Take These Broken Wings (Summer Lake Seasons, Book One)
Angel and Luke

Chapter One
​
"I can’t make it.” Angel gave Kenzie a sad smile.
“Can’t or won’t?” asked Kenzie with a hard stare.
“Okay. I guess the honest answer is, I won’t.”
Kenzie’s face relaxed. “That’s fair enough. As long as you’re being honest, I don’t mind. If you prefer to stay here and work your ass off instead of coming down to the city with us, then that’s your choice. I just like to pull you up about it every now and then and make you admit that you do have a choice.”
Angel smiled. “I know, and I appreciate it. I tend to fall into the rut of believing that I can’t ever do anything but work. It does me good to be reminded that it’s my own doing.”
“I wish you’d choose to play instead of work more often,” said Maria.
“Hey, I’m doing better than I used to.”
“I’ll give you that,” said Kenzie. “There was a time, not so long ago, when you wouldn’t have dreamed of taking a night off like this.”
Angel nodded happily. “And now we do it every other Thursday, and I look forward to it.”
It was true. She didn’t want to admit just how much she looked forward to these Thursday evenings with the girls. If she was honest—and she didn’t really want to be honest out loud because she knew how sad it would sound—this was the highlight of her week. The highlight of the life she’d made since she moved to Summer Lake nearly eighteen months ago. She’d made some good friends, and she loved her job, but she’d allowed her job to be the center of her existence. People around here considered her a workaholic, and she had to concede that they had a point. At least, every other Thursday, she met up with the girls over here at the plaza, and they sat out on the terrace for dinner. 
“So, if you’re not going to come to the city next weekend, when are you going to come out for some fun?” asked Kenzie.
“Two weeks from tonight?” Angel knew it wasn’t the answer Kenzie was looking for, but it was all she could come up with.
    Kenzie gave her that hard stare again and shook her head. “That doesn’t count. I’ve already got you locked in for our Thursday girls’ nights; I’m looking to step it up.”
    Angel shook her head. “I don’t need it stepping up. I’m perfectly fine with my little life. Work keeps me busy enough.”
    Maria laughed. “You know what she’s trying to do, don’t you?”
    “I do.” Kenzie had been hounding Angel for weeks, if not months now. She wanted her to start going out more—so that she could meet a guy. “And it’s not going to work.”
    “Why not? You’ve had a couple of years to get over the asshole you were engaged to. What almost happened between you and Ben is ancient history. You need to get back in the saddle.”
    Angel rolled her eyes and looked at Maria for help.
    Maria shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I agree with her. You should start dating again, have some fun. Life isn’t supposed to be all about work, and I hate to say it, but you’re not getting any younger.”
    Angel laughed. “And what’s that got to do with anything?”
    “Just that if you want to get married and have children, you don’t want to wait forever.”
    Angel held her gaze for a moment. She wanted to feel angry or insulted, but she didn’t. She knew where Maria was coming from. She was simply projecting her own desires and fears. “I’m in no hurry.”
    Kenzie rolled her eyes. “Just because you want to settle down doesn’t mean Angel does, and it sure as hell isn’t why I’m trying to get her out. She needs to have some fun.” 
    “I do have fun. I enjoy my job. I love what I do.”
They all looked up as the server came to their table with another round of drinks. “Here you go, ladies. Is it just the three of you tonight?”
Angel nodded. “Yeah …” She was about to explain that all the other girls who usually came were busy, but as she thought about it, she realized that they were all doing things with their husbands or children or helping out their best friends. The realization that she didn’t have any of those made her close her mouth again. Maria caught her eye but didn’t say anything.
Kenzie blew out a sigh. “We’re the ones who are out for a good time. Right?”
Angel laughed. “Yes, and I’m having a good time, thank you. Hanging out with the two of you like this is my idea of fun.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy this, too,” said Kenzie, “but I have a hot husband to go home to. I have no interest in babies—or children other than my two nephews. I have my sister around the corner and more friends and relatives here than I know what to do with. I have so much, I want you to have something; that’s all.”
“I keep telling you; I’m fine. And why do you keep focusing on me, anyway? Maria’s in the same boat.”
“Not really,” said Maria with a smile. “I get out and do things. I don’t have my family here, but I spend a lot of my time on the phone with them.”
“Yeah, and she’s dated a couple of guys, too,” added Kenzie.
Maria shrugged. 
Angel wanted to set Kenzie straight about that, but the look Maria shot her made her think better of it. “I don’t want to date anyone. You know my history. I’m a total screw-up when it comes to men.”
“No, you’re not. You just had a run of bad luck. You need to put it behind you.” Kenzie smiled. “Have you seen anything of Luke lately?”
“No.” If Angel wanted to date anyone, it’d be Luke. Even the mention of his name sent shivers down her spine. “He’s not interested anymore. I missed my chance there.”
“Pft!” Kenzie gave her a withering look. “You so have not. The poor guy just got tired of getting the cold shoulder. You froze him out. If you showed him just the tiniest bit of warmth, I’ll bet it’d heat him right back up, and the two of you would be burning up the sheets in no time.”
Maria nodded eagerly. “You know she’s right. If you really are thinking about dating again, Luke’s the place to start.”
“I’m not, though, am I? It’s Kenzie who’s thinking about me dating again.” Angel turned and looked across the square to the clock tower. She was starting to want the evening to be over. She’d forced herself to forget about Luke. He’d been interested in her, she wouldn’t deny that, and she’d been interested in him. She still was, but she’d put him off so many times that he’d stopped asking. She couldn’t blame the guy. 
When she turned back, Kenzie met her gaze. “Regrets?”
Angel gave her a rueful smile. “Is it being a bartender that makes you so perceptive, or did you become a bartender because you see through people so well—and don’t mind telling them what they should do?”
Kenzie shrugged. “I found my calling in life, I guess. And being a bartender means I need to be able to tell when people have had enough. And I think you have, for tonight. I’ll let you off the hook. But do me a favor? Think about it. Wouldn’t your life be a little more enjoyable if you got to go out and have fun with Luke occasionally?” She smiled. “And wouldn’t you be a little happier if you got to take him to bed and have fun with him sometimes?”
“Maybe. But I blew my chance with him a long time ago.”
Maria shook her head. “I don’t think so. If he thought you were interested, he’d come back around like a flash.”
Angel shrugged. She’d like to think they were right, but it was easier for her to keep believing that she’d blown her chance. That door was closed.
A little while later, Angel walked them back to Maria’s car. They’d driven over here together to meet her when she finished work. 
“Do you want us to wait and you can follow us back?” Maria asked.
“No, thanks. It’s fine. I make that drive every night. I know it like the back of my hand now.”
“Okay. Come over to the store tomorrow if you want to go for lunch.”
“I might do that.” Angel smiled at Kenzie. “And I’ll see you soon.”
“Yep. Call me, and we’ll see what we can set up. Just because you don’t want to come to the city doesn’t mean you get to hide from me for two weeks.”
“I won’t hide. We can go for coffee on my day off or something.”
“Sounds good. And you know if you don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
Angel waved as she watched them drive away. She was grateful she had them in her life. Maria worked at Laura Hamilton’s jewelry store and had since it first opened. The two of them had met in the first few weeks Angel had been managing the lodge at Four Mile Creek. As two of the first employees at the new development, and both being new to town, they’d made friends quickly and easily, and in the last eighteen months had discovered that their friendship was more than one of convenience. 
Kenzie had been a very different story. None of the locals had been too welcoming to Angel because they’d felt that Ben, who owned the resort, was showing too much interest in her, and they were all holding out for him to get back with his long-lost love, Charlotte. Kenzie had been the least welcoming of all. Angel understood now that she was simply protecting Ben in her own way, and once he and Charlotte had gotten back together and gotten married, Kenzie had gone out of her way to make Angel welcome. Theirs was an unlikely friendship, but it was one that Angel treasured. 
She turned back to the lodge. She didn’t need to go in. She had her car keys in her purse, she could just get in the car and go home. She set out and climbed the steps to the reception area. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t just go home. She had to check on everything, make sure there were no issues she needed to handle before she headed back to the other side of the lake.
Roxy rolled her eyes when she saw her. “I thought you were having dinner with your friends and then going home?”
