by Piper Rayne
He clasps Tank’s shoulder and Tank shakes it off. The man hates being touched for some reason.
“I found us someone to take the spot. Well, I didn’t. But now we just need one more. Say thank you, Lou,” he says.
Tank laughs. “I found someone too.”
“Who?”
“I—” I’m about to tell Lou when Tank shakes his head.
“You’ll find out when we get up there,” Tank says.
“What the hell?” Lou sits down and eyes me to fill him in.
I put up my hands.
“This is so childish.” Lou shakes his head in annoyance.
Stump laughs, picking the cards Tank is dealing him up off the table. Lou grows more agitated throughout the game, and eventually we get a call to head back out. He leaves the kitchen first.
“Why aren’t you telling him it’s me?” I ask Tank.
Tank shrugs. “Because it’s fun. He gets so uptight when he’s in the dark.”
I shake my head and chuckle because he’s right. I stand from the table. “See you guys later.”
Stump points his stubby finger my way. “Don’t be a dick and say anything either.”
I hold up my hands. “I’m gonna plead the Fifth.”
Leaving the kitchen, I head out to the ambulance. Lou’s face is red as he starts the bus. I can see why they think it’s funny.
Fourteen
Stella
“You do understand we’re in the mountains and it just snowed this morning, right?” I grip the holy shit handle above my head in Allie’s SUV.
“Relax, I was born and raised in Alaska. I know how to drive. Plus, the snow’s already melting.” She takes a bite of the burrito she picked up when we stopped for gas. “We’re going to have so much fun! Are you a stay in and read a book girl or do you ski?”
I glance into the back since it should be obvious because I brought my skis. “I ski, but reading isn’t so bad either. I’ll probably do both.”
She nods, swallowing another bite of her burrito. “And your plans with Lou? He was on the schedule for coming up this weekend.”
“Isn’t everyone?” I haven’t seen the schedule yet because I joined at the last minute and the person in charge put in my email wrong. Who spells Stella with one l? Allie said she’ll straighten it all out today. Luckily, she’s kept me in the loop, so it hasn’t mattered.
“Yeah. I think everyone took off the first weekend so they could come up, but from here, it’ll be scattered. I’m hoping for at least one day up here by myself.” She crumples her wrapper and tosses it into the back seat of her car.
My eyes follow the wrapper to see it land among a sea of empty food bags. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you live in your car?”
She pushes me with her hand and I laugh, my body swaying toward the window. “Stop avoiding the question. What are your plans with Lou?”
“I’m not sure yet. You and I are sharing a bedroom, right?”
She nods. “Yep.”
“I guess I’ll just take it as it comes.”
“Okay, let me ask it this way.” She puts a bottle of soda between her legs to open it up. I pick it up and open it for her. “Thanks.”
“Just ask me if you need help. I’m your navigator.”
She shakes her head and playfully rolls her eyes. “Again with changing the subject. What I want to know is, do you have feelings for Lou?”
Do I? He’s a nice guy, attractive, funny. But he’s not Kingston. He doesn’t make my body buzz whenever I’m near him. When Kingston touches me, shivers cascade across my skin. And none of that is Lou’s fault or within his control.
“Things with Lou are nice, I enjoy spending time with him, but I can’t put him in the middle of Kingston and me.”
“You’re not with Kingston.”
Her words feel like a slap in the face, regardless of their truth. “Still, I think I have to have the friends talk with Lou again. Especially since we might end up at this house together. Even though I explained the situation, he’s still pretty flirty with me and I get the feeling he thinks I’m going to cave and change my mind at some point.”
“Okay. We’re about one mile up that hill.” She pulls over to the side of the road and looks at me, appearing panicked as if something’s wrong.
“What are you doing? You can’t just pull over on the side of a mountain road! Allie?”
She places her hand on my knee. “There’s something I’ve been hiding and I’m really sorry, but I didn’t want you to bail.”
