Make Me Whole

Make Me Whole Copyright Š 2015 by Kaithlin Shepherd All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be used or reproduced in any written, electronic, recorded, or photocopied format without the express permission from the author or publisher as allowed under the terms and conditions with which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

Make Me Whole is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found therein are either from the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons alive or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

For information contact the publisher, Hot Tree Publishing. www.hottreepublishing.com Editing & Formatting: Hot Tree Editing Cover Designer: Claire Smith ISBN 13: 978-0-9944079-0-0 (eCopy Edition)

Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Epilogue Acknowledgements About the Author

Dedication This book is for anyone who has ever been broken.

Chapter One

“I’m going to die here.” Jamie looked at the four walls of her cell and watched all hope of ever going back home slowly fade away. She’d lost count of how many days she had been held hostage; she had no idea where she was imprisoned, and the thought of returning home, the one thing that had kept her strong throughout this ordeal, no longer held hope.

She had been beaten and tortured. They had broken her, deprived her of any dream that someone would come and rescue her. Her body was brutalized. Cuts were infected, as were the bullet wounds, which seemed to be her new accessories, and blood… there was blood everywhere. Cradled in the corner of her cell, unable to move, she was ready to die.

The sound of gunfire and yelling told her something was going on. The place was usually so quiet she could hear a pin drop, but right then, screams filled the air. She didn’t know how much time passed before the gunfire stopped and the door

to her cell opened as five Special Forces soldiers walked into the room. A large man slowly headed toward her as he put his gun behind his back and held out his hands to her. He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands in his, slowly assessing her injuries. Finally, he locked eyes with hers and said the words she had been praying to hear, “Ma’am, I’m Sergeant Cassidy, and I’m here to take you home.”

“You know what I remember most about what happened over there?” Jamie sat on the sofa in her therapist’s office looking out the window, seeing the images of her worst nightmare play again in her head. The last six months had been a harder fight than she had expected; not only was her physical recovery taking longer, too, but she was still a long way from getting her field clearance back. All her life, she had worked toward the ultimate goal to make a difference in the world. It all seemed like a distant wish as she remembered what had happened during her captivity.

“What do you remember most about what happened?” She had to give it to Courtney for digging and never giving up on her. It had been a little over six months since her first therapy session with her, and she’d come a long way since that first appointment. Talking about what happened during her captivity was getting easier, and coming to terms with the trauma finally seemed within her

grasp, which was something she’d never thought would happen. Jamie knew she was still a long way from a full recovery, both physically and emotionally, but finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel was a small comfort she cherished.

“The gunshots from the night they rescued me. After weeks of brutality and torture, the one thing I choose to remember is the sound of the gunshots as they came in to save me. It’s the only memory that allows me to cope with what happened.” The day Sgt. Craig Cassidy rescued her, was the day hope took its rightful place back in her heart. She had tried to contact him time and time again to thank him for saving her life, but the military wasn’t too keen on her making contact with a member of a Special Ops team. She understood the reasoning behind their decision, but still, she wished she could thank the man who’d saved her, the man who’d given her hope.

“That’s a normal memory to hold on to, Jamie. You have to remember that you are stronger than what you went through over there. What happened to you does not define you as a human being, or as a woman.” Jamie watched the emotions dancing across Courtney’s face. When the time had come for Jamie to start therapy, she had insisted her best friend, Emilia, take the lead, but Emilia had refused, concerned their friendship would risk her professional integrity. Jamie respected her wishes

and after one session with Courtney, a referral from Emilia, Jamie felt confident that Courtney was the right match for her. The progress she had made in the last couple of months was astonishing, or so Courtney told her. All she really knew was her road to recovery was still a long one. She’d admitted though, after Courtney had pushed her to see it, that the light had returned to her life, which was a big step forward.

“I know you’re right, but it’s just so hard to get past that. To have intimacy with a man is something I want, but I just can’t seem to let myself be that vulnerable.” The assault she’d endured during her kidnapping in Darfur, left her fearful of any male contact. Finding a man she was comfortable with was a harder task than she’d ever thought possible, and finding someone who understood what she had been through was almost impossible. She loved her job and she knew the risks when she signed up for the humanitarian mission, but she’d never expected that one mission would change her life the way it had.

“When you meet the right guy, you’ll know, Jamie. You just have to give yourself time to heal.”

She almost laughed out loud because the simple idea of bringing up what happened to her to a potential date, made every part of her skin start to crawl. How did you go about telling the person you’re dating that you were kidnapped and tortured

for days? When was the right time in a relationship to bring something like that up?

“I know.” Jamie’s words echoed throughout the room, and it was obvious Courtney wasn’t buying that last part. Jamie didn’t blame her for calling her out on her bullshit. Peeking at the clock, Jamie noticed they were out of time. Usually, she wouldn’t mind going over her session, but she had a physical therapy session right after this and she didn’t want to be late.

She grabbed her purse. “I have to get going. I have a PT appointment with Becca in half an hour,” she said, walking toward the door.