Angel approached the reception desk where she was sitting.  “It’s nice to see you, too. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. There are no problems, no issues, and everything is under control. It’s a good thing that I understand you; otherwise, I might be offended. I’m the night manager. I’m paid to manage things—at night—when you’re supposed to be off work and out with your friends, or at least at home, relaxing.”
Angel smiled. “But you do understand me. It’s not about you. I don’t doubt you or your abilities. I just … I can’t … I need …” She drew in a deep breath. She didn’t normally get tongue-tied around her staff.
Roxy let out a low chuckle. “I know what you need, but it isn’t any of the things you were about to say.”
Angel raised an eyebrow. “Go on then, wise one. What do I need?”
Roxy laughed again. “You need to get laid. Then you wouldn’t be so uptight.”
Angel had to laugh with her. “You might have a point there. But I already heard all about it from Kenzie. I don’t need to hear it again tonight, thank you.”
Roxy shrugged. “Fair enough. But you should listen. Kenzie’s smart.” The phone started to ring, and Roxy reached for it quickly before Angel could. “You’re off work. Go home, relax. Watch a movie.” She smirked. “I’d suggest a session with a battery-operated boyfriend, but you wouldn’t be this uptight if you had one.”
“I …” Angel began indignantly, but Roxy smiled sweetly as she picked up the phone.
“The Lodge at Four Mile Creek. This is Roxy speaking. How may I help you?”
Angel made a face at her and turned on her heel. Roxy was right—about a lot of things. She should just head on home and enjoy what was left of the evening. Maybe she’d take a bath or watch a movie. She needed to hurry if she was going to do anything before she had to go to bed so she could be up in the morning and get back over here.
She loved the drive around the lake from the development at Four Mile back into town. The mountains rose up to the left, and the lake shimmered on the right, reflecting a half-moon riding high in a clear sky. She glanced out the window and smiled at the sight of a million stars twinkling. She might not have much of a life, but she loved that she got to live it here. She frowned. It was a good life, no matter what Kenzie said. She loved her job. She didn’t need anything else. She didn’t need a man, even if she would like one. Luke’s face danced before her eyes. He was such a good guy. There was nothing flashy about him. He was homegrown, down to earth. That telltale shiver ran down her back again. He was sexy in a quiet way. She could picture him in his pilot’s uniform, and she’d spent far too much time daydreaming about him out of it. She shook her head. She’d blown her chance.
A flash of movement made her turn to look out the driver’s window, and she gasped at the sight of the grill of a pickup truck bearing down on her. She had no time to react. The impact was all bright lights, the sound of crumpling metal, and then pain. Her arm, her head, her chest. 
And then nothing.
 
Chapter Two

​Luke slid the hangar door shut and locked it behind him. He’d offered to wash Papa Charlie down when he and Smoke had arrived back from flying Pete to LA. He wasn’t brown-nosing. He enjoyed washing the plane. Being a pilot was awesome, but he’d spent most of his life doing hard manual labor. He wasn’t used to sitting around on his ass all day—it was great that he got to sit on his ass at thirty-thousand feet in the air, but still. He needed to move his body. He’d set himself up a workout room in the apartment he was renting and did what he could to work out, but even if there were a gym in town, it wouldn’t be the same as good, honest physical work.
Rochelle looked up as he let himself into the FBO building. “There you are. I was just going to send Zack out to look for you. They want to start the meeting soon.”
“I know. I figured I still have a few minutes.”
“Yeah, you’re fine. Go and get yourself a soda and I’ll see you in there.”
He popped his head around the conference room door on the way past. Most of the pilots and staff were already there. “Anyone want anything from the machine?” he asked.
Most of them shook their heads, and Zack got to his feet and came to join him.
“How’s it going?”
“I’m good,” said Luke. “How about you?”
“Fine. To tell you the truth, I’m a little antsy about this meeting. You know what’s coming, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I’m hoping there’ll be enough work to go around.”
“I’m figuring there won’t be. That’s why I wanted a word with you.”
Luke met his gaze as he fed quarters into the machine.
“If they’re cutting hours on the corporate routes or on the charters, I’ll take the cut. I can find ways to entertain myself for a couple of weeks or however long it takes.”
Luke pursed his lips. He knew Zack was offering to help him out. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted to accept. 
Zack grasped his shoulder. “We don’t need to have a heart-to-heart about it. You need the money. I don’t. I admire what you’re doing. I can wait.”
Luke smiled. “Thanks.” 
Smoke came down the corridor toward them. “Get your asses in there, and let’s get this over with, huh?”
They followed him inside and took seats with the others. Luke was surprised to see Piper there. Officially, she still flew for Jason and Smoke, but she was based in Napa and flew for her husband—Smoke’s brother—and his wine company. 
“Okay, guys and girls.” Jason stood up at the front and banged on the desk. “You know what’s coming, at least the big picture. We’ve called everyone together so we can tell you the details, as we’ve figured them so far. This isn’t set in stone. We want your input. If you’re not happy, say so.”
Smoke sat on the desk beside him. “You all know that we’re going to be two planes down for the next month. One on the corporate side and one on the charter side.” He turned his gaze on the newer guys. “The flight school won’t be affected much. There’ll be no changes with the Cessnas. You’ll still get your instructing time in.” 
The guys looked relieved and smiled at each other. 
“However …” The smiles faded as Smoke continued. “We’re going to have some of the older guys who might need to pick up hours.” He looked at Luke and Zack. “There isn’t going to be enough going on to keep you two busy full time. We didn’t want to decide for you, just lay out the options. You can split the available hours. We can find admin work if you want it. Or you can fight it out with everyone else if you want to get some instructing in.” He smirked. “Of course, if either of you wants to take a vacation, now would be a great time.”
Luke shook his head with a smile. “I don’t believe in vacations. You know that.”
Smoke nodded and looked at Zack. 
“I don’t exactly need a vacation, but I can find other things to do.”
Smoke held his gaze for a moment and then looked back at Luke. “You guys figure it out between yourselves.”
“If either of you wants some right seat time, you’re welcome to come up to Napa and fly with me,” said Piper. 
Zack turned to look at Luke. That made it tougher. Spending time in Napa and still getting hours and getting paid would be the best of all worlds. But he didn’t want to say so. He was sure Zack would feel the same way, and Zack had just offered to let him take whatever flights were available right here. 
Zack chuckled. “Can we get back to you on that, Piper?”
“Sure, and don’t feel that either of you have to. Gene’s still around.”
Jason laughed. “Don’t worry about putting them to any trouble, Piper. I think they’re going to fight over who gets to go.”
Smoke met Luke’s gaze. It seemed he had an opinion but didn’t want to speak up any more than Luke did. 
“I’m here for the weekend,” said Piper. “So just let me know before Monday if anyone’s coming back with me.”
“Will do,” said Smoke.
Luke sat back and sipped his soda as he watched the others mill around the desk where Rochelle was sitting. They were all getting their orders in, letting her know when they were available to instruct and which students they were working with. He’d do some instructing if they needed him, but he’d had his fill of it over the last couple of years.
Smoke came and sat down beside him. “So, what are you thinking?”
“You know me. I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
“Yeah. And I also know that you need the money, right?”
“Sure, I do. But I can cope. I’m not desperate or anything.”
Smoke held a hand up. “I didn’t mean that. I just know what you’re trying to do, I respect the hell out of it. I don’t want to cut you back, but I do want to be fair.”
Luke sighed. “So do I. Zack offered to step down for a month …”
Smoke smirked. “Until he realized that there’s the opportunity to fly with Piper? And now you’re both tripping over yourselves trying to do right by each other?”
“Yeah, that’s about it.”
“How about you go to Napa and Zack stays here?”
“Why?” 
“Because whoever goes down there gets paid a cost of living allowance, and that’ll add up.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
“Make sure you do. Don’t screw yourself over trying to do right by him. He’s fine either way. He’s only playing at it.”
Luke frowned but didn’t get a chance to reply before Zack came to join them.
“How are we going to work it?” he asked.
“How do you feel about letting this guy take Napa?” asked Smoke.
“Sure. Whichever is best. I was willing to step down completely for the month. I’ll take whatever.”
Luke frowned at them both. He didn’t like feeling that he was a special case who needed their help. He liked even less knowing that he kind of did. Smoke was his boss, and he had more money than God from what Luke could make out. Zack came from money, too. He’d managed to avoid telling Luke or anyone what his background really was, but it was obvious that he wasn’t working here to survive. “Thanks, guys. I’m happy to go, but if anything changes, I’m happy to stay, too.”
