Page 64 of Tough Score

But I'm not the only one who notices.

Jaxson stands close. Closer to Keely than I'd like. He smiles down at her. I'll admit the guy is in good shape for someone who spends most of his waking hours working in a hospital. And he's not only good at his job, he's one of the best in his field. I don't have to wonder why Keely agreed to dinner.

And the biggest kicker?

He's not Keely's patient.

I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to interrupt. But then Keely glances up and sees me. Her face breaks into a wide smile, and she waves me over.

"Reeve, you made it!" she calls out.

I jog the last few steps to join them, my knee feeling strong and capable under me. "Hey, sorry I'm late. How'd the game go?"

"We won." Keely beams. "It was close, but we pulled it off in the end."

Jaxson nods in agreement. "Keely here scored the winning goal. She's been a great addition to the team."

I feel a twinge of... something. Pride? Jealousy? I push it aside and focus on congratulating Keely.

"That's awesome! I wish I could have seen it."

Dr. Morgan glances at his watch. "I've got to run - emergency surgery. Great game, Keely. See you next week." He nods to me. "Reeve."

As he walks away, I turn to Keely "So, things are going good with the doctor?" I ask.

"We're not together. I told you… I'm not going on a date with him until after your six-week check-up."

"Right. Okay," I say, because what else is there to say?

She won't consider us since I'm her patient, and with the way things are going, she'll be the new PT for the Hawkeyes.

"Oh! You had your appointment today," she says, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "So? How did it go?"

I can't help but grin. "Really well, actually. The doctor says I'm healing faster than expected. If I keep up with my PT, I might be back on the ice in a few weeks."

Keely's face lights up. "Reeve, that's incredible. I'm so happy for you."

Without thinking, I pull her into a hug. She stiffens for a moment, then relaxes into my embrace. I breathe in the scent of her shampoo mixed with fresh grass and sweat. It's intoxicating.

I pull back, suddenly aware of how close we are. "So, uh, since I missed the game... think you could give me a reenactment of your winning goal. That is if you can get it past me." I challenge.

Keely raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? You think you can block my shot?"

I laugh. "I may be injured, but I'm not dead. And I'm as good as cleared from the doctor."

She grins, a competitive glint in her eye. "Okay then. You're on, hockey boy."

We head out to the middle of the now-empty field. Keely grabs a ball from her bag and starts dribbling it between her feet.

"Alright, hotshot. Let's see what you've got," she teases.

I move towards her, careful of my knee but determined to show her I'm not completely useless. She dodges around me easily, laughing as she goes.

"Come on, Reeve! I thought you said you could keep up!"

I chase after her when she turns and starts running for the other side of the soccer field towards the other goal.

"That's cheating," I yell after her.