“I’ll decide that,” he said.
“Levi,” his mom warned softly.
Sage gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Cam does make me happy, big brother. Stop acting like some hardened military man.”
Levi smiled. His little sister had always been his first priority. If she was happy he would stand down, but Sage didn’t know how much Levi had changed in the past year and a half. The bodies he’d seen ripped apart and had to reconstruct had changed him. It was a horrific world out there and the only thing that had kept him going was knowing his family was safe and happy. He didn’t care how thoughtful and caring the firefighter captain seemed. Levi would watch the situation carefully and if he had to take on Cam and his sister, Caylee, to protect his sister, he would definitely do it. His gaze flickered to the beautiful Caylee again. She glanced quickly at his parents, as if to make sure they were distracted, then stuck her tongue out at him.
Levi couldn’t hold in a short laugh. He liked her fire and having enemies lurking around was what he’d become used to. This pipsqueak wouldn’t be much of a challenge, but she might help him ease back in to civilian life. He smiled. Yes, taking on the sister might prove to be fun.
Chapter Two
Caylee’s regular early-morning run slowed to a barely-there jog as the hills turned to mountains. She panted for air but kept putting one foot in front of the other. Finally, she could take no more and slowed to a walk to catch her breath then pulled out her earbuds and turned to survey the trail below her. The world went silent but at the same time exploded with sound—the birds twittering, a small stream gurgling by, the slight breeze rustling the tree leaves. She loved the thick aspen and pine trees that covered the mountains surrounding Park City. She’d been staying with Cam the past month, taking an almost two-month break from California and her schooling before she returned to Pepperdine in the fall to finish up her doctorate program and dissertation and start applying for jobs.
She’d graduated in math and secondary education four years ago, taught for two years, and then realized she really wanted to be a principal. Her dream was to be able to advise and be there for those children who were struggling and needed a solid adult in their lives. It was hard getting back into school, but she’d enjoyed the program and couldn’t wait to get back into the high school environment soon. Teenagers might be smart alecks, but they cracked her up and she felt like she dealt well with them—encouraging but not taking any crap.
She checked her watch. She’d been going for over an hour, but there was no reason to head back. Cam was at the fire station the next couple of days and she had to find ways to fill her time. It was weird to not be in school or working. The first couple of weeks were fun and relaxing, but then she got bored. Now she was hiking, biking, and reading every novel she could get her hands on to keep herself busy. Free time meant her brain could wander. She didn’t like brain-wandering. Even when she exercised she always had music or a book on tape playing so she didn’t analyze her life or lack thereof too much, or remember how she got here.
Loud footsteps pounded down the trail above her. Caylee grabbed the pepper spray in her pocket and pulled it out, turning to head back home, her decision about running deeper into the forest changed by another human’s approach. As she sprinted down the trail, she realized that was one of the things she missed most about Southern California. Lots of people meant never being alone on a mountain trail and not knowing who or what might be coming. Cam had given her the pepper spray the second day she’d been here, begging her to be careful and smart. He didn’t like her listening to music, claiming she wouldn’t know who could be coming, but she didn’t have a choice. It was music or self-evaluation.
She hadn’t put her earbuds back in and the echo of footsteps pounded through her brain. He or she was getting closer. She tried to convince herself that most people wouldn’t hurt someone else, but it was horrifying to be out here alone and not know how it would play out if someone tried to assault her. She hated that she wasn’t tall and well-built like her brother. Sage was so lucky—tall and stately. She’d probably never been called pipsqueak or runt. She’d probably never been as afraid as Caylee was constantly.
The footsteps were almost upon her. Caylee gripped the pepper spray with slick fingers. She pulled her phone out with her left hand as she ran and almost dropped it. Pushing the home button, her stomach dropped—no service.
She made a quick decision, stopped, and darted off to the side of the trail. Maybe the person would just pound straight on by her.
Scurrying behind a tree, she waited, heart pounding as the footsteps grew louder and louder. Suddenly they stopped. Caylee panted for air, certain whoever was there could hear her. She clasped her phone and her pepper spray in sweaty palms and prayed for help.
“Ma’am? Are you all right?”
Caylee bit at her cheek, hands trembling and heart thumping out of control. Was this guy a psycho chasing her or just some runner out for a workout? Should she stay hidden, or reassure the guy she was just a scaredy-cat who imagined worst-case scenarios when she didn’t have music to distract her? Dang Cam for making her worry even more than usual. She needed to go back to the safety of the city and running trails crowded with people.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” the man said. “I’ll leave if I’m making you uneasy. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
The guy definitely knew right where she was and could come at her at any moment. Caylee was frozen in place and cold sweat raised goosebumps on her flesh. Yet the voice sounded strangely familiar and the guy didn’t sound like a creeper.
Caylee finally got brave enough to peek around the tree and her breath whooshed out. Levi. The fear evaporated, and she was so relieved that instead of the anger she usually felt when she thought about him, something different crept in—interest. Dang if he didn’t look good in a fitted neoprene shirt and silky shorts. The military life had obviously agreed with his body type. Those drill sergeants must be experts at sculpting muscles.
