Page 10

I need my hype team: Stacey and Kyle. I reach up, swiping my cheeks for any stray tears, and push to my feet. Quickly glancing at my watch, I notice it’s too early to call Stacey since she’s at the therapy center, but Kyle should be out of class for the day and headed to training. Thank the lord for time differences. With my mind made up, I pull out my phone and swipe my thumb across the screen to unlock it. As if I conjured him out of thin air, my phone chimes, and an unread text message from Kyle appears on the screen.

“Speak of the devil,” I say into the empty room before ignoring the message and calling him instead.

Kyle picks up on the first ring, his cheerful voice instantly soothing my still-frayed nerves. “How’s my favorite physiotherapist?”

“Do you know any other physiotherapists?” I roll my eyes, remembering the first time Kyle and I met, his freshman year.

Kyle and I are the same age, but I was entering my senior year at the university's physical therapy program. Overachiever, remember? I was helping out with the athletic trainers for the hockey team at the time, and Kyle came limping in, his knee gashed open with a stream of blood on the ground behind him. Apparently, one of his teammates dared him to attempt some figure skating move, and Kyle took a skate to the knee. It literally made no sense to me how that could possibly have happened, but now knowing Kyle, it makes perfect sense.

Clumsy should be his middle name. After getting his knee patched up and swatting him on the back of the head for being so reckless, the two of us have been the best of friends. People always assumed that we were a thing, not that we never used that to our advantage over the years, but nothing ever happened between us. Good thing because things would be even more awkward than they already are.

“No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be my favorite.” Kyle chuckles softly, but instead of having the usual calming effect on my nerves, I’m even more amped.

“I love you with all my heart, Kyle, but I’m kind of having an existential crisis right now.” I sigh, sliding back down the wall to the floor.

My head swivels slightly to the right, catching sight of the locker room door a few steps away from me. I should get up and move, but I find myself rooted in place. The last thing I need is for Dad to come out of the locker room and find me huddled on the floor, coming down from a panic attack. Not only will he never let me forget it, but it will be another reason he’ll use to explain why I shouldn’t work here.

“Who did it? I know people who can take care of it for you. Just give me a name and location,” Kyle growls into the phone, and the sound of rustling clothes filters through the phone.

“Kyle, you’re from Redwood Falls, Oregon. The city has one traffic light. You do not have any connections to anything besides getting us free donuts when we order Chinese.”

“It’s a skill that I don’t take for granted, my friend.”

A loud, boisterous laugh bubbles up my throat, the sound echoing off the walls in the hallway.

“Ah, there she is. I was getting worried that I was really going to need to get on a plane back to Oregon.”

“Back?” All the humor drains from my voice as I process what he just said. Kyle was in Oregon. Practically in the same city as both of his best friends, and he didn’t say a word to either of us. “You were here and didn’t tell us?”

I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for why my best friend of the last three years was visiting the area and didn’t say anything to me, but right now, I can’t think of one. I know his family lives about an hour outside the city; maybe something happened.

“Is your mom okay? Your brothers?” I ask, the panic building in my chest a second time. I can feel myself spiraling again, but the sound of Kyle’s voice snaps me out of it a second time.

“Stop. Everything and everyone is fine. It was a quick trip. I didn’t tell anyone because I was only there for a few hours and came right back here.”

“But why?”

“Stop trying to change the subject, Michele Denise Mercer. Tell me what happened.” All humor has drained from Kyle’s voice, signalling that he’s done discussing this. Normally, I’d keep pushing, wanting to know what my friend is hiding, but I decide against it. Kyle will tell me what’s going on when he’s ready. I just need to try and be patient.

“Oh, damn. I got three-named. You are really serious.”

“Michele,” Kyle groans.

“Okay, fine.” I huff, inhaling deeply before telling Kyle the easiest part of my dilemma. “Remember the hottie that was flirting with me at work a few weeks ago that I was determined to believe didn’t really like me and ruined everything?”

“Of course. The daily updates about whether he came in to ask you out again have been giving me life recently.” Kyle is silent for a few moments before exclaiming loudly, “Wait, does he work for the team? Is he your new supervisor? Did you trip and fall into his arms as you were coming out of the elevator?”

I shake my head, giggling at Kyle and his antics. “You really need to stop reading all those romance novels, Playboy.”

