Chapter Five: Kelsey

Andrew had been grumpier than I anticipated when I arrived at the cute house Rory owned. But I understood—or at least tried to. I’d never been injured as badly as he had. As Owen described, Andrew had sustained an injury to his knee and back after being thrown off a horse, and he was lucky to be alive.

The doctor’s therapy orders went into more detail, describing the spinal bruising and patella dislocation. He was very lucky to not be paralyzed or dead.

Thankfully, I’d dealt with both injuries from players before, so I was familiar with the exercises needed to help Andrew heal. Before I packed up my things from my apartment to make my way to Ashfield, I phoned Jackson and let him know what I was doing and asked if he had any suggestions. He emailed over an extensive list of additional exercises to try, so I had plans to put Andrew through the ringer.

If he let me.

He’d holed himself up in the bedroom most of the evening, only allowing me to enter when dinner was ready. I tried to make light conversation with him while I sat in a chair in the corner of the room, but he only answered with grunts and groans. I left him, knowing I was going to give him one day to sulk in his misery, then tomorrow, he’d get a full workover by Sunshine Kelsey.

Heck, most people who’d gone through what I did with my job and ex-boyfriend would probably take more than a day to wallow in their misery right along with him. But I didn’t want to spend a single second thinking about either loss. The thing was, I wasn’t even mad at the team. They had their rules, and I broke them. I was livid at my ex. The bastard.

Groaning, I rolled over and came face-to-face with the back of the couch. It wasn’t the most comfortable piece of furniture, and I felt my neck muscles pull as I tried to sit up. I stayed up late watching a rerun of Friends and forgot to set up my air mattress to sleep on in the living room. When Rory mentioned the home only had one bedroom, I knew Andrew was going to want his space. I wasn’t going to be his favorite person when the rehab started, and he’d want to keep his distance. So, I packed up my bedding along with all the clothes I’d need, and on my trip here, I stopped and purchased a brand-new air mattress.

Now, I was regretting not taking the few minutes to set it up, as I tried to stretch and felt all my muscles tense. Glancing down, I realize I hadn’t even changed out of my clothes I’d worn all day yesterday.

Thankfully, the bathroom had a door in the hallway and inside the bedroom, so I gathered my things and ducked inside. I was in desperate need of a shower and made sure to lock the door to the bedroom before slinking out of my clothes and turning on the shower. Stepping under the spray, I felt immediate relief as the overly hot water pounded my skin.

“Mm…,” I moaned as I felt all the tension leave my muscles.

Realizing I didn’t bring any toiletries in my haste to leave my apartment, I grabbed the plain-looking bottle of shampoo in the shower alcove. Flipping the cap, I took a quick sniff of the liquid and realized it smelled amazing. More masculine and clean than it was floral like my own.

It didn’t take long for my hair to lather, and I quickly followed it with some conditioner I was surprised to find.

Oh my God! What if he has a girlfriend?

The thought popped into my mind, and I nearly dropped the body wash I was squeezing into my palm. I hadn’t even thought about him having a significant other who probably wouldn’t be thrilled with me staying at the house with him. Rory never mentioned anyone—not that we spoke about her brother often.

“Shit,” I mumbled as I rinsed off and reached for the towel I found in the linen closet in the corner of the bathroom before I stepped into the shower.

If he had a girlfriend, wouldn’t she have driven him home from the hospital or been with his family when I arrived?

It was something I was going to have to press Andrew about.

Dressing quickly, I made my way back to the living room and put up my things before heading toward the bedroom.

“Good morning!” I called out cheerfully as I walked around the room and opened the curtains—much to Andrew’s dismay, if his growl was anything to go by.

“Let’s work on sitting up, and I can help you to the bathroom.”

It took ten minutes of arguing with Andrew yesterday evening for him to allow me to help him use the toilet. It was a simple task, and though I wasn’t technically a nurse, I knew how to turn my head when he relieved himself.

But today was going to be an even tougher challenge.

“You know what else we can do this morning?” I prompted, as he struggled to push himself up. He was likely sorer today than yesterday, since he refused the pain medications before bed.

