I’ve gotten to him, but I can’t help it. I just know everything will be fine when he’s near.