“What?” I glance through the rear window, hoping not to see a semi-truck barreling toward our backside. “Can we please discuss in the driveway of the house?”
“Um… don’t be mad, okay?” She presses her lips together.
“Allie?” The little time I’ve known Allie, I’ve never known her to overstep. She doesn’t seem to be mean-spirited, but my stomach flips like a pancake on the griddle anyway.
“And remember, you’re here for me. That’s what sold you—wine nights and relaxation. To get away from the stress of your job and the situation with your mom.”
And Kingston.
“Okay, okay, sure.” My heart races every time her small SUV shakes on the shoulder when a car passes us. “Can we move this along?”
“Well, you took one spot and…” Her words trail off when a black truck rounds the corner, passing us and heading farther up the hill. The firefighter sticker on display in the rear window catches my eye. I know that truck.
“You’re kidding me? Is this the reason you were so insistent about driving? Hell, Allie, I can’t spend the weekend with Kingston in a cabin in the mountains.”
She bites her lip and puts the car in gear.
“No!” I screech, my hand landing on her leg. “Turn around.”
My breathing labors for a minute and I inhale deeply, letting the air stream out slowly since my body feels so out of control.
“Don’t be silly. I have your back.” She drives up the hill, following Kingston’s truck.
“Does he even know I’m coming?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure. Lou was bothering me the other day at the nurses’ station because he said Tank found someone to take the last spot but was keeping it from him. They all love to keep secrets from Lou, so he doesn’t even know Kingston’s coming. I told Lou you were coming, but if that got back to Kingston, I don’t think he would’ve joined.” She shrugs again. “But I could be wrong. Your relationship with Kingston is already causing drama like we’re in junior high.”
“Me?” I scoff. “How about the fact that you all are purposely keeping things from Lou? Childish much?”
“Keeping a secret from Lou is like when you had a younger sibling and they wanted to hang out with you and you kept telling them no. Lou gets himself so worked up that it’s funny to watch. You just don’t want to tell him.”
I shake my head. The fire guys I get—the jokes and razzing that goes on when a bunch of men are thrown together—but the fact Allie went in on it too? I’m surprised.
She pulls into the driveway. Kingston’s truck is parked already, Lou’s truck right next to his. It feels like history is about to repeat itself all over again and nausea swims in my gut.
“How did I get myself into this situation?”
She pats me on the back and turns off the ignition. “We got this. I’ll be your bodyguard.”
“You did this all because you wanted to make sure I came?” I ask her once we reach the back of the SUV and she opens it.
“Yep.” She leans her hip on the back. “I like you, and I feel like we could be great friends. No? Am I being too clingy?”
I can’t help but chuckle. She’s so open, how could anyone not love her? “No, I feel the same about our friendship. But I don’t want to play games and I don’t want everyone up in my business. Next time, you tell me.” I point at her and widen my eyes.
She hugs me and leans in to grab her bag.
“Allie!”
Kingston yells, and we both look over to find him jogging down the stairs. He’s wearing jeans, boots, and a heavy jacket and looks like he should be in an Outdoorsman catalog.
When he spots me, he stops short, one foot slipping out from under him, and he slides down three of the steps before hitting the bottom where he masterfully recovers. Only Kingston could manage to make me swoon with a fall.
“Shit, Stella.” He runs his hand through his dark hair. “How did…” He looks behind him. “Does Lou know you’re coming?”
I nod. “Yeah. He never told you?”
“Well, in truth, he didn’t know I was coming.” He heads over to his truck. “He’s already in the hot tub, so I snuck in and out of the house.” He lifts two cases of beer out of the bed of his truck. “Come on, you guys are gonna love it here.”
How can he act so unfazed when I’m about to throw up all over the driveway?
“Is Samantha part of this too?” I ask Allie once Kingston disappears into the house.
She nods, lips pressed together. “Yeah.”
