by Em Petrova
He stared at her. She didn’t seem to be budging. Clearly she possessed the stubborn gene that her big brother did.
The accident made Hepburn stiff as hell, and reaching behind him to untie the dumb hospital attire proved more difficult than he expected. He grunted.
“Do you need help?” She threw a glance over her shoulder.
He struggled another minute, but his stiff shoulder and bruised ribs bested him.
Pushing out a sigh, he gave in. “Yeah, I could use a hand untying this thing.”
She whirled at once, her gaze roaming over his still dressed body, and positioned herself behind him. Her touch flitted over his spine as she located the strings some nurse had tied. Sascha plucked the strings, and cool air drafted over his spine.
She didn’t move from around him or face the window again. Without a doubt he knew she was staring at the scars he bore on his spine.
“Seen enough yet?” he growled.
Quickly, she circled him. Without meeting his eyes, she looked at the window. He drew off the hospital gown and reached for his T-shirt. As soon as he lifted his arms to pull it on, he groaned.
Sascha whirled.
“Did I ask for your help?”
At his surly tone, she met his stare with a glare of her own. “No, but it’s clear you need it. So shut up and let me do this. There’s no point in hurting yourself more.”
She gripped the cotton and stretched it into shapes that made it easier for him to slide his arms in. Then she insisted on pulling the hem down over his abs. The skitter of her fingertips had him clenching his teeth.
Could he even get a hard-on with a concussion?
Fuck. He could.
At least he knew that part of his brain wasn’t damaged.
She reached for the waist of his hospital pants. He shot out a hand and clamped it on her wrist, stopping her short of sliding them over his growing erection.
“I got it from here,” he grated out.
She shot him a we’ll-see-about-that look. Man, she’d definitely morphed from the girl who got shy with him into a confident woman.
As fast as possible, he dropped his pants and boxers and even though it hurt and he wanted to grunt and groan out, he bit back the noises. The boxers and jeans were easy. The socks required him folding in half, and he was already…damn if he could remember the word for feeling sick to his stomach.
Whatever the word, he had it.
He just needed a minute to make the room stop spinning too.
Lying on the pillow, he closed his eyes.
“River?” So now her tone held a note of hesitation. Where had the bold girl ready to strip off his underwear gone?
“Bless your heart.” The Southern saying didn’t equal sass, only sympathy.
He cracked an eye to peer at her.
“That proved too much for you. Give me your socks.” She didn’t wait for him to release his grip on them—she ripped them from his hand.
Under different circumstances—and if she fussed over someone else—he might be amused by her actions. He sat there like a baby watching her slide on his socks.
A tap on the doorframe alerted them the nurse had come to give them instructions for caring for his concussion at home. As soon as she stepped into the room, Sascha’s cheeks flamed pink.
She shot the nurse an awkward smile. “I’m sorry again for knocking over the IV.”
“No harm done. At least it wasn’t a cart full of bedpans.”
For the next few minutes, the nurse read them instructions from several sheets of paper. She handed one to Sascha. “This is a prescription for painkillers. You can have it filled in the hospital pharmacy downstairs on the way out.”
She nodded.
“If you don’t have any questions, I’ll go grab a wheelchair and you’re free, Mr. Hepburn.” She smiled at him, but he didn’t give a damn how bright the smile she beamed on him shone—he only heard wheelchair.
“No wheelchair.”
“It’s hospital policy. It’s only a short ride outside.” He wouldn’t be surprised to hear the nurse offer him a lollipop too.
He opened his mouth to protest again, but Sascha placed a warm hand on his arm. Her touch reminded him of his arousal a little bit ago, and his cock jumped in reaction.
The nurse left the room and returned a minute later with a wheelchair. He glared at the thing.
Fuck this.
Sascha got a look at his expression and leveled him in her stare. “Don’t argue, River.”
He reached for his bag, but she nabbed it too quick and slung the strap across her body. Once he lowered himself to the wheelchair seat, she grabbed the handles and began wheeling him out. As they passed the nurse’s station, they all threw him waves and smiles.
Once they reached the elevator, Sascha said, “You’ll certainly be missed here.”
He twisted his head to look at her. The movement of going down in the elevator messed with his equilibrium, and he closed his eyes.
“Didn’t you see those ladies? Half their tongues were hanging out. The other half looked ready to throw their phone numbers at—” She cut off.
He opened his eyes to find Sascha staring at him with concern etched between her brows. Damn, he didn’t want to see that look on her face right now. How many times had he seen the same etched on Ethan’s?
Hepburn dragged in a deep breath.
Sascha’s soft touch on his shoulder made him want to slap it away. At the same instant, he had an urge to grab her hand and beg forgiveness for failing her brother…failing her family.
The elevator thankfully stopped before he made a fool of himself. Sascha pushed him through the open doors and into a corridor. After pausing for a few minutes to fill the prescription for pain pills he wouldn’t take anyway, she wheeled him outside.
“Wait here. I’ll just go get my car.”
“I can walk.” He planted his feet to get up.