Smoke nodded at him. “Sometimes the breaks go your way, Luke. I know you’re not used to it but make the most of it.” He got up and went to see how Rochelle was doing.
Zack grinned at Luke. “You lucky bastard. That one played out in your favor.”
“Hey. I don’t want to take it away from you—” 
“You’re not. I’m glad I’ll still get to fly at all. I’m only messing with you.”
Luke shook his head. “Sorry, I guess I’m a bit touchy about being the needy kid.”
Zack frowned. “It’s not about charity. If that’s what you think, I’ll fight you for Napa ...”
“What is it about then?”
Zack rolled his eyes. “Friendship, asshole.”
Luke smiled and punched his arm. “I knew that, really. I just wanted to make sure.”
“Do you feel like letting a friend buy you dinner?”
“I thought this wasn’t about charity.”
“Maybe it’s bribery?”
Luke frowned. “Why, what do you want in return?”
Zack grinned. “You’ll have to come to dinner to find out.”
“Okay. Why not. But I can pay my own way.”
~ ~ ~
Once everyone had left, Smoke looked at Jason and Rochelle. “That went better than I expected.”
“Did you think some of them would have a problem?” asked Rochelle.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s more about me than them. I feel like I’m letting them down.”
Jason shook his head. “You’re too hard on yourself. This is the way it goes. It’s the nature of the business. Sometimes we have too many flights and not enough pilots, sometimes it’s the other way around.”
“Yeah, and it’s not as though we’re struggling or anything. We have two planes down for maintenance because these are quieter times for our clients,” added Rochelle.
“I know.” Smoke blew out a sigh. “It’s just that some of the guys are struggling. They need the hours, and they need the money.”
“And we took care of them.” Jason smiled. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not responsible for them. I know you grew up in a different environment, but there are pilots all over the country who work second and third jobs and only get to fly a couple of times a month. These guys are onto a good thing, and they know it.”
“Okay. I know you’re right.”
“Are you okay?” Rochelle gave him a puzzled look.
He smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Do you want to come for dinner with us? Laura’s not back until the weekend, is she?”
 “No. I think that’s my problem. I haven’t seen her for almost two weeks now.”
Jason laughed. “Are you going soft on me in your old age?”
“Maybe.”
Rochelle slapped her husband’s arm. “Leave him alone. You remember what it was like when you were gone most of the time. We hated it. And if it weren’t for Smoke, we’d still be stuck living that way. The airport might even have closed by now.”
Smoke smiled. “You guys would have figured it out by yourselves.”
Jason shook his head. “She’s right. Partnering with you and starting the flight school was the best thing that ever happened to us. If ever I give you a hard time, you have my permission to remind me of that.”
“Nah. That’s not my style. You know that.” Smoke gave Rochelle a rueful smile. “And thanks for the offer, but you know dinner with the family isn’t my style either. I’m going to go home and treat myself to a frozen pizza and a cold beer.”
“Okay. We’ll see you tomorrow, then,” said Rochelle.
Smoke zipped up his jacket as he made his way across the parking lot to his truck. The weather had been beautiful for the last few weeks, a warm Indian summer, but a cold front had blown through this morning and brought the first real cool spell of the fall. It was his favorite season. 
As he pulled out of the parking lot, he hit the button on the steering wheel and told his phone to “Call Laura.”
“Do you want to call Laura?”
He rolled his eyes. Artificial intelligence didn’t seem to be all that intelligent to him. “Yes.”
“Hey, gorgeous.”
He smiled at the sound of her voice, and the way she answered. “Who are you calling gorgeous, gorgeous?”
She laughed. “You. How’s it going?”
“It’s going. I’m done with this week. I want my lady home now.”
“I want to be home. Can we hole up and hide this weekend? I’ve missed you. I want you all to myself.”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, Captain Hamilton. This weekend is reserved for you, me, and a bottle of wine or two.”
“In bed.”
She chuckled. “Yep. In bed.”
“The whole time?” he asked hopefully.
“Well, apart from taking showers.”
He smiled. She loved it in the shower. “Sounds perfect. What time do you land in San Francisco?”
“Four-fifteen.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
“Thanks.”
Smoke frowned as his headlights picked up a vehicle on the side of the road. As he got closer, he could see it was off the side of the road.
“Are you still there?” asked Laura.
“Yeah.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
He pursed his lips. How did she know when there was something wrong? “Nothing. I … Hold on.” He pulled the truck over and looked across at the sedan. It’d been hit—hard, by the looks of it. It was a white Ford. It looked familiar.
“Smoke?”
“Sorry, lady. There’s a wrecked car. Seems odd that it’s just been abandoned.” He cut the engine. Something felt odd enough that he had to go investigate.
“Is there someone in it?”
“Shit.” He grabbed his phone and hurried across the road. “That hadn’t even occurred to me.” The car looked as though it had been t-boned. The driver’s door was crumpled and … “Oh, shit. I’ve got to go, Laura. There is someone in there. It’s Angel.”
“Oh, my God! What can I do? Do you want me to call someone? An ambulance?”
“Yeah. Tell them I’m on East Shore Drive about three miles south of the new lodge.” He looked back across the road. “Opposite the forest service access road.”
“Okay. I’ll call them now. Call me back if I can do anything else and let me know how she is.”
“Will do.” He hung up and leaned closer to the broken window. It looked bad. 
“Angel? Can you hear me?”
Her eyelids fluttered, and her lips moved as if she was trying to speak.
“Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes and turned toward him. “Luke?”
“It’s me, Smoke. I can get Luke here for you if you want?”
Her eyes closed again.
Smoke took a deep breath. He knew there was very little he could do. Attempting to move her was out of the question. Laura was calling an ambulance. He took his phone out and called Colt. He didn’t know if he was on duty or off, but as a police officer he’d know what the procedure was for a hit and run and that was what this looked like.
“Smoke. What can I do you for?”
“I need your help. There’s been an accident up on East Shore Drive. It’s Angel from the lodge. It looks like someone coming down from the trailhead t-boned her and just left her. I have no idea how long she’s been here.”
“Shit. Did you call an ambulance? That’s first priority.”
“Laura’s calling it in.”
“Is Angel still inside the vehicle? How bad is it? Is she conscious?”
“She’s inside. I haven’t made any attempt to move her. I think they’re going to have to cut the car to get her out. She spoke once, but she’s out of it.”
“Okay. I’ll call dispatch. Tell me exactly where you are.”
“Do you want me to text you the coordinates?”
“Sure. I can pass that along. I’ll see you soon.”
Smoke hung up and texted Colt the location from his phone then looked at Angel. He felt powerless, and that wasn’t something he was used to. 
“Can you hear me, sweetheart?”
Angel opened her eyes again. “Smoke?”
“Yeah. The ambulance is on the way. Do you want me to call anyone for you?”
She whimpered, and a tear rolled down her face. “I don’t have anyone.”
Smoke closed his eyes for a moment. He hated that for her. “What about Luke? Do you want me to call him?”
She looked confused. Maybe she was drifting away again. “Why? He wouldn’t want to come.”
Smoke shook his head as she closed her eyes. She must be totally out of it if she thought that Luke wouldn’t be here in a heartbeat. 
“Where does it hurt?” he asked. He should find out in case she wasn’t conscious when the ambulance arrived. 
“Everywhere.” 
“What happened?”
“He came out of nowhere.”
And disappeared into thin air too. Smoke’s fist balled at his side at the thought that someone could callously drive away and leave her out here. He shuddered to think what might have happened to her if he hadn’t come along. It was getting late; she might not have been found until morning.
He turned his phone over in his pocket, hating the feeling that there was nothing he could do for her. He pursed his lips. He might not be able to get her out of the car or to the hospital or do anything practical to help, but that tear that rolled down her cheek had touched him. She thought she had no one? She was wrong about that. He pulled his phone out and dialed a number.
“Hey, Smoke. What’s up? Did you change your mind about dinner? We’re still at the Boathouse if you want to come.”
“Have you had a drink?”
“No. Do you need me to fly?”
“No. You need to drive back over to this side of the lake. Three miles south of the lodge. There’s been an accident.”
The silence buzzed loudly in his ear for a moment before Luke asked quietly. “Angel?”
“Yeah. She’s going to be okay, but it’s not pretty.”
“I’m on my way.” 

