4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Taylor
H is hands skim over my back, his touch igniting a trail of liquid fire alongside that same strange sense of calm and rightness that swept through me earlier. Despite every rational thought railing against it, I sag into him, allowing the tension to bleed from my body as I'm enveloped in his warmth, in his strength.
What the hell is going on here? The thought surfaces through the haze of confusion and inexplicable peace, sending a frisson of unease trickling down my spine. This isn't normal, isn't right. Doctors don't just scoop up patients and hold them like... like...
Like a lover might.
The realization hits me, jarring me back to reality with its stark implications. I should be worried about his behavior, about the inappropriate intimacy he's showing a practical stranger, but that deeper part of me remains steadfastly calm, almost... reassured by his presence.
It's baffling. Terrifying. Exhilarating.
“I've already contacted my sister, Cindi,” Mitch's gruff voice cuts through the tension, jarring me back to the present moment. “She has a room for you at the local hotel–The Wolf's Bite. It's a nice place; you'll be comfortable there.”
His gaze flicks to Liam, holding his stare for a weighted beat. “Safe, too.”
Safe? Unease trickles down my spine as the word registers. I shift in Liam's embrace until I can meet the sheriff's assessing stare.
“Should I be worried?” The question slips out before I can rein it in, colored by a wariness I can't quite put my finger on. “About safety, I mean?”
Mitch's expression is carefully neutral, but there's a flicker of something in his eyes. “We've had some wild wolves coming into town lately. It's just a precaution.”
Precaution?
This town... these people... there's something strange about them, something inexplicably other that prickles at the edges of my consciousness. I can't decide if I should be running toward it or fleeing as fast as my feet can carry me.
“I can take you over to the hotel. Now that the transfusion is complete,” Liam offers, his voice a low rumble that sends an unexpected shiver rippling through me.
A part of me wants to protest, to insist that I'm perfectly capable of driving myself but even as the words form on my tongue, I'm acutely aware of the lingering weakness in my limbs, the slight tremor in my hands. As much as I hate to admit it, perhaps a night of rest is exactly what I need. He is right about one thing. I don’t want to cause an accident out on the roads. That isn’t fair for the innocent person I might hit.
“If you can just take me back to the diner, I'll grab my car and—”
“We'll pick it up and bring it over to the Bite for you,” Zane interjects smoothly. “You should go with the doc, let him keep an eye on you for now.”
I open my mouth to protest further, but Mitch's assessing stare pins me in place. There's no arguing with that unwavering authority, that unmistakable aura of command. With a resigned sigh, I give a curt nod.
“My purse?” I try a different tack. “And my phone? I should call my parents, let them know where I am so they don't worry.”
Liam retrieves my satchel from the nearby counter, but shakes his head. “No reception in Willowbrook, I'm afraid.”
Of course not. Why would a town in the middle of nowhere have something as convenient as cell service?
“Cindi has internet at the ‘Bite’. She won’t mind you using it,” Mitch supplies, as if sensing my growing frustration. “I'll radio ahead, let her know you're coming. She’ll set her laptop up for you.”
It's clear they're not leaving me with much choice in the matter, and a part of me bristles at being so thoroughly steamrolled but the other part, the rational voice of self-preservation, knows they're right. I'm in no condition to be going off on my own. As we make our way out of the clinic, I can't help but notice just how eerily quiet it is in here. It’s a far cry from the bustling hospitals I'm accustomed to.
“Why is it so empty? I'd have thought there'd be more patients, more staff...” I’m unable to shake the feeling that something isn't quite right.
Liam chuckles, the rich sound sending an unexpected flutter through my chest. “There's not much call for medical help in Willowbrook,” he explains with a casual shrug.
I frown, sensing there's more to the story than he's letting on, but Mitch and Zane are already bidding their farewells. Within moments, it's just the four of us–Liam, myself, and the two women who have yet to properly introduce themselves.
“This is my sister, Riley,” Liam says, gesturing to the younger woman with a fond smile. “And Faye, the clinic's nurse.”
Riley beams at me. There's an eagerness about her, an infectious energy that I instantly like. So she’s Liam’s sister? That makes sense. They have the same shock of sandy blond curls and piercing eyes. I can't help but marvel at their striking resemblance.
She's the woman I glimpsed through the diner window, I realize. The one I'd assumed was Liam's wife, prompting that strange flicker of misplaced jealousy. Heat rushes to my cheeks as the memory surfaces and I quickly shove it aside. It's not appropriate, not in the slightest.
Even if he doesn’t have a wife, I'm not staying here. I can't . And I certainly can't allow myself to develop any kind of misguided attachment to the handsome doctor even if a part of me aches with a wistful sort of longing at the thought of never seeing him again.
“It's so nice to finally meet you. Liam, give the poor girl a chance to breathe!” Riley gushes, taking my hand in both of hers and giving it an enthusiastic shake.
Finally meet you? A roll of something that sounds like a growl comes from deep within Liam’s chest. But that can’t be right. People don’t growl .
With a laugh and a roll of her eyes, she turns to her brother and tosses him a set of keys. “Here, take my truck. Mom and Dad can pick me up from the diner on their way home.”
My eyes widen at the implication, at the nonchalance with which she's offering up her vehicle for my sake. “That's... very kind of you. But I don't want to put you out or anything. I'm sure I can find another way to get there.”
“Don't even think about arguing,” Riley cuts me off with a grin and a wink. “Trust me, you'll need the truck to get around these parts. The terrain can be pretty unforgiving if you're not used to it.”