“Not on your life, Mish. How the hell else am I going to snag the ladies in the off-season?”

“I don’t know. Smile?”

Kyle is drop-dead gorgeous. I might not see him as anything other than a brother, but I’m not blind. His dirty-blonde hair always has the just-got-out-of-bed look to it, with a pair of piercing hazel eyes that would make any woman swoon and a panty-dropping smile. I’m beyond thankful that he uses his powers for good and not evil.

“Touché, but you still didn’t answer the question.”

I could ease into the situation, but I decide to just rip off the Band-Aid and get to the heart of the matter. “I’m his new physiotherapist.”

There is a long pause before Kyle starts rapid-firing questions at me through the phone. “How is that possible? Isn’t this your last week at the hospital? That doesn’t seem like the best business practice to assign a new therapist for only a few days.”

I love Kyle, but man, can this boy be obtuse. I sigh loudly before attempting to explain things in simpler terms. “Not at the hospital. Here, with the Timberwolves. He's a recent trade for this season.” I pause for a few minutes, making sure he doesn’t have another million questions to ask me before dropping the most important piece of information. “And he is your older brother.”

“Umm…huh?” Kyle questions, causing me to giggle softly.

“I don’t know how I can make it clearer. My would-be crush is your older brother.”

“That’s not possible!” Kyle chuckles. “Someone is feeding you more than just a line.”

I physically recoil at his words, pulling the phone away from my ear before speaking again. “What the hell is that supposed to mean, Kyle?”

I know that I can be na?ve at times, but is it really that out of the question for one of his older brothers to want to go on a date with me? Talk about a bruise to the ego. If my best friend thinks that Cole is out of my league, then maybe it’s better that I took the cautious approach and didn't take him up on his offer of a date.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Shell, and you know it,” he huffs. I can picture him running his hand through his hair as he tries to explain.

Instead of jumping on him and demanding an explanation, I wait. No matter how hurt I am by his words, or whatever he may or may not have been implying, I know that Kyle loves me like his own sister. He’d never do or say anything to intentionally hurt me. If anything, although his words sound harsh, he’s probably trying to protect me.

“Cooper is getting married, and Beau… “ His voice trails off as if he’s trying to find the right words. “I love you, girl, but my entire family knows Beau and Alise are a done deal. If he was flirting with you, it was to either get in your pants, which means I’m going to kill him next time I see him, or to make Alise jealous. Okay, scratch that, I'm going to kill him either way.”

I only know his brothers’ names, but I doubt Kyle would lie to me about something so big. However, the bigger question at the moment is how the hell did he forget he has another brother? There is a pretty decent age gap between Kyle and all his brothers, but I’m sure they at least email and chat on the phone from time to time, much better than my sisters and me. There’s no way his brothers are all going to be playing for the same team, and he has no idea.

“Your brother, Cole, is the hottie from the hospital.”

“That’s a good one, Mish. Now, seriously, was it Beau?”

Now I’m starting to lose my patience. “No, it was Cole. Dark hair, a small scar above his left eyebrow, and now that I think of it, the same exact hazel colored eyes as you.”

“Holy fucking shit. You got hit on by Cole.” Kyle gasps dramatically, my words finally hitting home.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“How the hell are you just now learning this? Did he use a fake name or something at the therapy center?”

Now that’s a valid question, one I didn’t even think of until right this moment. “I wasn’t really looking for background information the day we met. I checked his name and looked over the file for Stacey’s exercise plan, but that’s it.”

“Fair. But when the fuck did he get traded?” Kyle questions as if I might have any answers for him.

I knew that Kyle and his brothers weren't close, but I never would’ve imagined it was this bad. I’m not close with my sisters at all. We rarely speak to each other, but when something major happens in one of our lives, we’ve always let each other know what’s going on. But his older brother is being traded, and no one bothered to tell him.

“When was the last time you talked to one of your brothers?”

“Hmm, I talked to Cooper for a few minutes before the conference championship game last season, and I’ve shared a few random texts with Beau, but that’s it. Neither one of them said a damn thing to me.”

Now that doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary. I’m sure neither one of them would have known that Cole was being traded to the Timberwolves. It’s not like they’d have anything to do with it.

“And Cole didn’t tell you?”

Kyle chuckles darkly. “I can’t remember the last time I spoke to Cole.”

I hum, not sure how to respond. I don’t have the best relationship with either of my sisters, so who am I to judge?

