“Is that pie for me?” Katie asked hopefully.
“Nah,” another all too familiar voice called out. “Josh stopped baking for us months ago. He’s still trying to woo his lady friend with sugar.”
“Shut up, Chad,” Josh muttered. He dipped the spatula into the bowl of whipped cream and then returned it to the pie laden with cream. Josh had woken up early, slipped out of his apartment over the barn and into the farmhouse kitchen with the hope that he’d be in and out before his siblings stormed Brody’s home.
“Shouldn’t you all be in bed? You’re married”—he shot Katie a pointed look—“and you’re engaged.” He glanced over his shoulder at Chad. “Plus, you don’t live here anymore.”
If Josh had what his brothers and sister had fought so hard to find—love with the promise of happy-ever-after and homes of their own—he would stay the hell out of Brody’s kitchen on a Saturday morning and while away the hours in bed.
“Lena worked the overnight shift last night, so I stayed here,” Chad said with a shrug as he headed for the pot of coffee Josh had made upon breaking in. “I heard you banging around down here and thought I’d see if you started the coffee.”
“And I have a sixth sense that tells me when a bowl needs to be licked,” Katie said. She made a grab for the nearly empty whipped cream bowl. Now four months along with her first child, Katie had bypassed morning sickness in favor of sugar. And she’d appointed herself his designated ‘helper’ which amounted to licking the bowls then handing them back to him to wash.
Josh swatted her hand away. “I’m not done with that. Why don’t you go feed your goats first?”
“Liam volunteered to take care of the animals this morning.”
“When you kick a man out of bed at dawn to feed your barn full of rescued animals, it’s called coercion,” Josh pointed out.
“He offered because Liam is a smart man and he knows I’ll be grateful,” she shot back. “Now, please, please let me lick the bowl.”
Josh rescued the last of the whipped cream, spread it on a not-quite-perfect pie, and handed over the bowl. His sister took her treasure to the kitchen table Brody, the oldest brother and their ringleader since the Summers siblings had lost their father to a sudden heart attack, had built.
“Feeding her cravings again?” Brody’s deep voice announced his presence in the kitchen.
Well, speak of the devil.
Though Brody has always been the ‘Most Likely To Follow the Straight and Narrow’ of the siblings.
“This one is not for me,” Katie said. “I just get to share in the licking duties.”
“Caroline?” Brody asked with a sigh.
Pretending to be preoccupied with his pie, Josh nodded. He’d listened to dozens of long-winded speeches and participated in countless debates hosted by his nosy siblings about his dead-end relationship with the Big Buck’s dishwasher.
She lives over an hour away from Independence Falls.
Josh had shot down Brody’s protest by reminding his big brother that he’d fallen for a woman who’d lived on the other side of the country. Of course, Kat—Josh’s former doctor and the woman partly responsible for helping Josh reclaim his short-term memory in the wake of the logging accident—now lived upstairs.
It’s been a year and you still haven’t shared so much as a pizza.
There was a thread of truth to Chad’s argument. But Josh had countered with she prefers my pies. And he’d left out the fact that they always shared them in the back room of Big Buck’s Bar, hidden away from the curious, small-town gossips that peopled Independence Falls and the neighboring university town where Caroline currently lived and worked—Forever, Oregon.
Josh didn’t want to talk about the fact that Caroline was technically in hiding. His siblings—apart from Chad who’d been sworn to secrecy—didn’t know her full story and Josh planned to keep it that way. And even Chad had never learned the reasons why Caroline had run from her duty to serve her country. If his siblings found out that she’d been attacked by her commanding officer and still feared him, if they learned that there was a warrant out for her arrest . . .
Yeah, his brothers would probably sit on him—with Katie standing nearby and cheering them on—until Josh agreed to try dating a woman who could to split a damn pizza in public without fear of getting arrested if the local police stopped by to say hello.
“Any luck with your favorite Big Buck’s employee?” Chad asked.
“Mind your own business.” Josh took a step back and examined his creation. It screamed homemade and key lime was sure as hell an odd choice for fall in Oregon, but Josh had wanted to try something new.
“But you, baby brother, are my business,” Chad said, adding a heavy dose of melodrama to his voice. “And I’m worried about you. When was the last time you got laid?”
Fourteen months ago. . .
“Also none of your business,” Josh said as he opened the fridge and set the pie inside.
“I’m just saying maybe you should rethink your strategy,” Chad said. “But if you’re happy sharing desserts—”
“She’s not ready,” Josh snapped. “She’s been through a lot . . . not that it’s any of your damn business.”
Katie set the spatula in the bowl and pushed it away. “It’s not,” she said. “But Josh, maybe you should take a step back and consider the fact that whatever happened to her won’t fade into the background.”
Yeah, he’d thought about that. And he’d questioned his sanity pursuing a woman who might never be ready to move on with her life.
“A while back,” Brody said, “you said you wanted to settle down. But you’ve honed in on this one woman . . .” He shook his head and turned to the coffeepot.
“You haven’t even brought her over for dinner,” Katie said. “I’ve only met her at the bar.”
