Wounded (An Aspen Series Novella) (Prequel to Relentless) Read online

  Noelle had fallen asleep on the couch opposite them about an hour after they’d arrived. Since then, Jerry and Kimber had spoken very little as they sat worrying and waiting to hear of her dad’s condition.

  Her worst nightmare had come true, and he could see the worry and stress etched into her features. It killed him to know that he might have caused her that kind of misery as well.

  “Miss Reynolds?”

  Both he and Kimber jumped to their feet as a nurse addressed her. “Yes. I’m Kimber Reynolds. How’s my dad?”

  “He’s doing well. The bullet nicked an artery in his leg, but his doctor was able to repair it with little trouble. They’re moving him to recovery right now. If you’d like to go see him, you may. He should be waking up soon.” She glanced at Jerry. “One person is probably best.”

  “I understand.” He nodded to the nurse, and she left.

  Kimber released a shaky breath. “He’s okay.”

  It sickened him to see her so scared. “Yeah. Sounds like he did well.”

  “I’m going to go see him.”

  “You definitely should. I’ll tell Noelle when she wakes.”

  She tried to give him a smile, but it barely reached her lips and came nowhere near her eyes. She squeezed his hand and hurried off down the hall.

  He watched her go with a hollow ache in his chest. Maybe he was pushing things between them too fast.

  God knows, he wanted her, but was he being fair to her? There was no doubt there was a fireball of attraction between them, but what about the times they had to be apart? Was it fair to her to keep her waiting and wondering? What if he did get her pregnant and then died overseas? Could he put that on her?

  Fuck. He scrubbed his hands over his hair and sank back into his seat. When he woke several hours later, Kimber still hadn’t returned. He checked with the nurse’s station. When they let him know Sheriff Reynolds was doing well and resting peacefully, he woke Noelle and offered her a ride home.

  It was obvious Kimber needed time with her dad, and she didn’t need to be worrying about him. Maybe it was a sign that they really weren’t meant to be together. As much as he loved her, she needed a guy who’d come home each night and hold her in his arms.

  * * *

  Kimber woke with a jerk. Morning sun filtered through the blinds in her dad’s hospital room. She blinked a few times to get her bearings before her gaze shot to her dad.

  “Morning, cupcake.” Her dad’s pale cheeks bore truth to the violence he’d survived, but he had a smile on his face.

  “Dad.” She jumped to her feet and hurried forward to hug him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Of course I’m okay.” He had enough strength to crush her to him, which reassured her beyond measure. “You don’t think a little bullet is going to do me in. I’m too tough for that.”

  Tears filled her eyes.

  “Now, sweetheart. No crying. You know that makes us guys uncomfortable.”

  She sniffed and laughed. “I know.”

  “I’m going to be just fine.” He glanced at her chair. “You sleep here all night?”

  Her gaze flew to the door. “Jerry. He brought me as soon as we heard. Crap. I left him and Noelle out in the waiting room. I meant to go tell them to go home, but I guess I fell asleep.”

  “Jerry, huh? You two finally talking again?”

  Heat crept up her cheeks at the thought of what they’d done besides talk. “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  “I think he’s forgiven me. We came to an understanding last night.” She had to quit thinking about being in his arms.

  “Is the wedding back on?”

  She squeezed his hand. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  He started to laugh and then coughed. He held up a hand before she could say anything. “I’m fine. Little bit of a dry throat.” He took a sip of water. “I’m not trying to get rid of you, but it seems to me Jerry’s a damn fine man. You could do a lot worse, and I know if you’re with him, you’ll be loved and well taken care of.”

  Emotion flooded her eyes again. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I figured that out, too.”

  “There you go again with the tears. Why don’t you go see if you can find your man? Let him deal with your emotions and let me get some rest.”

  “Dad,” she said with mock outrage, and he laughed. “Fine. I’ll go, but I’m coming back later today.”

  “You do that. Bring your soldier boy with you.”

  A happy grin claimed her lips. “Okay.” She kissed his whiskered cheek and shut the door behind her.

  She was a little disappointed that Jerry wasn’t in the waiting room, but she couldn’t blame him. She caught a ride back to Aspen with a deputy and took a quick shower before she drove to Jerry’s house.

  She found him in the garage, tinkering with his munched New Yorker. Smells of grease and gasoline filled the space, and she remembered the many times she’d spent watching him fix cars.

  He had his head beneath the hood and apparently hadn’t noticed her arrival. She took the opportunity to study his rear end and the width of his sexy shoulders. The muscles in his triceps bunched when he turned a wrench. “Is it worth salvaging?”

  He startled and straightened, hitting his head on the hood of the car. “Shit.”

  “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “I’m fine.” He bent back under the hood, no happy greeting, no warm kiss good morning.

  She waited for a confused moment, not sure how to react to his chilly greeting.

  “How’s your dad?” he finally asked.

  “He’s doing well. Back to his old smart-ass behavior.”

  “He sure scared you last night.”

  Was that what this was about? “Yeah. It’s not a phone call anyone likes to get.”

  “Exactly.” His wrench slipped off the bolt and banged against the engine. “Damn it.”