“Either way, I almost shit my pants when I saw his scowling face staring back at me from the profile the human resources manager gave me.”

“A profile?”

“Yeah. Parker and I are going to be his personal physio team. The owner has taken a special interest in his recovery.”

“Ah, now that makes more sense,” Kyle huffs, but doesn’t say anything else.

“Are you planning on sharing with the class?”

“Nope, but the important question is, what are you going to do about it?”

“About what?”

“The fact that you and my older brother have the hots for each other.”

I’ve spent every day since Cole walked out of the therapy center dreaming of how I would act when he came back and asked me out again. But the time for something to happen between Cole and me has passed. Sure, he asked me out, but he had more than enough chances to find me at the therapy center, but he didn’t. Sure, he probably thinks I’m pretty, but he’s more than likely already moved on to the next woman. I bet that if we ran into each other right now, he wouldn’t even remember my name.

“We do not—okay, maybe we did, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I don’t date my patients.” I scoff, wishing that things were different.

“He isn’t your patient, per se.”

Kyle may be right, but I’m not about to tell him that. No matter what I may or may not still be feeling for Cole Hendix, it doesn’t matter. It can’t happen. Won’t happen.

“Semantics, Playboy.” I sigh, regretting even telling him any of this in the first place.“It doesn’t matter. I got the job of my dreams. There’s no way I’m going to lose it over a pretty face.”

“You think my brother is pretty?”

He is so lucky I’m not within smacking distance of his big-ass head right about now. “OMG, Kyle. Can you be serious for two seconds?”

“I am being serious. Either way, your dad is going to lose it. Wait, that might be an even better reason to hook up with Cole.”

“You aren’t helping, Kyle.” I groan, knowing exactly where he’s going with this.

Kyle has been on the receiving end of one too many of my sob sessions about my family issues. He’s been telling me to stick it to all of them for years now, but I just can’t do that. I know they all mean well, even my stepmother, but they just have a hard time showing it. Besides, they are my family. No matter what their faults, I’ll never abandon them. That very idea is what has me in this situation in the first place. I know they love me. They just have a pretty shitty way of showing it sometimes.

“It’s not my job to help. Your dad needs to learn that you’re an adult and can make your own decisions. If that decision happens to land you in the arms of my older brother, so be it. There’s no rule against dating players, is there?”

“Not specifically, but I’m the first female member of the team. They never needed to have one before.”

“Good. Then there is nothing that says you can’t spend time with my brother. Cole, specifically. Not the other two. I really don’t want to attend your funeral.”

“First of all, no. Second, just no. I’m not dating or shacking up with any of your brothers, Playboy.”

“Never say never, Michele.” Kyle chuckles before sighing loudly. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, but I still have to go into the locker room and tell Dad about my new job.” I sigh, my anxiety starting to build all over again.

My entire body begins shaking again as my shoulders pull back, and I stride toward the locker room door. This isn’t the right time for me to freak out again. I can do that later. Right now, I need to tell Dad about my new job before he finds out from someone else. If that happens, the guilt trip is only going to be worse.

“You don’t have to do anything, Michele. He can find out on your first day, just like everyone else.”

“That would be a great way to start my first day.” I giggle, imagining Dad completely losing it in front of the entire team.“But I never take the easy way out.”

“I know. I know.”

“Although mildly satisfying, embarrassing him in front of the entire team isn’t how I want to do this.”

“But it would have been something to see.”

“That it would’ve.” I giggle, shaking my head before checking my watch. “Don’t you have practice to get to?”

“I do, but it can wait. Are you okay? Need me to stay on the phone while you tell him?”

And this is why I love Kyle Hendrix. He’d risk getting his ass chewed out by Coach Todd for being late to practice to make sure that I’m okay. Oh, how I wish I could see him as anything other than a brother. He’s going to make some lucky girl blissfully happy.

“I’m okay, Kyle. Thank you.” I close my eyes, inhaling deeply, knowing in my heart I am. “Now get to practice. Don’t blame me for the extra laps Coach is going to make you do.”

“Laps build character, right? Peace out, Playgirl.”

“Bye, Playboy,” I respond before ending the call and pocketing my cell phone.

I take a deep breath and turn toward the locker room doors. No more dilly-dallying. It’s time to go and speak to Dad and tell him the good news.