Chapter Two

Nick

The doctor stands in the hallway with a downturned expression, his palm over his gray beard, scrubbing as though he’s trying to come up with a reasonable conclusion to the sudden backslide with Emma’s condition. “Stress can cause problems as the blood vessels contract. Has she been under any stress recently? A bad day, a lot more activity, a tense argument?”

I suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, I was my usual pain in the ass self. I think that might have triggered it. She was convinced she was going to leave. I was trying to stop her.”

I’ve lived in Rugged Mountain my entire life, and I’ve known Dr. Thorpe as long as I’ve been alive. Hell, I think the man even cared for my parents at one point. I’m guessing all the ranch work he does on the side keeps him spry.

“It’s really important you help her relax, Nick. She needs two solid weeks of peace and quiet. If you can’t help her, she’s better off back at the hospital up in the Springs.”

“What kind of peace and quiet? Like no movement at all? Can she ride in the plow?”

“Yeah, she’d be fine to go for a ride. Just keep her calm, and don’t stress her out. You’ll need to relax her.”

Relaxing her only brings one thing to mind. One thing I’ve been trying to keep myself from thinking. One thing I shouldn’t be considering when it comes to someone so young. One thing that makes me a sick fuck.

“Got it.” I look away in the hopes that the doctor misses my darkness, though I can feel it dripping down my face like sweat. “So, when should I call you back?”

“If she doesn’t wake in the next few hours, give me a call back and we’ll go from there. All we can do right now is give her rest. Give her that and she’ll get better faster. I’m sure you want to go back to your normal life.”

I nod, but none of that’s true. I don’t want Emma to leave. The past week has been better than I imagined. Usually, I sit up here alone, working nonstop while simultaneously contemplating every fucking life choice I’ve made. This week, there’s been a beautiful girl sitting next to me, watching me work, cracking jokes, reading me articles she finds interesting. Hell, she even made me cookies at one point. These big, fresh things she calls cowboy cookies with pecans and coconut.

“No problem,” I say, following Dr. Thorpe out the front door and toward the driveway. “I’ll keep her calm. No more stress.”

He nods and heads toward his truck, nodding to my brother Sam as he pulls in. I have no fucking clue what he wants, but I have a feeling I’m going to hear all about it. Out of all my brothers, I’m closest to him. I think it’s because he was the oldest and I was the baby. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting into too much trouble, so he made sure to light all my firecrackers and go with me four-wheeling through the woods every time I went out. He can say it was for my safety all he wants, but we both know he enjoyed having someone looking up to him.

I stand at the door, watching the snow fall peacefully as a light wind brushes across the horizon. My cabin is set away from most that goes on at the tree farm, and I have to say, I’m pretty grateful for it. I like the separation from the crowds. Sam, on the other hand, wants to be right in the middle of everything.

“You’re here, on a Sunday, after dinner. Isn’t that frowned upon?” I hold the front porch door open, and he pushes past me and heads into the kitchen.

“You know anyone named Jen Holden?”

“Name sounds familiar, but I don’t think so. Why?”

“She just called and offered me two thousand bucks to attend the eclipse party with her,” he stares toward me, “as her fiancé.”

“What?” I grab him a beer from the fridge. “Why? You know her well?”

“Don’t know her at all, man. She emailed me out of the blue. She said she saw my picture on the tree farm website and wanted a piece, I guess.” He laughs. “It’s the weirdest fuckin’ thing, man. I don’t know what the hell to say.”

I wrinkle my brows. “How about no?”

“Yeah, that would be the logical answer, but the money would be nice.”

I laugh. “Dear fucking God, you’re losing it. You don’t even know this girl. Where is she from?”

“Kansas, I think. I don’t know. I haven’t responded to the email yet, but I looked her up online.”

“Don’t do it. We’re gonna be busy as hell here. We’re already trying to plan something for Chevy coming home, and it’s almost Christmas, so… just don’t.”

He nods as though he agrees, though I get the feeling he’s still thinking of doing something crazy. “What about you? How are things going with the mental patient?”

“She’s not exactly a mental patient, but… I officially suck at taking care of people. Actually, I might be the worst.”

“How so?” He takes a swig of beer and leans back against the counter. When that man leans into anything, I start to worry it’s not secure enough. We’re all big boys, but Sam’s always been a standout. If you ask him, he’ll say he took all the good genes before we got here.

“Well, she blacked out.” I glance up at the microwave clock. “She’s been out for hours. That’s why Thorpe was here.”

“Fuck.” Sam laughs and tugs on his beard. “You’re a mess, man. Thought you liked this girl.”

“What? No. What makes you think that?”

“Jesus. Get the fuck off it and just be real. You look at her constantly, but she’s too young. So, instead of playing it cool, you’re thinking you’ll throw her off the scent by being an asshole, right?” He shakes his head and grins, tossing back another sip. “You’re a mess, man. If you like her, go for it. Everyone else in this family’s been getting serious with someone lately. We’re basically on an island with just the two of us now.”

“Is that what you’re doing? You’ve got yourself some mystery girl who wants to wine and dine you to the tune of two grand. Does that mean you have to put out? ”

He rolls his eyes and sets the glass bottle down on the counter beside him. “Grow up. I could use the extra cash.”

“For what? This year has been better than ever. The farm is doing great with all the tourism. You don’t need the money.”

