Chapter Seven
~Beckett~
The call coming into the station that a hiker had gone missing had been a bit of a surprise to Beckett, not because people don’t get lost up on Orchard Peak, but because it normally doesn’t start happening until late fall or early winter. Once heavy rain and snow set in, the department always got called out at least once a month to rescue a tourist who didn’t know any better and had gone hiking when they shouldn’t have or without taking the proper precautions. Luckily, they’d never had anyone lose more than a little time and pride in their navigational ability, but getting lost out in the woods was still serious business no matter what time of year it was.
Jude was on-call with Beckett. When the announcement came through dispatch, the two of them grabbed their rain gear and emergency bags before driving out to the trailhead. They put the Chief and the probie on standby in case any other calls happened to come in while they were out searching for the missing hiker before strategizing about what search pattern they would use. Beckett relayed all the information they had on the hiker to Jude as the other man drove the rescue vehicle, shaking his head at the fact they didn’t have much to go on.
The man on the phone had told Beckett he had brought a date out for a hike and she had gotten lost, so all they knew going in was that the hiker was female and had been apart from her date for over an hour. When they arrived at the trailhead and talked to the man, he admitted that he didn’t know much about her other than her name, that she had blonde hair, and that she was not dressed for the weather.
He also admitted to leaving her alone on a trail she was unfamiliar with, something Beckett planned on giving him a stern talking-to about once he found the person and got back. Once the man spoke the name of the woman, however, his mind kicked into rescue mode, focused on nothing other than finding her. Hearing Willa’s name lit a fire under Beckett’s already expedited ass, and he practically ran up the trail to start searching for her.
The rain had let up some, but the terrain was still soft and slippery, his boots sometimes failing to catch with certainty, but Beckett refused to let any of that keep him from his goal. When Willa had left him hanging the other day, he wondered if he would ever see her again. Leaving the ball in someone else’s court wasn’t something Beckett was known for or used to, but he knew he couldn’t just bulldoze his way through things with her.
Willa seemed skittish, like she was wary of either him or romance altogether, but he could imagine something really special between the two of them. Still, there was no way he was going to risk what could be the start of something amazing by being his normal headstrong self. Beckett had to be thoughtful and unselfish. He had to consider what was right for her , but before they could have a shot at anything, he had to find her. Imagining Willa cold and alone, out in the unfamiliar wilderness, sent him into a panic, but Beckett remembered his training, kept his wits about him, and stuck to the plan. There was no way he would leave her out there, not when he wanted, no, needed to see her again.
The minutes ticked by with Beckett shouting her name out into the area thick with evergreens until his voice grew hoarse and his throat grew raw, like he had repeatedly swallowed shattered glass. Just when he thought that things wouldn’t improve, a call into the rain proved him wrong. Following the sound of the earsplitting wail, Beckett jumped over fallen trees, dense brush, and enough mud to pack in the pool at the day spa downtown. The rough terrain didn’t bother him. It was merely a minor inconvenience on his way to reaching his goal. When Beckett finally found Willa, he could breathe again, having held the air in his lungs from the first time he’d heard that douchebag utter her name.
Beckett relaxed his shoulders. His heartbeat slowed down enough that he was certain he was no longer having a heart attack. Despite his elation at spotting her, Beckett frowned as he approached her, watching her shiver as she huddled against a tree trunk. He could tell from where he stood about twenty feet away that she was cold and scared. He wanted to lighten the mood with some easy conversation.
Beckett hadn’t meant to let his little nickname for her slip, but with her hair plastered to her face and her body caked in mud, how could he not? She looked wilder than ever, though as he squatted next to her and took in her expression, she didn’t have the same carefree look about her that she had the first day he’d seen her. She looked downtrodden, understandably so given the circumstances, but the sight still broke Beckett’s heart.
Giving her a once over to assess her injuries, Beckett found himself frowning again when his eyes landed on her swollen ankle. “Looks like you’re hurt.” Holding up his hands in front of him, Beckett raised a brow in question. “Mind if I take a look?”
Willa’s head slumped to the side, her darkened hair getting caught in the bark. She was clearly tired and Beckett wanted to be quick so they could get her warm. “Yes, though I’m pretty certain it’s not broken.” She winced when he touched the swollen skin.
“Definitely twisted though.” Beckett glanced up at her with a sad smile. “I’m guessing that’s why you’re lounging at the base of a tree and not making your way down the mountain.”
Willa huffed, the action taking some of the heaviness that seemed to be weighing her down off her chest. It was amazing how much relief Beckett felt at even just that small improvement in her mood, and the fact that he felt it spoke to how he was already half gone for the woman. “I would hardly call it lounging, but yes, it hurts to put weight on it.”
Nodding, Beckett tightened the Mylar blanket around her shoulders, tucking it closer to her body to help trap what little heat she was emanating. “Well, that just leaves one question.” At her raised brow, he spread his arms wide with a grin. “How do you want to be carried out of here?”
