by Kaylin Evans
I’m banking on the fact that it’ll take a few weeks and give me time to come up with a plan to keep her here with me.
Alyssa hesitates, and I know she’s considering it.
“Seriously,” I urge her. “I’ve got a spare key you can have, so you can come and go whenever you like. And there’s even a second bedroom in case you’re worried about the sleeping situation.”
I gotta admit, I’m hoping that’s not on her list of concerns… but I would do anything to keep her in Hemlock Hills with me, even not sleep with her.
She lets out a sigh. “Just for a couple of days,” she says, and I’m practically jumping up and down. “Until I can figure out what to do next. It will save money I would have had to spend on a hotel room.”
“Stay as long as you like,” I tell her.
“Thank you,” she says. She folds herself into me again, and this time it feels warm and comforting, like I’m no longer seconds away from losing her. I kiss the top of her head, inhale the familiarity of her scent, and suddenly I’m hit with how incredibly awful it would be if I never got to smell that uniquely Alyssa pheromone again.
“Come on,” I say after a long moment, “I’ll help you pack the rest of your stuff.”
23
Alyssa
Hattie and Carl had come outside by the time the last of my belongings were packed in my car. They’d heard the commotion and I told them that I was moving out. Hattie tried to convince me to stay, just like Sawyer did, saying I was the best next-door neighbor they’d had in a long time. But I knew that staying in that duplex was asking for trouble.
Staying in Hemlock Hills was dangerous too… but I just couldn’t say no to Sawyer when he looked at me with those deep, chocolate-brown eyes and begged me not to go.
And I couldn’t deny the logic. If he hadn’t come over and interrupted me while I was packing, I may well have ended up sleeping in my car that night, somewhere on the side of the road or in the parking lot of an all-night restaurant. I had no plans, no destination. I just knew I had to go somewhere my father couldn’t find me.
So I told Hattie and Carl that I was leaving—I didn’t say where I was going—and they told me they’d miss me. Hattie even told me that Mountainview Hospital would be worse off for not having me on the staff, which was a sweet thing for her to say, considering she’d never even seen me on the job.
Then I drove across town with all of my earthly possessions packed in my little junker car, and parked in Sawyer’s guest spot. The running was done, if you could call it that… now I just have to figure out what comes next.
“I can’t leave my car here,” I say the minute I step out from behind the wheel. “My dad knows it. If he’s still around, he’ll look for it.”
“Let’s get your stuff upstairs,” Sawyer says, trying to be reassuring. “Then we’ll go park it at the hospital, or, I don’t know, dump it in the woods or something.”
“We’re not dumping my car in the woods!”
He chuckles. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood. I’m sorry.”
I take a deep breath. My mind is racing and I really don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I know that Sawyer would keep me safe if my dad showed up here, and anyway, he’s never been the violent type. But that realization does nothing for my sense of emotional safety.
We carry my stuff up to Sawyer’s apartment—well, he does most of the carrying and I mostly trail after him like a lost puppy. I’m definitely suffering emotional whiplash, and I’m still not sure if Sawyer understands the gravity of this situation. I keep thinking about everything the adrenaline still coursing through my veins is telling me to do.
Run.
Call Taylor.
Tell Chief Cane I have to quit my job because it’s not safe for me in Hemlock Hills anymore.
Instead, once my few possessions are stacked in Sawyer’s spare bedroom—God, they look insignificant—he takes my hand and guides me over to the bed.
“Sawyer, not now,” I start to object. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever been in his presence when my body wasn’t at least a little turned on… but I’m dog tired and stressed out.
“I know,” he says. “Just come here.”
He pulls me onto the bed, a queen instead of the king-sized one in his bedroom, but just as soft and welcoming. He gathers me in his arms and draws my legs across his lap, then lays my head down on his shoulder. And he just holds me like that, like a child in need of comfort.
And I guess in this moment, that’s exactly what I am.
I have to admit it feels nice.
“Thank you,” I murmur into his chest. “For this. For letting me stay here–”
“Shh,” he silences me. “I care about you, Alyssa… a lot. I want to be here for you, in any way you need.”
Aaaand now I am turned on. I squirm a little bit on his lap, just long enough to feel the fact that we’re on the same page. Then I look into his eyes. “Any way?”
He lays me down on the bed, and I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of his body on mine, his strong arms wrapped around me, his cock hard and eagerly pressed between my thighs. This is all I need… at least for tonight.
The next morning, Sawyer and I share the bathroom so we can both get ready to go to the hospital. He offers me the shower first, but once I get the water temperature just right, I step out of my robe in front of him and beckon him to follow me.
That takes about three times longer than a solo shower, but we’re both squeaky clean and feeling rather relaxed by the time we emerge. I put on my makeup at the mirror while I watch Sawyer toweling off and then he spritzes on that intoxicating cologne that always drives me crazy. I’ve never shared a bathroom with a man who wasn’t a member of my family before, and even though my life is blowing up right now in other ways, spending the morning in domestic bliss with Sawyer is surprisingly appealing.
I wouldn’t mind hitting ‘pause’ on the remote control of life right here and now.