“Oh, Allie.” I shake my head. I don’t know what Samantha and Kingston have going on, but I better prepare myself to find out.
She swings her arm around my shoulders. “This is going to be fun. F.U.N. Fun. Look, Kingston wasn’t fazed in the slightest that you were here.”
“He fell down three stairs,” I deadpan.
She laughs. “Oh, don’t get a big ego. He probably just slipped.” But the look she gives me spurs laughter out of both of us. “We’re not in Lake Starlight anymore, Stella.”
“Cute,” I say, and we climb the stairs.
The worst part about this situation is that there’s a growing excitement in my belly at the prospect of being with Kingston for an entire weekend. God help me. Will this pull toward him ever go away?
Fifteen
Kingston
“Fuck,” I murmur. Stella is the other person who took a spot. And no one told me. Here I thought we were playing a game on Lou, but someone fucking played me too. Tank and Stump were on shift last night, so they said they’d meet us up here later tonight. It’s just us for the time being.
I talked to Allie and Samantha two nights ago to get everything squared away and no one said shit to me about Stella being here. Allie might act like she doesn’t know anything about Stella and me, but she does. The sly looks she’s been giving me every time I drop off a patient and the fact that she and Stella are close makes me think she knows more than the fact we went to high school together.
I load my beer into the fridge and grab two cold ones Lou brought up. He’s already in the hot tub on the deck, steam rising into the cold air. The deck speakers, which are hooked up to the stereo in the house are blaring music. His head rests back and his eyes are closed.
“Look at you, lazy ass,” I say.
His eyes spring open and I toss him a can of beer. He’s so surprised to see me he doesn’t catch it and it sinks to the depths of the hot tub. I crack my beer open while he fumbles around in the bubbles, looking for his.
“What the hell?”
I open my arms. “I’m the guy. Sorry, but Tank said he’d push me out of the helicopter if I told you.” I sit on the ledge of the deck, the snow-covered forest surrounding the house at my back.
“I thought you said no way?” He pulls the beer out of the hot water and cracks it open.
“Changed my mind. Tank promised me he’d do all the crazy shit I want out on the mountains. How could I pass that up?”
He glances into the house, but the windows are tinted to keep out the sun during the summer. I’m not an idiot—he’s checking to see if Stella is here. Might as well get this out of the way.
“Yeah, Stella’s here.”
He bites his lip and doesn’t directly look at me. I can’t blame him for not telling me Stella took a spot. I haven’t pried about what is or isn’t going on with those two. And I wasn’t supposed to be up here anyway.
“She is?”
“Yep.” I pop the P and take a pull from my beer. “She and Allie just got here. Tank and Stump are coming later tonight, and I’m not sure when Samantha’s coming.”
As though lightning struck him in the hot tub, his face transforms into a wide smile and he walks to the side closest to me, putting out his hand. “It’s awesome that you took the last spot. We’re going to have a killer time.”
He’s bullshitting. I’ve ruined his plan to be with Stella without my interference and only someone who knows what it’s like to lose those opportunities with her understands how pissed he must be.
Regardless, I smack his hand and fist-bump him. “Yeah, I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.” My gaze strays to the mountains over my shoulder. Samantha said she arranged the helicopter and guide. My adrenaline was picking up the entire ride up here.
“Well, I’ll be on the regular slopes.”
“Pussy,” I cough.
He rolls his eyes. “You act like I’m on the bunny hill doing the V formation. I’m shredding it on a double black diamond. Let’s remember who the loser riding down on skis is.”
“Loser? Try OG of the skiing world.” He thinks because he snowboards, he’s better than me.
“Try snowboarding and get back to me.”
“Try heading down a mountain with a parachute on your back. Oh, that’s right, you’re too much of a pussy.” I point at him and snap my fingers.
The sliding door opens and Allie steps out, a beer in her hand, gawking at the view. “Holy shit.” She hooks her arm through Stella’s, dragging her to the edge of the deck. “See, aren’t you glad I convinced you to come up?”