“All right, I’ll see you at our next session.”

Courtney walked over and gave her a hug. Even at this stage in her recovery, Jamie still felt like she wasn’t healing fast enough, concerns she’d voiced to Courtney, who’d insisted she was doing great and that recovery didn’t have a timeframe. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to get better, because she did; she just couldn’t get past this rut she was in.

Courtney and Becca had been encouraging her to try something different, but she couldn’t see herself sharing what she’d been through with others just yet. She had fought so hard to be comfortable enough with Courtney to share her story, and the thought of adding another person to her recovery process scared her. That was a step she might never be ready for.

One of the things Jamie loved about her two appointments was that their offices were within walking distance of each other. And at that moment, she was really thankful for the fresh air between appointments. She took the time to clear her head and refocus on the present and not the future. She walked into the clinic for her appointment with Becca, her head clearer from her session with Courtney.

She soaked in the fact that she was blessed with a great support team to help her through recovery. Jamie was also grateful she could open up about her trauma, and that her friends didn’t try to baby her. It was one of the things she couldn’t handle when she got back, the look of pity in people’s eyes. Seeing that look was worse than any pain from her injuries.

She waved to the staff and headed to Becca’s office. When she opened the door, she heard Becca yelling on the phone and stopped in her tracks, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

“I am not coming back…. You don’t understand…. I can’t face him again. I just can’t do it, Andrew. I won’t do it.” Becca hung up the phone and released a heavy sigh. Jamie knew her brothers had been pressuring her into coming home for the holidays, and Becca’s reluctance didn’t escape anyone. Whatever, or whomever, she was running from, it was obvious she wasn’t ready to face it just

yet, something Jamie understood better than anyone.

“You okay?” At the sound of Jamie’s voice, Becca turned around and gave her best fake smile, which Jamie chose to ignore for the time being.

She could see that Andrew had said some upsetting things. She watched as Becca took a sip of water as if she were trying to gather her thoughts. It was clear Becca hadn’t expected a call from her brother turning up the guilt factor for her to come home. “Oh, I’m fine, just a little family drama. How did your session with Courtney go today?” She took the bottle of water Becca handed her, opting not to push the conversation about her friend’s heated phone call.

“It was good. Gruesome and exhausting as always, but good.” They both appeared to have a lot on their minds because their usual conversation about hot men and their day-to-day chitchat was absent. In all the years she’d known Becca, she’d never seen her look so defeated.

Their session was brutal, to say the least.

Every inch of Jamie’s body was on fire, and the pain soaring in her shoulders and her legs was almost unbearable. “Come on, Jamie. Just one more set and then we're done. Don't quit on me now.” She looked up at Becca, who was smiling down at her.

Sitting on the bench seat, Jamie had to fight her body to finish the set.

“I'd like to see you down here, trying to lift this thing over your head after your shoulder had been crushed by two bullets.” Ever since the beginning of her therapy, Becca had put her through a challenging physical therapy plan. Jamie had made progress, but she was a long way from a full recovery. Her shoulder still killed her when she extended her arm above her head, plus her knee, which had to be surgically replaced, didn’t allow her to do anything more strenuous than walking, and only on a good day. Overall, her body was a mess, and while she had moments of being emotionally wrecked, her head and her heart were healing, slowly. “You give me that nonsense and you’ll be doing another rep,” Becca said to her, laughing.

Forging friendships wasn’t something Jamie did easily, but she’d been friends with Becca since college and it was comforting to have friends who weren’t afraid to kick her ass when she needed it.

Wondering how much longer she would need therapy and not hover on the edge of falling apart occupied her daily thoughts, but she was grateful to have Becca and Courtney to help through the rough patches.

Jamie stood to grab a bottle of water then lay down for Becca to ice her body. “Becca, what’s got you on another planet today?” she said a little out of breath, sipping on her water, and trying not to

cringe at the pain that accompanied every small movement she made.

“You know, we’ve been at this for two months. You’re not progressing as well as I would have liked you to and I think you know that. So I thought maybe we could try something new for the next eight weeks.” Jamie knew Becca was right and welcomed changing things up, even if it made her a little uneasy.

“If it gets me there faster, you know I’ll try anything. What did you have in mind?” Jamie asked.

“Well, you know my brother Cole, right?”

Becca asked as she applied ice to Jamie’s shoulders.

Jamie couldn’t put her finger on what Becca had up her sleeve. She didn’t know much about Cole, except that he was a retired Marine who ran a clinic for wounded vets back home.

From past conversations with Becca, Jamie knew Cole’s rehabilitation after coming back had been difficult, but her knowledge of Cole Callaway started and ended there. It was hard for her to guess what Becca was getting at but whatever it was, Jamie had a feeling it was going to change everything. “I’ve never met him, but you talk about him a lot. He’s in Montana, right?”

“Yep, that’s the one.” Becca helped her position the ice packs over the sorest spots.