Chapter Three

Luke jumped to his feet when the doctor came in. He’d spent the night in the armchair in the corner of Angel’s room. She was going to be okay. They'd reassured him of that, but there was no way he was going to leave her here by herself. Smoke had told him that she’d asked for him. He didn’t understand it, but he was glad of it.
The doctor smiled at him. “Has she been awake at all?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. I must have dozed off.”
“You needed it.”
“I guess. What happens now?”
“We’ll keep her for a day or two for observation. She was lucky. The fracture in her arm should heal without surgery. The splint should suffice. Her ribs are bruised but not broken, and other than that, our main concern is the knock to the head she took.”
Luke nodded. 
“She’s going to have to take it easy for a while when she’s released. Will you be able to stay home with her?”
Luke stared at him. 
“Or will you be able to get someone—a friend or a relative—to stay with her while you’re at work?”
He couldn’t make his mouth form words. The doctor seemed to think that she was his responsibility, that he was her husband or something. He nodded.
“You’re not married?”
“No.” 
“You don’t live with her?”
Luke didn’t want to explain that he’d never even been inside Angel’s house. He shook his head.
“I see. I assumed … since you were here all night.”
“I’m a friend.”
The doctor smiled kindly. “Well, she’s going to need one of those. Does she have family here?”
“No.” As he answered, it occurred to Luke that he—or someone—should call them. Except he wouldn’t know how to get hold of them.
A wave of relief rushed through him as the door opened and Ben came in. “How’s she doing? I didn’t hear about it until this morning.”
The doctor looked from Luke to Ben and back again. “Another friend?” he asked.
“I’m her employer,” said Ben. “She doesn’t have any family here. I’m her emergency contact.”
“But you weren’t contacted?”
“Smoke tried to get hold of you,” said Luke.
Ben blew out a sigh. “I know. I’m sorry. Like I said, I didn’t get the message till this morning.”
“Ben?”
They all turned to look at the bed where Angel was propped up.
“Hey.”
As he watched Ben go to her, Luke suddenly felt out of place. He was only here because Smoke had called him. He wasn’t sure if Angel even knew he was here. He should go. He edged his way to the door while the doctor spoke to Angel.
Ben came out after him. “Where are you going?”
He shrugged. “Home, I guess. You’re here now.”
Ben shook his head. “Don’t leave because of me. I was in a panic because I thought she was by herself. I didn’t know you were here. I didn’t mean to intrude. I didn’t know the two of you were together now.”
“We’re not. Smoke called me when he found her and said she’d asked for me. I came running. I care about her, you know that, but we’ve never even been out on a date. You could hardly even say we’re friends these days. I see her around sometimes, and that’s it. It was dumb of me to come. I don’t even think she knows I’m here—and I’m pretty sure we’ll both be embarrassed about it when she finds out.”
Ben gripped his shoulder. “No. You’re not leaving. Embarrassed or not. The two of you need to be in the same room together for more than five minutes. No one would have wished it to happen this way, but since it has, don’t run away from it.” He smiled. “You finally got to spend the night with her; don’t run out before you talk to her in the morning.”
Luke held his gaze for a long moment. When he’d first arrived in Summer Lake, he’d hoped that he and Angel would end up spending their nights together. She’d seemed interested, but she was always working. He’d asked her out for months, but she’d always had a reason she couldn’t make it. In the end, he’d stopped asking. He hadn’t stopped wanting, but he’d accepted that it wasn’t going to happen. These days he saw her occasionally when the whole gang got together or when he went over to the lodge, and she was working. They were friendly enough but not so friendly that he should have been the one who sat in her hospital room all night.
The doctor came out. “She’s doing fine. She’d like a word with you.”
Luke tapped his chest. “Me?”
“You’re Luke, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then get in there and be her friend—or something.”
Luke took a deep breath and pushed the door open. She probably just wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing here. 
~ ~ ~
Angel’s heart fluttered in her chest as the door opened. He really was here. Luke stood in the doorway. His crumpled shirt and tousled dark hair backed up what the doctor had told her—that he’d spent the night here.
A wave of warmth washed through her when he smiled. For a moment it washed away the pain in her arm and her chest. The pulse that had been thumping in her temple faded drowned out by the thudding of her heart. 
“Hey.”
She’d always loved his voice. It was warm and reassuring. She smiled at the sound of it. It felt like she hadn’t heard it in months and yet it was so familiar somehow. “Hi.”
He came in and sat in the chair beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”
She tried to shrug but gasped at the pain in her arm and ribs. “I’ve had better days.”
He nodded.
She met his gaze. She was grateful he was here—thrilled was probably a better word—but she didn’t understand why he was. 
His brown eyes were full of concern. “Do you want me to call anyone for you? Your family?”
She shook her head and winced at the pain it caused. “No. Thank you. I don’t want to worry them.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want them here?”
“It’s okay.” She didn’t want to get into explaining her family dynamic right now. “Can I ask you something?”
One side of his mouth curled up in a half smile. “Sure.”
“What are you … why are you …?”
He reached up and took hold of her hand, sending another wave of warmth rushing through her veins. She’d be healed in no time if he’d just sit here with her and hold her hand like that. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t be. Smoke called me when he found you. He said you asked for me. So, I came.” He looked away and then turned back to meet her gaze again. “To tell you the truth, I would have come even if you hadn’t asked for me.”
Angel looked deep into his eyes. He was a good man, even if she didn’t already know it, she’d be able to see it in his eyes. She didn’t remember asking for him, part of her wanted to deny that she had. But she didn’t. “Thank you,” was the safest thing she could think of to say. 
He nodded, looking uncomfortable. 
“I thought you’d given up on me.” Maybe it was the medication; maybe it was the fact that she was lying here in a hospital bed. She wasn’t sure what made her say it, but she felt like she owed him the truth.
He held her hand a little tighter. “I thought you wanted me to.”
She started to shake her head again but remembered to stop before it hurt. “I thought I’d blown my chance.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t think there was a chance.”
He looked hopeful. There was no doubt about it. She smiled. “Maybe we were both wrong?”
“Maybe we were.” 
“Maybe when I get out of here we can start over?”
His smile disappeared, taking her hopes with it.
“Or not,” she added hastily. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“No! It’s not that. I would love for us to start fresh. I’d love to ask you out on a date and see what happens. I wasn’t turning you down. What I’m concerned about is what happens when you get out of here. The doctor told me … he thought I was … he thought we were together, and he told me I’d need to stay home with you for a while.”
“Oh!” Angel couldn’t process all that at once. She hadn’t thought as far as getting out of here yet. Hadn’t thought what this might mean. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to go into work—and that hadn’t occurred to her yet. She would need someone to help her out, and his words struck home—she didn’t have anyone to turn to. 
To her surprise, a tear rolled down her cheek. She wanted to swipe it away, but her left arm was in a splint, and he had hold of her other hand. She didn’t want to pull away from him.
“Hey. It’ll be okay.”
She hated the way her voice wavered when she spoke. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“You don’t need to worry about it right now. You’re going to be here for a few days. There’s time. You’ll figure it out. And I’ll do whatever you want me to. I’ll help out any way I can.”
“Thanks.” She sniffed. He was right. She didn’t have to figure it out right now. Her eyes were starting to feel heavy. The pulse was throbbing in her temple. She squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Luke.”
When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. She had no idea if she’d drifted off for a few minutes or a few hours. She looked at the clock on the wall. It said it was a quarter till nine, but she didn’t know if that was morning or evening. 
Her heart leaped when the door opened then fell again when Ben and Charlotte came in.
“Hey. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, I think. I just woke up. Is it morning?”
Ben smiled. “No. It’s evening. I was here this morning, but you fell asleep.”
“I remember.” She wanted to ask if Luke had really been here. Perhaps she’d imagined it? Perhaps the knock to the head she’d taken had her hallucinating that he’d been here and that he wanted to take her out when she got better. 
“What else do you remember?” asked Charlotte. “I can’t believe someone hit you and drove away like that.”
Angel stared at her for a moment, wondering what she was talking about. 
“Do you remember anything about the accident?” Ben asked gently.
Oh. That. That was why she was here, of course. Last night. She’d been driving home from the lodge after dinner with the girls. She’d been thinking about Luke. An image flashed before her eyes. The grill of a pickup truck coming straight at her. She squeezed her eyelids shut and tensed, waiting for the impact. The pain came back and then the darkness. 
