Collecting the Pieces

by L. A. Fiore

  For as fun loving as Jayce was he was also an excellent guide and very responsible. I would guess he was uncomfortable with the idea of me on my own, even with getting some alone time with his lady-love. It was time to catch up to the others. I turned to head back to Angel Food Cake when my foot hit a patch of loose earth and before I could even scream, I was sliding down. I tried to grab onto something without success before lifting my hands to keep the branches that I flew past from getting me in the eyes. I came to a jarring stop and just lay there staring up at the sky mortified and afraid to move and learn I’d broken something. My head hurt, possible concussion from the few rough hits it had taken on the way down—rocks in my path that got my back too because it burned. Sore and with shock setting in, I managed to sit up as my muscles protested and took stock. Nothing felt broken but my back was on fire. I reached around to touch the sorest spots and my fingers came away with blood.

  Only me. My first trail ride and I slide down an embankment. Staring up at where I’d come from, it wasn’t all that high but steep enough to hurt like hell coming down it. This was why I avoided riding horses. Angel Food Cake. I hadn’t tied her up and Duncan had said she’d find her way home if we got separated. Jayce and Rylee were between her and home; they’d find me. I just needed to stay put.

  I wouldn’t be living this down. Once Rylee got over her worry and concern, she would be having some fun at my expense. Honestly, had the shoe been on the other foot I’d do the same. I stood, since my poor muscles were growing stiff, and paced wondering what was taking them so long. I wasn’t being fair; I had only myself to blame for the pickle I was in, but I was in the middle of nowhere. I hadn’t a clue how to get back and there were wild animals out here like that mountain lion. That had fear prickling my skin and it was then that I noticed how very quiet it had become. The birds were no longer singing and it was likely they never had been, but the idea that even now the mountain lion was moving toward me, especially since I was bleeding—a scent he’d catch—had my feet moving. I tried to find a way back up the trail, but as far as I could see it was steep enough that I’d never be able to climb it. I would likely just slip back down again and I’d rather forego round two. Would I eventually find my way back if I continued heading in the direction we’d been going? A noise, the rustling of underbrush too close for comfort, had me running. I hoped like hell I was going in the right direction because it would be dark soon.

  “You look good, Carly.”

  “I feel good. Thanks for coming with me today.”

  “I was surprised you wanted to come here. You’ve stayed away for so long.”

  “I always loved it here, maybe too much, but I’ve missed it. It was like home for me growing up. Mom was always working. Garrett and Marnie became like surrogate parents to me.”

  “So why did you stay away?”

  We had just reached the front of the house when she gasped. It wasn’t a gasp triggered in me at the sight; I wanted to hit something…namely Duncan. He was standing too close to Sidney, his body practically crowding her. It didn’t matter that she didn’t seem to have a problem with it because I sure as fuck did.

  Carly’s reaction penetrated my jealousy. She lowered her head but not before I saw the tears brimming her eyes.

  “Carly, why didn’t you ever tell him you were into him?”

  “I almost did once.”

  “So what happened?”

  “I overheard him and his dad talking. Actually it was more an argument.”

  “They did that a lot. Why would that stop you from telling him how you felt?”

  “My name came up. Duncan didn’t have nice things to say.”

  “That’s bullshit.”

  Fire stared back at me and I liked seeing a bit of the spunk she had had as a kid. “Why is that bullshit?”

  “He’s been in love with you since we were kids.”

  Whatever she had to say died. “That’s not true.”

  “Yeah, it fucking is.”

  “But he said I was low class and not worthy of the Hellar name.”

  My hands balled into fists thinking about Carly overhearing something like that, but I was downright furious with Duncan because whatever he had said had been a lie. Duncan loved Carly; that was a fact of life. “Is that why you left?”

  “Yeah, well mostly.”

  “Mostly?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  She’d have to eventually, but I moved on. “Duncan has feelings for you. I don’t know what you heard and I damn well intend to get to the bottom of that, but Duncan’s feelings for you are one of the absolutes in life.”

  A true smile, one that came from way down deep, spread over her face. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “Well Duncan is a bit slow.”

  “No he’s not.”

  “The woman he loves has been pining for him for as long as he’s been for her and he never caught on. Yeah, the boy is really fucking slow but I’ll knock some sense into him.”

  Her smile was blinding.

  “I really like seeing you smile.”

  “I’m happy.”

  “Good. Progress.”

  “What about you? What happened with Sidney?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Why?”

  I’d forgotten her tenacity. I liked she was showing some spunk, but the reason for that spunk not so much.

  “We’ve known each other since we were kids. You like her and from what I’ve seen, she likes you too. What happened?”

  “Bad timing.”

  “I think it’s more than that.”

  She wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t want to get into it. “When did you get so fucking smart?”

  She grinned because she understood I was conceding the point. “I’ve always been. I just lost myself for a while.”

  Happy that Carly was back, I draped my arm over her shoulders. “Glad you found yourself.”

  “Me too.”

