Page 20 of High Water

“Always. Worth it for the gossip I’m taking back to the rest of the guys.”

“What?” I give him a flat look.

“Never seen you so fucked up over a woman before. It’s almost like you’re human after all. It’s a mind-fuck, but I think I like it on you. What did she mean about saving Stocktons?”

“The guy we pulled out of that situation a while back. The one you patched on the helo?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s his sister.”

“Oh. Damn. You are well and truly fucked then.” Rey grins. “Does she know?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, I caught that.”

“She’s fresh out of a divorce. With a kid. You know.” I shrug, trying to make it look casual.

“Uh-huh. And you want to be Daddy. I get it. Is that why you’ve been on this break and talking about quitting? Oh fuck. It is. Isn’t it? You want to quit for her.” He laughs and flashes a bright grin. “Never thought I’d see the day you quit before me. That’s something right there.”

“Oh, fuck off.” I wave him out the door, and he makes his way to the porch. Apparently, Rey’s insisting on a Midwestern goodbye today.

“Nah, man. I’m serious though. Seeing you a complete mess over a woman. I like it on you. You deserve it after everything we’ve been through. I hope it works out.”

“Thanks for coming out here and for getting her back on her feet.” I nod at him.

“Of course. Anytime. I got you.” He waves a hand and makes his way out to his Jeep.

I close the door behind him, turning around to look up at the stairwell, only to see Aspen’s shadow disappear down the hall. I have no idea how much of that she heard. But I hope it isn’t going to get me into too much trouble.

SEVEN

Aspen

Even though I’m feeling better on Saturday, it still passes in a blur. I’m exhausted and spend most of the day in and out of sleep, eating Jello and popsicles that Bishop still insists on bringing me in bed like I’m not capable of standing, and I attempt to watch a marathon of streaming shows, but I fall asleep before I ever make sense of the plot.

All the sleep makes it worth it because by Sunday, I wake up and feel like I can breathe again. My throat doesn’t feel like razor blades are lodged in it anymore, and the pile of tissue boxes and cough drops is dramatically reduced. I can even stand without feeling dizzy, and my fever is gone. I even briefly consider trying to find a flight out to see the game, but not a single one will get me there in time. If there’s even the slightest delay, I’ll miss it all and be stuck sitting in an airport somewhere where I might not even be able to watch it on TV.

So I relent to the idea of watching the game alone at home. Bishop left me an hour ago to grab clean clothes out of his truck and take a quick shower, but once he comes back, I plan to let him know he can head home. He’s spent enough of his weekend on me, and I’m fairly certain he has friends he could be watching the game with. Maybe even a girlfriend, since, according to his friend, he has women everywhere he goes.

Hopefully, not one who will be pissed off at me for stealing his time. He said he was supposed to be watching the ranch this weekend, anyway, but I doubt she expected it to take up his nights and mornings too. The flash of another woman being Fallon’s stepmom hits me hard. I’ve already come to terms with the possibility of Ethan meeting someone else; he might settle down again. He just told me he started dating, and I’m happy for him. But Bishop having someone too? That fills me with a kind of unease I don’t expect.

The doorbell rings while I’m still contemplating that fate, and I answer it, grinning when I see Kit, the inn’s chef and our family’s foodie fairy godmother, at the door with a massive basket in her hands.

“Heard you were under the weather.” She checks me out, and I invite her in. “But the color is back in your cheeks. That’s good.”

“I’m feeling a lot better. Fever’s gone.”

“Good. Good. I’m glad. I brought over a bunch of food. I figured you wouldn’t be up to making much today, and I know you’ll be missing the family at the game.”

“Oh my god, Kit! You are the sweetest.” I grin at the massive spread she places on the kitchen counter. There are all kinds of sandwiches and dips and pasta salads and foods with instructions for reheating or air frying. “This is so much. You’re staying for the game, right? We’ve got the big TV in the game room.”

“I wish I could, sweetheart, but I’ve got a date today.”

“A date?”

“There’s a guy in town I’ve been talking to. Tim. He’s cute as hell. Former hotshot firefighter. He oversees the volunteer department now. Such a silver fox, and he loves football. I might have name-dropped a little, and he invited me over to watch the game with some of his friends.”