Page 1

Brody trailed behind two marked squad cars, watching the first one turn onto the next road before he caught sight of the accident scene in the grass.

He pulled his ambulance over, threw the gear into PARK, and leapt out of the cab. Circling to the back, he grabbed his case and sprinted to the scene.

He knew another EMT was already there, but he hadn’t expected her to be a woman.

“You must be Brody,” she said.

He shook his head, momentarily confused. “Brody…”

Shit, Avalon. He moved to her side and set his kit down in the grass. Avalon was conscious, reaching out to him.

He took her hand and gave her a determined smile. “Hey, Cuz.”

The EMT looked up. “You two are related?”

He smiled and nodded. “She’s marrying my cousin. And she’s always been family.”

“Brody,” Avalon tugged on his hand.

“You need something?” He’d already assessed the other EMT’s work, noting the bandages and medical supplies she’d used. Avalon’s immediate medical needs were covered.

Avalon sighed. “Check on Roya.”

“Roya?”

She pulled his hand, pointing toward the dog.

The EMT looked up again. “All I could tell is that the dog is breathing. I needed to focus on Avalon.”

He nodded. Drawing Avalon’s hand closer, he kissed the back of it. “I’ll check. You stay still.”

She gave him a grateful smile as tears ran down her cheek toward her hair. “The man took Misty.”

He nodded. “Gabriel’s gone after her.”

Avalon relaxed visibly. “Good,” she sighed, relief evident.

“He’ll bring her home.”

As he moved, he lifted his kit from the ground and crouched beside the EMT. “Need help setting her leg?”

Relief shone in her eyes. “Yes. I didn’t want to do it alone on the side of the road unless I had to.”

“Well, I’m here now. You’re not alone.”

Something shifted in her expression, but he couldn’t place it. A full, heavy feeling settled in his chest as he moved away from her, but he pushed it to the back of his mind and approached Roya.

The beautiful dog lay nearly limp in the grass, her shuddering breaths the only sign of life.

“What happened to you two?”

Pulling on his gloves, he reached out to examine the dog. His father’s years of veterinary work guided him. When he laid his hand on Roya’s face, her eye opened slightly, glossy with pain.

She was suffering. Badly.

How bad? He wasn’t sure. Animals weren’t his expertise, but if she were human, he’d be worried she might not make it back to town. He hoped she would, but he couldn’t be certain.

“Hold on, girl. Hold on, okay? Someone’s getting my dad. He’ll take a look at you. You’ll be okay.”

Roya’s eye closed, her head sinking into the grass.

Brody swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “Hold on.”

Stripping off his gloves, he pulled on a fresh pair and returned to Avalon. She winced as he reached for her.

“Hey there,” he said, feigning offense, “I haven’t even touched you yet.” He kept his tone light, but Avalon wasn’t buying it.

She gestured vaguely toward her leg and clapped a hand over her eyes. “You’re going to set my leg.”

“Look at you, being so smart.” He positioned himself opposite the break from the other EMT. Squatting, he saw she’d prepared a brace for Avalon’s leg. He nodded, meeting the EMT’s dark eyes. When Avalon peeked through her fingers and called him out, he grinned.

“Make eyes at the pretty lady later, Brody. Just set it already.”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Chuckling, he grinned. “It’s like you really are my relative.”

Avalon groaned, and he smiled.

“I know you’re rolling your eyes behind your hand.”

She lifted it briefly and glared. “How did you—”

With a nod from the other EMT, they gave both sides of her leg a sharp tug.

Avalon cursed, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

Brody could still hear her muffled words. “I don’t like you anymore, Brody.”

“Aww… I love you too.”

“Mama?”

Brody turned and saw a small boy across the road, standing beside a car.

“Hey, buddy.”

The boy waved.

“Chipper!” The other EMT stood, hiding her bloodied gloves behind her back.

Brody knew she was shielding her son from the sight. “Please, Chip. Get back in the car. I know it’s taking a long time.”

The boy shrugged. “I’ve got books.” With another wave to Brody, he climbed back into the car and shut the door.

Yeah, there was more to this new EMT than met the eye, but Brody wasn’t upset about new blood at the station.

When he turned back, Avalon was holding hands with the new hire, talking earnestly with his partner.

Partner. Brody smiled at the thought.