She opened her eyes. “It was a pickup. It came out of the access road and just drove straight into me.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Are they okay?”
Ben pursed his lips. “It would seem so. They didn’t stop.”
Angel stared at him. “They didn’t stop? You mean … They drove away?”
“Yes.” Charlotte looked angry. “And as soon as you feel up to it, you need to talk to Colt. He was here earlier, but you were sleeping. He needs to track them down and charge them.”
Angel stared at her. It was hard to believe that someone had hit her and left. She was grateful that she didn’t remember much of anything. The headlights, the noise, the pain, then there’d been Smoke. She’d thought he was Luke. 
Ben and Charlotte turned as the door opened. A nurse smiled at them. “Well, hello, sleepy head. Are you hungry? I hear you managed to miss three meals today.”
Angel thought about it, and while she did, her stomach grumbled loudly, answering for her. They all laughed. “I’ll be right back with something for you.” She turned to Ben. “And you guys will have to make it quick.” 
“Okay.” He looked at Angel. “I’ll pop in, in the morning.”
“What about the lodge?”
Charlotte gave her a stern look. “Never you mind about the lodge. Your only job right now is to get better.”
Ben smiled. “She’s right. I’ve got it covered. You’ve trained your team well over there. They’ve all stepped up, and I can oversee it all, no problem.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be back in a few days.”
Charlotte shook her head. “You’ll do no such thing. You’ll take your time and get better.”
Angel looked at Ben, and he nodded his agreement. “Don’t even think about work. You’re going to need time and rest.”
“And you’re going to need someone to take care of you,” added Charlotte.
An image of Luke’s smiling face appeared in her mind. The doctor this morning had thought Luke was going to take care of her. It was a nice idea, but it was hardly likely. She felt her eyes fill with tears at the realization that she had no one who would take care of her. 
The nurse reappeared in the doorway. “I brought you some dinner, Miss Angel, and I found this one lurking outside.” She opened the door wider, and Luke stood behind her wearing an embarrassed smile. 
“I just wanted to check on you.”
“Come on in,” said Charlotte. “We were just leaving.” She and Ben got to their feet and leaned in to give Angel gentle hugs.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow,” said Ben. “And seriously, forget about the lodge.”
She watched as Luke came in and Ben and Charlotte left. 
The nurse pulled the little table closer and set the plate down on it. “You eat as much as you can, you hear me.” She smiled at Luke. “You make sure she does. The more she eats, the sooner she’ll be able to come home to you.”
Luke gave her a half smile, and Angel couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or what.
“I can let you stay for a little while, but then I’ll be back to throw you out.”
“Thanks,” they both answered at once.
Once she’d gone, Angel met Luke’s gaze. “You didn’t have to come back.”
“I wanted to.”
“I’m glad.”
“So, how are you feeling?”
“Physically? It hurts. My head hurts, my ribs ache, and my arm’s giving me hell.” She tried to lift the splint, but it hurt too much.
“I’m sorry. Hopefully, you’ll get a good night’s sleep, and it’ll hurt less tomorrow.”
“Hopefully. Though I seem to have slept all day. Last thing I knew, we were talking and then I woke up a little while ago and Ben and Charlotte came.”
“That’s good. You need to rest—and like the nurse said, you need to eat.”
Angel looked at the plate. “I do.”
“Do you need any help?”
She looked at him. “Are you hungry?”
He chuckled. “No. I meant, do you want me to cut anything up for you?”
“Oh.” She looked at the plate again. “I hadn’t thought about it. Why would they give you food that takes two hands when you only have the use of one?”
“Beats me. But if you like, I can cut it into pieces that you can stab with your fork?”
Angel pressed her lips together and nodded. She wasn’t used to having someone help her—with anything. She was even less used to someone noticing that she needed help in the first place. “Thanks.”
Luke cut the meat into bite-sized chunks, and she gobbled them down, realizing as she did how hungry she was. 
They both looked up as the door opened and the nurse stood there smiling at them. “You two work well together. I’m guessing you’ve been a team for a while.”
Angel shook her head and looked at Luke.
He shrugged. “We’re working on it.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow. “I see. Well, I have to ask you to leave, young man. I’ll give you a minute to say goodnight.”
“Are you okay to finish it by yourself?” Luke asked Angel.
“Yes, thanks.” She held his gaze. She didn’t want him to go. She knew he had to, but she wanted to believe that she’d see him again tomorrow—and the day after. It dawned on her that he’d been the one who’d done all the running since they’d known each other, and she’d turned him down every time until today. Maybe it was up to her to let him know how she felt. “I hope you’ll come back tomorrow, though. I might need your help again.”
His smile said it all. “I’d love to. I’ll be here. Do you think you’ll need help with breakfast?”
“If you can, but I understand if you can’t. You have planes to fly and things to do. I’m just sitting around here waiting for someone to let me go home.”
“I’ll ask what time breakfast is, and I’ll be here. But you need to think about what happens when you go home. You’re going to need someone. Are you sure you don’t want me to call your family?” 
She shook her head, stirring up the headache that had started to recede. “No. Honestly. I’ll figure something out. There must be someone who wouldn’t mind spending a few days with me.”
His head jerked up, and he met her gaze. Oh, no! Did he think she was suggesting that he should? Her heart raced at the thought. It was a crazy idea. And at the same time, it might be the best idea she’d ever had.
She searched his eyes. They were trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. 
“Okay, you two. One last kiss goodnight. Then he has to go.”
Angel didn’t turn to look at the nurse. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from Luke’s. He got to his feet and leaned toward her. “I’ll see you in the morning, Angel.” 
She watched as he came closer and closer. She wanted to know what it’d be like to kiss his full lips. She found out all too briefly as he brushed them over hers then straightened up. “Sleep well.”
She touched her fingers to her lips as the door closed behind him. How was she supposed to sleep now?
The nurse came back a few moments later. “Hoo-ee! You got yourself a hottie there, girl.”
Angel had to smile. “He is good-looking, isn’t he?”
“Good-looking?” The nurse fanned herself. “Damn, ma’am! He’s enough to make this mama turn cougar.”
Angel laughed. 
“Don’t you worry, girl. He only has eyes for you. And you had him worried there. I saw him when I was coming off shift this morning, and he looked like someone done tore his heart out. It’d kill him if he lost you, no two ways about it.”
Angel stared at her. 
“What?”
“We’re not together. He’s just a friend.”
The nurse’s eyes grew wide. “A friend? A friend, you say? Well, either you’re blind, or you’re dumb, little girl. That man wants to be a whole lot more than your friend. And if you have any sense in that brain of yours, you better get him locked in before someone else tries.”
Angel nodded. She didn’t know what to say. 
The nurse came and perched on the edge of the bed. “Don’t look so sad, child. You should be smiling. Many a girl would give her right arm to be where you are right now.”
Angel gave her a small chuckle. “Well, I gave my left arm.”
The nurse nodded. “And you make the most of it. It might only be your left arm. But you’re still going to need some help when you get home.”
“Especially since I’m left-handed.”
“Even better. You’re going to need lots of help. And that boy’s going to be willing to do whatever you need. Don’t you go turning him down, you hear me?”
Angel smiled at her. “What’s your name?”
“Martha.”
“Well, thank you, Martha. I’m going to do my best to take your advice.”
“I sure hope you do.”
 
Chapter Four

“Are you going to be free this afternoon?”
Luke shrugged.
“You’re going to the hospital, aren’t you?”
He shrugged again.
Zack laughed. “I hope she appreciates all the time you’re spending there? She never gave you the time of day before.”
“She was always so busy at work.” 
“True, but she could have made time for you if she’d chosen to. I just don’t want to see you get used.”
Luke scowled. “It’s not like that. She hasn’t asked me for a damned thing. If anything, I’m imposing myself on her.”
Zack raised a hand. “Don’t get mad at me, bro. I’m just looking out for you. And if I’m going to Napa with Piper tomorrow, then you won’t have a voice of reason around.”
“If you go?”
“Yeah. It seems you asked to switch back with me at the right time. I spoke to Jason yesterday, and he said it might be off. I’m just waiting to hear.”
“Well if it falls through, you take the flights here.”
“No way. You take them. I’m good whether I fly or not. I don’t mind if I have to stick around here. I can keep an eye on you that way and make sure Angel isn’t taking advantage.”
