by Moxie North
There was another loud snort. “Girl, you are gonna be so surprised when you remember who you are,” her mother said. “But baby girl, your daddy and I were so worried about you. Don’t you ever do that to us again. I didn’t know if you were dead or someone had you.” The fear in her mother’s voice was very real now.
“I’m sorry,” Brooke said, quietly. “I’m sure I had a good reason for leaving. I hope I wouldn’t do it without feeling it was my only option.”
Her mother sighed. “I have no doubt that was why you did what you did.”
“Maybelle, I’ve been in contact with the SFPD, and I have some concerns about Brooklyn’s safety. I’d appreciate it if you and your husband could still hang back until I can feel confident that Brooklyn is out of danger,” Tanner said.
“You think it’s that serious?” Maybelle asked.
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
“You think you can keep her safe? And I don’t mean that bullshit like one of those dumb TV shows where they set her up at a rundown safe house and leave the two most stupid cops to watch her,” Maybelle said.
“Ma’am, I not only have a great set of deputies, but I also come from a large family of basically lumberjacks. They don’t take kindly to anyone causing trouble in our town,” Tanner informed her.
“Well then, I’ll stay here. But Brooklyn, you need to talk to your father and tell him you are okay. If you don’t, he’s gonna start in on his birdhouses. I don’t trust him not to cut a finger off. He still needs them for surgery.”
“Surgery?” Brooke asked confused.
“Oh, I forgot, baby – your daddy is a doctor, a surgeon. I’m an HR manager. We both live in San Francisco just about thirty minutes from you. I’ve been going over to your house to water your plants, by the way. I’m no green thumb like you, but they are surviving,” her mother explained.
“Wow, that must be why I know about medical procedures,” she mused.
“No, sweets. You’re a nurse, too. You just didn’t like all the blood and guts that came along with it. You finished your nursing degree then went into business administration before getting your job,” her mother said.
At the words blood and guts, a flash of memory hit Brooklyn. She closed her eyes at the image of someone’s head exploding. Blood painted a picture in her mind. Blood everywhere, she could almost hear the sounds. It terrified her to the core.
“Maybelle, can we call you back in a bit?” Tanner asked, his eyes on his mate. Her face was ashen; her eyes squeezed tight.
“Sure can. Oh, Sheriff – send me some pictures of those lumberjack friends. Bye, baby,” her mother said to Brooklyn.
Chapter 19
All Brooke could do was shake her head at Tanner, her eyes still closed. Tanner hung up the phone and reached over for her hands. They were cold and shaking.
“Shhh, Brooke, what do you remember?”
“Blood,” she gasped. “So much blood.”
Tanner watched a lone tear escape from her closed lids. His bear was chuffing in his head in frustration.
“Whose blood?”
Shaking her head at him, she said, “I don’t know. A man, his hair was short. I can see his head exploding; I can remember the sound.”
Tanner saw a shiver roll through her body. “It’s okay, don’t force yourself to remember it. You might have witnessed the shooting at your work. If you ran, logic tells me that they must have seen you. We need to keep you safe until we can catch the people who are after you. Brooke, I believe you saw those men being murdered. I think the men that saw you are looking for you. I will not, under any circumstances, let anyone get close to you.”
“Is that why you told my mom about your family? Why would they care about me?” she asked, utterly confused. Brooke knew enough to realize that because someone was after her didn’t mean the population of a small town needed to rally behind her.
Tanner wasn’t sure how to explain the situation to her without freaking her way the fuck out. Or worse, she’d just think he was crazy, and she’d run from him too.
“Brooke…” he started, trying to gather his thoughts. “I believe that the universe puts certain people in our paths for a reason. Sometimes they are there for a short time and only make the slightest impact on our lives.” Tanner watched her cock her head to the side in that cute way she did as she tried to understand him.
Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Then I think people are put in our paths who are meant to make a much bigger change to who we are. I trust the universe, fate, whatever you want to call it, to guide my life. I know that every person that I interact with on a daily basis is an opportunity for me to grow, to learn, sometimes to just keep me humble. I believe that you are important to my life. To my future. There is a reason you ran to Apex. There is a reason I was there with you in the woods. I can tell you that you are important. So very important to who I’m supposed to be in the future.”
Tanner watched her as he spoke. Her eyes going from confused, to shocked, to wary. Not scared, just cautious.
“Now, you might think it’s a bunch of crap I’m spouting. Maybe it is for you. But I have, well – let’s just say, an inner instinct that has always guided me true in life. That instinct is telling me to keep you safe. To do whatever I have to, to make sure that your future is secured. I have every intention of doing just that.”
Brooke watched him, sitting in his chair, leaning forward, still holding her hands. She liked his touch, so she hadn’t pulled away from him. This handsome man was talking to her, low and quiet, and she could feel the words resonating somewhere deep in her chest.
He wasn’t talking to her. He was speaking to her. He was telling her something so important that her instinct told her that she needed to remember every word he said. That what he was saying wasn’t for show, it was for her. The thought was earth-shattering.
