Finding Life Read online

  “This is Pete’s family’s property. It’s beautiful here; you’ll love it,” she tells me.

  We unload and begin our trek, with me and Colby in the middle of the pack. I stay quiet as we hike and listen as some of the others carry on conversation. It’s not that I’m trying to be rude. It’s just that I’m listening and learning the dynamics of the group. I’m an observer by nature and I like to study a situation before I engage, whenever possible. That’s working great for me until Marshall decides it’s time for the big brother inquisition.

  “So, Victor, you’re an ambulance chaser?”

  I detest that reference because what I do is the farthest thing from that.

  “I’m a lawyer, if that’s what you’re asking.” I do my best to hide my irritation. I can already tell he doesn’t like me and I know it’s going to get uncomfortable quick.

  “I knew it was something like that with the fancy-ass ride you’ve got. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sweet car, but you don’t own one of those unless you’re the corporate type. You know, doctor or lawyer. It fits.”

  Before I can respond, Colby stops walking and turns back to look at him. “Marshall, I’m warning you. Don’t be a dick.”

  “Hey, if the guy can’t take a little friendly messing around then maybe—”

  “Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” she hisses at him.

  To prevent a sibling war, I wade in. “It’s okay, Colby.” I turn to Marshall. “I can take some friendly messing around. I drive a kick-ass car because I worked hard to earn it. I spend sometimes upward of 60 hours a week at the office. I’m not turning wrenches, but I’m making a living. I’m an estate lawyer not a courtroom litigator. Big difference.”

  I grab her hand and change the subject. “Come on, keep going. I’m getting hungry. How long till we reach our lunch stop?”

  “We will be at the lake in about half an hour. Just ignore him,” she says and stomps ahead.

  Now I can concentrate on her muscular thighs as our incline steepens, and just like that I’m back in my happy place. We wind our way through the wooded hillside until we finally reach a huge grassy clearing with a lake right in the middle. I’ve worked up a good sweat and am thinking the lake looks like an inviting place to be when Pete and Marshall let out a loud hoot and take off running past us toward the water, stripping their packs on the way there. Near the water’s edge Pete stops to pull off his socks and boots, hopping around on one foot to do it quickly. Marshall already dove in and Bobby is strolling up behind them slowly. Emma and Dana run past us and join the strip fest, getting all the way down to bikinis before entering the water.

  “I didn’t even ask you if you swim. Do you?” she looks over to me, concerned.

  “Of course. I love it.”

  She smiles, grabs my hand and tugs me faster. “Come on then. We’re swimming.”

  I jog behind her until we reach the spot where the majority of everyone’s stuff is piled and tug off our shirts, boots and socks. She’s got a skimpy triangle bikini top on under the shirt and I’m struck stupid for a second. I knew she was curvy. Her clothes hint at such, but her breasts are much fuller than I expected and seem to be exploding out of her bikini top. Shit! This is a serious test of my control.

  “Come on.” She tugs on my arm impatiently.

  “Okay, hold on.” I laugh as I lean down and pull my hearing aid storage case out of my bag and begin to remove them.

  “I can’t hear without them, so keep that in mind,” I tell her before I pull the second one out.

  She places her hand on my wrist to stop me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you wore them. We don’t have to get in.”

  “It’s hot and the water looks cool. I’m fine, just be aware that I don’t hear hardly anything without them. I can read lips if you’re looking right at me, though.”

  “You can?”

  “Yeah, I’ve learned that along the way.”

  “Are you sure you want to get in?” I should have explained this before. I forget that the new hearing aids are so small that most people don’t realize I wear them. I’m used to them so it doesn’t faze me, but it always seems to freak people out.

  “Absolutely. Give me just a second to put them away.”

  “Okay.” She waits for me to finish and holds up her hand for me to follow. She wades out a little, then dives in, swimming out farther and then turns toward me. It’s so damn cold. My body is hot and sweaty but I didn’t think about the water being this cool.

