Wilde Thing Read online

  “And only a mild concussion. You were extremely lucky. You could easily have been killed.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you Miss Glass Half-full. Lucky would have been not getting caught in the avalanche. Really lucky would have been finishing my run before the cornice broke free.”

  Her golden cat eyes darkened to the color of her tawny-brown hair as she tucked a stray lock behind one ear. “I’ll report back to Eden that you’re not going to drop dead anytime soon…unless one of the nurses gets fed up with your bad mood and kills you. Your parents were concerned you might be holding back because you didn’t want to worry them.” She pivoted on one heel and headed toward the door. “I’ll let them know you aren’t that considerate.”

  He winced, temples throbbing. “I’m sorry. Hannah, don’t go.” When her steps slowed, he rushed on to plead his case before she reached the door. “I let frustration get the better of me. Please stay. I was going to call you, anyway.”

  Pausing, she turned. “Oh?”

  He blinked a couple of times and tried to focus. Between the meds and sheer exhaustion, putting coherent thoughts together was a struggle. “Uh, the doc told me I’ll need therapy on my shoulder. I’m looking at six to eight weeks before I can compete again, depending on how fast I heal. That’s pushing into March. I’ll miss most of the ski season unless I can cut into that timeframe.”

  “I’m sure being sidelined won’t be easy for you.” Some of the frost thawed from her tone. “You want me to work on your shoulder?”

  He nodded then leaned back against his pillows. “You’re the absolute best with sports injuries. Believe me, your reputation in elite circles precedes you. How’s your schedule?”

  “Right now, I’m wrapping up some intensive therapy with a local high school kid who tore his Achilles. I was happy to take on a patient close to home for a change, but a hockey player with the San Jose Sharks left me a message—”

  “Call him back and tell him you’re already booked.”

  She frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know if I want you for a client. My guess is you’ll be a total pain in the ass.”

  He couldn’t hold back a snort of humor. The woman was nothing if not direct. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Pretty please?” He gave her a wide-eyed look from beneath the long lashes his brothers teased him about. A look that generally turned women into putty he could bend to his will.

  Hannah’s lips firmed. “I’ll do it…because your sister would want me to. But you’d better not make me regret going against my better judgment.”

  Relief flowed through him. He’d promise her the moon if she could help him get back on the mountain sooner. “I won’t.”

  She returned to his side. “How bad is the shoulder? Did you tear your rotator cuff?”

  “The doc said I didn’t. They did an x-ray and an MRI then put me in this stupid sling. I guess I can start range of motion exercises in a few days, but right now I can’t use it at all.” He grimaced and shifted against the pillows, aching all over. “I suck at texting with my left hand.”

  “Is that why you were swearing when I walked in?”

  “Pretty much. I was trying to cancel my date for tonight. I don’t think going to the concert I had tickets for over in South Lake Tahoe is in the cards for this evening.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Maybe the lucky lady will offer to sit by your bedside instead.”

  He snorted. “Doubtful. Poppy—or was it Pansy? I know her name was some type of flower…” He frowned. “Whatever. Anyway, the girl didn’t strike me as the nursemaid type.”

  “If you tried dating women instead of girls, you might find them a little more compassionate. You have to be pushing thirty…”

  “Next month.” He winced and glanced down at his sling. “My body’s too old to take this kind of abuse.”

  Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. “Then jumping off cliffs might not be the wisest career choice.”

  “I never claimed to be the smartest Wilde brother. Maybe the best looking…”

  Her lips curved upward in a smile. “The avalanche didn’t smash your ego, at least.”

  “Takes more than a mountain of snow to crush my spirits.” He sighed. “Not that I’m happy about missing the middle of the ski season.” An understatement, but there wasn’t much point in whining about something he couldn’t change. With an effort, he unclenched the hand fisted at his side. “My manager is scrambling to cancel everything I have on my schedule for the foreseeable future. I—” When his cell dinged, he reached for it with his good hand then read the text on the display. “Well, hell.”

  Steady bright eyes regarded him. “Another problem?”

