“I actually need Trace here,” she said evenly, without so much as a hint of guilt about doing it when she knew full well that she was plotting. “Kier too.”

  He crossed his arms. “Really?”

  Josephine nodded. “Yup. Totally forgot that Rory has a thing this afternoon and he needs to bring the boys over. You know full well it takes two to watch those two. They’ll be running circles around Trace in no time.”

  She had him there. The twins were pushing three. They were just babies when he’d met them and now they were running, tumbling, little terror machines. He was sure that Josephine was making up the babysitting duties, but maybe it slipped her mind that Rory had a thing.

  No, it hadn’t. This was Josephine. Mind like a steel trap was an extreme understatement for her. She was the most organized, intelligent, capable person Tavish had ever known, and he knew Sam, so that was saying something.

  He lifted a hand and swiped it over his hair. He’d started growing it out a few years ago and now it was long. He didn’t dare put it in a bun, even though it would have been more convenient, because Kier never would have let him hear the end of it, so he kept it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He’d considered growing a beard but decided the hipster comments would get out of control, so he shaved every single morning even though he hated doing it.

  Did he really care what anyone said? Not really. If he truly wanted a beard, he’d grow one and tell Kier where to go with his snarky remarks. Maybe it was more that he couldn’t be bothered with that either.

  His fingers tore loose a strand of hair and he had to slip the black elastic out and swipe everything back in. Fuck it. He knotted it and tied the elastic around it, making a perfect bun. He watched Kier’s face change and enjoyed the expression. He even gave a bit of a smirk back.

  “So, everyone is busy,” Josephine prompted. “Would you be alright changing that tire out there?”

  “What if I’m busy too? Here. At the clinic.”

  January and June exchanged a worried look. He wanted to immediately take that back even though he didn’t want to go and change that tire. Changing it was one thing—he hated the thought of the women being stranded. Changing it for January and being around her was another. If he spent more time with her he’d probably notice other things, like how her skin was so creamy and flawless she looked like she’d been airbrushed. Like how she had a lovely jawline and gorgeous bone structure. How her curves flowed into each other just right. He’d probably start thinking about her being a goddess among women. And he’d notice that she smelled like freshly cut flowers in the dead of winter. Not roses or lilies. Something exotic, maybe a bird-of-paradise flower.

  “What if I find someone who isn’t busy by making some calls?” He didn’t want the women to worry that they’d be left stranded. He didn’t want January to worry about anything. Ever.

  That insane notion was precisely the reason he shouldn’t walk out of here with her. Or ever think about seeing her again. He wouldn’t. She wasn’t from Greenacre. She was just passing through, like so many other people did every single year. Passing through on the way to somewhere else. On the way to her regular life, which didn’t and wouldn’t include him.

  January lifted her head. She was still holding her sister’s hand like a lifeline. Was she dizzy? Was she in pain she couldn’t manage? “If you are free and you could help, I’d be happy to pay you for your time.”

  That pretty much settled it right there, and she wasn’t even trying to use reverse psychology.

  “You don’t have to pay me. I’ll change your tire and get you on your way safely. It won’t take me any time at all.”

  Well, shit. Sometimes you said things you didn’t want to say and sometimes you did things you didn’t want to do. Sometimes, you did things you did want to do but shouldn’t do. Sometimes, the quickest ticket to a personal hell was to purchase one yourself.

  Hell being a world where he now knew January existed.

  Separately from himself.

  Chapter 3

  January

  “Holy amazeballs.”

  “Ugh, no one over the age of fourteen should say amazeballs.”

  “No one over the age of fourteen should say ugh like ugh and not make the sound.”

  January rolled her eyes, but June ignored her in favor of paying attention to the road. Two more minutes or so and they’d be at her car.

  She’d been sent away from the clinic with a verbal list of care instructions and ibuprofen. The guy who was clearly the doctor’s husband or boyfriend had taken her insurance information and sent that off before she left. She might be self-employed, but she paid for a top tier health insurance plan. You never knew when you were going to need it.

  “I’m talking amazeballs as in all those guys were super hot. Like alien level hot.”

  “Eww. Alien level? Really? What kind of romances have you been reading?”

  June snorted. “Not that kind. Outer space level hot. Not in this world hot. Out of this world hot. However you want to say it, they were smoking. Did you see that guy’s arms?”

  Unfortunately, she had. Her sister wasn’t the only one who noticed how ungodly hot the three men were. That was a lot of testosterone. Too much to ignore. She’d noticed Tavish’s broad shoulders, the veins running down his corded arms, his huge stance. He took up a lot of room. Even more when all the parts of her that had been very sadly neglected at the end of her marriage and obviously since the separation and divorce took notice.

  She’d taken one of those pills at the clinic with some more peach juice. God, that juice had been good. Knowing he’d made it for her was hotter than it should have been.

  Her leg was still on fire, throbbing with pain despite the pill. A different heat pooled between her legs, and she jammed them together. She could still save this pair of jeans. Turn them into cut offs for when she was back in a place that didn’t have godforsaken winters. She was wearing a big sweater and her jacket, but underneath that, her nipples peaked in her bra.