Luke laughed. “I’m more worried about me trying to take advantage of her. She’s going to be home alone with no one to help out. I keep wanting to offer to go and stay with her.”
“Stay with her?” 
Luke nodded but didn’t speak while the server poured them both fresh coffee. They’d had breakfast at the café in the plaza and had been sitting here drinking coffee and killing time ever since.
“Why would you do that?” asked Zack once the server had gone.
“Because she doesn’t have anyone. And she’s not going to be able to manage by herself.”
Zack scowled. “She has family, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, but they’re not here, and she doesn’t want them. It sounds like there’s some bad blood or something there, but she doesn’t want them, and she doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“So? She has girlfriends, too. She and Maria are close, aren’t they?”
Luke smirked. “I believe they’re friendly, but I don’t know how close they are. How is Maria, anyway?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”
“And why’s that?”
Zack blew out a sigh. “How about we make a deal? I won’t give you a hard time about Angel if you don’t give me a hard time about Maria?”
“Sure. But can I ask you one question before we drop the subject?”
“You can ask, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“Why didn’t you ever ask Maria out? You seemed like you were into her for a while, and I thought it was just a matter of time, but that was last year.”
Zack blew out a sigh. “I was into her. I still am, if you must know. But I like her too much.”
“Too much for what?”
Zack shook his head. “One day soon, I’ll explain my situation to you.”
“You will?” Luke knew Zack had a story to tell—or to hide—but Zack had never chosen to share it, and Luke respected that. 
“Yeah. I think things are going to come to a head for me soon, and when they do, it’d be nice to think you understand why I’m freaking the fuck out.”
Luke chuckled. “Do you want to tell me now?”
“No. It can wait. That’s one for a cold winter’s night when there’s nothing else to do.”
“Let me know when, and I’ll be there.”
“Thanks. And while we’re opening up, are you seriously thinking about staying with Angel when she gets out of the hospital? You want to do that, to help her out?”
Luke pursed his lips. “I can’t help thinking about it. She is going to need someone around. But it’s not just about helping her out.”
Zack laughed. “Obviously.”
“I know, I know. But that makes me think I shouldn’t even offer. What kind of guy makes a move under those circumstances?”
“Maybe a guy who’s been waiting for the chance for over a year?”
“I haven’t been waiting all that time. I liked her, but she wasn’t interested.”
“Yeah, and you never got interested in anyone else. You always prick your ears up when her name’s mentioned, and any time we come over to the lodge, you make the effort to look good—and wear too much cologne.”
“I do?” 
Zack laughed. “Yep. It’s sad really, but I didn’t like to call you on it.”
Luke felt foolish. “Thanks. I think.”
“If you want a chance with her, then this sounds like the perfect opportunity. I’d only caution you to be sure that she’s worthy of it. I don’t know her. But I can tell you now that I won’t stand quietly by and watch if she’s using you.”
“Aww.” Luke punched his arm. “Aren’t you the sweetest.”
“I look out for my own. That’s all.”
Luke smiled. He didn’t want to say it, but it made him happy that Zack considered him one of his own.
~ ~ ~ 
“How are you feeling, Angel girl?”
Angel smiled at Martha. “Better, thanks. Much better and so ready to get out of here.”
“You don’t appreciate my company?”
“Your company has been the only thing that’s made these last few days bearable.” It was true. Martha had made her laugh and made her think. She was going to miss her.
“Now we both know that’s not true. Your Luke’s the one who’s kept a smile on your face. Is he coming to get you? I reckon they’ll discharge you after rounds today.”
“I don’t know. He said he’d come and see me, but I haven’t asked him to take me home. I haven’t asked anyone.”
Martha frowned and came closer to the bed. “Girl, if he don’t take you home, who will? I know Ben can give you a ride, but he can’t stay with you, and they won’t let you leave here if you don’t have someone who will.”
Angel frowned. “They won’t?”
“No, ma’am. You need someone to sign the papers and say they’re going to stay with you.”
“Oh.”
Martha grinned. “I reckon you should call him and ask him if he’ll do you that favor. Believe me, he’ll think you’re the one doing him a favor.”
Angel chewed her bottom lip. “It doesn’t seem fair to ask that of him. I’ve told you the history between us. We don’t know each other that well.”
“It strikes me as you’d both like to get to know each other a whole lot better, and the chance is staring you in the face if you dare take it. You’d be a fool not to. You wouldn’t be imposing on him; you’d be opening the door for him.”
“You really think so?”
Martha waved a hand. “I know so, and you do, too, if you’d just stop second-guessing yourself. Anyway, I need to get along. My shift’s almost done, and I’m fond of you, girl, but I’m not spending my Sunday here with you.”
Angel smiled and held her good arm out. “Thanks so much, Martha. You’ve been wonderful. I wouldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
Martha leaned in and hugged her. “Yes, you would.” She picked up the pad on the bedside table and wrote down her phone number. “I want you to promise you’ll call me and let me know when you and your Luke get together. I’ll be wanting a wedding invite. I think I’ve earned one.”
Angel laughed at that. “Don’t hold your breath on that one, will you? I’ll call you if we actually get to go on a date, but I don’t hear any wedding bells in my future.”
Martha frowned. “And why not? I’m rooting for a happy ever after here.”
“Well, sorry. I tried for one of those once and got stood up at the altar. I don’t want to go through that again.”
“And you wouldn’t. You got that turned on its head. You almost made the mistake of marrying the wrong guy in the past, but you had a narrow escape. Now you get the chance to be with a man who’s meant for you. Don’t screw it up.” Martha tapped on the paper. “I want a call after your first date, and I want a call when you’ve got a ring on your finger.”
Angel smiled. “Okay. I’ll call you if either of those things ever happens. But more importantly, I’ll give you a call and take you for lunch when I’m back on my feet. How about that?”
Martha grinned. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Once Martha had gone, Angel turned her head to look out the window. The hospital was a little way out of town up on a hill, and her room had a wonderful view of the lake. It was a gray day, and although the fall colors were starting to come in, they looked drab and muted today. She sighed. Maybe they just reflected her mood.
She couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital, but she wasn’t looking forward to going home. She didn’t know how she was going to cope. Ben had told her that he and Charlotte would help out. She appreciated the offer but didn’t want to take them up on it. Ben was already covering for her at work. She didn’t want to be a burden to them. She didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. That was why she’d told Ben that she didn’t want anyone coming out to the hospital to see her—well, that and the fact that she looked awful. She was battered and bruised, and she didn’t want anyone to see her this way.
She’d spoken to Kenzie and Maria on the phone. They’d both told her that they’d be there for her when she got out. She wouldn’t ask them to stay with her though. She touched her fingers to her lips, remembering the way Luke had brushed his over them on Friday night. She could hardly ask him to stay with her. Could she? No. He’d shot straight to the top of the list of her close friends over the last couple of days. But … no. She couldn’t do it. It’d be too weird.
Her phone rang on the bedside table, and she leaned over to pick it up. It was him. He hadn’t come to see her this morning. Had said he had plans with Zack, but that he’d call to see how she was doing—and if she was being released.
“Hi,” she answered.
“Hey. How are you feeling today?”
“Better, thanks. Martha said she thinks they’ll let me go home.”
The line was silent for a few moments. “How do you feel about that?”
“Excited. I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Are you ready to go home, though?”
“I am.” She knew what he was getting at, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Have you asked anyone to come help you out yet?”
“No.”
He was quiet again, and she had to wonder what he was thinking. Did he think she was stupid not to her ask her family to come? Did he think she should ask Maria?
“Will they let you out if you don’t have someone to take responsibility for you?”
She laughed. “I’m perfectly responsible.”
He chuckled. “You know what I mean. Hospitals have to cover their asses these days.”
“I know.” She chewed her bottom lip. They were dancing around the obvious. She didn’t know if he’d offer to be the one responsible for her, but she hoped he would. She might as well find out. If he was interested, it wasn’t fair to make him do all the running. And if he wasn’t, then she really needed to pull herself together and figure out what she was going to do. She’d have to call Maria and hope she was still willing to help. “You strike me as a responsible kind of guy.”
There went that silence again. Her pulse raced as she wondered if he was going to say no.
“I am. I think you know I’d be happy to step up for you. But I didn’t want to put you on the spot. You know I like you, Angel. I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of your troubles.”
