“Cass, I’ll warn you—he’s in a shitty mood,” Reed said as Cassie answered his call. “Tyler said happy birthday to him earlier and he nearly snapped.”
“Tank doesn’t snap.” Never in her years of knowing him had Tank even come close to “snapping.”
“Exactly my point,” Reed said.
“Just get him here. People are showing up now.”
“You sure this is a good...”
She disconnected the call, not wanting to hear the rest of Reed’s question. It was too late now.
“Hey, Cass, where should we hide?” Wade, another member of the search and rescue team, asked as he finished his drink at the bar. He and his wife, Alison, had arrived an hour early. Together for almost twenty years, the two were relationship goals before it became a hashtag, but like for most young couples, a night out with kids at home was a rare occasion.
“Anywhere you’d like... He will be here in about ten minutes.” If her brother was successful in dragging his cranky butt there. It was just after seven, and the bar technically opened that evening at eight, so Tank would have to show up eventually...
Heading into the kitchen, Cassie filled a large bucket with ice. Then took several deep breaths. Caterers were here. Cake had been delivered. The decorations were overkill but on point. She’d managed to keep the party a secret. She was worrying for nothing. Everything was going to be fine. It was a party Tank was walking into...not a beheading.
“Head count out there is already at two hundred and eight.”
A voice behind her made her jump. “Shit, Eddie, quit sneaking up on me like that,” Cassie said, hand to her chest. She hadn’t even heard him come into the kitchen. He was no longer in uniform, but his disapproving frown was still in place.
“Quit breaking the law.” He picked up the ice bucket for her and followed her back out into the front. “There’s far too many people here... Maximum capacity is...”
Seeing the front door open and her brother walking in, Cassie grabbed Eddie by the shirtsleeve and ducked behind the bar. “Shit, they are early... Shhhh...”
“This conversation’s not over,” Eddie hissed, but a second later, the lights turned on, everyone popped out at Tank, yelling “Happy Birthday,” and Cassie slipped away into the crowd, away from Eddie’s lecture unnoticed.
But as she walked toward the shocked-looking man of the hour, already surrounded by friends...her heart started to race.
Tank did not look happy.
* * *
HE’D NEVER LET Cass know how depressing this was for him. She’d obviously gone through a lot of trouble, but the sight of the balloons, the Happy Birthday banner, the number of people who’d given up their free time on a Tuesday night to come just made him feel like hiding out in his office.
He’d never told anyone when his birthday was for this exact reason. He didn’t want a big deal made of it. Never celebrating a real birthday, he’d never known what he’d been missing. Moving foster homes frequently as a kid meant never having that traditional upbringing. No one cared about him enough to make sure he came home every day after school, let alone spend any money on throwing a party.
Besides, his friends back then weren’t exactly the balloons and party-game type. Stealing cars and smoking up were more their speed.
He’d come a long way since then. Now he was surrounded by good, caring people he considered extended family. Looking around the bar, he recognized every face—he’d served them celebratory champagne and mourning shots of whiskey. He’d kicked some of them out for being underage and asked for ID from those that were old enough to be his grandmother.
He was lucky. And he hadn’t needed a party to realize that.
Thirty-five.
Shit.
He’d accomplished a lot in his life so far, but each and every day of that thirty-five years had been a struggle, and celebrating it felt anticlimactic in a way.
“You’re not exactly loving this, are you?” Cassie said, finding him hiding out near the back inventory room an hour into the party. He’d needed a breather from the crowd.
She looked so nervous, he wanted to reassure her, but fuck if he could find the right words. “It’s a little overwhelming, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry... I just thought...”
Damn, he was an asshole. Thank you. He should have just said thank you. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “It’s great, Cass. Really. I appreciate all the work you did.” He forced a smile and a lighter tone. “I have no idea how you managed to keep it a secret.”
She relaxed a little. “It wasn’t easy. Kaia was a fantastic help.”
Tank glanced toward the bar, where Kaia was serving cake. “She didn’t say a word... You two make quite a team.”
Cassie’s expression when she tilted her head to look up at him spoke volumes. They did make a good team. All of them. Together. He desperately wished he could let go and give in to what he knew Cassie wanted, what she deserved.
She’d done all of this for him.
She did so much for him. Without her help with Kaia over the years, he didn’t know what he would have done. With no other family nearby, there were few people Tank could have trusted with his little girl. Cassie had saved his ass more times than he could count. And she asked for nothing in return. She never pressured him for more and he knew what that must be costing her.
Impulsively, he lowered his lips to her forehead. His intent was a quick, soft kiss like so many forehead kisses before it, but when she turned into him and reached up to capture the back of his head, his mouth was on hers before he realized what was happening.
Then there was no turning back. The first taste of her coconut-flavored lip balm and he was all in. Tightening his hold on her waist, he backed her up until they pressed against the stone wall in the dimly lit hallway in the back of the pub. He tilted his head to the side, and his mouth continued its hungry, desperate pursuit of satisfaction. Years of teasing, tempting touches, long, loaded silent stares and their shared fear of “what if” all came out in one long overdue, passionate kiss.
