Wild Inside (Four Corners Book 2)

by Artemis Anders

  “I want to get some of your history,” Mariah said. “Asher is happy to wait outside for you, or he can join us if you prefer.”

  “He can come in.” For reasons Diana didn’t entirely understand, seeing Asher would be a huge comfort to her right now. When he appeared, he’d changed back into regular shorts and a faded black Tom Petty t-shirt. He stared at her, hope in his eyes.

  When she smiled, his face seemed to relax. “You look better, Venus.”

  She giggled nervously at him calling her that, especially in front of Mariah. “I feel better.”

  Mariah asked Diana about her history with the disease. Diana told her about having suffered from it since her teens, about the surgeries, about her recent diagnosis of an endometrioma cyst on her left ovary. She told her about needing more surgery, about the looming threat of hysterectomy, and about her fertility concerns. She didn’t tell her everything, including what happened during her marriage. She couldn’t talk about that. It was too personal, and sharing that painful history wouldn’t change a thing anyway.

  Asher listened to it all, his expression more serious than she’d ever seen it. What did he think about all this? Was he sorry he’d helped her, that he’d wasted a perfectly good day of riding to listen to some woman he barely knew talk about her reproductive plumbing? Was he reminded that women were a “hassle,” glad he’d dodged a bullet by not getting the opportunity to date or sleep with her, or have his life inconvenienced by her pain? Nothing like a relentless disease to ruin the fantasy of Venus and her big boobs and bike skillz!

  “Well, Diana, you probably know that endometriosis varies from woman to woman in terms of severity and pain. In that same way, natural treatments vary from woman to woman too. There are some herbal supplements I want you to try. I have one or two around here, and the rest you can get next door or even order on Amazon if you prefer. Have you ever taken natural supplements?”

  “No. I’ve always been more of a western medicine girl.”

  Mariah smiled at that. “Welcome to the dark side. Nothing I’m going to suggest is that strange, and some of it, like turmeric, has western science to back it up. The objective is to reduce inflammation as well as correct the hormonal imbalance that fosters the excess buildup of endometrium. Are you open to that?”

  Diana nodded. “I’m skeptical, but I’m willing to try.”

  “I’d recommend more acupuncture treatments. Asher says you live in Grand Junction, and I can look into a referral for you. I’d also recommend an anti-inflammatory diet. Cutting out gluten and dairy can make a huge difference for women with endometriosis.”

  Diana stared at Mariah. “You want me to go gluten-free? I’ve had this most of my life and I’ve never heard of that as a treatment option.”

  “Gluten is a funny thing. It’s fine for some people, but for others it’s pure poison.”

  Diana closed her eyes for a moment, her hope beginning to dwindle. “But I’m full-blooded Italian! I love to cook Italian food! Gluten and dairy are my life!”

  She heard Asher chuckle at that.

  Mariah smiled. “Just try it for three weeks. See if your pain subsides. If it does, try gluten again to see how your body responds. If the pain comes back, there’s your answer. Then, reintroduce dairy and see how you respond. If you don’t feel better cutting both out, call me and we’ll move on to other possible culprits like beef, sugar, and alcohol.” When she saw Diana’s worried face, her expression turned compassionate. “I know it’s a lot to swallow, Diana. But food plays a huge role in inflammation, pain, and disease. Even a healthy diet can kill you if it’s the wrong diet for you.”

  Diana let out a huge sigh. No pasta? No garlic bread? None of her famous homemade lasagna? No beer??

  Mariah stood up from her stool. “You know what traditional medicine can offer you. More drugs and more surgery. And if it comes to that, so be it. But what do you have to lose by trying something new, something that doesn’t involve cutting you open again and further harming your fertility?”

  That’s what did it. She wanted children, and it didn’t hurt to try some herbs and a new diet for a few weeks. Plus, she realized that while she was busy moaning over having to give up her beloved, gluten-filled diet, she hadn’t even noticed her pain.

  It was almost completely gone.