“I think that was a good decision on my part,” Josh said. “You’d interrogate her and probably scare her off.”
Plus, she’d be terrified that one of you would ask too many questions.
“But Josh, you have to admit, the pies aren’t working,” Chad said. “You need a new strategy to win her over.”
“Why don’t you bring her flowers?” his sister suggested. “Or a baby goat? We have three that are just weaned. You could stop by the barn and pick one out. They’re so cute.”
Josh stared around the kitchen at his brothers and sister. He wanted what they had—futures filled with love and family. (Although he’d probably bypass the barn full of rescue animals on a piece of land adjoining his family homestead.)
But he was done playing games. He’d been up front and honest with Caroline. They talked over pie. He knew about her past. Or at least enough about what she’d been through to know she needed time. But more than that, he’d gotten to know her.
She liked ice cream with apple pie. Her humor tended toward dry and sarcastic—which matched his. And she shared his fascination for how things worked—everything from her dishwasher to the mechanical harvester he operated when cutting down trees.
“One of the things I like about Caroline,” he told his siblings as he headed for the back door. “She’s not playing some weird game, waiting for me to bring her flowers or, shit, a baby goat. Pregnancy is messing with your mind if that’s your dating advice, Katie. Now, I’m going to take a shower.”
He stormed out of the kitchen. But paused on the back steps and called over his shoulder: “And don’t touch my pie!”
Walking to his space over the barn, he couldn’t escape the feeling that his brothers and sister might be right. Not about the damn goat or his plan for trying to date her. Still, he wanted to settle down. And instead of dating, he’d spent the past year baking for a woman struggling to get her life back on track. He knew for a fact that life offered second chances, but Caroline seemed
too afraid to take hers.
Maybe it was time that he stopped waiting for her to make the next move. Maybe he should ask her out.
Today.
Over key lime pie.
CAROLINE HEARD THE engine rev before the motorcycle turned the corner of the two-lane country road leading into town. And she ran for the bushes. Ducking low in the underbrush, she waited for the bike to fly by her.
Not a cop.
The Forever, Oregon, police force wasn’t large. And only a few of the officers rode motorcycles. But still, she had to be careful. Although watching her back, refusing to borrow her boss’s car for fear of getting pulled over, led to long walks from her borrowed room in Noah’s childhood home just outside of town to her job at Big Buck’s Bar—on the opposite side of downtown Forever.
Sometimes Noah’s dad gave her a ride to town. And once in a while, her boss stopped by to pick her up. But the house was out of his way now that Noah and Josie had a place of their own.
And if Caroline had any hope of getting her life back on track, of moving on, then she probably needed to stop hiding in the bushes every time a car came down the road.
She dusted off her blue jeans and climbed out of the brush. Back on the shoulder of the road—she wouldn’t hit sidewalks until she reached the university on the outskirts of Forever—she started walking with her backpack slung over one shoulder.
Another car came around the corner and she dove for the trees. But this time she wasn’t fast enough. The vehicle slowed to a stop in the middle of the road. And her stomach turned over as dread put her nerves on high alert.
But one look and her panic eased. She knew that truck and she recognized the woman leaning out the window, her long blond hair whipping across her face.
“Caroline,” Lily Greene called out. “Want a ride?”
She glanced at the blue pickup, which belonged to Lily’s boyfriend, Dominic Fairmore. On any other Saturday, she would have climbed into the truck. Lily—a Forever, Oregon, native, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, and for a few weeks most Big Buck’s patrons would rather forget, bartender—knew Caroline’s secrets. And Lily still grappled with her own set of fears, though she now faced them with Dominic by her side.
But today Dominic wasn’t riding shotgun. Caroline didn’t recognize the man in the passenger seat. She knew the uniform though—air force dress blues.
“I can walk—”
“Ryan won’t mind making room,” Lily said as she guided the truck over the shoulder on the opposite side of the road.
“But you’re headed out of town,” she protested again. Lily might trust the man in uniform, but Caroline couldn’t take that risk.
“We’ll drop Ryan at his parents’ place first and then I’ll take you to Big Buck’s. I’m guessing you have plenty of time before you need to be at work.” Lily nodded to the passenger door. “Come climb in.”
Lily Greene, I’m never sharing a plate of Josh’s brownies with you again.
Lily knew damn well she had plenty of time. She’d planned to walk to work. “Lil, I don’t want to take you out of your way. And I need to get in early. I fell behind on the dishes last night,” she lied.
“Then we’ll turn around and drop you first,” Lily said. “It’s a lot faster by car than on foot.”
Caroline couldn’t think of another reason not to accept the ride. If she kept protesting, Mr. Air Force would start asking questions.
“Fine.” Caroline looked left, then right, and crossed the street. When she reached the other side, she found Lily’s passenger standing beside the open door.
Maybe Lily had been right to dismiss Caroline’s concerns. This man looked like he’d walked off a movie set with his chiseled jaw and perfect brown hair.
But then her gaze swept over the line of medals on his chest. Those were real and she doubted this smiling God among men had swiped them from an air force officer to complete his costume.