His tongue slowly traced her bottom lip, and the soft moan that escaped her had him gripping her body tighter. His hands starting at her hips, moving upward over her waist and then higher over her ribs, had his body reacting in record time. How many times had he wanted to run his hands all over her like this? Forcing himself to be satisfied with long, body-to-body hugs, playful “wrestling” and fantasizing when he was alone.
Now it was all real. The feel of her body pressed against his and her mouth responding to his kiss with all of the energy and passion that was his best friend.
His best friend...and now instantly so much more...
Out of breath, she pulled back sharply, a look of surprise that must have mirrored his own in her gorgeous eyes.
“Happy birthday...” he murmured against her lips, pink and slightly swollen.
“It’s your birthday, not mine,” Cassie whispered.
“I was talking to me,” he said, kissing her again as her mouth curled into a smile.
The back door of the bar down the hallway opened and he could see the silhouette of a woman as she entered.
Tank instinctively moved to stand in front of Cassie. “Hey, no one’s allowed to enter the bar through that door...” Why was it even unlocked? Had Cassie not locked it after bringing in birthday party supplies that day?
“I know I locked that door,” Cassie said behind him.
The woman didn’t answer. Just the sound of her heeled boots echoed against the stone walls of the hallway as she approached, her face eventually illuminating in the neon lights.
It took a second to register... No fucking way. “Montana?”
Kaia’s mother was standing right there in his bar.
CHAPTER FIVE
TEN YEARS DISAPPEARED li
ke a shot of whiskey as Montana walked toward him, looking exactly the same as she had the first time he’d seen her. Tall, athletic with wide shoulders, she was a born athlete. Built for adventure and challenges. Short dark hair and midnight-blue eyes, high cheekbones and arched eyebrows, she belonged on every advertisement for extreme sports. The thing that surprised him most and drew him in was the shine of excitement in her expression. The same one that had always been there...except for those first few months after her accident, when she’d left the mountains.
Left him and Kaia.
“Hi, Theo,” she said, stopping in front of him and Cassie.
Cassie’s head snapped toward him, her jaw dropping at the use of his real name. Had he ever told anyone else? Had he ever told Cassie?
Nope, and that was one hundred percent going to bite him in the ass.
But there was a hell of a lot he hadn’t told anyone, and now time had run out on his secrecy. With Montana’s arrival, there would be a ton of questions flying his way, from all directions.
He wasn’t sure which he was more terrified of—Cassie’s or Kaia’s.
His gaze landed on his daughter out in the bar and he was relieved that she was preoccupied, playing a game of darts with Reed, and hadn’t noticed Montana walk in. Had she known her mother was coming to Wild River?
“Montana,” he said again, unsure of exactly how long he’d just been standing there. He cleared his throat, remembering Cassie’s arm around him...which was no longer there. He hadn’t even felt her moving away. “This is Cassie Reynolds.”
“Hi...” Cassie looked uncomfortable and slightly dejected.
Of course she did. He hadn’t said This is Cassie Reynolds, my girlfriend. They weren’t quite there yet, so how could he? They’d literally just had their first kiss. Real kiss, anyway. And she’d probably punch him in the face if he’d called her his friend, Cassie... Damn it!
“Nice to meet you,” Montana said, looking around them into the bar.
“Um...why don’t we go into the office and talk?” Tank said. He had to get her out of the hallway in case Kaia noticed. Already Reed and Erika were looking in their direction with curious stares.
“Good idea,” Montana said.
Tank turned to Cassie. Her cheeks were still flushed, but the fire in her expression had definitely changed from lust-filled attraction to murderous. “Um...” He had no idea what to say. He could still taste her coconut lip balm, and while his hard-on had evaporated at the sight of his ex-girlfriend, his palms were still sweaty and his heart pounded in his chest. To be fair, a lot had happened in the last two-and-a-half minutes, so he wasn’t sure which things were the cause of the physiological reactions.
“Go ahead. I’ll hold down the fort.” Cassie extended a hand.
He glanced at it awkwardly, shot a look at Montana, who was watching closely, then tentatively touched Cassie’s palm.
She yanked back. “Keys. I’ll need the register keys.”
Jesus. He was a moron. “Right.” He handed them to her and ran a hand through his hair. “Thank you. I won’t be long.” He had to say something. In truth, he expected this conversation to last for an eternity. Far too much to say and absolutely nothing he wanted to say, at the same time.
“Take your time,” Cassie called after him as he led the way to the back office.
Montana’s heeled boots kept time with his throbbing head. His birthday had been looking up; now it couldn’t get worse.
He opened the office door and held it for her to enter first. He followed, then closed it behind them.
“The place looks great,” she said, walking around the office. “I stopped by last night, but you were really busy behind the bar...”
So she hadn’t timed her arrival perfectly to ruin his birthday. Good to know. But she’d been there the night before. She’d seen him...seen the bar... He felt even more at a disadvantage.