She pressed on his shoulder. “No, you won’t. Stay here.”
As he watched her walk away, her flowy skirt swaying with each step she took, a bunch of thoughts gathered in his mind. Such as how good it felt to be outside breathing fresh air. The fresh air was no rival for the Alaskan mountains, and Texas was hot as hell in comparison, but it beat the stuffy hospital.
When the hell would this dizziness subside?
And when had Sascha’s body filled out into womanly curves?
Seconds later, she returned driving a truck he remembered well. The old girl sported a bit more rust, but the engine he and Ethan rebuilt still purred like a kitten.
He stood from the wheelchair and made it a few paces before Sascha ran to his side.
“I’ll drive,” he said.
She threw him another look he took to mean like hell.
“You will not drive. You don’t even know where you’re going.”
“I know this country like I know my own name.”
“It’s a wonder you can remember that with your concussion. Now, get into the passenger seat right now, River.” She held open the door with a cock of her head and an attitude that he hadn’t seen on the likes of any woman in Alaska. Only Southern ladies could wobble their heads that way.
His commanders always picked their battles, and he figured he had better ones to fight, so he slipped into the old leather seat. Watching her circle the front of the vintage 1960s truck, gave him one of his dizzy spells, and he closed his eyes.
She slammed the door a bit too hard.
“Sorry,” she said in a voice as sweet as pecan pie before she put the truck in gear.
“So where are you taking me?” He opened his eyes. Looking at a single unmoving object—in this case, Sascha—helped with the dizziness.
She narrowed her eyes and a wicked gleam shined in the clear blue depths. “To my lair, of course. Then I’ll have to swear you to secrecy.”
Sascha threw a look at her passenger. Her joke fell flat—he still wore that dark scowl.
What did she get h
erself into? He wasn’t the same boy she knew.
Then again, she’d changed too. That summer River and Ethan had been inseparable—and when he’d first captured her attention, she always wondered what stopped him from taking action on the pull between them.
Glancing at his profile, she felt that tug on her insides. Seeing him in the flesh again brought home the fact that River was the man she compared every other guy to.
Who could retain the lightheartedness of boyhood after seeing his best buddy killed? He’d seen battle. Probably battled with himself plenty. She certainly had, and she hadn’t even been with her brother when he died. Heaps of guilt weighed upon her, and she hoped to be her very best for him in case he looked down on her from Heaven.
“Are you hungry? We can stop and grab something if you are.”
“No.” A single word answer.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
She didn’t buy that. “Does your head hurt?”
He leveled his stare on her.
“Okay, bad question. Of course it hurts. As far as I know, you don’t live in the state. How did you end up here?”
“I came to visit my family.”
“I see.” She didn’t, though. If he’d come here for his family, why didn’t the hospital get in touch with his momma? Or brother?
She wanted to ask more, but he deserved his privacy. Just because he sat in her truck, in her care, didn’t mean she had a right to know every little detail about him.
Such as how he received all those scars on his spine.
As she navigated the road home, her mind drifted to that video Ethan shot. Comparing that River to this one… Well, the years had changed him. That quick smile might only be hiding behind a headache and bruised ribs from his car accident…or it might not exist at all these days.
A new furrow carved between his brows, and the brackets surrounding his mouth didn’t appear to be put there from smiling.
On the other hand, he’d filled out more—his chest broader and every muscle layered with thicker muscle. Seeing his naked spine had sent shivers straight to her girly bits, along with a stab of sadness. All those scars he bore were nothing compared to what he must carry on the inside.
She understood why he left and never returned. Their hometown held a lot of memories of Ethan, and she often thought of moving just to escape the bad ones after his passing.
Turning her attention to the landscape, she drank in the greenery. They passed an orchard of apple trees, their branches heavily laden with fruit, and the sky a lighter hue with streaks of white clouds like smudges of paint on a canvas.
“I forgot how pretty this stretch of road is.”
“Yeah.”
They passed a roadside stand, painted white and quaintly decorated with red gingham flags flapping in the breeze.
“I don’t come this way often.” Between her graduate work and a couple side gigs filming content creators for social media, she had little time to spare for fun jaunts up north. Besides the actual film work, she always scouted fresh new areas to shoot her clients in, and her documentary had become a full-time job.
“Oh!” She braked hard, and River braced a hand on the dashboard.
She threw him a look as she pulled off the road. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you might have some issues being in a vehicle again after your accident.”
“I don’t. What are you doing?”
“This is such a perfect spot. I need to snap some photos for my client. Be right back.” She jumped out, her cell phone in hand. The tall grasses on the side of the road brushed her bare ankles as she waded into the picturesque nature area. A hiking trail started here, and the sign would provide a great shot for her client to showcase her clothing and lifestyle vlog.
Add in the nearby apple trees, and they could easily film a few days’ worth of content here.
She snapped several photos to text her client for inspiration and then headed to the truck. When she settled behind the wheel, River eyed her as if she sported the head injury.
“What was that about?” He cocked a brow.
