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“When’s your next doctor appointment?” he asks.
“On Thursday. They want to do another scan and see how everything healed. If it’s alright then I won’t need another surgery but if anything has shifted, then I probably will need at least one more surgery.”
“And that’s on your shoulder?” Nora asks.
“My shoulder and maybe my collarbone.”
She nods, worry in her eyes as she looks over my arm and neck.
There are still a few faint scars there but I’ve been growing out my beard since I got here and they aren’t as noticeable now that they’re covered.
I remember the way that Evangeline’s hands had felt, running over the ones on my chest and arm the other night.
“I hope that you don’t need another surgery,” Nora says and Gray nods.
“Thanks, me too.”
I told them about the accident a few days ago. It was the CliffNotes version but I could still see that Gray felt guilty. We had talked after Nora went to bed and he had cried as I gave him a few more details.
It took me a while to assure him that I didn’t blame him for me being over there or what happened and that I didn’t regret joining the military to take care of him. I have a feeling that he still blames himself, at least partially, but hopefully over time, we can work past that.
“I’m going to head next door. I want to call and check on the puppies,” Nora says and Gray stands, kissing her.
She waves bye to me and I return it.
“How are the puppies?” I ask Gray after she’s gone.
“Crazy,” Gray says with a smile.
He and Nora adopted two puppies recently, Moose and Marley. They sound like quite the handful from everything that I’ve heard.
“It’s been good hanging out with you,” I say, and Gray smiles.
“Yeah, I can’t say that I miss Rosewood, but it wasn’t as bad being back this time.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. It used to be that everywhere I looked just reminded me of when we were kids, but it hasn’t been that way recently,” I admit.
“How are you and Evangeline doing?” he asks.
“Really good. She’s so sweet and smart.”
“I always knew that you had a thing for her,” he says.
“Yeah, it seems the Mackelroy brothers weren’t exactly great at hiding our feelings for the women that we love.”
Gray laughs, leaning back against the couch.
“So, are you staying here? You know I wouldn’t mind if you kept the house and wanted to live there. I’m not going to think that you stole from my inheritance or anything.”
“Thanks, but truth be told, I don’t think that I’m ready for that. It would be like living with ghosts even in the new house.”
“Yeah,” Gray says, staring up at the ceiling.
We sit in silence for a little bit, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I’m trying to figure out a way to broach a subject that I’ve been thinking about for a few days.
“I think that I’m going to see a psychologist at the VA or go to group therapy,” I blurt out, and Gray looks over at me.
He stares at me for a second before he nods.
