Chapter 13 #2
As they met the group of guests who were gathering for the hike, Brick couldn’t help but think about Tiny’s comments.
And those of his other friends. He hadn’t been looking for a life partner.
But it was seriously impossible to think about his life without Alaska in it.
Even though she’d only physically been with him for a short period of time, she’d gotten under his skin.
And speaking of skin…he couldn’t wait to get home tonight and show her just how happy he was that she was here, with him.
As it always happened when he had somewhere he wanted to be, the world seemed to conspire to keep Brick from getting home. The hike with the guests had started out well enough, but some of the more out-of-shape hikers started falling behind. Which irritated two of the younger, more fit guests.
Tiny had taken the younger men ahead while Brick stayed behind with the other four. They’d made it to Table Rock and had a nice leisurely lunch, but then one of the women had a flashback and refused to budge, certain an enemy was lurking in the trees, ready to ambush them.
Brick couldn’t in good conscience send the other three guests back to the lodge by themselves, so he used the radio he always carried to get in touch with Pipe, requesting he come out and assist. Luckily, Henley was at The Refuge doing an individual session, and she’d agreed to come with him to help with the guest.
Four hours later than he’d planned, Brick had finally made it back to the lodge.
He’d needed to reassure the other men and women, who’d heard about what happened, that everything was fine.
That the guest who’d had the bad episode was much better and wasn’t leaving, that she was determined to stay.
Which had led to an impromptu kind of group session over dinner, where everyone shared some of their worst setbacks.
By the time Brick was able to excuse himself, he was grimy, exhausted, and irritated that his plans had gone so sideways.
As he approached his cabin, Brick stopped outside the door. The sweet smells coming from inside made his belly growl. He’d sent a message to Alaska that he wouldn’t be home for dinner, and why. He’d invited her to join them at the lodge, but she’d declined.
He’d worried about her all evening. Wanted to go to her, make sure she was all right with the change in their plans, but he hadn’t been able to leave. The guests seemed to be extra needy, as they occasionally were, and the last thing he wanted to do was make them feel as if he’d abandoned them.
But from the delicious scent coming from his cabin, Alaska hadn’t been idle.
Pushing open the door, Brick made plenty of noise to let her know he was home. He’d learned from experience that surprising someone with PTSD wasn’t a good thing.
Mutt’s nails clicked on the floor as he ran toward him.
Smiling, Brick leaned over to pet his dog.
“Hey, boy. Did you have a good night? You must really like Al, huh? I don’t think you’ve missed a meal at the lodge in a long time.
” The dog’s butt wiggled as Brick spoke, showing him nonverbally how happy he was that his master was home.
Brick stood and looked over to the kitchen, and saw Alaska standing by the table, smiling at him.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey,” he returned, moving quickly. He strode up to her, and as she backed up against the counter, he blocked her in by resting his hands on the granite. She rested her own on his chest as she tilted her head back to look at him.
“It smells good in here,” he told her.
Alaska shrugged. “I made myself a salad for dinner, but then thought maybe you’d appreciate some double chocolate cupcakes for dessert. I’m sure they aren’t up to Robert’s standards, but they aren’t half bad either.”
“If they taste half as good as they smell, they’ll be the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten,” he said with a small smile.
She returned it, then her brows furrowed. “Everything okay? I mean, that woman…she’s okay?”
“Yeah. It was tough there for a while, but Henley was amazing with her. And the other guests were too. No one told her she was being irrational, or to suck it up, and we were able to get back to the lodge without too many issues.”
“People actually say that? I mean, what the heck?”
“Oh, yeah, they do…and worse. It’s impossible for those who have never suffered from a flashback, or experienced the fear that comes from hearing a certain sound or seeing something that reminds them of the trauma they’ve been through, to understand how hard it can be to pull yourself out of that dark place. ”
Alaska raised a hand and put it on his cheek. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, understanding shining in her gorgeous eyes.
Brick took her hand in his and turned his head to kiss the palm.
“You look tired,” she observed.
He shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Why don’t you go take a long, hot shower. The cupcakes should be cool enough for me to frost while you’re in there. We can relax and watch a few episodes of Scrubs when you’re done.”
Brick eyed her for a long moment, then sighed. “This isn’t how I wanted tonight to go.”
“I know. But life happens,” she said sensibly.
“I want you so much,” he said bluntly. “I want to bury my head between your legs and feast. I want to watch you suck me off. I want to feel you come around my cock as you fly over the edge. I want to be inside you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in a very, very long time.”
Alaska’s face turned bright red as he spoke, but she didn’t look away.
“But right now, I don’t think I can give you the attention we both deserve,” he finished a little reluctantly.
“Let me take care of you for once,” Alaska said. “And for the record, I want all that too, but not when I know you’ve had a hard day and are exhausted.”
Brick closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He stood there, breathing her in, letting her calmness seep into his soul. He had no idea why simply being next to her made him feel so grounded.
“Shower,” she said after a while. “Hot. I’ll have cupcakes, blankets, and the show queued up when you’re done.”
“Okay,” he agreed. Brick lifted his head, but tilted her chin up with a finger. He stared into her deep brown eyes for a moment before closing the distance slowly.
She met him halfway, and the kiss was long, leisurely, and loving. She was the first to pull back. Brick could see the passion and longing in her gaze, but she merely licked her lips and put her hands on his hips to turn him toward the hall. “Go, Drake. I have cupcakes to ice.”
He went.
But before he’d gone too far down the hallway, he turned around.
Alaska had turned her attention to the cupcakes cooling on a rack on the counter.
He watched her for a beat. Realizing how at home and right she looked in his cabin.
When he’d picked the floor plan for his place, he hadn’t been thinking about a wife and kids.
He’d wanted simplicity. A large living area, a functional kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom. He hadn’t needed anything more.
But he’d been wrong.
He’d needed this.
Her.
Alaska.
Puttering around his home as if she was born to be there.
She was right, she wasn’t the flashiest woman in the world.
She much preferred to fade into the background.
Didn’t like being the center of attention.
But to Brick, she stood out simply because of her personality.
He’d come so close to losing her. To not understanding how loving someone could completely change his life.
With that thought in his head, he entered the bathroom.
He turned the water on in the shower, stripped off his clothes, brushed his teeth, then stepped into the shower.
As the hot water pounded his shoulders, Brick spared a thought for his long-lost battle buddies.
Vader, Monster, Bones, Rain, and Mad Dog would’ve loved The Refuge.
Of course, if they hadn’t died, The Refuge wouldn’t exist.
Give and take.
The world was full of it.
Over the last four years, their wives had gotten remarried, had more children…
moved on with their lives. At first, Brick hadn’t understood it.
Couldn’t comprehend how they could betray their husbands like that.
But he got it now. Life changed. People changed.
And when you found someone who felt like the other half of your soul, you’d do anything, anything, to keep that person.
Loving Alaska had changed his life. She’d changed it twenty-two years ago when she’d made that cross-stitch. She’d changed it four years ago when she’d had the courage to lie to the Navy and show up at his bedside. And she’d changed it when she’d convinced her kidnapper to call him.
Life was a big fucking game of dice. Sometimes you got lucky and threw doubles, and other times you got nothing. It was how you played, what you did when you were close to losing that mattered. How you appreciated what you were given when you got lucky.
And Brick knew he was damn lucky. Other men in Alaska’s life might not have seen the absolute gem they had in her, but he did.
And he wasn’t idiotic enough to let her slip away.
She made him a better man, and he knew it.
She thought she was nothing special, which was equal parts frustrating and part of her charm.
Brick would show her how much she was appreciated and loved every day for as long as he’d be privileged enough to be by her side.
She’d not go another day without knowing how he felt about her.
An idea sprang to mind then. Something he could do for her that was way too late in coming. It was something she’d never think to do for herself.
Exhaustion still pulled at him, but now anticipation swam through his veins as well. He had a lot of planning to do, but Brick had no doubt his friends would help.