  She’s treading water and I can read her lips when she says, “Come on, chicken, it’s not that cold.” I glance around at the others in the water. They are all laughing and I can tell she’s full of shit, but I dive in anyway. It’s cold as hell, just as I suspected. My junk has crawled back up inside me to hide, it’s so damn frigid. When I swim close enough, she wraps her arms around me and I thank God that I’m such a strong swimmer because I’d hate to make her move. Her little legs wrap around my waist and I tread water, loving the feel of her so close.

  I swim us a little closer to shore so I can touch bottom. Once we’re stable she makes sure she has my full attention before saying, “You’re so quiet.”

  “I’m just trying to get the feel of everyone. I’m an observer until I’m comfortable.”

  “I’m sorry my brother is being a dick. I don’t understand why, but I’ll talk to him.”

  I shake my head. I already know that a guy like her brother won’t respect me if she fights my battles. “He’ll get over it. If not, I can handle myself.”

  “I bet you can,” she says before she kisses my cheek. “You’re hungry. Let’s get out and eat.”

  I’d love to stay like this, with her wrapped around me all day, but she is correct that I’m hungry, and let’s be honest, even though the cool water is refreshing for a short time, there is such a thing as too cold and this might be it. We get out and she pulls a towel from her pack and dries off a little before passing me one to dry off with too. Then she pulls out two sandwiches. I put my hearing aids back in before I turn to her.

  “I should have asked what you like, but I didn’t think of it until it was too late. I hope you eat ham,” she says.

  “I’m Hindu. We don’t eat pork,” I tell her with a straight face. Everyone else who just followed us out of the water stops to stare at me, and her eyes widen. I can see her trying to formulate the proper response and I can’t help but laugh.

  “I’m kidding. I love any kind of meat you want to throw my way. Thank you. I grabbed a couple of granola bars, but didn’t have much else in my cupboard.”

  “I’m used to packing sandwiches for everyone so it was no big deal.”

  We eat and relax in the sun for a while and everyone around me talks and jokes and I listen, happy to be away from work and to be sitting next to the most beautiful woman in Colorado.

  We’re on our hike back and come across a tricky spot in the area that includes a fallen pine tree and some jagged boulders when it happens. Everyone has cleared the rough terrain except Emma and Dana. Marshall is attempting to help, but Dana loses her balance and falls to the side. When she tries to catch herself she makes it worse, tumbling at a weird angle away from Marshall and causing a crack loud enough that those of us close to her can hear it. I know that stomach-roiling sound. Bone breaking. Shit. She howls in misery and Marshall does his best to help her up, causing her crying to grow louder. Emma’s freaking out because she’s still on the other side and the guys in the front of our group rush back to help.

  My medic training kicks in. “Colby, you and Marshall help Emma climb over. I’m going to look at Dana.”

  Marshall glares at me. “Don’t tell me—”

  I stop him by holding up a hand before he can piss me off. “Get Emma before she tries to come across by herself. I heard Dana’s bone crack, so this is going to take more than a few minutes.”

  “They teach you that in lawyer school?” he sneers.

  “No, asshole. The Army. Now he
lp Emma while I look at Dana.”

  I don’t wait for more lip; I move to the other side of Dana and say, “Okay, honey. Calm down. I know it hurts. I need you to lie back, breathe deep and slow. Try to relax so I can see what’s going on. I promise to be careful.” I help her to gently lie down, she’s whimpering continuously and I can see right away that it’s her tibia, her shin bone. It didn’t break the skin but it’s bulging and black and blue already. Probably a compound fracture. Those are painful as hell and Fuck! We’re several miles from the trucks.

  I pull my first aid kit from my bag. “Take this, please, it will help with the pain,” I tell her as I give her water and Tylenol. Then I explain, “Dana, I’m pretty sure your shin bone is broken. I’m going to find a couple of branches and make a splint.” I turn to Colby who is now squatting beside Dana, trying to comfort her. “Stay with her while I find something to splint her leg.” She nods and rotates around to face Dana. I turn to Marshall and the other guys, “Look around for two branches about the length of her lower leg and I’ll create a makeshift splint so we can get her back to the truck without making this worse.”

