Phoenix

by Crouch, Janie

  He was going to have to trust the Linear Tactical guys to do what they did best: save people’s lives.

  This time it was his.

  He held his hands out and open as he took another step closer.

  “Promise me you’ll get help, Amber. Watching me dive off this ledge isn’t going to bring Felix back.”

  “It’ll certainly be a start.”

  “I hope so. And I hope you’ll keep your word that nobody else gets hurt.”

  She shooed the gun toward him. “Quit stalling.”

  “On three. One—”

  The guys did not wait for three.

  One had barely gotten out of his mouth before he heard a thud and moan behind him.

  Riley spun, ducking, but he needn’t have bothered. Zac already had Amber pinned face down on the ground. Wyatt still had his weapon trained on her as he picked up the gun Amber had dropped.

  Riley threw up his hands. “What the hell, you guys? You were supposed to move on three. That was when I was going to duck and dive to the side.”

  Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Everybody knows you don’t go on three. I would’ve chosen two, but we all know Zac here goes off a little early from time to time. Or so I hear from a certain pretty doctor.”

  Zac glared at them. “She’ll be awake in a minute. I can give her the gun back and just let her shoot both of you if you prefer.”

  “See?” Wyatt shrugged his huge shoulders, the very picture of innocence, dropping his voice to an exaggerated stage whisper. “He’s sensitive about it.”

  “How did you guys even know what was going on?”

  Amber was starting to regain consciousness, so Zac zip-tied her hands behind her back. “Wyatt and I had no idea about anything.” He turned and pointed toward the woods. “She figured it out.”

  Wildfire stepped out of the tree line. She’d obviously been running but hadn’t gotten there as fast as Wyatt and Zac.

  She was staring at him, face pale. “I didn’t think we would get to you in time.”

  Wyatt and Zac helped Amber to her feet as she began to cry. They all ignored her.

  “We’re going to get her back to base camp. I’ll call Sheriff Nelson and explain what’s going on so he can officially make an arrest.” Zac and Wyatt led Amber away, the woman still crying and starting to proclaim her innocence.

  Riley ignored them. Wildfire looked at him with something akin to panic in her eyes.

  “I’m okay, Wildfire.”

  “I’ve watched you almost die too many times over the past few days. I thought we were going to be too late. You should’ve been much farther ahead—we never would’ve caught you. When I figured out it was Amber and that none of this had been a coincidence…” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I was sure this time we would be too late.”

  He took a step toward her. “How did you know Amber was trying to kill me?”

  “I caught her going through your medical file after the rappelling accident. She stole the page about your allergies. And then when a vial of penicillin came up missing…”

  There was nothing he wanted more than to yank her into his arms. “That’s twice you’ve literally saved my life. You’re going to have to start a tab for how many times I owe you.”

  She let out a shaky breath and a little laugh. “Fine. Next time you can rescue me.”

  “Deal.” He moved in a little closer.

  “You still haven’t told me why you’re this far behind. Are you having some ill effects from yesterday?”

  His little nurse. “No, I just realized I was heading the wrong way. Realized that I might cross the finish line first, but there was no winning for me today. At least not in that direction.”

  He crossed the rest of the way to her and pulled her into his arms. He felt nothing but relief when she didn’t pull away. And then nothing but joy when her arms wrapped around him to keep him clutched to her.

  “I thought we were too late.”

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Wildfire. Not in any possible way. I was coming back for you. I was coming back because you mean more to me than any race, any jump, any stunt, and anything else in my life.”

  “Riley—”

  He pulled back and placed a finger over her mouth. “Let me finish, okay?” She nodded, but he didn’t move his hand away from her face. He needed to touch her skin, see her hazel eyes. “Not only do you mean more to me than any of those things, you mean more to me than all of them combined. I refuse to accept that we can’t find a way to navigate your MS together. I know it’s something you have to live with, but I love you, and I’m going to be by your side as you do.”

  “What about your career?”

  “We’ll figure it out. Let’s face it, the half-life of an extreme sport athlete isn’t that long anyway. I’m almost thirty-one years old. A ten-year run is not bad. It’s time for me to do the stunts I want to do. And right now, for however long it takes, the stunts I want to do are here in Oak Creek.”

  “I might need hospital stays. In-home care.”

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “Then I’ll get to be your nurse for once. How many days have you nursed me through sprains and dislocations? Hell, remember that time you had to babysit me when I broke my ankle? How cranky I was after being stuck in bed for three weeks? You threatened to sit on my face if I didn’t shut up.”

  He loved the little smile that floated onto her lips. “I remember the sitting-on-your-face part.”

  “Give us a chance to work this out. Together. I know it means so many changes for both of us, but we’re worth it. We are worth finding a way to make it work.”

  She pulled back a little. “I’m probably going to end up in a wheelchair at some point. It might be twenty years away, but it might be twenty months.”

  That didn’t scare him a bit. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re still going to be my Riley. My Wildfire. You’ll just come with a set of wheels.”

