by Sophie Oak
“Oh, god, no.” People were talking about them? Of course people were talking about them. Everyone gossiped in Bliss. It was the town’s pastime. “The first one, Nate. She passed out. Doc is with her now. Uhm, my brother found her.”
Noah looked up. He looked a little like he might be the next human to vomit all over Nate Wright. “Her car broke down. I think she’s fine. Definitely no sand monsters.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother.” Nate’s eyes moved between them, assessing.
“Ask Callie. She’ll tell you the whole story.”
“Callie?” Noah asked. “Callie’s still in town?”
Noah had a lot of catching up to do. A lot had happened in the years Noah had been gone. James gestured to the sheriff. “You’re looking at her husband. Sheriff Nathan Wright, this is my brother, Noah Bennett. Different last name. Different fathers. Different mothers. Our dads shared our stepmom.”
Nate’s whole face broke open in a smile. “I love that we’re just carrying on Bliss traditions. I’ll have to have Callie tell the whole story to me and Zane. He’ll find it amusing, too. I’m going back to check on Hope.”
Nate walked away, and he was left alone with Noah again.
Noah looked out the big kitchen window into the backyard and out over the seemingly endless spread they had grown up on. “Everything’s changed.”
“Yes. That’s what happens.”
Everything changed. The people of the town had changed. The land had changed. Bliss had moved on without Noah in it. Bliss might not have missed Noah, but James had, even though his anger still burned bright. There was no way to stop the march of time or to really see mistakes coming before he made them. James stood beside his brother. Bliss had changed. James had changed. Noah had changed.
The question was, had they changed for the better?
Chapter Four
Hope hissed a little as the doc took some blood. Some more blood. He was on his third vial. Hope was pretty certain Caleb Burke was a vampire.
And she was in such deep shit.
She lay back on James’s guest bed, closing her eyes. How had this happened? How was the man she’d met at AA James’s new partner? She’d tried so hard to keep this part of her past quiet. Quiet? Silent. She’d tried to make sure no one in Bliss knew anything about it. She and Nate had made a deal a long time ago on a lonely road, and she was happy with it.
Now she had to leave. No question about it. She had to get out of Bliss and fast.
“Well, you’re dehydrated at the very least.” Caleb held her hand in his, tracing the lines of her veins. “These should stand out. They’re sunken in. When was the last time you ate or had some water?”
“I had some coffee earlier in the day,” she admitted. She hadn’t felt like eating or drinking. All she could see was that glimpse of a man she thought she’d left behind long ago.
Caleb looked down on her, sympathy in his eyes. “You’re exhausted, Hope. And your blood pressure is high. Are you under some sort of stress?”
She felt those damn tears start again. Yeah, she had a little stress. “My car is dead. My apartment is unlivable.”
I’m seeing a ghost, and he’s not the happy, Casper-the-friendly kind. He’s a killer.
What she’d thought she’d seen the week before haunted her. She’d written it off, but the dreams had come again. He came to her each night, his hair golden and his lips turned up in a gorgeous smile. He’d had that charming smile on his face when he’d slit her best friend’s throat.
“I need you to calm down.” Caleb was looking at her, a serious expression on his ruggedly handsome face. “Your pulse just shot up. Maybe we should get you to a hospital.”
“Oh, god, no.” If she couldn’t afford to fix her car, she really couldn’t afford a hospital. But Caleb could be overly cautious. She’d overheard he was buying his own MRI so he could shove Holly or Alexei into it just to make sure they were okay. “I’m fine. Nothing a little rest and food can’t fix.”
And running. Lots of running.
Holly walked in the room, a glass of orange juice in her hand. “Here you go. This should help. And avoid the kitchen if you can. Those boys are staring at each other like two rattlesnakes waiting to strike.”
Noah. Noah was James’s brother. “I didn’t know James had a brother.”