  The guys all scatter to look and come back a few minutes later with a few small branches to try. I’ve found one ACE bandage in my bag and ripped pieces of my shirt off to wrap the splint in place. Dana cries the whole time I’m tying it in place and my stomach rolls over because I know that what I’m doing is hurting her. Once she’s set, I hoist my backpack over my shoulders and say, “There is no way in hell you can walk on this. I’m going to carry you. Tell me if it gets to be too much for you and we’ll rest. Okay?”

  “I’m too heavy. You won’t be able to carry me that far.” She cries harder and the fear in her eyes steels my resolve.

  “Dana, I carried a guy twice your size in full gear almost five miles. I can handle it. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I’ll carry her,” Marshall says, sounding a little put out that he wasn’t expected to do it.

  “No offense, man, but I’ve got experience doing this. Let me do it. If I need a break, you can take over.” He glares at me and I can tell by the look on his face that his pride is telling him to argue, but his sense of reason knows he can’t really carry her that far.

  “Fine, when you get tired I’ll take over. We can share the duty.”

  I nod, knowing there’s no way in hell I’ll need him to take over for me. “Works for me.”

  I turn back to her, squat down and scoop her up as gently as I can. She gives a little yelp when I adjust her in my arms.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do that anymore.”

  Her bottom lip quivers and I can tell she’s doing her best not to cry more. Marshall grabs her bag and we all begin the trek back. Pete, Charlie and Bobby are up front, followed by me. Colby, Emma and Marshall pull up the rear. About a mile in, the sweat is running down my face, neck and back. My muscles are straining and memories are flowing through my mind of a time when I wore fatigues and sweat my ass off every hour of every day. I don’t miss it, but it feels good to know I’m doing something that makes a difference, even if it’s only making a difference to Dana. She’s not heavy, but the terrain is a little more difficult to navigate in certain spots and a few times I jostle her and she cries out.

  “I can take her, man,” Marshall insists, but I grunt a negative reply at him and continue. When he offers two more times, she declines for me, which seems to piss him off further. I’m not straining to carry her so I don’t mind continuing the task. When we pause to climb through a narrow area, Colby gives me water, but otherwise she stays quiet the rest of the way.

  The group breathes a collective sigh of relief as we finally see the trucks in the clearing.

  “Take her to my truck and I’ll drop you off to get your car and then take her to the ER,” Colby says to me.

  “No way,” Marshall overrides his sister. “I’m taking her to the ER. I’ll call you and let you know when she’s okay.”

  “Marshall, she’s my best friend—I can take her,” Colby protests as I stand waiting.

  “I’ve got it,” he growls. “Vic has done enough today and could probably use a meal after that workout. I can take care of her.”

  Dana speaks up finally and says, “He’s right. Marsh can drop me off. No one needs to stay with me. I can call my mom to get me once they see me. You guys go on. Marshall has it handled. Emma can drop my car off at home.”

  My eyebrows lift and I’ve got my suspicions about Marshall and Dana being more than friends, but I keep my mouth shut and let them work it out. After a few seconds, Colby relents but stays with Dana, whispering to her after I set her in Marshall’s truck. When she returns to me, she has a sour expression on her face.

  Once we’ve climbed into Colby’s truck and closed the doors, she fires it up and says, “I don’t understand why they’re being so stubborn, but I can’t win so I’ll check on her later.”

  “You can drop me off and meet them at the ER.”

  “No, she was adamant. I’m such a bitch. I was so worried about getting her to the ER that I never thanked you for carrying my best friend for miles without a break. I didn’t even know that was possible. Thank you.”

  “She thanked me when I placed her in Marshall’s truck and that was enough. It’s no big deal, but I need to pull on a clean shirt so give me a second.”

  As I’m tugging it on she asks, “What’s the tattoo on your shoulder? I was trying to figure it out on the way back, but I couldn’t. The words look like Latin.”