She scanned the photos on the wall. Him and the search and rescue team. Him and Cassie. Him and Kaia.
He folded his arms, then unfolded them and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn’t like her being in his personal space. Looking at photos of his life. Too familiar. Too unsettling having her standing there at all.
“Why are you here, Montana?” No sense shooting the shit. If she’d shown up unannounced like this it was because she wanted to catch him off guard.
She’d succeeded.
“I want to be a part of Kaia’s life again.”
Shot delivered. A bullet to the chest couldn’t have packed such a solid punch. He’d known it the moment he’d seen her walk in, but hearing the words made it all that much more real.
She was real. Standing in his office. Looking exactly as she had years ago. Wanting her daughter—their daughter—back. “I wish you’d called.”
“I was going to. I tried. I decided this conversation needed to happen face-to-face.” She unzipped her coat.
He resisted the urge to zip it back up and send her on her way. “I would have appreciated a heads-up.”
“I do apologize for the shock. I just knew if I didn’t come here, let you see for yourself, you wouldn’t hear what I had to say.”
“See what for myself?”
“That I’m better. Or getting better, at least.”
“What do you mean?”
“The brain injury. Over the last three years, I’ve been working with a specialist in Denver. They were testing a few trial drugs and they’ve been working. My short-term memory loss is getting better. I’m able to remember things for longer periods now. I can retain the new memories after I go to sleep, which was a problem before. I’m not forgetting important things as often...”
“As often. But you still do.” He had to grab on to that. She couldn’t walk into his life and claim to be cured, if she still wasn’t completely better. He’d taken that chance once. He wouldn’t again. There was far too much at stake.
She paced in front of his desk, her words picking up steam along with her determined stride. “I’m not perfect. The memory loss is still an issue, yes, but it’s become a lot less of one lately. My doctor says my brain scans are showing considerable improvement.” She paused. “I’m really getting better, Theo.”
“Tank.”
“What?”
“My name. No one uses my real name around here.” No one had used his real name in years. He was named after his dad, and just hearing it jabbed at his heart. For a long time now, he’d been Tank.
“I always did.”
He couldn’t breathe. The soft intimacy in her voice stole his ability to inhale. How dare she walk in here after so long and act like she knew him. They didn’t know each other anymore. They’d barely known one another back then.
Well, enough for him to tell her his real name.
“It’s Tank now.”
She nodded. “Right. Of course.”
“Look, you can’t just come here and claim to be miraculously better...”
“Hey! There was nothing miraculous about it. I’ve worked hard to get to this point. I’ve taken advantage of every holistic therapy and healing method I could get my hands on. I’ve subjected myself to every clinical trial I qualified for, sometimes taking drugs that had damaging effects on other parts of my body. I’ve read about my condition every day and researched anything I could to help myself heal.” Hands on her hips, she wasn’t backing down.
What had he expected? The Montana he remembered was strong, stubborn and determined. When she wanted something, she got it.
His palms were really sweating now.
“I didn’t mean to say that you haven’t gone through a lot. I just meant that you have to understand what you showing up means for me...for Kaia... What it will do to our life.”
“I know. And I’m not here to disrupt things.”
“You crashed my birthday part
y.”
“You hate your birthday. I never in a million years would have expected to walk in here to a party going on. Sorry for that, but come on... The Theo I knew...” She stopped. “You know what, it’s been a long time. I shouldn’t have made assumptions.”
He stared at his boots. “You’re right, though. This is not my idea of a good time. Cassie...”
“Your girlfriend?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Is that what your Facebook status says?” She grinned, but the note of jealousy in her voice stunned him momentarily.
“My life is complicated and Cassie and I are friends.” Damn, he hated saying that. “Actually she’s a lot more than a friend. She has been here for Kaia and me for a long time. She and I are close, but we are taking things slow.”
Montana nodded. “You always put Kaia first. You’re an amazing dad, Th...Tank. I never had to worry about that.”
“So why, all of a sudden, the need to be in her life?”
Her nostrils actually flared and he took a quick step back.
“Are you shitting me? I’m her mother! I’ve always wanted to be in her life. Every single day, I’ve missed her and thought of her. You know that. I didn’t walk away for me. I walked away when it was clear that I was a danger to her. We both know that. But I’m not a danger anymore.”
Brain injuries like hers weren’t just something that healed... Her accident had nearly killed her.
“That’s why I came. To prove it to you.”
“How?”
“I’m staying. Here in Wild River. I just rented a furnished apartment and I want to slowly integrate back into Kaia’s life. I’m not asking for a lot at the beginning, just a chance to get to know her. A chance for her to know me.” Her voice held a note of sadness, but the determination was still there. She wouldn’t be deterred from this. She’d obviously given this whole thing a lot of thought if she already had a place here in town.
Yet nowhere in her planning had she called or texted or emailed him her plans.
“You’re moving here? You show up, drop this bomb... You could have told me all of this. Allowed me to...adjust.” He ran a hand over his face and chin. Too much to process.
Under an Alaskan Sky Page 5