Holly frowned, a sad look in her green eyes. “They haven’t talked in years. I moved to Bliss after they were grown, but before Noah moved away. They were very close. They had an odd family. Not odd for Bliss now, but at the time it was odd. They were the first threesome. Jamie’s dad and Noah’s dad were best friends. After Jamie’s mom died and Noah’s walked out, Noah’s dad moved them to the Circle G and helped out on the ranch. A couple of years later, they hired a housekeeper and both fell in love with her. Noah and Jamie were raised by their dads and a stepmom. They were raised as brothers, and just like their dads, they preferred to share a woman. Until Ally walked in.”
Hope sat up a little, really interested in this story. James Glen was everything she wanted in a man. He was loyal and kind. He worked so hard. Of course, he was also a ladies’ man. And he never noticed her. His brother…god, his brother…had her panting over him two minutes after he’d gotten out of his truck. She’d been attracted to the tall, dark, and handsome cowboy the minute she’d met him. Noah and James were dangerous, and her brain was already going to crazy places. “Did this Ally person only want one of them?”
Holly sighed and sat down on the bed. “Drink your juice and I keep talking.”
Caleb winked at her. “You’re a good nurse, baby.”
She smiled brightly. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll go back to school with Alexei. Now, Ally spent time with them both, but Jamie caught on to her. She was looking for a man with money. Jamie broke it off.”
“But Noah didn’t.” Hope drank her juice, the cool sweetness sinking into her veins. It was helping.
“Noah married her and left for New York.”
Caleb grimaced. “He’s the vet. He’s the one who was supposed to replace Doc Harris.”
“Yes. He was supposed to take his place. We haven’t been able to find a local vet since he retired. And now he’s back without Ally. And he seems interested in you. He and Jamie squared off in the driveway.” Holly turned to Caleb with a frown on her face. “I had to ask Trev to take her so I could keep them from fighting.”
Caleb shrugged. “Well, you always said James had a thing for her. Sometimes a little jealousy makes a man move.”
Her lips turned up in a sultry grin. The heat between the doctor and Holly was palpable. “It made you move fast enough.”
“I have to keep up with that damn Russian bear.” But there was a happy smile on his face. Caleb Burke was a changed man. He was still gruff, but he smiled more. He was a man in love and happy to be sharing with his friend. Hope envied them.
There was a knock on the door, and Nate Wright’s big frame filled the doorway. “Hey, you. You look good for a woman who’s been attacked by a sand monster.”
God, she was going to miss Bliss. “Just a little tired, boss.”
“She’s going to be fine, but she needs sleep and rest, and she definitely needs less stress. I’m going to take the blood samples in for tests, but I think I’m right. I think she needs to eat and put her feet up.” Caleb took Holly’s hand and led her out, leaving her alone with her boss.
Nate waited until the door closed. “Talk to me.”
She didn’t want to do this. He was overburdened as it was. He’d just had twins with his wife. He should be perfectly happy, not dealing with her shit. “I’m just tired, Nate. I was stressed because my apartment is unlivable. I went to a meeting, and my car died. I guess I haven’t eaten enough. I’m really fine.”
Nate Wright’s sharp blue eyes stared through her with the intensity of a longtime lawman on the case. “Not according to Caleb. And I don’t buy any of this. Tell me what’s happening.”
“Nate, let it go. You
need to be with Callie.”
“The twins are sleeping. They like to do that during the day so they can keep us up all night. Now what’s going on?” He was tenacious when he wanted to be. He wouldn’t let up until she’d been honest with him.
“I thought I saw him the other day.”
Nate’s shoulders straightened, his eyes flaring. “Christian Grady? I thought he was dead. The police report said they found his body. I knew that report was shoddy. Fucker.”
Christian was dead. He’d died in a fire—a fire Hope herself had accidently set. “Nate, don’t overreact. I’m sure he’s dead. I just saw someone who looked like him.”
“Or one of his followers who figured out where you are.” Nate crossed his arms over his chest. “Could that have happened?”