“Hey now, you weren’t the only one,” Lou pipes up from the hot tub.
Allie turns around, resting her back on the railing while Stella’s gaze remains on the view and my gaze remains stuck on Stella. She’s dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and a long sweater and boots. Her black hair is still in locs and pulled back into a ponytail. She’s adorable and cute and sexy all wrapped up together. If only I could tear my eyes from her neck.
It’s torture to want a girl for so long that eight years later, you’re still imagining what it’s like to be with her. I have no idea the sounds she makes when she comes or how long it would take me to find the perfect spot on her body to drive her mad. Does her back arch? Does she moan? Is she vocal and would she tell me to do it again? I’ve imagined all of it as I beat off over the years, but I still don’t know.
“Yeah, yeah. Lou helped too.” Allie rolls her eyes.
“Well, I love it. Thank you both for the push.” Stella sips from her wine glass. Sick fuck that I am, I watch her swallow. She must sense my eyes on her because she turns to me briefly before moving her attention to Lou. “How’s the water?”
“It’s perfect. Grab your suit.”
I remain quiet, just an observer. Allie’s gaze darts to me, as if we’re all waiting with bated breath to see what Stella will do. But she and Lou are dating, so she should be able to jump in the hot tub and spend some time with him, as much as that grates me. I could cock-block my friend and join them, but I’m not gonna do that.
“I’m going to scour the fridge and see what we should make for dinner.” I jump off the deck and disappear inside.
The sliding door opens behind me as I open the cabinets. We were told there’d be essentials, but we still have to do some shopping.
“Romeo,” Allie says, sidling up to the breakfast bar, holding her beer with both her hands where it rests on the counter.
“What’s up?”
“Mind helping me with a cooler in my car? I have some food for tonight and Tank said he’ll grab some stuff at the butcher’s for tomorrow.”
“I think I should go to the store anyway.” I walk past her, but she grabs my arm to stop me.
“I don’t want this to be uncomfortable for anyone. Stella’s being all weird now.”
Out of instinct, I look out the sliding doors. Lou’s standing at the edge of the h
ot tub now, his washboard abs on display. Mine are better, but Stella will see that in good time. “It’s not weird. I just only brought snacks so…”
She releases my arm and slides to her feet from the stool. “Give a weak girl like me a hand?” She flutters her eyelashes, her voice imitating a helpless Southern girl.
I can’t help but smile. “Sure, let’s go.”
“Thank you. You have all those big muscles and everything.” She keeps up with her version of a Southern belle—Allie’s lived in Alaska her entire life, as far as I know.
We walk down the stairs toward the cars. “I have to say, the place is pretty awesome.”
She nods. “Yeah. Dr. Anderson’s family is in real estate. I think this cabin was his wedding present.”
“Must be nice.” I stare at the log-style cabin that also has a modern touch.
“Tell me about it.” She looks at the house now too, and all I can think of is what’s going on around the back of the house. “So are we just gonna stare at the house and not mention how awkward it was out on the deck?”
I nod toward her car and she pulls out her keys, unlocking it with the key fob. “Last I checked, you’re the one who withheld the information from me that Stella was coming.”
She laughs and pulls out the items she wants me to take into the house. “Are you mad?”
Is she kidding? I’d never be mad about getting to spend time with Stella. Even if I have to watch my friend moon over her. “I should be.”
“But you’re not because you and Stella are…” She leans her back into me and makes a heart in the air with both of her fingers.
I nudge her back up straight. “Whatever. We’re friends. That’s all.”
Allie rolls her eyes. “Tell me something, how do I meet Grandma Dori?”
Her question throws me, and I do a double-take. “Grandma Dori?”
She nods. “I read about her all the time in the Lake Starlight Buzz Wheel.”
“And you wanna meet her?”
“I’m probably the blog’s most faithful reader. Your entire family is in that thing all the time.”
