“I can’t go back to driving trucks and hauling timber.”
“Is that what you wanted?”
“After we sold the business, I was thinking about picking up more shifts with Eric Moore’s crews. Though I don’t think they want me out there operating heavy machinery or chainsaws.”
“Probably not,” she agreed. “Maybe you could take on a different role?”
“I’m not sure I want to. Before the accident, I thought about buying some land and starting a vineyard. I’d toyed with going back to school to study viniculture.” He smiled. “Megan really likes the idea.”
“When I get back, let’s talk about how to make your plan a success.” She withdrew her hand and picked up her pen.
“You’re leaving?”
She nodded, scribbling a quick note in his chart. “I’m taking the red-eye back to New York tonight.”
“Why?” She heard the panic in his voice. Like many of the patients she met with, she’d quickly become a crutch for him. She made a quick note to find a therapist for him to meet with on a regular basis. Managing his feeling as he navigated his recovery would become a priority now that he’d regained pieces of his short-term memory.
“I have some personal business to attend to in New York.” She smiled. “Your siblings know. And I will be back Friday morning. You’re stuck with me for another week after that. But this was a previously scheduled appointment I couldn’t cancel.”
“Must be an important patient if you’re flying back across the country.”
“It’s personal.” She closed the file and pushed back from the table. “You might want to check on your chili while I pack up. Your sister agreed to drive me to the airport and she should be here soon.”
Josh headed for the stove and paused, turning to her. “Thanks for taking a chance on me, Doc. I picked up bits and pieces from Chad and Brody. I know coming back here wasn’t easy for you. But I feel like I’ve been lost in a maze for months now. It’s nice to find a way out.”
“You’re welcome. And for the record, ‘easy’ and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms. I like a challenge.”
“One more thing, Doc.” He kept his focus on the steaming pot. “Do you think we could keep this between us until I finish finding my way out? I’m not ready to tell my brothers and sister. Megan knows. But I can’t help feeling like I’m going to jinx myself. And there are still moments when I can’t recall what happened five minutes ago. I know you and Brody are—” He waved the wooden spoon through the air. “—a thing. But—”
“I won’t say a word.” He was her patient and his needs came first. “We can talk more about how and when you want to share the news with your family, but for now my lips are sealed.”
BRODY WORE HIS sour mood like a cloak. When he’d joined the Willamette Valley search and rescue squad he’d envisioned saving lives, not arriving too late to do a damn thing.
He stepped inside the kitchen, expecting the sweet smell of pie. Heck, he’d settle for cookies or cupcakes. Something sugary and sweet followed by a long shower with the doctor who’d taken over his kitchen.
Not to mention his bed, his mind—and possibly his heart.
“Where’s Josh?” he demanded.
His little sister looked up from a pile of magazines. “He is in the apartment over the barn with Megan. I think he’s planning to move out there. For the privacy. It’s probably a good idea. I stayed here on Monday while Liam was on a job site overnight, and I swear it sounded like you were rebuilding furniture in your room.”
Ignoring his sister, he peered into the pot on the stove and frowned. “That’s not a pie.”
“Josh made chili today,” Katie said. “I think he’s moving on from dessert.”
He didn’t give a damn what Josh cooked. But Brody thought bringing chili to bed was a stretch. Sure, he could work with the leftover chocolate syrup. Or heck, he would settle for tasting her. Either way, he wanted to devour Kat, make her scream over and over, then slide inside and take her. He wanted to lose himself in her, erasing the memories from his god-awful day.
He ran a hand over his face. “Where is Kat?”
“I drove the doctor to Portland. She’s flying back to New York tonight, remember? It was part of her deal from the beginning. She mentioned it the first day. Some appointment she couldn’t break.”
“What?” He shook his head, feeling as if he’d entered the twilight zone.
“She’s coming back on Friday,” Katie said. “Though we might want to talk about the look on your face. The next time she heads east, I have a feeling she plans to stay there. On the ride to the airport, she suggested that Josh is making progress and said she doesn’t think he’ll need her help long-term. But you kind of look like you might.”
“I just had a bad day.” Brody went to the cupboard, took out a bowl, and filled it with chili. If sugar and shower sex weren’t in the cards, he might as well eat.
“What happened?” Katie closed the magazine, her teasing tone replaced with concern.