Jamie shifted on the table, trying to better position herself to avoid pain. She then turned her head to address Becca. “Cole was a medic?”

“That’s right. When he got discharged, he was a little… lost.” Jamie could sense the pain Becca felt for her brother. She knew firsthand what it was like to be out there in the world and then suddenly find yourself homebound, unable to do what you love.

“Well, anyway, now he runs the clinic and he’s really good at it. He works with soldiers who have been seriously wounded, and he puts them back together. With the winter coming, he usually closes down, but I told him about you and asked him if he would be willing to give your therapy a shot…. I hope you’re not mad that I didn’t talk to you first.”

Jamie liked working with Becca, but she didn’t know how she felt about working with someone new, especially someone she knew nothing about. The idea of being away from home, away from her friends and her support system, scared her. Jamie had become so comfortable in her own surroundings, the idea of not only changing therapists, but going to another state, was unsettling.

But she also trusted Becca to do what was best for her recovery and to not put her in a situation that would make her uncomfortable. Jamie lifted the ice

to get up, but had to sit a minute because every muscle and bone were screaming at her.

“If you think working with Cole is the best thing for me, I trust you.” Then it hit her; Becca had said Cole usually closed down the clinic for the winter months, and there was no way she was going to be an intrusion into someone’s life like that.

“Wait, I can’t be an imposition to your brother, when he should be closed having a break.”

Jamie gathered enough strength to get up and walk over to where her duffle bag was sitting, then turned to face her friend when she spoke up.

“I already talked to Cole and he said he was more than happy to work with you. Plus, it gives him someone to nag, which saves the family from having to deal with his cranky ass.” There was something in Becca’s eyes which told Jamie that Cole hadn’t really been given a choice in the matter, and she didn’t know how she felt about it. The last thing she wanted to be was someone’s pity patient.

Jamie hesitated, trying to make sense of her emotions. When she sensed Becca’s hand on her forearm, she looked up into Becca’s eyes as her friend spoke. “Cole is a grown man; if he really didn’t want you there, trust me, you wouldn’t be going.”

“Do you think it’s honestly going to make a difference?” At this point, Jamie was ready to try just about anything to get past the rut she was in.

“I really do. I think he’s exactly what you need.”

She opted not to overanalyze Becca’s words later as she drove home. Walking into her house, she leaned against the door and sighed. She couldn’t believe she’d let Becca convince her to do therapy with Cole for the next two months; she didn’t even know the man. She wondered how badly Becca had to guilt him into saying yes. If there was one thing Jamie hated, it was being someone’s charity case, but she also knew Cole specialized in injuries like hers, and God knew she needed all the help she could get. Maybe going to Montana wouldn’t be all that bad. She’d been in war zones and disaster zones; she could handle Montana, couldn’t she? It was one of those moments when she had to decide for herself if she could do this or not. This was what she’d been working toward: the ability to face new situations without being scared of what might happen.

Jamie made herself a cup of tea before sitting down at her desk to buy the plane ticket and make all the arrangements for a rental car before calling Cole. Becca had given her his number and told her to give him a call to confirm that she was going to see him. After entering her credit card details for her

plane tickets, she looked at her cell. Picking it up, she took a deep breath and dialed his number.

“Callaway Ranch.” The man who answered had a deep, masculine voice, which carried strength and power through the line.

“Hi, could I speak to Cole Callaway, please?”

Her voice was shaky, her nerves threatening to get the best of her. She’d handled heads of state and warlords, but calling one man made her more nervous than she’d been in her whole life.

“Sure thing, honey, just let me get him for you.” Jamie heard the man call for Cole and a few seconds later, she went weak in the knees at the sound of a man’s voice.

“Cole Callaway.” His voice was rich and deep, sending shivers up and down her spine. Who would have thought a man’s voice would give her the chills?

“Hi, my name is Jamie Caldwell. Becca gave me your number.” She prayed that Becca hadn’t forgotten to tell her brother she would be calling, because how embarrassing would it be if the man didn’t know who she was?

“Hey, Jamie. You calling to confirm or back out?” The man was bold, she had to give him that.

Jamie sensed no hesitation on his end, just pure control and complete attention to the conversation. “Becca said you were really good at what you do, so I want to give it a try.”

Cole was mesmerized by the voice on the end of the line. When Becca had asked him to do her a favor and work with Jamie, he wasn’t sure it was such a good idea. He was used to military guys; he knew their thought process, knew how to talk to them, but dealing with a civilian who had gone through what she’d been through, was definitely something he wasn’t familiar with. But there was something about the woman’s voice that was drawing him in and suddenly, he wasn’t worried about anything other than just helping her out.

“Well, Becca said you needed me, so let’s see what I can do for you.” The second the words were out of his mouth, Cole was hit by how sexual they sounded. What was happening to him? At this rate, the poor woman wouldn’t even consider coming to Montana, thinking he might maul her the minute she stepped on his land.

