“No different from the drugs you’re currently on,” Erika said, sensing her hesitation. She reached across the desk and touched Montana’s hand. “You don’t have to do it.”
Montana was silent for a long moment. If this drug could eliminate her hallucinations, maybe it could help her memory grow even stronger. Maybe she could make even more progress with her recovery. For so long, she’d been waiting for an opportunity like this. Could she really turn down a chance to heal even more?
She shook her head slowly. “I don’t think I can do it.”
Erika smiled as she closed her folder. “Cool. Well, I’ll see you in three months.”
“I’ll see you tonight at The Drunk Tank,” Montana said with a laugh as she stood.
“Figure of speech,” Erika said, seeing her out. “Enjoy your last ride on that thing,” she said, nodding toward the motorcycle parked illegally in the fire lane.
Unfortunately, all Montana could think about was how she was planning to enjoy her last few days having Eddie as her neighbor.
* * *
EDDIE STARED AT the transfer and promotion papers on the desk in front of him.
Captain Clarkson sat, watching him.
This should be so easy. Pick up the pen. Sign the papers. Be on his way to Anchorage next week. So, why was he hesitating?
Because two nights ago everything changed for him. In truth, things had been changing for him for a while now. He’d always known what he wanted to do with his life, and he’d always known it wouldn’t come easy. What he hadn’t expected was a tall, gorgeous bombshell to walk into his life and turn it all upside down. He’d tried pushing her away, claiming it was the best thing for her, that she deserved better, but he knew he’d been afraid. Afraid that he’d disappoint her, but also that he might have to choose.
He stared at the choice in front of him now, memories of the night before, lying in bed with her in his arms while she slept, and then waking up to her that morning, the only thing on his mind. She loved him. He loved her. They’d talked all night about this decision. They’d make the long-distance thing work. It was barely even a long distance. A little over an hour was nothing.
“We’re not forcing you to go,” Captain Clarkson said, only adding to Eddie’s confused heart. He knew the department wanted him to stay, but what did he want? If he could have it all, what would make him happiest in the end?
He picked up the pen, and the tip hovered above the line.
Then he put it down. “I want to stay,” he said.
The sigh of relief from the other man erased any doubt still lingering. This was the right thing to do.
“You’re turning down the promotion?”
He nodded slowly. The money had never been his driving motivation for the new position; it had just been a perk. He’d wanted to do more, give more, by being involved in things that made a real difference in the community. “I want to stay in Wild River, but I want to start a juvenile drug-education program.”
Captain Clarkson sat back in his chair and nodded. “Okay. Yeah, let’s talk about that. There’s obviously going to be a lot of paperwork involved, and a lot of ground-floor work to launch something like that, but it’s been done in other communities, so I don’t see why we couldn’t do it here.”
Eddie felt his hope rise and any anxiety he’d been battling evaporate. Indecision was always the worst. But he’d made a decision, and it was the right one. He wanted to be here with Montana. Full-time. A part-time relationship with her would never be enough.
“Can I ask if this change of heart has anything to do with a certain neighbor of yours?”
“Nah, but it has everything to do with the woman I’m in love with,” he said with a grin as he left the office.
* * *
MONTANA TOOK HER time locking the storage unit. She could heard Eddie’s van running in the lot behind her, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear him say that it was official, that he was leaving Wild River.
Having him next door had driven her batshit crazy, but even during the times he was playing his horrible guitar or singing the wrong lyrics to songs, or making her jealous and/or hungry with the delicious smells coming through the vents of her apartment, she’d always had a thing for him. Not having him so close all the time would be hard.
But this wasn’t about her. It was about Eddie and what he deserved, and this promotion and opportunity meant everything to him. He’d almost been forced to give it up once before for her. She’d never expect him to again.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile, one that turned a hundred percent genuine when her gaze landed on him through the windshield of the van. Damn, he was so sexy. Dressed in his uniform, his hair messy, the stubble along his jawline just the right length. Her heart quickened at the sight of him. She wouldn’t waste a second of their remaining time together being sad or anxious or depressed about it. Anchorage was only an hour away, and in the summer months on her motorcycle, she’d cut that time in half.
She opened the passenger door and climbed in, and he immediately reached for her. “I missed you.”
Think of how much they’d miss one another when he moved. She shook the thought away as she laughed. “You saw me two hours ago.”
“Too long,” he said, cupping the back of her head with his hand and drawing her face toward his.
The smell of his cologne and the warmth of his breath against her cold cheek made her shiver as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer. His lips met hers, and she savored the feel of them, the taste, trying to commit it all to memory, trying to slow down time. The week would fly by, their time together already slipping away too fast, and she was desperate to live in each and every moment. She wanted to be with him as much as possible in the next week and deepen their growing connection, so the distance had no chance of severing the ties between them.
