by Lucy Lennox
While Zoey had started off modeling like me, the jobs were coming fewer and farther between and she’d ended up taking a part-time job in telemarketing. She never admitted it, but it hadn’t been hard to figure out that she was struggling financially, especially since Paolo had a habit of borrowing money from her that he somehow never managed to pay back. I tried to supplement her income by paying for things whenever we went out together, but when I’d offered to pay her rent, she’d put her foot down. I’d ended up sneaking a check into the envelope that I’d left the key to my apartment in so she could stop by and water my plants while I was gone… or even better, move out of the dive she lived in and come live with me like I’d been begging her to for months.
“Did you get the email about the ticket for Christmas? You are still coming, right?” I asked, hoping the reminder would give us both something to look forward to. “I have plans to decorate my cabin before you get here. I’ve already picked up some adorable stuff. Can’t wait to see what you think.” My plan to distract her from the fact that I’d booked a flight for her before she could do it herself worked because she didn’t argue when she responded.
“Yep, I’ll be there. So tell me, how are you coming on those goals? Did you get the heat fixed?”
I laughed. “No, but someone’s working on it. But you’ll be happy to hear I went out with some new friends last night. Got stupidly tipsy and had a very nice time.” And it was true. As much as this morning had sucked, the evening had been a ball, even the snuggling on Jake part.
“Good for you! I’m proud of you, babe. That’s the Oz I know and love. What’s next on your agenda? Have you started sewing yet?”
I told her about the smoke damage and having to re-order some of the fabric.
“But it’s fine because while I wait for it to arrive, I’ve accidentally found myself involved in a pro bono design project at the local healthcare clinic,” I explained. She must have been able to hear the excitement in my voice because she squeaked with happiness and asked for details.
“That’s right up your alley, Oz. How fucking great is that? Will you text me your sketches and let me see what you come up with?”
She’d always been my biggest cheerleader, and I couldn’t have been more grateful. Her support and enthusiasm made up for the ego crush earlier that morning, and by the time I finished my lunch and the phone call, I returned to the clinic in much higher spirits.
I did my best to ignore Jake as he interacted with patients. He looked both yummy and untouchable in his jeans and dark blue Henley. He was so different around the patients that I hardly recognized him. Something inside of me ached whenever I saw him say something to a kid that made them laugh or smile or when one of the patients would shake his hand or hug him and thank him. The realization that he was so at ease with people actually hurt more than I wanted to admit.
Because he never looked at me like he did them.
I’d thought maybe he was closed off from everyone, but clearly, he had friends in Xander and Bennett. And seeing him interact with patients proved he was capable of being a nice guy.
So why couldn’t he be a nice guy with me?
Why didn’t he want to be my friend?
I could have gotten over the attraction thing.
Okay, maybe not gotten over it, but I could have dealt with it. But he hadn’t even given me a chance to prove that I was a good person. He’d dismissed me from the moment he’d met me.
The dreaded insecurity was back, and I shook my head violently. “Nope, not going there,” I mumbled under my breath.
“You say something, honey?” Becky asked as she said her goodbyes to a patient who was leaving the clinic.
“What? Oh, um, no,” I said, stumbling over my own words. But I couldn’t stop myself from letting my eyes stray back to Jake, who was squatting in front of a little girl in the play area. “He’s really good, huh?” I asked before I could consider what I was saying. “I mean, um—”
“He is,” Becky cut in with a patient smile. She glanced at Jake as she said, “Such a shame.”
“What is?” I asked.
“That he can’t practice medicine for real.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “He sees patients here, doesn’t he?”
“No. Just helps out with the simple stuff,” Becky said. She eyed me for a moment, then took my arm and pulled me toward the far corner of the room where there weren’t any patients waiting their turn to be seen. “I know you like him.”
“What? No, I don’t—”
Becky put up her hand. “Which is why I know you’ll keep this to yourself. Jake doesn’t have a legal license to practice medicine.”