  Chapter 25

  “So if I hadn’t had recurring diarrhea that required me to be sitting in the Wyoming wilderness, wiping my rear end with a leaf and cursing my brother and his friends for creating such a sadistic race, I’d be dead at the bottom of the ditch now.”

  Baby raised his beer as everyone around him in the locals’ favorite bar, The Eagle’s Nest, chuckled.

  “You may be wondering what diarrhea has to do with a wedding toast. But then again, it is the wedding of Cade Connor, notoriously known for having his head stuck very far up his—”

  “Uncle Baby!” little Jess’s voice rang out. No one was surprised the five-year-old had figured out what Baby was going to say before he said it. Riley had known Jess since before she was born. The kid had an IQ higher than most of the adults in the room.

  Combined.

  Baby winked at the little girl. “Head stuck so far up his turtleneck is what I was going to say, sweet Jess.”

  Jess just raised an eyebrow and shot him a “don’t give me that four-year-old stuff, I’m five” look. She had her glass of juice in her hand, standing next to Finn’s son Ethan, as usual, ready to toast her mom and dad.

  “Anyway.” Baby held his beer bottle up once more. “To the bride and groom. You tried to sneak a wedding past us, but you should have known better. We’re glad to celebrate you. I know of no one who deserves happiness more than you two. Love favors those who never give up believing in its power.”

  Cries of agreement rang out as everyone sipped their drinks.

  As far as wedding receptions went, this one was a little unusual. But the entire wedding had been a little unusual—a private ceremony with a judge turned full celebration.

  Riley was just glad Peyton and Jess were both alive and safe. She looked over at Boy Riley, who was now harassing Baby about his speech.

  He was safe too.

  Between what had almost happened to Boy Riley because of Amber and what had nearly happened to Peyton and Jess in the last ten days since the race…they were all due for a
little downtime here in Oak Creek.

  If this town was the setting for a romantic suspense movie, the suspense part would be over, and it would be time for the romance.

  That suited Riley just fine.

  She took a sip of her Electric Smurf, the blue concoction that had started more than one relationship here in town. She watched her best friend, Peyton, kiss her new husband.

  Baby was right, love did smile on those who believed in its power.

  She smiled when Phoenix winked at her from across the room as he took little Thomas from Finn’s arms.

  Something melted in her heart to see him nuzzle and sniff the top of the infant’s head as he cradled him so safely against his shoulder.

  This was what she wanted. She’d always been afraid of marriage and family since it had ended so badly for so many of her immediate relatives. But her Linear family had taught her there was a different way, that forever love did exist.

  Her MS diagnosis had changed her perception on everything too. She didn’t have time to be afraid of marriage anymore. She had real things to be afraid of.

  Boy Riley had been right by her side since the moment they’d rescued him from Amber.

  Once it’d been determined that Amber had in fact deliberately manipulated different sets of equipment in the race, Zac had deemed the race canceled for this year with no winner. Bo, in a giant surprise to nobody, had thrown a fit.

  Until, upon questioning, it became evident that Amber hadn’t had any connection to Riley’s missing puzzle box in the navigation section of the course. Nobody could prove Bo was the one who had moved it, but neither had Bo continued demanding someone declare a winner once it became evident he was the prime suspect.

  Riley had no doubt Bo would be back next year.

  And maybe Phoenix would too. By then, they might know more about how her MS was going to present itself. They were learning together. Riley had already rescheduled some of his events, putting the Adventure Channel show plans on hold temporarily.

  They were taking it day by day, figuring it out.

  After his words to her that last day of the race about giving them a chance together, she knew she couldn’t keep him out anymore. Had no desire to keep him out at all.

  His words had changed everything.

  He was right. If something had happened to him, some sort of accident limiting his physical abilities, she would still love him and want to be with him. To suggest he didn’t feel the same about her curtailed their love.

  My Wildfire. You’ll just come with a set of wheels.

  There hadn’t been a hint of trepidation in his words when she’d mentioned a wheelchair. Not a flinch or even a brave face.

  He was ready. Whatever this condition threw at her—at them—Riley would be by her side helping in all the ways he could.

  She’d been such a fool not to include him from the beginning. He knew her so well, knew what she needed, sometimes even before she did.

  Like the dawn a few days ago when he’d taken her back out into the wilderness, far away from everything and everyone… and just let her scream.

  Let her scream and rail and sob.

  Let her take a branch and beat trees and boulders and the ground.

  Because it was just all so goddamned unfair. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to lose her abilities and independence. She was so terrified of what she might become.

  He’d caught her when her energy had finally run out, lowering them both to the forest floor.

  “You’re not alone,” he’d whispered into her ear, hand grasping the hair at the back of her neck and pulling her forehead until it rested against his. “Never again do you try to face this alone.”

  Finally—finally—in that moment, she’d begun to heal. Now that all the fear and bitterness and rage and pain had been screamed out for the wilderness to help hear and carry.

  For Boy Riley to help hear and carry.

  Not her alone. Never again.

  The MS diagnosis hadn’t changed, but she was ready to move forward.

  She walked over to Riley, hugging and talking to people as she went. When she got to him, instead of kissing him, she bent and kissed little Thomas’s cheek.