Willa’s eyes grew three sizes as her jaw went slack. “Carried?” Her voice was high as she scanned the empty wilderness. “I figured you would call for a stretcher or an airlift or something.”
Beckett’s smile magnified at the adorably perplexed expression on her face. “Nope. I’m afraid that I’m the fanciest ride available.” He grabbed his two-way radio and relayed to Jude that he’d located Willa and would meet him back down at the bottom of the trail, further requesting that he get a medical kit ready for her ankle. When Jude replied in the affirmative, Beckett gave Willa a final once-over. “So, do you want me to cradle you or would you prefer a piggyback ride? Normally you wouldn’t get options, but since you’re a fair bit smaller and lighter than me, you get to choose. Lucky you.”
“Lucky me,” she whispered. Willa’s eyes trailed up and down Beckett’s body. His shudder had nothing to do with the cold seeping in through his raincoat.
The interest in Willa’s eyes was obvious, and he welcomed it wholeheartedly. Beckett wasn’t an overly vain man, but he knew that he was fairly good-looking and he worked hard to keep his body in tip-top shape. He and his brothers had a reputation in town for not only being some of the most ambitious men but also some of the most handsome. Right now, as Willa’s pink tongue peeked out to catch a drop of rain sliding down her cheek, he couldn’t help but feel grateful to his parents for the good genes they’d bestowed upon him.
“Cradle carry,” Willa confessed huskily. It was possible the sultry tone was from the screaming and the cold, but Beckett liked to think it was also from the desire he perceived in those seafoam eyes of hers. “If that’s okay.”
Pleased with her decision, Beckett reached one arm beneath her back and slid the other under her legs, careful not to jostle her injured foot or dislodge the blanket that warmed her. “It’s more than okay. You’re the one calling the shots, Wild Woman. I’m just the one doing the heavy lifting.”
Willa slapped his shoulder just as Beckett straightened to his full height. “Hey, I thought you said I was light.” Willa’s playful expression eased the tightness in his chest, but he still wanted to get her to safety fast and needed to stay focused. “And you said you would explain that little nickname you gave me.”
“I said you were lighter than me , but I see your point,” Beckett replied, starting their journey. “As far as the nickname goes, well, that’s just what came to mind the first time I saw you.”
Beckett would remember that day for the rest of his life. The sun poured through the windows of her car and bounced off her golden hair, casting her in an angelic light as she danced wildly in her vehicle. She didn’t care how she looked or who was watching. Willa hummed thoughtfully then stayed silent as Beckett stepped over the rough terrain, managing to get them back to the trail just as the rain finally stopped.
Pausing for a moment to adjust the precious bundle in his arms, Beckett smiled down at her. “You just looked so completely free, like there was nothing stopping you from going about getting whatever it was that you wanted, even if it meant having to do the hard thing. It reminded me of myself. I don’t know, I guess I can’t really explain it,” he mumbled, shrugging. Words had never been Beckett’s strong suit and he was slightly frustrated that he couldn’t give her more than he just had.
Beckett began moving again, only stopping when Willa squeezed the back of his neck. “Like something in you recognized something in me. Like that?”
Her knowing gaze settled something in him. What was once shaking around loose inside of his chest felt like it slowly locked into place. If he were more poetic, Beckett might think that his heart just found its reason to stop searching for what it wanted because it was there with him now, but that would be him charging ahead again, so he tried to quell that fanciful thought.
“Yeah,” Beckett answered thickly. “Like that.”
Becket loved the feel of her skin against his as she clung to him. As he glanced at Willa’s lips, he wondered if they were as soft as her fingers. Instead of being lush and pink like the last time he’d seen her, they were slightly blue. The sight shook him from his reverie. Cursing himself for keeping her out in the cold because he got distracted by how much he was starting to feel for her already, Beckett shook his head and started walking again.
“Let’s get you warm and get that foot taken care of, then maybe we can have a chat about what exactly ‘like that’ means.” Willa putting his feelings to words perfectly had Beckett thinking that the intensity of the connection he felt wasn’t just one-sided, but you never knew.
Willa nodded against his shoulder, her hand retreating into the silver blanket as he continued marching them down the mountain. The sun was buried behind clouds, but thankfully it hadn’t dipped below the horizon completely and still provided enough light to not trip them up all over again. When they finally made it back to the trailhead, her date looked relieved, but instead of reassuring him, it pissed off Beckett all over again.
“He shouldn’t have left you,” he growled as they approached the man. Beckett couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t angry or stung at her having essentially picked Mister Man Bun over him.
Willa seesawed her head, not entirely oblivious to his inner turmoil. “Yeah, he shouldn’t have, but to be fair, I wasn’t exactly good company.” Her voice had dipped low, almost as if she were talking more to herself than to him.
