2. Tanner Houlton
Chapter Two
Tanner Houlton
Tan the Rescue Man
“Nice to meet you,” I replied. “Honestly, I don’t actually know your name yet.”
“It’s Ava.”
“Well, Ava, how are you?”
She let out a soft laugh. “Well, I mean, I’ve had better days.”
I tried not to notice the way her laugh vibrated against my back, or the fact that I could feel her curves shift slightly with the motion. There really wasn’t anything sexy about giving someone with a busted ankle a piggyback ride down a trail.
Ava, though, was just plain sexy. The second I’d locked eyes with her, heat had sizzled through me.
Her ponytail brushed the back of my neck with every step, like she was trying to tickle me into forgetting this was a rescue and not a date. “What brings you to Alaska?” I asked.
“Divorce trip.”
A bark of laughter slipped out of me before I could catch it. “A what?”
“Exactly.” She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes. Divorce trip.”
“For you?”
“Yep. And now I broke my ankle, I guess.”
“Well, you’ll be healed soon enough.”
“I know.” She let out a sigh right next to my ear, and the warmth of it gusted over my skin. I tried not to shiver. Goose bumps rose anyway.
“I’m sorry about your ankle break,” I said, “and I guess your divorce?”
“Oh, don’t be sorry about my divorce.”
“Okay. I’m not sorry about your divorce?” I offered.
She giggled, and I felt that sound all the way down my spine.
“Well, I’m carrying you on my back,” I added. “You might as well tell me what happened.”
“I was an idiot, and I fell in love with the wrong guy.”
“Okay?” I didn’t know where this was going.
“He cheated on me with my boss.”
“Oh, wow. What an asshole.”
“You’re telling me,” she said with gusto. “But I’m fine. I promise, I’m fine.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you’re fine.”
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea that some idiot had cheated on Ava—a woman who was not only gorgeous, but funny, brave, and sparkling with attitude. With a broken ankle, she had to be hurting, but she wasn't letting it define her.
“Do you want to keep talking about your ex?” I asked finally, unsure where else to go with this.
She let out another sigh, and that one actually twisted something in my chest. I couldn’t see her face, but I felt her pain. I wanted to make it better for her.
“All this to say, not how I expected my day to go,” she replied. “We don’t need to keep talking about him. Tell me about your life.”
“My life?”
“Yeah. It’s got to be better than mine. I’ve had a shitty day.” Before I could respond, she continued, “You know what? I want to correct that. It’s shitty that I broke my ankle, but I’ve actually been enjoying this trip. Alaska has surprised me.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Absolutely. I’m a city girl, born and raised in Seattle.
” Another sigh. This one sounded tired. “I don’t want to go back.
Because my ex is there, and my whole life feels like a hot fucking mess.
I have to figure out if I’m going to keep my job, and it just sucks.
” She was quiet for a second before adding, “But Alaska is beautiful. I love it. And this little town, Willow Brook, is adorable, practically storybook cute.”
“Storybook cute,” I repeated with a chuckle. “I happen to love it too.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Well, I grew up here.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“So you’re like a small-town guy?”
“Yes and no. I went away for college.”
“Where?”
“Actually, Seattle.”
“No shit!” She gave me a light punch on the shoulder, and I laughed.
“That’s where I went. So I’ve done the city. Love Seattle. It’s a nice place, and there’s great food.”
“True story.” She shifted a little on my back, and I adjusted her carefully, making sure the harness was still snug.
“Anyway,” she said, “so far my trip’s been fun. My friend Amy—she’s behind us—organized the trip. By the way, you walk fast even with me on your back.”
“You’re not that heavy,” I said.
Her laughter vibrated against my back again. “Wow. You really know how to compliment a girl.”
“In this case, I’m being honest. You’re not that heavy. I’m literally carrying you on my back, so I’d know. How’s your pain, though?”
“I’m feeling okay. Lacey gave me some ibuprofen.”
“Oh, she didn’t give you the good stuff?”
“No, people can’t just carry the good stuff around,” she said with a snort.
With every step down the trail, I was acutely aware of Ava. We fell quiet for a stretch before she pressed, “Are you sure I’m not too heavy?”
“You didn’t suddenly gain weight mid-hike.”
“Well, I know when I’m carrying something for a long time, it gets heavier as I go,” she pointed out, shifting slightly against my back.
“This is true. But carrying someone like this is probably the easiest way to do it.”
“Am I lightweight?” she asked dryly before she burst out laughing. “There’s no way I’m lightweight. If you say I am, I will instantly know you’re lying.”
A chuckle rustled in my throat. I wasn’t the most serious guy, but I wasn’t someone who relaxed easily either.
Not with new people, and definitely not during rescue missions.
But Ava cracked me up. There was something about her—a lightness and a spark.
Even without seeing her face, I could picture her eyes dancing with humor and self-deprecation.
I glanced over my shoulder. That was when I realized just how close her face was to mine. If I turned a little more, her pink bow-shaped lips would be right there.
I whipped my head forward again. The last thing I needed was to fall while carrying an already injured woman I was supposed to be helping.
“You’re moving,” she added suddenly.
“Of course I’m moving.”
“No. I mean, you’re moving fast. You’ve kind of left everybody else in the dust.”
She twisted a little, and I was pretty sure she looked back over her shoulder. “You all are slow!” she hollered.
Laughter rippled through the trees behind us. “I’m trying to get you down as quickly and safely as I can,” I said. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
“How bad do you think it is?” Worry threaded her words.
“I’m not a doctor. I’m just an emergency responder who does stabilization on scene.”
“You also carry people down mountains. You are a badass.”
Laughter rumbled in my chest again. “I’m not sure I’d describe myself as a badass.”
“Total badass,” she said, thumping me on the shoulder.
This was officially turning into one of the more entertaining rescues I’d had in a while. When we reached the bottom of the trail, I eased Ava gently off my back and onto the back of the open truck bed. She stared up at me, cheeks flushed.
“Are you going to just throw me in the back of this truck and drive me to town? Because I’m losing faith in this rescue,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
I threw my head back with another laugh. “No. I just didn’t want you putting weight on that foot. When Lacey radioed about what happened, we left this open. It’s the best way to get you down without jostling your leg. We honestly didn’t know if we’d have to carry you down in a sling or not.”
“I prefer this,” she said.
“Let’s get you in the front. I’ll drive.”
She glanced back over her shoulder. The rest of the group was probably a good two or three minutes behind us. “Don’t you need to wait?”
I shrugged. “I mean, we could. But there are four vehicles here. Your friends can meet you at the hospital. Unless you want to wait.”
“Nope. Tan the rescue man, let’s get me there.” She started to hop off the tailgate, and I braced both hands on the sides of her hips.
“Easy does it.”
“What? I can limp along.”
“Best thing is for you not to put any weight on that foot.”
I didn’t want to tell her just how bad the break likely was.
If she was trying to win a gold medal in ankle-breaking, she might win.
From my quick assessment, I was fairly certain she’d fractured both of the main bones in her ankle.
It was going to be one hell of a recovery, but I’d let the ER doctor and an X-ray confirm that.
I scooped her up in my arms again. “Oh, now I can look at your handsome face,” she teased.
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh. Again. “You are something, Ava.”
“Yeah, that’s what all the guys say.”
When I happened to glance down, I caught the flash of pain in her eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but she shook her head sharply.
“I don’t know what you’re about to say, but shut up,” she ordered. “I’m fine.”