  “Come on now, don’t make me be jealous of a newborn,” Riley said.

  She rolled her eyes but tilted her face back so he could kiss her lips.

  Except, instead of the little peck she’d expected, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged before shifting Thomas to the side so he could deepen the kiss.

  “Gross, get a room!” Baby said.

  “Yeah, I still have my badge. I’d hate to have to arrest you for unlawful PDA,” Gavin joked.

  They broke apart at the heckles around them, but both of them felt the heat coursing through their veins. It might be time to leave the party soon.

  “I’ll save you from certain jail time.” She pulled back and winked at Riley. “I’ve got to run out to the car and grab my present for the bride and groom anyway.”

  It wasn’t much, just a coupon she’d made for free nights babysitting so Cade and Peyton could have some alone time whenever they wanted it. It was the novelty wrapping paper she really wanted to show off—it was meant for business or office gifts, wrapping paper designed to look like contracts. And the primary words visible were nondisclosure agreement.

  Most of the people in the room wouldn’t understand, but Cade and Peyton, given their history, would get a kick out of it.

  “Do you want me to go get the present?” Riley was carefully neutral in how he phrased the question, and she appreciated it. It was one of the big things they were having to figure out, balancing his need to protect and care for her with her need to be independent. It was going to be a continual give-and-take that would change as her MS progressed.

  But they would work it out.

  “No, you’ve got your hands full. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He bent down and kissed her on the nose, then moved his lips to her ear. “Hurry, so we can find a coat closet, and I can give you a couple of hickeys where no one will see them but us.”

  She pulled back and her eyes flew to his. “You really are going to get us arrested.”

  He winked at her.

  Her heart turned to goo. God, she loved this man. She’d been so damn stupid to think she could live without him.

  Outside, the late November air was cold and brisk. She made a beeline for her car, grabbing the present from the front seat.

  She closed the door and turned back to The Eagle’s Nest, jumping a little when a limousine pulled up and a very handsome man of Middle Eastern descent got out of the back seat. His suit had to cost more than what she made in a month.

  This had to be one of the groom’s friends or business partners. Word must be getting out about the nuptials.

  The man gave her a smile as he tapped on the hood of the limo and it pulled forward, leaving him here.

  “Pardon me, this is The Eagle’s Nest?”

  “Yeah.” Riley smiled. “Don’t tell me, you’re a friend of Cade’s?”

  “No, I know Riley Harrison. Actually, I should say Riley came to my home in Egypt to ride motocross bikes on my personal course.”

  “Yeah, that sounds exactly like Phoenix.” She shouldn’t be surprised he’d made friends as far as Egypt. Riley had fans wherever he went.

  The man gave her a charming smile. “Yes, it was a great honor to have the world-renowned Phoenix in my home. Accepting my hospitality and goodwill. And now I am in his own backyard as he was in mine, as they say.”

  His phrasing and terminology were stilted. Odd. But one thing traveling around the world with Riley had taught her was that communication had different rhythms in different cultures. Sometimes communication wasn’t possible at all, so when it was, even when it was stiff, it was to be appreciated.

  She smiled again. “You should come inside. I’m sure Riley will want to say hello to you. There’s a celebration going on, but there’s al
ways room for one more.”

  “I’ve come a long way to personally deliver a message to Phoenix.”

  “Okay, I’ll help you find him.”

  The man took a step closer. “Actually, I need you to help me deliver the message.”

  “Really, you should just tell him yourself. I’m—”

  “The message is ‘You took something that belonged to me. I have returned the favor.’”

  She felt a sting on the back of her neck and spun in time to see the limo driver step back from where he’d snuck up behind her.

  “What the hell?”

  Everything began to blur. She stumbled toward the door of The Eagle’s Nest.

  “No one steals from Sayed El Kadi without retribution. It’s time for your Phoenix to learn some manners.”

  She mentally clawed to hold on to consciousness, knowing this was her only chance to get away, but she couldn’t stop the world around her from spinning and fading to black.

  Chapter 26

  “Sorry, buddy,” Phoenix cooed into Thomas’s tiny ear. “I’m going to have to give you back to your mom or dad soon. I’m not sure what’s taking your beautiful aunt Wildfire so long, but I need to do some things to her when she gets back that you won’t appreciate until you’re much older.”

  Baby walked over to him and gestured to Thomas. “You next? Is a kid in the cards for you and Girl Riley?”

  It had been one of the things he’d been researching on his own. If MS meant Riley couldn’t safely get pregnant, that was fine. They could adopt, or it could just be the two of them.

  One of the things he was trying to help Wildfire focus on was that she didn’t necessarily have to assume the worst-case scenario for everything involving MS. She liked to be prepared for the worst, but that didn’t mean it was going to happen.

  Riley shrugged. “Kids are definitely possible, no reason why we can’t. But we’ll see if it’s in the cards. I’ve got to talk her into marrying me first.”

  Baby smiled. “The great Phoenix wants to settle down and get married and raise little Phoenixes. Never thought I’d see the day.”