by Codi Gary
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2017 by James Patterson
Cover design by Kapo Ng; photograph by Skully / Shutterstock
Cover copyright © 2017 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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ISBN 978-0-316-46996-8
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Bear Mountain, Montana. In this cozy town, you can find adventure behind every treetop, mountain peak, and green valley—and deep in the hearts of its residents. You may have read the first book in this series, Hot Winter Nights, but if you haven’t, don’t worry. You can enter this world right here in Penny Davis’s story.
Penny has always been in love with trauma surgeon Hunter Gracin, but Hunter thinks Penny’s too immature to be interested in settling down with him. So when playboy firefighter Trent Bush suggests he and Penny give Hunter a reason to be jealous, Penny takes him up on his offer.
Soon Penny is in the place where I like to put all my well-meaning characters—stuck in a tough position. She’s suddenly got two guys vying for her attention. Honestly, there were times that even I didn’t know who she was going to pick.
I was impressed by Codi Gary’s work in Sexy Summer Flings because she created authentic characters and put them in a rich situation. With the backdrop of stunning Bear Mountain, the suspense of a few trauma center scares, and a romance that’ll make you yearn for that special someone—this book has it all. So go on, I’ll let you start reading it. And I hope you enjoy it.
—James Patterson
Table of Contents
Cover
About Bookshots Flames
Title Page
Copyright
Letter from James Patterson
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
There’s Always a Deal at BookShots.com
Newsletters
Chapter 1
Penelope Davis could really use a drink.
Sure, that should be easy to fix, since she worked at the Grizzly, Bear Mountain, Montana’s local bar and grill, but she was on duty. It would be anarchy if the bartender started getting plastered, especially on a crowded Thursday night like tonight. During the summer months, people came to town for the beautiful mountains and wildlife, and the few hotels they had were always filled to capacity.
The cedar floors of the Grizzly were creaking under the weight of tourists and locals alike. Every table was full and there were people waiting to play pool in the back. The whole place was a breeding ground for fights from rowdy patrons, and Penny needed to be sharp.
In all fairness, though, sexual frustration should be a good enough excuse to tie one on.
The object of her desire, Hunter Gracin, was sitting down the bar and that straight, even smile he flashed his friend, Jax, was making her insides melt like butter in a microwave. But Hunter was so oblivious to her, it was pathetic. Sure, he had acknowledged her and asked her how her day had been, but otherwise, she might as well be Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter—mostly ignored, if a bit amusing.
Penny glanced away from Hunter just in time to watch six foot four inches of trouble walk through the door. Trent Bush was new to the Bear Mountain Fire Station, but that hadn’t stopped him from making himself right at home. Everybody loved him, especially the women. He was boyishly handsome with chocolate-brown eyes and curly brown hair, but his tall, muscular frame was all man.
Penny had picked up on his act and knew he was nothing but a womanizing flirt. Even if her heart wasn’t crushing on another guy, she wouldn’t give Trent the time of day. He most certainly wasn’t the relationship type.
“Yo, Penny, looking good! Wanna come over here and give me a little sugar?” he hollered across the bar.
“I pour your drinks. You realize this, right?”
The group laughed as they settled around a table and Penny shook her head, trying to fight a smile. She didn’t mind Trent’s razzing and he seemed to take her threats with a grain of salt. It was like having one of her little brothers back.
Okay, that wasn’t a good comparison. Trent would sleep with her in a heartbeat if she were willing, and to be honest, she enjoyed the view of his finely sculpted body.
That’s when Hunter’s smooth, deep voice came from just a few feet away, breaking through her thoughts. “Is he bothering you?”
Penny was surprised by the frown on his face. It lit a spark of excitement through her. Could Hunter be jealous?
Covering her emotions, she snorted. “Please, you know I can handle myself.”
There was that smile again, obliterating her until her knees threatened to buckle.
Man, I need to get a grip.
Hunter’s blue eyes didn’t leave hers. She hated how pretty she thought they were. “I have no doubt about that, but if you ever need me to tell that guy to get lost, you let me know.”
“Thanks, Hunter. I appreciate the backup.”
Trish Harris slid in next to Hunter, giving him a sultry glance through her thickly mascaraed lashes. “Hey, there, Dr. Sexy.”
Penny choked back the urge to gag. Trish was a couple years older than her and had come back to Bear Mountain after college to open a trendy tourist boutique. Under most circumstances, she was tolerable, but every time she flashed that come-hither glance Hunter’s way, Penny fought the urge to dump a beer on Trish’s perfectly curled blond head.