“Cut back on the caffeine?” he asked pointedly. His mention of caffeine had me immediately wanting a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Unfortunately, I knew the famed coffee chain didn’t have a location in Ashfield. But there was a local coffee shop that served a brew just as good, if not better, and it was next to Alex Easterly’s cake shop. One more reason I loved this town.

“Um. No. You get to take a bath!” I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, but I knew Andrew was going to fight me… again. It’s like he got enjoyment out of doing the complete opposite of what he needed.

“No.”

Walking over to the bed, I leaned down, bringing my face within inches of his. His eyes searched mine, and I noticed there were gold flecks mixed within the whisky-brown irises.

“When I say you need a bath, it’s not because I’m trying to get you naked. It’s because you stink.”

“I do not,” he grumbled, but I could see in his expression he knew he wasn’t at his freshest.

Straightening, I crossed my arms beneath my chest, and I watched his eyes dart down from my face to my raised breasts at the V-cut of my shirt.

“You smell like a barn, disinfectant, and sweat. A gross combination. Did they bathe you at all in the hospital?”

Andrew rolled those gorgeous eyes and frowned. “I wouldn’t let them while I was awake. But I’m sure they did while I was in the coma.”

“Don’t sound so upset about it. I’m sorry people would rather you be clean,” I said with a chortle. “Now, I’m in need of a coffee and a few other things. If you’re a good boy and let me give you a bath, then I’ll take you with me.”

“I thought I needed to rest.”

“Are you rested?”

When he didn’t answer, I pressed him again. “Well?”

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll let you help me, but I’m keeping my pants on.”

His reply didn’t surprise me. I suspected the large man might be lacking in the male part of his anatomy and was embarrassed. I wasn’t ever going to call him out on that, but it was a plausible theory. All the players I worked with were more than happy to drop trou when they thought they were packing something special in their pants. Most of the time, they were cockier in personality than they were in the literal sense, including my ex.

In truth, ice baths never did any man favors in that department.

With little help from him, I moved Andrew into a standing position and worked to remove the brace around his knee. While I worked it free, he tried removing his shirt but struggled. Even though he injured his back, there was a good chance he’d have a hard time moving his limbs as well.

“Can you hold still for a moment? I know something that will help.”

Andrew nodded as his jaw ticked. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the scissors poking out of the knife block.

Back in the room, I gripped the hem of the scrub top and sliced the material up to his chin and then did the same along the back. This allowed me to pull the shirt off down his arms, revealing a battered and bruised trunk. There was barely any natural skin color left, only shades of purple and yellow. I held back my gasp as his muscles rippled beneath my hands while I slid the material down his arms. Even injured, Andrew had a glorious build—one that the scrubs had hidden. I knew how he sustained his injuries and was flabbergasted he even survived. But now I knew all these muscles had definitely helped keep his bones safe.

Crouching, I placed my hand on his thigh and nearly dropped the scissors when he jerked.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I told you—”

“I was just going to cut the legs off,” I interrupted, so he wouldn’t start another argument.

After a moment, he nodded. “That’s fine.”

I cut along the scrub bottoms to make them boxer-length and tossed the shears and material onto the bed. Then I tucked myself under Andrew’s arm so I could help him walk, trying to ignore the fact that I was touching his bare skin.

He wasn’t one of my players, so it almost felt wrong. Especially since little flutters whipped around inside my belly. I couldn’t remember the last time those butterflies broke free of their cocoons.

Turning my back to the toilet, I allowed Andrew to relieve himself before I moved him to lean against the bathroom counter, so I’d be able to get the water started.

“Do you think a bath or shower would be easier? The doctor mentioned you had surgery so you can’t submerge the wound, but I brought a shower seat with me.” If he chose the bath, I wouldn’t be able to let the tub fill. The shower in Rory’s house was a tub and shower combination, and either choice was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. I’d never let anyone know I needed the distraction to keep my mind off my own life.

“Probably a bath. Let me get a hold on the washcloth bar to take some of the weight off you.”

