Instant Gratification (Wilder #2)(20)

“Still waiting on the final vote,” Stone said.

Interesting. They headed to the checkout, with Stone nodding to two more people along the way.

“Everyone knows everyone here,” she murmured, unloading her cart, staring at the candy bars above the row of batteries on the last-minute stand above the conveyor belt. “I feel like I’m in Mayberry.”

“Yeah. I call it Mayberry with Attitude. But as for feeling like you don’t fit in, that could be fixed.”

“How?”

He met her gaze. “We could go out.”

“Out,” she repeated, her pulse kicking into gear.

“Get to know each other. Have fun.”

“How would that help?”

“Well…” He eyed her as he rubbed his jaw, the sound of his stubble doing something funny deep inside her belly. “Maybe it’d help you relax a little. If you were less uptight, maybe people would find you more approachable.”

Hard to dispute the truth, but didn’t make it easier to swallow. To take the moment she needed, she grabbed some batteries instead of the chocolate she really wanted. AAA’s, not on sale. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. The having fun thing.”

“No?”

“No.” She grabbed more batteries. “It’s nothing personal.”

His eyes revealed the skepticism of that statement.

“It’s just that I’m not going to be here long, and—” More batteries, because they were helping so much.

He eyed her cart with wry amusement. “You either have a lot of very little flashlights, or a busy vibrator.”

She looked down at the six packs of batteries and grimaced.

“You know, I have a better way to relax,” Stone murmured in her ear, his voice low and husky, and dammit, hypnotizing.

“The batteries are for my…” What? They were for what? She was drawing a big, fat blank.

He just raised a curious brow.

And she deflated. “Oh, be quiet.” In turn to his soft chuckle, she put the batteries back. It was time—past time—for her to blow that popsicle stand, cute mountain bums and all.



After a night of heavy rain, Stone and TJ took a group kayaking down the Cascade River. It was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, mostly because their guests had lied about their kayaking skills, and also because the rains had the river rushing and swollen.

Taking a break from keeping their clients alive, Stone and TJ pulled everyone off the river for a late afternoon lunch. Their guests stretched out, enjoying some sun and Annie’s sandwiches.

TJ and Stone sat a short distance away, trying to recover when Cam called Stone’s cell. He listened to their complaints and laughed from 7500 miles away. “What do you mean you’re exhausted? You going to let a couple of clients kick your collective asses?”

“You have no idea,” Stone muttered.

“Actually, you would have an idea,” TJ said. “If you’d get your ass back here.”

“Couple more weeks,” Cam said. “We’re going to Costa Rica first—unless you need us sooner?”

Stone looked at TJ, who sighed. Neither of them wanted to rush Cam, not when he was happy for the first time in recent memory. “We’re fine,” Stone told him. “You just lounge around with your fiancé and we’ll earn your keep.”

Cam laughed. “Sounds good to me. So what’s going on?”

“You mean besides the fact that the river’s crazy today and that our clients lied on their applications?”

“Sort of like the pregnant woman?” Cam asked. “You guys are losing your touch.”

“Okay, you know what?” Stone said. “People getting lots of sex don’t get an opinion.” He shut the cell phone.

“Now see,” TJ said. “This is why I like the long treks. No baby deliveries. No beginner kayakers. Only the hardcore people who know what they’re doing. I have three separate requests for that six week Alaska trip alone.” Lying back, he shoved his hands behind his head and smiled up at the sky. “I could get into taking three long trips in a row.”

Stone tried not to panic. “Which would leave me alone here.” Again.

“You love being in charge.”

Stone cranked his neck to look at his brother. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No. I really don’t.”

“Then why do you always handle all of the behind the scenes stuff?”

“Uh, because you don’t?”

TJ grinned. “Oh. Right. Thanks for that, by the way. You should give yourself a raise.”

“I’ll do that.”

Sensing the tone, and perhaps the fact that Stone wasn’t kidding, TJ looked at him. “Are you pissed at something?”

“No.”

“You get shot down by the pretty Doc?”

“No.” Dammit. “Yes, but that’s not it.”

“You hungry? You get cranky when you’re hungry. I’ve got another sandwich—”

“Shut up, TJ.” Stone sat up.

TJ did too, and looked at him for a long moment. “Annie smacked me around some this morning. She told me you’ve been putting in long hours at night in the office. You’re overworked.”