Liam chuckles again, that rich sound sending an unexpected flutter through my chest. “She's not exaggerating. Riley's driving is insane. She likes to go tearing down the fire roads, kicking up dust and getting mud all over the interior.”
He gestures to a hulking 4x4 parked nearby, a beast of a vehicle that seems almost comically oversized for someone of Riley's petite stature. Suddenly, her offer makes a bit more sense.
“Shall we?” Liam prompts, resting his hand at the small of my back.
The contact is electric, raising every hair on my nape as that same warmth blossoms beneath his touch. I don't pull away. I can't muster the will to put any distance between us. Instead, I let him steer me to the truck and help me inside.
The interior is smeared with dry mud, but as we drive, I drink in the sights and sounds of this strange little town as we go. The fresh, crisp scent of pine is thick in the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of fertile soil and sweet wildflowers. Towering evergreens stretch toward the heavens all around us, their boughs brushing against a brilliant azure sky that seems to go on forever. Houses peek out here and there between the trees, blending seamlessly with their natural surroundings in a way that speaks to the depths of my soul.
These people understand the importance of preserving the wilderness, of coexisting with nature rather than bulldozing it into submission. They've managed to carve out a life amid the breathtaking beauty of these mountains without marring or destroying any of it.
As a conservationist, it's everything I've dreamed of. Everything I've fought to achieve in the cities and concrete jungles that have made up the backdrop of my life.
It's a silly thought, a fleeting whimsy born of delirium and exhaustion, no doubt. However there's no denying the way the town tugs at my heart, coaxing forth a bittersweet ache as I realize just how much I would have loved to live in a place like this. To wake up every morning surrounded by such awe-inspiring natural beauty, to be a part of a community that cherishes and nurtures the very thing I've devoted my life to protecting.
I steal a sideways glance at him, taking in the strong lines of his profile, the way the sunlight sets his tousled waves with golden fire. He's a mystery, this man. One I can't quite figure out, can't seem to get a proper read on no matter how hard I try but the longer I'm around him, the more that strange sense of calm begins to settle over me, lulling my doubts and misgivings until all that remains is an inexplicable sense of rightness.
As if this, somehow, is exactly where I'm meant to be.
The thought should terrify me but instead, it feels like a soothing balm against the vortex of grief and uncertainty that plagues me.
We make our way through the heart of the town in comfortable silence, broken only by Liam's occasional murmured observation about one building or another and by the time we veer off onto a side road shaded by towering evergreens that stretch endlessly in every direction, I've all but forgotten my earlier trepidation.
“They're incredible, aren't they? Those trees must be hundreds of years old.” I’m unable to tear my gaze away from the ancient growth surrounding us.
“We take preserving the forest very seriously around here. It's our home, as much as any building or structure,” Liam agrees.
Of course he would understand, would share that same reverence for the natural world. It's yet another enigma to add to the seemingly endless pile where this man is concerned. Before I can dwell too long on the implications, however, the trees part to reveal our destination–a vision straight out of a fairytale.
The Wolf's Bite is a quaint two-story building constructed of weathered stone and timber, with a thatched roof and ivy-covered walls. Flower boxes overflow with a riot of colorful blooms, and a well-tended garden surrounds the property, lush and inviting. Gravel paths meander through the greenery, leading to a heavy oak door that looks like it was plucked straight from the pages of a storybook.
“Wow...” I breathe, unable to tear my gaze away from the picturesque scene as Liam brings the truck to a stop beside the entrance. “This place is...”
“Something else, isn't it?” he finishes for me with a warm chuckle, cutting the engine and hopping down to make his way around to my side.
I'm so entranced by my surroundings that I barely register his approach until his hand is there, offering me the same steady support he has been all along. Without a second thought, I accept, allowing him to guide me down from the truck to the inn's entrance.
A woman with long brunette hair and sparkling green eyes greets us from behind the old-fashioned wooden desk, her smile warm and welcoming. “You must be Taylor,” she says, beckoning me over with a wave. “I'm Cindi, the owner. I have a room all prepared for you, hon.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, suddenly self-conscious beneath her assessing gaze. “That's very kind of you.”
“Not at all,” she dismisses with an airy wave of her hand. “Any friend of Liam's is a friend of ours.”
The words give me pause, prompting a curious glance in the doctor's direction.
“Actually, Cindi, I was hoping I could use the kitchen?” His request is casual, understated, but I can detect that undercurrent of intensity simmering just beneath the surface. “Taylor missed lunch, and I'd like to get some food into her after... well, everything.”
Now that he mentions it, there's a hollow sort of ache in the pit of my stomach, an emptiness I haven't felt in longer than I can remember. It's as if my body is waking up and rediscovering its most basic needs.
Like hunger. Real ravenous, gnawing hunger that has my mouth watering at the thought of a hot meal. I haven’t felt hunger like this since before my diagnosis. It’s strange I should feel anything like this now when my appetite has waned for months.
“Help yourself, you know where everything is,” Cindi says and smiles at Liam. Then, turning back to me with that same warm radiance. “And for you, hon, Liam requested one of our very best rooms. With a view, of course.”
There's something almost conspiratorial in her tone but I don't have a chance to dwell on it because Liam is speaking up once more.
“Actually, Cindi, I was hoping to book a room for myself as well.” His gaze finds mine and holds. “I'll be staying to keep an eye on Taylor for the next little while. I need to make sure my patient gets back on her feet.”
And there it is. The red flag I’ve been looking for flapping in the breeze with all the bells and whistles that scream run .