Even though he held on and tried to shift his weight, I took the brunt of it—willingly. He didn’t need to hurt himself further. While he stood there, I ran out to my car and got the shower seat I’d packed and returned before even a minute had passed. Once he was settled and comfortable, I reached for the faucet.

“It’s going to be cold at first.” I would have turned the water on first, but I was worried about him slipping.

“That’s fine.”

Good on him. I hated stepping into the shower when the water was still warming up.

Thankfully, it heated quickly.

“Want some fancy body wash? I bet Rory has some around here somewhere.”

“I’m okay,” Andrew replied, and I swear I heard a hitch in his voice.

“Was that a laugh?”

Shaking his head, he remained quiet.

“I bet the water feels nice. The players I work with like to pretend they love the ice bath, but I know they secretly love a good, warm bath even more.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because they all request time in the personal hot tubs on their training days,” I replied, smiling as I lathered up a washcloth and began smoothing it over his shoulder. I expected Andrew to complain but was surprised when his eyes closed.

“Do you like working with baseball players?” he asked.

I shrugged, even though he couldn’t see at the moment. “I like making people feel their best. Sports physical therapy is just the field that interested me the most. My dad was a big baseball fan.”

“Was?”

“He died in a car accident when I was in college,” I said solemnly.

“I’m sorry. I lost my dad too.”

“You did?”

“Yep. Military.”

“He was a hero then,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“He was my hero.” I glanced up and saw Andrew was watching me with sad eyes.

Realizing I was spending a little too long on his arms, I moved down to his legs as the sound of the running water filled the room. I focused on his feet and shins, taking great care when I got to his swollen and injured knee. As I approached his thighs, I ran small circles along the skin. The back of my hand skimmed along the wet hem of his makeshift shorts, and suddenly Andrew’s hand fell on top of mine.

“I can take care of that part,” he stated, his voice husky.

“All right, but don’t bend that leg, okay?” I advised, as I turned to face the door to the hallway.

A few minutes later—after washing his hair, draining the tub, then turning on the shower while he stayed seated, so I could rinse him clean of all the soap—I helped him leave the bathroom. I always thought babies were slippery after a bath, but Andrew could give them a run for their money, as his body nearly slipped out of my hold a dozen times before I could fully dry him with a towel. And none of that had anything to do with the wet do-it-yourself shorts that clung to every part of his muscular thighs and outlined a significant bulge that surprised me.

He had no reason to hide that.

I wrapped the towel around his waist when I was finished drying him with it, and we slowly made our way back to the bedroom.

“All right, how do you want to do this?” I asked as he carefully leaned against the bed, and I wrapped the brace back around his knee.

“What do you mean?”

“We need to get you dressed.”

“Oh.” Andrew’s eyes moved around the room as if he was searching for some sort of solution but was coming up empty.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I ran with it. Moving over to the dresser, I opened the top drawer and yanked it free, then carried it over to Andrew.

“Here. Please make your selection, sir,” I said, trying my best to sound like the butlers in old movies.

I caught the smirk on Andrew’s lips as he grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and felt proud of myself.

“You can just grab a shirt and shorts from the bottom drawer. That’s all my workout stuff.”

“Okay. What do you normally wear? Would you feel more comfortable in something else?”

“I wear jeans and a T-shirt around the farm, and a suit if I’m dealing with contracts.”

The idea of Andrew wearing a suit caused my stomach to clench. I bet they were tailored to his body like a second skin. That was something I definitely wanted to see one day.

“Those would definitely be more restrictive. I think you’ve made a good choice,” I replied as I grabbed a gray shirt made of dry-wicking material and a pair of black basketball shorts.

With the outfit resting on the bed, I turned to face Andrew and placed my hands on my hips.

“So…”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“We need to remove the wet shorts and put on the dry clothes. Next week, we can start bending the leg for short periods of time, but not yet. It needs to heal.”

“Of course we do.”

“I’ll let you decide. Do you want me in front or behind?” I could have been mistaken, but I swore I heard a low rumble come from his chest.

When he didn’t answer, I decided for him. There was only so much temptation a woman could withstand from an attractive guy who could give Superman a run for his money.