As he waited for her to speak, the sound of heavy breathing coming through the phone made him think about doing things to her that had nothing to do with physical therapy—sexual therapy was more like it. When she didn’t speak, he cleared his throat and the dirty thoughts running through his head. “Jamie, are you still with me?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. I got distracted by something. But yeah, I booked the flight for Thursday. That should give me enough time to make sure everything is settled here before I leave. I hope that’s okay.”

Cole chuckled, wondering what she had been distracted by, because he sure as hell was having a hard time keeping this conversation on track. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll have everything set up for you.”

“Okay, but don’t go to too much trouble for me. I don’t need much.”

“Honey, this is Montana. We treat guests like family, and more importantly, we treat women really well,” he told her in all honesty. He focused on getting his sexual thoughts about Becca’s best friend, and his new patient, under control before he made a fool of himself.

“I’m sure you do. So, I’ll see you Thursday, then.” Her voice brought him back to the task at hand.

“See you then, Jamie.” By the time Cole hung up the phone, all he could think about was what she looked like and how soft her skin would feel under his touch. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d reacted like this to a woman. Since coming home from Afghanistan, he’d been craving some kind of connection, but hadn’t found someone he felt comfortable opening up to.

When he looked up, his brothers were all gathered in the kitchen. “So, who was the hottie on the phone?” Andrew asked him. He loved his brothers, would give his life for them, but sometimes they just annoyed the shit out of him, like right then.

“How do you know she’s hot?” Cole asked.

Even if he already knew just by Jamie’s voice that she was, he wasn’t about to admit it in front of his brothers. They had been riding his ass nonstop about finding someone to settle down with ever since he’d come home from Afghanistan, and there was no way he was giving them the ammunition they needed.

“You don’t have a voice like that and not be hot.” They all laughed together. Sometimes, Cole forgot how good it felt to be back home surrounded by family. He’d missed that while he was deployed, but after losing so many friends, he’d developed a whole new level of appreciation for his family.

“Her name is Jamie. She’s a patient of Becca’s in Austin. She’s an aid worker and went through some bad shit on a mission in Darfur. She was shot and beaten, but I’ll spare you the details; that’s her story to tell. Anyway, Becca said she was making progress with her recovery, but the emotional trauma she’s suffered is holding her back, so she asked me to see if I can get her to release some of that tension.” Jamie’s story had made

national headlines when she was rescued, but no one really knew the extent of her injuries—both physical and emotional—since she had refused to do any interviews. Hell, Cole couldn’t blame her.

When you went through something like what she had, the last thing you wanted to do was talk about it on national TV. “I’m sure you’ll help her release tension, all right,” John told him with a smirk.

Cole threw his brother a look that said, Really, man? before throwing a towel at his head.

“Is that all you think about, dude? Don’t you guys have chores to do?” Cole told his brothers in a tone that didn’t leave room for discussion, but he couldn’t deny he wouldn’t mind going a few rounds between the sheets with her to release some tension.

When Jamie walked into the restaurant where she was meeting Becca and Emilia, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of uncertainty about having someone else, especially a man, work with her. She hadn’t let a man touch her in a long time, yet she was going to have Becca’s brother’s hands on her, of all people. The thought scared her because she knew how intense a connection became with a therapist; there were no barriers, physical or emotional. She shook off the feelings that were

making her second-guess her decision to go to Montana. After speaking with Cole, she’d made up her mind for certain. She glanced around the restaurant and saw Becca and Emilia sitting at a corner booth in the back.

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late. I had to pack and make travel arrangements.” Jamie sat down beside her two friends and took a sip of the margarita, which was waiting for her. She loved the little things like girls’ night; it was one of the things she had missed most while being out of action.

“So, you talked to Cole?” The concern in Becca’s voice was faint, but Jamie could sense it.

She smiled at her best friend, hoping to reassure her.

“Yeah, I did. He seems really nice, a straightforward type of man.” Jamie blushed at the memories of the thoughts she’d had about her best friend’s brother while they’d talked on the phone; but if her friends noticed, they didn’t mention it, something she appreciated more than they knew.

The last thing she wanted was to talk about how a man’s voice, a man she’d never met before, had gotten to her more than it should have. Becca laughed, sipping on her margarita. “That’s Cole, all right. He’s never been the ‘walking around on eggshells’ type, which is probably why the guys who go to him for treatment respect him so much.

He doesn’t take any self-pity bullshit. He’ll work through whatever demons and scars you have better

than anyone else because he gets it; he had demons of his own when he came back.”

Jamie looked at Emilia when she started to speak. “When Cole got back, Becca insisted I go down to Montana and try to get him to talk. The corps had offered him therapy, but he was so stuck in his own head that he saw it as a sign of weakness.

He was reluctant when I got there, but I had a few sessions with him and, honestly, the fact that he’s able to help others deal with what’s happened to them, and assist them on their road to recovery is something I never thought I would see happen. He was broken when he came back, but now he’s such a different man; stronger, wiser.” Jamie briefly remembered Emilia talking about the time she’d spent with Cole at the ranch when he returned stateside, but the emotions in her friend’s voice that night seemed to hold so much more than Emilia was letting on.