  I tried to watch the game, but all I could see was Duncan touching Sidney. I knew how Duncan felt about Carly and yet seeing him touch Sidney, how close he stood to her, I wanted to fucking kill him. I wanted to drive right back to the farm and punch the fucker in the face just so he’d know to step back if he were entertaining ideas about her. Which was completely insane because I’d removed myself from the picture. Maybe Doc was right; maybe I did have multiple personalities. My phone buzzed.

  “Yeah.”

  “We need you at the farm.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Sidney’s missing.”

  Fear hit, hard and fast, like taking a kick to the gut, and yet I was already moving to my bike. “I’m on my way.”

  Twenty minutes later, I was on horseback—something I hadn’t done since I was a kid—following Jayce, Duncan, Garrett and Chris. Thinking of the trouble Sidney could have gotten herself into, especially witnessing her showdown with the mountain lion, inched my fear up closer to panic.

  “Sidney needed to make a stop. When she didn’t come back, I went looking for her and found Angel Food Cake. Studying the ground where she’d stopped, I…”

  “You what?” Jayce’s hesitation wasn’t helping the situation.

  “She caught a loose patch and slid down the embankment.”

  “Fucking shit.” The thought of her lying at the bottom of an embankment broken, bloodied or worse caused a reaction in me I had never in my life experienced. Devastation.

  “I’ll call Marnie. We’ll get a doctor to the house. She’ll be hurt, just how badly is anyone’s guess,” Garrett said as he reached for his phone.

  Jayce continued, “It looked as if she stayed put pacing based on the tracks I found.”

  Hearing she had been moving around, eased the knot in my chest and pulled a grin because it was something I could see her doing. Likely talking to herself too.

  “But for whatever reason she left. Something must have spo
oked her.”

  And now night was falling and she was alone, hurt and scared.

  “Let’s split up, we’ll cover more ground,” Garrett said. “You find her, radio it in.”

  I went with Jayce; he looked like shit and there was a part of me that thought he should. He had been responsible for her and he fucked up, but then this was Sidney. The woman had a mind of her own. “We’ll find her.”

  “I shouldn’t have left her.”

  No, he shouldn’t have. “She’s a grown woman, Jayce.”

  Something moved over his face before he said, “I was distracted with Rylee and lost track of time. That was careless.”

  Yeah, it fucking was, but rubbing that in wasn’t going to find Sidney. “You’re human.”

  “She’s never been out here. It was her first time and I fuck up like that.”

  “Seriously, dude, I know. You fucked up, you know you fucked up, now let’s just find her.”

  “I was surprised you came so fast.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I’m just saying—”

  My hand curled around his shirt as I jerked him toward me. “You seriously don’t want to piss me off any more than I already am. Leave it.”

  Instead of reacting, he looked thoughtful for a minute before he said. “I didn’t know. Sorry, man.”

  “Didn’t know what?”

  “You really like her.”

  Oh for Christ’s sake. “We’re going to talk about our feelings, seriously?”

  “No.” We rode in silence for a bit but Jayce apparently still had more on his mind. “You’re leaving. Is that why you’re not making your move?”

  I seriously didn’t want to talk about this, but Jayce wouldn’t let it drop until I gave him something. “Yeah.” He had a thought on that, but luckily for me he kept it to himself.

  We hadn’t gone far when he stopped and jumped from his horse before squatting down to study the ground. “Someone’s been through here.”

  He climbed back up on his horse. “She can’t be that far.”

  I was already moving.

  I couldn’t continue. Not only did I hurt everywhere, but I was exhausted, thirsty and hungry. I was going to have to sleep out here. I should have paid better attention to Jake when we’d gone camping that one and only time. He’d been a Boy Scout and could start a fire with just a stick and a rock. It was impressive, but I wasn’t having any luck as I hunched there trying to do the same over my little pile of pine needles and twigs.

  I no longer thought I was being followed. I probably never had been. The rustling from earlier was likely a rabbit or squirrel and not a man-eating mountain lion. Had I stayed where I was, I’d be back at the Hellars’ home in that lovely room in front of the fire drinking something warm. Instead, I was cold, tired and unable to create fire. I yelled up at the heavens. “Suck it.”

  My back had long ago gone numb; infection was setting in. Maybe that’s how I’d go out, not from thirst or hunger or being mauled, but a deadly infection from the worst ever rug burn. Sleep was creeping up on me and I wondered if I should sleep under the tree or crawl up into it. Mountain lions could climb, couldn’t they? So it seemed smarter to be on the ground or else I’d suffer a fall before I was eaten alive. Of course the fall might paralyze me so I wouldn’t feel anything as I was being eaten. I wondered what that felt like? I was delirious, sure signs of a concussion. Knowing my luck I’d die of a hematoma.

  A sound startled me as I turned toward it, but what I saw couldn’t be what I was seeing, which brought fear that I’d hit my head even harder than I’d thought. Abel was riding toward me on a horse. Bad boy biker Abel with that beard and man bun was sitting atop a horse like he’d been born doing it. Of all the hallucinations I could have had of the man—I don’t know let me name a few: seeing him naked, seeing him naked over me, seeing him naked under me—I see him on horseback? The giggle just kind of bubbled up my throat.

