Instant Attraction

came the most delicious scent. She resisted, barely.

When she came out of the bank, she told herself not to inhale, but then she saw her flat tire. She crouched down to take a closer look. She’d run over a pair of pliers, which were now sticking out of the rubber. “Only me.” She opened her trunk and eyed first the spare tire, then what she was wearing, a white sweater.

This was going to suck golf balls.

“Looks like someone’s having a bad day.”

Turning, she faced Serena. The tall, willowy brunette wore skinny black trousers and a black angora sweater that emphasized her gorgeous figure and face. It didn’t escape Katie that the two of them looked like night and day. “You could say that.”

“Maybe you’ve got bad karma. You know, from the other night when you took that moonlit snowshoe hike and almost got knocked off the cliff.”

Katie blinked. “How do you know that?”

“Small town, remember?” Serena laughed, a low and husky sound that would attract any man with a pulse. “But it worked out for you. After all, you and Cam ended up alone on that mountain. I assume you slept with him.”

Katie felt her brow shoot up so far it probably vanished into her hair. “What?”

“Yeah, Nick told Annie.”

“And Annie told you?”

“We’re friends.”

“Annie told you I slept with Cam,” Katie repeated, feeling more betrayed than she’d have thought possible.

“No. I said I assumed that part. Annie told me you almost fell. She was quite pissed on your behalf, actually. Annie doesn’t show it much, but she’s a softie for those in her circle, and you are in her circle. So I was right? The Cam thing? You and him, bumping nasties?”

Katie let out a mirthless laugh. What else could she do? “You know what assuming gets you, right?”

“Uh-huh. It makes me a bitch.” Serena shrugged. “I can live with that.” She looked at Katie’s flat tire. “I’m pretty sure the odds of that are astronomical.”

“Did you do this?”

“Hey, I’m a bitch but not a vindictive one. I can get a tire changed, though.” She smiled. “If asked nicely.”

“I can’t ask you to help me do this.”

“I offered.”

“You’ll get dirty.”

Serena laughed and pulled a cell phone from her pocket. “Harley? Yeah, I’ve got a flat tire.” She paused, listening while studying her manicure, which was, of course, in perfect condition. “Fantastic. Thanks.” She closed her cell. “Harley’s the local mechanic and tow-truck driver. How about a cookie while you wait?”

Katie’s hips were already straining the top button on her pants. She’d be willing to bet big money that Serena never had to strain to fit that willowy body into anything. “No, thanks.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re going to turn down my cookies?”

“Okay, I have to ask.”

“Why am I being so nice to you?”

“That’s the one.”

“It’s the neighborly thing to do.”

Katie didn’t buy it, but she followed Serena into her bakery because her nose wouldn’t let her do anything else.

Serena poured her a big mug of coffee, waiting until Katie took a sip before casually asking, “So how is he in the sack? Still amazing? Because once upon a time, he could really spin my wheels, if you know what I mean.”

Katie executed a spit take.

“Oh, come on.” Serena handed her a napkin. “You’re not a woman to beat around the bush.”

“I’m also not a woman to talk about someone behind his back.” Damn, she’d gotten her sweater dirty after all. “Especially with his ex. Even if no one else around here gives the same courtesy.”

“Well, Jesus, if you’re going to get all sanctimonious.” Serena sighed long and hard. “Annie didn’t say anything negative about you. In fact, she actually only talked about Cam. She said he’s smiling for the first time since his accident. He’s laughing.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s happy.”

And there it was. The first good news of Katie’s day. “I think that’s nice.”

“Yeah, it is. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you.”

When Katie opened her mouth, Serena shook her head. “Don’t. I’m a bitch, but I’m not stupid. Watching him fall for you is painful. So just drink my damn coffee and don’t say anything. I’m trying to be the bigger person here by helping you out with your tire and letting him go gracefully, and I’m failing.”

Katie let out a breath. “You’re not failing.”

“Really?”

“Really. If you hadn’t come outside when you did, I’d be a muddy wreck by now. And you make great coffee.”

Serena slid a plate of cookies on the counter, and Katie’s nostrils twitched. “I can’t. I’ll get fat.”