“Hi, Trish.” Hunter took a drink of his beer, meeting Penny’s gaze over his mug and rolling his eyes.
Penny fought back a pleased smile as she set a coaster in front of Trish. “Whatcha drinkin’?”
“White wine,” Trish said, without even looking up to acknowledge Penny. Trish was clearly on the hunt and had zeroed in on her prey. The only comfort was that Hunter didn’t seem any more interested in
Trish than he was in Penny.
Depressing, but comforting.
Penny placed Trish’s wine on the counter, and when Trish didn’t immediately pay for it, she cleared her throat.
“Oh, thanks,” Trish said.
As the other woman put the wineglass rim to her lips, Penny’s gaze narrowed.
“That’s five dollars, unless you want to get your ass back here and wash some glasses.”
Hunter chuckled, but Trish didn’t take her joke well. With a fake smile, she slapped a five down and stood with her glass.
“Are you serious?” Penny asked.
Trish’s blue eyes cut through her as her red lips twisted into a sad little moue. “You know, Penny, if you acted a little bit more feminine, you wouldn’t have so much trouble getting a man.”
Penny’s jaw dropped a split second before she felt her face burn. “What the hell did you just say to me?”
“You heard me.” Trish turned, and actually had the nerve to run her finger down Hunter’s chest. “Call me sometime.”
Penny was tempted to vault over the bar and grab that hussy by her hair, but Hunter seemed to read her mind.
“She’s not worth it. Trust me.”
Still, the fact that Trish had spoken damn near the truth about Penny—and in front of Hunter—smarted. Penny knew she was nice to look at, but since she’d grown up here, the men around her age had seemed to forget she was a woman. All of them treated her like one of the guys. To have that fact drilled home by a woman who was confident and sexy without even trying pissed her the hell off.
“Vince!” she called out to the other bartender. “I’m taking a break.”
Without waiting on a reply, she headed out back, ignoring Hunter’s concerned look. She didn’t need him feeling sorry for her. She could get a man. No problem.
But she couldn’t get the one she wanted.
Leaning against the back wall of the Grizzly, she pulled out her cell phone, scrolling through her apps. When she clicked on the Gmail widget, she was a little surprised to find two new e-mails, and opened the first one with a tap of her thumb.
“Dear Ms. Davis,
We are pleased to offer you a position at our facility…”
Penny blinked. It was from the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Red Lodge. She’d sent them an application six months ago, never expecting a position to open. Red Lodge was about thirty minutes from Bear Mountain, so she wouldn’t have a terrible commute. It was a fantastic opportunity, and her brothers would still have a home to come back to when they were on leave.
She closed the e-mail and clicked on the second. It started off the same way and her heart started pounding when she noticed who the sender was.
The San Diego Zoo.
It was her dream job. Ever since her mom had passed, Penny had dreamed about leaving this town and setting up somewhere new. Somewhere with more opportunities and fewer beards and less flannel.
This was her ticket out of Bear Mountain.
The back door opened, and still smiling, she glanced over.
“Now, that’s the kind of smile a guy likes to see on his future wife.”
Chapter 2
Penny’s smile transformed into a scowl as Trent leaned against the wall next to her, his wide shoulders blocking her view of the door. She was tall, just shy of five ten, but Trent had a good head on her. Alone in the dim light, she noticed.
“I came out here to be alone.”
That boyish grin flashed. “I know. But being alone is never a good thing.”
“I disagree. Sometimes being alone gives a person a chance to think.”
“What do you need to think about?”
God, he was persistent. “About all the ways I could hurt you?”
“Now, now, I come to you under a white flag of peace. You looked upset back there and I thought you could use a shoulder to cry on.” He tapped his muscular left shoulder with a grin. “Right here.”
Penny could feel her cheeks burning. It must have been obvious that Trish had gotten to her, because even Trent had noticed. Crap.
“I’m not crying anywhere. I was pissed off, but I’m fine now.”
“Aw, are you pissed because your boyfriend was flirting with Trish the Dish?” he asked.
Penny made a face. “Ugh, do not call her that. And no, Hunter Gracin is not my boyfriend.”
One of Trent’s dark eyebrows went up, as if he didn’t believe her. “Really? Because whenever he’s around, you ignore every other available guy.”
“If you’re talking about yourself, well, you don’t count.”
“And why the hell not?”
Taken aback by the anger in his voice, Penny stammered a bit. “You…well, you…crap, Trent, you flirt with anything that has boobs.”
