Page 8 of Fool Me (Timberline Peak #1)

CHAPTER

SIX

ATLAS

An impromptu visit from Betty White and Mrs. Franklin has me running a few minutes behind. So, when I step into the exam room, Echo and Harlowe are already waiting. Moving to the sink, I wash my hands. I try to focus on the task, but my gaze keeps drifting to the pretty blonde with the scowl.

So far, I’ve seen her in work clothes and workout clothes. Both times I was struck by how stunning she is. Even that first day when she was stressed, her face pale from exhaustion, she was beautiful.

Today she’s dressed casually in a pair of jean shorts and a tank top that’s cropped above her belly button.

The monochrome top has tiny white flowers stitched all over it, making her summer tan stand out and giving her a feminine edge.

Long hair flows down her back to her waist. Somehow, the look softens her even with a mask of indifference on her face.

The other day at the gym, I could feel her walls go up as soon as my brother was mentioned. I don’t know what that’s about, but I’m pissed at him for making her look at me the way she is now.

“Sorry about the wait; Betty White was extra chatty today.” I lean against the counter, hoping small talk will warm her up to me.

Harlowe’s lips twist in confusion before realization strikes and she relaxes. “Oh, the bird.”

Her stiff posture and pout don’t immediately return. Maybe I owe my best patient some extra head scratches when she’s in next.

“The one and only. Unless there’s another in Timberline Peak?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” She pushes her hair over her shoulder.

The little extra bit of skin shouldn’t make my finger itch to reach out and test the softness, but it does.

I shove my hands in my pockets to stop myself.

“But you’d know better than me—you grew up here.

” The accusation in her voice slices through me.

Damn it, she’s still pissed, and a little small talk isn’t going to fix it.

When Harlowe and I shared my office and pizza, talking to her was as easy as breathing. And it made me feel like I had a place here, outside of the clinic.

The friends I had growing up here all moved on with life and they don’t know the man I am now at all.

Staying away as long as I have cost me an easy reconciliation with them.

But that night, Harlowe didn’t know anything about me.

She had no reason to speculate about why I left or what my motives were for coming back until she found out my last name.

“Should we take a look at you, Echo?” I start.

His shaggy black tail wags excitedly and his left paw taps out a rhythm where he sits at Harlowe’s feet. At least he’s happy to see me.

His owner continues to glare at me and my annoyance with my brother amps up all over again.

So, I focus on the one thing I know she’ll talk to me about, and the reason we’re both here. “How has his energy been this week?”

“He slept a lot the first day, but he’s been more like himself since.”

“Any diarrhea or disorientation?”

“No. None at all. He’s been antsy the past few days. Bored, maybe.”

I check inside Echo’s mouth, looking at his gums. “Probably. Are you ready to get back to work?” I ask the only one here who is happy to see me, and Echo’s tail thumps in response.

His owner, on the other hand, is a little more cautious. I can’t tell if it’s fueled by concern for Echo, or her newfound attitude toward me.

Harlowe’s fingers scratch behind Echo’s ears. “I don’t want to rush it.”

“I’ll draw some blood, just to be sure, but I think he’ll be ready to come back by the end of the weekend.” Her shoulders lift with a deep inhale, and I can sense her hesitation. “Are you worried he’s not ready?”

“No. I’m sure he’s fine, and he needs to work just as much as we need him on the missions.”

“I’m sure the team misses him.” I dip my head, pausing to listen to his heart as I talk to him. “Your mom more than anyone.” I don’t mean to call her that, but it slips out.

In Houston, my boss had preferred to keep things formal, but here, with her, that feels stupid.

After the other night in my office, the professional boundaries are blurred, and now, even with her mad at me, I don’t want those barriers.

Finishing up our visit, Harlowe stays mostly silent, helping me with Echo here and there, but not saying much. With each minute, the tension in the small room grows and I wish that Grace would interrupt us, just to create a buffer.

“As long as the blood work comes back clear, Echo can start back on missions this weekend.”

“Are there any extra precautions I need to take with him to prevent him from getting heat stroke again? I read that once it happens, it’s more likely to happen again.”

“It’s possible, but those studies aren’t conclusive. Just be diligent about taking breaks and pushing his water intake. Carry electrolytes for him when you know it’s going to be hot or humid—PetIV is a solid brand.”