“Well, he seemed genuinely committed to helping me, so I’m all in.” Jamie’s focus was on her recovery. She was well aware that her humanitarian career was probably over, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try to get back some of what she had lost.

“Plus, between me and you—and Bec, you might not want to listen to this—the Callaway men are hot enough to melt snow.” Emilia’s comment

made the girls laugh and set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Chapter Two

Standing on the front steps, Cole still could not believe his sister had made him say yes. Well, on second thought, Becca always got what she wanted.

Hell if he knew why, but his sister had really wanted him to say agree to working with Jamie.

She’d explained her friend’s situation and he’d felt for the woman because he knew better than anyone what it was like to have to climb up a hill which seemed insurmountable. After his last patient had left, Cole had looked forward to being by himself and working on the ranch, but he couldn’t say no to his little sister. Hands in the pockets of his worn-out Levi’s, he heard a car coming down the dirt road leading up to the main house.

His sister had told him a little about Jamie.

She was an only child, her mother had passed away in a tragic car accident a few years back and, according to Becca, Jamie was one of the most

compassionate people she’d ever met. She didn’t have a boyfriend and didn’t date. Cole wondered why, since Becca had told him Jamie was as beautiful as they come, but when he’d pressed, she had refused to share more than she already had.

As she drove up the dirt road leading up to the main house, Cole tried to get a glimpse of the woman who had turned him inside out with just a phone call, but the sun was shining brightly, making it hard for him to make out anything. He wasn’t the type of man to worry about what a woman thought of him—the Callaway men had always been blessed with good genes—but for the first time in his life, he found himself hoping the mystery woman driving up his driveway liked what she saw. His body was strong from the military and hard work on the ranch, and women always complimented him, but what if Jamie didn’t? He had to get a grip on himself; she was there to get better and probably didn’t give a crap about how he looked. Cole stood there on his front porch, hands still in his pockets as he waited for her to pull up. Once she was close enough to see him, he motioned to her where to park and made his way down the front steps to greet her.

When she stepped out of her rental SUV, Cole took a step back and enjoyed the beauty of the woman standing before him. She was wearing jeans, which must have been painted on, a vivid red

V-neck shirt, and a leather jacket, which clung to every curve of her body. Curves like that on a woman should be a crime, but he could sure as hell enjoy the view without taking the bait. Her light brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and, if she was wearing any makeup, he couldn’t see it. Damn, his sister had been wrong about this woman. She wasn’t beautiful; she was downright breathtaking.

He forced himself to regain control before walking toward her and introducing himself.

“Jamie, welcome to the Callaway Ranch. I’m Cole.” He extended his hand to her and when she took it in a firm handshake, he felt her touch all the way to his toes. Her hands were soft and for an instant, he was pretty sure he saw the same lustful reaction in her eyes. She slipped her hand from his, sliding both her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

“Nice to meet you, Cole. Thank you for agreeing to take me in. Although, I’m not sure how much choice you had in the matter. Becca can be quite persuasive. Honestly, you have no idea what it means to me to be here.” She looked at him and smiled. Not a fake one but a real, honest, and beautiful smile.

No, but I’m sure there’s a couple of ways you could show me, crossed Cole’s mind. What was wrong with him? The woman had been there for less than five minutes and he was already thinking about touching every inch of her body. He felt like

he was sixteen again. Hell, he was a grown man who should be able to get his mind out of the damn gutter.

Cole found it hard not to stare at her; she had a pretty face and her body was curvy in all the right places. His hands were itching to touch her and knock away the lack of confidence he saw behind her brown eyes. He could also see she worked out and kept herself in good health, something he admired.

He indicated that she should follow as he turned and made his way to his family home. As much as he wanted to check on her to make sure she was okay navigating over the graveled path, it was clear she was an independent woman, and that was one thing he would never take away from a patient.

Still, the ground wasn’t all that even, so he turned to check anyway… and caught her staring at his ass. It took everything in him not to go to her and kiss her, an instinct that pulled at him. He forced himself to remain professional because the last thing he needed was for someone to doubt his ethics when it came to his work. But the ten shades of red creeping up her face from being caught staring at him tested his self-control.

He could tell she was embarrassed that he’d caught her checking him out, but he couldn’t hold back a smile. She could stare at his ass any time she wanted. There was no way he would object to Jamie

looking at him the way she was at that moment, like he was the hottest thing she’d ever seen.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare,” she managed to a say in a soft voice, stopping him dead in his tracks.

He turned around and smiled at her. “No need to apologize.” Before giving himself a chance to wonder about what he could do to her with his mouth, he took her bag and said, “Let’s get you settled in, and then I’ll give you a tour before we settle on your rehab plan.”

Cole watched Jamie’s expression change as they entered the house. He had spent a great deal of time remodeling the family ranch after returning from Afghanistan. Until that point, he’d never cared about anyone’s opinion, but he wanted her to love it as much as he did. He had insisted on keeping the warmth and feel of the country home during the renovations, but had added sky-high ceilings and windows, letting the sun in.

