Wild with You

by Sara Jane Stone

  “Why?” She heard the panic in his voice. Like many of the patients she met with, she’d quickly become a crutch for him. She made a quick note to find a therapist for him to meet with on a regular basis. Managing his feeling as he navigated his recovery would become a priority now that he’d regained pieces of his short-­term memory.

  “I have some personal business to attend to in New York.” She smiled. “Your siblings know. And I will be back Friday morning. You’re stuck with me for another week after that. But this was a previously scheduled appointment I couldn’t cancel.”

  “Must be an important patient if you’re flying back across the country.”

  “It’s personal.” She closed the file and pushed back from the table. “You might want to check on your chili while I pack up. Your sister agreed to drive me to the airport and she should be here soon.”

  Josh headed for the stove and paused, turning to her. “Thanks for taking a chance on me, Doc. I picked up bits and pieces from Chad and Brody. I know coming back here wasn’t easy for you. But I feel like I’ve been lost in a maze for months now. It’s nice to find a way out.”

  “You’re welcome. And for the record, ‘easy’ and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms. I like a challenge.”

  “One more thing, Doc.” He kept his focus on the steaming pot. “Do you think we could keep this between us until I finish finding my way out? I’m not ready to tell my brothers and sister. Megan knows. But I can’t help feeling like I’m going to jinx myself. And there are still moments when I can’t recall what happened five minutes ago. I know you and Brody are—­” He waved the wooden spoon through the air. “—­a thing. But—­”

  “I won’t say a word.” He was her patient and his needs came first. “We can talk more about how and when you want to share the news with your family, but for now my lips are sealed.”

  BRODY WORE HIS sour mood like a cloak. When he’d joined the Willamette Valley search and rescue squad he’d envisioned saving lives, not arriving too late to do a damn thing.

  He stepped inside the kitchen, expecting the sweet smell of pie. Heck, he’d settle for cookies or cupcakes. Something sugary and sweet followed by a long shower with the doctor who’d taken over his kitchen.

  Not to mention his bed, his mind—­and possibly his heart.

  “Where’s Josh?” he demanded.

  His little sister looked up from a pile of magazines. “He is in the apartment over the barn with Megan. I think he’s planning to move out there. For the privacy. It’s probably a good idea. I stayed here on Monday while Liam was on a job site overnight, and I swear it sounded like you were rebuilding furniture in your room.”

  Ignoring his sister, he peered into the pot on the stove and frowned. “That’s not a pie.”

  “Josh made chili today,” Katie said. “I think he’s moving on from dessert.”

  He didn’t give a damn what Josh cooked. But Brody thought bringing chili to bed was a stretch. Sure, he could work with the leftover chocolate syrup. Or heck, he would settle for tasting her. Either way, he wanted to devour Kat, make her scream over and over, then slide inside and take her. He wanted to lose himself in her, erasing the memories from his god-­awful day.

  He ran a hand over his face. “Where is Kat?”

  “I drove the doctor to Portland. She’s flying back to New York tonight, remember? It was part of her deal from the beginning. She mentioned it the first day. Some appointment she couldn’t break.”

  “What?” He shook his head, feeling as if he’d entered the twilight zone.

  “She’s coming back on Friday,” Katie said. “Though we might want to talk about the look on your face. The next time she heads east, I have a feeling she plans to stay there. On the ride to the airport, she suggested that Josh is making progress and said she doesn’t think he’ll need her help long-­term. But you kind of look like you might.”

  “I just had a bad day.” Brody went to the cupboard, took out a bowl, and filled it with chili. If sugar and shower sex weren’t in the cards, he might as well eat.

  “What happened?” Katie closed the magazine, her teasing tone replaced with concern.

  “A mountain biker reported a motionless body by a campsite. A ­couple of us hiked out to check on the guy and found a body. We carried him down on a stretcher. One of the guys found an ID at the site. He was a veteran, fought in Iraq. Who knows how long he’d been living up there with next to nothing to eat?”