He’d been on edge about who Joshua had chosen for the job, especially since Joshua had been tight-lipped. Brody had assumed it meant his cousin knew he’d be upset. It wasn’t easy finding people willing to drop everything and move to Fallport, Virginia. It wasn’t a bad town, nor particularly small, but many saw it as a life-altering change they couldn’t handle. Brody, born and raised in Fallport, loved it and had no desire to leave. Still, he could see why moving here might be tough for someone used to a big city’s hustle.

He wanted to make things as easy as possible for her.

“Hey, Partner.”

Both women looked at him, their expressions almost comical.

“Sorry,” he grinned, “I don’t know what else to call you.”

“Rhea,” she said, smiling softly, almost blushing. “Rhea Russell.”

“Nice to meet you, Rhea. If Avalon’s okay waiting for my dad to check on Roya, why don’t you have your son come over and sit with us? It’s got to be tough having him across the road.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course.” He nodded toward the car. “Unless you think he’ll be upset by the medical stuff.”

Rhea looked confused. “Chip was in hospital daycare a few months after he was born. I’m convinced he’ll graduate med school before high school.”

“Go ahead,” Brody grinned, “bring him over, and I’ll get the gurney out so we can transfer her.”

Rhea glanced at Avalon, who gave a half-dreamy thumbs-up.

“Okay, thanks. It’ll just be a minute.”

“Hey, cuz.”

Brody looked at Avalon, who seemed to be fighting sleep. “You feeling okay?”

She shrugged one shoulder, giving a half-smile.

Concerned by her one-sided movements, he brushed the backs of his fingers against her unw smiling cheek. She winced slightly, and he mumbled, “Sorry. You in pain on this side?”

She shrugged the other shoulder. “A little. I think that’s the side I fell on, but I can’t remember much right now.”

He nodded. “Rest. It’ll be clearer later. The doctor will want as much info as you can give.”

“I want some info, too,” she sighed, glancing toward the car across the road. “She doesn’t wear a wedding ring.”

“Oh.” Brody hoped he kept his interest out of his voice and expression.

“You like her,” Avalon said, her knowing grin unmistakable.

Fuck.

He looked down at her. “She’s nice.”

“Riiiight,” she giggled, reminding him of her childhood adorableness. “You like her, like her.”

He brushed it off. “Oh wow. What did Rhea give you in that IV?”

Avalon rolled her eyes and grinned. “I can see more than you think.”

Brody raised an eyebrow. “That’s the meds and adrenaline talking.”

She started to shake her head but winced and stopped. “Your generation,” she sighed.

“Generation? How old are you?”

She met his gaze, her eyes surprisingly clear. “Old enough to know your dad and uncle are different from you. You’re like Joshua and Gabriel, guarded.”

He leaned closer, touching her uninjured side gently. “Well, Joshua and Gabriel aren’t like that anymore.”

Her face lit up. “They’re in love and happy.”

Brody gave a melancholy smile and nodded. “But I’m not. I’m the lone wolf in the woods, Avalon.”

She chuckled, then hissed in pain. “That might be where you are now, but I know that’s going to change.”

Hardly, he thought. Sure, Rhea was gorgeous, and he’d felt a spark, but that just meant they’d work well together. Good partners. She had a son, and likely a father in the picture. He’d have to keep those thoughts locked away.

A soft whimper drew him to Roya’s side. The injured dog rested quietly. Crouching, he pulled off his glove and scratched between her ears, mimicking Misty’s gesture.

Roya lifted her spotted head slightly, her gaze baleful.

“I know, girl. I know… Don’t worry, I’m not planning to cause any trouble.”

And he meant it. He wasn’t a homewrecker, and he wouldn’t cause problems for a little boy.

As Rhea and her son stepped onto the grass, she squeezed Chip’s hand and whispered something to him. The boy, clutching a book to his chest with his backpack dragging, looked at Brody seriously. “Hi. I’m Chip. Chip Russell. Nice to meet you.”

The practiced greeting was clear, and Chip glanced at his mother for approval.

Something tugged at Brody’s heart, like a string. He remembered seeking his parents’ approval as the youngest boy in the Armstrong family, wanting to set a good example for his sister Rachel and not look foolish in front of his cousins.

Nodding to Chip, Brody replied, “Hey there, Chip. I’m Brody Armstrong. Looks like I’ll be working with your mom.”

Chip’s eyes widened, then he nodded. “My mom is really good at her job. She’ll help you a lot.”

“I’m sure she will,” Brody said, glancing at Rhea. A peachy blush colored her cheeks.

Damn, she was gorgeous.

“Is that puppy hurt?” Chip’s concerned gaze fixed on Roya.

