by Katie Lane
Summer’s mouth dropped open, and she almost ran off the road. “Autumn Layne Hadley! How could you even think such a thing? Of course I did not prostitute myself.”
Autumn heaved a sigh. “Thank God. For a second, I thought you’d had sex with Ryker.”
Summer scowled at the Bluetooth screen. “I did have sex with Ryker, but it had nothing to do with him helping me. It had more to do with tequila and poor judgment.” And a phenomenal kiss. She couldn’t forget the phenomenal kiss.
There was a long pause, and Summer could feel her sister’s disappointment seeping through the speakers. “Don’t you dare judge me, Audie. It’s not like I sleep around with every man I meet. You know that I haven’t been in a relationship since we started the business. I’ve been too busy. We all have. And I didn’t plan to have sex with Ryker either. It just sort of happened.”
“I’m not judging you, Summer. I realize that things like that happen. It’s just that I’m surprised. Ryker doesn’t seem like your type. You usually go for sportier . . . less intellectual guys.”
“Are you saying I usually go for dumb jocks?”
“You do have a tendency to like guys with more brawn than brains. Harley ‘Homerun’ Wilcox and David ‘Slam Dunk’ Duggins in high school. And the toothless hockey player you dated after college. What was his name?”
“Brian ‘the Icer’ Hillerman. And he had teeth. Just not his front ones. And you forgot Maverick Murdoch in college who didn’t have to have a nickname because his real name was so cool.”
“Maverick wasn’t dumb. You can’t be a college-level quarterback and be dumb.”
“I thought so too, but that was before he called me when I was working at Seasons—or I should say drunk dialed. I didn’t even know he knew I owned a clothing store. Anyway, your point is taken, I usually fall for dumb jocks. This time I fell for a smart computer nerd. Not that I fell for Ryker.” His kisses, yes. Him, no. “It was just a one-time thing that won’t ever happen again. And I certainly don’t want anyone to find out about it. Especially Dirk. He’ll either blame Ryker for seducing me or me for seducing Ryker.”
“And how are you going to keep it a secret? Everyone is awake here. There’s no way you can sneak back into the house without them knowing you were gone. And exactly what did Maverick say?”
“He was just talking crazy. He must’ve taken too many hits in the NFL. I finally had to make up an excuse and hang up on him. But would you forget about Maverick and concentrate on figuring out a good lie for me? What about if I say I woke up early and had a craving for Ms. Marble’s cinnamon-swirl muffins and went into town to get some?”
“In your maid-of-honor dress? And the diner isn’t open until noon today because of the wedding.”
“Damn.” She released her breath. “Okay, then I’ll act like I didn’t know that, and you can sneak a change of clothes out to the garage, and I’ll change before I come in.”
Autumn sighed. “The things I do for you, Summer Lynn.”
“Just the joy of being my little sister.”
“I do wonder what my life would be like if I’d been born a minute earlier. Then you’d be the little sister.”
“You’d make a horrible boss. You’re too nice. I’ll talk with you later.” She pressed the cancel call button on the steering wheel and picked up her phone from the console. She should probably pull over to text. But it was early Sunday morning, and she hadn’t passed one car on the highway. Most people were sleeping in after the wedding reception.
But when she started to text Ryker, she realized that she didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound like she was mad at him for leaving. And why was she mad? She’d been planning to do the same thing. He probably woke up feeling as awkward as she did. And it wasn’t like she and Ryker were in any kind of relationship. And he certainly hadn’t forced her to have sex with him.
A memory of her pushing him back on the bed flashed through her head. She was never drinking tequila again. And maybe it hadn’t just been the tequila. She’d been under a lot of pressure lately to keep Seasons from bankruptcy. If the business failed, it would be on her. She was the one who came up with the idea to start the retail store. The one who talked her sisters into leaving their jobs, Granny Bon, and a town where they knew almost everyone to move to Houston, where they knew absolutely no one. She promised them that within a couple years they’d been making loads of money and enjoying big city life to the fullest. But even after the second year, they weren’t making loads of money. They were losing money. And they were too busy working to enjoy anything about big city life except Takeout-Taxi, which delivered food to them while they were spending long hours at the store.
Summer should listen to Dirk and Autumn. She should sell their inventory and get out before they lost even more money. But she had always struggled to accept failure. Especially when her failure included her family. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if Spring and Autumn lost two years of their lives for nothing. Which is why she refused to give up.
As the oldest, it had always been her responsibility to take care of her siblings. She took that responsibility seriously. While Dirk and Spring now had their own lives, she still owed them. She owed Dirk for loaning her the money for the business and she owed Spring for taking her away from Waco and all her friends and working her like a slave. She especially owed Autumn. Faithful Autumn who was always there for her. Even when Summer made huge mistakes. Like buying a retail clothing store when more and more people were buying online. And like having a one-night stand with her brother’s best friend because she needed a release from all the guilt she’d been carrying around. Summer might’ve gotten release last night, but this morning she felt even guiltier.