  “Jake can’t pick me up.” He let out a long, slow breath. “This day just keeps getting better and better.”

  Hannah unzipped her jacket then dropped onto the chair beside the bed. “When are they releasing you?”

  “After the heavy meds wear off, which could be any time now if the way I ache all over is any indication.” He shifted again and readjusted the sling. Damn, his shoulder throbbed. “I can’t go home alone, though. They want someone to keep an eye on me because of the concussion. Not that I could drive myself with one arm in a sling. My truck’s still at Squaw. Shit.”

  Hannah reached for the plastic buzzer draped over the railing on the hospital bed. “Want me to call the nurse’s station to get you more pain meds?”

  “No, I just want to get the hell out of here.” He struggled to think who to contact since his buddy had bailed on him. His closest neighbor would still be at work. Maybe his trainer…

  “I can give you a ride home.”

  He glanced over, hope stirring. “You can?”

  She nodded. “You look frustrated and stressed…and exhausted.” Compassion filled her amber eyes. “What you need most right now is rest, so I’m going to help you out. For Eden, if nothing else. Quit worrying about everything since there isn’t a damn thing you can do to fix any of it, and relax. I’ll go see when you’ll be released and discuss your therapy with your doctor, if I can find him, along with pain management protocols. You’ll probably have to sign a form allowing him to talk to me.”

  “Sure.” He shifted and winced. “Thanks, Hannah. You’re being really nice about this. I appreciate it. A lot.”

  “No problem.” She stood and headed for the door. “I’ll be back later.”

  His attention focused on her hips, swaying gently beneath tight denim as she exited the room. When he’d thought of Hannah in the past, which admittedly wasn’t often, he’d pictured her in flowing skirts and baggy sweaters or T-shirts. Not jeans that showed off an extremely fine ass. But then, back when she’d visited their ranch a time or two with his sister, she’d been more…well-rounded. Not fat, but a little on the chubby side. Sometime in the last few years, those extra pounds had disappeared.

  His lips quirked in a self-deprecating smile. Eden would no doubt tell him he was a superficial jerk for focusing on a Hannah’s appearance first and foremost. The truth didn’t exactly hurt…maybe just stung a little.

  He’d noticed Hannah’s new and improved figure at his oldest brother’s engagement party the previous fall and thought about giving her a call afterward. Settling against the pillows, he closed his eyes. Somehow, he’d never gotten around to it. Probably because he’d rarely been home in the last couple of months, and she wasn’t really his type. The sort he dated—women like Poppy or Pansy or whatever the brunette from the bar’s name was—made him feel like a hero. Hannah was smart enough to know better. Way too smart to be interested in a guy like him.

  He couldn’t think of one woman he’d dated recently who’d care enough to visit him in the hospital…and wasn’t that pathetic. Maybe Hannah was right. Maybe it was time to make a few changes.

  Chapter 2

  “Are you all signed out and ready to go?”

  Hannah pushed the wheelchair into the room and surveyed Tripp from th
e top of his slightly shaggy chestnut hair downward. His face was still pale, the skin drawn tight over high cheekbones, while a bruise darkened the side of his jaw. He wore an old, black University of Colorado sweatshirt that hugged broad shoulders beneath the white sling.

  “More than ready.” When he stood, faded jeans stretched over hard, muscled thighs. “At least Jake brought me some clothes, earlier.” He lifted a brown paper bag. “They cut me out of my race suit. What’s left of it is in here.”

  She nodded. “Do we need to pick up your meds from the pharmacy before we go?”

  “I guess so.” Tripp swayed slightly as he fished a folded paper from his back pocket.

  He really didn’t look great. Stepping around the chair, Hannah took the prescription from him then held on to his good arm. “Are you sure you should be leaving the hospital this soon?”

  “They wanted to keep me overnight.” He frowned. “I refused. I just need some rest, and I can do that at home.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Well, I do. Let’s go.” He limped toward the door, steps faltering as a little more color leached out of his face.

