by Avery Gale
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the large pickup loomed closer and began trying to edge her toward the right. Hugging the inside wall, she cut him off. She was so close, jagged rock protrusions scraped the side of her SUV and knocked the rearview mirror off the driver’s door. She cursed under her breath. Fuck a fat fairy, her older model vehicle had just been updated. Hell, it hadn’t run this good in years. Figures, as soon as I have a safe set of wheels, some asshat turns it back into a heap.
“Now, Cal.” Brandt shout blasted through her thoughts, vibrating through her small SUV, and Caila mashed the brake pedal to the floor just as the truck veered to the left. Caila heard Joelle’s scream and Brandt’s curse, but she was too busy controlling the vehicles violent fishtailing to focus on anything else.
Finally bringing the SUV to a rocking stop, Caila immediately looked at Joelle. The woman was white as a ghost and shaking so hard Caila worried she was going to come apart. “Are you okay, Joelle? Oh, God, please tell me you’re okay.” Just thinking about her friend being hurt because of her made Caila almost sick to her stomach.
“I’m fine. How about you? I’m so sorry. I can’t believe that happened. I swear I don’t know who was driving that damned truck. I’d never put you in danger.” Say what? Finding out Joelle assumed she’d been the intended target shocked Caila.
Turning off the ignition, Caila leaned her forehead against the steering wheel and took a gulping breath, praying the infusion of oxygen would calm her nerves. Before she could respond, Joelle’s door was jerked open, and Ryan Morgan leaned inside, his hands running all over his wife, checking her for injuries. “Are you alright, baby? I don’t want to move you until I’m sure you don’t have any spine or neck trauma.”
Caila watched the former SEAL medic turned physician carefully release Joelle’s seatbelt, his eyes flickering over her as well. “Cal, are you alright? Don’t move until I have a chance to check on you.” She heard Ryan’s words, but when she opened her mouth to respond, nothing came out. “Fuck. Hang on, sweetie. I’m coming around now.”
Brandt had never felt so torn in his entire life. He wanted the driver who’d nearly sent Caila’s little Jeep over the side of the mountain, but hearing Joelle’s scream pulled him out of the rage-fueled pursuit. He’d already sent out a radio alert describing the vehicle and driver to all available law enforcement; he hoped one of them would catch up with the driver soon. Pushing this desire to personally take the asshole into custody aside was easy when weighed against the greater need to check on his wife and unborn child.
Seeing the damage to Caila’s Jeep as he ran toward it made his blood run cold. How she’d managed to bring the careening vehicle to a safe stop was nothing short of a miracle. Her immediate response to his command had impressed him, but the skill she’d displayed managing the wild ride after she’d locked up the brakes blew him away. He’d heard her tell Joelle to transfer the blanket to her side, and he’d been damned impressed with her quick thinking.
Ryan saw him and gave him the signal to keep Joelle in place as he moved around to Caila’s side of the mangled Jeep. Damn. Seemed the little neighbor girl had acquired some mad driving skills somewhere along the line—he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the details. Kneeling beside his wife, he enfolded her cold fingers in his hand, drawing her attention away from Caila. “Minx, are you okay?” Watching tears fill her soft gray eyes made his heart clench. When she started to lean in to him, he stopped her. “Ry wants you to stay still. Can you do that for us, love?”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a brat, but I need you to hold me. Caila kept me safe…I don’t know how, but she did. I’m fine, I swear.” Ryan gave a reluctant shrug, and Brandt slid his arms under her and gently lifted her from the seat. He wanted her away from the damaged Jeep as soon as possible—the list of things that could go wrong sitting in a disabled vehicle in the middle of the road was long, and the frequency with which those problems occurred was alarming.
First responders were heading their way toward him, and he waved them on to where Ryan was still checking Caila. Feeling her body shuddering against him made him realize she was only wearing a thin jacket, and with sun setting on the other side of the mountain, the temperature was dropping quickly. Sage stalked toward them carrying blankets and jackets. Brandt smiled. “Thank you. I just realized she was cold a second ago.”
