Page 25 of Pour Decisions (Stryker Family #3)

KATRINA

My boss is pretty laidback, but I’ve always been a model employee. I’m not sure if her laid back attitude extends to living with and being in a relationship with a client.

I put a fifteen minute meeting on my boss’s calendar for first thing in the morning on Monday so I won’t have that hanging over my head all day.

I rehearsed what I’m going to say yesterday, but hopefully it’s not so rehearsed that she picks up that JD and I have already gotten together already.

God, why did I do this? I think we should be fine if JD moves to another PT, but what if we can’t? I have feelings for him but I can’t wreck my career for him. I’d have to start over somewhere new.

I wait next to my boss’s office until she arrives.

Candice is anywhere from her mid-forties to her sixties—I genuinely can’t tell and don’t want to be rude and ask.

Her brown skin is lightly wrinkled, but she carries herself with the confidence of a woman who’s lived life.

Her background in sports and physical therapy probably helps that.

“Morning, Kat,” she says, gesturing for me to go into her office.

“Morning!” I grip my travel mug of coffee, which JD put together for me this morning and left with a note, along with a fancy sandwich he made on ciabatta bread. His note just said Eat lunch, Katrina. -JD Nothing else, but it made my heart flutter anyway.

She shuts the door behind me, making my heartrate pick up.

“What’s going on?” She gives me a gentle smile.

I take a steadying sip of my coffee and a measured breath. “It’s about my client, JD Stryker.”

“Is everything okay? He’s not making you uncomfortable, is he?” She frowns.

“No! Not at all.” Well, not in the way she’s thinking.

Unfortunately that’s not an unheard of issue in physical therapy.

“It’s just that I’d like him moved to another physical therapist to finish out his treatment.

We, uh, have a relationship outside of work, and I don’t think it would be right to continue treating him. A conflict of interest.”

Candice’s expression shifts and she nods. “Personal relationships with clients are hard to avoid in a town this small, but you’re right—they aren’t allowed.”

I look down at my hands. I was a good student and never got in trouble when I was a kid. I bet this is how it felt to sit in front of the principal.

“I know. Which is why I want him to switch. If possible.” I clear my throat and look her in the eye again. “He’s made significant improvements, and I want him to continue to heal and get his life back. He just has a few more weeks left.”

Candice sips her own coffee and looks at me over the edge. My stomach twists in knots. I can’t read her to save my life.

“Okay. I can shift him to my care since I just had a client finish early,” she says, jiggling her computer mouse to wake it up. “I’m glad you chose to tell me instead of hiding it. But you’re lucky I have this opening because everyone else is booked up.”

I slump in my seat, relieved. “Thank you.”

“Just try to keep the lines professional from now on,” she says, typing. “I’m going to note it in your record, but it won’t go to HR, okay? But if anything else happens, we’ll have to escalate it.”

“I’ll take that.” I laugh despite myself. It’s a lot better than the alternative. “It won’t happen again.”

“I know. You’re a great physical therapist, Kat, and I’d love to have you around a long time.” Her gentle smile returns.

“Thank you.”

I excuse myself and get ready for my first few clients. The morning goes by quickly now that this weight is off my shoulders. Plus, I have coffee with my mom to look forward to. We were going to do lunch, but I ate what JD packed for me.

At lunch, I hop into my car and pray the AC works. I sucked it up with my windows down for a while, but one day a week or so ago, I turned on the car and it just…worked. It’s worked ever since.

I text JD while my car cools down.

Me: You got moved to my boss’s care for your last sessions! She noted our relationship on my record but it’s not an official strike or anything. So we’re set! And thank you for the sandwich, it was perfect.

JD: That’s great news. And you’re welcome.

Me: Also, my car’s AC randomly works now?

JD: I had it fixed.

I stare at my phone for a few seconds.

Me: How? When?

JD: Mobile mechanic owed me a favor. He was going to just take a look at it in the driveway but he could fix it right there since it was an easy job. I’m surprised it took you this long to notice.

Me: Oh my god

I laugh. Of course JD did something like that for me. My car didn’t magically fix itself by me smacking buttons and hoping for the best.

Me: Thank you 3

JD: Anytime, kitten.

The warm fuzzies dance all across my chest as I drive into town to meet Mom for coffee at a coffee shop near her office.

It’s cute, with a big glass case filled with pastries.

Mom isn’t here yet, so I take my time looking through all the options.

The sandwich JD made was filling, but these pastries look too good to pass up.

“Having a good day?” Mom asks, coming up alongside me.

“Hm? Yes, why?” I ask.

“You’re grinning at those danishes. They look good, but that’s not a smile you give a danish.” She pulls me in for a hug.

“Yeah, my day is going well.” I squeeze her back.

We each order a pastry and some coffee, then find an open table. Mom cuts each of the pastries in half so we can each try both of them. The cheese danish is fire, but the blueberry scone doesn’t taste as good as it looks.

“So what’s been going on?” Mom asks, cleaning crumbs off her fingers.

“Work has been going well,” I say. “And I’m seeing JD again. Officially.”

“The guy from when you were in college?” she asks. Her frown surprises me. I didn’t expect her to be overwhelmingly positive since JD and I have baggage, but I didn’t expect her to seem so horrified.

“Yes? He only dumped me because of the incident with Raymond. His dad pressured him into it,” I say.

“But you just got divorced,” Mom says with a shrug. “It’s a bit soon.”

I shake my head. “I fell out of love way before we even thought about divorce. And yeah, it’s soon, but we’re taking it slow. Living in the moment.”

I try to ignore the shrinking feeling inside me, like I’m trying to hide my real feelings from her. But it’s hard when she looks at me like that.

“Do you want to jump into something with a man who beat someone up?” Mom asks, keeping her voice low.

“You literally said you understood why JD did that,” I say. “And it’s not like he’s made a habit of it. Raymond was just over the line and JD lost his temper. Literally that one time in his whole damn life.”

“I don’t think I said anything like that. I wouldn’t support violence,” Mom says, blinking.

“You did say that.”

“I didn’t say it. I wouldn’t have.”

Did she say that? I swear she said that. But either way, it’s a moot point. I might be unsure about our future, but I know JD would never fight anyone again.

“JD isn’t like that. And it’s been ten years.” I polish off the last bit of the cheese danish even though in other circumstances, I would have let her have it. I’m not in the mood to be charitable anymore.

“I know it’s been a while. But trust me, deep down, men don’t change all that much.

I’ve been divorced twice, so trust me.” She sighs through her nose, scanning my face.

She must pick up on my down shift in mood because she adds, “I just don’t want him to hurt you again, Trina. You were so broken after.”

“I know you don’t,” I say. But even her reassuring me doesn’t help me shake the tightness stretching across my chest.