  “You’re supposed to use the wheelchair until you get outside. That’s why I brought it in with me.”

  “The hell with that. I can walk out under my own steam.”

  Not likely. “Sit down, or I’ll get in trouble.”

  “Whatever.” He let out a sigh then dropped onto the seat with a whoosh of breath. “Wouldn’t want the nurses yelling at you, too.”

  As she turned the chair and pushed him down the hall, a grin slipped out. “They yelled at you?”

  “Maybe not yelled, exactly. More like strongly suggested I stop trying to do too much so soon.” He rested his head against the back of the chair. “Hell, I figured a little exercise to keep the blood flowing would help rather than hinder.”

  “You didn’t mention earlier that you have a sprained ankle and serious bruising to your thigh.” She stopped at the elevator and pressed the down button.

  “Whining isn’t going to do me much good.” He glanced back at her, green eyes dark with pain. “Anyway, they’re only minor problems and will heal a whole lot faster than my shoulder. The doc wrapped my ankle and told me to take it easy for a few days. No big deal.”

  She pressed her lips together. Obviously Tripp was determined to downplay his injuries. Or maybe he was just trying to be a martyr. Perfect. They were both silent on the ride down in the elevator. After wheeling him to the pharmacy, she handed over his prescription to the white-coated attendant.

  “Now what?”

  She glanced at him and frowned. “We stick to the plan. I take you home, maybe make some dinner, and then we’ll see.”

  White teeth flashed in a smile. “If any other woman said that…”

  Her cheeks heated. “Yeah, well, I’m not any other woman.”

  “No, you certainly aren’t.”

  Hannah wasn’t sure how to take his quiet comment, so she didn’t say anything while he paid for the prescription then listened to the spiel on dosage and possible side effects. Once he’d taken the bag from the pharmacist, she pushed him out to the parking lot where she’d left her Subaru. After he settled onto the passenger seat, she returned the wheelchair then hurried back to the car. Snowflakes sifted through the gathering cloud cover as she started the engine.

  “Another storm moving in.” She turned up the heater. “This is shaping up to be a big winter.”

  He didn’t bother to open his eyes. “And I’m going to miss it.”

  She gave him a long look before pulling out of the lot. “No whining, remember.”

  That earned her a half-smile.

  “Right. Sorry.”

  At the stop sign, she waited. “Uh, Tripp.”

  “Hmm?”

  “I don’t have a clue where you live. Somewhere here in Truckee, or do we head back to Squaw Valley?”

  “I live in Tahoe City down the West Shore. I hope I’m not taking you out of your way.”

  “Not at all. I’m on the West Shore, too.” She flipped on her blinker and turned left. “Convenient. Let’s see if we can make it home before the roads get slick again.”

  “I really appreciate this.”

  “I know you do. As I said before, not a problem. My afternoon was open, and my evening, too.” She sure wasn’t going to tell him almost all her evenings were free since she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an actual date. Tapping her fingers on the wheel, she glanced over as they waited at the stoplight. “Why did your friend bail on you?”

  “Media interview. Jake won the competition.” He snorted. “Wouldn’t have if I’d finished my run. I was unbeatable.”

  “Boy, you sure don’t lack confidence.” Hannah peered through the wipers slapping across the windshield as the snow fell faster. “Must be nice.”

  He shrugged then grunted. “Ouch. Son of a bitch!”

  “Take another pain med. You’re about due. There should be a water bottle on the floor by your feet.”

  He clamped his lips together. “I’ll wait until we get home.”

  “Suit yourself.” She focused on the road. As the snow collected on the pavement, she shifted into 4-wheel-drive, glad she’d used the Christmas check from her mother to buy new tires. “There’s no reason for you to be uncomfortable.”

  “I don’t like feeling fuzzy.”

  “A party animal like you? I’d think you’d be used to it.” She took her eyes off the road long enough to glance over at him.

  His scowl was just visible in the dim light as dusk closed in. “I may go out a lot. My sponsors expect me to bolster the Wilde Thing image in the public eye, but I don’t drink excessively during the ski season. Or any other time for that matter. I care too much about staying in top form.”