  She’d never seen a man built like any of those three, but especially not like Tavish. His beautiful long hair was one thing that made him unique, but that’s only where it started. Physically, it probably ended at the soles of his feet.

  “That place grows men big, I guess,” June mused. “They did say it was something about being outdoorsy, but I don’t buy it. It’s probably more like killer genetics.”

  January had seen the ridges of chiselled abs underneath Tavish’s t-shirt. Josephine had been wearing scrubs like a regular doctor, but the men were all wearing t-shirts and jeans.

  What kind of clinic was that anyway?

  Maybe they did things differently in small towns. They’d been the only ones there, but even if the place had been packed, she had the feeling they would have gotten the best care she’d ever had in her life, t-shirts or not.

  “They all looked like wrestlers. That guy could probably just lift up your car with one hand and slap the doughnut on with the other.”

  “That’s going a bit far.”

  “I can see it now. He’d work up a fine sweat and have to take his shirt off and he’d be completely and totally jacked beyond imagination, but not in that scary gym way.”

  “Oh my god, what would Greg say about that?”

  “I’m just thinking for you. You’re single, you know.”

  “I did get that memo right about the time I decided to separate from my husband, and it was certainly drilled into me when we signed the papers. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to do anything about it. Anyway, he’s probably not single. How could he not be taken when he looks like that?”

  June thumped the wheel twice with the flat of her hand in her eagerness. “So you did notice!”

  January remained silent. This was one of those traps that wasn’t worth walking into.

  “If you want to know what I think, I think he’s single. I was watching him watching you.”

  “He’s, like, a nurse or something. That’s his job.”

  “He made you juice.”

  “Also his job. I needed the sugar.”

  “He’s going to change your tire.”

  “That’s because he’s nice. And he was put on the spot. He didn’t want to lose face or appear like an asshole.”

  “I know many guys who aren’t scared of looking like an asshole.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  June grinned. “I guess I don’t. But I imagine they’re out there. Anyway, those other three basically pushed him into doing this. They weren’t busy. They were just saying that. It was so obvious.”

  “Obvious to who?” It was completely obvious to her too, she just didn’t want to admit it. Her sister had more than enough ammunition for her plotting as it was.

  “Anyone with eyes and ears.”

  “Sorry, I was too busy with just about having taken my leg off and it hurting like hell to notice.”

  “Yeah, freaking right. You’re such a bad liar. We might not hang out like we used to when I lived at home, but I know you. You’re all titillated about him, and you noticed he was getting pushed into this, which basically equals matchmaking, and that means he’s single.”

  “Oh my lord.” She thumped her head against the headrest. It was legit starting to hurt as much as her leg, the pain booming through her temples. “I’m not interested, June. I’m just not ready.”

  She closed her eyes. Instantly, January could see Tavish’s face behind her closed lids. He wasn’t classically handsome. He was way too rugged for that. He was so captivating that it had been hard for her not to stare at him the entire time. She hadn’t wanted to look down at her leg, but she’d made sure she’d alternated between looking at everyone in the room and not just him.

  Would his dark eyes sparkle with a bit of light? Did his hair have those rich copper or auburn undertones that chestnut hair sometimes had? More importantly, what would he look like holding up her car with one hand, slapping on a tire with the other, completely shirtless and sweaty?

  Fuck.

  “You could ask him,” June stated playfully as she pulled over.

  She was having way too much fun at the moment. January would rather it have been something else they could have had a laugh or a good chat over, but she couldn’t regret the time she was spending with her sister, even if it hadn’t gone according to plan and she’d just about torn her own leg off. It was still there, stitched up neatly and was going to be fine, and that’s what counted.

  January’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. The shiny forest green pickup with the white stripes down the side was pulling to a stop right behind them.

  “Don’t you dare ask him that,” she threatened her sister.

  “Or what? You’ll melt into a puddle of embarrassment?”

  “I won’t speak to you this entire trip.”

  “When you have to go to the outhouse in the middle of the night, I think you’ll break your silence long enough to ask me to go with you because you’re scared of falling in the hole or of man-eating spiders, even though those only come out in summer.”

  “I hate you sometimes.”

  “I know by hate you mean that you love me so much and I’m your favorite sister in this big, wide, wonderful world.”

  “You’re my only sister and you’re still not my favorite.”

  “That’s it!” June stuck out her tongue and punched January in the shoulder hard enough to actually hurt a little. She was banged up enough already. She didn’t need to add extra bruises. “I’m getting out right now. Your rudeness has chased me away. I’m going to go ask him just as punishment.”

  “You aren’t.”

  Right before she closed the door, June got serious. “I’m not, I promise. But I am going to go see if he needs help. You need to stay right there. You don’t need to be standing on your leg.”

  “Doesn’t that interfere with your matchmaking?”

  January should have known better. Her sister was a big believer in letting the universe make things happen. She had tons of books about crystals, chakras, tarot cards, and pretty much anything and everything else that could be even remotely considered related. It was kind of ironic because she’d never touch a self-help book if it was labelled self-help.