“What? He’s not a doctor?”
“He is,” Becky said. “There’s no doubt that he is. See, about two months ago there was this really bad accident outside town–some tourists ran their car off the road. Doc Sharma was driving by on his way home from Denver. Paramedics hadn’t even arrived yet. He stopped to help. The cops told him there was already a doctor on the scene. The car had gone over an embankment and the driver was hurt pretty bad. Jake was working on him–he’d been driving by too. Doc said Jake saved the guy’s life. I’m not sure what he did, but when the paramedics rolled up and asked which of them, Doc or Jake, treated the guy, Jake told them it was Doc before Doc could even answer.”
My eyes automatically went to Jake and he looked at me at that exact moment. I felt a shiver run up my spine.
“Why would he do that?” I asked before forcing myself to look at Becky again.
“Not sure. Could be he lost his license–you know, had it taken away. There could be a whole host of reasons why. He wouldn’t tell Doc when they ran into each other here in town a few days later. Doc is looking to retire soon and needs someone to take over the practice. He keeps hoping Jake will go through the proper channels to get his license squared away, but Jake won’t talk about why he doesn’t practice anymore. Anyway, Doc could get in real trouble for letting Jake see patients. I mean, Doc always does the actual prescribing and ordering and stuff, but still, they’d both be in trouble if anyone found out. The patients think he’s just some kind of medical assistant.”
“So why do it?” I asked.
“Because Doc needs the help. Family doctors are in short supply in rural areas like this. If he didn’t have Jake helping him, a lot of patients wouldn’t get seen. Doc loves this town and the patients… he’d never turn anyone away.”
I had no doubt about that. The man was unfailingly generous. He’d complimented me on my work several times today already and thanked me practically every time he saw me.
“As for Jake,” Becky continued, “I think he needs it just as much as Doc does. I’ve seen him around town and stuff and he’s always polite and such, but here,” –she nodded in Jake’s direction– “he’s different.”
“Yeah,” I said, since I’d been thinking the very same thing myself not two minutes ago.
“Oh, hey, I need to go see if Doc checked over some lab results. You okay?”
I nodded. “My lips are sealed,” I said, because I knew that was really what she wanted to know. She smiled and put her hand on my shoulder.
“Sorry, Oz, I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but truth is, no one knows anything about Jake.”
I knew what she was talking about. I wanted to tell her that I already knew the answer to the question others were undoubtedly asking.
Jake’s straight.
Very much so.
“No worries,” I said. “I’m only in town for a couple months anyway.”
Yeah, like that was the only thing standing in the way. Becky patted my shoulder and wandered off. I spared Jake another quick glance. He was watching me with a weird expression on his face. I would have said it was concern, but I knew better. I forced myself to get back to work and spent the rest of the afternoon working to keep the mystery that surrounded Jake from invading my thoughts.
When I was finished for t
he day, I made my way to Bennett and Xander’s lodge and fessed up about leaving the Jeep in town the night before. They were kind enough to help me get both vehicles up the mountain, and Bennett even gave me a stick shift lesson while Xander installed the new breaker in my cabin.
Once they were done, I followed them back to town in the Jeep to pick up Boo. I found her being utterly and shamelessly spoiled by Bennett and Xander’s son Lucky, who looked at me long enough to have me worried that he recognized me as Laird. But when he didn’t say anything, I let it go. My little princess had also managed to find herself a new boy toy in the form of Bear, the family’s huge Newfoundland mix. The big dog outweighed Boo by a good hundred pounds, but had docilely followed my girl wherever she went, and when it came time for a nap, he curled his big body around her tiny one. I was both amused and oddly envious.
After hanging around getting to know the three of them better, I accepted their invitation to stay for dinner, since my cabin needed some time to warm up. It was a casual affair, just soup and homemade bread, but it was the company that was divine. The three of them were clearly a loving family, and just being in the presence of their inside jokes and ribbing made me feel warm and full.