She chuckled. “I don’t feel that way at all. I feel like I’m taking advantage of your kindness.”
“So how about we get over it, and get on with it? I’ll come over there now if you like. That way we can be ready to leave whenever they say you can go.”
“Thanks, that sounds wonderful.”
“Has anyone brought you anything from home?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean clothes, toiletries?”
“Oh. No. I didn’t even think.” The knock she’d taken to her head might have done more damage than she’d realized. She wasn’t thinking straight. She didn’t have any clothes to go home in. She’d been wearing a hospital gown since she came in here. “I … err … I …”
“Do you want me to stop by your place and pick things up for you?”
Her eyes widened, and she gripped the phone a little tighter. Was she about to send him to her house and ask him to go through her panty drawer? She smiled. Yes. She was. “If you wouldn’t mind? Do you even know where I live?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m tempted to say no because you’ve never asked me over. I have to be honest, though, and say, yes, I do. But only because it’s a small town, and I know where everyone lives. It’s not because I had any particular interest in you or anything.”
“Didn’t you?” She hoped he could hear the smile in her voice, too. 
“Maybe.”
“Well, there’s a key hung under the eave of the porch. It’s on the right-hand side of the door.”
“Okay. What do you want me to bring?”
“If you go into the closet, all my jeans are on shelves, my sweaters are too, and then just a T-shirt and …” She felt the heat in her cheeks. “Some underwear.”
He chuckled. “Is this too weird? Are we really talking about me going in your house and rifling through your underwear?”
She laughed. “It would appear that we are.”
“Okay. Do you have any preferences?”
“What do you mean?”
“Umm. Color? Style?”
She laughed. “I’ll let you decide, shall I?”
He groaned. “And what time do you need me at the hospital?”
“I don’t know yet. But I just realized. As far as style goes …”
He groaned again.
“Stop it,” she said with a laugh. “I’m talking about a sweater, not my underwear.”
“Ah. Okay.”
“I’ve never gotten dressed with my arm in a cast before. So, what do you think, should it be something big and baggy?”
“Umm. I don’t know. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thanks, Luke.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be there as soon as I can get there.”
“Thanks. Are you sure about this?” It was fun to joke around with him, but she had to wonder if this was a crazy idea.
“Honestly? No. I’m not sure about this at all. But I want to do it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye.”
She hung up and turned back to the window. There was so much she needed to think about. So much she needed to figure out. She had to call Ben and Roxy and see how things were going at the lodge. She had to ask the doctor when she’d be able to go back to work. She really should call her parents, even if only to let them know she was okay. But all she could think about was Luke. She had a guest room. He could stay there if he was really going to stay with her. She shook her head. First things first. She had to get released first. Then she’d get home, and then they could figure out what might happen next.
 
Chapter Five

“Are you comfortable?”
Luke wanted to sit down on the couch beside her and wrap her up in his arms. She looked so small and lost somehow, even though this was her house. She was usually so composed and so well put together. Sitting there in sweatpants and the baggy pink sweatshirt he’d brought to the hospital for her, she didn’t look like herself. Maybe it was the bruises and the black eye.
She nodded and smiled up at him gratefully. “Have you ever considered a career as a nurse? I think you’d be great.”
He shook his head adamantly. “I’m not looking for a career change, thanks. I only ever wanted to be a pilot. I don’t intend to give it up now that I’ve finally made it happen.”
She leaned her head to one side, then straightened up with a wince. “If that’s all you’ve ever wanted, why did it take you so long to get into it?”
He pursed his lips. Was he ready to tell her why? To open up to her and let her know who he really was? Maybe she wouldn’t like him if she knew his humble background. Well, if she didn’t, then he wouldn’t think much of her either, and they’d be better off finding that out now. “How about I get us a drink of something and then I’ll sit down and tell you.”
“Okay. And thanks again for going to the store and stocking me up. That was sweet of you.”
He shrugged. “Just practical. What would you like?”
She smiled. “After the last few days, I would love a glass of wine, but I probably shouldn’t.”
“No. You definitely shouldn’t. It wouldn’t go well with the painkillers. How about a chocolate milk?”
She laughed. “I haven’t had that since I was a kid.”
“Did you like it back then?”
“I loved it. It was my favorite.”
“Then why did you give it up?” He went into the kitchen and poured two glasses to take back out. “Do you want me to set it on the coffee table?”
“No.” She held out her good arm. “I’ll take it, thanks.”
He watched her take a sip and smile before she gulped down half the glass. 
“That is so delicious.” 

He had to laugh at the big grin on her face, topped off by a chocolate milk mustache. “Isn’t it? I love it.”
“Me too. You’re right. I don’t know why I ever stopped drinking it.”
“Probably because it wasn’t cool when you were a teenager.”
She nodded. “You’re probably right. Why do we do that? Why do we leave behind things we enjoy in order to fit in with the way we think we’re supposed to be?”
“Beats me.”
She looked sad for a moment, making him wonder if she knew her reasons and was remembering them. She turned back to him and forced a smile. “Anyway. You were going to tell me why it took you so long to become a pilot.”
He nodded. He didn’t know what she’d think of his story, but he was happy to share it if it would distract her from whatever was making her look so sad.
“Flying was all I ever wanted to do, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to make it a career.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “It’s not what people do where I come from.”
She frowned. “Why not? And where do you come from? Isn’t it awful that I don’t even know that much about you?”
He gave her a half smile. “You could see it as awful, or you could see it as a good thing. We’ve known each other for a while, but we don’t really know each other at all. Now we get to spend some time together, and we can get to know each other all in one go.”
She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
He dug his fingers into his palm to bring himself back to reality. The way she smiled at him was stirring his interest in a way that had nothing to do with her well-being. She looked like she wanted to get to know him physically. But that was no doubt just his horny imagination. He could hardly blame it. He’d thought about her a lot over the last year. He’d thought about getting to know her and spending the night with her, and none of those thoughts had involved him taking care of her the way he was now. Taking care of business? Yeah, he’d had a few daydreams about doing that. He shook his head to clear it. He couldn’t space out thinking about getting her into bed. She was waiting for him to answer her question. 
“I’m from a little town in Pennsylvania, near the border with New York.”
“And why did you say that being a pilot isn’t what people do there?”
“Because most people work at the factory. All my family does. My parents, my brother, aunts, uncles, cousins. My grandparents did, too. On both sides. That’s what life is there. And it’s a good life, too—if you enjoy that kind of thing.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a pilot. They thought I’d grow out of it. I ended up believing them that I should grow out of it and when I graduated high school I went to work in the factory with them.”
She looked sad.
He chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. I hated it. I tried to like it. It’s good enough for all of them, it should be good enough for me, right?”
“No. We’re all different. No one should try to make you fit into a box where you don’t belong.”
He shook his head. “They weren’t trying to make me fit in. They just wanted what’s best for me. They know that life. It’s safe, and it’s good. Flying? That’s too far outside their world. It’s scary. It’s the unknown. It’s risky. I guess, to them. I might as well have been saying I wanted to be a rock star. Lots of people dream about it, but it’s just a pipe dream. You have to get on and deal with reality. And I did. For ten years I worked at the factory. And I hated it. But I saved everything I could. And I studied everything I could. I got a job at the local airport and worked as a lineman on the weekends.”
She raised an eyebrow. “A lineman?”
“Yeah. When the planes taxi in off the runway, and they park them on the tarmac? That’s called the line. And I used to go out there to bring the passengers in on a golf cart and refuel the planes, tie them down for the night. Every little job you could think of that a plane parked on the line might need, that’s what a lineman does.”
She nodded. “I’ve never heard of it before.”
He smiled. “Neither had my family. They thought I was working on power lines!”
“I did, too, at first, but I didn’t see how that fit in. So, how did you make the change? How did you end up out here?”
“I started taking flying lessons once a month—that was as much as I could afford. You need a minimum of forty hours flight time before you can take your private pilot’s license exam.”
“Wow.”
Luke nodded. It had been a long, hard slog. But he’d loved every minute of the time he got to spend in the air.
“And then you could get a job flying?”
He had to laugh. “Oh, no. Your private pilot’s license is just the beginning. After that, you need to get your instrument rating, and before you can even think about applying for any kind of job, you need your commercial license—and that’s a minimum of two hundred and fifty hours flight time.”
“Oh, no. How did you manage that?”
