#Vacay

by Cambria Hebert

  “You’re my favorite person ever.” I promised.

  He smiled crookedly. “I know.”

  “There they are!” someone yelled in a rush.

  The sudden pounding of footsteps brought my head up and burst the bubble we’d been so happy in.

  Blinking, I stared through the steadily falling snow at the woman running toward us. She was followed closely by a man clutching a camera.

  A groan escaped my throat. “We’ve been spotted.”

  Romeo

  The press descended like sharks who’d smelled a drop of blood ten miles away. Frankly, I was surprised we managed this long without them showing up. However, just because I was used to it didn’t mean I liked it.

  “Rimmel!” a fast-approaching woman yelled.

  I stiffened and stood, positioning myself directly in front of my wife.

  “Romeo!”

  The woman lurched to a stop, teetering on her feet and producing a microphone right out of her nosy ass. “What happened out there on the mountain?” she questioned.

  When I didn’t answer, she peered around me to look at Rim. “Is that a cast? Did you break your leg?”

  “No comment,” I replied and moved, blocking her view once again.

  A few more members of the press appeared, all carrying cameras or mics. There were even a few people using their phones to film.

  Time to go.

  “Rimmel! What was it like being lost in the woods? Were you scared?”

  “What happened? How did you get separated from everyone?”

  “Romeo, do you feel guilty for letting your wife get lost?”

  Rimmel gasped. “It wasn’t his fault!” she cried from behind me.

  Finally getting a reaction, their curiosity and resolve were renewed. They moved in as a collective unit, predators stalking weak prey.

  My eyes flashed when I drew my body up to its full height and width. “I wouldn’t come any closer,” I growled.

  They all stopped, but one insistent “journalist” didn’t shut up. “Is it true Olympic medalist Liam Mattison personally invited you to BearPaw? How did you meet?”

  “What’s going on over here?” Alex called out, pushing his way through the crowd. Stepping up beside me, his body helped create a bigger wall between Rim and the vultures.

  Alex smirked and glanced at me. “I can’t even take a phone call without you drawing a crowd.”

  I made a sound and bent low in front of the bench, offering Rim my back.

  The second her arms went around my shoulders, some of the tension coiling in my muscles relented. Just knowing she was in my arms and I could keep her safe helped keep my anger in check.

  As I straightened off the ground, a few female reporters sighed audibly. “So sweet.”

  “Where are your crutches?” someone yelled. “Is it broken?”

  “Tell us what happened!”

  “She doesn’t need crutches,” Alex announced. “Not when Romeo Anderson is her husband.”

  “Where are your kids?” someone else called out.

  Against me, Rimmel tensed. For the most part, she did well with handling the press, but our kids were completely off-limits. She became a fierce momma bear when they went after them.

  “That’s enough,” I yelled. “Back off.”

  She’d been through enough already. She didn’t need cameras in her face.

  “You heard him!” Alex called out. “You’re making Caribou look bad.”

  “Just one statement!”

  “Oh hells no!” Braeden’s voice boomed over everyone else’s.

  A few cameras turned in his direction.

  “Braeden Walker! Can you give us a statement about Rimmel’s disappearance in the woods? Was it a kidnapping?”

  “Did you pay a ransom?”

  What the fuck? Was this the shit they were saying on TV? No wonder our entire family and the team were blowing up our phones all day. Shit, even Ron Gamble called.

  Over the heads of the crowd, I saw Braeden bristle. Tucking his arm around Ivy and pulling her into his side, he created a path through the people and glanced at me. I went forward, and Alex fell into step behind me.

  “Rimmel!” a woman called.

  “Woah.” Alex cautioned, and I turned around to see his arm out as he blocked someone from practically climbing on my wife. “Back up.”

  “Maybe I should just give a statement,” Rimmel whispered in my ear.

  “Up to you,” I answered. “You don’t have to.”

  “Maybe they’ll go away.”

