Run to You (26 page)

G
abby hung by her fingertips, the rough wood biting into her skin. Her feet kicked against the wall, seeking but not finding purchase.

“Gotcha, sweetheart.” Ethan's shoulder landed beneath her right foot, and as he straightened, she boosted herself up to swing her leg over the top of the wall.

Straddling it, she looked down at him. He was staring up at her with that trademark charming smile on his face, but the love in his eyes made the smile that much more authentic. Her chest swelled with pride, for herself for making it to the top of this damn wall, and for him for overcoming the hang-ups from his past to trust her with his heart.

“Here I come.” He jumped up and grabbed the top of the wall, swinging himself up to sit facing her with a ridiculous lack of effort.

She scowled at him. “Seriously, you could at least make it look like that was hard for you. It might boost my confidence or something.”

“Making things look easy is my specialty.” With a wink, he swung over the other side and landed on the ground with all the grace of a cheetah.

Gabby blanched as she looked at the ground ten feet below. The scene of her infamous, ridiculous fall during the Adrenaline Rush. But today she'd scaled the wall. With Ethan's help, she'd mostly overcome her fear of heights these last few months. Last week, she'd ridden the entire zip-line course, and it really had been awesome. Life in general had been pretty great since she'd decided to stay in Haven.

“Whenever you're ready,” he called.

She drew a deep breath and swung her left leg over the wall. As she again dangled by her fingertips—this time on the far side of the wall—Ethan's hands came around her waist, ready to catch her.

But when she let go, she fell like a rock, knocking him off balance. They tumbled to the ground together, arms and legs tangled. Well, she'd made it over the wall in typical klutz style.

“I keep falling into you like this.” She giggled.

“I don't mind.”

She popped up to her feet, dusting herself off. Ethan put one knee up, then paused, reaching toward his right thigh.

“Oh, no. Are you hurt?”

Ethan was shaking his head, a wide smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box, and
oh my God
, he was on one knee. No way. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

He pulled the box open and held it up to her, revealing the ring inside, an intricately carved silver band with three delicate diamonds in the center. It was exquisite. Tears sprang into her eyes.

“It was Gram's,” he said, his own eyes suspiciously glossy. “She'd want you to have it, don't you think? Will you marry me?”

“Oh my God.” She laughed as tears streaked her cheeks. “Yes.”

He took her left hand in his and gently slid the ring into place. It was a perfect fit. The diamonds winked up at her, and she knew Dixie was beaming down on them, wherever she was. They had just made her final wish come true.

“Wow.” Ethan looked down at her hand, still clasped between his big, masculine fingers. “That looks even better on you than I could have imagined.” He looked up, and their eyes met.

A hummingbird darted past, and Gabby smiled. “I think your grandmother approves.”

“She is having a dance party up there right now.” He turned his eyes toward the sky.

“I know it. I'm so happy, Ethan.” So happy she felt like she might burst with it.

“Me, too.” He leaned in and kissed her again. “Thank you for helping me get here.”

“Likewise. Now if you don't mind, I've been waiting a long time to try out that hand trolley over the pond.”

He grinned. “You got it.”

He stayed right behind her as she traversed the ropes course and over the swinging bridge. Her head swam, and her knees shook, but she kept walking slow and steady until she'd made it to the other side. They high-fived when their feet once again touched the ground.

“It's go time,” he said as they walked toward the pond.

Gabby reached up and grabbed on to the hand trolley, the diamonds on her new ring winking in the sunshine. She smiled. “Here I go.”

“Enjoy the ride,” Ethan called as she kicked off and soared.

“Oh, I will.” The wind whipped through her hair, and she whooped for joy. It felt like flying. And what a ride it would be from here on out, with a wedding to plan and a happily ever after to live with Ethan.

B
y eleven, only a handful of people remained at the bar. Ryan poured a scotch on the rocks for a man sitting alone near the door. Based on the way he fiddled with his bare ring finger, Ryan pegged him as either going through a divorce or a man looking to mess around on his wife. Neither option sat well when he caught the dude staring in Emma's direction.

He walked over to her. “Why are you sitting here alone at the bar on a Monday night, Em?”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes bright and twinkling with mischief despite—or maybe because of—the drunken giggle that revealed how much beer she'd consumed tonight. “Because I'm having fun.”

He smiled in spite of himself. “Wouldn't have pegged you as the type.”

She gave him a funny look. “Well, I'm trying to broaden my horizons.”

“Hang tight,” he told her, then went down the bar to settle up with the trio of tourists. They left him a sweet tip before heading out into the night. He wiped down the bar as he made his way back to Emma. “You ready for me to call you that cab?”

“What time are you off?” she asked.

“We close at midnight.”

She leaned closer, and her floral scent teased his nostrils. “Any chance you could give me a ride?”

“It's the first week of March, and I only have my bike. You'd be more comfortable in a cab.” And so would he, because the sight of her here at the bar, all that silky hair loose around her shoulders and the sexiest hint of cleavage showing at the neckline of her shirt…it was doing all kinds of weird things to his mind. Like making him fantasize about her on the back of his bike, her arms around his waist. Her lips on his. Emma in his bed, screaming his name.

