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“It was great. It’s always fun catching up with Gabe,” she says. “You smell good. Just got out of the shower?”
I nod, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You smell even better. I bet you taste even better, too. Let me guess… you had the orange crush.”
She grins. “I sure did.”
As I take in the scent of her, my heart is racing, my stomach in knots. Why do I always feel like a middle schooler just before I see her? And when she’s in my arms, why don’t I ever want to let go? It’s crazy and it’s scary as hell, but I don’t give a crap for answers right now. I’m just happy she’s with me.
“You guys talk about anything interesting?” I ask when I pull away and lead her to the living room. As much as I’ve missed Claudia, I’m not about to jump her the moment she walks in the door. Not tonight.
“He’s setting up a PT clinic next to his practice,” she replies, smiling. “And he offered me a position.”
“He did?” My heart sinks. “Did you take it?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“What if you get a job offer out here?” I ask. “Or maybe a fellowship? Didn’t you tell me that you’d want to apply for one at the rehab center if one were available?”
“Ifone were available, but there isn’t or they’d have mentioned it already,” Claudia says. “But enough about me. How was work?”
“The usual.” The latest intel I gathered last night bothered me and I’ve been keeping a closer eye on things more than usual. With Ryan’s team sometimes out of communication range, I can’t help but worry. But I need to disengage from work for a while, at least, for tonight. “Are you ready for the barbecue this weekend? Everyone can’t wait to meet you.”
“I think I am,” she replies. “You still want me to make those green chile burger patties?”
I laugh. “Are you kidding? They can’t wait to try it.”
“Great. Talk about pressure.”
“You’ll do great.” I pull her to me and she leans her head on my chest. “But tell me more about this clinic back home. Why’s he setting one up now? Did he even talk about setting one up before tonight?”
“I know he’s always wished our patients would follow up on referrals he made for PT, but patients either forgot or worried about the cost so they didn’t,” she says. “This way, with him owning the clinic, it’s a seamless transition.”
“Will it specialize in the field you’re in?” I ask as Claudia bites her lower lip and shakes her head.
“No, but it’s a great start.”
I frown. Prosthetic rehab is one of the reasons I’ve been able to get back on my feet as quickly as I did, allowing me to head to the sandbox with minimum difficulty. Sure, I can’t do everything I used to do but I’m not a liability when I’m out there. I can hump to target like the rest of the guys. But it’s not a specialty available everywhere. For Claudia to intern at the rehab center she’s at meant she sought it out for that particular reason.
“What if a fellowship position opens up somewhere? Or what if they offer you a job?” I ask. “You told me one time the place where you interned in Philly offered you a position so maybe this one will, too.”
“Until that happens, I’ll be working with Gabe.”
As Claudia weaves her fingers with mine, I want to be happy for her. I really do. But that means she’ll be leaving Virginia Beach very soon and I don’t know about taking our relationship long-distance. She’s always said what we have is casual even when there’s nothing casual about it anymore.
“Can you come to my hooding ceremony?”
Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “In Philly?”
She nods. “It’s in a few weeks. I’ll leave the information next time I stop by.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You’ll get to meet my family,” she says. “Just know that we can be a loud bunch.”
“I’d love to meet them.” I nuzzle my face against the side of her neck and she giggles. “I’ve missed you.”
“Trevor, we saw each other this morning.”
“No, we ran into each other in the garage and we were both heading to work,” I say. “So no, that doesn’t count.”
