Page 39 of Wrecked on the Mountain (Stone River Mountain #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Brooke

I enter Timber Tavern with Piper right behind me, practically bouncing with excitement after the day we've had. The warm glow of lantern sconces and the crackling fireplace wraps around us like a hug, and I can't help but grin at Piper's sharp intake of breath.

"Holy shit, Brooke." She stops dead in the entrance, taking in the rustic timber beams, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, and the gorgeous stone fireplace that dominates the center of the room. "This place is like something out of a magazine."

"Wait until you taste the food," I say, steering her toward the bar where Charlie's polishing glasses with that warm smile of his. "Everything's delicious, and Charlie makes cocktails that could win awards."

Before I can even open my mouth to order, Charlie sets down his towel and grins at us.

"Jamie already called. VIP treatment for the ladies from Chicago coming right up."

My heart does this little flutter thing. Even when he's dealing with emergencies, Jamie thinks of me. Takes care of me.

"Perfect. Then we'll take two of whatever Jamie recommended to drink, too," I tell Charlie, who's already reaching for top-shelf bottles I can't even pronounce.

Piper leans against the bar, her eyes tracking the movement of several ruggedly handsome men playing pool in the back corner. Her voice drops to a whisper.

"I can see why you love it here. Very... rustic. And masculine." She's practically drooling now as one of the guys bends over to line up a shot. "Are they all like this here? Built like lumberjacks and covered in flannel?"

"Most of them, yeah." I laugh, following her gaze. "That's what happens when you live somewhere that requires actual physical labor instead of just casual gym memberships."

Charlie slides two cocktails across the bar, each one a masterpiece in a glass. The drinks shimmer under the light above, garnished with delicate twists of citrus and sprigs of fresh herbs that look like they were plucked from a garden.

The glasses themselves are frosted, the scents of ripe berries and exotic spices wafting up, mingling with the rich, woody aroma of the tavern.

I can almost taste the promise of their intoxicating flavors.

"Right, ladies. Enjoy there and I see your table's ready. Best view in the house."

Piper gleams at me, sipping her drink as Charlie leads us to a corner booth with massive windows overlooking the towering mountain outside. We sink into the seats opposite each other, and there's already a small plate of appetizers waiting.

"Oh! You have to try there," I say excitedly, pulling the plate closer. "These are the fancy cheese things from Bear Paw Café that I've become completely addicted to."

Piper pops one of the cheese bites into her mouth, her eyes still tracking the bearded mountain man across the room like a heat-seeking missile.

"Mmm, oh my. These are incredible," she says, chewing thoughtfully. "But tell me… does your Jamie have any single friends who look like that specimen over there? Because I'm suddenly very interested in extending my visit."

"Down, girl," I laugh.

"Evening, Brooke!" Sienna calls out from her table near the fireplace, raising her wine glass in greeting as her daughter Maisie finishes what appears to be a very elaborate drawing of a castle. "How's our favorite doctor?"

"Perfect, thanks!" I wave back, feeling that familiar warmth spread through my chest. Our favorite doctor.

Piper's eyebrows shoot up as we settle into our booth. "Our favorite doctor? Brooke, how long have you been here? A month?"

"Four weeks tomorrow," I correct, taking a sip of my cocktail that tastes like lemon, lime and honey. "But you know how small towns are. Everyone knows everyone."

"No, I don't know how small towns are," Piper says, still looking around like she's landed on another planet. "I know how Chicago is. Where you can live in the same building for five years and never learn your neighbor's name."

Frank Barrett shuffles past our table, tipping his worn baseball cap. "Brooke, you tell that boyfriend of yours he still owes me a beer."

"I'll make sure he knows," I promise, grinning as Frank continues toward the bar.

Piper stares after him, then back at me. "Okay, what the hell? The entire town treats you like family."

"Yeah. They do," I say, and the truth of it hits me square in the chest. "Look around, babe. This isn't just a bar… it's the town's freaking living room!"

She giggles and holds the straw to her lips.

"Everyone comes here. Everyone knows everyone's business, everyone helps when things go wrong, everyone celebrates when things go right." I catch myself sounding like Jamie, but it's true. "It's nothing like home."

Charlie appears with menus, but I wave them away. "Two of the tavern burgers, loaded fries, and whatever dessert you're pushing tonight."