The way Willa spoke about herself made his chest ache. Forgetting his wounded pride, Beckett held her a little tighter, hoping to comfort her before setting her down on a large rock near the signpost. Reluctantly, he stepped back to make room for Jude as he jogged over carrying the med kit and a warm blanket, draping the latter over her shoulders before he started working on her ankle.
It was on the tip of Beckett’s tongue to ask Willa more about what she had meant by her remark when Douchebag Hiker Boy interrupted them with his profuse apology. “I’m so sorry, Willa. So, so sorry.” To his credit, his eyes did look strained from worrying, but that wasn’t enough to squash Beckett’s need to lecture him. “I never would have left you out there if I thought this would happen.”
Stepping up to the man, Beckett pulled up to his full height and stared him down menacingly. He wasn’t above using his taller stature to intimidate and scare the shit out of the shorter man. “You shouldn’t have left her at all. Solo hiking can be dangerous even for the most experienced of trailgoers, so you definitely shouldn’t have left someone who doesn’t know the trail or the area at all. It was irresponsible at best and downright dangerous at worst.” Beckett stared into the other man’s scruffy face. “You’re lucky all she did was twist an ankle.”
The man’s head moved up and down rapidly, his man bun bobbing at Beckett as he moved over to Willa. “He’s right. Can I take you to dinner to make it up to you? I promise not to leave you at the restaurant.” The man had the gall to wink at her, the smarmy gesture driving Beckett nuts.
Stowing his anger and jealousy at the fact that not only did this asshole get a first date with her, but he also might get a second, Beckett listened intently for her answer. Willa smiled politely, but her eyes told the real story. The hand that had been squeezing Beckett’s heart seconds ago loosened its grip as he sagged with relief.
“Thanks, Dan, but I think I’m good.” She waved a hand over her muddied clothes and dripping hair. “You’d be better off with someone who’s a little more adept with outdoorsy stuff anyway.”
The man nodded, looking a bit relieved. Beckett couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling up in his head. Couldn’t he see how badly he’d messed up? Though his loss would hopefully be Beckett’s gain. “Good call.” Dumbass turned to Jude, who was currently wrapping Willa’s ankle in an ace bandage and tapping his thigh impatiently. “Can I go now?”
Beckett’s chest rumbled with the need to give him another dressing down for being so nonchalant about the whole situation, but Jude nodded and shooed him off before Beckett could lay into him again. “Sure. We’ve got it from here.” Let off the hook, the man jogged over to his Jeep and promptly drove off.
“So, first date?” Jude tutted at Willa, his tone jovial. “I know dinner and a movie are considered cliché nowadays, but that’s got to be better than this.”
Willa laughed humorlessly and nodded, her eyes looking more tired by the second. “Kind of a low bar, don’t you think?” Beckett smiled at her ability to joke, even if the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Jude shrugged and stood, dusting his clean hands off on his pants. “Probably, but hey, you never know. Maybe something good will come of this,” he told her, shooting Beckett a wink. His appreciation for Jude just went up about tenfold, but it skyrocketed at the next words out of his coworker’s mouth. “You’re welcome to ride back in the truck with us and we can make sure to get you seen by the doctor, though I don’t think a medical visit is strictly necessary. If you want, Kemp can drive you home in your car and I’ll follow behind to take him back to the station.”
Willa stared at Beckett as the corners of her mouth twitched. “Is that standard procedure for a mountain rescue?” she asked shrewdly. There was no fooling her, but her expression didn’t look bothered, instead showing a hint of interest.
The back of Beckett’s neck itched at the fact that, no, it wasn’t protocol at all. It was Jude doing him a solid by giving him more time with a woman he was clearly interested in. Beckett wouldn’t push himself on her though, even if she did look mildly into the idea. “Not really,” he admitted, rubbing his neck. “If you want to make a call and get a ride another way, you can use my phone, but I really don’t mind driving you home.” Beckett looked forward to doing it that night, and that was just for starters. His mind was already spinning up with ideas of how he could impress her on a date and get more invitations to drive her home afterward.
With tired eyes, Willa looked up at him, her hand outstretched. “I’m just tired enough to take you up on your offer to drive me.” Taking her hand in his and helping her to stand, Beckett walked Willa to her car, making sure to carry all her weight as she hobbled toward the passenger side of a small sedan. She handed over her keys and he chuckled at the small keychain that said Good Vibes Only as she opened the door to slip inside, giving him a grateful nod. “Thank you.”
Their fingers brushed as Willa pulled her hand back, and Beckett couldn’t help but smile at the warm tingle that traveled over his skin despite the cooler air of the evening settling into his bones. “All part of the service, ma’am.” Willa snorted and slipped inside the car, not knowing that making her laugh again had just made his whole day.