  “That’s awful, Brody.”

  “Yeah, it was.” Brody took a bite of the chili. It was worse than the brownies. He associated chili with meat and spice. This had neither. “Good thing Josh is making progress. His cooking stinks.”

  “Dr. Arnold didn’t get into specifics,” Katie said. “But Josh will need to find a local therapist. And we have to maintain a stable environment for him. I’m not sure what that means for Megan.”

  “She isn’t part of the long-­term picture.” Brody took another bite of the bland bean dish. “We can’t justify the expense of keeping her on if we can trust Josh is safe here by himself.”

  “I’m not talking about her paid position,” Katie said. “Have you seen the way he looks at her?”

  Like he wants to get laid. Brody knew the feeling, and he’d be willing to bet he looked at Kat the same way. But shit, if he was being honest, he wanted a helluva lot more than kinky sex. He wanted a place in her life. The opportunity to take care of her long-­term.

  But now she’d flown back to New York to attend to God knows what, offering a striking reminder that her life was there and his was here.

  “I think Josh is falling for Megan,” his sister said, pulling him back to their conversation.

  “I wouldn’t count on Josh lining up to reserve the Willamette Views Vineyard for his special day anytime soon,” Brody said. “Not in his condition.”

  “You might be right. But speaking of weddings.” Katie held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. An enormous square rock sparkled under the kitchen lights.

  “About damn time.” Brody dropped his spoon and took her hand. “When did Liam propose? And how have you been sitting here this whole time without saying a word?”

  “I was waiting for you to notice,” she said.

  “Sorry.” Brody shook his head. He’d been so focused on Josh’s doctor that he hadn’t noticed the rock on his little sister’s finger.

  “Liam proposed last night under our trees,” Katie said. “He wanted to wait until after Georgia’s wedding.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Your trees?”

  “The place where—­”

  “You know what, I don’t think I want to know.”

  She picked up the magazine. “I’m looking for a dress. We’re thinking soon. Probably a weekend in Vegas. I want to save our money for the house and the stables. They’re breaking ground next week, and once it’s done, I’ll be able to take in dozens of neglected or abused animals.”

  Josh was supposedly on the road to recovery—­though Brody wanted to talk to Kat about what that meant. He needed details. Was his little brother regaining his memory or simply learning to follow a recipe?

  He’d sit down with Kat when she got back. And they’d discuss a lot more than his little brother’s memory. But right now he needed to focus on the fact his baby sister was getting married. And heck, Chad was close to asking Lena to spend the rest of her life with him.

  Brody picked up his spoon and dug into the chili. If they all moved on, leaving the house they’d grown up in, where did that leave him?

  Carrying a stranger’s body down the mountain on a damn litter so that the veteran could receive the honor he deserved.

  Pushing the depressing memory from today aside, Brody nodded to the magazine. “What are you thinking for the dress?”

  “You want to talk bridal gowns?”

  He n
odded. It beat thinking about the questions pilling up in his mind about his little brother’s doctor, or his long hike carrying a corpse.

  Katie’s face lit up as she launched into a detailed description of her ideal wedding gown. Half the words—­bustle and chiffon—­were meaningless to him. But he loved seeing her smile as if life had granted her everything she wanted.

  Chapter 15

  TWICE A MONTH Kat sat down with her past. The crowded elementary school cafeteria in Brooklyn looked nothing like the small-­town lunchroom in Independence Falls, but the weary, yet hopeful expression on the fourth grader across the table was strikingly familiar.

  “How’s school?” Kat asked, setting aside her all-­beef organic burger. After her first visit, seven months ago, she’d learned to bring her own lunch, and one for Brianna. The smell of the cafeteria food made her stomach turn. Eating it was far worse.