Levi caught her gaze and cocked an eyebrow. “Caylee?”
She was caught. Sliding out from behind the tree, she lifted her hands. “You found me.”
His eyes swept over her once. He moistened his lips and did another perusal. She swallowed and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “You get enough or you want to snap a picture?” Man she was a hypocrite as she’d just checked him out.
His lips shifted to the side. “Wouldn’t mind a picture.”
She couldn’t help but smile at him. She’d take a picture too. He was super hot and it’d be nice to look at him when he wasn’t opening his mouth and ticking her off.
He focused on her hands. “Pepper spray? I promise I won’t attack you.”
“I might just spray you for the sheer pleasure of it.”
He shook his head and folded sinewy arms across his chest. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”
Caylee gripped the pepper spray tighter. “Says the guy who keeps trying to break up a happy couple because he’s a narrow-minded jerk.”
“Oh, wow.” He rolled his eyes. “We’re back to this again? All I said was if Cam wasn’t good enough for Sage I would stop the marriage.”
Caylee crossed the distance between them and poked him in the chest with the pepper spray. “Say my brother’s name and ‘not good enough’ in a sentence again and I’ll give you a mouthful of this.”
He wrapped his fingers around her hand and held tight. His eyes glinted with a mixture of anger and humor. “You’re such a feisty little thing. Like the burly firefighter needs you to protect him.”
“Don’t call me little.” She tried to pull back.
He kept his hand around hers and Caylee had to ignore the feel of it. His hands were big and warm and for some reason she really liked him touching her. Dang physical response that shouldn’t mean anything because he didn’t like her and the feeling was more than mutual.
“Does everything a man say offend you or is it just me?
” he asked with that slight smile on his lips that completely ticked her off.
Caylee pulled free of his grasp and stepped back. The awareness of him seemed to overshadow her with this combination of protection and arrogance. It was too much. He was too much. “Just you,” she said. “I get along well with every other man I’ve met.” Get along well with, but never trust.
He blinked at her. His mouth pulled into a thin line and the muscles in his arms flexed. “Sage said you date everything that walks.” He bit out the words like she’d kicked his dog or something.
That stung. She loved Sage. Why would she badmouth her? Though Caylee supposed the assessment was true. There were a steady stream of men asking, and she usually went on several dates a week. Much easier to keep things from getting serious with any one man that way.
“Everything but you,” she flung at him.
He smirked at her. “Lucky me.”
Caylee whirled and ran down the trail. She was done trading insults with him for today. Tomorrow she’d probably get another opportunity. Whoopee.
Within seconds Levi was by her side. “Where’d you run from?” he asked all conversationally, as if they were running buddies or something.
“Cam’s house.”
“Oh, yeah. Sage said it was just below her cabin.”
“Is that where you’re staying?” she asked before she could stop herself. This was dumb. She was under no obligation to have a civil conversation with him.
“Until I find a place. The doctor I bought the practice from wanted a few weeks to say goodbye to his clients so I don’t officially start work until then. I’ve started volunteering with Summit County Fire Department.”
Caylee cast a look at him. Why was he telling her all of this? Of course he’d volunteer at the fire department. He just fit the stereotype—brave, tough, and slightly cocky. She wondered if he’d considered modeling for the Utah firefighter calendar. Her mouth went dry just thinking about it. Then she could stare at his perfect face and body without having to respond to his barbs.
“Why are you spilling all this info?” she asked. They were running at a decent pace, but it was downhill and she was only slightly out of breath. Maybe if she had crazy long legs like him she wouldn’t be out of breath at all. Wait. What if being out of breath was because she kept picturing him without a shirt on modeling for some calendar? Please stop brain. One more reason why she needed music.
“I thought maybe we could talk for two minutes without either of us slamming the other.” He grinned at her.
Caylee’s eyes widened from the impact of that grin. Her foot came down on a boulder. Her ankle snapped as her foot twisted at a completely wrong angle. She cried out and hobbled to a stop, grateful she’d stayed on her feet.
“You okay?” Levi asked, stopping beside her.
“My ankle,” she managed.
Levi wrapped an arm around her, guiding her to a log and directing her to sit on it. She wanted to tell him not to manhandle her, but her ankle hurt too bad to protest. He released her then knelt on the ground. “Which one?”
“Right,” she muttered, her ankle throbbing with pain.
He gently probed it and then asked her to flex, extend, rotate, etc. It only hurt when she rotated it to the side. She watched him as he assessed her injury. His eyes were intent on her ankle, he made no smart aleck comments, and his hands felt really good on her, like a magic potion that could cure any injury.
“Guess you really are a doctor?”
He glanced up and grinned. “If I get to fiddle with a pretty girl’s leg I’ll pretend to be just about anything.”
She laughed. “You think I’m pretty, but can’t stand talking to me?”
“Maybe if you didn’t open your mouth we could get along just fine.”
She gasped. “And just like that the Levi I despise reappears.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know me well enough to hate me.”
“You’re an easy one to hate.” She winked and he laughed at her like he couldn’t care less what her opinion was.
“I don’t think it’s broken.” He indicated her ankle. “Let’s get you up and see how it feels with some pressure on it.”