I’d missed that. After being forced to leave home at sixteen, the closest thing to family I had was Zoey.
Before I left, Xander and Bennett presented me with a gift bag. Inside was a thick leather tool belt complete with hammer, screwdriver, and whatever other shit I didn’t recognize in it. When I looked up at them in confusion, they burst into laughter. Xander spoke first.
“I noticed you don’t even have the basic shit up there to hang pictures and stuff, so I figured we’d give you the bare minimum. This doesn’t mean you can’t call us for help, of course. It’s more of a housewarming present.”
I buckled it on around my Balmain skinny jeans and felt the satisfying weight land on my hips.
“Does this make me a real man now? Am I in the club?” I asked with a wink.
Lucky’s laughter filled the lobby of the lodge. “Damned straight.”
“Oh shit!” I said with mock horror. “It doesn’t make me straight, does it?”
With a full belly and an even fuller heart, I hopped in the Jeep with Boo to head home. When I powered that sucker up the mountain with no problems, I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d been seen as a pretty-faced pampered diva for years, and I had to wonder what the world would think if they could see me in my fucking badass tool belt, giant parka, and new utilitarian snow boots manhandling a beat-up Jeep Wrangler on steroids up a craggy, snow-filled mountain.
I rolled down the window in the ink-black night and whooped at the top of my lungs.
Chapter 8
Jake
He was fucking another guy.
I didn’t want to believe it, but there was no denying what the presence of the bright orange Jeep parked next to Oz’s flashy red Jag in front of his cabin meant.
Two mornings in a row.
Two mornings and two nights–two whole nights.
Well, happy fucking Thanksgiving.
What’d you expect, asshole?
I told my inner voice to shove it and shrugged on my jacket as I made my way down the porch steps to my truck, trying really hard to ignore the Jeep next door.
But it was like a fucking beacon, and I ended up looking at it anyway.
The need to stride over to Oz’s cabin and beat Russell Hastings to a pulp was like a living thing beneath my skin. What were the couple doing at this exact moment? Was Russ pressing his weight down on Oz’s lithe body? Was he exploring the miles and miles of soft, perfect skin? Were Oz’s gorgeous lips wrapped around his dick? Were his striking eyes holding Russ’s as he sucked him to the back of his throat?
“Fuck,” I muttered as I realized I was already halfway to Oz’s cabin before I caught myself. My hands were fisted at my sides.
“Came here to work, my ass,” I spit out as I turned around and stalked back to my car. Between all the time Oz had spent at the clinic in the past few days and the nights fucking Russ’s brains out, I doubted whatever designing he’d come here to do was even on his mind anymore. I cursed myself for falling for his whole woe is me act three nights earlier. He’d probably made all that shit up about the designer stealing from him just so I’d feel sorry for him.
But even before I finished the thought, I was shaking my head. Oz hadn’t been faking. Not even the best of actors could have injected that kind of despair into their voice. And the way he’d clung to me, like he was afraid to really let go…
No, you couldn’t fake that shit.
And how had I responded?
By dumping him on his ass and then practically chasing him out of my cabin with my surly attitude. In truth, I’d been in full-on panic mode at being discovered by Xander.
Mostly because I knew if he figured out how attracted I was to Oz, he’d be like a dog with a bone and I’d never hear the end of it. And it wasn’t like I could tell Xander why I couldn’t pursue something with Oz, or anyone for that matter.
Couldn’t, not wouldn’t.
As it was, I’d been in damage control mode as soon as Oz had stalked out. He’d inadvertently outed my profession to Xander, though I doubted he’d done it intentionally. He’d probably assumed my friend knew.