She couldn’t blame Ryker for that. She was the one who went to his motel room with a bottle of tequila. The one who drank more than she should have. Still, tequila and bad judgment aside, they had made a bet. And she had won.
With one hand, she typed out a straight-to-the-point text and pushed send.
You owe me three hours. When do you want to start?
She didn’t expect him to answer. He never answered her texts. But just as she was about to put her phone back in the cup holder, it pinged.
I think I gave you more than three hours of my undivided attention last night.
Her eyes widened, and she quickly texted back.
I’m talking about business, you perv!
Her phone pinged only a second after she pushed send.
Me a perv? And since when do you text about business?
She sent one right back. Just tell me when we can talk!
There was a short delay in his response. I’m sensing some tension. Are you hungover or always testy in the mornings?
She quickly thumbed her reply. Do you always run off like a spineless wuss after spending the night with a woman or am I just special? It was hard to keep her eyes on the road when she kept glancing at the phone waiting for a response.
You’re special. How do you get cows to move?
She stared at the phone. What was he talking about? Before she could ask about the cows, she glanced up. A car was stopped in front of her waiting for a herd of cows to cross the road. Ryker’s car. She slammed on the brakes, but she was going too fast. She cranked the steering wheel to the left, but still clipped the car’s bumper.
Then she skidded off the road and straight over the ledge on the other side.
Chapter Five
Ryker was staring down at his phone waiting for the cows to move and Summer to reply to his last text when he heard the screech of tires on asphalt. Before he could look in his rearview mirror, he was hit from behind. His seatbelt tightened as his head snapped forward, then bounced back against the headrest. He sat there stunned for a few seconds, staring out at the green pasture in front of him. The impact had spun his car so it was now facing the broken fence that the cows had gotten through. The cows had scattered. Some were running down the highway, and others were heading
back to the pasture.
The blurriness of the scene made him realize that his glasses had flown off at impact. He had put his glasses on that morning because his eyes had been irritated from wearing his contacts all night. He found them on the dashboard with a crack in the bridge. After he put them on, he searched for his phone. He found it on the floorboard beneath his feet. Once he had it in hand, he opened his door and got out.
He expected to see a vehicle behind him. When he didn’t, he glanced in both directions, cringing when pain shot through his neck. As he lowered his head to rub the sore muscles, he noticed a thick skid mark on the asphalt that led to the steep embankment on the other side of the highway.
Forgetting about the pain in his neck, he ran over to the edge and looked down. Fear punched him in the gut. A car sat at the bottom of the gully. It looked like it had rolled. The roof was caved in and the paint scratched and dented from tumbling through the surrounding shrubs. The car was so banged up he wouldn’t have recognized it if not for the license plate he’d seen just that morning when he was leaving the Motor Lodge.
SEASONS.
The fear turned to out-and-out terror. He dialed 911 as he made his way down the steep embankment to the car. He wasn’t a religious man. He hadn’t been to church since he was a kid. But he prayed now. He prayed hard as he leaned into the bent frame of the broken side window.
Summer was slumped over the deflated airbag, her dark hair covering her face. She was still. Too still.
“Summer? Can you hear me?” He held the phone to his ear and smoothed the hair from her face. Deep blue eyes stared back at him. Not sightlessly. There was crackling life in them.
“You could’ve mentioned the fact that the cows were on the highway,” she said dryly.
He released his breath. “I could’ve, but I thought you were tucked safely in bed back at the motor lodge. I didn’t think you were traveling down the same highway I was . . . texting.”
Anger replaced his fear. But before he could yell at her for texting while driving, the emergency operator finally answered. He straightened and rattled off all the answers to her questions before hanging up and putting the phone in his back pocket. When he leaned back in the window of the car, Summer was sitting up.
“What the hell were you thinking texting and driving?” he asked.
“You were texting. And I don’t need an ambulance. I’m fine.” She turned, displaying a deep cut on her forehead that was bleeding badly.
He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, then crouched next to the car. “I was texting while sitting at a standstill waiting for cows to move.”
She flinched when he pressed the shirt to her forehead. “Oww, that hurts.”
“Hold it there,” he instructed. “It will help stop the bleeding.”
“I’m bleeding?” She took the shirt from his hand and stared down at the blood that stained it. He thought the sight might make her sick or faint. But he should’ve known that Summer wasn’t the type of woman who fainted over a little blood. Or a lot.
“I am bleeding,” She pressed the shirt back to her forehead.
“Does anything else hurt?” he asked.
“How about every muscle in my body. And you wear glasses?”
“Yes. I’m a computer nerd, remember?”
She studied him. “They look cute.”
The fact that she could comment on his glasses made him feel better, and he laughed. “Thanks.”
“I’m not that badly hurt.” She shoved at the door with her shoulder. “But I would like to get out of this smashed tin can.”
He tried to open her door, but the metal was too crumpled. He didn’t like leaving her in the car. He couldn’t smell gasoline, but that didn’t mean that the tank wasn’t busted or leaking. And Summer didn’t look too happy about being stuck in the car either. In fact, she looked more than a little panicked when he came back around after being unable to open the passenger side.
