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Chapter One
Brooks
“She shouldn’t be walking. Never mind flying down mountains. Delta needs to take this season off. I think surgery could be beneficial, and with the right physical therapy-”
“Out of the question.” The man standing across from my desk scowls at me, eyes flashing with the ever-present, unspoken threat that he can and will walk the hell out of here, taking his daughter with him. “The cortisone injections are working-“
I have to bite back the urge to yell back in frustration.
It won’t be productive, this man is River Jacobs, a living legend and one of the most bull-headed human beings I’ve ever encountered. He’s one of the founding fathers of snowboarding, an Olympian, a national treasure.
The trouble is, he’s so absolutely convinced inmind over matterand propping up his own ego,that he’s going to permanently disable his daughter.
Beside River on the exam table, Delta stares at the floor, her expression set and emotionless. Anyone else would think she’s just tired or spaced out, but I know better.
She’s in pain.Seriouspain.
The injections I’ve been giving her have helped with the pain, but they aren’t actually treating the underlying problem that is getting worse every time I see her. Which means I have two shitty choices.
Refuse to give her the injections unless she seeks actual treatment, in which case River would walk her out of my office to the nearest orthopedic surgeon, who would probably be all too happy to do it.
I’d never see her again.
Or I give her the injection and sit on my hands while Delta gets worse. Possibly doing irreparable damage to her body before she’s even legally allowed to drink.
I swallow the lump in my throat, watching River argue his case without really hearing him. My throat is tight and all I want is to throw him out of my office, gather up Delta in my arms and tell her thatit’s okay to stop.
I was never the type of physician to get personally invested in my patients. I give them the best care I can, advice on how to take care of themselves, and send them on their way. I have a thriving practice and a handful of awards that say I’m an excellent surgeon.
That was before Delta Jacobs showed up in my office at seventeen, barely able to walk.
At that point, she was already a decorated athlete in her own right, River’s shining star after her two older brothers failed to qualify for their first Olympic games. They sought me out because, surprise surprise, River disagreed with her last physician’s opinion.
One look at her medical records was enough to see that Delta had probably been strapped onto a snowboard before she could walk. Broken wrists, concussions, dislocations, fractures, sprains, torn ligaments, the list went on and on.
If she was any other child, protective services would have taken her away from that family. Delta wasn’t just any child though, she was special, and the jam-packed trophy case was proof of that. Nobody calls it abuse if the victim gets to stand on a podium and gets a gold medal for their suffering.
I’d met her only a few weeks after she returned from her first Olympic games, her face had been all over the news, the whole country in awe of the sixteen-year-old kid who outperformed seasoned athletes. A second-generation gold medalist.
I’d been a little in awe myself, eager to use her as my chance to break into the closed circle of elite athletes who populated this corner of Colorado.
That hadn’t lasted long though. As I got to know her, I started to see cracks in the shiny, Olympian surface. She was suffering, struggling, and her love of the sport wasn’t made from her own heart but rather as a desperate desire to please and connect with her father.
Somewhere along the way, maybe a year ago, I’d walked into her exam room and the fierce, protective instinct I’ve always had for Delta had evolved into something else entirely. It hit me so hard and suddenly I’d never had a damn shot at resisting.
I was in love with her, Iamin love with her, and not sending her off to another doctor is the single most selfish thing I’ll do in my life.
“Enough.” I cut sharply across River’s rant,unwilling to listen to another word out of his mouth. I see the man’s eyes flash furiously but I have eyes only for the young woman sitting on my exam table. “I’d like a word with Delta.Alone.”
River snaps back immediately, the vein in his forehead pulsing. “And let you convince her that she needs to sacrifice her career? I don’t think so.” He turns to his daughter. “Mind over matter, DJ. Let’s get you this injection, get you out of here, thenwe can take the day off to rest and then hit the mountain first thing in the morning.”
Delta barely blinks. “Alright.”
I’ve never wanted to hit someone so badly before in my life. “Delta.” I implore and those startling slate gray eyes finally rise to meet mine. A single tear tracks down her beautiful cheek.
“It’s okay Dad.” She says quietly. In a sport full of big personalities, Delta Jacobs is soft spoken and gentle, her determination a low burning fire rather than an inferno. If I met her on the street, I’d never guess she was an Olympic gold medalist.
My heart wrenches, letting myself imagine, just for a moment, a different scenario where I met Delta. We bump into each other on the street. She’s older. I’m not wearing my white coat. I apologize and offer to buy her coffee, she gives me that sweet smile and that would be the beginning of our future.
