Chapter 16

16

DAPHNE

" H e's a freaking idiot," I muttered to my brother. My heart pounded in my chest and my breath caught in my lungs as I waited for Sterling to wake up. "What the heck was he thinking? He probably hasn't touched a football in a damn decade and these kids have been practicing every day of that time. Just reckless."

Eric was bent over beside me, studying his friend's face. Sterling groaned, his eyes finally moving under his lids before they slowly blinked open.

"There he is," Eric said.

"Give me some space, guys," I called to the team, who had formed a loose, semi-circle around us. "I need to make sure he's okay and I can't do that with all of you crowding him."

"You going to be okay here?" Eric asked as he straightened up, putting out his arms to start herding the boys away.

"I'll be fine. If we need an ambulance, I'll call you back."

Eric groaned. "Please don't let us need an ambulance. He'll shake it off, Daph. I told you that. His head is harder than it looks."

I sighed. "Just let me check him out."

While I definitely wasn't a doctor, I'd started learning first aid back when Eric had been playing. It had seemed prudent to have someone in the family who knew the basics. Since then, I'd kept my certification up to date and I'd even done a few extra courses while I'd been teaching, enhancing my knowledge and sharpening my skills so that I would be prepared if one of the kids ever got hurt on my watch.

Eric managed to move the team away, and I faintly heard him telling them to resume their drills at the other end of the field. Meanwhile, I settled on my knees beside Sterling, bending over him as his eyes seemed to slowly focus.

"Don't try to move yet," I murmured, fighting the urge to stroke my fingers along his cheeks just for some comfort.

When I'd seen him go down, I'd nearly burst into tears. I'd leaped up, racing down the steps on the bleachers and practically flying onto the field. My heart had gone crazy when I realized he hadn't immediately gotten up.

He groaned but did what I'd said, simply blinking and looking like he was taking stock of whatever he was feeling in his body. I flashed him a small smile. "All your limbs are still attached, but I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?"

"I don't have a concussion," he muttered groggily. "I'm not even that sore."

"Not yet. You're going to answer my questions anyway."

"So bossy," he whispered, those dark eyes snagging on mine and the tiniest grin appearing on his lips. "Go ahead, Daph. Give it to me. I can handle it."

My eyebrows twitched up ever so slightly. "Why did that sound dirty?"

"I don't know," he said, but I saw the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "What did you say again?"

Or maybe it's not amusement.

"Okay, North Star," I said. "Where are you?"

"I'm fine, really."

"Then tell me where we are. Better yet, tell me what idiotic thing you were just doing to get flattened like a pancake in the first place."

He just smiled at me. "I'm fine."

Ignoring my earlier instruction, he bent his elbow and pushed into the ground, clearly trying to sit up. I let him do it, but as soon as he winced, I shook my head at him.

"Alright, Hot Shot. We're going to the clinic to get you checked out properly."

"That's really not?—"

I shot him a stern look. "We're going. It's not negotiable. Don't make me knock you over the head again to agree."

"You really are bossy." He finally managed to push himself into a full sitting position, then allowed me to wrap my hands around his arm and gently pull him up.

"I'm driving," I said immediately when I saw him reach for his pocket. Without even thinking about it, I stuck my hand in his pocket instead, my fingers rummaging around for the keys when I suddenly noticed I was basically fondling his thigh.

I stopped, my gaze flying up to his as we hobbled across the field. There was a slight smirk on his lips as he glanced at me. "Please, don't stop on my account. In fact, take your time."

I groaned. "You've got a filthy mind when its concussed."

"Any inappropriate comments are from the brain damage," he said and let me help him into Eric's truck. "I cannot be held accountable."

I walked around to climb in behind the wheel and got us moving. The clinic was attached to my dad's dental office and it was right up the road from the school, so I got us there in no time, relieved to know everyone as we walked in.

Sterling sighed. "This really isn't necessary. I was just kidding about the brain damage."

"Yes, it is necessary," I said firmly, holding his arm again just in case—and also just because I could. "You're not going to make me force you, are you?"

"You kind of already are," he said, his voice light and easy and the look on his face strangely pleasant and relaxed.

As much as I liked seeing his expression, I was pretty sure it meant there was something seriously wrong with him. Even though he'd relaxed a little and had laughed and smiled with me the last couple times I'd seen him, there was zero stress or hardness on his features now.

That couldn't be right.

Marge, the head nurse, came out from around the counter as soon as she saw us. "What happened to this big fella?"

"Mr. Hot Shot here thought it was a good idea to take on the youngsters on the football field. He went down pretty hard, so I thought it was better to have the doc check him out."

"Good call," Marge said, sliding a penlight out of her pocket and quickly flashing it across his eyes. Her brow furrowed, but she nodded and rocked back on her heels. "Have a seat in the waiting room. The doctor will be right with you."