  “Army. Green Beret insignia. The Latin words are our motto. De oppresso liber. In English it means, To liberate the oppressed.”

  “I can’t believe you carried her all the way back. There’s more to you than I originally thought.”

  “What did you think?” My eyebrows draw down low as I study her.

  “I pegged you for a pretty boy. I mean…you are pretty.” She shrugs. “I guess it’s the lawyer thing.”

  I laugh a little. “You haven’t a clue. Why did you ask me here today if you thought I was a pretty-boy lawyer? That’s obviously not something you like.” I’m doing my best to ignore the irritation I feel at her judgement.

  “I’m not trying to be mean, but if you look at the other guys in your profession, they don’t exactly scream manly-man. You know?”

  Does she realize that the other women in her profession don’t scream feminine?

  “Again, why did you ask me out today if that’s how you feel?”

  “There’s something about you. It’s different.”

  That doesn’t sound any better to me so I ask to get clarification. “Different?”

  “You’re a lawyer, but honesty shines from your eyes at all times. You’re pretty in your suit and tie, but you wear gym shorts and hiking boots better than my brother. You spend your days behind a desk, but you have callouses on your hands and can carry my best friend for miles without a break. I feel like I’m looking at Clark Kent and Superman.”

  “I’m no one special.” If I were Superman, I’d have known something was wrong with Carol and would have come home early from Afghanistan to at least be with her through more of her cancer battle. I could have found a way to save her. Instead I was halfway around the world in the middle of a fight that didn’t make a damn bit of difference. I don’t say anything else; instead I look out the window and do my best to block out the old feelings that keep me awake more often than not.

  Chapter Six

  Colby

  When we arrive back at the auto shop I put the truck in park and ask, “Are you angry with me?” I chew my bottom lip, worried I hurt his feelings or upset him. I wasn’t meaning to be rude by what I said about Superman and Clark Kent, just honest.

  “No. I guess it’s an occupational hazard. People have always been quick to judge me even before now and being a lawyer doesn’t help.”

  We sit in an uncomfortable silence and I’m not sure how to fix things with him.

  “Want to get somet
hing to eat?” I ask, not ready for our time to be over yet.

  “I’d love to, but I have plans tonight. Can I take a rain check? Do you even want to see me again? You seem conflicted about me.”

  If he can’t figure out if I want to see him again by my actions today, I’m doing something wrong. It’s time to make a statement that leaves no doubt. I twist and lean across the seat, sliding my fingers over the back of his neck along the smooth, sweat-dampened strands of his hair to pull him toward me. We’re so close I can feel the warmth of his breath, but I never break eye contact. “Yes, I want to see you again…if you’re still interested.”

  His eyes burn with a magnetic heat like I’ve never experienced and I can’t help but bridge the distance between us, touching my lips to his. I linger there, savoring the softness until his fingers connect with the skin of my neck. Then I pull away, but stay close, held captive by his piercing hazel eyes. The gentle journey of his fingers up the column of my throat raises goose bumps along my arms, until they drift to the underside of my chin where they pause.

  With just the simple touches we’ve exchanged, the sexual tension in the truck is now off the charts. How can I feel almost ravenous for him with so little effort? If we weren’t in front of my shop, in broad daylight, I’d climb across the seat and straddle his lap. Instead, I run my tongue along his bottom lip and push it inside a little more forcefully than I normally would. Victor responds immediately, opening his mouth and tilting his head. His hand disappears from my chin and grips my ponytail, twisting it around his fist. He uses it to increase the intensity and angle of the kiss, making tingles spread from my nipples to my sex. We should’ve skipped hiking and spent the day kissing. God, he has perfect lips.

  He guides me closer until I’m stretched to the max across the console and am close enough to brace myself with a palm on his chest. We’re heating up the truck in the most spectacular way until someone lays on their horn, making me jump. I glance up to find Pete, Charlie and Bobby all laughing hysterically as Pete hits the horn again and peels out of the parking lot. They’re such idiots sometimes.