“Why me?” she had to ask. This sheriff wasn’t just telling her she was a case or a job. Even without her memories, she was still a woman. She couldn’t miss the flashing signs this man was putting off.
“You’re important to me.” His words were so heavy with meaning that it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
Brooke was trying to soak in his words. She felt like they were a blanket wrapping around her. A safe and warm cocoon that she really didn’t ever want to leave. But she didn’t know this man. She felt like she did, that there was a history between them?
She also had no idea whether she had a boyfriend or a lover. Her mother hadn’t mentioned anyone, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t someone she hadn’t told her parents about. What if she was seeing someone, and he was looking for her?
Thinking romantically about someone she didn’t know and just met was beyond impractical. It didn’t seem like something she would do. Again, something inside told her that she was not frivolous with her affections.
“I don’t know what to say to you, Sheriff,” she admitted.
Tanner smiled a sad smile. “I don’t expect you to say anything. Can you just give me a chance to keep you safe? Trust me to do what is right for you until you can take care of yourself?”
Tanner had no intention of her ever taking care of herself again without his help, but that wasn’t something he could say to her.
Brooke wanted to ponder his question, but the truth was the answer was already waiting on the tip of her tongue.
“Yes, Tanner. I’d appreciate your help. I feel like I should be taking care of myself, but I have no idea how to do that.”
“Then just let me help. I’m here for you, and we will get through this together,” he promised.
That sounded nice. Someone to help; someone to take some of the burden off her. It gave her a sense of weightlessness like her heart had filled with something other than dread.
“I like it when you visit,” she admitted.
“I like visiting you,” he said with a smile. He let his thumb rub over the back of her hands. Her skin was soft, and he wanted so muc
h to bring the back of her hand to his mouth.
“What if I never get my memory back?” she whispered to him. A very real worry that she’d been thinking about since she woke up. What if who she’d been before hitting her head was forever lost?
“You stay here with me, and we’ll grow old in the woods together,” he joked.
“Promise?”
Tanner saw the frightened look in her eyes. “Ahh, sweetie, you’re breaking my heart,” he admitted.
“I’m scared, Tanner.” She was trying really hard to keep her lower lip from trembling, but she could feel it starting to twitch.
Seeing her start to break, Tanner did the only thing that came to mind. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her mouth. He felt her mouth open as she sucked in a shocked breath. He didn’t press in; he just kept his kiss light and reassuring. When he felt her kiss him back, he broke away and left his forehead against hers.
“Shit, I’m sorry. That was inappropriate, and probably against some law I can’t really think of right now,” he moaned. Fucking hell, he probably just screwed the pooch with that move.
“Don’t be sorry. It was nice,” she said to him. It wasn’t some toe curling kiss; it was all comfort and caring. It was good.
“You don’t know who you are. I’m supposed to be protecting you.” He felt like a jerk. He should call Cage to come kick his ass.
“You can’t protect me and kiss me at the same time?” she asked. It felt like a forward thing to say, but it also didn’t feel wrong to her.
“Technically, yes. Ethically, it’s potentially a gray zone.” He laughed. Tanner didn’t want to press his luck, so he sat back in the chair. He kept her hands. Since she hadn’t pulled away, he’d be damned if he’d be the first one to let go.
“I thought we’d go for a walk. Get you some fresh air. What do you think?”
“I’d love to get outside. I have no idea what the weather is like. Is it cold out there?” she asked, excited at the opportunity to get out of her room and the hospital.
“Shouldn’t be too bad, you can borrow my coat if you need. Yours wasn’t salvageable from the woods,” Tanner explained.
“I don’t want you to get cold,” she said, feeling bad.
“I run hot. It’s fine,” he assured her. Tanner found her shoes in a cupboard. They were mostly dry and would have to do.
“Ready?” He offered her his arm.
She gladly took it and had to keep herself from skipping next to him. They walked side by side out of the hospital. Brooke liked how they perfectly matched steps. She knew that this was not something easily done when Tanner had to be well over six feet, and she was a number of inches shorter than him.
Stepping through the front doors, Tanner paused, sensing that she would want a moment. He watched as her head tilted back, and she let the sunshine wash over her face.
Brooke felt her face heat up as the rays warmed her cheeks. “This is so nice,” she moaned.
Tanner thought her beauty from within was even brighter with the sun on her face.
“I like the sunshine too,” he said, enjoying the view of his mate at peace.
Turning to him, Brooke gave another of those dazzling smiles that made his heart ache.
“Let’s walk,” he said to her.
She nodded back and looked towards the grassy park across from the hospital. There were trees with fresh leaves and brightly colored playground equipment.
“Can we swing?” she asked.
“Yeah, sweetie, we can swing,” he said, walking towards the park.
“Sweetie? We are moving up in the world. What’s next? Baby, hot pants?”
“Hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever called a woman hot pants in my life,” Tanners said thoughtfully.
“Shame,” she said saucily as they stepped onto the grass. Tanner guided them towards the swing set and made sure the seat on the closest swing was dry. In Washington, everything was damp, even in the summer months.