  She exhaled, certain a fight loomed on her horizon. She was armed and ready for battle, and she wasn’t about to let her man get away again. “So, what? You don’t think I can take a little fear?”

  “I saw your face last night. That was more than a little fear.”

  She wanted to growl. Instead, she walked forward, stopping inches from him. “Do you think we could have this conversation face-to-face instead of you hiding beneath the hood?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jerry straightened, a spark of irritation in his eyes. Good. Kimber had known her little barb would get to him.

  “There’s nothing to converse about,” he replied.

  She tilted her chin up, meeting his gaze head on. “I disagree. I thought we’d figured things out between us last night. Now, this morning, your demeanor is less than amorous. What changed?”

  He stared at her for a hard moment, but she refused to look away.

  “I’m not going to put you through that again.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Yes, you are.”

  “No.” There was no misunderstanding the determination in his voice.

  A hint of fear scratched at her, and she worried she might lose him again. She bit her bottom lip until it hurt as her gaze warred with his. “I love you, and yes, I will worry about you, but you cannot block me out of your life. I won’t go.” She moved a step closer, their bodies all but touching.

  “Damn it, Kimber. I’m doing this for you. I don’t want to hurt you like that again. If you’re not expecting a call or an email from me, then you won’t worry when it doesn’t show.”

  “That’s bullshit. I’m going to love and care about you for the rest of my days. I’m stronger now. I can handle a little worry. But you forcing me out of your life will kill me. Do you hear me?”

  He stared at her, stone-faced.

  She pushed on his chest, hoping to elicit some sort of response. Anything was better than this impenetrable wall of silence. “Don’t shut me out, Jerry. I might have let you go once, but that’s n
ot going to happen again.”

  He sighed and gripped his wrench with both hands. He hadn’t spoken yet, but at least she knew she’d affected him.

  She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, ignoring the tool he held between them. “I can’t live without you. Without this.”

  It might have been considered a sneak attack, but at this point, she was willing to use every weapon she had. She stood on her tiptoes, pulling his head to hers. She claimed his warm lips, tasting the man who rocked her world.

  He pulled away, growling with frustration. His almost-tangible hesitation hung in the air between them as he rubbed his hand over his jaw before raking his fingers through his hair. “It’s not going to work.”

  She touched his face, capturing his gaze. There was no mistaking the love that shimmered through his worried expression. “I’m not the same woman you left last time. I know you’re not the same man. But we belong together.”

  “Kimber—”

  “The truth is, Jerry, you’re a soldier. I wasn’t strong enough to love you before, but I am now. It might not be easy, but I’m more than capable of handling things here while I wait for you to return home safe to me. I’m going in with my eyes wide open.” She traced a finger along his jaw. “Just love me, Jerry. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”

  Slowly, his expression shifted from one of worry to one of acceptance. “You’re right.” He blew out a deep breath. “We are who we are. And I do love you. I want us to be together. Anything else would be less than a life.”

  He wrapped his strong arms around her as he claimed her lips, the wrench landing to the side of them with a clank as he fully embraced her.

  “I’m glad I’ve fallen for a man who can see reason,” she said, taking a breath. “If God forbid someone or something takes you from me, I…I don’t know what I’ll do, but let’s promise now that it won’t be either of us that breaks us apart.”

  He cupped her face, kissed her hard. “I want to get married.”

  She laughed. “Wow. You go from no to all the way in a hurry.”

  “Hey, you’re the one who wanted to change my mind. Now that I have, why wait? Let’s do it. Today.”

  “I can’t pull off a wedding that fast,” she whispered between more kisses.

  “I’ve got two weeks before I ship out again. Is that too fast?”

  “I think I can make that work.”

  “Good. I hope your dad doesn’t mind us living together until then, ‘cause I intend to spend every possible minute with you until I leave.”

  A happy smile blossomed on her lips. “He’ll get over it.”

  “After that, I want you to stay with him until I get back, okay? Then I’m buying us a house, and we’ll start making babies.”

  She laughed. “So soon?”

  “It’s never too soon.”

  “What if we made a baby last night?” She lifted her brows and gave him a sly grin.

  His smile matched hers. “Then I’ll miss the first part of your pregnancy, but I’ll be there when the baby is born. Oh honey, I’ll be there for the rest of your life if you’ll have me.”

  “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and sealed the deal with a kiss.

  * * *

  Ten days later, Kimber walked down the stairs that led from the upper deck of Luke’s massive wooden cabin into his shady backyard, the long train of her beaded white dress trailing behind her. At the bottom, she took her father’s arm, excitement-induced adrenaline racing through her veins.

  A sea of family and friends stood between her and her future husband. She glanced at all the people who’d supported and loved her through her life, emotion welling inside her. It seemed as though the whole town had come out. Jerry’s family sat on the front row, his dad giving her an approving nod, his mom blessing her with a warm smile as she passed them.

  The only one missing was her mother.

  Kimber tried to tuck that thought in the back of her mind. Her mom would want her to be happy today, and for all she knew, she might be watching from heaven if that was a possibility.