God, she loved this man. Since she’d started wandering ten years before, Nate Wright had been the only man to believe she was anything more than a drunk, idiot kid. Nate had found her at her lowest point. He was the reason she was still alive. “I hope not. I would have thought they would break up after Christian died. Maybe they view him as some sort of martyr.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. And you were the last one to see him alive. Have you considered that his followers might wonder if you had something to do with the fire?” Nate leaned over, his eyes going soft. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but if you had something to do with that fire, I wouldn’t turn you in, Hope. If I had been there, I would have handed you the match.” Nate was a lawman, but he understood that justice and the law didn’t always go hand in hand.
She nodded, but she couldn’t tell him. She just couldn’t. She knew he had an idea, but she couldn’t verify the fact that she’d killed a man. It didn’t matter that the man had been a monster. She still felt it.
Nate sighed, obviously willing to let it go for now. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.” She would do just about anything for this man. He’d found her one night about a year before. She’d been too drunk to drive. She’d just walked out of the Hell on Wheels and fallen asleep in her car. Nate had talked to her. He’d taken her home with him. Callie and Zane had opened their tiny cabin. Zane had cooked for her. Callie had held her hand.
And they’d found a meeting for her. She’d walked into an AA meeting with Nate Wright at her side. She’d walked out a different human being. He’d given her a job and a new lease on life. He’d been the father she’d never had. Her own had walked out before she’d been born, but Nate Wright understood the meaning of responsibility.
“Don’t run,” Nate said, his voice steady and true.
Damn it. Nate Wright was also a meddling, magnificent bastard who could see straight through her. “It might be for the best.”
“No. It’s not. Unless you’re ready to call your mother. I could handle you going home, but outside of that, this is where you belong.”
She sighed. “It’s not really. I love Bliss. I really do, but I don’t belong the way the others do.”
Nate’s eyes rolled. “I don’t think James is feeling that way right now. He’s finally coming around. I don’t think he’ll let you leave. No one else will, either. Come on. You need to see something. You’ve been here for about an hour now. Come and see how little the people of Bliss think of you.”
She took his outstretched hand and let him help her up. She didn’t bother to put on her shoes. She liked the feel of the carpet beneath her feet. She felt a little better, but her stomach was starting to rumble. She had to admit that she felt safer here on the Circle G than she had all week. Then she remembered her problem. “I don’t want to, Nate. Trev…”
She closed her mouth. What happened at AA stayed at AA. At least it did with her. She couldn’t be sure about Trev. He might tell, but she wasn’t going to out him.
Nate’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, shit. You met Trev at a meeting?”
Oh, no. She’d just managed to out Trev, and he’d been so nice to her. “How did you know? Nate, you can’t tell anyone that.”
Nate snorted. “Trev can’t hide, honey. Everyone who has ever watched ESPN knows Trev’s story. He’s very famous, Hope. And I doubt he’ll mention it to anyone. He’s a solid guy. Come on.”
She followed Nate. She didn’t want to see the look in James Glen’s eyes when he realized she was a drunk, and if he ever learned about the rest of her past…that wasn’t even worth thinking about. She would leave. She wouldn’t be able to handle that no matter what she owed to Nate.
She heard the chatter the minute she walked into the hall. Lots of voices. Lots.
“Who’s here?”
Nate smiled. “Everyone. Well, not everyone, but the ones who aren’t here are being kept up to date.”
She walked into the living room and was shocked to see so many familiar faces. Rachel Harper stood talking to Laura Niles and Nell Flanders. Their men, Max and Rye Harper, Rafe Kincaid and Cameron Briggs, and Henry Flanders stood talking in a group. Alexei and Holly were helping Caleb pack up. No sign of James.
Rachel turned and frowned. “You’re supposed to be in bed, girl. Doc told us you need stress relief. Nate, do you have a plan to give her a break?”
Rachel could be a bit bossy, but she was a sweetheart. “No need. I’m fine.”
“No, she’s not,” Caleb called out. “She needs rest.”
Nate nodded toward Laura. “Laura and I worked something out.”
Laura was a gorgeous blonde. She’d always looked slightly out of place in town, but there was no doubt Bliss was her home. “I’m going to cover for you for a week. I’ve done it before. We all used to take turns giving Callie time off. And we’ve solved the deputy problem, too.”