Although Xander had suspected I had more medical training than I let on, I’d never actually confirmed it. As soon as Oz had left and Xander had finished ripping me a new one for being such a dick to my neighbor, he’d started in on the questions about what the hell I was doing working as a wilderness guide if I was a doctor. I’d called in every chip I had with my friend when I’d practically begged him not only to not ask me those questions, but to not tell anyone else about me either. He’d agreed, but after he’d left, I’d realized it didn’t matter because I’d already stayed in Haven too long.
The little town was supposed to have been a temporary refuge, one in a long line of many, but I’d made the mistake of getting too comfortable. I’d started to fall in love with the town, the people, and the lifestyle. I’d reveled in having friends again. But my biggest mistake had been taking up Doc Sharma on his offer to have me volunteer at the clinic. I’d thought I was only doing it for him and that it would only be for a couple of weeks until he found someone else. Somehow, without me even realizing it, the clinic had become one more thing tying me to Haven and making me wish even more that I could go back to the way my life had been.
And now I had the additional complication of my sweet, kind, sexy new neighbor…
I practically ripped the door off when I reached my car. But I couldn’t force myself to get in. I hung there, fighting the urge to go kick Oz’s door down and ask him what the hell he was thinking, being with a loser like Russ. He should be with someone like…
Like who?
Me?
I laughed out loud at that.
“Jesus, Jake,” I whispered.
I forced myself to get in the car and start it. I glanced at Oz’s cabin again, and in that instant, I knew it was time to move on again.
Only this time, it wasn’t because I was afraid the past had once again caught up to me.
No, I was running for one reason and one reason only.
Because if I didn’t do it now, I probably never would. And that would mean it wasn’t just my life I was risking anymore.
I couldn’t do that to the people who’d become the family I’d had to give up, who’d given me a place to call home.
I wouldn’t.
Not again.
After checking on a couple of the rental cabins I looked after to make sure they were prepared for the storm ahead, I headed back to my cabin to change for Thanksgiving at the lodge. Normally I’d wear my green shirt, but when it came time to take it off the pillow Oz had made me, I found myself striding to my closet to find a different shirt instead.
When I hopped into my truck with the homemade beer selection I’d brought for the occasion, I noticed Oz’s
car was still parked in front of his cabin next to that asshole’s Jeep. I wondered idly if I should offer to drive Oz to Bennett and Xander’s, but I quickly dismissed the idea, since it would mean being in the car together during the drive down the mountain. There was no way I’d be able to keep from asking him what the deal was with Russ.
Once I got to Xander and Bennett’s place, I pasted on the polite smile of someone who wasn’t still plotting murder against one asshole, Jeep-driving jerk. Just as I was walking through the front door, I had the horrible thought that maybe Oz would invite Russ to Thanksgiving dinner. And if that was the case, I was out. I’d just make my way back up the mountain and start packing up what little shit I had in my cabin.
But when I got inside, my eyes immediately found Oz. I wondered how in the world he’d beaten me to town.
How could I be upset, though, when Oz was in the middle of an animated conversation with Xander and Bennett’s dog, Bear? He was holding Boo protectively against his chest as he lectured the bigger dog.
“And if you take advantage of her kindness, we’re going to have words, mister. A man has to be sweet to his lady, you understand? Treat her right. She’s a lot smaller than you, but don’t doubt she has a bite you don’t wanna know about. Okay?” Bear licked his cheek and then began nuzzling Boo, who squirmed in Oz’s arms. He put her down and patted Bear’s head. “Good boy. Such a pretty Bear.”
His voice was like a sensual purr, and I moved away quickly when I realized the effect it was having on me. I wondered if Russ had heard that purr mumbled into his ear throughout the night before.
“Jake, there you are!” I jumped and turned to see Xander’s aunt Lolly approaching me with arms outstretched. I said a silent prayer of thanks that it was winter, which meant she had a full amount of clothing on at the moment. The woman was a nudist and, despite me being a doctor, it made me a little uncomfortable when she showed up in her birthday suit.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Lolly,” I said, returning her hug. “Where’s Steve?”