“I've always wanted to ride on a motorcycle,” she said softly.

“You've never…”

She shook her head. “So what do you say, will you be my first?”

Ah, hell.
Derek's little sister.
He repeated the words in his head until he'd dragged his mind out of the gutter. “It's cold out there. You're not dressed to go for a ride.”

“I only live a few miles down the road. I'll survive.”

This was a terrible idea. He should insist she take a cab, for his own sake if not for hers, but… “All right then, if you don't mind waiting around while I close up.”

“Not at all. It's kind of fun hanging out at the bar by myself. A couple of guys have even flirted with me. Maybe I should let my hair down more often. What do you think?”

He thought those guys were too smooth for a woman like Emma, and if the cheater by the door tried to put a move on her, he might “accidentally” spill a drink in the douche's lap. “I think you're beautiful however you wear your hair, but it does look really nice tonight.”

She sat up straighter. Yeah, he hadn't expected to hear himself say that either.

“Thanks.”

He grabbed a cloth and wiped down the bar, more as a distraction than out of necessity.

She leaned closer, those blue eyes hitting him like a punch to the gut. “I'm trying to shake things up a little this year, not be so much of a goody two-shoes.”

He blinked. “Say what?”

“I want to have some fun.” She smiled, not the practiced take-me-home-tonight smile he received from so many women every time he tended bar, but a warm, honest smile that seemed somehow much sexier. “I'm thinking about getting a tattoo. And I want to sign up for rock-climbing lessons when you guys get started back up again.”

His brain got fuzzy somewhere around the mention of a tattoo. “Oh, yeah?”

She nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “It looks exciting.”

“Almost as good as a ride on my bike.” And dammit, he was flirting.

“You could bring all kinds of excitement into my life,” she said with a giggle, reminding him that she was borderline drunk.

“Water for you until we close,” he said, plunking an empty glass on the bar in front of her, which he filled from the tap.

She grumbled but took it without protest.

Ryan ventured down the bar to check on the cheater by the door and the other lone couple still remaining. The couple paid their tab and left, leaving only Emma and the cheater. And luck must be on Ryan's side because that guy paid up, too, and headed out into the night.

“I've never been the last one at the bar before,” Emma said, watching as he cleaned up.

“The place is dead tonight. Monday night outside of tourist season.”

“Can I help?” she asked as he placed dirty mugs into the dishwasher beneath the counter.

“Nope, but I do appreciate you keeping me company.” He hadn't paid much attention to her when they were kids, but grown-up Emma was pretty cool, even if she was totally messing with his head tonight.

She chattered away while he cleaned up the bar. Jason, the manager, swung through and flipped the sign on the door from
OPEN
to
CLOSED
. Emma went to the restroom while Ryan finished up in back.

“Since when did you start picking up chicks during your shift?” Jason asked.

“Since never,” Ryan answered. Business was business and not to be mixed with dating, no matter how many women he casually flirted with while he tended bar. “She's an old friend who needs a ride home.”

“On your bike?”

He shrugged. “Only ride I've got. I've known Emma since she was a kid. She's just a friend.”

“Whatever you say, man.” Jason slapped him on the shoulder and headed for the back door.

Ryan turned to find Emma in the doorway, a funny smile on her face. “It might sound better if you said you'd known me since
we
were kids, instead of since
I
was a kid.”

“Same thing, isn't it?” He zipped his jacket and led the way toward the back door.

“As long as you're not still thinking about me like I'm twelve,” she said with a wink as she pushed the door open ahead of him. She wore a blue jacket now, not nearly thick enough to keep her warm on his bike.

He glanced at her ass. Yep, she was definitely all grown up now. “You sure you want to do this? If Mark's still up, I could get his keys and drive you home in his SUV.”

“I'm positive I won't freeze to death in the time it takes you to drive me home.”

“All right then.” It was cold tonight, but he'd always found it exhilarating to feel the icy rush against his body as he rode. Emma might regret her decision later, but she was right, she wouldn't freeze to death in the time it took to get her home. “You got gloves?”

She pulled a pair of black gloves out of her pockets and slipped them on.

He led the way around the corner and down two blocks to the renovated building he, Ethan, and Mark had bought condos in last year. Ethan's condo was noticeably empty these days as he spent more and more time at Gabby's place.

Emma walked up to the Harley and rested her hand on the handlebar. She turned to look at him with a gleam in her eyes. She really did want to ride on it. Well, he'd be damned. Maybe he'd underestimated her.

He unlocked the door to his first-floor unit and grabbed the spare helmet he kept for just this occasion. Except usually the woman riding on the back of his bike was someone he was either sleeping with or hoping to sleep with.
But this is Emma.

“You ready?” Ryan asked as he held it out to her.

“You have no idea.” She took it with a smile and slid it onto her head.

And…
fuck
. The combination of the skintight jeans, jacket, and his helmet on her head was too much. He'd never been able to resist a woman dressed to ride, let alone a woman on his bike. Which meant he was crazy to give her this ride.

He handed her a pair of glasses, then put on his own helmet.