  Hannah couldn’t argue with his logic. At his brother’s engagement party a few months back, she’d seen his form in nothing but a pair of shorts as he’d headed to the shower one morning. She could vouch for the fact that he stayed in incredible shape. “Good for you.”

  They rode in silence for some time as the snow fell faster.

  “I’m not the complete derelict you seem to think I am.”

  Her brows shot up. “I never said—”

  He snorted. “You don’t have to say anything. Your expression does the talking for you every time you look at me.”

  Clenching the wheel a little harder, she reined in her irritation. “I’m surprised you noticed. I always thought I was invisible around you.”

  He turned in his seat and stared. “Why would you think that?”

  “How many times did I visit your ranch while I was in college with Eden?”

  “Uh, a couple, I’m pretty sure.”

  “Three Christmases, two spring breaks and a month one summer. You were around at least part of the time on each occasion.” She gritted her teeth. “As I said, invisible.”

  “That many? Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Huh. I could have sworn…” He shook his head. “Ancient history. You’re…different now.”

  “You mean not fat.” Her voice came out flat and hard.

  “I didn’t imply anything of the sort.”

  “Only because your mother raised you better. You were thinking it.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Is it a crime to notice you look pretty damn hot now?”

  Remnants of old pain dissolved in a spurt of satisfaction. “Not in the least.” She flicked on her blinker and headed down the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. “Where do you live, exactly?”

  “I have a house up in Talmont.”

  Hannah winced. “We might get up that hill, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back down again later. It’s dumping. I’d guess four inches of snow since we left the hospital in Truckee.”

  “I have extra bedrooms and a spare toothbrush. No reason for you to go anywhere.”
/>   Her stomach did a funny little flip, not unlike the one Tripp had performed before the avalanche buried him alive. She could only hope for a better ending to the evening. “We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Where’s your home?”

  “A tiny, old cabin in Timberland I inherited from my grandfather. Funny, Eden didn’t mention you were only a few miles away when she visited me last fall.”

  He rested his head against the window, dark lashes visible on his cheeks as they passed under a streetlight. “I was in Europe at the time, and I haven’t had this house long enough for the family to have seen it yet.”

  His words slurred slightly. Hannah frowned. Maybe it was just exhaustion or the pain meds, but she wasn’t leaving him home alone with a concussion, no matter how mild. She passed the turnoff to his neighborhood and kept going.

  Tripp didn’t say anything more until the car stopped. He sat up straighter, opened his eyes, then glanced around at her cabin backed up against white-coated trees just visible through the falling snow in the glare of the headlights. “Where are we?”

  “My place. The doctor wants someone to keep an eye on you, and it looks like that someone is going to be me. I need to pack a bag and collect my dog. My neighbor would feed her if I asked, but she can come with us instead.” She opened the car door to a swirl of fat flakes. “Be right back.”

  Trudging through the snow on the path to the front porch, she stomped her boots before unlocking the door to step inside. Her Tiffany lamp, an impulse purchase she hadn’t regretted, glowed on the end table by the couch, casting a warm glow over knotty pine walls. A soft thump sounded from the other room. No doubt Winnie jumping off the bed. Her baby strolled out to greet her, nails clicking on the hardwood floor. The spaniel yawned and stretched as Hannah stooped to rub her silky ears.

  “Did you have a boring day? Sorry I’m home so late.”

  Straightening, she headed into the bedroom to pack the overnight bag she pulled off a shelf in the closet. A change of clothes and pajamas was all she would need. Her hand hovered over the stack of folded flannel. She jerked it back and searched behind her practical nightwear for a lone silk gown. If Tripp caught a glimpse of her in that little red number, she might not be so invisible anymore. Dropping it into the open bag, she stuffed in a warm fleece robe and quilted slippers. It was January, after all, and she didn’t want to freeze. After collecting a few toiletries from the bathroom with Winnie at her heels, she headed into the kitchen to grab a bag of dog food and her pet’s bowls.