  Chapter Ten

  After Diana paid Mariah and collected her treatment plan and herbs, she and Asher went to the health food store so she could buy the rest of what she needed. She didn’t know if it was the acupuncture, some placebo effect, or the fact that Asher and Mariah cared that much about her wellbeing, but she was feeling so much better that she decided to try everything and start right away.

  When they came back outside, Diana suddenly felt overwhelmed with gratitude toward Asher. If it weren’t for him, she’d be at Mel’s, still in pain and drugged into a stupor. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him.

  He stumbled at her barraging him like that, but quickly balanced himself and put his arms around her. She hugged him tight, and for probably longer than she should have, but she felt so grateful to him at that moment that she would have given him everything she had, if he’d asked for it.

  Finally, she pulled away, putting her hands on his arms and looking up into his bewildered but amused face. “Thank you. So much. For being so sweet and taking such great care of me. And for Mariah. I… I’m beyond grateful.”

  “You’re welcome.” He stared down at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read, but that reminded her of the time when she’d hugged him a little too long after riding at West Rim. She removed her hands and backed away, not wanting to make him uncomfortable again.

  “And I’m sorry you missed biking today. I feel bad.”

  He shook his head dismissively. “I live here, Venus. I’ve ridden that trail a hundred times, at least. I didn’t miss anything.”

  Diana smiled. “Okay. But I want to make it up to you. And don’t you say no,” she added before he started to protest. “I would cook for you, but now I can’t cook any of my specialties thanks to my gluten moratorium. And you have to work tonight, right?”

  Asher glanced at his watch. “Tell you what. If you’re feeling okay, I’ll head to the shop now, get some stuff done, and close up at seven. Then we can pick up some food and cook at my place.”

  Diana considered that. “How about, you go to work, I go read up on gluten-free recipes and go to the store, and I’ll start cooking early and just bring everything to your house when you’re finished?”

  Asher gave her that gleaming smile. “How about, I give you my house key, you get the groceries that fit your new diet and make yourself at home, and we can cook together when I get back?”

  “You got it.”

  Diana sat at Mel’s kitchen table, searching for recipes on her iPad. She had no intention of letting Asher cook, of course. Not because she didn’t want his help, but because she wanted to make him something special, and that required her starting earlier than seven. This wouldn’t be some slapped-together salmon and fall vegetables. No, after what he did for her, she would whip him up something worthy. She had no idea what the hell that would be without including gluten or dairy, but she was determined to find out.

  With some effort, she decided on ribeye steaks—what man didn’t love a good steak? She prayed that he had a cast iron skillet to sear them in, although a decent grill would do. Something potato-y and maybe a homemade soup, plus something chocolate for dessert—chocolate didn’t have gluten, right? And she’d tried coconut ice cream before and it was surprisingly good…

  Just as she compiled her list, she heard footsteps and Mel’s door swung open. A tired-looking, sweaty Mel came in. When she saw Diana sitting at the table and looking happy, she grinned.

  “You’re smiling! Did the pain go away?” She dumped her gear onto the floor and put her bike away. After Diana told Mel what happened, Mel shook her head. “I can’t believe Ash did that. I mean, I can, but I ca
n’t.”

  “I know! So I’m cooking him a nice dinner tonight. It’s the least I could do.”

  Mel raised her eyebrows and gave a smarmy smile. “Cooking dinner for him, huh? That’s some payback.”

  Diana shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

  “Whatever,” she said, peeling off her socks and cycling shoes. “Ditching me for a hot guy…”

  Diana’s hesitated. “Shit. You’re right. This is your night off. Maybe you can come—”

  Mel scowled. “I’m joking! It’s fine. I’ll probably go have a beer with a few friends and go to bed early. And you still have the afternoon free, right?”

  “I do! We can have lunch, and you can come with me to the store for my gluten-free shopping spree.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe I have to be one of those women who’s like,” she raised her voice high, “‘umm, is there gluten in that salad dressing?’”

  Mel laughed. “Oh, God. You poor thing.”