“It’s hard to think past getting them into your arms.” Brandt nodded in agreement and appreciated his brother’s foresight. “Besides, I’m finding the big brother gig damned hard to give up, so I’m trying to dilute it by focusing on our women. Luckily for you guys, they’re doing a bang-up job of keeping me occupied.”
“No shit. I’m going to sit with her in Ryan’s truck until he’s finished with Caila.”
“What’s wrong with Cal?” It was easy to hear the alarm in Sage’s voice. He’d always felt the most responsible for her, and Brandt suspected he was going to go down fighting when it came to completely letting go of his brotherly instincts.
Joelle surprised them both by wiggling her hand out from under the blanket to grab Sage’s arm. “I don’t think she was injured. Ryan is probably watching her for signs of shock. She saved us all.” Sage hadn’t missed Joelle’s reference to the two of them as all and gave Brandt a sly smile and nod of acknowledgment.
“Good to know, sweetheart. Knowing she saved all of you is music to my ears. I’m going to go check on our little stunt car driver so you can get into Ryan’s nice warm pickup.” Sage tucked Joelle’s hand back inside the blanket and stepped around them.
“Thank you.” When he looked down at her in surprise, the love in her eyes reminded him how lucky he was to have her in his life. “Thank you for sharing your family with me.” Brandt often forgot how blessed he was to have a family who loved him—even when he wasn’t very damned loveable. As an only child, Joelle hadn’t experienced the joy of the lifelong connection between siblings, but she hadn’t missed a beat when it came to loving his family.
Setting her carefully in the seat of Ryan’s truck, he pressed a kiss to her lips before leaning down and pressing another to her barely visible baby bump. “Everything I have is yours, minx. There isn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t willingly hand over if it was mine to give.” When tears filled her eyes again, he pulled her close. “Let it out, minx.” He’d seen the adrenaline crash coming, but was surprised how quickly it hit. Brandt held her until the storm of emotion gave way to fatigue before he pulled back. “I’m going to close the door so you don’t catch cold. Reach over and start the truck. I’ll send one of the EMTs to check on you.”
She nodded but then grabbed his hand. “Please take good care of Caila. She really was amazing. I’m worried about her. I got a quick look at the driver of that truck. Do you have a picture of the man she shot in the woods? The one everyone assumed died in the Glacier Park accident?”
“Yes, I’ll show it to you later. Close your eyes and describe him to me—it’ll help cement the information in your mind.” He almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of his comment; his wife was the most intelligent person he knew. Assuming she wouldn’t remember even the most minute details was almost unimaginable, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Listening as she described the driver, Brandt felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Chapter Seventeen
Standing back watching Ryan check Caila was fast becoming an exercise in frustration. He’d taken one look at Sage’s face when his brother stormed into the horse barn and known something was terribly wrong. Sage’s cryptic “follow me” was all it had taken for Kip to drop the saddle he’d just pulled from the back of his favorite mare. The ride down the mountain had been the longest of his life, and waiting above the switchback to block anyone coming up behind them had been torture. Seeing a black truck, he assumed was the man who’d been following the ladies, speed by them followed by Brandt’s Sheriff’s truck had been their signal to move forward.
Thank God
Sage had the presence of mind to grab blankets and extra jackets before they left the ranch, because the temperature was dropping rapidly, and from the look of things, they were going to be here awhile. He hadn’t thought of anything but getting to Caila. Sage was in full blown big brother mode, and Kip smiled as he watched him wrap a blanket around Joelle. They were all waiting for a baby announcement from the woman nestled in Brandt’s arms, but so far, the trio had been tight-lipped.
“Where’s Kip? I don’t want to go to the hospital, Ryan. I want to talk to Kip.” He stepped closer and tried not to show how pleased he was to hear her asking for him. And he chuckled when he heard her snarl at Ry. “If you shine that light in my eyes again, you’re going to eat it.”
“Sweetness, that sass will get you a paddling.” Ryan’s voice was stern, but Kip knew he wasn’t going to follow through on the threat. Kip hadn’t seen Ryan touch another woman since starting med-school. He’d learned later Ry had already been planning to go after Aspen before she’d been revealed as his and Phoenix’s on-line nemesis. Their shared history went back a couple of years, and Ryan Morgan had always considered their mutual attraction unfinished business.