“Yeah. Her name’s Roya, and she’s a working dog.”

Rhea looked at Avalon. “Medical?”

Avalon started to shake her head but stopped. Brody answered, “She works with Misty.”

Rhea’s expression shifted with understanding. She must have heard about Misty’s abduction. “Oh.”

“Roya’s a cadaver dog. She does searches for—”

“Brody—”

Avalon’s soft voice reminded him Chip was listening, eyes and ears wide open.

A car approached from town, and Brody stepped toward the road, shielding Avalon, Rhea, and Chip. He recognized his dad’s sky-blue Subaru Outback, a familiar sight in Fallport.

“Wow…” Chip’s soft voice came from near Brody’s shoulder.

“That’s my dad. He’s a vet.”

Chip’s eyes lit up, and he did a little happy dance, his free hand fisted. “He works with puppies! That’s so cool! My mom just works with people.”

Brody’s dad emerged, reaching into the backseat, signaling his mom was there too—otherwise, his dad’s med bag would’ve been in the front.

His mom rounded the ambulance first. “Hey, honey. Car accident.”

“Hello, honey. We heard over the radio. Accident, hardly,” she scoffed. Pulling on her gloves, she knelt by Roya and noticed Chip. “Well, hello there, young man. Who are you?”

Chip shuffled back, and Brody saw his mom notice but not react.

“Uh, that’s Chip, Mom. And that’s his mom, Rhea.”

His mother cooed softly to Roya, scratching between her ears. “Well, hello to you both,” she smiled, and Rhea nodded, pulling Chip closer.

Brody’s dad arrived, his larger-than-life presence filling the space with his bag. “Let’s see what we can do here, hmm? How are you feeling, Roya?”

Brody watched his dad’s gentle hands move over Roya’s frame.

Chip, from the safety of his mom’s shadow, spoke up. “Mister, she doesn’t speak human. She’s a dog.”

His words were earnest. Brody’s dad, back to Chip, grinned at Brody. “Oh? You don’t say…” He glanced over his shoulder. “I think she can speak in her own way if we learn to listen.”

He winked at his wife before addressing Chip again. “Are you a good listener, Chip?”

Chip glanced at his mother, worry in his eyes, but Rhea’s gaze was filled with love.

“Sometimes…” Chip’s answer drew smiles from everyone.

“Well,” Brody’s dad said, “if your mom says you can come closer, maybe you can help me listen. I think you might hear it, too.”

Chip, still clutching his book, edged closer as Brody’s dad continued the examination. His gloved hand slid over Roya’s haunches, and as Brody noticed movement in the dog’s belly, Chip gasped.

“That’s hurting her. She’s hurt.”

Pride and concern mixed on his dad’s face. “That’s right, Chip. She’s hurt on her leg. It sounds like she spoke to you without knowing any English at all.”

“Oh,” Chip pondered, then turned to his mom with a subtle nod. “I never said she didn’t speak English, sir. I only said she doesn’t speak human.”

Brody’s mom stifled a laugh. “He’s got you there, Howard.”

She turned to Brody. “We’ve got Roya. Get Avalon to the clinic. We’ll be fine.”

Brody nodded, giving Roya one last stroke between her ears. “You’ll be just fine, girl. And Gabriel will have your mom back in a minute. Don’t worry.”

He stood and smiled at Rhea. “My mom and dad will take care of Roya. Let’s get Avalon back to town.”

She nodded. “Can Chip come with us?” Her voice held a hint of hesitation.

“Of course. We can’t leave him out here, can we?”

He regretted the words instantly as Chip’s eyes widened with worry.

“Sorry, Chip,” Brody apologized. “I try to be funny, but sometimes it doesn’t work.”

Chip’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded with childlike earnestness. “It’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.”

Rhea gave Brody a wobbly smile and mouthed, “Thanks.”

Brody resisted the urge to puff up with pride. He held out his hand to Chip. “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you inside and seated.”

Chip ran to him, gripping his hand tightly. Brody guided him to the ambulance, not letting go until Chip’s feet were firmly on the floor.

“You want me to help—”

“I can buckle myself in,” Chip said, moving to the corner seat, his backpack weighing him down. “I’m a big boy.”

Yeah, Brody smiled to himself, I guess you are.

He turned to Rhea, catching the love in her eyes as she watched Chip. Her face transformed, somehow even more beautiful.

Brody groaned inwardly. Her husband was one lucky man.