“I could always use the money,” he groans and looks away as though he has something he isn’t telling me about.

The bedroom door creaks open and soft footsteps make their way down the hall. Shit! I have a million questions for Sam, but I don’t want Emma to have to deal with company the second she wakes up. My goal is to keep her stress low.

Sam looks toward me and grins before heading out the door. “That’s my cue to leave. Good luck. I’ll let you know what happens.”

The door has barely slammed shut before Emma makes her way into the kitchen. Her hair is a mess, and her face is pink from where she’d been laying.

She’s so beautiful.

“Who was that?” Her voice is soft and calm as she walks toward the coffee maker and sets the dial to brew. Maybe she doesn’t know how late it’s gotten.

“You realize it’s close to seven, right? You’ve been out for so long that the sun’s already set.”

“Oh.” She sets the mug down on the counter and wanders toward me with a soft smile on her face. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but she’s happier than ever. An ultra relaxed, kind of happy. “Well, I must have lost track of time with that nap.” She snuggles into my chest like we’ve done it a thousand times before.

My heart hammers against my ribcage, and though I love that her body is pressed against mine, I have no idea what the hell is happening right now.

Her scent is like cranberries and her skin is velvet smooth. “You okay, princess? You’re acting funny.”

She leans up from my chest and stares at me with narrowed brows. “Yeah, I think so. I’m just tired for some reason. You?” Her gaze holds on me before she tips up onto her toes and brushes her soft lips against mine.

Fuck! What the hell is happening?

My chest tightens and my cock goes hard. “You okay?”

She grins wide and lobs another playful peck on my cheek before twisting back toward the fridge for a bottle of water. “Yeah, baby. Are you?”

“Baby?” I reach my head out and rest it against her forehead. Maybe she’s running a fever.

“Why are you acting so weird? You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

“Cold feet?”

“About the wedding?” Her shoulders rise and fall, and she wraps her arms around my waist, staring up at me. “You still want to marry me, right?”

What the fuck is happening? Now I might pass out.

I clear my throat and drag in a deep breath, trying to figure how to navigate this question. On one hand, I can’t stress her out. On the other, I want to play into whatever delusions she’s currently experiencing, especially if they lead to another kiss.

I drag in a deep breath and land my hand on her soft face. “Of course I want to marry you, princess. I need to make a call, though. Can I meet you in the bedroom?”

A sweet smile raises onto her face. “Okay, babe. Don’t forget to unplug the Christmas tree. We don’t want another incident like last year.”

Last year? How deep does this delusion go?

Bending down, I land a kiss on the top of her head and ignore my cock as it rises hard against my thigh. “You got it. No incident like last year. I’ll unplug the tree.”

She grins and heads back toward the bedroom as I step out onto the porch and dial Dr. Thorpe. It’s late, but I’m thankful he picks up on the first ring.

“Everyone okay?”

“No.” I swallow hard as I pace back and forth, creaking the heavy pine boards beneath me. “Emma woke up, but she kissed me, and she thinks we’re getting married. What the fuck do I do?”

Dr. Thorpe hums under his breath as though he’s thinking over the problem. “Don’t do anything. You don’t want to cause more stress. Just go with the flow.”

“Go with the flow? She’s kissing me. Did I tell you that?”

“Yes,” he chuckles under his breath, as though this whole thing is a joke. “It’s not common for concussed patients to have altered states of being, but it happens from time to time. The best outcomes are reached when their stress remains low. Go along with everything and I’m sure she’ll come out of it before too long.”

My brows wrinkle. “I feel like an asshole. What happens when she comes out of it and hates me for lying to her?”

“Are you lying to her? I mean, this is none of my business, but I saw the way you looked at her today, Nick. You’re worried. You care about her.”

“And she’s nearly half my age.”

“That much younger, huh?” I’m seeing the cracks in Dr. Thorpe’s age now. He’s not as on the ball as I thought he was. “Well, all I’m saying is to keep her stress low. If it bothers you to go along with her stories, send her to the Springs. They’ll put her in psych until she comes out of it.”

“Psych?”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

I don’t want her going anywhere, but I’m not sure I can care for her the way she needs to be cared for.

“Look, I’d bet she comes out of this by morning. She probably had a dream about all this, and her brain is confused. That’s all. Why don’t you go to bed and see how she feels in the morning? Worst-case scenario is this lasts a few days, but—”

“A couple of days? You just said by morning.”

“Do you want me to bring her into the hospital? They’d be happy to watch her, or perhaps she has a family member.”

I drag in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No. Sorry to bother you. I’ll call you in a few days if things don’t improve.”

The doctor clears his throat. “Go about the day as normal. Don’t feed into her, but let her come to the truth on her own. Our brains are like bonsai trees, Nick. They branch and curve, and there’s never a good way to replant. You have to let her figure it out on her own.”

I’m sure that’s a very profound statement that I should most definitely remember and let marinate, but as I’m saying goodbye to the doctor, I catch a glimpse of Emma in the hallway, leaning against the wall. If she were dressed, I’d think nothing of it… except she isn’t.

She isn’t clothed at all.

She’s stark fucking naked. Tits full, nipples hard and ready, curves wide and thick. My cock hardens and my throat goes dry.

I have no fucking clue how the hell I’m ever going to get through this night.