  The little girl shrugged, picking at the well-­seasoned french fries made from upstate New York potatoes. Kat waited, hoping for one of Brianna’s rare one-­word answers. OK, good, sucks—­she’d take anything.

  In the back of her mind Kat wondered if she was wasting her time. She’d flown across the country to have lunch with Brianna, and still the kid wouldn’t talk to her.

  “I spent the past few days on the West Coast. In Oregon,” Kat said, filling the silence. Brianna’s eyes widened as if she had revealed her recent trip to Mars. “It’s nice out there.”

  Especially this one man. . .

  But she couldn’t tell the child who spent one hour twice a month sitting silently across the table from Kat about Brody. That would be crazy. Like taking two red-­eye flights to have lunch with a ten-­year-­old.

  “After lunch, would you like to take a walk?” Kat suggested. The last time she spoke with Brianna’s social worker Kat had begged for help. She wanted to make this work. This child had been placed in foster care after her mother died—­just like her. Brianna’s father wasn’t in the picture and her older sister was placed in a different foster care home. Every time she sat down with the quiet, sullen child, Kat felt like she was looking in the mirror. She wanted to wrap her arms around the little girl and promise to make it better, to tell Brianna that she wasn’t alone.

  But first she had to get to know the girl. And the social worker had suggested Kat “express an interest in her school.”

  Brianna nodded, pushing the food away. “I’m ready.”

  Words. Kat’s mouth fell open, but she quickly masked her surprise and scrambled to pack up the leftovers. In the hall, Brianna took a left and Kat followed, walking slowly at her side, noting the bright, cheerful art displays on the bulletin boards.

  “I’m moving.” Brianna kept her gaze on the polished floors.

  “Oh?” The social worker hadn’t mentioned anything.

  “The family I’m with can’t keep me anymore.”

  “Brianna.” Kat froze and turned to the child. The way Brianna said those words, as if she were a pet who needed to be returned to the pound due to an allergic family member—­it tore at her heart. Logically, Kat knew it was more complicated. But still—­

  “And I was thinking.” The child looked up at her, hope swimming in her ten-­year-­old eyes. “I was thinking you might want to adopt me. Because you keep coming back.”

  Kat fought to hide her shock. But judging from the way the weariness returned to Brianna’s face, she failed. She spent two hours a month with this little girl. They hadn’t even graduated to weekend day trips. And still she qualified as the most steady presence in Brianna’s life. Her stomach flipped and she regretted the few small bites of her burger.

  The little girl drew a deep breath. “I’m smart, I stay out of trouble—­”

  “I’ll talk to your social worker. Mrs. Henly.” There were so many obstacles. Kat would need approvals. And with her job, the hours and travel . . . But she refused to stand here and listen to this child list her credentials.

  “I can’t make you any promises,” Kat said. “But I will do my best.”

  The bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Children and teachers poured out of the cafeteria and classrooms.

  “OK,” Brianna said.

  Kat nodded. “I should take you back to class.”

  Taking the child’s hand, she navigated the busy hallway until they reached the door to the classroom. “Brianna?”

  The child looked up her, her expression schooled into an impartial mask.

  “For the record, I want to adopt you,” Kat said, offering the words no one had given her as a child. “No matter what your social worker says, please don’t forget that.”

  Eyes wide, Brianna nodded. “I won’t.”

  FIVE MINUTES LATER Kat walked down the streets, excitement driving her hurried steps. For years she’d pushed the idea of finding a husband and starting a family aside. In theory, she wanted children. But whenever she thought about meeting a man, opening up to him, trusting he would want her tomorrow and the day after that . . . fear rose up and she slammed the door on the idea of family.

  But she wanted to be a part of this little girl’s life. She mentally flung open the doors to her spare bedroom, painting the walls a bright pink.

  Kat froze in the middle of the sidewalk, ten feet from the subway entrance. What if Brianna hated pink? She didn’t even know the child’s favorite color.