Shucking his raincoat, Beckett slid into the driver’s seat, his knees banging the wheel before he located the lever to adjust the seat. When he glanced over at Willa, he caught the mirth in her eyes.
“This must seem like a bit of a clown car to you,” she said, her head lolling against the headrest. Beckett was happy to see more of the weight of the day lifting off her shoulders, and he grinned as he started the car.
The engine hummed as he put it in drive. “It’s definitely not as big as my SUV, but I can handle it for the short drive.” Willa chuckled and directed him toward her house. The car fell silent and Beckett peeked over to check on her as they approached civilization. The low glow from the occasional streetlight passed over her face, spotlighting her somewhat pensive expression.
Wondering if he was pushing his luck by getting too personal too fast, Beckett cleared his throat and broached the subject she mentioned in passing earlier. “You want to tell me what had you screaming like a banshee back there, or why you weren’t good company tonight?”
Willa stayed quiet for a moment before her heavy sigh passed through the air between them, breaking the tension he had inadvertently created. “That is a long story, and definitely not one to tell after such a crazy day.”
As they made the final turn toward her place, Beckett nodded, understanding her need for more time before she was ready to talk. “Does that mean you’re open to telling me at some point?” Beckett pulled into the driveway of a mid-century home that looked straight out of one of those old black and white television shows his dad was always waxing nostalgic about. After putting the car in park, he turned to her, the unanswered question still hanging in the air.
Willa scrutinized him for a moment, her eyes reading his face like the open book he tried to be. “I don’t know. I had trust issues before and tonight didn’t exactly help, but something tells me that I’ll tell you…eventually.”
Beckett smiled softly. “Well then. I look forward to eventually ,” he said, getting out of the car and rounding the hood. Opening her door, he passed back her keys and led her up the walkway to the front of the house. His time was running short. Even though he wanted to ask her out again, he understood that now definitely was not the right time. “Until then, make sure you rest your ankle, apply ice off and on for twenty minutes at a time for the next two days, keep that bandage on except in the shower, and make sure to keep it elevated as well.” Another thought hit him as he tried to make sure she was taken care of. “Your work doesn’t require you to be on your feet all day, does it?”
Willa’s head tilted upward as she groaned. “Ugh, I didn’t even think about work. I just started and now I’m going to be asking for special treatment.” Her head shook impatiently as she unlocked the door. “This cannot end well.”
Wanting to get any more information about Willa that he could, Beckett pushed open the door for her and helped her over the raised threshold. “Who do you work for? I may not be a doctor, but I think a sick note from the firefighter who rescued you might go a long way with your boss.”
Willa chuckled, the light sound raising his spirits that had dropped at having to say goodnight so soon. “Well, I’ll take what I can get, though I’m not sure even a note from a hero will be enough to appease the mayor.”
Beckett chortled. The sound startled Willa, so he held up his hands. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, unable to contain his laughter. “Um, I think you’ll be okay, and if the mayor gives you a hard time, you just have him call me.” At Willa’s confused expression, Beckett coughed away his amusement at the situation to explain himself. “Nate’s my little brother.”
Understanding dawned on Willa’s face just before her hand met her forehead. “Kemp. Of course. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together when you told me it was your last name.” Her head shook again, some of her muddy hair falling into her face as she studied him more closely. “You guys don’t really look alike.”
Beckett reared back slightly. “Really? Most people can see the family resemblance.” Nate and Travis looked the most alike, probably because of their beards. Aiden, Felix, and Beckett favored their mom’s side a bit more, but everyone in town was always telling them that they looked a lot alike.
A soft smile came over Willa’s face as she continued to inspect him. “It’s the eyes,” she said quietly. Beckett’s fingers had been itching to touch her in a non-rescuer capacity all night, and as she stared at him with a blissful look in her eyes, his control was dwindling rapidly. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he searched the pools of soft green for any sign that he was making her uncomfortable. “Your eyes are prettier, like liquid gold with a ring of fire around the center.” Her body swayed toward his and for the briefest moment, Beckett wondered if Willa was going to kiss him. Then her body started to crumple and he realized with a start that her foot had given out.
Beckett snaked a hand around her waist to steady her. The feel of her under his arm felt so damn right, and he hated that it wouldn’t last longer than the time it took to get her settled. “Thanks for the compliment, though it’s not worth you getting hurt any worse,” he teased. Willa bumped his shoulder as he helped her into the house. Once she was seemingly upright, he backed away toward the door. “Take care, Wild Woman.”
Willa nodded, her expression almost dreamy. “See you around…Beckett.”
Hearing his name cross her lips caused his heart to swell. Beckett clutched his chest right over the beating organ as Willa’s enchanting smile disappeared behind the door. As Beckett turned and made the walk toward the street, where Jude was waiting for him, he continued to hold his hand on his chest, wondering how exactly a heart could grow three sizes in one evening.