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“Bradford.”
“Fucking give me a minute, Eli.”
Another dispassionate glance between the two of them. “I’ll be at the chopper. Hurry.” Then he walked away
Bradford swallowed and looked to find Iris staring off after Eli.
“I’m standing right here,” he groused before physically turning her head away from Eli’s retreating form.
She shrugged without remorse. “What? He’s gorgeous.”
Her tone was so matter of fact he gritted his teeth in a meager effort to keep his growl contained.
“Not for you.”
Her smile turned sad, and she held onto the hoodie she’d given him. “Do something for me, when you get home?”
Home? Where was that if he wasn’t with this woman? Bradford realized he was floundering in uncharted waters. And they weren’t smooth, but choppy and deep. He didn’t like it at all.
“What?” One word, graveled and hesitant. Almost like if he heard her answer it would be the excuse she needed to move on and put him out of her life.
“Make sure you get yourself checked out, like you said, ‘not a doctor and I don’t play one on tv’ either. I don’t want to have missed anything. No matter what anyone says, Bradford. What you’re doing matters. You matter.”
“I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I’ll be fine. We’ll be out in a few days, tops.”
It killed him that he wasn’t taking her out of here with him. Making sure she was safe, like his brother had done for him. That wasn’t how things should go. He was the man, he should be protecting her. Not that this woman needed him to protect her, but he wanted to be that one for her. The man she turned to when she needed shoulders to cry on. Who she curled up against. Who made her smile. Laugh.
Everything. He wanted to be everything to her, because damn it, she was to him.
“Iris, I—”
“I told you before, we’re not doing that. Just go. You have nothing in there to get.” She lifted one eyebrow. “Unless you’d like that unicorn onesie?”
“Burn that.”
Her laughter was full-bodied and pure. Bradford found himself smiling just hearing it.
Damn it! He pulled her close. Foreheads touching, he inhaled her scent. Two fingers below her chin, and he tipped her head up to meet his lips. This kiss was light and not nearly long enough for him. it never would be from her.
“Goodbye, Iris.”
She pushed up on her toes, reconnecting their mouths. Her tongue slid along his and, as he was about to hold her tighter, she backed away and ran inside with Piros matching her stride for stride.
Heart heavy, he trod through the snow to the waiting helicopter and climbed in. Eli didn’t speak, just handed him a headset and a blanket. A hand gesture got them rising and all he could do was stare down at the house sheltering the woman who’d earned his heart and helped him find his way.
Chapter Nine
“Can you hear me?” Iris hollered into the phone as she stood on the ledge of the plateau.
“No, you fucking twat, I can’t. Would it kill you to call me when you’re not in a goddamn windstorm?” Violet’s voice crackled along the line.
“How is it that you can’t hear me but can hear enough to snap back at me with that vile comment?”
“Bitch.”
She laughed despite the pain in her heart. “Good to hear your voice, sister.” Looking around her surroundings, she inhaled deeply and took in the sharp crispness of the pine and the snow.
“Where are you?”
“Standing on the edge.”
Violet hummed. “I wish I thought you meant that purely physically. What’s going on?”
“I’m the eldest. I’m supposed to be the one who gives advice.”
“Fine. Here’s a scenario. I fell hard for a guy and now he’s out of my life but I can’t forget him. I’m stubborn, like out of this world hardheadedness. I put my own happiness to the side to take care of my siblings, even though they’re grown and on their own.”
Iris opened her mouth because she knew exactly what the point of this was. Violet had heard from Daisy and was switching their places.
“And, to top it off, I’m heading off in the cold to all these other places to be by myself because I don’t feel like I’m worthy to be around others. Especially the hotness that invaded my heart.”
Iris stepped away from the edge and turned her back on the incredible view that she’d been pushing hard to get to, trying to outrun the memories of one Bradford. She still didn’t know his last name or anything other than that he was a plane crash survivor. And had had some hot man in a helicopter come get him.
“Stop.” Iris sank to her knees on the dark rock. “Violet, please. I can’t take it. Let me focus on something else.”
“No. I love you, Iris. We all do. It’s either me or Mama. Your choice.”