“I film for a couple women who have vlogs.”
“Vlogs…”
“Yes, video blogs.”
“I know what they are.”
She was getting used to his grumpy responses, and ignored this one. “I do the filming and editing for them.”
“And you get paid for that?”
“Yes.” She put the truck into gear and checked the road before pulling out. “It’s only a few hours a week of work, but it keeps me going while I complete my degree in filmmaking.”
“I remember your brother talking about how good you are.”
Since meeting again, neither of them had brought up Ethan. Suddenly, he seemed to be in the truck with them. Only now they weren’t headed somewhere fun like the pond for a midnight swim or a visit to the drive-in to watch a horror flick.
Her throat clamped shut momentarily. After a few seconds, the lump slid downward, giving her the ability to speak.
“At first, I felt uncertain about going for a degree in film studies. It’s one of those creative fields that people warn you about never being able to actually use. A waste of money. But after Ethan died, I went back to school and I’m working on my final project now. It’s a documentary on the LGBTQ community.”
He said nothing.
She fell silent too, her mind bouncing between the unfinished work and mess waiting for her at home and the sullen man beside her. His lack of a response probably stemmed from feeling like crap and just getting out of the hospital, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he judged her life choices.
He could also be deep in thought about Ethan.
She threw him a glance from the corner of her eye. His rugged good looks were the stuff of a country girl’s fantasies. Square jaw, stubbled with a few days’ worth of beard. His nose looked to have been broken at some point, bearing a tiny bump on the bridge. His lips held an undeniable sensuality that tugged at a deep spot inside her. How she’d wanted River to kiss her that summer they spent together.
She never got her wish, and she settled for a few months of fantasies after they left for basic training.
Again, she wondered how his family hadn’t been called. Did they know about his accident?
“How is your family?” she asked.
He sent her a look. “They’re all right.”
“Do I need to call your momma? Let her know you’re okay?”
“No. I’ll get in touch with her when I’m ready. She has enough going on right now. She’s very…” He broke off again. Long seconds passed and she realized he must be searching for a word that wouldn’t come to his tongue.
“She’s busy?” she supplied at last.
He grunted out a noise sounding closer to a growl. Resting his head on the seat, he stared at the ceiling, looking more drawn. Maybe he needed another conk on the head to stop him being such a grouch and back to the good-natured guy she knew.
As soon as the thought popped into her head, guilt stabbed her. Bless his heart, the poor man. None of this could be called his fault, least of all his bad mood. She’d be a grumpy bear too.
When they finally pulled up in front of her rental house, she cut the engine and looked to River.
“Nice place,” he said.
“Thanks. I’ve been here a couple years.” She climbed out of the truck, grabbed her bag and his too, and then led the way inside.
“Why don’t you have a seat in the living room while I get the guest room ready. I didn’t have a chance after the hospital contacted me.” She pointed to the sofa, a vintage peacock green velvet piece she’d snagged from a thrift store. River bent to remove his boots. But as soon as he folded in half, he began to sway.
She caught his arm, and he straightened. Searching his expression, she said, “Don’t worry about your boots. Just sit down.”
He said nothing but moved to the sofa. As she started toward the gue
st room, she threw a look at the big, hot military man sitting on her bohemian sofa. He reached over to the side table and touched the leaf of one of her many plants.
Alone in the guest room, she paused for a minute to scrub her hands over her face. This would be trying—for both of them. She’d never cared for someone before. Hell, they never even had pets growing up since her mom was allergic.
She set his bag on a chair in the corner and went about placing clean sheets on the bed. After she had everything ready and a spare quilt folded at the foot of the bed in case he got chilled in the night, she went to fetch him.
River had vanished from the sofa where she left him. He’d wandered into her small office and stared at the computer monitor. Without even looking, she knew he was looking at Ethan’s video—she’d rushed out without closing anything down.
She cleared the lump in her throat. “Your room’s ready if you’d like to lie down.”
He pivoted his head but not his body, giving her a good look at his profile and the lines pulling at the corner of his lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop.”
“It’s fine. The place is a mess. I meant to tackle it today, but then I got the phone call.”
“I don’t want to be a burden, Sascha.” He turned to her, gripping the edge of the desk as if to remain upright.
“You’re exhausted. Come get comfy in bed and I’ll bring you some food if you’d like.” Her heart went out to the strong man brought low by his situation. He didn’t want to be here being coddled any more than she knew how to coddle.
She held out her hand to him.
Their eyes met, and a small leap of attraction hit her stomach as he released his hold on the desk and crossed the office to meet her. He didn’t take her hand, and she let it drop to her side, leading him out of the office, through the living room and to a short hall with three doors.
“The bathroom’s here, between our rooms. There’s another half bath off the kitchen, which you probably saw from the living room,” she rambled.
He nodded and moved into the guest room. She left him to get himself settled and went to the kitchen for a tray. She added sweet tea and a bottle of water as well as a premade sandwich she’d picked up from the local deli in order to save time during her busy day.