Amy Ruttan - Taming Her Navy Doc

And it was his fault Liam was dead and that Megan was a widow. One stupid wrong move, that was what Thorne had done, and Liam had pushed him out of the way.

Liam had paid with his life and Thorne would forever make penance for that mistake.

Thorne had enlisted in the Special Ops and was accepted as a SEAL. It had been Liam’s passion and Thorne planned to fulfill it for him.

And then he’d lost his leg saving another.

He didn’t regret it.

Though he was ashamed he was no longer in the Special Ops. When he’d taken that bullet for Tyler he’d been able to see Liam’s face, disappointed over another foolish move.

Thorne had returned to serve as a medic ashamed and numb to life.

He wasn’t the same man anymore, and it wasn’t just the absence of his leg which made him different.

At least he still had surgery. When the assignment to command the general surgery clinic in Okinawa had come up, Thorne had jumped at it—and when he’d seen that Erica, a highly recommended and decorated surgeon in the Navy, was requesting reassignment to Okinawa Prefecture, Thorne had wanted the chance to know more about the woman who’d taken his leg and saved his life.

Had she?

His mother didn’t like the fact he’d gone back to serving after he lost his leg.

“I lost your brother and almost lost you. Take the discharge and come home!”

Except Thorne couldn’t. Serving in the Navy was his life. He might not be an active SEAL any longer, but he was still a surgeon. He was useful.

He was needed. If he couldn’t be a SEAL and serve that way, in honor of his brother he could do this.

Thorne scrubbed his hand over his face. His leg was bothering him and soon he’d head back to his quarters on the base and take off his prosthetic. Maybe soak his stump in the ocean to ease the pain. He couldn’t swim, but he could wade.

Water soothed Thorne and aided him with his phantom limb syndrome. Seeing Erica face-to-face had made his leg twinge. As if it knew and remembered she’d been the one to do the surgery and was reacting to her.

Perhaps bringing her here was a bad idea.

She knew and had seen too much of his softer side. He’d been exposed to her, lying naked on her surgical table, and Thorne was having a hard time trying to process that.

Perhaps he should’ve kept her away.

A flash behind him made him turn and he could see dark clouds rolling in from the east. It was typhoon season in Okinawa, but this was just a regular storm. The tall palm trees along the beach in the distance began to sway as the waves crashed against the white sand.

A dip was definitely out of the question now.

The storm rolling in outside reflected how he felt on the inside and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was losing his mind by bringing her here.

When had he become so morbid and self-obsessed?

He couldn’t reassign her without any just cause. It would damage her reputation and he wouldn’t do that to Erica.

No, instead he’d force her to ask for a reassignment on her own terms.

Though he didn’t want to do it, he was going to make Erica’s life here in Okinawa hard so that she’d put in for the first transfer to San Diego and he could forget about her.

Once and for all.

“YOU’VE BEEN HERE a week and you’ve been getting some seriously crummy shifts.”

Erica glanced up from her charting at Bunny Hamasaki, a nurse and translator for the hospital. A lot of the residents of Ginowan knew English, but some of the older residents didn’t. Bunny was middle-aged, born and bred on Okinawa. Her father was a Marine and her mother a daughter of a fisherman.

She’d been born at the old hospital down the road and seemed to know everyone and everything about everyone.

“I could say the same for you,” Erica remarked.

Bunny snorted. “I’m used to these shifts. This time of night is when I’m needed the most. Plus I can avoid my husband’s snoring and bad breath, working the night shift.”

Erica chuckled and turned back to her charting.

Bunny reminded her of her scrub nurse, bunk mate and best friend Regina. Truth be told, she was a wee bit homesick for the Hope and for her friends.

This is what you wanted. You’ll make captain faster this way .

And that was what really mattered—proving herself.

“I don’t think I’m getting crummy shifts.”

Bunny snorted again. “Commander, with all due respect, you’re getting played with.”

Bunny moved away from the nursing station to check on a patient and, as Erica glanced around the recovery room, she had to agree.

Since her arrival a week ago all she’d been getting was night shifts.

Which seriously sucked, because by the time she’d clocked out she was too exhausted to explore, socialize or make friends in Okinawa. Then again, she was here to work, not to make friends. After her shift, she’d return to her housing on base and collapse.

Maybe she’d unpack. Though she didn’t usually do that until she’d been on-site for at least a month.

No. She’d probably just crash and sleep the day away. Except for the first day she’d arrived and met with Dr. Wilder, she hadn’t seen Okinawa in the daylight.

He’s putting you through your paces .

That was something she was familiar with.

Even though she was a high-ranking officer, she was positive the other surgeons were having fun initiating her, seeing how their commanding officer was doing it.

“Stupid ritual,” she mumbled to herself.

“What was that, Commander?”

Erica snapped the chart closed and stood to attention when she realized Dr. Wilder was standing behind her. “Nothing, sir.”

Thorne cocked an eyebrow, a smile of bemusement on his face. “You’re not up for formal inspection, Commander. At ease.”

Erica opened her chart again and flipped to the page she’d left off at, trying to ignore the fact that Dr. Wilder was standing in front of her. She could feel his gaze on her.

“I heard the whole conversation with Bunny,” he mentioned casually.

“Oh, yes?” Erica didn’t look up.

“I’m scheduling you for the night shift deliberately. You do realize that?”

“I know, Captain Wilder.”

“You know?” There was a hint of confusion in his voice.

Erica sighed; she was never going to finish this chart at this rate. She set down her pen and glanced up at him. “Yes. Of course you are. I’m not a stranger to this treatment.”

“I bet you’re not.” He leaned against the counter. “You think it’s a stupid ritual?”

“I do.” She wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything. She never did.

His eyes widened, surprised. “Why?”

“It’s bullying.”

“You think I’m bullying you?” he asked.

“Of course. I’m new.”

“And it doesn’t bother you?”

“The ritual bothers me. I think it’s not needed, but it’s not going to dissuade me from my job.”

There was a brief flash of disappointment. Like he’d been trying to get her to snap or something. She was made of stronger mettle than that and he’d have to do a damn lot more to sway her. She was here to stay for the long haul, or at least until she made captain—and then the possibilities would be endless.

“Well, then, you won’t mind working the night shift again next week.”

So much for unpacking .

“Of course not.” She shrugged. “Is that all you wanted to talk about, my shift work?”

His gaze narrowed. “You’re very flippant to your commanding officer.”

She wanted to retort something about him being on her operating table five years ago, but she bit her tongue. The last time she’d lost her cool, when she’d forgotten about the delicate and precise hierarchy, she’d lost her commendation. Of course, that had been a totally different situation with a former lover. Captain Wilder wasn’t her lover. He was just a former patient and now her commanding officer.