"Thanks," I said, guiding him to the hard plastic chairs and sitting down beside him. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he repeated, but he still looked way too happy and calm as he stretched his long legs out ahead of him and leaned back in his seat. "How are you feeling?"

"You mean other than the fact that I thought you were dead when I ran out on the field? I'm peachy."

I filled my lungs with air, needing a second to remind myself that he was okay. When I'd seen him lying there?

I swallowed hard. It had been awful.

Eric had seen my reaction, and while I'd ignored the way he was looking at me while we'd been on that field, I knew he was going to have questions. At first, he'd told me Sterling would shrug it off.

Eventually, he'd helped me move the team away, of course, but I'd seen that look in his eyes. From beginning to end, he'd thought I was overreacting and I was going to have to answer for it.

"I'm fine," Sterling repeated, the side of his hand bumping into the side of my own on the armrest. When I glanced at him, he smiled. "Really, Daph. I've taken much harder hits than that. I just wasn't expecting it this time. I underestimated those boys, is all. Remember when you told me not to worry so much after I almost broke your head?"

I nodded. His smile became softer and more genuine as his gaze held my own. "Well, this time, I'm telling you not to worry so much. Although I appreciate it."

I dragged in a deep breath through my nostrils, nodding again while trying not to obsess about what it did to my insides when he smiled at me like that. Like I meant something to him. Like he was genuinely trying to reassure me that he was okay because he knew I cared.

Thankfully, Marge walked in then, smiling before waving her hand for him to follow. "You can come in with me now, Sterling. Doc is squeezing you in between patients."

"Thanks," he said, rising slowly to his feet before glancing at me. "Do you want to come with me? I know it'll help if you hear someone other than me say that I'm okay."

I knew I should turn down the offer. I wasn't his wife, his girlfriend, or even his friend, but my throat was burning with worry and the image of him lying so still on that field kept skating across my mind. "Sure. I'll come."

Shooting to my feet, I followed after him, grinning nervously once Marge left us in the exam room alone to wait for the doctor. "This feels like we're an old married couple right now, doesn't it?"

"Don't tempt me," he said, sounding completely serious as he looked at me again.

My face turned red and my stomach did a little flip. "You shouldn't make jokes about stuff like that with a straight face."

"I wasn't joking."

The door opened and the doctor walked in, striding directly to Sterling. He introduced himself and I tried to slow my heartrate before I passed out myself. Did he really just say all that? What is happening?

"Mr. North? It's good to see again. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm?—"

"Doctor Hepburn," Sterling said with a grin. "Of course, I remember you. You put a cast on my arm when I was six. How could I forget? I'm surprised to see you're still around, Doc."

Doctor Hepburn chuckled and shrugged, pulling out a penlight of his own. "I'm like a weed, not that easy to get rid of. Want to tell me what you're doing here? I heard you got sacked by the football team, is that right?"

"Yep," he said.

"Sterling thought he could take on the entire current team with only my brother as backup," I said. "He got tackled quite hard, Doc. He even lost consciousness for a second."

The doctor nodded at me. "Thanks, Daph. You should've told me that, Mr. North."

Sterling shrugged. "I know what it feels like not to be fine, and I'm not feeling that. I'm fine."

The doctor chuckled. "I'll be the judge of that."

After a brief examination, the doctor smiled at both of us. "I'm happy to report you're not concussed, Mr. North. If you start feeling any symptoms after you leave here, call my office immediately, but outside of that, just take it easy for a couple days and you'll be fine."

Sterling nodded and shook the doctor's hand before we left. As we walked back outside, he held his hand out to me with his palm up. "Keys."

I snorted. "No way. I'm driving you home, Hot Shot. You heard the man. You have to take it easy."

"He said I was fine," he retorted but dutifully walked around to the passenger side of the truck once he realized I wasn't going to back down.

On our way back to the farm, we were both quiet, me obsessing about that moment I'd seen him go down and everything he'd said to me since, and him probably thinking about some supermodel he'd been with back in the city. When we got to his house, I turned off the truck and got out with him, giving him a pointed look when he opened his mouth to question me.

"Don't," I said. "I'm walking you to your door. I insist."

"This reminds me of something." He sounded amused as we climbed the stairs to their porch. "What does this remind me of, Daph?"

"Probably the night you walked me home after the cops shut down that party," I said.

He chuckled. "So you do remember."

"Of course, I remember."

When we reached his door, he turned to face me. "Do you? Do you remember everything about that night?"

"Yep. Good night, Sterling. I'll bring Eric's truck back to you tomorrow."

As I turned to leave, he caught my hand, holding it until I turned back to him. That fluttery feeling exploded in my stomach as he gripped my fingers and stared into my eyes. "Thanks for everything, Daphne. Really. I appreciate it."

"Anytime," I murmured, staying right where I was because I was completely unable to move. I couldn't even remember how to give my feet the command to do it. So I just stood there, staring right back at him, holding his hand, and wondering if tonight was going to be the night when he finally kissed me.