The Strength to Fall (McKinnon Brothers Book 1) Read Free

hair. He looks frazzled or angry, not knowing him makes it hard to tell which one. Either way, I’m so embarrassed by this whole ordeal I look away from his stare. I glance down to my Fitbit to see my pulse is amazingly normal at around 60. Wow, that’s quite a drop in a few minutes. That’s never happened before, not without medication anyway. I look up as I see his feet and muscular legs standing near me.
    “I tried to call Doc but he’s not answering his phone, as usual, so I asked Mark to use the intercom to buzz him. Doc can check your ankle. I mean, if that’s ok? It’s a Friday and most the clinics near here either close all day or close at noon and since it’s almost five your only option would be the hospital to get your leg and ankle checked out. Really, I wouldn’t attempt that unless you just want to sit in the ER for the rest of the day and night. Do you have someone here with you that can come assist you?” He seemed nervous and was talking very fast. I noticed he was grabbing the strap of my purse tightly. When I reached out to get it our fingers grazed and I swear I heard his breathe intake. Our eyes met at this point and a small smile crept to his lips.
    “Oh, yeah, sorry. Here’s your purse and your phone.” He reached in his pocket and retrieved my pink cased iPhone. I silently thanked God I bought a shatter resistant case, I’m known for breaking my phone and moving to a new city I didn’t want to deal with replacing it. I took my purse and phone from him setting both in my lap.
    “I think I picked everything up that spilled out of your purse. I, I wasn’t trying to look at your items so I may have missed something. I’m not an expert on the content of women’s purses so…”
    “Thank you,” I interrupted him. It seemed to startle him because he stood up a little straighter. “Uh, I’m so sorry you even had to do that. I’m probably fine. I think it’s just a sprain and some bruises. I appreciate your help, really, but you can go now. I don’t want to impose on your time any longer.”
    “Where are you from?”
    “What?”
    “Your accent, I mean, you don’t sound like you’re from here.” He glanced at me slowly as if I might take offense to that.
    “Oh, um, I’m from Mississippi, the south. Well, of course you know that Mississippi is in the south.” I chuckled nervously and bit my bottom lip. I saw his hand twitch from the corner of my eye.
    He cleared his throat. “From the south. That’s what I thought. Your accent, um, I like it.” He smiled shyly.
    Not knowing what to say about that confession I just smiled back. The pain was really starting to become more unbearable and I winced slightly.
    “Are you in pain?” He asked with a concerned look and urgency in his voice.
    I wanted to lie but really at this point it was hopeless.
    “Yes, I am. I thought I could bare it but really it’s starting to feel worse. I glanced at my ankle and swore under my breath. It had doubled in size.
    “Ozias? What happened?” A man looking to be in his middle 50’s approached us. He was wearing light green scrubs like surgeons wear and had light blonde hair that was greying at his temples. He was serious and possibly even angry.
    Ozias. Is that Mr. Hazel Eyes’ name? Wow.
    “Doc, oh, um, um” Ozias stuttered seemingly nervous with the man’s arrival.
    “Well, spit it out son. I don’t have all day. What happened and who is this?” He glanced towards me with questioning eyes and I immediately felt under attack. I recoiled at his stare. Not a great bedside manner there, Doc, I thought to myself.
    “Um, I, um, I had just come back from my run and I was still coming down….and I got a call so I look----
    Doc interrupted Ozias with one hand planted firmly on his hip and the other flaying out toward me. “Distracted? And you plowed in to this young women causing this much damage? Damn it, son. When will you ever grow up? You can’t spend your whole life with your head in the