Page 17 of Guarding Our Love
“Mr. Cooper, I just came to check on you.” The nurse walked further into the room.
She kept looking at me, but I didn’t pay her any mind. I felt like she only came in here because she knew I was here. I spotted her at the nurse’s station, staring at me when I walked past. She was cute, but I wasn’t interested. I didn’t know what would happen with Sloan and me, but I damn sure wasn’t going to fuck with anyone that worked in the same place as her. That would fuck things up before I got a chance to shoot my shot.
“Thanks. I’m doing good. Just visiting with my grandson before he has to leave.”
The nurse looked in my direction, and it seemed to catch her off guard that I was there. I lowered my head and chuckled.
“Oh, sorry. Hi.”
I nodded my head and said, “What’s good?”
She blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Cooper… either of you.” She looked me dead in the eyes, but I just nodded my head.
Grandpop and I watched her walk out of the room, and the minute the door closed, we both cracked up.
“Boy, she was close to sitting in your lap, ain’t it?”
“I wasn’t paying her any mind.”
“Oh, I know. Too busy checking for a married Sloan.”
He made sure to remind me that Sloan was married as if I didn’t already know. Hell, I was reminded of the whole time at lunch because the ring was in my face. It was nice, too. He made sure people would see it whenever they looked at her. To me, it didn’t seem like it was her type, but what did I know?
“I’m just reconnecting with an old friend,” I insisted as I stroked my beard.
“I know you, but I’ll let you do whatever you are going to do. I’ll say this, though. Don’t fumble that shit again if you get the chance.”
“Trust me, I won’t.”
I stayed at the hospital another hour, chopping it up with my grandfather. Sloan never came by again, but I told my grandfather to give her my number whenever she came to check on him again. I had some questions about the home health aide. At least, that’s what I told him to tell her. He and I both knew I was full of shit. I wanted to make sure she was good. I had her card, but I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries… yet.
“Oh no! Coop missed another three.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with him tonight, Jim, but he’d better get his head in the game.”
The crowd booed when I missed the third three-point attempt I made for the night. It was a good thing I couldn’t hear the announcers because I knew they were talking shit.
“Come on, Coop!” Julian yelled when he came up behind me.
I ran down the court and watched as one of my teammates scored. We were down by eight points, but it was only the first half, so we had time to come back.
The whistle blew, and my coach called me over to the bench.
“I think you need to sit the rest of the half out.”
I glanced at the clock, and it was only three minutes left in the second quarter. I grabbed some water and sat down. I watched Julian and the rest of the guys try to come back. It wasn’t enough time, but instead of trailing by eight, we were trailing by four.
My mind wasn’t in the game. It was on Sloan. I worried about her and wondered what she was doing. I thought she might have called, but she hadn’t.
As soon as the buzzer sounded, I got up and headed to the locker room.
“Coop!” Coach yelled as soon as he entered the locker room. “What the hell is going on with you?”
“Nothing. I’m good, Coach.”
“You aren’t, but whatever it is, you’d better get your shit together this second half.”
