Love Hurts. JJ Keller

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СКАЧАТЬ She lifted her long nose a pinch and shook her head. Gray curls sprung into action as she did, bouncing back and forth like miniature accordions. “Where are you going?”

      Shania glanced at him.

      He smiled and one-arm-hugged the nurse. “Don’t worry about it, we’re not going far.”

      Out the door and a few steps later, they entered a bright, sun-filled room.

      “This is our consultation room slash doctor’s room. We want it to be comfortable for our clients.” He held out a hand. “Have a seat.”

      Khaki cloth cushions, three-inches-thick, covered the six foot sofa. It was flanked by two padded metal blue chairs. A small refrigerator had been stashed near the coat rack. She took a seat on a couch. He took a step toward the cold bin and opened the white door.

      His large fingers clasped two bottles. Uncapping one on this way back to the area, he situated the water on a small square coaster, on the tile top of the table on her left.

      Dr. Raimo sat down in a chair near her, rolled the lid off a bottle and took a deep drink.

      “Now, what’s going on in Shania’s world? Did your fiancé return from war? He was part of M triple A, Mortars, Artillery and Attack Aviation, right?” He crossed his leg and braced a hand on his ankle. He wasn’t wearing a wedding band. She hadn’t noticed before, but coming from Morgan’s ceremony had created awareness. Had Morgan said “I do”?

      “Are you married?” she blurted out.

      “No, though I’d like to settle down sometime soon. Back to you.” He smiled and removed the stethoscope from around his neck. The metal end clanked against the sand-colored tile.

      “Yes, Beck, the sperm donor, was rescued and released from active duty. He’s under supervised care at this time. He has an adjustment problem called post-traumatic stress disorder.”

      “Shania, PTSD is an anxiety disorder, not an adjustment problem.”

      The instant Beck returned from the hospital, his parents told her to break the engagement because he’d never recover. It took her several months to believe them. Now she realized that they’d lied all along. In her mind, during their intimacy she and Beck had become one and she couldn’t abandon him in his time of need. Love was fleeting, as she’d discovered, because Morgan was exchanging vows with another.

      Justin shifted, resting more comfortably.

      “I see.” Shania glanced at Dr. Raimo. “Is it normal for him to go to sleep so suddenly? He’s had sporadic rest in the last few days.”

      “Yes, eventually the body shuts down. He’s actually at the end of his roseola. The raised dots should start to disappear.”

      She nodded and finger-combed Justin’s hair. It was comforting to talk about her past and for some reason felt compelled to continue. “The trauma of the terrorist interrogation has affected Beck. He’s changed.”

      “There have been a lot of cases of PTSD, military personnel in Iraq, most who learn to manage the illness incurred while on duty.” He lowered his leg and leaned forward. The interest in his eyes mixed with his sympathetic tone.

      “Yes, the doctors said the same thing. Except it’s not just the illness. I don’t have the same feelings for Beck. I’m not sure we can even be friends.” She witnessed the pity in Dr. Ramio’s eyes and lowered her glance to the floor. She didn’t want or need sympathy. Her folks choose not to support her. Beck’s parents denied Justin as their grandson. Townspeople believed she was a whore. And the man she truly loved was marrying another woman. Commiseration was the last thing she needed.

      “A month ago I ended our engagement, which was best for both of us. I’m going to finish school. Justin and I will begin again.” She loosened Justin’s shirt from under his arm where the fabric had wrinkled during the fidgeting.

      “Shania?” Dr. Raimo whispered.

      She glanced at him, shocked at his using her given name with an intimate tone. Should she run or stay and hear him out? The nurse remained outside, right?

      “You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re an excellent mother to an amazingly bright boy. Accomplishing as much as you have with such limited resources should make people clap in your honor, not shun you.” His brown eyes held sincerity and another emotion she couldn’t place.

      Heat rose to her face. In the past three years, she hadn’t heard praise, other than from Morgan. “Thank you.”

      “Since Justin’s no longer my patient, I’ll tell you something personal about me.”

      Her chest restriction lightened because of his compliment. Her cheeks didn’t burn as much as they had a moment ago. She shook her head. Had he said Justin wasn’t his patient anymore? “Are you dumping us?”

      “No. Well, in a way. I’m going to be a professor in the Medical Center at the university. We’ll both be on campus. Perhaps we could get together for coffee sometime?” He smiled and pulled a white business card from his lab coat.

      She’d had very little sleep the last several days and the drama today made her uncomprehending. “You’re moving to Briarwood?”

      “Yes, in three weeks. I want to teach and help pave the way for new physicians.” He wrote on the blank side of the paper. “Now, tell me about the robe. Why are you wearing a choir gown with glittery shoes?”

      “Remember my friend Morgan? He came with me when Justin had check-ups?”

      He nodded and tucked the pen into his jacket pocket.

      “He’s getting married today, and I was to be in the wedding. Because of Justin’s illness, I tried to get out of going to the ceremony but Morgan’s fiancée can be very intimidating.” She tucked a curl behind her ear. Her chest continued to ache.

      “Bridezilla?”

      She grinned. “At the least.” A sigh escaped. “I made the mistake of telling Morgan not to marry her and she overheard.”

      “Because?” He leaned forward as if curious to hear.

      What was wrong with her, revealing everything to a man she barely knew? He was her son’s doctor, not her psychiatrist. She smoothed the cloth of her robe and didn’t look at his face. She had to hide the grief and love for the man she’d left in the church chapel. “I had my reasons.”

      Shania readjusted Justin’s weight and snuck a peek at Dr. Raimo. His eyes held sadness. Would he think her pathetic, asking another man to not marry his bride minutes before he was to say I do? Probably. It sounded very bad in her head right now.

      Dr. Raimo grinned. “The bridal party was wearing choir robes in the wedding?”

      She chuckled. “No. The bride insisted I remove the dress so she could get a replacement on the spot. The robe was the first thing I saw to cover myself.” Shania crossed her ankles and took a sip of the cool water. “I wanted immediate help for Justin, so I came here directly.”

      “They exchanged vows anyway?” He lifted an eyebrow.

      Why СКАЧАТЬ