“This is beautiful,” she whispered. He watched her run her fingers along the woodwork of the furniture. Cole wasn’t about to tell her he had made the furniture, but seeing her admire every curve in the finished product made him think about having his hands on every delicious one of her curves and exploring her body until he knew it by heart.

What was he thinking? The woman was there for rehab, not to get scared off by his sex drive, which had been dormant until she drove up to his house. He was going to have one hell of a talk with his little sister the first chance he got.

Before Jamie could say anything else, Cole’s mom walked into the living room holding a tray of cookies. “You must be Jamie. Forgive my boy here.

He’s like a wild animal—he forgets to act civilized.” Cole swore under his breath and his mom gave him one of her famous stares, which could bring a grown man to his knees. “I’m Kathy Callaway, the mother of this charming bunch, most you’ll meet later. Would you like some hot chocolate, or I can make you some coffee, if you’d like?”

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home, Ms. Callaway.”

Cole laughed because he knew his mom hated being called Ms. Callaway. Just like he knew she would, his mom put her hand up. “Call me Kathy, please,” she told Jamie as she offered her a cookie.

“You have a beautiful home, Kathy. This woodwork is breathtaking.” His mom smiled then turned to him, and he knew exactly what she was going to say.

“Cole did all of the remodeling and the furniture. He’s very talented.”

“Wow, you did this?” Jamie ran her hands along the coffee table, admiring the quality of his work. “This is beautiful, Cole.”

When she turned around and glanced at him, he looked her right in the eye. He leaned over to grab a cup of hot coffee and said, “Thanks. It keeps me busy when I’m not at the clinic.”

He grabbed a cookie and made his way to the kitchen, but not before he heard his mom say, “Don’t mind him; he’s innocent under all that talk.”

When Jamie mumbled, “Somehow, I doubt that,” he smirked, because he was the wondering mind was the furthest thing from innocent.

Jamie settled into her room. It was just as magnificent as the rest of the house. The bed was luscious with a gorgeous floral duvet, which made you never want to get up, and the hardwood floors were warm and inviting, just like Cole and his mother had been to her.

During the conversation with Kathy, she’d learned there were three other Callaway brothers, Nick, John, and Andrew, who all worked on the ranch. She wondered what it must have been like for Becca to have grown up with four older brothers. Cole had suggested they go over her rehab plan after dinner, to give her a chance to settle in.

She was curious to see what the next eight weeks were going to be like because Cole didn’t seem like the traditional therapy type.

Her thoughts went back to his strong hands and how they would feel on her body, rubbing away the tension in her muscles, or creating new ones, because the man was a walking advertisement for hot sex. It was obvious he didn’t do it on purpose; the man just exuded sexuality. For a minute, she let her mind wander to what sex with Cole would be like. Would he be soft and gentle when he undressed her, or would he be the rough and tumble kind, and take her against the door? She touched her lips, contemplating what it would feel like to be kissed by Cole. The instant her finger touched her mouth, she jumped out of the trance she was in, and she couldn’t help but wonder where those thoughts had come from. She hadn’t thought about sex in a long time, yet there she was, in the middle of a room in a stranger’s house, thinking about sex with her best friend’s brother.

Her skin was hot when a knock at the door brought her out of her dirty daydream. She gathered her thoughts before opening the door to the man she’d just fantasized about.

“You settling in okay? Mom wanted me to make sure you had everything you needed,” he said, entering her room. As he passed by her, she smelled a mixture of citrus and pine. She loved how he

smelled the way a man should, that he didn’t bury himself in cologne.

“Oh, I’m fine! Everything is perfect.” She closed the door behind him. “This room is beautiful, just like the entire house.” As she said the words, Cole grinned boyishly and she flushed. As if he sensed her uneasiness, he changed the subject.

“Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. If you drink whiskey, now might be a good time to take a drink or two. The Callaway brothers aren’t a quiet bunch,” Cole told her as he walked to the door, making contact with her shoulder and thigh as he brushed past her. A sigh escaped her lips. And she waited for some sort of response from him. It never came. Cole was being a gentleman about it and didn’t utter a word about her reaction.

He glanced at her one final time with a smirk on his face that sent shivers down her spine. He then shook his head and walked away, leaving her breathless, standing in the middle of her room.

After Cole left her alone with her dirty thoughts, she unpacked her clothes and took a quick shower. She loved how the warmth of the water made her pain disappear a little. If it were up to her, she would stay in the water all day. Opting to let her hair down, she applied a little mascara and some lip gloss. She then slipped on a pair of jeans when she probably should have gone with yoga pants, as her legs were killing her from all the travelling. Jamie

finished getting ready for dinner, looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. “Well, honey, this is as good as it’s going to get.”

“Lucky for us then, ’cause you are one beautiful woman.” She turned around, startled when she heard a man’s voice coming from the bedroom door. The man, who she assumed was one of the Callaway brothers, was breathtakingly beautiful.