But the show must go on, and after we both dress in scrubs, it’s time to go to work. We take my car since we never actually got around to driving it anywhere last night. The plan is to leave it at the hospital tonight and walk home, and while that’s all well and good, I’m nervous that we got so distracted last night.
“What if he already knows where I went?” I ask as we walk into the hospital lobby.
“He probably spent the whole day yesterday at that seedy internet café,” Sawyer says. “He doesn’t know where you are.”
“But if he does–” My fight-or-flight response is starting to rev up again, but Sawyer takes my hand.
“Hey, stop,” he says. “Even if he does find you, I’m not gonna let that asshole harass you anymore. Trust me.”
And, for some inexplicable reason, I do.
We grab coffee and muffins from the coffee cart, and I insist on treating. It’s the least I can do to thank Sawyer for letting me stay with him—for keeping me from fleeing Hemlock Hills yesterday when I was too scared and amped up to think straight. We eat while we ride the elevator up to our floor, and Sawyer says, “I’ve got a bowel resection first thing this morning. What do you have scheduled today?”
“I’ve got a consult at ten,” I say. “I think I need to talk to Chief Cane first, though.”
He shoots me a concerned look. “You’re not still thinking about taking yourself out of the running, are you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure what I should do,” I tell him. “Moving across town is a temporary solution to my dad problem, at best. I need to at least tell the chief what’s going on.”
If my father shows up at the hospital, it won’t be the first time he’s told lies to my boss and tried to scam money off my coworkers. Chief Cane needs to know about him, and if I have to leave, I owe it to him to give sufficient notice.
“Do not quit your job,” Sawyer says as the elevator doors slide open. I step out, and he stops me in the hallway. “I’m serious—we need you around here.”<
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I smile weakly. Mountainview only needs one of us—the job competition we’ve been locked into for the past year proves it. But I don’t want to worry Sawyer, especially not since he has a surgery this morning that he’d be better off concentrating on. So I just say, “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
He nods. “You’ve got your key?”
I put my hand in my scrub pocket and jingle my keyring. Sawyer gave me his spare this morning before we left the apartment, but I’m not sure how long I’ll need it.
Before I can object, or really react in any way, he leans in and plants a kiss on my forehead. “Have a good day.”
I let out a small laugh, equal parts flattered and confused. “You too,” I say as he turns and heads up the hallway toward the scrub room. He disappears just a second before the elevator doors open again and Trish steps off.
“Hey, Dr. Grant,” she says. “Where’s Dr. Stone?”
“OR 1,” I tell her, and she scoots off down the hall.
I go to my office and call Chief Cane to set up a time to talk before my surgery in a couple hours. I should be checking my email and reviewing patient charts, but instead, I’m distracted by my own problems. I end up locking my office door and turning my chair to look out the window while I call my sister.
The phone rings a few times.
“Come on, Tay, pick up,” I grumble. It’s morning and I can’t remember her schedule. Is she at work? Or maybe she really is going to classes. I’ve gotten so distracted by work and things with Sawyer lately that I haven’t talked to her in a while.
I’m an awful big sister.
Just when I’m sure I’m going to get sent to voicemail, there’s a click and my sister’s voice. “Alyssa?”
“Hey,” I say, letting out a held-in breath. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” she says. “Dad’s missing again though.”
In any other family, that would be an alarming statement. In ours, it rates anywhere from a minor concern to an actual relief.
“Well, I may have an idea about that,” I tell her.
Taylor groans. “Oh no. Is he…?”
“Yup,” I say. “He found me.”
“Shit. Has he hit you up for money yet?”
“Does a rabbit shit where it eats?”
“Right,” Taylor says. “Silly question. So, when did he get there?”
“Yesterday,” I tell her. “I was on the verge of quitting my job and fleeing across state lines when Sawyer came over and talked me down.”
“Good. Dad’s the worst, but you can’t let him keep controlling your life,” Taylor says. “I like this Sawyer guy.”
I laugh. “You don’t even know him.”
“Okay, I like what I hear about him, then,” she says. “How are you going to get rid of Dad?”
I groan. Reprieve over. “I have no clue. I don’t want to drive him out of Hemlock Hills just to send him back to you.”
My little sister lets out a sigh that’s too mature for her years. “It’s not like I’m not used to dealing with him.”
“You shouldn’t have to, though,” I tell her. “We should have some kind of Grant family exchange program. Ship one back, bring another one in. Then you can meet Sawyer.”
Taylor chuckles. “I like that idea. Tell me when you get the details worked out.”
“I will,” I promise. “Well, I just wanted to let you know about my visitor, and I’m sorry it’s been a while since I called.”
“It’s okay, you’re busy.”
“I’ll give you a heads-up if he starts heading back in your direction.”
She laughs again. “It sounds like Dad is some rabid animal we’re trying to corral.”
“That doesn’t feel too far off the mark,” I say. “Maybe we could lead him to a rehab program with a lottery ticket on a stick.”
“I bet it would work, but the problem would be keeping him there long enough for it to do any good,” Taylor answers. I sigh again. She’s a teenager, practically still a kid, and she shouldn’t have to think about stuff like this.