He kissed her harder, more urgently. She could sense his apprehension and need to get in as much of this physical touch as possible before they had to rely on phones and Skype chats. It was with major reluctance that she pulled back and took a deep breath. “How did it go?”
He smiled and he looked so freaking happy, she couldn’t be upset. This was what he’d wanted for so long. “Good, but I want to hear about your appointment first.” He studied her, looking deep into her eyes.
“It was good. No significant changes on my tests. Erika said the new drug is available now, and that it’s showed significant success in the trial candidates.”
“No more hallucinations?” he asked gently, running his thumb along her jawline.
“She said there was a very good chance that they would go away.” She paused. “But I said no.”
Eddie’s smile was full of understanding.
“I’ve decided to let my sister stick around,” she said, knowing it was really the only choice. She’d lost her sister once before, beyond her control, and whether what she was seeing now was real or just a product of her head injury and a manifestation of her stress or deepest emotions, she couldn’t willingly give her up.
“I think you made the right choice,” Eddie said, and his words meant everything. “Um, so, what about me? Do you think you’d be okay with me sticking around?”
Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she frowned. “What? Didn’t you sign the transfer papers?”
“No.”
Her pulse raced. “Why not? Eddie, this was what you wanted. What you worked so hard for...”
He touched her cheek and kissed her nose. “I decided I want it all. A job I love where I can make a difference to the community I love and get to be with the woman I love.”
She gulped the lump in her throat, her mind narrowing in on the last part of his sentence. He loved her. She knew it, and she didn’t need him to give up his promotion to prove it.
“That’s you, in case there was any doubt,” he added in her conf
licted silence.
She laughed, and a strangled sounding sob escaped as well. Embarrassed by the intense emotions she hadn’t been expecting, she looked away and wiped her eye.
“Hey, this is what I want. I want you. I love you.”
This time, she knew he meant it. This really was what he wanted. “I love you,” she whispered.
Eddie’s familiar grin made her heart soar. “That didn’t sound very convincing.”
She flung her arms around him once more and hugged him tight, then moved back to kiss him again. “Take me home, and I’ll show you instead,” she murmured against his mouth.
Eddie reluctantly pulled away, but as he threw the van in gear, his hand tightened on hers, and Montana knew they’d be home in record time.
Home.
Home was where her heart was, and Wild River would always be her home.
* * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THIS BOOK WAS so fun to write and I continue to be grateful for the amazing opportunity to do what I love as a career. Thank you to my agent, Jill Marsal, and my wonderful editors, Susan Swinwood and Kate Studer, for all the notes and feedback that made this book stronger. As always, thank you to my husband and son for giving me the time and space to be creative and for always being a source of support and encouragement when the words refuse to cooperate. And a huge thank-you to my readers—without you, none of this would be possible.
A Wild River Retreat
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER ONE
KENDRA PHILLIPS MUST have dozed off in the hour-long staff meeting that could have been an office memo, because there was no way her boss had just said they were going on a team-building weekend in the Alaskan wilderness. The only “survival training” with her coworkers that appealed to her was battling it out for a new sales lead.
She sat straighter and cleared her throat, ignoring the eye rolls from her colleagues as she asked, “Um...excuse me, Roger, is this team-building trip in Wild River mandatory?”
Her boss’s expression was one she’d seen a thousand times. Her father used to wear the same raised eyebrow and wrinkled top lip when he was presenting her with a “choice” but the only appropriate decision was the one he wanted her to make. “Well, I can’t force anyone to participate, because everyone needs to sign an individual waiver from SnowTrek Tours, but it is highly recommended that all staff participate.”
In other words, it was mandatory. “Of course, I’m happy to attend. I was just asking for the room,” she said.
That weekend, she’d been planning on working on several new accounts she was targeting. As one of Webber Pharmaceuticals’ top sales representatives three quarters in a row, she’d hoped to continue her winning streak and prompt her boss to finally promote her to senior sales executive. The promotion meant that Kendra would manage the sales reps. It also meant she’d get a significant pay raise. Roger had dangled the position like a gold necklace in front of a cat burglar for months now, and with several of their senior team members, including himself, about to move into VP positions in the coming weeks, he’d have to make a decision soon.
But until then, she couldn’t ease up or take her foot off the gas.
She’d just have to find time to work around the survival training. Surely they’d have some downtime she could use to do her follow-ups? Was there cell service in the Alaskan wild? How long could her laptop battery last?
“Here is the information packet with all the details of the training—what to bring, what to expect...” Roger handed the packets around the table and no one looked particularly excited, but Kendra’s eyes widened as she scanned the printout.
A pocketknife, a water bottle and a piece of rope. That was all they were allowed to bring.
She raised her hand.
Roger was already looking at her as though expecting she’d need clarification. “Question, Kendra?”
