didn’t need an orthopedic surgeon at this point, but she’d only talked about it in casual conversation with her nurse practitioner. Probably while they’d been discussing the weather or some new cookie recipe.
People who didn’t make good choices made him crazy.
People who didn’t listen to him when he gave them instructions and advice made him angry.
Ollie and Dax made stupid decisions sometimes. They were usually driven by a desire to entertain their fans… or to entertain Grant. They weren’t just total fuckups. He’d learned that pretty early on. They were creative and natural risk-takers, and sometimes that manifested itself in doing things like hang gliding off the top of a building on the Vegas strip or losing their shoes to a street magician in Paris. Those sounded bizarre, he completely agreed, but the hang gliding had been a part of a fundraiser, and the street magician had been research for a new addition to their video game. Or something. At the time they’d explained it, Grant had understood. At least enough to say, “Fine. Whatever. I’ve booked you on a flight home, and there will be shoes waiting in the car that’s coming to get you.”
But Ollie and Dax listened to him. After they gave him shit, of course. But they still did what he told them. When he said, “Get your ass back to Chicago. The flight leaves in three hours,” they showed up at the airport. When he said, “You should get that casted in Vegas, or your flight home will be miserable,” they went to the hospital and got a cast put on Ollie’s wrist before coming home.
Jocelyn wasn’t listening to him. Yet.
He also hadn’t fully turned on his bossiness.
He wasn’t above using whatever leverage was needed to get his way. That was just who he was. Ollie and Dax were the creative risk-takers. Cam was the I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think guy. Aiden was the charming leader. And Grant was the I-always-know-best guy.
Grant climbed the back steps and let himself into Josie’s kitchen. She was expecting him after all.
“I was thinking that—”
Whatever he’d been about to say was cut off by the sight of her doubled over, gripping the edge of the counter.
He crossed to her swiftly. “Jocelyn.”
She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile.
“What’s going on?”
“Um, pain,” she said.
“In your shoulder?”
“Kind of. Yes. But not just there.” She took a deep breath.
Grant worked on breathing too. He was shocked by how hard his heart was suddenly pounding. This woman had him in knots. He didn’t even know what was wrong, but seeing her beautiful face scrunched up in pain was making adrenaline surge through him.
“Tell me what’s wrong.” His voice was far sharper than he’d intended, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to fix whatever this was, right now.
“I just am having more pain suddenly,” she said. “Which is strange, right? Because I’m not really using my shoulder.”
“How about we let a doctor decide what’s strange?” he asked. “Is there an urgent care here?”
She shook her head. “I don’t need urgent care.” She straightened, though the move seemed to take longer than it should have. She gave him a smile. “It’s not urgent.”
He frowned at her. “How about we be sure?”
“How about you distract me from this little muscle strain by stretching some of my other muscles?” She winced. “Did that sound dirty or weird?”
He gave a short laugh. “A little weird.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He noticed that while it looked like she had her hand on her hip, she was actually pressing her fingers into her side.
With a frustrated grunt, Grant pulled his phone out and searched for urgent cares in the area. There wasn’t even one in this town? The closest was about eight miles away. Fuck. Where the hell were they?
He took a deep breath. Okay, eight miles. Hell, the closest one to his apartment in Chicago was possibly farther than that. Just the idea of this one being in another town made it feel farther away.
He eyed the blond who was making him worry and fret and cuss. If he kept going here, he was going to be in over his head. He should call Zoe. Or Jane. Or even Aiden or Dax. They would definitely jump in here and take care of her. Zoe and Jane might be even more effective in getting her to the doctor. They knew her better. Had known her longer.
But even as those thoughts occurred to him, Grant knew he was the one who was