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Moving on autopilot, I shrugged into my winter jacket, then laced up my battle worn hiking boots. They’d seen plenty of endings, but this one wasn’t one I was looking forward to leaving behind. I’d just had the best three days of my life and everything within me was screamed for more time. Stupid mother nature and snowplows.
“I’m ready when you are.” Standing, I looked around the space even though I had no other belongings to worry about. Just me and my pounding heart. Dean was standing at the kitchen sink, his back to me as he stared at something out the window.
He hadn’t reacted to my comment. What was he thinking? Could he possibly want the same as me? To find out if this whirlwind of connection stood a chance at becoming something more.
Before I found the courage to walk over to him, to wrap my arms around his waist and sink myself into his now familiar form—to tempt him to stay just a few more hours, he broke out of his musings then rubbed his hands together and turned to me with a distant, but friendly smile on his face.
“Ready? Let’s go see if those plows buried your car.” He made quick work of securing the cabin and held the front door open for me. It was happening all too fast, but I couldn’t think of the right words to keep him from marching forward.
So, I did my best to match his light mood. Brushing past him, I made sure not to bump into him because I knew if I so much as grazed him, I’d throw myself against him—begging for more time.
The drive down the mountain was over before I was ready, and then flashing yellow lights greeted us as Dean approached the spot where my rental had been buried. A tow truck operator was pulling it free from its frozen nest, and my heart fell. My stomach dropped at the last hope that maybe, just maybe, I’d have an excuse to spend more time with Dean.
Usually, I couldn’t wait to be alone, back in my own headspace. Dean had flipped that record and shown me what it was like to be cherished, not only for my body but for my mind, and my terrible jokes. He managed to get me to share the real me where no other guy had really tried. And now, minutes away from being thrust back into the real world, I was on the verge of experiencing my first ever panic attack.
“Looks like your rental survived with just a dent on the front-end passenger side. Did you sign up for insurance?”
Did I sign up for insurance? That’s how he was going to play this? Oh. Hell. No. This man had shared almost three days with me, cut off from all distractions, we shared our intimate thoughts and the sex. My god, the best sex of my life had been with him.
He did not get to blow me off this way. “Um, yeah. I did. I’ve been thinking that I’d like to see—”
“What the hell is Tyler doing here?” Dean’s question sent me over the edge into the panic attack I’d been fearing. He didn’t sound at all pleased to see what I could only assume to be my brother. How many Tyler’s did he know?
Although he didn’t know the Tyler that was on the Outlaws was my brother, so maybe I was just projecting my own guilt, which at this very moment rode heavy on my shoulders.
“Tyler? Where?” Whipping my head from Dean’s frowning profile to out the front window of his truck, I saw an unfamiliar dark Jeep parked a couple of car lengths behind my rental. Then I saw someone jogging up the road toward the tow truck that was idling on the side of the road, facing us.
Shit. Shit. Shit. It was my brother. But what was he doing here? I chanced another look at Dean from the corner of my eye as I counted slowly, taking deep breaths. I was not going to freak out. Nope. No freaking out. I could handle this. Maybe.
The realization I had made a huge mistake in not telling Dean who I really was produced a weight the size of an elephant squarely on my chest.So stupid.I was stupid to think I could wait one more day to tell him had me hyperventilating.
“Nori, you okay. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Dammit, why’d he have to call me that, sound so concerned? Instead of warming me from the inside out as it had the last few days, I began gasping for breath. Shaking my head, I kept my eyes closed, breathing through my nose, out through my mouth. As if in a wind tunnel, I heard Dean exit the truck, then come to the passenger side and open my door. He placed his hands on me, rubbing my arm and my leg, attempting to help calm me down. I did not want to end things like this. Karma was a real bitch.
Finally, I got my breathing under control. But before I could say anything to Dean, I heard my brother call my name.
“Nori? What are you doing with Coach Ace?” He stopped short of the front of Dean’s truck, confusion marking his features. “Coach, what’s going on?”
Bracing myself for a long explanation I gently removed Dean’s hands and slid from the seat onto the pavement and quickly walked away from the man I was certain I’d fallen in love with toward the brother who wasn’t going to be very happy with me.
How was I going to explain to Tyler that after just a few days in a cabin with his coach, I’d fallen in love?
“Tyler, what are you doing here? How did you even know where to find me?” My whole body shook. Stepping closer, I opened my arms for a hug, but he continued to look from me to Dean and back again. I could see his mind working things out.
Crossing his arms, Tyler settled his gaze on me. “Mom and Dad. They called me and said they got a text from you. Said you were not far from the Forest Motel and gas station off Exit 14. And that you’d wanted to surprise them but got caught up in the snowstorm two days ago.”
Three, but who was counting? “Oh, yeah. They’d closed the pass, and I wanted them to know where I was in case…you know, something happened. But then I ran into Dean, and he offered to let me stay at his cabin and….” I stopped explaining when I saw Tyler’s eyes narrow even more as he looked at Dean.
This was exactly what I’d been afraid would happen. Creating a rift between my brother and his coach now seemed inevitable. I was a horrible sister.
Sensing Dean’s body heat, he’d stepped up directly behind me. Was it his way of assuring me he had my back? Or was he planning on confronting me about keeping my last name from him?
“Ty, before you get worked up. I recognized Nori was your sister. She was totally safe with me. She had a slight bump on her head from when her car slid into the berm of snow, but other than that, she’s fine. I just bought a cabin and was headed back down to Pineville to pick up my son. I found out the pass had been closed when I stopped at Woody’s where your sister tried to get a room for the night, but he was full up. Unfortunately, or fortunately, she ended up going in the wrong direction when she went to get back on the freeway and I found her here, stuck, and offered my help.”
Thankfully, Tyler’s features relaxed into relief and my little brother, who stood six inches taller and outweighed me by at least seventy-five pounds, engulfed me in a bear hug. “Sis, I’m so glad you’re okay. Thanks, Coach, for looking out for her. My family and I really appreciate it.”
Not sure what to say and afraid to look Dean in the eye, I pulled out of Tyler’s hug. Years of finding myself in sticky situations had me bulldogging my way through the awkward situation. “I’m going to grab my bag, get the rental warmed up and I’ll follow you to Mom and Dad’s. Sound good?”