“Don’t be using your Dom voice with me, Dr. Morgan. There is a well-known exemption in the D/s world for accident victims on the side of the road.” Ryan leaned back and gave her a questioning glare, but she held her ground. “Read the fine print.” He wanted to laugh out loud when she shrugged and added, “Unless you got a faulty contract…and that happens.” She was a damned clever brat; he’d give her that. She’d given herself the perfect out in case the issue resurfaced later—it wouldn’t, Kip would see to it.
Ryan stood, and shaking his head, he turned to Kip, a ghost of a smile playing over his lips. “She’s all yours, cousin. I wanted her to go in and be checked over, but she is being a pain in the ass.” Ryan leaned close and whispered, “I’m not going to push it because she doesn’t appear to be injured, but I want you to watch her—again.” Ryan shook his head once more as he gazed down at Caila. When he returned his gaze to Kip, his eyes were soft with affection and gratitude. “Her quick thinking and defensive driving skills saved Joelle and our baby tonight, Kip. She’s earned lifetime passes from Brandt and I both. We’ll never be able to repay her for this.”
Kip nodded his understanding and quietly congratulated Ryan. “I’ll keep that under my hat until you tell the parents. There’ll be hell to pay if Mom and Aunt Molly get wind we knew before they found out.”
“Don’t I know it.” Turning back to Caila, Ryan leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, doll. You’ll forever own a piece of my heart.”
Ryan walked away, leaving room for Kip to kneel in front of Caila. Taking her trembling hands in his, he turned to find Sage standing beside him holding out a jacket and a blanket. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. When she’s ready, take her home in my truck. I’ll stay here and wrap up the details and drive her Jeep back up the mountain, if it’ll start.” He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. “Sorry, Cal, but I’m not sure it can be salvaged this time. Might be time for something a little safer, anyway.”
Kip couldn’t have agreed more. Maybe something with steel beams encasing the entire cab?
Returning his attention to Caila, Kip brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. “You amaze me, baby.” She seemed genuinely taken back by his praise, and he hated that. His approval should matter, but it should also be something she expected—something she wasn’t surprised to receive. If he’d handled things better with Caila, she’d already know how impressed he was with all she’d accomplished. She’d become one of the nation’s top livestock reproductive specialists. The grapevine was buzzing with the news she’d been looking for a job—a rumor he was squelching every chance he got. Mine!
“Your quick thinking and bad ass driving skills kept three people I love safe this afternoon.”
Her eyes widened, and then she grinned at their shared secret. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell, but it’s getting obvious enough she won’t be able to keep it a secret much longer.”
“Baby, this is going to go down as one of the worst kept secrets in history. We’ve been playing along while waiting on Mom and Aunt Molly to get here for the holidays. I don’t think either Brandt or Ryan is brave enough to cross their mamas when it comes to keeping news about a grandbaby secret. SEALs are well respected for their bravery, but they aren’t stupid.” She nodded, but he saw her furtive glances to the pickup where Ryan and Brandt were both hovering over Joelle.
“Are you sure she is all right? I had her use the blanket from the backseat, but things got pretty crazy for a while.”
“I’m sure the good doctor will put her through the wringer. They’ll know everything there is to know about Baby Morgan by the time they’re through.”
“What if Joelle doesn’t want to know if she’s having a boy or girl?”
“Then her two overbearing husbands have the perfect excuse to find out—and they will. The real question is, can they keep a secret?” He was happy to see her shoulders relax as they fell into easy conversation. He stood and helped her to her feet. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you home and into the hot tub. You’re going to be sore tomorrow. Maybe we can head off the worst of it.”
The next afternoon, Caila was reaching for the backdoor when she felt a large hand wrap around her upper arm. “Where do you think you’re going, baby?” Damn, I thought he was out in the barn. She knew her expression gave her away when Kip frowned. “You weren’t planning to head over to your dad’s clinic to work, were you? Because I’m absolutely certain we covered this last night.”
