Page 49 of Moonlight Feels Right
He texted back: Good. Just waiting for the results. Can't see the doctor until three.
No problem. We should celebrate tonight.
We'll see. He was confident, but he needed to get the official results before he could even think of celebrating.
I'm going to keep positive thoughts.
He appreciated her supportive text. He could use all the positivity he could get.
When he reported back to Dr. Marquez at three p.m., he had to wait another excruciating twenty minutes before he was invited into his office to review the results.
"I'm impressed," the doctor said, giving him a smile. "Your recovery has been exceptional, Captain." He looked at the computer screen on his desk. "Blood work is perfect. Cardiovascular and lung function are excellent, flexibility is within optimal parameters, strength and reaction times are slightly above your last pre-injury exam."
"So I passed?" he asked, still needing to hear the words.
"Yes."
He stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "I appreciate all the help I got here from you and your team. I wouldn't be feeling as good as I am without the excellent medical care I received."
"You're very welcome," Marquez replied. "And I hope I never see you here again."
"I hope the same thing."
As he walked out of the medical center into the bright afternoon sunlight, he drew in a deep breath and let it out, feeling a tremendous amount of relief. One hurdle cleared.
He pulled out his phone and texted Emmalyn: Physically cleared.
Her response came almost immediately: So happy! Olivia and I are going to swim with Henry and Paige if that's okay with you.
Absolutely!
See you soon.
The simple message gave him far too much pleasure, and he had to remind himself that Ocean Shores wasn't his long-term home, and that Emmalyn and Olivia weren't his family.
Chapter Fifteen
Hunter jumped into the pool around four thirty with a big splash that delighted Olivia and sprayed Emmalyn with cool water that she laughingly wiped out of her eyes as he came to the surface.
"Nice," she said dryly.
"Sorry. I needed to let off some steam."
"I'll bet. Long day but a good ending."
"A very good ending," he agreed.
She was happy to see the sparkle of happy relief in his dark-brown eyes. He swam over to Olivia and Henry and picked each one up and tossed them across the pool as they screamed with delight.
"Hunter is actually astonishingly good with children," Paige said. "Considering how he used to be before Olivia arrived, I would never have guessed."
"He looks so much lighter now," she said.
"He's finally healthy again, not just physically but emotionally," Paige commented.
"I'm so glad to see it."
"You're getting invested in him."