  I heard her before I saw her. She didn’t look scared; she looked pissed. The last vestiges of fear slid from me as a grin twisted my lips. Somehow I didn’t find her odd behavior all that surprising. As I grew closer, her reaction was not the one I expected. She started to giggle.

  Jumping down, I walked to her just as she said, “I would have rather seen you naked.”

  Those were her opening words to me. My cock twitched, but she was clearly in shock.

  “You looked good though, on horseback. I like you on your bike better. Sexy as hell.”

  “I need to get you back to the farm.”

  “Um. I wish.”

  “Sidney?”

  Looking into her eyes, her pupils were funny. She must have knocked her head. “You hit your head?”

  “I think so, but it’s my back that’s going to kill me.”

  Every part of me reacted to that. No fucking way. “Can I see?”

  “Sure.”

  Jayce rode up just as I lifted her shirt and bit down on the curse because she had to be in pain. Her delicate skin was raw and red with some of the scratches still oozing with blood.

  “I’m so sorry, Sidney.”

  She hadn’t realized Jayce was there. Her eyes slowly followed the sound of his voice. “When did you get here? I wouldn’t have thought I’d hallucinate about you. You’re Rylee’s. I’m going to sleep.”

  I took her face in my hands. She smiled. “You have beautiful eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that color before.”

  “Jayce needs to lift you to me. It’s going to hurt.”

  “Okay.”

  I mounted my horse. Jayce lifted her and she cried out in pain, the sound ripping through me. I settled her on my lap and wrapped my arms around her being careful of her back as her head came to rest on my chest.

  “This is nice,” she whispered. It would have been a hell of a lot nicer if she hadn’t been hurt.

  Jayce swung up on his horse. “I’ll radio we found her.”

  “Tell them she has a concussion on top of the damage to her back.”

  “Got it.”

  I rode us home while taking great care to protect the wounded beauty in my arms.

  I woke in an unfamiliar bed, but the sheets were divine. I gave myself a moment to appreciate the softness against my cheek. I was on my stomach, a position I never slept in, so I rolled and immediately howled in pain. The door flew open as Abel charged in. He looked like shit. It didn’t take long for it all to come flooding back: my romp in the wilderness including Abel riding to the rescue on horseback.

  “Were you on a horse?”

  “Yes.”

  “Um.” It was all a bit fuzzy, but when the memories came back into focus I wished I had developed amnesia.

  “Oh my God.” Mortified, I pulled the sheet over my head.

  And Abel, he laughed. “I see you remember all of it.”

  “If by all of it you mean me telling you I would have rather seen you naked, yes.”

  I peeked out from the sheet; he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was smiling. “You think I have beautiful eyes too.”

  “I hit my head, hard. You can’t take seriously the ravings of someone with head trauma.”

  “You like me on my bike. I’m sexy as hell, your words.”

  I dropped the sheet and narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re enjoying this.”

  “Oh, I really fucking am.” He turned serious then. “How’s your back?”

  “Hurts like a bitch. Which I don’t get that expression, hurts like a bitch. It makes no sense.”

  He grinned, the sight causing warmth to pool in my belly. He’d come for me, saved me again. Abel, even with his 180, he was still looking out for me. “Thank you.”

  “Why didn’t you stay where you landed?”

  “I freaked myself out, thought the mountain lion was closing in.”

  “Ah.” I actually witnessed as Flirty Abel morphed into another personality I hadn’t yet met. The vehement scrutiny he leveled on me was different from the h
eated gazes I was usually on the receiving end of and was felt in every nerve in my body. Whichever personality this was, I liked it.

  The sexual tension that zapped the air around us fizzled when he abruptly said, “A very worried Rylee is outside. I’ll get her.”

  I waited for more, what more I didn’t know, but I wanted more from him. He didn’t give me more. Without even saying goodbye, he pulled open the door and walked out. That hurt, a lot, but he was making it clear. I’d never get more, not from him. Rylee came running into the room.

  “Thank God you’re okay.”

  And I was. Alive, in one piece and, yeah, my heart may have taken another hit, it’d taken far worse. I’d get through this too.

  Walking right out the door, I climbed onto my bike and rode—straight back to Cheyenne. I’d come back in a few weeks, check on Carly, but I had to get away because everything in me wanted to pull Sidney into my arms and keep her there. And never having felt that for another living being, I was man enough to admit it scared the shit out of me.

  Rylee and I were sitting out back; Cain was lying next to me as my fingers brushed through the soft fur of his head. His leg had healed and I had started leaving his cage open during the day so he could leave if he wanted to. He didn’t seem to want to leave. I was working with him, domesticating him to a degree, so he could live in the house if the felines accepted him.

  It had been two weeks since my accident. My back had healed and my concussion had been very mild. I’d been lucky. Abel had left, went home without so much as a goodbye to anyone. At least it hadn’t just been me.

  As if she was reading my mind, Rylee asked, “Hey, Sid, what happened with Abel? And don’t say nothing because that’s bullshit.”

  “He took a huge step back.”

  “When?”

  “The day they found Belinda. He was coming with me on the trail, insinuated himself into my plans for the day. We were talking in the car on the way to the trail and he asked me why I went down the alley that day.”