“Yeah...um, this list isn’t set in stone, right? I mean, they can’t really expect us all to go off the grid completely for two days, can they?” She laughed nervously, absentmindedly clutching her cell phone tighter. In this one-hour meeting alone, she’d missed three calls from potential clients. Three sales that could have gone to a competitor. The pharmaceutical business didn’t take a day off... And to be out of reach for a whole weekend? Okay, just breathe. Save the anxiety attack for the privacy of your own office.
“Of course not,” Roger said.
Huge sigh of relief.
“The guides will be prepared with emergency supplies and a cell phone in case there are legitimate calls that you need to make,” he continued.
“Well, everyone’s definition of emergency is different...” To her, lost sales resulting in a lost promotion was a big enough reason to borrow a cell phone for an hour or two.
“The idea is to unplug.”
Unplug.
May as well tell her not to breathe.
“Look, we can all be successful when we have all the tools available,” Roger said. “This weekend I want to test resourcefulness among the team. How you adapt in new surroundings and situations will show me—and more important, yourselves—what you’re truly capable of, beyond self-limiting beliefs.”
Kendra nodded slowly. Okay, so it was essentially another opportunity to prove herself. If she framed the weekend that way, she wouldn’t lose her mind. “Okay, yes, you’re absolutely right, Roger.”
“I know,” he said with a smile. “And before you all rush off, I have another announcement to make.”
Kendra held her breath. Here it was—the promotion announcement. She had to have this. No one else sitting around that table put in the hours she did, or made the sacrifice of putting their career above all else, the way she did. She deserved to be promoted, and it would soften the blow of having to head out to Wild River that weekend to rough it in the woods. Without any contact with civilization.
“As you all know, there are two openings for new senior sales executive positions, and I’m happy to announce that I have filled one of those already,” Roger said.
Kendra sat taller, her acceptance speech turning over in her mind.
What a wonderful surprise! Thank you, Roger. I’m so happy that I can continue to be a valuable member of the team... I completely agree that the team really could benefit from survival training...
But instead of calling her name, Roger turned toward the opening boardroom door. “Ah, here he is now.”
He?
Kendra’s head swung toward the door so fast her neck cramped.
“Ow,” she muttered, rubbing it as the man entered.
Crisp brown leather shoes; perfectly tailored, slim-fit navy dress pants with a brown belt; light blue dress shirt opened at the collar; and a sports coat that fit like he was born in it. The new hire joined her boss at the head of the boardroom table.
Her mouth gaped as her eyes scrolled up to meet his and her arm flopped back onto her lap.
Nolan Lawless was standing in the office boardroom.
The man she’d spent an amazing week with at a sales conference, only for him to ghost her for three months, had just stolen her promotion.
Because of course he had.
* * *
NOLAN HAD KNOWN walking into the boardroom at Webber Pharmaceuticals and seeing Kendra again would be challenging, but he’d told himself that he couldn’t turn down a job opportunity he’d been busting his ass for just because it would mean working with a woman who’d led him on and disappointed him three months ago.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t expected the intensity of the tug in his chest at seeing her surprised, annoyed and embarrassed expression as their eyes met across the boardroom table.<
br />
Met and held as though locked in an unspoken battle of who’d blink first.
He did.
So much for showing up confident and unfazed, but damn, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Dressed in a dark charcoal suit and white blouse, her straight, silky blond hair swept into a high ponytail, she was intimidatingly professional—which was what had attracted him to her in the first place at the conference in Seattle. But he also knew the fun and relaxed side hidden beneath her polished exterior, and that knowledge had him wiping his sweaty palms on his lap.
Nolan could hardly resist this intoxicating woman, but he had no choice. He hoped anyone hearing his pounding heart would assume he was simply nervous to be starting a more senior level position at a new company.
“Everyone, welcome Nolan Lawless,” his new boss, Roger, said.
Everyone around the table applauded, but Kendra kept her hands clutched tight in her lap. She avoided Nolan’s gaze and continued to shift in her seat like she had ants in her underwear.
Great, now he was thinking about her underwear...the pale pink silky ones that had somehow ended up on the ceiling fan of the conference hotel room. Had she ever gotten them back? He liked to think they were still there—the only remaining evidence of their wild, whirlwind affair.
He felt his neck grow hot and he shook the memories of their time together away. He wasn’t the one who should be sweating and uncomfortable. That honor was hers. She was the one who’d made him believe that what they had that week in Seattle was real. More than just a physical connection or a fling to bring excitement to an otherwise boring work trip. She had wanted more, as well...or so she’d claimed.
Then she’d given him a bogus phone number.
So no, he shouldn’t be the one feeling awkward in this situation at all. She should. He was mature enough to move on.
“Nolan comes to us from Pharmatech in Juneau, where he was the top sales rep last quarter,” Roger told the group.
A Sweet Alaskan Fall Page 29