He smiled. “Once I had my private, I was ready to take a leap of faith. I heard about Smoke’s flight school. They were looking to expand and were going to hire flight instructors from amongst their best students. I spent everything I’d saved to get myself out here, get my instrument rating and start instructing. Pretty much everything I made went back into getting flight hours so I could keep getting the next rating.”
“And now you have all the licenses you need?”
He shrugged. “I’ll always want more hours. And before you can fly any new type of plane that you haven’t flown before, you need to get a certain number of hours and get rated for that type before you can be insured to fly it.”
“Wow. I’d never even wondered how it all worked before. I guess I just assumed it was like having a driver’s license.”
He chuckled. “It kind of is.”
“Kind of, only a whole lot more involved.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what’s next for you? Do you plan to stay here and keep flying for Smoke?”
“My goal has always been to get a job flying corporate. You know, find a company or a wealthy family who have their own jet and keep someone on staff to fly them wherever they want, whenever they want to go.”
“I see.” She didn’t look too thrilled at that.
He smiled. “Anyway. How did we spend all this time talking about me? What about you?”
“What about me?”
“How did you end up running resorts for a living? And where are you from?”
She took another gulp of her chocolate milk before she answered, and when she set the glass down, he wanted to lean in and wipe away the milk mustache. He dug his nails into his palm at the thought that he’d like to lick it away. He was here to help her out—not to make a move on her.
“It’s different for me. I grew up in a resort—a place a lot like Summer Lake. The resort had been in our family for generations. I loved it. I thought I’d spend my whole life there. Well, I went away to college, and then I worked in restaurants and hotels. I wanted to learn the industry. I wanted to bring new ideas back and apply them.” She gave him a sad smile. “I foolishly thought that the place would be mine one day and that I’d grow it and make it even greater than it was.”
Luke frowned. “What went wrong?”
“My parents were more interested in their retirement than their legacy. They sold the place. Made a huge profit and bought themselves a private resort in the Cayman Islands.”
“You didn’t want to run that?”
She let out a short laugh “I’m being sarcastic. It’s not a business; it’s their home. They have all the staff they need.”
“I’m sorry.” He could see that she was disappointed. He could understand that her dream had been taken away, but he couldn’t blame her parents for doing what they wanted with their life—they’d fulfilled their dream by the sound of it.
“Sorry. I must sound like a spoiled brat. It’s not that I expected them to hand the place over to me. Well. I guess I did. Like I said, the place had been in our family for generations. I thought it would continue that way. Everything I did was so that I could come back and make my contribution.” She shrugged. “But they did what was right for them.”
“What did you do after that? Is that when you came here?”
“No. I worked at another place.”
He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip and tried to focus on what she was saying. 
“I worked at a hotel for a couple of years. I got engaged, actually. We were going to work together. We’d been offered a job managing a small resort in Oregon.”
“But …?”
She gave an embarrassed laugh. “But he didn’t make it as far as the altar. He stopped to screw one of my bridesmaids on the way.”
“Damn! I’m sorry. What an asshole.”
“I thought so at the time, but these days I’m glad that’s how it went down.”
She met his gaze. “I don’t think I would have been happy with him.”
“And you’re happy here?”
“Mostly. I love my job. I love Summer Lake.”
Luke looked deep into her big, blue eyes. He wanted to ask what it would take to make her really happy here, but he had a feeling he knew the answer to that. She’d been ready to marry and settle down before. Maybe that was what she was still looking for. “It’s a good place.”
“It is, but I guess you won’t be here for much longer, will you?”
He shrugged. “I told you. My goal is to find a jet job, but I’m working on setting things up so that I’ll always have ties here.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and he wondered why he’d told her that. Did he want her to think that he was hinting at wanting something long term with her? That’d be crazy. “I only told you one of my goals.”
“You have others?”
“Just one.”
“And what is it?”
“I told you that my folks work in the factory. They always have. I thought they didn’t have dreams or goals, but they do have one now. Since they came out here last Christmas, they want to retire here. They fell in love with the place. I’m saving every spare penny I get. I want to help them with that.”
“Aww.” Her eyes glistened with tears as she smiled. “That’s so wonderful.”
He dropped his gaze, feeling embarrassed. “It will be if I can pull it off. They’re not ready to retire just yet, though they would if they could. My mom had a cancer scare last year, and it put things in perspective for them—and for me. They don’t need a big fancy house. If I could just get them something modest, in town, they’d love it here. They could relax and enjoy life. They’ve never had a chance to.”
Angel nodded. “Now I feel like a spoiled brat. There I was bitching about my parents selling up and suiting themselves. And you’re working your ass off to help your parents retire.”
“No. It’s not the same. It’s totally different.”
“I guess.” She picked up her glass and drained the last of the chocolate milk. “I guess we’re totally different, aren’t we?”
Luke studied her face. Was she dismissing him? Did she see him as somehow less since she knew his background? Rich chicks sometimes did, and it seemed she was a rich chick. “Our backgrounds are different, but I think we’re the same in that we work toward our goals and don’t let anything stop us.”
She smiled. “I don’t think I’m the same as you. You’re flying high—literally and figuratively. I’m stuck firmly on the ground. I love my job here, but it’s not what I was aiming for.” She held her cast. “I’m not flying anywhere, I’ve even got a broken wing.”
~ ~ ~
She loved the way he smiled. He was so warm and encouraging. Her heart started to beat faster as he got up from the armchair and came to sit on the edge of the sofa beside her. “Angels are made to fly.”
She looked up into his eyes. “Maybe this one lost her way somehow?”
He shook his head slightly. “Maybe.”
She couldn’t help it. She reached up and touched his cheek. He had such a handsome face. There were lines around his brown eyes that gave him a weathered, wise look. One side of his mouth lifted in that half smile she loved so much. “What are we doing here, Luke?”
“I don’t know.” He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers, making her heart race and sending shivers down her spine before he sat back up and looked down at her seriously. “You know I wanted to ask you out for a long time.”
“You did ask me out. I don’t think you understand how much I’ve regretted saying no to you all those times. I was messed up. When I first came here, I thought I liked Ben.”
She felt bad as his face clouded over. “Yeah. So did I; so did everyone. I figured you weren’t over that.”
“I was. I got over it in a hurry. See, Ben and I wouldn’t have been a good match anyway. I soon realized that when I saw how he was with Charlotte. We’re very similar in our work ethic, and we have a lot in common in the way we grew up in resorts with parents who weren’t that interested. I thought I liked him because I wanted, needed maybe, to feel that I was lovable, that someone wanted me—after Damian proved that he wanted my bridesmaid more. When I saw Ben with Charlotte I knew that he wouldn’t have been any good for me, and then you arrived, and I liked you—a lot. At first, I was hoping that we’d go out, but then I got into work and I kind of decided that I needed to spend some time alone. I didn’t want to rush into something with you just because I wanted to be in a relationship.” She watched his face, wondering if she was saying too much. 
He smiled. “I appreciate you telling me.”
“I feel like I’m talking too much.”
He looked into her eyes, and she felt as though her insides were melting. He slid his arm around her waist and gently drew her closer to him. He looked down at her lips and then back up into her eyes as he slid his fingers into her hair. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
“No,” she breathed.
The lines around his eyes crinkled as he came closer. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he murmured in the moment before his lips came down on hers. 
She reached her good arm up around his shoulders and clung to him as he kissed her. His lips brushed over hers and then he nipped playfully. She opened up, and the moment his tongue entered her mouth, there was a flare of heat between her legs. She held him tighter and kissed him back. She hadn’t kissed a lot of men, and she’d never kissed one like Luke before. He was amazing. He held her firmly, but not too tight. He kissed her deeply, but it didn’t feel wrong. She never wanted it to end. 
When he finally lifted his head, she touched his cheek and landed one more peck on his lips. “You’re a good man, Luke.”
He frowned. “That sounds like there’s a but coming.”
“No! There’s no but at all.”
“Good.” He looked relieved. “Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I? How’s the wing?”
She smiled. “Right now, I’m feeling no pain. No pain at all.”
He chuckled. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I feel guilty. I’m supposed to be here to help you, not to make a move on you.”
She smiled. “You are helping.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Kiss me again? It makes me forget everything else.” She loved his smile. 
“Are you sure you’re comfortable, and I’m not hurting you?”
“Positive,” she said as she reached her arm around his neck and drew him back down to her.

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