  “I know, right?”

  For lunch, they went to a Thai place that both liked, and Diana ordered a dish with the little “GF” right next to it. Afterward, they went to the store and Diana picked up everything she needed for dinner, then stopped off at a liquor store to pick up wine once she learned that it too contained no gluten. Thank goodness for that. She got beer too, in case Asher didn’t drink wine.

  And it turned out chocolate didn’t have gluten. Neither did potato chips. Or bacon. Maybe this temporary little experiment wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  They lugged all the groceries to Asher’s house, a little wood-frame ranch within walking distance of Main Street. Inside, it was cool and dark with the shades closed. His home was simply furnished, with tile flooring, a plain dark couch, and a dark wood coffee table, end tables, and dining set. He had a few pieces of art—an abstract painting of a cyclist in canyon country, a few enlarged photos of children from what looked like faraway countries, and a couple of family photos. His single bookshelf was filled with travel guides, including everything from Brazil to Borneo. A few race medals hung nearby.

  The place was pretty neat, other than perhaps one of the two bedrooms, which was loaded with bikes and had bike tools and equipment strewn everywhere.

  Mel set her grocery bags down on the kitchen counter. “He has no TV!”

  “I’m not surprised.” Diana had a hard time imagining Asher sitting and watching… well, anything. He wasn’t a sit-on-the-couch kind of guy.

  Mel hung out for a while and helped Diana begin making the butternut squash soup and getting the potatoes ready after they broke into one of the bottles of wine. Once seven drew near, Mel gave Diana a hug.

  “Now you better be home at midnight, or Momma gets mad,” Mel warned, wagging a finger at Diana.

  Diana rolled her eyes. “I promise.”

  When Asher arrived, he came into the kitchen with a disapproving look. “You were supposed to wait until I got home.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. “If I’d waited until you got home, we wouldn’t be eating until ten.”

  “I’m a guy. I’m happy with something simple.”

  Diana put the potatoes in the oven. “I don’t do simple, sweetie. When I cook, I do it right. You’ll see. Besides, there’s still plenty to do. Like grilling the steaks and blending the soup and prepping for dessert.

  Asher grinned. “Good.”

  Diana held up the wine. “Wine? I brought beer, too, in case you don’t do wine…”

  Asher raised his eyebrows. “Jesus. I could get used to this. Wine, please.”

  Diana poured him a glass and handed it to him. “How was work, dear?”

  He chuckled. “Busy day, honey.” He paused. “Actually, to be honest, time dragged. All I wanted to do was come home, cook with you, and sit out on the patio.”

  Diana smiled at that. “You have a patio?”

  “You didn’t see it?”

  “I didn’t really look around. I didn’t want to snoop.”

  The two of them worked together to finish the meal while drinking their wine and chatting. Diana couldn’t believe how minimal her pain was. It wasn’t gone completely, but compared to what she’d felt earlier, she felt amazing. Asher set the small table on his back patio, which overlooked a xeriscaped yard and had a view of the sandstone cliffs in the distance, glowing in the late afternoon sun. Asher grilled up the steaks and soon they were sitting down to eat.

  After taking several spoonfuls of butternut squash soup and a few bites of her potatoes, he paused. “Jesus, this is good.” Then he looked at her, a hint of guilt in his eye. “Sorry. No God’s name in vain, right?”

  Diana laughed. “That’s just my rule, sweetie. It doesn’t have to be yours. You like the food?”

  “Fuck. Yes.”

  Diana did an internal happy dance. She loved when people enjoyed her cooking. Especially those who deserved all those hours of work. As the sun set, they chatted some more while they watched the skies turn colors and begin to glow, before finally fading to night.

  “I noticed you have a lot of Lonely Planet travel books,” Diana said. “Have you visited all those places?”

  He nodded, taking a sip of his wine. “I’ll usually take off for a month during the off season, and either close up shop or let one of the guys run the place. This year I went to Brazil.”

  “Wow. That’s amazing. Where to next year?”