Covered? More like you lectured and I pretended to listen.
“She isn’t going anywhere but downstairs with me. I’m in need of a little girl talk, and I’ve rallied the troops. Besides, I want someone to drink with now that the two Js are knocked up. Plus, it looks like Aspen has been entered in the baby Olympics, too, so she’s out. Damn, the four of us really have to work together or we’ll be old and gray before we can all celebrate together.” Kip smiled at his sister-in-law. The woman never ceased to impress him. Coral had obviously suspected Caila would try to sneak out, so she’d arranged a get-together she knew Cal wouldn’t be able to say no to.
Pulling Caila into his arms, he kissed the top of her head and silently mouthed “Thank You” to Coral. The little imp gave him a knowing smile and thumbs-up before heading for the front door. Feminine giggles floated through the house, and Kip relished the sound. He loved his brothers’ wives. They were smart, funny, and loving to a fault. They would be good sounding boards for Caila. Watching the five women descend the stairs, Kip wanted to laugh at their chatter. No doubt Phoenix was going to monitor them through the security feeds. He made a mental note to check in with his brother later and make sure they weren’t getting into too much trouble.
Chapter Eighteen
Caila leaned back in the lounger beside the Morgan’s pool and listened the women who’d become her friends over the past few years. Aspen was the newest addition to the group, but she certainly seemed to fit in. Caila peeked at Josie and shook her head, and the other woman raised her brow in question. When Caila laughed, Coral answered. “I know that face, because I’d still see it in the mirror every time one of your songs played on the radio. It’s the I-can’t-believe-I’m-friends-with-Josephine-Alta-look.”
Joelle leaned over and held her hand up to Coral, “High five, girlfriend. And as my husbands’ would say ‘Roger that.’ Does anybody else wonder what the hell that means? Really, who the hell was Roger that he got a phrase of agreement named after him? Why can’t they say ‘hell, yeah’ like the rest of the world?”
“You sure that’s plain orange juice, Joelle?” Coral grabbed her glass and sniffed.
“Ewww. Get your nose away from my juice. That’s just wrong. It’s plain juice. Damn, you know the walls have ears…are you trying to bring in the Calvary?” Joelle t
urned toward one of the cameras, giving a little wave.
“I notice Josie isn’t drinking any alcohol. Dish, girl! You knocked up, too? Boy, oh boy, I’m going to have to start making Christmas stockings. Damn, I love Christmas. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I can start decorating. Sage says it’s against the rules to decorate before then…I think he dreamt that up, because really…who would make up such an asinine rule? Where’s that margarita pitcher? Hey, Josie, did you answer my question?” Coral was trying to get out of her chair, but since she had obviously gotten a head start by sampling the margaritas while they’d been blending, it was a struggle. “Shit, I can’t get my fat ass out of this chair. I really do have to start working out again, but I’m seriously lacking in motivation. By the time I deal with the wild ones and the store, everything else fades to the background. Well, except for sex and I’m not giving that up. But just thinking about getting my ass handed to me in the gym makes me want to take a nap.” She finally struggled to her feet and took off for the bar.
Josie laughed, “Do you think she remembers asking me a question?”
“Damn straight I remember.” Coral’s voice came from behind the bar, but there were so many bottles and bags of snacks piled on top no one could see her.
“Well, I don’t know the answer yet, but I have to admit to being pretty queasy at times. Time will tell, but if I’m not, it’s not from lack of effort on Colt’s part. Holy shit, talk about your single-minded dedication to a cause. I’ll never get this album finished at this rate.”
“Well, frackle, we can’t have that. Somebody needs to talk to Colt. I nominate Coral. She’s good at that sort of thing.” Aspen grinned when they all turned to her. “What? I may be the newbie, but I’m not a dim wit. The Morgan brothers adore her, and we all know ya gotta use whatcha’ got, ladies.” With that, Aspen stood and shook her ample bosom, exaggerating their movement by jiggling her hips as well. “See? You all are staring at my boobs and not saying a word. Works every time.”