Serena smiled guilelessly. “Works for me.”

Okay, not so guileless.

A big tow truck pulled up outside. Katie expected a big guy to jump down, but it was a tiny, dainty-looking, fair-skinned blonde to enter the bakery wearing Carhartt weather overalls, steel-toed boots, and a quick smile. “Who’s the yo-yo who ran over a set of pliers?”

Katie raised her hand. “That would be me. Are you Harley?”

“In the flesh. You did a number on your tire. I think it’s fatal. Hope your spare’s in good shape.” The mechanic came forward, started to offer a hand, then looked down at it and stopped, shaking her head. Her short, spiky hair danced around her face. “Sorry, I’ve got grease all over me.”

“What’s new?” Serena asked her dryly.

Harley smiled. “Had to rescue a group of kids off the highway. They’d ditched school and driven up here from the bay hoping to snowboard. Keys, city girl?”

“Oh. Here.” Katie handed them over. Harley went out the door but was back in less than a minute, shaking her head. “No good.”

“What do you mean no good?”

“Your spare is flat too.”

“What?”

“Yeah, when’s the last time you checked it?”

Oh, about never. At the look on her face, Harley sighed. “You’re going to have to leave me the car. I’ll tow it to my shop, but I have a test to take before I can fix you up.”

“A test?”

“She’s going to school to become a fancy schmancy biologist so she can go work in the forest instead of beneath trucks,” Serena said.

“Yeah, I’m on the seven-year plan to a four-year degree. In any case, the test is online and shouldn’t take me long.”

“No problem, I can get a ride back to Wilder.” Or so she hoped. “I’ll just call the lodge.”

Harley lifted a brow and looked at Serena. “The lodge? The Wilder Lodge?”

“Yeah, I should have mentioned. Katie here is Riley’s temp at Wilder.”

“Oh,” Harley said, making the word about ten syllables. “So you’re the new hire hanging out with Cam.”

“Okay,” Katie said. “What’s it going to run me?”

Harley shrugged. “How about the cost of the new tire and a couple of those free ski passes Wilder Adventures gives out sometimes?”

“No,” Katie said, “I mean what’s it going to cost me to have the two of you, to have everyone, stop looking at me like I’m stealing their favorite son?”

“Well, you could leave town,” Serena said helpfully.

“Play nice, Serena,” Harley said mildly.

“I was just kidding. Mostly.”

Uh-huh. Katie reached for the cookies, needing the sugar. “I’ll take a dozen to go.”

Serena picked up one of her black-and-white bags and started to fill it with a smug look on her face.

“Two dozen,” Katie corrected, playing right into her hands and no longer caring.





Chapter 18


Cam came back to Wilder after a long two-day trip and went straight up to the offices to check in with Stone.

Okay, lie. He went straight up to the offices to catch a glimpse of Katie.

Because he’d been wrong about the whole being able to breathe after sex with her. Very wrong. He hadn’t taken a good deep breath since the last time he’d seen her. He had no idea what exactly to do with that information. None. He only knew that he had to see her again.

“Looking for something?” Stone asked when he came out of his office and caught Cam staring at Katie’s empty chair.

“The mail.”

“Mail’s on my desk. Why don’t you ask me what you really want to know.”

“All right.” Cam searched his brain. “Where’s the schedule?”

Stone just looked at him. It was the same look he’d perfected years ago, the older brother what-have-you-done-and-what’s-it-going-to-cost-me-to-bail-you-out look. “Is it that hard to admit you’re attached to something, someone?”

“Okay. You’re right. I missed you.” Cam stepped close and hugged him, slapping him extra hard on the back. “Whew. Glad to get that off my chest.”

“You didn’t miss me.” Stone shoved him away with a laugh. “You know who you missed. You missed the pretty temp.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cam turned to look at Katie’s desk.

“So you don’t care that she left a week early.”

“What? What the fuck—” He whirled back to Stone in time to see his brother’s wide-ass grin. “That’s just mean.”

Stone just kept grinning but was wise enough to back up out of arm’s length. “She’s at the bank.”

