reasons that Jack didn’t deserve love from anyone.
Even in the harsh glare of the emergency room lights, they were a striking couple. He watched as they approached, Rory warring with her hair as she hurriedly attempted to put it in a ponytail. She smiled suddenly, laughed a little, and squeezed Spencer’s shoulder as he rolled along beside her in a wheelchair. The orderly pushing him didn’t seem to get the joke. Perhaps it had been understood just between them; such intimacy was made stark having been so plainly revealed. The ER was a hellhole, yet those two seemed completely oblivious to anyone else. Spencer couldn’t have been more in love with her. The smile on his face couldn’t have been more alluring. He was just the type of guy Jack couldn’t resist. But seeing him with Rory, he knew that he’d have to ignore his impulses and keep things clean. Clean and simple.
They came closer and Jack averted his eyes. Though he hadn’t heard a word, he felt like an intruder.
“There he is,” Spencer called out in Jack’s direction. The orderly settled Jack in the adjacent examination area and didn’t pull the curtain when Jack gave him a wave and a friendly smile.
“Funny seeing you again,” Jack joked. “Thought you might have had enough male bonding for one day.”
Spencer’s brows knitted together for just a flash. It was long enough for Jack to fear that he’d offended him, but not long enough to think of a remedy. Chest-tightening dread exploded like a bomb without any warning. The last thing he wanted to do was offend Spencer.
But then an easy smile curled Spencer’s lips and Jack was even more surprised with the amount of relief that washed over him—relief closely followed by a touch of panic over just how relieved he’d felt. What the hell was going on? Was he starting to feel something for this guy? He tried to recoup his signature nonchalant aura. “I mean, what else could we possibly talk about?”
Rory stepped toward Jack, sucking her bottom lip just slightly. He wondered if that was something she did when she was feeling nervous or serious. She placed her hand on his stretcher in the space next to his good shoulder. He sensed the impression of her fingers as they squeezed the thin mattress, affirming her sentiment. She crouched next to him. “Thank you,” she said simply.
Jack thought to make another joke, but stopped himself from minimizing her heartfelt words. He smiled weakly into her soft brown eyes. It was hard to look at her. His need to be worthy of her kindness weighed on him like an anchor. But Jack was also a little confused by her words of appreciation. He hadn’t done anything to deserve them. Still, he nodded, and she seemed satisfied with that.
“What’s the verdict on your shoulder?” Spencer asked from behind her.
“Won’t be swinging a golf club anytime soon,” Jack answered, relaxing within the lightness of his tone.
Spencer responded with a hearty laugh. “Yeah, what a shame.”
Jack laughed too and now it was Rory’s turn to look confused. It made Jack feel oddly satisfied to enjoy a private joke with Spencer. He let the moment dangle in the air just long enough to realize it was rude to leave Rory out.
“I hate golf. It’s the lowest form of self-absorption,” Jack explained.
Rory pursed her lips and crinkled her brow. “Why?” she asked, and Jack found himself smiling. No one had ever called him out on his blatant prejudice about the sport of American business nobility. But then again, Rory wasn’t the kind of woman he was used to chatting with. In his experience, smoky eyes rarely registered more than a question about his bank account when he tossed that line over top-shelf martinis. He’d get a raised eyebrow, perhaps, or a tilt of the head, but no real interest as to the reason. But Rory stared back at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
Jack couldn’t help but smile even wider at her. “Because I could easily name ten better ways to
Even in the harsh glare of the emergency room lights, they were a striking couple. He watched as they approached, Rory warring with her hair as she hurriedly attempted to put it in a ponytail. She smiled suddenly, laughed a little, and squeezed Spencer’s shoulder as he rolled along beside her in a wheelchair. The orderly pushing him didn’t seem to get the joke. Perhaps it had been understood just between them; such intimacy was made stark having been so plainly revealed. The ER was a hellhole, yet those two seemed completely oblivious to anyone else. Spencer couldn’t have been more in love with her. The smile on his face couldn’t have been more alluring. He was just the type of guy Jack couldn’t resist. But seeing him with Rory, he knew that he’d have to ignore his impulses and keep things clean. Clean and simple.
They came closer and Jack averted his eyes. Though he hadn’t heard a word, he felt like an intruder.
“There he is,” Spencer called out in Jack’s direction. The orderly settled Jack in the adjacent examination area and didn’t pull the curtain when Jack gave him a wave and a friendly smile.
“Funny seeing you again,” Jack joked. “Thought you might have had enough male bonding for one day.”
Spencer’s brows knitted together for just a flash. It was long enough for Jack to fear that he’d offended him, but not long enough to think of a remedy. Chest-tightening dread exploded like a bomb without any warning. The last thing he wanted to do was offend Spencer.
But then an easy smile curled Spencer’s lips and Jack was even more surprised with the amount of relief that washed over him—relief closely followed by a touch of panic over just how relieved he’d felt. What the hell was going on? Was he starting to feel something for this guy? He tried to recoup his signature nonchalant aura. “I mean, what else could we possibly talk about?”
Rory stepped toward Jack, sucking her bottom lip just slightly. He wondered if that was something she did when she was feeling nervous or serious. She placed her hand on his stretcher in the space next to his good shoulder. He sensed the impression of her fingers as they squeezed the thin mattress, affirming her sentiment. She crouched next to him. “Thank you,” she said simply.
Jack thought to make another joke, but stopped himself from minimizing her heartfelt words. He smiled weakly into her soft brown eyes. It was hard to look at her. His need to be worthy of her kindness weighed on him like an anchor. But Jack was also a little confused by her words of appreciation. He hadn’t done anything to deserve them. Still, he nodded, and she seemed satisfied with that.
“What’s the verdict on your shoulder?” Spencer asked from behind her.
“Won’t be swinging a golf club anytime soon,” Jack answered, relaxing within the lightness of his tone.
Spencer responded with a hearty laugh. “Yeah, what a shame.”
Jack laughed too and now it was Rory’s turn to look confused. It made Jack feel oddly satisfied to enjoy a private joke with Spencer. He let the moment dangle in the air just long enough to realize it was rude to leave Rory out.
“I hate golf. It’s the lowest form of self-absorption,” Jack explained.
Rory pursed her lips and crinkled her brow. “Why?” she asked, and Jack found himself smiling. No one had ever called him out on his blatant prejudice about the sport of American business nobility. But then again, Rory wasn’t the kind of woman he was used to chatting with. In his experience, smoky eyes rarely registered more than a question about his bank account when he tossed that line over top-shelf martinis. He’d get a raised eyebrow, perhaps, or a tilt of the head, but no real interest as to the reason. But Rory stared back at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
Jack couldn’t help but smile even wider at her. “Because I could easily name ten better ways to
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