Chapter 3

"All right, my dear."Nurse Dawn Glenwood returned to the little curtained area in the ER that Holly had been occupying for the past hour. "You're good to go. I'm sorry it took so long. There was an accident out on the highway, and we had some major injuries coming in. Anyway, you should have all the paperwork you need to make everyone happy."

"Thank you." Holly accepted Dawn"s packet of papers, which included all the standard information about smoking cessation and following up with her regular physician. She'd give a copy to Marshall and Kevin and then never think of this whole drowning incident again. "And thank you for the scrubs. I'll get them back to you."

"Not a problem. I couldn't have you shivering in a wet swimsuit the whole time," Dawn replied with a smile.

Holly had instantly liked the nurse the moment Pierce introduced them. She was a smart, sassy woman who didn't seem to take shit from anyone, much like Dahlia. Dawn, however, had the same secret Holly did. "I really do appreciate it."

"Sure thing. Just no more diving into the river. Doctor's orders," Dawn said with a wink as she pulled back the curtain.

Holly stepped out next to the nurse's station, clutching her paperwork and a bag that held her wet bathing suit. Her swim shoes hadn't dried out yet, and they made squelching noises as she worked her way through the ER. She headed toward the exit sign, realizing she should've asked Dawn if she could borrow a phone. All of her stuff was still back at the Tubular River Tours rental office, her phone and keys stashed safely in a locker. As she dodged past someone in a wheelchair, she realized that even if she borrowed a phone, she didn't have anyone to call. Dahlia's number was in her phone, but she didn't have it memorized. She couldn't easily use a rideshare company without her phone, either. Even if she called a cab, she had no way to pay them until she went inside the rental place and got her wallet.

She turned around to see if she could find Dawn again. Maybe she'd have some ideas.

"Holly."

His voice easily broke through the chaos of the busy emergency room. Holly turned, finding Pierce standing in the doorway as if he'd always been there.

"Are you all set?" he asked. His deep blue eyes skimmed down to her scrubs and then quickly back up.

"You're still here?" she asked, suddenly feeling breathless even though she'd been given a clean bill of health. "I thought you left."

"No. I just wanted to step out and let you have some privacy for all that." He gestured vaguely toward the curtained partitions behind her. "I wasn't just going to leave you."

"That's really kind of you." She walked with him out into the waiting room. The automatic doors slid open, blasting them with a hot gust of air as they stepped into the circular driveway where vehicles could bring patients right up to the building. "I was just trying to figure out how I was going to get out of here."

"Complimentary service of the Pierce Westbrook Cab Company, of course." He once again swung open his passenger door for her and even held out his hand to help her up.

Her inner bear went wild as his strong but gentle grip easily guided her into the seat. A hot firefighter who was also a nice guy and a gentleman? It was almost too good to be true, even though she was experiencing it all personally. Too bad she had to almost drown to find him and that he lived on the opposite side of the country.

"Where can I take you?" he asked as he started up the engine.

Why was it so intimate just to be in a vehicle with him? It felt like they were the only two people in the world and that there was far less distance between them than the wide truck cab allowed. She studied his profile for a moment, enjoying the slope of his nose, and then reminded herself that she was on a work trip. "The tube rental place. I'd look up the address for you, but I have to get there first to get my phone."

"No problem. I know where it is." Pierce easily backed the truck out of its spot and headed out onto the road. "I think I've got most of the town memorized at this point."

"I suppose you would. There's no time to sit down and play with navigation when you've got to put a fire out." Despite everything she'd been through, her mind suddenly started playing with Pierce's job as an article. He'd joked about helping an older man with his pilot light, but he'd done just as much good with that little task as if he'd extinguished a fully engulfed structure. His job was truly about community, a far more selfless position than most people had. There were plenty of senses to explore, too. The crackle of flames, the smell of smoke, the feeling of heat…

"Tell me more about what you do," Pierce said, interrupting her thoughts. "I know you said you're a journalist, but do you write about anything specifically?"

"Lots of things, really. For me, it's more about finding the stories no one realizes are there. For instance, a big event that brings a lot of visitors to a small town would be the sort of thing that any basic news outlet would talk about. I'd want to see it from behind the scenes, from the perspective of a small business owner who'd been thinking about closing their doors for good before the sudden influx of tourists. It's even better when that business owner is the kind of person who invites you up to their apartment above the store to have a cup of tea and shows you the old advertisements from when her grandfather opened the place."

Pierce smiled. "That sounds rewarding."

"It can be. Sometimes, it's hard to find the right story. Plenty seem like they'll be something, but then they turn out to be duds. That's life, though."

"I can't argue with that. What else do you have going on besides writing? You know, besides tubing."

She laughed. "I'll never live that down." Was he trying to ask if she was seeing anyone? She wondered the same thing about him. The guy was probably about her age, early forties or so. She didn't see a ring on his finger, but that didn't mean much. Not everyone went straight to the altar the moment they met someone, and she had no doubt the local women were coming up with ways to set their kitchens on fire so that he'd come bursting through the door.

"Well, we're here. I'll come in with you in case they need any information from me since that Kevin guy wasn't too sure about me taking you to the hospital." He parked the truck and got out.

Holly didn't think they had any reason to speak with him, but since she found that she liked his company, she didn't argue. She stopped at the little locker she'd rented first, fetching her keys, her original bag of clothes, and her phone. There were too many notifications to fit on the screen, and they'd collapsed in on themselves so that they only listed the number of missed phone calls and text messages.

Marshall Newman was checking in on her. Give me a call as soon as you have a chance. I just want to make sure you're all right.

There were a few messages from Dahlia as well. Girl! You gave me the scare of a lifetime! Looks like some hunky dude rescued you, though, so maybe you planned it? I'll see you back at the cottage unless you make other plans with him.