  “I think if it’s meant to be, he’ll come back into our lives somehow.”

  “Great. Well, I’m glad that you’re not going to ask him questions about his relationship status.”

  “Nope. Just going to do the tire. I promise.”

  January sunk back further into the seat. Her leg was pulsating now, sending shooting pains and fire up into her hip. It would probably be sore for a few days at least. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was manageable. She’d be fine. It could have been so much worse. She could have slipped and fallen and taken her nose off somehow. She could have cut something vital. There could have been broken bones.

  The stitches would dissolve, and she’d be as good as new within a few weeks. While it would have been better if it hadn’t happened at all, then they wouldn’t be here. And she wouldn’t be treating herself to a somewhat shameful show of watching Tavish wrangle that spare out of her trunk like it was nothing, jack the car up with an equal amount of finesse, and put the spare on. The whole process only took five minutes from start to finish. Either he’d changed a few tires before, or he was just that good. Maybe both.

  Even though she’d complained about it, she could admit to herself that she was enthralled. Watching someone built like that, like they were some kind of god or out-of-this-world hot man, or for sure one of those hunky, ripped, and chiselled heroes off the cover of a romance novel was pretty incredible.

  To be fair, she also liked Tavish’s name. She liked his hair. She liked that his voice was soft but deep and he seemed like the kind of man who had a lot going on in his head so that he only spoke what was necessary, when it was necessary because he didn’t want to waste time on the extra words. He wasn’t just strong. Muscles were great for attraction and so was a square jaw and jeans that cupped the world’s most gorgeous male ass she’d ever set eyes on, but sensitivity and intelligence?

  Good god, any man who had all three and was single would be considered a unicorn.

  There was no way Tavish was truly available. Just no way. He wasn’t a unicorn.

  January sat there with her heart slamming away until Tavish lifted a hand and waved to her like he knew she’d been studying him the whole time and he was perfectly fine with it. He didn’t hang around and make small talk when he was done, but that was probably because he had to race back to the clinic. He hadn’t seemed very keen on leaving in the first place.

  “Oh god.” June didn’t fan herself when she slipped back into the car. She fanned January, which made her immediately whip down the visor and check her face in the mirror. She didn’t look flushed or flustered. She wasn’t even blushing. Her sister shot her a gotcha look. “Do you want to know the best part of that?”

  His ass. Definitely his ass. Although, watching his whole body moving in one single, beautiful motion might be a close second.

  “What?” She sighed, feigning frustration. She was going to have to drive her car the short distance to June’s cabin. She had to get it off the road and make sure it didn’t get sideswiped or hit or cause an accident. Her leg would be okay for that. She’d follow June and they’d take it slow and easy and get there safe.

  June started up the car again and winked at her. “I asked him, and he admitted he’s single.”

  “My god, you didn’t!” January seriously hoped her sister was joking. It would be just like June to rile her up, but she went absolutely straight faced.

  “Not kidding. I really did ask—though before you say anything I was super tactful about it—and he really did grudgingly admit with the sweetest blush that he doesn’t have anyone in his life.”

  “Oh good. He still won’t because I’m not planning on getting involved. I don’t even live here.”

  “Sometimes you meet someone, fall for them, and you stay. You make a life and have a family and you love it, even if you’re far from home. Sometimes, it’s all worth it.”

  “That’s your story,” January told her sister softly. “Not mine.”

  “You could just get laid, then. You need it.”

  January flung herself out the door, stepping carefully on her injured leg. “See you at the cabin, June. I can hardly wait to never bring this up again when we get there.”

  Chapter 4

  January

  A few days made all the difference when it came to healing. January’s leg was sore for the first two, but on the third, it was much better. She had to hobble around before that, hardly putting any weight on it or the wound would start sending those shooting pains up and down her entire leg. The ibuprofen was exactly what she needed, but by day three, she didn’t take any when she got up, and at noon, she found she still didn’t need any.

  What she needed was a good, long walk. She was going stir-crazy from being inside. The only trips she’d taken out were to go to the outhouse, which was pretty terrible even in winter. The hole was so gaping and scary, but there was no stink, and thankfully, no spiders either.

  “The problem with this game,” January commented, throwing down her current hand of cards in disgust, “is that we’re playing it with two people when it’s meant for four.”

  “There are other variations,” June huffed. She’d made up said variations. She’d picked the rules and tried to get it to work, but taking turns playing for two people wasn’t much fun.

  “I think we could both use a walk.”

  June’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you really think you’re ready for that?”

  “I heard you telling Greg on the phone an hour ago that I was doing good.”

  “I didn’t want him to worry.” June swept her long blonde hair back into a ponytail and grabbed the elastic off her wrist to tie it. Her hair was naturally the same dark brunette as January’s, but she’d been blonde since her last year of high school. June took her time when it came to hair and clothes and makeup. Even out at the cabin, she was stunning, and she’d brought coordinated outfits.

 

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