Caylee pushed off the log with her arms, but Levi was quicker, wrapping both palms around her waist and lifting her onto her feet. Caylee’s body responded and she had to remind herself that she didn’t like him. His hands were big and warm, encompassing her waist and making her feel all dainty and feminine. Ugh. She was an educated educator, she was not the girl who got all gushy over the tough male touching her.
He held on to her. “Put some weight on it,” he encouraged as she gingerly stepped on her injured foot.
She obeyed and winced.
“That’s what I thought,” Levi turned and wrapped his arm around her tightly. “You’ve sprained it. You’ll have to stay off it for a couple of days then it might be tender even after that.”
He started walking down the trail, helping her along. Caylee had no choice but to lean against his trim chest and abdomen. He smelled like fabric softener and a faint hint of a citrusy cologne. Obviously he hadn’t sweated as much as she did on this trail run.
She didn’t know if she could stand being this close to him, with her gingerly putting weight on her ankle all the way back to Cam’s house. They shuffled along silently. Caylee couldn’t think of a thing to say to him. She was grateful for his expertise and help, any of her usual sarcastic comments to him would be out of line at the moment.
She stepped wrong and winced.
“You okay?” Levi leaned down just as she glanced up. His smooth chin brushed against her forehead and a slow simmer started in her abdomen. Their eyes caught and he stopped walking and simply stared at her.
Caylee didn’t do intimacy at all. If a man wanted to kiss her, sometimes she’d allow it, but to have some guy staring at her all sweet like there should be fireworks exploding and music playing just creeped her out. So why did Levi’s blue eyes on her not feel uncomfortable? Why did she want his face to brush hers again and maybe even have him lean down a little more?
“I’m, um, fine.” She broke from his stare and tried to lurch forward. Her ankle gave again and she cried out.
“Careful.” Levi bent down and keeping one hand behind her back, tucked the other underneath her legs and swooped her from the ground.
“Whoa.” Caylee’s stomach tumbled. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t have any choice. You’re either going to injure yourself worse, we’ll never get home, or we’ll have to call search and rescue.” His eyes twinkled mischievously.
“I can walk,” Caylee insisted, clasping her hands awkwardly together. “My ankle’s feeling better the longer I walk on it.”
“Yeah, I believe that.” He smirked at her.
Caylee glanced at his sculpted face so close to her own and swallowed hard. She quickly looked away. The world was bouncing as he strode quickly down the path. He veered to the right, off the main trail, and lifted her a little higher in his arms. Caylee instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, steadying herself.
He glanced down at her. “And she finally warms up.”
Caylee retracted her grasp. “I am not warming up. I’m trying to keep from falling to my death. I’m afraid of heights.” He just brought out her worst side. Now she was lying.
He chuckled. “Lucky you’re pint-sized then.”
“I am five-four. That is not pint-sized!” She slapped her hand against his chest.
He glanced down at her. His eyes softened. “Sorry. Sage is sensitive about her height. I should know better than to tease about something like that.”
“Thanks,” she muttered, not sure how to take him when he was all nice and humble like that.
“You’d better hold on tight then,” he whispered so close to her cheek that his breath was like a physical touch. “Don’t want you scared.”
Caylee turned her face toward him and her breath caught. He was clo
se. Too close. He stopped walking and simply held her. Caylee’s hands ran along his chest and around his neck. He let out a soft groan that about undid her. Caylee froze, staring at him. His lips turned up in a soft, knowing grin.
“Levi? Caylee?” Sage’s call yanked them apart.
Caylee tried to free herself from Levi’s arms. He held on to her, but let her slide to her feet as they both faced his sister. Caylee hadn’t realized they were so close to Sage’s homey little cabin. It was right through the thick copse of pine trees. She could see Sage’s red Jeep out front and a silver Range Rover.
Caylee slowly progressed through the trees to meet Sage. Levi kept his arm around her, but her ankle was actually feeling better. She’d had similar injuries that she’d been able to walk off. She could hope this would be one of those.
“Caylee twisted her ankle,” Levi said by way of greeting.
“Oh, no. I’m so glad you found her.”
Caylee wasn’t sure if she was glad or not and decided not to mention she only twisted it because he’d grinned at her while they were running and completely distracted her.
“Can you come in for a while, Caylee? Levi can run you home after breakfast.”
“Um, I’m stinky, I should probably shower.”
“Smelled good to me,” Levi muttered.
Caylee gave him a stern glance. He looked to be fighting a smile. Sage was staring at both of them. “I’m glad you two are getting along so well.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Caylee whispered so only Levi could hear.
He chuckled.
Sage blinked at them. “Well, come in.”
Levi didn’t release her as they followed Sage. He practically lifted her up the cabin steps. The yummy smells of bacon and sweet pancakes drifted over them as Sage swung open the door and ushered them inside. Levi helped Caylee to the table and while Sage fussed over her, filling her plate with food, bringing her juice and milk, Levi made an ice pack and wrapped it onto her ankle with an ace bandage. His touch was so nice, she had a hard time not reacting.
Reluctant Rescue Page 2