Suddenly, Emilia’s words about the Callaway men being hot made sense. Cole was gorgeous and whoever this brother was, he was right there with him. She wondered what the others looked like.

“Nick Callaway. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Jamie walked to the man, seeing a striking resemblance to Cole. The eyes and the hair were the same, but this brother had to be much younger than Cole, judging by how soft his features were in comparison. No matter how strikingly handsome Nick was, she couldn’t stop thinking about Cole and the way his body would look naked. She stopped her train of thought before it got out of hand. “Jamie Caldwell. Nice to meet you, Nick,” she said, shaking his hand. It was rough from manual labor.

“Becca had it right; you are beautiful. Too bad you’re thinking of Cole right now,” he said with a wink, making her blush from head to toe. Was she that transparent?

Straightening her shirt, she tried to rally her brain around what Nick had said. “I am not thinking

of Cole!” she shouted, making it sound like she was trying to convince herself more than Nick, which made him laugh.

He leaned against the wall with a smirk on his face that told her she wasn’t fooling him. She just hoped she could fool Cole enough to get through the next eight weeks. “We Callaway brothers, we have this thing about being able to tell which one of us women will go for, and you, my darling, have Cole written all over your face.”

“I do not! I just met the man; plus, I’m here to get better…. What makes you say that?” She was angry, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips like a five-year-old getting ready to throw a tantrum, which probably didn’t help her case.

“You just wait and see. Come on, darling, dinner’s ready.” He grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs.

Maybe Jamie should have listened to Cole about drinking whiskey before dinner, because the Callaway bunch were something else all right— fighting over chores, dinner, women, anything and everything. They talked to her about the ranch, and John volunteered to teach her how to ride. She swore she saw a hint of anger and jealousy in Cole’s eyes. They shared embarrassing stories from their

childhood. Listening to them all talk and share stories, she felt like a member of their family. All of the fears she’d had before coming to the ranch had vanished during dinner. They made her feel at home and comfortable.

Jamie helped Kathy with the dishes after dinner while the brothers went over some paperwork for the ranch and the clinic. She didn’t understand much about running a ranch, but from what she could gather, it was a lot harder than anything she could have imagined.

“So, Cole tells me you’re an aid worker?

That must be hard.” The compassion in Kathy’s voice sent a shot of warmth to her heart.

Jamie didn’t want to be rude to the woman who’d opened her home to her, but she didn’t feel like going into details, so she opted for a vague answer that would hopefully get her off the hook.

“Some days are harder than others, but I love being able to make a difference in people’s lives, so it makes it all worthwhile.”

“I can imagine it does. Your parents must be proud.” Jamie glanced at Kathy, and tried to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. She missed her mom so much, but in a way was thankful she hadn’t witnessed her only daughter battered and damaged.

Jamie took a deep breath before speaking.

“My mom passed away when I was in college and my dad was never around, but I know if my mom

were here, she would be proud. Well, at least I hope she would be.”

Kathy pulled Jamie into a hug. When she released her, she smiled and softly said, “I’m sure she is, honey.” How these people managed to make her feel like family the minute they met her baffled Jamie, but that was exactly how she felt.

After talking with Kathy, Jamie understood where Becca got her sweet yet straightforward attitude. After the dishes were done, she walked over to the clinic where Cole had said he would meet her. She waited inside, smiling as she thought about their family dynamics and how different it was from anything she’d ever experienced. She hoped that one day her kids would have that kind of love.

“What’s got you smiling?” She jumped, so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t heard Cole come in.

“Oh, I was just thinking about your family and how nice it must be to have that connection.”

Why did she have to go and say that? She was there to get better, not to get personal with her physical therapist.

As if he sensed her discomfort, he went straight to the heart of the matter with his next words. “Becca says that physically, you’re healing fine, even if the recovery is lengthy. Your shoulder, knee and lower back are the target points, so that’s what we’ll focus on. One thing you need to get

straight: I’m not Becca. Courtney sent over the CliffsNotes version of your psych file, so I have a better idea of what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours. You have to trust me 100 percent to know what’s best for your recovery.”

She knew Cole wanted to make sure she understood he didn’t use the same approach or techniques as Becca, and she respected that. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t a little overwhelmed by his speech. “Becca says I can trust you so that’s enough for me, but if I’m not comfortable with something, I will tell you.” She smiled and he laughed, which had to be one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. She understood what Cole was doing— giving her a chance to walk away if she didn’t feel she was up for his kind of therapy.

“Good, I wouldn’t expect anything less. We need to be able to trust each other and communicate. My methods are different than the ones Becca uses. I’ll push your limits, but I won’t hurt you. You need to be able to get out of your own head in order to recover, and that’s the hardest part of the road ahead.” He smiled at her and she knew he could see the fear in her eyes. She wasn’t scared of him, not in the least, but this was the first time she was trying something different, which had the potential to help her get to the end of her recovery.