“I’m Ryan,” he said, holding out his hand. “Old friend of Lily’s.”
“He’s one of the original three musketeers,” Lily called from inside the truck. “Dominic and Noah’s best friend from grade school. He played football with them.”
Caroline glanced over her shoulder at the man holding the door for her. Football? He was pretty, but he didn’t exactly have Noah or Dominic’s imposing build.
“I was the kicker,” Ryan explained as he climbed up behind her. “I left to join the military when they did. But while Noah went to the Marines and Dominic to the army, I made the right call, seeing as I’m the only one still serving, and settled on the air force.”
“Dominic would still be a ranger if he hadn’t been injured,” Lily pointed out.
“True,” Ryan said. “But I think he’s better off here with you.”
The front bench in Dominic’s pickup could technically hold three people. Still, it was a tight fit. Caroline felt Ryan’s hand brush against her leg as he buckled his seat belt. But after that, he shifted toward the door. No physical contact. But he was giving her a curious look.
“So what brought you—”
“Ryan’s back in town for Noah and Josie’s wedding,” Lily cut in as she executed an illegal U-turn. She glanced across the crowded cab as she drove them back toward downtown. “I went and picked him up at the airport so that he could surprise his parents. He didn’t tell them that he’s taking a full two weeks off. Isn’t that sweet?
“And now when does Helena get in?” Lily continued without waiting for an answer to her first question. And Caroline decided to reconsider her brownie ban. Her friend clearly didn’t plan to let Ryan guide the conversation.
“I don’t know if Helena is going to make it,” he said.
“What?” Lily’s eyes widened, but she kept her focus on the road. “First she runs off and gets married without inviting any of her friends from home and now she won’t even come back for Noah’s wedding?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on with her. Last time I talked to her she didn’t sound like herself. I told her I’d be around for two weeks this time. I even said I could swing down to California and visit her. But she quickly told me that her husband wouldn’t like it.”
“He’s jealous,” Lily said.
“Of what?” Ryan grumbled. “I was her friend.”
“Hmm,” Lily murmured as she sped past the university. “Maybe I’ll give her a call and try to convince her to visit. I ran into her mother at the bank. And she said Helena sends regular checks to help with the farm, but she never visits.”
Lily turned to her. “Helena’s mom raises Highland cattle. The meat is good and sells well. But she’s had a few streaks of bad luck. Sick cows . . .”
Caroline let Lily’s monologue drift over her. Familiar landmarks ticked by outside the window. A few more blocks and they would be at the bar. And free from an air force officer who had questions she couldn’t answer.
Although if she planned to attend Noah’s wedding, she would have to come up with something to say if anyone asked how she knew the bride and groom. And she suspected the groom stood by me when he found out I was being raped by our commanding officer would only lead to more questions.
But she couldn’t skip Noah’s wedding. He’d tried to protect her while they were deployed together. He’d found the number for the hotline when she’d given up hope of lodging a formal complaint against their commanding officer. And then, after they returned, once she’d pressed charges, Noah had testified on her behalf. He’d sworn under oath in a military court that she was telling the truth about their commanding officer. He’d risked his military career for her, though they both knew he wanted out when his term of service ended.
Nearly two years had passed since then, but she would never forget. All those nights on the base in Afghanistan when he’d gotten up and escorted her to t
he bathroom so that their CO wouldn’t find her alone . . .
Noah had done everything he could to protect her. So one week from today, she would put on a dress and face her fears. After all, she couldn’t hide forever. At some point, she had to reclaim her life—or at least pieces of it.
Lily pulled into the Big Buck’s staff parking lot. “Looks like you have a visitor, Caroline.”
She jumped. And she was pretty sure Ryan hadn’t missed her reaction.
“Josh Summers decided to bring you another pie,” Lily added. “Will you save me a piece?”
“Sure,” she said. “And thanks for the ride.”
Ryan climbed down from the truck and held the door open for her. “Nice meeting you. And if you see Noah, will you tell him I’ll swing by the bar later?”
She nodded as she shouldered her backpack and headed for Josh. With each step, the tension eased. She’d survived a car ride with an air force officer. That had to be a step in the right direction.
“How long have you been waiting?” she asked Josh.
“Just got here,” he said. “I wanted to stop by and ask you something.”
Her heart sank. He’d driven over an hour out of his way to ask her out. Of course, he’d brought a pie too. But he always brought pie. And she’d known it was only a matter of time before he stopped waiting for her to name a time and place for their first date.
A month or so ago, she’d asked him out when the memory of their first kiss still pushed her past fear and landed her in a big old pile of lust-inspired insanity. She’d felt brave, bold, and maybe a little brazen.
But today she felt as if she were dodging one bullet after another. As if her life was a series of obstacles, and at the end of the day her reward was survival.
“Ask me what?” she said as she withdrew the key to the bar’s back entrance from her pocket.
“Do you like whipped cream?”
She turned away from the door and faced the redhead with the sexy smile. Maybe she’d dodged enough bullets today. Maybe she could pack her concerns about the wedding, and how she planned to blend in with the flower arrangements, away until after he left.
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