“That’s good because I had to work damn hard to get paternity leave,” Nate said with a frown.
Nell’s hands fluttered as she spoke. “It was wrong. If the sheriff had been a woman, he would have gotten eight weeks paid leave. Just because he has a penis doesn’t mean he shouldn’t bond with his children.”
Nate grinned, his eyes lighting with mirth. “I sicced Nell on the town council. Two days of listening to her sing “We Shall Overcome” and Hiram wilted like a hothouse flower. I get three weeks paid. I’m taking them. So Cam is acting sheriff. Who’s going to be his deputy?”
“I am not his deputy,” Rafe said with a frown. “I’m co-sheriff.”
Cam had a shit-eating grin on his face. “No such thing, buddy. I’m the boss. But think about how much fun we can have with our receptionist.”
“Oh, god, I’m going to need more Lysol.” Nate groaned. “Why does everyone have sex on my desk?”
Rye Harper shrugged. “It’s on the official Bliss bucket list. Ask your partner. He’s the one who made it. ‘One hundred things to do in Bliss before you die.’ Number eleven is fucking on Sheriff Nate Wright’s desk.”
Nate laughed and shook his head. “Asshole. I’m going to beat him when I get home.”
He wouldn’t. Nate loved Zane. It was one of the things she’d adored about being close to the threesome. They weren’t just about Callie. Zane and Nate would never touch sexually, but the love between them was plain. They were committed to their friendship and their family.
Rachel walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hope, we’re all worried about you.”
“Yes. We’re worried.” James’s voice cut through the talking. Hope’s eyes went straight to where he stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. “Doc wouldn’t let me back to see you.”
He’d wanted to see her? “I’m fine.”
“Stubborn. I can respect that,” Rachel said. “We’ve all brought casseroles. Mine’s a lasagna. Laura sent some enchiladas, and Nell has stir-fried something granola.”
“It’s black beans and rice,” Nell said with a smile. “Totally vegan. Cruelty-free.”
Hope liked meat, so she wasn’t sure about the “cruelty-free” part, but she smiled anyway. It was tradition in Bliss for the women of the town—and some
of the men who liked to cook—to keep casseroles on hand. There was always someone in need, and Bliss came out to support. Of course, she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to cook the things. “I appreciate it, but my apartment is unlivable right now. I don’t have a fridge.”
“You can stay here.” Noah joined his brother. Hope could hear a collective intake of breath from the longtime Bliss residents. Max and Rye both turned, their jaws coming open.
“Noah?” Max and Rye asked, their voices one.
Noah’s face flushed. Noah was a gorgeous slab of man, only slightly shorter than his brother. Noah was tall, dark, and handsome, and James was an all-American hunk with broad shoulders and golden-brown hair. But there was a hesitancy in Noah’s eyes that let Hope know he was worried about his welcome. She knew that feeling. It made her heart go out to him.
Noah cleared his throat before talking. She loved the deep timbre of his voice. She’d gotten a little hot when he’d turned that dark voice on her out on the highway. “Hey. It’s good to see you guys. Been a while. Are you two still the bane of women all over the valley? I remember when no woman could resist the two of you.”
James snorted, obviously enjoying the fact that his brother had no clue. Rachel turned, frowning.
“They better not. Really, you two? The bane of women? I can probably buy that. I have no idea who you are, Noah, but any woman looking at those two will have to deal with me and our baby girl. Married. They’re married.”
“Max and Rye got married?” Noah asked, looking like the world had changed.
James huffed a little and started pointing around the room. “Callie’s married with two kids. Max and Rye are married and have a baby. Logan’s gone out of his damn mind and is on his way to Dallas where someone thinks BDSM is going to save him. Mel has a girlfriend he apparently met during an alien abduction. Stella married Stef’s dad. Stef married an artist. You remember the pretty blonde lady who came to town a couple of months before you left? Laura Niles? Turns out Laura was on the run from a serial killer, and she’s now with her two former partners who managed to kill the serial killer. Holly is getting it on with an ex-Russian mobster and the gruffest people doc any of us has ever met.”