“If you sent her on the snowmobile by herself, I’ll—”

“Car. Christ, you’ve got it bad. And—” he said quickly, holding up his hands when Cam growled. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing. Which is why, maybe, you should ask her to stay instead of leaving next week.”

“Are you crazy? Why would I ask her to do that?”

“Oh gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re going nuts at the thought of her going?”

“I am not. I don’t care.” At Stone’s long look, he turned away again. “And she wouldn’t stay. She’s got plans. Adventures.”

“Then no one is more equipped to take her on than you.”

“So, what, I should up and leave again?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want you to. But the alternative is to walk away from her.”

“She’s walking. She’s the one walking.”

“Come on, Cam.”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“You think I’m walking? Again? Quitting, again?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Cam’s chest hurt, like he was having a heart attack. But it was a ball of anxiety and he knew it. He wanted to turn around and walk. Hell, he wanted to run. And keep running, until his chest didn’t hurt anymore. “You keep throwing that at me.”

“And maybe one of these days it’ll stick. You’ll stick.”

“Jesus, what do you want from me?”

Annie came up the stairs, took in the sight of them standing so close, steaming with temper, and quickly stepped between them, a hand on each of their chests. “What? What are you fighting about?”

Stone eyed Cam over Annie’s head. “I’m just reminding Cam he’s good at quitting.”

Annie’s hand was like steel against Cam’s chest when he pushed at her in response. “And I was just going to remind Stone what his face would look like with my fist in it,” he said through his teeth.

“Okay, back off, both of you.” Annie added a shove to the directive. “You want to fight and get out all this stupid tension, fine. I’ll even join you and beat the hell out of the both of you just for fun. But we do it outside. I like the furniture in here.”

Stone made a sound of disgust in his throat and turned away, and Cam’s chest hurt worse for it, because he knew.

Stone was right.

He strode to the stairs, needing some damn place to be alone.

“Where are you going?” Annie asked.

“He’s running,” Stone said.

“Shut up, Stone.”

“If you’re running off,” Annie said to Cam, “then run into town to get my damn pies.”

Cam sighed. “Tell Nick to do it.”

“I’m not talking to him.”

Code for Nick had been an idiot for some reason or another. “Maybe you could not talk to me either.”

“No such luck for you. Two cherry, two apple, and don’t eat one on your way back.”

Stone snorted.

“One time,” Cam said. “That happened one time.” He took the stairs, grimly satisfied to see Annie smack Stone upside the head.

With frustration still fueling him, he drove into town, unable to ease any tension on the semislicked roads. By the time he drove into Wishful, he was even more tense than when he’d left the lodge.

But Katie’s car was parked out front of the bakery, interestingly enough with a pair of pliers sticking out of her tire. He walked inside and caught sight of her, and then…Then all the seething, churning, shitaceous crap inside of his gut eased. Inexplicably.

Irrevocably.

She was laughing, sincerely laughing in the way only she could, with her eyes, her face, her entire body, while Serena and Harley stood one on either side of her looking at her as if maybe she had a screw loose.

Which was entirely possible, but Cam liked her exactly as she was, and if either of them had been rude to her, he’d—

What? He’d what? He staggered to a halt, stunned by the overwhelming, gut-wrenching emotion churning inside of him. Protectiveness? And even more shocking, possessiveness—two emotions he’d never had any use for when it came to women. Hell, he never had any use for them when it came to anything—not his home, his business, nothing.

But shockingly, he realized she mattered, and he stared at her, feeling like he’d been hit by a Mack truck.

She glanced over, and though she stopped laughing, her smile didn’t fade. If anything, it warmed. Something came into her eyes too. Something that said, I’ve held you in my hands and watched you come.

Shit.

She pulled off her glasses and wiped them on the hem of her sweater, and he wondered if he’d fogged them again.

And was he the only man to do that to her?

Serena sighed, walked over to him, and gently tapped on his chin, reminding him to shut his mouth. “You didn’t have to come rescue your little girlfriend. We’re doing just fine.”

“Annie wants pies. Two apple, two cherry.”

“Aw, and you came to me? How sweet.”