  “I haven’t decided for sure. Maybe Thailand, or Nicaragua.”

  Diana took a spoonful of soup. “How long have you been doing this? Since you bought the shop?”

  Asher shook his head, waiting until he swallowed his food. “Much longer. Since I was old enough to travel alone. I’ve seen some amazing places. And all it’s done is make me want to see more.”

  Diana nodded, feeling wistful, trying to imagine what that would be like, to see the real world out there. “I envy you. I’ve been to Europe a couple of times, and around the states, but that’s it. How pathetic is that?”

  “What’s stopping you?”

  “Work, mostly. Money. Saving for the future.”

  He shrugged. “If you wait for everything to line up, you’ll never go. Plus, traveling Third World is cheap. Although… how are you with roughing it? You know, going without AC and shitting in strange places?”

  “I grew up without AC, so that’s not a big deal. And shitting in strange places… I’ve done my share of that backpacking.”

  He smiled. “You backpack?”

  “I prefer regular camping, but I’ve been known to backpack. I go with my friend Hannah. She lives on the Eastern Slope, but sometimes we’ll meet in the mountains during the summer.”

  He nodded at that, his golden brown eyes glimmering just a little, like he was impressed.

  When they finished their meals, they moved on to the chocolate ice cream made from coconut milk, which even Asher acknowledged was pretty good.

  Diana sighed, patting her full belly. “Well, it isn’t my homemade four-cheese lasagna, but I have to say that was decent.”

  Asher sat back in his chair. “It was better than decent. That was the best meal I’ve had in years.” He eyed her. “And you can eat a lot for being only what… five foot two?”

  “Five three!” she cried. He laughed at that and she went on. “And I’ll take my big appetite as a compliment. It all goes right to my ass, but I’m totally fine with that.”

  Asher glanced down at her behind, what little he could see of it sitting on his patio chair. “Yeah… you should be, Venus.”

  Diana sipped her wine and made no reply. She’d walked into that flirty compliment, and she found that she didn’t mind it.

  When the air began to cool, they brought everything inside.

  “Have a seat,” Asher said, motioning to one of the barstools that faced the open kitchen. “I’ll take care of the dishes, what you haven’t already cleaned.”

  Diana got the feeling arguing would be rude and a waste of time, so she sat down on a barstoo
l and sipped her wine. Asher put the food away, saying how glad he was that she was feeling better. She was too. But as she watched him soap everything up, she grew mesmerized by his lean tattooed arms and his little leather bracelet braving the hot water. He occasionally pushed a wavy strand of hair from his handsome face, and just the sight of his narrow hips and that tight butt made her want to sit there and watch him forever.

  She imagined what he could do with that athletic, graceful body. She imagined what that body could do to her.

  She shook that thought away. Hot or not, she couldn’t go there. Even though she was single now and free to do what she wanted, she hadn’t changed who she was. She didn’t do flings. And just because he was hotter than a Red Rim afternoon in August and had rescued her from a miserable day of pain didn’t mean he’d be good in bed. That was nothing more than wishful thinking. Not that she was wishing.

  Yet, how strange that this was the same guy who, when they first met, had eyed her like he was a hunter and she his prey, and flirted shamelessly with her with no regard for her relationship status. There they were, sharing her food and talking like good friends who’d known each other for years. Just hours after he abandoned a day of riding to take her to an acupuncturist. Just days after she’d ended things with Matthew, who, at the moment, was little more than a faded memory. There Asher was, making something as mundane as washing the dishes look erotic.

  When he finished up, he dried his hands on a towel and leaned on the counter, facing her. He looked at her with those gold-flecked brown eyes. “You look tired.”

  Diana realized she was tired. Exhausted, actually. “I should head back to Mel’s.”

  Asher watched her for a moment, looking deep in thought. “Do you think you might be up for a ride tomorrow morning?”

  “I don’t know. If I feel even remotely as good as I do tonight, yeah. As long as it’s not too strenuous…”