“Backside it is!” I responded with a flourish as I grabbed the boxers and the shorts and kneeled on the floor by his calves as he faced the mattress.

After removing the towel and wet scrub shorts, I instructed Andrew on how to lift his leg so I could pull up the dry clothing.

It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to stare at his perfect ass—because of course it would be perfect. I’d never been jealous of a man’s ass before, but I was now.

Trying to distract both of us, I asked him for details about how he got injured, since I only knew he’d been thrown off a horse, and his body stilled.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“I was riding the horse bareback.”

“Oh, that’s….” I didn’t know much about bareback riding. The only time I’d seen it done was at local—

“In a rodeo. The pickup men couldn’t get control of the horse before I was tossed off.”

It wasn’t until a few seconds passed that I realized my hands rested along the waistband of his boxers, right along his hips. I quickly pulled them away.

“Wow, Rory never mentioned you participated in rodeos.”

“That’s because she didn’t know. None of them did. Only Nate.”

“Oo… mysterious talent. I love it.” I giggled as I worked on moving the basketball shorts up his legs.

As I settled the shorts in place, I stood and grabbed his shirt. “How did no one find out?”

“I used an alias. Wyatt Renfield.”

Pulling the shirt over his head, I helped him lift his arms, since I knew the movement would pull at his back. “Are you any good?” I asked as I let the hem of the shirt drop and looked him in the eye.

“I usually place in the top three.”

“That’s incredible. I can hear in your voice you love the sport.”

“I do… or did. Not sure anyone would let me go back to doing it now. Plus, there’s the farm. That’s my responsibility.”

“Seems like what happened was a complete fluke. And if you ask me, which you didn’t, I’d never tell you to give something up that you’re passionate about.”

I didn’t expect a reply, so when he grunted, a sound I was becoming far too familiar with, I chuckled.

Putting the towel back in the bathroom and grabbing a pair of tennis shoes I saw in the hallway, I laced Andrew up, and we headed out the door.

I was in desperate need of coffee and sweets, especially since I saw a side of Andrew I hadn’t expected. He may have come across as burly and mean, but beneath that exterior was a man who loved what he did and was miserable about having to give it up.

With a bit of maneuvering, I was able to get him situated in my car by sliding the passenger seat all the way back and only slightly but gently bending his leg with my assistance.

“Are you ready?”

“Not in the slightest,” he replied with a snarl and his arms crossed against his chest.

“Perfect. Let’s get some liquid happiness, because you’re going to need it when we start some stretches this afternoon.”

“You mean liquor? Great,” he quipped, and I shook my head.

“Not with the meds you’re on. The happiness I’m referring to is coffee.”

He harrumphed.

“Aw, come on. Don’t be a party pooper,” I added as I backed out of the driveway.

“I would literally rather be anywhere else right now.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me, so let’s make the most of it. And if you’re nice, maybe I’ll buy you a treat.”

The drive into town was a simple one, which I knew from my past trips to Ashfield, and by the time I found a parking spot on the street, I was practically salivating thinking about the sugary goodness that waited for me behind the glass doors.

“You want to wait here?”

The large man growled as he leaned the seat back and rested his baseball cap he grabbed on our way out the door over his face.

Chuckling, I rolled the windows down and exited the car.

“Don’t go anywhere,” I called out as I reached the sidewalk, only to be answered with a stiff middle finger in the air from my passenger.

I nearly ran into a couple while I was still looking over my shoulder and laughing as they exited the coffee shop. After a quick apology, I ducked inside and got the largest spiced latte I could order and a blueberry muffin.

Stepping outside with my goodies, I let the cool fall breeze swirl around me, and I closed my eyes.

I always tried to be an optimistic person, but losing both my job and boyfriend in one day knocked me down and into reality for a moment.

But right then, as I sat on a bench near my car, opening my eyes to stare at the man who barely fit inside my small car, I wondered if all of it happened for a reason. This job, this town, these people smiling at me as they walked by. It all left me feeling like this was exactly where I was supposed to be at this moment.