  My wife, ever the optimist. I knew damn well these people wouldn’t go away. They’d just want more.

  She patted my shoulder. “Put me down.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll just say something basic.”

  “Say it from up there.”

  “She’s going to give a statement!” someone standing close to us called out.

  Cameras rose, phones shot up, and mics were shoved close.

  Braeden directed Ivy into my side and planted himself on her other side. Alex shifted so he was on my other side, and the group of us faced the press.

  “What happened, Mrs. Anderson?” someone from the back yelled.

  Rimmel straightened a bit, lifting behind my shoulder. “I accidentally went off the path while on the mountain and got lost. That’s all.”

  “Were you kidnapped?”

  “No,” she replied simply.

  “What about your leg?”

  “It’s broken, but it will be fine,” she stated patiently.

  “Where were you, Romeo?” someone asked me.

  “I was on the mountain, looking for her,” I answered, annoyed. Where the fuck did they think I was? Having a beer at the lodge?

  “Who found you?”

  “Were you scared?”

  “I heard you were attacked by wolves. Is that how you broke your leg?”

  Rimmel sighed.

  A horn sounded from a short distance away, and I looked up. Liam’s orange Xtreme was parked at the curb, and as I looked, the window slid down. He gestured with his chin, and I started moving.

  “That’s enough,” I announced and began pushing through the crowd.

  Rimmel held tight as people vied for more information, and behind us, Braeden growled for everyone to back off.

  After we slid into Liam’s truck, I looked at him, grateful. “Good timing.”

  “Finished up the staff meeting at work and figured I’d come see how you liked Caribou. Don’t think I need to ask now.”

  “Oh no!” Rimmel put in. “Caribou is beautiful. The Confectionary is amazing! We got so much chocolate. The people here are wonderful.”

  “We had a good time.” Ivy agreed from the back.

  “The ‘rents loaded them up,” Alex said and leaned between the seats. “My Hummer is parked behind their shop.”

  In my lap, Rim yawned. Cupping her head, I pushed it into my chest. “Rest.”

  “I want to call and check on the kids.”

  I made a sound. “You can call when we get back to the house.”

  She settled against me without any argument, and I smiled.

  Daniel

  She didn’t come before dinner.

  It bothered me more than it should have. I found myself looking between the clock and the window and wondering if something happened to her.

  The wolf seemed to pick up on my agitation, which only bothered me more. I couldn’t lie to myself about being anxious by her lack of presence when I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

  Grabbing a piece of beef jerky, I sat down near the animal, and she perked up. We were getting used to each other now. My movements didn’t cause her to stir. She’d been up earlier and moved around the cabin, sniffing and investigating everything she came into contact with.

  I let her explore, understanding the need to know your surroundings on an intimate level. The more I watched the wolf, the more I realized we had a lot in common.

 
; When she was finished checking out the place, she went back to the blankets near the fireplace but then turned to where I sat and gazed at me. Surprisingly, after a moment of deliberation, the wolf came over beside my chair, its limp still prevalent, and lay down right at my feet.

  We sat together a long time. I liked that she was a companion I didn’t have to really speak to and that my lack of words didn’t bother her at all.

  I could get used to this wolf being around.

  It also seems you could get used to the doc being around. The thought taunted me as I fed the wolf the jerky.

  “Impossible,” I said, drawing the wolf’s stare.

  “I’m the kind of guy who’s better off alone,” I said.

  The wolf nudged my hand with her nose, and I glanced down. Half smiling, I held out my empty fingers. “You ate it all. There’s no more.”

  The intelligence in the animal’s eyes often made me think she knew exactly what I said. This was a highly perceptive creature. I showed her again that my hand was snack free, and her golden eyes looked at my palm and then up at me.

  A heartbeat later, her nose nudged me again, and her head pushed into my hand.

  I blinked.

  She wants me to pet her.

  I moved slow at first, stroking her head, and when she didn’t pull away, I itched behind her soft ear.