Holding the swing for her to sit, Tanner appreciated the way the rubber seat cupped her ass. Damn, if he didn’t know he was a bear, he’d think he was a dog.
Chapter 20
Pulling back on the chains, he used his strength to pull her back and let her go. As she came back toward him, he kept firmly pushing against her lower back, occasionally letting his fingers graze the top of her ass.
“Watch those hands, Sheriff,” she said teasingly, looking over her shoulder at him to give him a grin.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Ms. Nishi. I’m simply supplying a public service,” Tanner said formally.
He heard an elegant snort come from Brooke that made him smile.
Tanner was enjoying being able to touch Brooke so freely. He liked that she looked relaxed and happy. Not afraid of the big bad that was looming in the future for her.
“Can we stay here all day?” Brooke asked. She didn’t want to go back into the hospital. She also didn’t like the idea of when Tanner would have to leave for the day. It made her chest hurt, and it made her sad.
“I’d like to say yes, but I’d be lying. I’d like to figure out somewhere else for you to be other than the hospital. I can see it’s not your favorite place.”
“Can’t I go back to the motel? I mean, maybe it will help trigger something for me. Clearly the hospital isn’t familiar to me. If no one knows I’m here, then what is the harm?” She glanced over her shoulder at him, her sweet brown eyes pleading.
Tanner hated the idea of her being in the motel. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t a home. He wanted her in his house. Secure and comfortable. But there was no reason to have her come home with him. Nothing he could say that wouldn’t make him sound a little crazy.
“I hate the idea of you being alone. I won’t deny that. Without your memories, you are vulnerable. If you’ll allow me to keep someone near you to watch over you, I’m sure Eddie will release you.”
He hated to make the offer. Nothing he wanted less than to have her unprotected.
“Are you going to be taking any of those bodyguard shifts, Sheriff?”
“I’ll be taking most of them, if you don’t mind,” he said.
Dragging her feet on the ground, she pulled herself to a halt. “No, Tanner, I don’t mind if you are around.”
Brooke wasn’t stupid. She was as exposed as a newborn fawn, and she was asking a lot from a man she’d just met. Not only for him to protect her, but to stay close to her for more than just protection. She was starting to feel that she needed him for more than just keeping her out of danger. She needed him to survive. She had a hole in her chest that only seemed to fill when he was around. Brooke wasn’t about to give it up. She knew it was greedy, and she just didn’t care.
“That’s good,” he offered. “Want to walk for a bit?”
“Yeah, that sounds nice,” she said, standing and holding out her hand. Tanner took it and started walking the perimeter of the park.
They were quiet for a while as they both enjoyed the birds chirping, the distant noise of cars in town. Brooke was thinking that she always liked hearing the city sounds when she rode through the park.
“Tanner! I ride my bike in the park,” she said with a gasp.
“You do? Where?”
“I can’t remember, but I know I’ve been on a bike in the park. I thought about how I actually liked the sounds of the cars going by, kids playing and dogs barking. It makes me feel like part of the community while I ride.”
“Another piece of Brooke,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to give her a squeeze.
Brooke turned into his arm and wrapped her arms around his waist. She knew it was a bold move, but she was so happy she remembered something else that she wanted to hug someone.
Tanner wasn’t going to refuse her. He put his arms around her body and pulled her into his chest. He took the opportunity to lean his head down to hers and breathe in the fresh scent of her hair.
“Lemons,” he murmured. She was soft an
d fit perfectly in his arms. There was a moment of him thinking that it wasn’t proper for the local sheriff to be hugging a victim. But this town wouldn’t be shocked by a Rochon staking a claim on someone. The humans all thought they just moved fast. They didn’t know the driving force behind their choosing someone was a much stronger desire.
“Sorry,” Brooke said, attempting to pull away from him.
“No, not yet,” he said into her hair.
Brooke didn’t want to leave his arms; she just felt like it was the proper thing to do, letting go. Not necessarily the right thing.
“This seems strange,” she murmured into his chest. She breathed in the masculine scent of the cologne that he was wearing. It was spicy and musky, perfect for him.
“What does?”
“I feel like I know you or have known you. I’m so comfortable in your arms. I know I shouldn’t be, but you feel like home. Strange, right?” She didn’t move her head from his broad chest. Even knowing this was too much too soon wasn’t enough of a deterrent to make her move.
“You were meant to be in my life, Brooke. Just like I was meant to be in yours. Sometimes, good things happen to good people.”
Brooke wasn’t sure if that was true. Since she was on the run from some bad men, she was thinking the adage of bad things happen to good people made more sense. She wanted to believe what he said. To have that much conviction in your beliefs that the universe was guiding you would be comforting. She just wasn’t so sure.
“What if I have a boyfriend back home?” she said quietly, not wanting to say it but having to.
“I’ll politely explain to him that you are sadly going to have to cease and desist all further contact with him,” Tanner said formally.
“Oh yeah, that would probably go over great,” she said, giggling into him.
“I think if you had anyone serious your mom would have mentioned it. So I’m going to use my police skills and deduce that you are a free agent.”