“I need to get out.” She shoved harder.
“Don’t tell me you have cleithrophobia.”
She stopped and looked at him. “What?”
“The fear of being trapped.”
“Of course not. I just want out. Like now!” She dropped his shirt to her lap and kicked at the door, completely unaware of the blood running down her cheek.
He had never been good with women. Especially hysterical ones. But he had to stop her from further injuring herself. He crouched next to the car. “Calm down. Help is on the way and I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
She stopped trying to kick the door and snorted. “As if I believe that. You ran off this morning without a word.”
He reached in and got his shirt, then gently pressed it to her forehead. “I was coming back. I just went to get us coffee and something to eat.”
“Then why did you pack your bags?”
She had him there. “All right, I was going to leave without a word. But then I realized that was pretty chicken shit. So I went to get some coffee at the diner. When it was closed, I headed for the truck stop I’d passed on the way into town. But you’re right. I shouldn’t have left. I was just a little freaked out. It’s not every day that I wake up with my best friend’s sister snuggled naked against me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I do not snuggle.”
“It was more like clinging. I’m surprised you didn’t wake up when I had to peel you off me.”
She finally took a breath and slowly released it. “You might not believe this, especially since I showed up at your door with a bottle of tequila, but I didn’t plan on getting you drunk and having my way with you.”
He had to smile at that. Most women would put the responsibility for a one-night stand on the man. But he was learning that Summer wasn’t like most women. Of course, she had had her way with him. From the first kiss to the last sigh, she’d had complete control. She’d consumed him with a fire and heat that had turned him to mindless ashes. And maybe that’s why he’d run off this morning. When he’d woken up with Summer in his arms, he’d still felt like he was holding a lit match in his hand. If he didn’t let it go, he was going to get badly burned.
“You just planned on getting me drunk and talking me into helping you with your new business,” he said.
“That I did. And even though I got sidetracked, it’s still my plan.”
He grinned at her tenacity. “So I can expect more texts when I get back to Dallas.”
A smile tickled the corners of her mouth. “Hundreds.”
He laughed. “I guess I’ll have to change my number.”
“I’ll just get it from Dirk.”
The faint sound of sirens ended their conversation. Only a moment later, highway patrol, sheriff deputies, firemen, and paramedics surrounded Summer’s car. Ryker was pushed to the background and had to watch as the firemen worked to get Summer out. While they were prying off the door with the Jaws of Life, Ryker made the call he’d been dreading. As soon as Dirk answered, he was struck speechless. How did you tell a brother his sister had gotten in a serious accident?
“Hey, Dirk. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“Our stock dropped,” Dirk teased.
Since he didn’t know how to word it, he was direct. “Summer’s been in a car accident. She’s okay, but she’ll need to go to the hospital. The paramedics are here now.”
Dirk didn’t speak for a moment. When he finally did, his voice was notably shaken. “Tell her I’ll meet her at the hospital. Until then, you need to watch out for my sister, Rye. You need to make sure she’s okay.” The request made Ryker feel guilty as hell. If he had sent her home last night like he should’ve, the crash never would’ve happened. And he wouldn’t feel like he’d betrayed his best friend.
“Sure,” he said. “I’ll take care of her.”
After he hung up, he watched as they carefully removed Summer from the wreckage and laid her on a stretcher. She kept telling them that she was fine, but it was obvious that she wasn’t. Bes
ides the cut on her forehead, her ankle was swollen. No doubt from trying to kick the door open. The paramedics packed it with ice before they tended to the cut on her forehead. Ryker had had deep cuts cleaned before and it hurt like hell. But Summer didn’t make a peep until they tried to strap her to the stretcher.
“I don’t want to be held down.” She tried to sit up, but the paramedics wouldn’t let her.
“It’s policy, ma’am.” They tightened the straps, and Ryker could see the fear and panic in her eyes.
He pushed past a fireman and searched her car for her phone. He found it on the floor. Surprisingly, it wasn’t broken. He hurried up the hill after the paramedics. He stopped them as they were putting her in the ambulance. “Just a minute.” When they stopped, he slid the phone into her hand and winked. “Just in case you want to text someone.”
Like he knew it would, having the phone seemed to calm her. She gripped it tightly, her fingers brushing his palm. “Why would I need to text? I already have the answers to all the important questions. Colored boxer briefs with the occasional pair of tighty whities thrown in.” She paused. “And naked.”
He smiled. “Then maybe you’ll just have to think up some other inappropriate questions.”
“You’re lousy at answering my texts.”
He smoothed the hair back from her bandaged forehead. “I promise I’ll answer.”
“We need to go, sir,” one of the paramedics said.
“Can I ride with her?” Ryker asked.
“Are you family?”
“No, but I’m a close friend.”
“Sorry, sir. You’ll have to follow in your car.”
Ryker stepped back as they slid the stretcher into the back. A few seconds later, the ambulance was driving away with sirens blaring. He headed to his car with the intention of following. But before he could climb in, a highway patrolman stopped him.
“Is this your car? You were involved in the accident?”