  A low sound vibrated my throat as I petted her, and her intellectual eyes met mine again. You aren’t alone anymore.

  My chest felt tight the entire time and remained slightly uncomfortable even after she laid her head down on the blankets.

  I gazed into the fire for a while, then glanced at my watch.

  “I’ll be back later,” I told the wolf. “I’ll bring you a steak.”

  She lifted her head and watched me go to the door and pull on my coat. Before leaving, I turned back to her. “Don’t piss on anything.”

  She turned her face away as if I offended her.

  Everyone was already at The Tavern when I walked in. There was a long table near the bar that everyone crowded around. Rimmel sat toward the center of the table, with my sister and Bellamy on her one side and Ivy on the other. The four of them were laughing and talking about something.

  I liked seeing my sister happy. I liked seeing her at a table filled with family and friends. She didn’t have that when we were growing up. All she had was me. I did my best to be everything she needed, but one guy who led a sketchy life for the army was a poor replacement for an entire family.

  As I stared, Alex appeared, setting a glass of red wine on the table in front of her. She looked up and smiled. Alex leaned down and kissed her, making her smile wider.

  When he straightened, our eyes met. I lifted my chin to him, and he nodded. I might have been against him and my sister years ago, but I wasn’t the kind of man who couldn’t admit when he was wrong.

  Alex patted Sabrina on the shoulder, and she glanced up. Her face brightened, and I waved. The love I had for my sister would never fade.

  But maybe there’s room in your life for a different kind of love...

  That kind of thought sent me toward the bar. I needed a drink. More than one.

  “It’s on me tonight,” Romeo said, coming up beside me at the counter.

  “It’s really not necessary,” I told him.

  “Would you rather have my autograph, then?”

  I picked up the beer just served in front of me and smirked. “I’ve never been much of a football fan.”

  Romeo laughed and slapped me on the back.

  “Daniel!” Rimmel called from the table. “How’s Myrtle?”

  Lowering the beer, I blinked. “Myrtle?”

  She nodded sagely. “Isn’t it a beautiful name for such a majestic wolf?”

  I glanced at Romeo. “Is she for real?”

  A laugh bubbled up his throat, and he turned toward the bar. “I’m afraid she is.”

  “Myrtle?” I muttered, dumbstruck. That was a horrible name for a wolf.

  “Better think fast,” Romeo advised quietly.

  “Actually, I’ve been calling her Riley,” I said on the fly.

  “Riley?” Rimmel asked.

  I nodded. I had no idea where the name came from or even that I was thinking of it. “It means brave,” I explained, heading over near the table. “She’s definitely brave for protecting you, right?”

  Rimmel nodded.

  “Plus, it starts with an R, just like your name.”

  Romeo slapped a hand on my back and leaned in. “Nice save.”

  “Myrtle isn’t that bad,” Rimmel muttered, but then she smiled. “But I do like Riley better.” She turned her attention toward Romeo. “It’s an R name like mine.”

  He smiled. “I’ll get you some hot cocoa.”

  “Me, too!” Ivy added.

  “I’ll get it.” Braeden cut in. “My wife. My job.”

  Romeo and B went toward the bar.

  Liam appeared, carrying a mug mounded over with whipped cream, and handed it to Bellamy. I watched her take a sip and get the cream all over her nose.

  Liam shook his head and bent low, kissing it off.

  Good Lord, I was surrounded by a bunch of whipped-ass men. Pathetic.

  Movement across the room brought my head up. Meredith stepped into The Tavern, and several heads turned.

  She was a beautiful woman, but it was an understated kind of beauty. The kind of beauty she didn’t have to make an effort to have; it was just natural. I doubted she had on any makeup, and she dressed for the Colorado climate and her job working with animals on the daily.

  Her jeans, gray and well-worn, molded to her long, slim legs like second skin. The hem of her thick cream-colored knit sweater hung from beneath her quilted coat, and the snow boots on her feet had fur trim at the top.

