Page 38 of Wrecked on the Mountain (Stone River Mountain #2)

Everything was going exactly according to plan. Piper was charmed, Brooke was glowing, and I was successfully proving that Stone River offers everything a sophisticated woman could want.

Now I have to abandon them to handle someone else's emergency.

I climb out of the truck and head toward the café door, rehearsing my apology. Professional responsibility always comes first in my line of work.

Brooke knows that, understands it, respects it.

It's one of the things I love about her.

The bell above the door chimes as I push inside, and three female faces turn toward me with matching expressions of curiosity.

"Let me guess," Brooke says immediately, reading my expression with the accuracy of someone who's spent years in emergency medicine. "Rescue call?"

"Multi-vehicle accident," I confirm, hating the way disappointment flickers across her face. "I'm sorry, I could—"

"Go," she interrupts, already waving me off. "We'll be fine exploring on our own for a few hours."

But I can see the frustration in her eyes. She understands, but she doesn't like it. Neither do I.

"This sucks," I say honestly, glancing between them. "Sorry, Piper. I wanted to show you around personally, introduce you to everyone—"

"Don't worry about us," Piper says, settling onto a stool, a menu flapping in her hands. "Work comes first, right Brooke? It's fine, Jamie. We're used to this, right Brooke?"

Used to this.

The way she says it so matter-of-factly, so casually accepting of a career that always has you on-call, makes my chest tighten in a way I don't like.

Used to this. Used to her boyfriend dropping everything when work calls. Used to professional responsibilities taking priority over personal time with new friends.

Like this is just another example of a pattern Brooke's been living with for years.

"Right," I say slowly, forcing a smile that feels like plastic. "Dinner at Timber Tavern tonight is on me. You girls are booked for seven o'clock. Tell Charlie you get the best table in the house, or he'll have me to answer to."

"Perfect," Brooke says, but she's studying my face like she can sense something shifting. "Jamie? Everything okay?"

"Fine," I lie, backing toward the door. "Just... wish I didn't have to go."

Brooke skips over, grabs me by the coat, and pulls me down for a kiss that makes my knees weak.

"When duty calls," she murmurs against my lips, her breath warm and sweet.

"Yeah," I echo, forcing a smile. "Duty calls."

It feels like utter shit leaving them here, especially when Brooke's smile is the only thing making it bearable. At least she understands, supports this chaotic life I lead. We lead.

I press a quick kiss to her forehead before moving through the door. "I'll see you tonight."

She nods, that smile still in place. "Be safe."

I turn away, my heart heavy. The drive to the Mountain Rescue station takes eight minutes that feel like eight hours.

Used to this.

Piper's words echo in my head like a fucking accusation. I know she wasn't being mean-spirited or critical, just... observational. Like she's watched Brooke drop everything for work emergencies her entire adult life.

How many times has Brooke said those exact words? "Sorry, I have to go, emergency surgery. Work comes first." How many dinners, dates, family gatherings has she abandoned because someone's life hung in the balance?

By the time I reach the station, my confidence from this morning has completely evaporated, replaced by a gnawing anxiety that feels way too familiar.

What if, even after spoiling her rotten, I'm not offering her freedom from that cycle? What if I'm just asking her to do it in a different location, with different people?

What if Piper sees right through my "perfect life in paradise" pitch and recognizes that I'm asking Brooke to make the same sacrifices she's been making for fifteen years, just with mountain rescues instead of trauma surgery?

I slam the truck door and stalk toward the station entrance, my mind already spiraling toward worst-case scenarios.

"Dude!" Chase's voice cuts through my internal crisis the second I push through the doors. "Knox said there's a new hot city girl visiting! Blonde, right?!"

Chase does this full-body wiggle that makes him look like an overeager golden retriever who just spotted a tennis ball. His eyes light up and he actually rubs his hands together.

Christ. Single guy radar in full effect.

I remember him doing the exact same thing when Brooke first arrived. Practically drooling over the "hot new doctor" until I shut that shit down fast.

Now he's already planning his approach to Piper like she's fresh meat.

"When do I get to meet her?"

That puppydog excitement about meeting someone new grates against my suddenly raw nerves like sandpaper.

"Focus on the job, Morrison," I snap with more venom than the comment deserves. "Not every woman who arrives in this town wants you. And Piper? She's certainly not here for your entertainment."

Chase's face falls like I've just kicked his favorite dog. The easy smile disappears, replaced by something wounded and confused that makes me immediately regret my tone.

I know his struggles. I know what he's been through. The guy deserves happiness, and I've just gone and shot him down because I'm in a bad fucking mood.

"Right," he says quietly, his usual cheerful tone evaporating fast. "Sorry, boss. I'll... I'll just get the gear ready."

He disappears toward the equipment room with his shoulders hunched, and I'm left standing in the middle of the station feeling like a complete asshole.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Chase was just being friendly. Excited to meet someone important to me. And I bit his head off because I'm suddenly terrified that I'm not offering Brooke the escape she came here for.

I drag my hands through my hair and glance toward my truck through the station windows.

In the glove compartment, wrapped in its cursed velvet box, Rebecca's old engagement ring is shoved away out of sight, waiting like some kind of twisted insurance policy.

Maybe that's what it takes. Maybe Mom was right.

That by giving her that ring, that's the only way to make sure she stays before she realizes that all jobs are demanding, even mountain rescue.

But what if I'm fooling myself?

What if I'm just doing what I did with Rebecca? Trying to tie her down when ultimately… she doesn't really want to be here.

The radio crackles to life with updates from the accident scene, pulling me back to the immediate crisis. Multiple injuries are being reported now, and I need to move.

This is what I do. This is who I am.

I've been showing off this town because I love it. I love the community, the people, the entire fucking place.

Whether Brooke likes it or not, ultimately, I've chosen this life before.

Because this is who I am, not some show pony tour guide for two city girls.