“What are these?” she asked.

“Eye protection.” His slid his pair into place. Too bad they did nothing to obscure his view of Emma, because damn, she was turning him on big time right now. Those jeans… “All right, wait for me to give you the all clear, then you're going to put your left foot on the peg, grab my shoulders, and climb on.”

She nodded, excitement dancing in her eyes.

He mounted the bike, settled himself, and cranked the engine. It roared beneath him with barely leashed restraint. This bike was his pride and joy, the first thing of value he'd ever bought for himself. He'd worked his ass off for this beast and never regretted a single penny he'd spent.

Once the engine settled beneath him, he gave Emma a nod. As she swung into place, her hands settled on his waist, searing his skin even through all the layers of their clothing. No doubt about it, she was going to be his undoing tonight.

Whoa.
Emma closed her eyes and let out a shriek as Ryan guided the bike onto Main Street and picked up speed. The cold wind whipped her face, taking her breath away. Beneath her, the engine rumbled and roared like a wild thing.
Holy shit.
She was on the back of Ryan Blake's bike, and it was amazing.

The wind bit through her thin knit gloves, hitting her fingers with an icy blast. Actually, every part of her was freezing, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Ryan's waist, anchoring herself to him so she didn't tumble off the back of the bike, and somehow her hands slipped beneath his jacket.
Ahh.
That was better. Toasty warm, and also…her hands were on his T-shirt. Even through her gloves, she felt the hard contour of his abs, and nope, she wasn't cold now.

And this was absolutely freaking amazing.

She hung on tight as he guided them over Haven's twisting mountain roads, deserted at this hour. Overhead the moon shone like a beacon, illuminating the night in its soft, silvery glow. The roar of the engine and the slap of the wind against her face shocked her senses. It was thrilling, invigorating, so completely different from riding inside a car.

She'd never have done this if Mandy hadn't dared her, and now she felt like her eyes were open for the first time in years.
This
was what she needed. Somewhere along the way, as she sat at the bar talking to Ryan, she'd realized she was having fun,
really
having fun. And she wanted more. She wanted it all, every last wild and crazy fantasy.

All too soon, her building came into view. Ryan cut the engine and guided them quietly into the driveway, coming to a stop behind her Honda Civic.

“Don't worry,” she told him. “I share this place with students. They're probably still up, but if not, I've suffered through enough of their late-night parties that they'd sure as hell better not complain about a little motorcycle noise.” She rented the front half of this multi-unit cabin. The back half had two apartments, both occupied by college students.

He turned his head to look at her, so sexy in his helmet and riding glasses. “So how was it?”

“Even better than I thought it would be.” She gulped for air. His lips were way too close to hers, and she was still a little bit drunk on beer and a whole lot drunk on her first motorcycle ride. Mandy's words echoed in her ears.
Bonus points if you kiss him. Just stand up a bit, lean over his shoulder, and kiss him
…

Emma leaned forward, her chest sliding up his back as she tipped her face to his. Holy hell, she had completely lost her mind, but she was going for it. Every nerve in her body went haywire.

Clunk.
Her helmet smacked into his, drawing her up an inch short of his lips.

Ryan sucked in a breath, his dark eyes locked on hers.

She froze. Oh God, this was so embarrassing! She was pressed against him, her hands still on his waist, her face so close to his, so awkward, so obvious she'd been about to kiss him. Foiled by the stupid helmet.

“Emma.” His voice was low, his face a blank mask behind his glasses.

“Um—” Well, now the moment was ruined, and she felt like a total idiot. She scrambled off the bike, pulled off her helmet and glasses, and turned her back to him.

He came up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, and spun her to face him. “What just happened?”

She just shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

He stared at her for a long second, looking so disreputably rumpled, she almost went for it again—this time without helmets to get in the way.

“You had too much to drink tonight.”

“I'm not drunk.” Or wait—maybe she should have let him think she was. That might be less embarrassing, and it's not like she was totally sober, after all.

His gaze slipped to her lips. “It wouldn't be a good idea.”

And there it was. She absorbed the sting of his words. “Oh. You don't—I mean, I get it. Those other women at the bar are a lot more—”

“Emma,” he interrupted her, his dark eyes nearly knocking her off her feet with their intensity, “it's got nothing to do with them. You're…any guy would be lucky to kiss you, but I can't.” Something flickered in his expression. It almost looked like desire…for her.

Whoa.
“Why not?”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. “You know why.”

She jabbed a finger at him. “Don't you dare bring up my brother right now.”

“I promised him I'd look out for you. I specifically promised him that I would
not
take advantage of you.”

“Well, that's insulting because I wouldn't call anything that happened tonight you taking advantage of me. And that was over ten years ago, Ryan.” She paused as hot tears pressed against the backs of her eyes. “Derek's gone.”

The words hung between them, crisp and cold. Ryan had been there beside her at Derek's funeral. He'd always been there for her. But he didn't want to be
with
her. And it hurt even more than she'd feared.

His eyes shone with regret. “And I can never get his okay on this.”

“You don't need his permission. I'm twenty-seven years old, Ryan.”