Page 70 of Swinging for the Deep End

He pats my back for a second. “It’s okay. This is really good movement. Let’s talk about your hip. Your leg.”

“Buy me a drink first,” I say.

Tony cracks up laughing and claps his hands. “Look at this guy! That mean, dry humor as always. He’s doing great here.”

Kyle steps back. I can see the annoyance on his face.

Nobody wants to deal with Tony. Not even me.

“Talk to me about your routine right now,” Kyle says to me.

“It’s in the paperwork,” Tony calls out.

“Everything I was told to do,” I say, both Kyle and I ignoring Tony. “I’m swimming. Stretching. Pushing myself when I feel like it. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m resting.”

“That’s good,” Kyle says. “Hey, maybe this small town rehab thing will take off.”

Kyle smiles.

Small town rehab thing.

All my energy anymore goes toward one person. And it’s not myself.

Piper Maple.

The sexy, stubborn woman that’s nudged her way near my heart.

Just near it though.

And that’s only because I have the taste of her lingering on my tongue.

No matter how hard I scrub my tongue with my toothbrush, her sweet honey is there.

It’s stained my tongue. It’s tattooed my tongue with its invisible lust.

“What are we thinking here?” Tony asks.

He claps his hands together and rubs them with a creepy vigor.

“Everything is going well,” Kyle says. “There’s an entire process to this. It’s not just one thing. Obviously being away from this facility and the help…” Kyle glances at me. He’s trying not to offend me.

“Noted,” Tony says.

“Well, since you’re here, feel free to use the facility,” Kyle offers. He turns back to me. “Ready to take a look at that hip and leg? Get some movement going?”

“I’ll pass,” I say.

“Cutter,” Tony says.

“I need to talk to you, Tony. Alone.”

Tony slips his hands into his pockets.

“I’ll take that as my cue to disappear,” Kyle says.

He leaves the room.

“How do you really feel, Cutter?” Tony asks.

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