Holly rolled her eyes, knowing Dahlia would absolutely flip once she heard it all. Then she frowned, seeing some messages from Kyle.

You'll have to stick with me for the rest of the trip so I can keep you safe. I tried to get to you to pull you out of the water myself, but those rapids were crazy.

There was more to his text, but she stuffed her phone in her bag.

"Didn't miss anything too important, did you?" Pierce asked.

"Just someone asking about my car's extended warranty," she cracked. Kyle was a whole subject of his own, and she wasn't going to dive into that right now. They stepped up to the window where day-trippers could rent tubes, kayaks, and life vests. "Hi, I'm Holly Brigham. I was with Kevin's group earlier, and?—"

"Oh, that was you!" The young guy behind the counter stared at her with wide eyes. "You okay? Everyone was talking about that!"

A flush of red crept over her cheeks. "I'm fine now." She didn't doubt that they'd all had plenty to say about it, and that would probably continue tomorrow when she went to the next phase of their annual meeting. She handed him one of the forms Dawn had given her. "Kevin wanted paperwork to show that I went to the hospital."

"Right. Cool. I'll make sure he gets it. I hope your experience doesn't keep you from using us again."

"We'll just have to see," she said with a smile before they turned and headed back for the door. She hoped she never stepped foot anywhere near Tubular River Tours again, even though none of this had really been their fault. She should've been paying more attention, both before she got into the river and after.

Pierce had happened to park right next to her rental, so they headed in the same direction as they stepped out into the parking lot. "Listen, you've had a bit of a rough day. I know you've had a chance to heal up, but I'm happy to follow you to your place if you like. Just to make sure you get there okay. You did hit your head, so I'm not sure how you feel about driving."

Oh. Damn. As Holly looked up at him, she could feel her entire existence pulling her toward him. She'd found plenty of men attractive before, and she'd made several stabs at relationships, but nothing had ever quite worked out. This was far more than she'd ever felt, and Holly knew it wasn't just because he'd saved her life. He was so handsome and sweet, and she was so tempted. She realized, though, that she hadn't told him the most important thing about herself as they'd been chatting. "I think I should let you know something about me."

"If it's that you're a different species, I already know that," he cracked. "I don't know exactly how it would work, but I'm not opposed to it."

"It"s not that!" she laughed, "although I guess that would be new territory for both of us. I'm not from around here. I'm just here for our annual meeting, but I'm actually from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I'm just here for a few days." Holly paused and licked her lips, wishing all of this had happened differently. She didn't know how it could've been better, considering they lived on two completely separate coasts, but anything that didn't make this so difficult and awkward would be preferable. "I just…I just thought I should say something before things went any further."

Pierce put a hand in his pocket but didn't back away or tell her to forget the whole thing. He thought about it for a second, staring off into the distance over the river, and then looked down at her. "I should've put that together earlier, but thank you." He paused, looking like he wanted to say something else, but his lips didn't move.

"I should probably get going. I've wasted enough of your time as it is." Not that she wanted to leave him. She liked spending time with him, even if they were just driving around Eugene in his truck. It was simple, but that was all that was required. How could it ever go anywhere, though? She stepped past him toward her car.

His fingertips brushed her elbow. "Holly?"

Her heart must've found a jump rope somewhere, considering the way it was bouncing in her chest. "Yeah?"

"I know you won't be staying, but would you like to see the town from a local's perspective while you're here?" His eyes blazed into hers, brilliant and alluring. "I could pick you up tomorrow night and show you some great places, including a few that never make it onto the tourist maps. It might be kind of fun."

Holly knew she shouldn't. She had a few days in Eugene for the meeting, and then she'd be flying back home. Going on a date with a stranger would throw a wrench into everything. The logical part of her brain reminded her of just how quickly things could get complicated. Her bear didn't really care how complicated things got as long as she got to spend more time with Pierce. None of it really made sense, and there was no answer that seemed quite right. "Sure," came out of her lips despite all of that.

"Great. I'm looking forward to it. Where are you staying?"

"My friend and I are sharing an Airbnb." She grabbed her phone so she could give him the address and, consequently, exchange numbers. A thrill ran through her as she thought about what she was doing. Holly wasn't the sort who went to a new town and found a handsome stranger to spend an evening with. In fact, she'd fully planned to spend her evenings there either working on her writing or perhaps knocking back a few glasses of wine with Dahlia. This just wasn't the sort of thing that happened to her, yet there it was, unraveling right before her eyes.

"Sounds good," he said, looking up from his cell phone. Their eyes locked.

She felt it, knowing he must, too. The pull between them had been working at them all afternoon, stretching and straining at them like a strong magnet. It was finally getting its way, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Hell, she didn't even think she wanted to stop it. The space between them closed, and their lips met. Pierce's lips lingered on hers for a long moment, but he didn't try to push it further. He stepped back. "Can I pick you up at eight?"

You damn well better after that. "Yeah. That'd be perfect. I'll see you then." Holly got in her car before she could make any other wild decisions. Her hands shook as she tried to figure out which key she was supposed to put in the ignition, but then she remembered it had a push button start. Hoping that Pierce wasn't watching, she fired up the engine on her rental car. Her bear didn't want to leave him, but Holly knew she needed some distance to calm the hell down.

She sped toward the little cottage she and Dahlia had found online, glad that at least it wasn't too far away and she knew how to get there. She didn't need to get lost and have yet another disaster, not today. It was hard to concentrate on traffic in a whole new city when her bear wanted only to think of that kiss. It was the first she'd had in a long time. It wasn't some big dramatic display, but it sent radiating waves of warmth and excitement through her body. His hand had grazed her hip in the moment, hinting there was more he'd like to do.

Holly enjoyed her quiet life in Cape Cod, but changing coasts would mean changing everything.