  She reached into her purse and withdrew her phone. She could learn. And if the state agreed, if she passed the test, she could transform her apartment into a home. She could make this work. There was plenty of room in her two-­bedroom Manhattan apartment. She lived in a stellar school district, according to her neighbors with young children. And she could afford a nanny.

  Pressing her cell to her ear, she called Brianna’s social worker and left a message, making it clear she would do whatever it took to adopt the little girl.

  After leaving the message, she headed for the subway, plans rushing through her head. She tried to set them aside until she heard from the social worker. Right now she needed to return to her patient—­and his brother.

  Brody.

  Her smile faltered. But only for a second. She’d known from that first night in the hotel that her fling with Brody Summers would lead to a dead end. It was a fantasy. Nothing more.

  Today she would return to Oregon and enjoy one more week with Brody Summers. Bondage, blindfolds, and whip cream—­she wanted it all. Because when she came back to New York, her life would change forever.

  THE NEXT MORNING, the cab company dropped Kat off in front of the Summers family farmhouse. Wearing the same skinny black jeans, long sleeve blouse, and ankle boots that she’d slept in on the plane, Kat headed for the front door. She needed a cup of coffee before she sat down with Josh and determined a plan for his future. One that hopefully included him telling his siblings about regaining his memory.

  She knocked and heard Chad’s voice calling for her to come in. Kat found the middle Summers brother in the kitchen with Lena.

  “Hi, have you seen Brody?” she asked, heading for the coffeepot.

  Chad hesitated.

  “Did he get called out?” she probed, glancing at Lena. Even in her security uniform, her blond hair tied back in a bun, Chad’s girlfriend looked like she belonged in a fashion spread with the golden retriever curled at her feet.

  “He’s headed to The Lost Kitten,” Lena said.

  Her brow furrowed. The name sounded vaguely familiar. “The what?”

  “The strip club on the other side of the university,” Chad said with a sigh. “About an hour from here.”

  She let out a laugh. Forty-­eight hours had passed since she’d seen Brody and now he was at a strip club on a Friday morning? “Someone there called for search and rescue?”

  “Josh. Though he didn’t exactly call. The kid left a note,” Chad said. “And Brody f
lipped out.”

  “Can you call Brody and ask him to turn around? I’d like to go with him.” She raised the coffee mug and took a sip.

  “I can drop you off on my way to work.” Lena stood and Hero moved to her side. “I’m covering a shift for a coworker.”

  “And working straight through the night.” Chad frowned. “You’ll keep Hero with you?”

  “Always,” Lena said, dropping a kiss on his lips before heading to the screen door. Kat took one last sip of her coffee and followed her out.

  Ten minutes into the drive Lena glanced over at her. “You’re worried about him. Josh.”

  “He’s making progress,” Kat acknowledged, knowing she couldn’t say more without breaking the promise she’d made to her patient. “But this isn’t a good side. Sexual promiscuity is often associated with brain injuries. Is this the first time he’s run off to a strip club? Did he go before?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” she said. “I moved to Independence Falls not long before Josh’s accident. But given the way Brody stormed out of the house, I doubt it.”

  “Brody’s overprotective,” Kat said.

  “Of everyone he cares about. And I think you’re on that list. I doubt he’ll be happy to see you here.”

  “We’re not dating.” The words spilled out like a reflex.

  “Do you care about him?” Lena asked, her gaze focused on the road. “If you don’t, please do not lead him on. That man has given everything for his family, his work, this town. From what Chad’s told me about his brother, Brody deserves to find someone who will give him everything in return.”

  Kat looked at the dog lying on the truck’s front bench between them, happily chewing a toy. “I don’t have much to offer him. My life is on the East Coast. He knows that. We’ve been clear. This is just a fling.”

  Lena shook her head. “That man looks at you as if you belong with him. Trust me, I know the look.”

  “It’s not what you think,” Kat insisted, folding her arms across her chest as she turned to the window.