“I’m going to figure something out,” I say. I don’t just mean our current situation… but the more long-term help we try to get our father, the more he has resisted us in the past. There’s no easy solution, but what I do know is that the way things have been going is not sustainable.
Nobody should have to live like this—not my sister, not me, not even our dad. And by the time I get off the phone with Taylor, I’m feeling guilty all over again that I went off and left her to deal with him.
I have to find a way to make it right.
24
Sawyer
At the end of the day, I meet Alyssa at her office. She’s looking glassy eyed in front of her computer when I plop down in the chair across from her desk.
“How was your day, dear?” I ask. It’s a little cheeky, but I have to admit I’ve been having fun playing house with her.
“It was good… I enjoyed focusing on surgery and patients instead of thinking about my dad,” she says, and I can tell the old man’s weighing heavy on her shoulders again already. She actually seems smaller in her office chair than she was just a few days ago, and I hate that he has that kind of power over her.
“Well, if it would help, I bumped into Finn and Caleb around lunchtime and they told me they’re going to the pub for a couple drinks tonight,” I say. “We could go and chill with them for a little while. You can kick my ass at pool again.”
She cracks the tiniest hint of a smile, but shakes her head. “On some other day I’d say absolutely, but I’m wiped out. Plus, aren’t those two your wingmen?”
I shrug. “We’re kind of each others’ wingmen. Not that I need that anymore.”
Her smile widens. “But at some point you did need help picking up women?”
She’s stifling a laugh at my expense, but it’s got her smiling again so I’d take this kind of abuse all night. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I say. “But a good wingman is always nice to have.” Now I sort of feel like I’m digging myself into a hole, so I backpedal a bit. “If you don’t want to go out, we could order takeout and watch a movie or something.”
Good lord, this woman really has changed me, and in a startlingly short amount of time. I’ve used the ‘Netflix and chill’ line plenty of times, but this time I actually mean get takeout and watch a movie. I don’t know how I feel about this new Sawyer, but Alyssa seems to like him.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t want to cramp your style just because I’m staying at your place,” she says. “You should go out with the guys.”
“You’re not cramping my style.” A joke about how I couldn’t possibly bring a chick back to my place with her on my couch is on the tip of my tongue, but even I’m not dumb enough to make that misstep. Besides, Alyssa is the only woman I want now. That fact makes my heart do an uncomfortable little flutter every time I think about it, but I’m just going to have to get used to the idea.
And so is she.
“I’m up for whatever you want,” I insist, but she shakes her head.
“Seriously, I’m tired and stressed out,” she says. “I pretty much just want to crawl into bed and sleep until work tomorrow, so you should hang out with Finn and Caleb. I promise I’ll feel better once I know what’s going on with my dad… or where he is, even.”
“Haven’t heard from him today?”
“No, thank God,” she says. “All day I was worried he’d suddenly show up in my office, or I’d look over at the viewing window while I was in the middle of a surgery and he’d be standing there.”
“That’d be creepy,” I say. “I’m glad that didn’t happen.”
“Me too,” she says. “I’m sorry I’m no fun right now.”
“Hey,” I say, getting up and walking around the desk. “You don’t have to be anything in particular for me.” I wrap her in my arms. “Just be you, and feel however you’re feeling. I understand that things with your dad are tricky and stressful, and if
there’s anything I can do to make it better, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
She murmurs a yes that’s less than convincing, but then she tilts her head up and I capture her mouth with my own. She tastes so sweet, so tantalizing, even when she’s sad.
I’m just deepening the kiss, parting her lips with my tongue, when I hear Trish in the doorway.
“Dr. Grant—oh my.” She gasps when she catches us mid-kiss, and actually has the nerve to stand there looking scandalized when she was the one with her ass on my desk and her foot on the arm of my chair just a few days ago.
Alyssa clears her throat and pushes me away. “Yes, Trish, what is it?”
“I can come back–”
“No, you’re here now,” she says, a little testily.
“I just wanted to let you know your patient came out of anesthesia,” Trish says, and is it just me, or is she giving Alyssa an icy stare? Before I can analyze the interaction any further, Trish is gone and Alyssa is looking guiltily at me.
“I should go check on that patient,” she says, brushing past me. She pauses at the door. “Go out with Finn and Caleb tonight—I insist. I’ll be fine.”
And then she’s gone, and I’ve got a bad feeling gnawing at my gut. Was I supposed to handle that whole thing differently? This is all-new territory for me, actually caring about a woman instead of just banging her and then moving on to the next one. I have no clue what I’m doing, and on top of that, it’s not like we’ve defined the relationship.
We are sleeping together, and it is amazing.
But she’s also my coworker, and my rival.
And she’s currently crashing at my place, sleeping in my bed.
Good Christ, have I ever made a mess of this situation.
A few hours later, I somewhat reluctantly join the guys at The Summit. It’s honestly not that bad of an idea—Finn is very much a family man and from the little he’s said about his wife, I know he was crazy about her. He can probably give me some advice on this brave new world I’m entering. But I still feel awful about leaving Alyssa home alone.