She’s got her hand on the door, ready to leave, when she turns back around to face me, letting it drop at her side.

Just when I think that we’re going to get over this tension without a fuse lighting and taking us both out, she asks, “Did you know?” Her clipped words carry betrayal as she hurls them at me.

“Know what?” I brace myself because this feels ominous.

“About Canyon and me?”

Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does. “My parents know better than to mention my brother, and the two of us haven’t spoken more than a handful of words in the last decade. So, it’s safe to assume that I don’t.”

“We were dating when he skipped town after the avalanche.”

I’d heard about the avalanche from my mom—it was the one time she broke our unspoken agreement not to talk about him.

She told me that Canyon was out on the mountain during the avalanche, and that he was moving, but other than knowing he came out of it unharmed, I don’t know the details of that day. And I certainly didn’t ask questions.

I scratch my jaw, measuring my words. “He’s never been very reliable.”

“That’s the understatement of the century.” She laughs bitterly.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry he hurt you.”

Her gaze hardens on me. “He didn’t just hurt me.

He caused that avalanche, and it nearly killed my dad—they were working together that day.

Afterwards, your brother just left—walked away without consequences and had a new job before my dad was out of the hospital—before the investigation was even over. ”

Shit. That sounds about right. It’s the Canyon rule—fuck shit up and let everyone else deal with the consequences.

“Your dad?” I ask, swallowing down the dread creeping up my throat. This is so much worse than just a scorned ex. He almost cost someone their life.

“He was buried in the snow crush. He ended up with a complete spinal cord injury at L5.”

“Fuck,” I hiss. Everything my brother has done to me pales compared to this.

Canyon’s actions hurt me more than once, but it was the lack of remorse that made me cut him off.

From what Harlowe just said, that hasn’t changed.

“I don’t make a habit of apologizing for my brother, because his actions are his own, but I’m truly sorry. ”

“You really didn’t know about any of it?” She stares at the counter, her eyes unfocused.

“None. Not about the two of you, or his part in the avalanche.”

She clears her throat, her walls slamming down, and fuck, I think I’d rather have her mad than shut down. “You’ll let me know if anything comes back on the blood work?” she asks quietly.

“Of course.”

She bites her lips like there’s more she wants to say, but this time, when she reaches for the door, she doesn’t stop.

Harlowe walks out of my exam room, Echo at her side, and I give her the space to check out with Grace, as I duck into the back.

Even from another state, the destruction my brother causes is unavoidable.

Or, not from another state, as I find out the next day when I walk into my parents’ house to find Canyon sitting on their couch, looking completely unbothered.

His long, light brown hair is pulled back in a bun and he wears his trademark crooked smile. The one that endears people to him and gets him out of so much shit. But I’m the only one in this house who seems to see my brother for what he is: irresponsible, callous, and uncaring.

My mom is absolutely beaming, looking thrilled with herself for pulling off the surprise of the century and completely blowing past my boundaries.

This is an ambush.

I suck on my cheek, holding back the anger that wants to escape. “What’s going on?”

I direct the question to my dad, who’s marginally more likely to give me a straight answer. Unlike my mom, he’s not completely oblivious to Canyon’s behavior over the years.

“Your brother is moving back to Timberline Peak. He and your mom thought it would be fun to surprise you.”

“And you didn’t think a heads-up would be nice?” I growl through clenched teeth.

My dad rubs the back of his neck. “It’s been a long time. I hoped things had cooled off.”

“Not long enough, Dad.” Part of the reason I moved home was to be closer to them, hoping to spend more time together.

I knew that might mean running into my brother if he came for a visit, but this feels like a betrayal.

There are things I haven’t shared with them about the rift between Canyon and me, but they know better than to pull this.

Part of me wants to turn around and walk right out the door. The other part doesn’t want to let him take this from me—not after everything else. And following my conversation with Harlowe yesterday, I’m more interested in hearing what he’s doing back. Why now?

“Are you going to come say hi, A.J.? Or are you just going to sit over there and seethe?” Canyon asks from his spot on the couch.

Even his fucking posture is casual, his leg kicked out and crossed at the ankle, his hands knit together behind his head. Like he’s the fucking king and we are just his lowly peasants.