  She saw everyone at the table first and smiled. I glanced in the direction of that smile and saw Liam wave and stand to motion for her to join them.

  My back teeth came together. I knew they were friendly because of Charlie, but it still annoyed me. Everyone on this mountain nearly worshipped Liam Mattison. Though, it never bothered me before.

  But that smile she was directing at him? It was mine.

  Meredith made her way over, but her eyes moved away from Liam and found mine. A rush of satisfaction surged through me when her footsteps changed direction toward me.

  I watched her come closer, noting the tired look playing in her eyes. She seemed a little pale as well, and the calm, soothing aura around her seemed a little disheveled.

  Stopping beside me, she said nothing, just plucked the beer out of my hand and took a long drink. When she was done, she handed it back.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Sorry I didn’t come by before dinner. I got held up at the clinic.”

  I shrugged. “No big deal.”

  “How is she?”

  I blanked. “Who?”

  “The wolf.”

  “Right. Riley.”

  “Riley?” she questioned.

  “I named her,” I said, tipping the beer to my lips. She watched me drink, and I wondered if she was realizing my lips were now where hers had just been.

  Keeping my stare on hers, lowering the beer, I held it out to her again. Electricity crackled between us when she gazed at the offered drink.

  Keeping her eyes on mine, she took the bottle and drank again.

  “It’s a good name,” she said after a moment.

  “Look at this table!” Sharon exclaimed, coming over with a sweeping gesture to us all. “I don’t think my tavern has ever seen such impressive men all at the same table before!”

  “We eat here all the time,” Alex quipped.

  “Your tavern?” Liam drawled at the same time.

  Sharon put her fists on her hip and turned to Liam. “Are you saying this place isn’t mine?”

  “No, ma’am.” He relented, then gave her a lopsided smile. “You have the best place in the resort.”

 
; She chuckled and smacked him lightly. “I do. Until of course Bellamy opens up her own place.”

  Ivy leaned around Rimmel to look at Bellamy. “You’re opening up a restaurant?”

  Liam beamed beside his wife. “She’s the best cook on the mountain.”

  Bellamy smiled. “I want to open up a casual place. Sort of like a snack shack but with really good food, right on the slopes.”

  “A ski-up place,” Liam explained. “You can eat, then head right back onto the lift.”

  “Or you can sit and just watch the skiers.”

  “That’d be a good place for Rim!” Drew cracked from the end of the table. Trent laughed.

  “That sounds amazing.” Rimmel agreed. “When does it open?”

  Bellamy glanced at Liam, and he smiled. “Well, we’d been hoping to maybe break ground on it this spring.”

  “What? Did you change your mind?” Sabrina worried.

  Liam practically crowed with pride, leaned over, and put a palm over Bellamy’s middle.

  Sabrina gasped. Alex straightened. “Again!”

  Bellamy smiled. “I think I might be kinda busy.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Sabrina leapt up and flung her arms around Bellamy. “Oh, I hope we finally get a girl.”

  “Nothing wrong with another boy,” Alex told her.

  A whole slew of congratulations and hand shaking went around the table. Bellamy glowed, and Liam looked proud of himself.

  “I swear it’s his mission in life to keep her pregnant,” I said, plucking the beer out of the doc’s hand to help myself.

  “I think it’s sweet,” she said quietly. “It’s nice to hear about a new life.”

  I gazed at her out of the corner of my eye.

  “I’m going to get a beer,” she said and moved off toward the bar.

  All the girls were talking excitedly about baby names and shit I didn’t care about. Sharon was off tending to another table. I figured she’d given up on trying to take our order because no one at this table could pay attention for three seconds.

  “Bro,” Alex called, gesturing toward an empty seat near him at the end of the table. Since the girls were all going on about girl shit, all the men had congregated down there.

  “How was the mountain today?” Liam asked Trent.

  “Perfect,” he replied. “Got some epic skiing in.”