  She took a deep breath and focused on the man who waited for her. But the sight of him standing in his military blues left her breathless. There had never been a sexier man alive. His height, the uniform, everything made her heart slam against her chest.

  He would be now and forever hers.

  Jerry’s eyes sparkled with happiness as her father handed her over to the man she’d love the rest of her life.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Jerry whispered. “I can’t tell you how much I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered back. Those simple words could never express how deeply.

  Kimber tried to focus on the ceremony, but her thoughts kept straying to the fact that from this day forward, she and Jerry would be as one.

  Her hand shook as he slid her mother’s wedding band on her finger. He promised they’d shop for her own ring when he returned.

  The next thing she knew, they were pronounced man and wife.

  Jerry pulled her into his embrace, bending her over his arm, and he kissed her until the crowd started whistling.

  “Save some of that for your honeymoon,” Luke said, offering his congratulations. He shook Jerry’s hand and kissed her heated cheek.

  Milo did the same, but right before he kissed her, he whispered in her ear. “You can thank me and Luke later.”

  After she and Jerry had greeted all of their guests, Kimber smiled into the mischievous eyes of her favorite pair of cupids. “You guys should think about opening a dating service or something.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “It would never work. Milo would want to keep all the prospective clients for himself.”

  Milo shrugged and laughed. “Guilty.”

  “What’s this all about?” Jerry asked.

  “Nothing.” Kimber smiled and shook her head as the band started playing a waltz. “Dance with me, soldier. And kiss me. I haven’t had nearly enough of that yet.”

  He hauled her against him, sending a heated thrill straight through her. He captured her gaze, his deep brown eyes promising he’d be giving her everything she wanted and more. She inhaled just before he pressed his delicious lips to hers.

  Through a haze of happiness, she heard Milo groan and Luke suggest they go check out the single women and the booze. She would have agreed, but she was too busy kissing her man.

  The End

  This short story is a glimpse into the lives of the hard-working, sexy men of Aspen and the women who love them. Continuing stories can be found in the Aspen Series including Relentless, Lawless, & Cowboys and Angels. Read on for an excerpt from Relentless.

  Excerpt From Relentless

  Chapter One

  From the corner of her eye, Lily Chandler caught a blur of black as it dashed into the road. She slammed on the brakes. The tires on her little white Honda screamed as she swung off the pavement and onto the grassy area at the side of the road, narrowly missing a ditch.

  When the car had come to a standstill, she plastered a hand against her chest, trying to slow her racing heart. "What the hell was that?"

  Hannah eyed her as though she'd lost her mind. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Are you trying to kill us?"

  "No." Lily glanced across the isolated two-lane highway, searching for the critter that almost lost its life. "There was something in the road. Didn't you see it?"

  "Uh…no." Her friend looked around. "It was probably a skunk or raccoon. We have those out here, you know," she said with a tinge of sarcasm.

  Lily narrowed her eyes. "I know that." Actually, she had no idea what she'd find in the small town of Aspen, Utah, but she wasn't about to admit it. She scanned the surrounding green pastures one more time for the little beast who'd stolen a year of her life.

  "Can we go now?"

  Lily sighed as she pulled out onto the never-ending stretch of blacktop. Her bug-spattered windshield sh
owcased nothing but farmland alive with early summer grass. Occasionally, a house had popped up on the horizon, but not often enough for Lily's comfort. Somewhere up ahead was Hannah's brother hauling a good portion of their possessions in Hannah's truck. Everything else had been left in a storage shed in Salt Lake with the hopes that she and Hannah would be returning soon. "I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea."

  "Are you kidding?" Her friend tilted her head, the action making her auburn ponytail shake. "Don't second guess this now. When I left home seven years ago, I swore I'd never move back. I'm only going now because you begged."

  "I didn't beg." She hadn't. But moving in with Hannah's family seemed preferable to being homeless. Two weeks ago, they'd both been fired from their respective jobs at a local newspaper in Salt Lake City, all because their boss hadn't been able to keep his zipper zipped. His wife had found out, and now the paper was slowly disintegrating from all the bad press and soon to be split assets. If it hadn't cost her a job, Lily would have been happy the jerk had been found out. She could totally commiserate with her boss's wife. She'd dealt with similar humiliation and pain when she'd caught her fiancé cheating with her sister.

  Hannah folded her arms. "This was your idea. No complaining. I warned you my family lived in a rural area."

  "Rural?" Lily let go a nervous laugh. "To an L.A. girl, rural is like…subdivisions. Like the outskirts of Salt Lake. Places where people still live. Not this…vast emptiness." She gestured to the hills that didn't stop until they touched the sky. "If a person got lost out here, they may never be found."

  "Ain't that the truth," Hannah said with a laugh. "Let me rephrase then. My parents live in a backward, podunk, God-forsaken town." Her friend pretended to shudder. "And look. We're here." Hannah pointed to a sign stating, Aspen, population: 250. "Welcome to my version of hell."

  Only 250 people? There had to be that many living on their block in downtown SLC. Lily forced a smile and slowed as the speed limit dropped considerably. What if the people here didn't like her or couldn't relate to her? She was a city girl through and through.