Page 27 of The Hellion and the Captain
“How so?” she said, outrage growing on her face.
“What if they had hurt you? One of them did! There’s already a bruise growing on your ribs.”
His heart had been beating hard ever since he had seen it, and it had yet to let up.
“Men and women bruise the same.”
“Yes, but if it ever came out that they hurt a woman?—”
“How could that be anyone’s fault?” she said, throwing her arms out wide to the side. “This is all ridiculous. You know the truth, now, Rhys, so the question is, what are you going to do about it?”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. He hadn’t been able to yet overcome the hurt he felt at her deception, as well as his own stupidity for not realizing it himself.
She had even put his reputation at stake.
“I vouched for you,” he said, lifting a finger to point it at her, but he lowered it when he saw that it was shaking in anger. “I told the club committee that you would be a good fit for our team, and now—now I find out that you’re… you’re…you.”
“So eloquent.”
“Emmaline!”
“Well, as it happens, Rhys, I am tired and cold and my ribs hurt. If you are done feeling sore about this, can I go now? I assume that I am not welcomed back.”
“I—” He didn’t know what to say. Of course she couldn’tcontinue playing, but the thought of her walking out that door and hating him forever also didn’t sit right with him. “Let me take a look at your ribs.”
“I’m fine.”
“They didn’t look fine,” he said in a softer tone. “Please, Emmaline?”
She paused for a moment, obviously hearing the sincerity in his tone, for her shoulders dropped and she let down her guard.
“Fine,” she said. “But be quick about it.”
He nodded then motioned to the bench in front of him.
She took a seat and slowly lifted the hem of her shirt, one inch at a time, until he could properly see the injury.
There wasn’t much he could do but assess it, which he hoped would encourage her to show it to someone with more medical acumen.
He pushed around the outside of the bruise, on the bone, but nothing happened. It wasn’t until he prodded the bruise as he followed the bone that she let out a yelp.
He continued to poke around onto the bruised area.
“Does it hurt more on the bone, or equally beside it?”
“The entire area hurts,” she said, gasping, and he nodded, satisfied.
“I believe you bruised yourself, although it is a bad one,” he said, “but you shouldn’t need any additional treatment.”
“Are you a physician now?” she asked, lifting a brow as she looked back over her shoulder at him, and he couldn’t help but pick up a cloth, lean over her, and wipe her face.
“Basically,” he said. “If you ever have a problem, you know where to come.”
“Somehow I’m not sure that you are properly qualified.”
“I’ve fixed a great deal of aches and sprains. Had more than a few of my own. Rest it. Put ice on it, if you can.”
“Ice?”