“So? I like boobs.”
“Exactly.”
Trent laughed, shaking his head. “Why so serious? You know what you need? A night to let loose and forget about Dr. McBoring.”
Penny felt her lips twitch, fighting the smile. “Did you seriously execute a very bad Grey’s Anatomy reference?”
“Hey, just because I am a guy does not mean I don’t appreciate the finer things in life.”
“Like all the hot chick doctors on the show?” she deadpanned.
“See, you know me so well, it’s like we’ve been married fifty years.”
“You are a ridiculous human being. You know that, right?”
Suddenly, the back door opened and Hunter stepped out. Spotting them together, his face seemed to darken briefly, but Penny thought it must have been a trick of the yellow light.
After nodding at Trent, Hunter turned to her. “Vince needs your help.”
Penny slipped her phone back into her pocket, and patted Trent’s shoulder as she passed. “Have a good night.”
Before she had the chance to escape, Trent grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, winking. “It could have been.”
Penny rolled her eyes, but as she disengaged her hand from his, she laughed softly. “Incorrigible.”
“You know you love me.”
“I really don’t,” she said.
She walked by Hunter, who shut the door behind them without bothering to wait for Trent.
“What’s going on with you two?” Hunter asked.
Penny stopped and turned to face him. “Nothing at all. Why?”
“He’s in here all the time—”
“So are you.”
“Yeah, but I get the feeling he’s here to see you.”
And you aren’t.
The thought made Penny’s heart sink.
“If he is, it’s only because he sees me as a challenge since he hasn’t banged me yet.” Folding her arms over her chest, she added, “Besides, what does it matter to you if he is? Is there something wrong with a guy being interested in me?”
“Of course not. I just don’t think he’s the kind of influence you need in your life.”
“Gee, thanks, Dad, but I don’t need a lecture on who I should hang out with.”
Hunter stepped toward her, and the heat of his body, combined with the spicy scent of his cologne, made her sway. His blue eyes blazed down at her as she struggled to catch her breath.
“I am not your father. But I care about you. Don’t you get that?”
Penny’s heart beat a rapid tempo in her chest as she nodded, her gaze straying down to those full lips.
When his hand came up to cup her cheek, she was rooted to the floor with shock.
“You don’t have to get snarky every time someone says something nice to you, especially me.”
Penny licked her lips, waiting. Was this it? Had he finally realized that he wanted her as much as she wanted him?
But as her eyes started to flutter to a close, he pulled away.
“I should let you get back, or Vince might decide to spike my drink with rat poison.”
She would have banged her head against the wall if he wasn’t standing there watching her. Stupid. Did s
he actually think that Hunter Gracin was going to kiss her in the back alley of the Grizzly? That he was going to confess his undying love for her?
Pushing past him without saying more, she fought back tears. Hunter had had years to express interest in her, yet he’d always kept her at arm’s length.
Well, except for that one night years ago. That had been a fluke. An anomaly.
Since she’d always been responsible for her younger brothers and for her dad whenever he had one of his spells, she’d taken that night as her one chance to be young and wild. And that night, when they’d both been way too drunk, she’d almost hooked up with Hunter.
It was glorious, but apparently, it wasn’t meant to be.
Penny pushed that memory back into the locked box in the most secret part of her heart. She cleared her throat as she approached the crowded bar, turning her focus on an eager patron and away from Hunter.
“What can I get you?”
Chapter 3
Hunter Gracin didn’t need to be at work the next day, so he planned on using his night off to hang out…and maybe flirt a little.
But his gaze kept straying back to Penny, who was chatting up a couple at the bar. Her dark hair was pulled back from her pretty face in a long ponytail. Even from down the bar, he could see the freckles over her nose and cheeks—the same freckles he remembered counting as he’d kissed them.
Shooting back his whiskey, he closed his eyes. He shouldn’t think about that night, especially since he had told himself to forget about Penny. He wanted to settle down. Have kids. You didn’t do that with a twenty-six-year-old party animal.
But that night, he hadn’t been thinking of anything but the way she’d tasted. Like strawberries and a hint of tequila.
He’d moved to Bear Mountain five years ago, and Penny’s brothers, Wes and Cal, had come by the hospital on his very first day. They’d asked for him because they wanted to know about his time in the military, since they’d just enlisted.
Hunter had struck up a friendship with them, and they became the little brothers he’d never had. Hunter was the youngest in his family, and Lord knows he was a lot kinder to Wes and Cal than his own brothers were to him.