Page 4 of The Cutting Edge
"I hope so sweetie,” he whispers back to her. If I’m being honest, Poppy and her dad are pretty captivating. I’m a little lost in the scene when he looks at me and says, "I can make sure that your friend gets home safely and there's someone to take care of her tonight while you're in the hospital."
"See? It's all taken care of. This gentleman will take care of your friend, and you can focus on recovering from your injury." The doctor is pleased.Not so fast, buster.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," I say. “But I don't actually know this man. Poppy? This is your dad?"
He steps forward with his hand extended. I've never seen anyone with such muscular forearms before. He touches my hand gently as I reach out to shake his, and I feel almost dizzy as our skin brushes. Probably the concussion, as I’m not prone to swooning.
“Hi. I’m Logan Rivers. Yes, I’m Poppy's dad.”
"You were late, Daddy," she admonishes him, pointing her little index finger at him.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. “I got stuck at work, our nanny got stuck in traffic. It’s no excuse, but…”
“No,” she says, pointing from him to me. “You need to apologize to Miss Coco. When we hurt someone, what do we do?” she chides.
He nods his head, properly admonished, “We say we’re sorry.”
“That’s right,” Poppy nods solemnly. If I wasn’t sitting in the ER right now, I would totally be cracking up by this point. As it is, I’m working pretty hard to stifle a grin.
He shifts Poppy to his other hip and walks towards the bed where I’m sitting. “I’m very,verysorry I was late,” he says earnestly. “And I’m so sorry I hit you in the head with a puck.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” the doctor responds before I have a chance to. She holds eye contact with him for a painfully long time, smiling and sort of batting her eyelashes until he looks away awkwardly. Well, it’s painful for me, at least.
“Such a gentleman.” She turns to me, instantly returning to professional mode “Do you have a headache? Feeling any pressure?”
“Yes, both,” I say. “Right where I got hit in the head with the puck.”
She asks me to stand slowly so she can assess my balance.
“What do you do for a living?” She asks.
"I'm a figure skater."
“So you probably have better balance than most. Is that how you know each other?” the doctor asks flirtatiously. "Maybe I should take up figure skating," she says, winking at the strange man. I’m a little conflicted about how to feel here. On one hand, is it just me, or is it creepy that my doctor is hitting on the guy hanging around my room? On the other hand, she probably works long hours as a doctor, and if the only time she can potentially meet eligible bachelors is on the job, well,more power to ya, sister.Who am I to stand in her way?
"This is the longest conversation we’ve ever had, I don’t really know him," I respond, turning to look at Logan, "But thank you for the apology, I accept, and your offer. I appreciate it. I just wouldn't feel comfortable with a complete stranger taking Mrs. Markham to her house or staying there. I doubt she would either.”
Poppy pipes up, “He’s not a stranger, Miss Coco. He’s my daddy. My daddy wouldn’t leave me with a stranger. And ifyou’renot a stranger, thenhecan’t be a stranger.“ My head is now pounding and I can’t seem to formulate a logical response. I’m pretty sure I’ve just been out-maneuvered by a five-year-old.
“Right,” I say gently to Poppy, “Of course.”
“True,” he nods. “I’m happy to take Mrs. Markham home. Or pay for a medical transport if she’d prefer. Or a town car. And I’ll pay for a nurse to come to stay the night with her since I’m the reason you can’t take care of her tonight. It’s the least I can do.”
“Please stand up slowly,” says the doctor, “Let’s check your balance.”
I get to my feet like a wobbly foal and stand there, waiting for further instructions. As soon as she asks me to hold my arms out wide, I begin to lose my footing, and before I know it I'm tumbling into the strong arms of Logan Rivers, who reflexively reaches out to catch me before I’ve even realized what is happening.
My entire body collapses into his rock-hard chest, and in one lightning-fast move, his arms are around me, holding me upright.
His skin is warmer than I would expect, not that I was expecting anything. Just saying.
"Whoa girl, easy there…" He says under his breath as he gently lifts me back up to a standing position. He smells clean and masculine and sexy and I’d like to take a steam bath in a vat of whatever cologne he’s wearing. Hell, it’s probably just him. He looks like the kind of guy who just wakes up in the morning with perfectly mussed hair, and pajama bottoms that cling to his muscular frame in all the best places, smelling all citrusy and manly and ready to chop wood or wrestle a bear.
I’ve never seen him up close like this. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely noticed him before. There’s not an instructor, mommy, or daddy for that matter, who hasn’t noticed him. I mean, the guy is like 6'4 with a jawline that could cut diamonds – he’s hard to miss. At least when he shows up on time.
It’s just usually when he picks up Poppy from figure skating practice, he’s wearing a suit. He usually takes one step inside the rink door and Poppy goes running. I’ve never really seen him up close like this before. Like,beard scruff close.
“Thanks,” I mumble as he effortlessly lifts me upright. Casually, I take one last whiff. You know, for posterity.
