Rescue Me(32)

And Tallie fawning over him, although she kept that aside to herself.

“I was pretty disappointed in Sam,” Sierra said. “Sure, I wanted to choke Pete, but Sam nearly took his head off. I have a feeling there was a lot more to that fight than just Pete showing up with Tallie Kennedy. Something else is bothering him.”

Willow lowered her spoon down, found Gopher, let the dog lick the spoon. Closed her eyes.

“Did he say anything?” Jess asked.

Willow braced herself.

“He was fine earlier—we were at his mother’s house. He agreed to go hiking tomorrow with Willow’s youth group. Then we got to the Gray Pony and suddenly he turned dark and possessive. Even kissed me on the dance floor.”

Willow let the dog finish cleaning the spoon, then got up to put it in the sink.

At the mention of the kiss, a tiny fist had latched onto her heart, started to squeeze.

Probably the claws had been there all night, digging in the minute Sam walked in and sat down in the booth, his arm around Sierra.

Sure, he’d tried to make it all okay—he gallantly looked at Willow, flashed her a smile.

For a minute, made her believe that yes, she could forget the way he’d kissed her, hungry, as if she’d awoken something inside him.

As if he wanted her.

Thankfully Willow hadn’t seen the part where Sam kissed her sister in just that way.

She braced her hands on the sink.

“Are you okay, Willow?” Jess, the EMT, too observant.

“Fine.” Willow turned to face them. “Don’t be too hard on Sam. He did nearly get eaten by a bear last week. That has to be hard to shake off. And he’s usually such a gentleman. He’s trying to woo you, Sierra. You need to let him.”

Crazily, her eyes pricked, burned. “Sam Brooks is the most honorable man I’ve ever met. Self-sacrificing, kind, patient, and responsible. Not to mention cute, right? With those pale blue eyes and that hard-won smile?” She met Sierra’s gaze. “Give him a break. I’ll bet that tomorrow he shows up with apologies and spends the day trying to charm you.” Willow finished with a smile.

Sierra was staring at her, wearing an enigmatic look. Slowly, she nodded. “He is all those things, isn’t he?”

Willow slid into the chair. “If anyone can make you forget stupid, arrogant Ian Shaw, it’s Sam Brooks. So let him, okay?”

Jess wore a strange frown.

“Okay, Willow,” Sierra said. “You’re right. Sam is worth fighting for. I’ll give him exactly the chance he should have.”

Oh. Willow should be cheering. Instead, her throat turned thick—she’d call it relief.

“I’ll make sure that tomorrow everything gets sorted out during the hike, okay?” Sierra said.

“You’re going on a hike in the park tomorrow?” Jess asked.

“Willow planned a youth group trip, a hike to Huckleberry Mountain.”

“You know you shouldn’t take this little guy in the park, right? He’ll be a bear snack.” Jess leaned down, picked up Gopher, put him on her lap. Casanova batted his big brown eyes at Jess. “Maybe you should stay here with me, huh?”

Willow grinned. Disaster averted. Tomorrow, as they hiked, and under the lure of the park’s inspiration, Sierra and Sam could find the footing they needed for a fresh start.

And once and for all, Sam could forget about the sister who shouldn’t have kissed him.



With the sun high, the temps in the valley rising to the mid-sixties, and the air smelling sweetly of pine, Sam just might have a chance at redemption.

He pulled his day pack from the bed of his truck, hiked it over his shoulder, and walked up onto the porch of PEAK Rescue HQ.

He’d agreed to meet Sierra and Willow here, on their way into the park after picking up the youth hikers from the church.

Meanwhile, he’d pack a few other essentials, just in case something went south today. Not that he expected trouble, but . . . lately he seemed to find it without looking.

Like last night. Trouble simply slid into his periphery.

He may have slightly overreacted.

He spent the entire night wrestling through any of the other reactions he might have attempted, ones that didn’t include laying out his kid brother.

Or resulting in Sierra looking at him as if he’d turned into a grizzly.

Yeah, he’d made a fantastic impression on Sierra. But today bore all the earmarks of a fresh start.

He’d simply show her that he could be the kind of relaxed, easygoing guy who didn’t let circumstances have their way with him.

The bright, sunny day confirmed it. Hiking into the beauty of the mountains, the clean forest air, a day of simply exercising, working out the kinks of the last week . . . He planned on wooing his way into Sierra’s heart by the end of the hike.