"Woman after my own heart," Charlie says approvingly. "I'll put that right in."

When he's gone, Piper leans across the table, her expression somewhere between amazed and concerned.

"Well, Brooke, after spending the day with you, I have to say… you're glowing. Like, literally glowing. I haven't seen you this happy since..." She pauses, thinking. "Ever, actually. Not even in med school when you were at the top of every class."

"That's because this is different." I gesture around the tavern, at the couples sharing quiet dinners, at the group of grumpy guys arguing over their pool game, at the general sense of contentment that permeates everything.

"In Chicago, I was always chasing something.

The next surgery, the next promotion, the next crisis to solve.

Here, I'm just... living life. Taking it day by day, doing the things that make me smile. "

"And Jamie?"

His name alone makes me smile so wide my cheeks hurt.

"He's been... incredible. These past few days especially, since I met his family and we watched the sunrise together.

" I trace the rim of my glass, remembering the way he looked at me when he said those three perfect words.

"He's been trying so hard, probably because he knew you were coming. Like he needs to prove something."

"Prove something? What would a man like that need to prove to anyone?" Piper asks, brows knitting together.

"He's mentioned an ex-fiancée," I say, lowering my voice even though everyone in the tavern would know his story anyway. "Rebecca. She left him three days before their wedding, apparently."

Piper's eyes widen. "Holy shit. That's brutal."

"Right? I think that has something to do with it, but he kind of shuts down whenever we talk about it.

" I take another sip of my cocktail, the sweet burn coating my throat.

"I know he had a tough time in the military too.

Three tours offshore. But he's so focused on the community and the rescue station, he sort of just.. . gets on with it."

"Classic avoidance issues," Piper observes, her psychology degree showing. "Throw yourself into work so you don't have to deal with feelings."

"Sound familiar?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Touché." She grins. "But at least we're dealing with ours now."

We keep drinking and soon Charlie arrives with our burgers just as Piper's finishing a story about the latest drama in the General ER department that has me wiping tears from my eyes.

"Oh my God, stop," I gasp, clutching my stomach. "Dr. Richardson really said that to the chief of surgery?"

"In front of the entire board of directors," Piper confirms, grinning as she picks up a loaded fry dripping with cheese and bacon. "His exact words were 'Well, if you think my bedside manner needs work, you should see my golf swing.'"

Piper puffs out her cheeks and drops her voice to a ridiculous baritone that's exactly like my old colleagues. Her impression is so spot-on that I nearly choke on my drink, laughing until my sides ache.

"I can't believe I'm missing all this chaos," I say, then pause mid-bite of my burger.

Actually, I can believe it.

I don't miss the politics, the twelve-hour days, or the constant pressure to be perfect. That's the thing about working in medicine… there isn't much room for error.

Around here? You're allowed to make mistakes. Maybe not when someone is hanging on the edge of a cliff, but the Mountain Rescue team is so good, I wouldn't ever worry if my life was in their hands.

"So tell me more about this spar resort," Piper says, twirling a finger in her blonde hair. "It's sounds amazing ."

My cheeks flush, and I know I'm grinning like an idiot. "He was so romantic. You wouldn't think it by looking at him… but he is."

"Oh yeah. I could tell from the airport pickup alone. Fresh flowers, perfectly clean truck, nervous energy like he was meeting the president." She takes a sip of her third cocktail. "The man is gorgeous, by the way. And clearly obsessed with you."

"So he arranged that entire spa weekend just to spoil me," I admit, remembering the rose petals and champagne. The moment in the infinity pool that my body still reacts to every time I think about it. "I've never been treated like that. Like I'm someone worth... I don't know, cherishing."

"Brooke." Piper reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "You've always been worth cherishing. You just never slowed down long enough to let anyone try."

I know Jamie has said the same thing, but hearing it from someone I've known for so long… it just hits different.

"Remember residency?" I ask, steering the conversation away from the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "When we thought we'd have it all figured out by thirty?"

"You mean when we thought we'd be married to fellow doctors, living in gorgeous condos, and saving the world one perfectly executed surgery at a time?" Piper laughs. "Yeah, that worked out exactly as planned."

"I thought I'd be department head by now," I confess. "Running my own trauma unit, maybe teaching the next generation."

"And instead?"