As much relief as that brought her, she was also scared because if she were being honest, she had no

idea what she was going to do after she was whole —if that were even possible. There were so many unknown factors at play, but she had to remember that if Becca had made this happen, this was exactly where she needed to be.

“Cole, the last thing I need is for you to be gentle.” She needed him to be hard on her because she was at a crossroads. Deep down, she trusted Becca’s judgment about sending her there, but it was scary to let a stranger push her beyond her comfort zone.

“The last thing I plan on being is gentle.

You’re here to get results, and that’s what I intend to give you.” She knew Cole didn’t mean anything by it but when she looked at him, she couldn’t hide her flushed face and the desire his words sparked in her.

She had an overwhelming need for him to show her just how rough he could really be. Those thoughts about a man hadn’t entered her mind in a long time and being this close to him, seeing a reflection of her desire in his eyes, she almost forgot about why she was really there. Then reality hit her. She needed to focus on getting better, not getting naked with Cole.

Jamie’s temperature rose. She needed to create some distance between them before she took this therapy between the sheets, against the wall and anywhere else she could get him. “Well, now that

we have that settled, I think I’ll head up and get some rest. It’s been a long day,” she said hastily.

“We’ll start early tomorrow morning so I can make a proper assessment.” He took her hands in his and locked his eyes on her. “Jamie, it’s all going to be okay.”

She knew he was talking about the therapy, but somehow found comfort in his words beyond their meaning. So many people had told her those exact same words, but she never believed them.

Right then, looking at Cole, she believed every word.

She walked toward the door, turned around before stepping outside, and said, “Thank you for doing this, Cole.”

Cole woke up in the middle of the night to Jamie’s screams. The minute he ran to her room and saw her tangled in the sheets, crying out and covered in sweat, his heart broke. “Hey, man, is she okay?”

Cole turned at the sound of Nick’s voice. The straight answer would be, “No, she’s not okay,” but Cole couldn’t muster the words because he felt like he was looking at a past version of himself.

“I’ve got her,” he told his brother before walking into her room. Seeing her like that brought him back to a time in his life when he couldn’t find

peace. Watching her relive the worst time in her life made him realize how much she needed him, even if she didn’t know it.

“All right then,” Nick said before heading back to his room.

Cole crouched down beside the bed and started lifting the covers off Jamie’s sweat-soaked body. When he managed to untangle her, getting punched a few times in the process, he pinned her arms over her head with very little pressure to keep her from hurting herself, or him, in the process.

Ensuring his hold was loose enough so she knew she could break free of his hold, Cole called her name until she woke up.

“Get off me…. Get off me…. No….

Please…. No!” she screamed, fighting the weight of his body. She pleaded with him to stop. He remained calm despite his heart picking up speed at her anguish. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the images playing through her head.

He had read the psych report Courtney had sent him, but that never did anyone justice. He slowly shook her out of her dream. “Jamie, it’s me.

It’s Cole. Calm down.” He didn’t move, just waited for her to regain her senses and come back to reality. He needed for her to see that she was safe, and that it was all a dream.

Her body stopped shaking, but fear filled her eyes, which quickly turned into guilt when she

realized what had just happened. “Oh, my God, I woke you. I’m so sorry.” The expression on her face almost broke him.

“Don’t worry about it. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, letting go of her hands.

“Not really,” she said in a broken voice. He could tell she felt embarrassed that one of her nightmares had woken him up. In all the training given before going out in the field, the one thing they didn’t tell you about was the nightmares, and that was something Cole could relate to more than most.

“Okay then, let’s get you into the shower and back to bed.” He knew she didn’t have the energy to argue with him, which was good because he wasn’t leaving until she was okay. She got up and went into the bathroom. Her skin was damp, her hair was scattered everywhere and her face was so pale he thought she might pass out.

When she closed the bathroom door, he settled in the corner chair and remembered how beautiful she’d looked standing in the middle of the room earlier with the sun bouncing off her hair. He couldn’t get the sight of her out of his head. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to push her against the wall and show her exactly how he would take her. The memory of that sigh made him hard as a rock, and damn if he wouldn’t be taking care of himself later that night thinking about her sighing

beneath his tongue and fingers. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to control his erection before Jamie stepped out of the shower.

He must have fallen asleep while she was in there because the next thing he knew, he felt her hand on his forearm and slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, he forgot how to breathe. She looked so beautiful with her wet hair falling down to her shoulders, her face fresh and glowing, and right then he knew he was too far gone to ever come back.

“You can go to bed now. I’ll be fine.” Her voice was sleepy as she spoke and damn if he didn’t want to crawl in that bed with her.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice just as sleepy as hers.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you, Cole,” was all she said before she climbed back into bed and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Three

After a night of tossing and turning, Jamie made her way downstairs to the kitchen, hoping for some much needed caffeine to help her get through this first day of therapy with Cole. All night, her thoughts were of Cole taking her against the bedroom door, making her scream his name, and as if that wasn’t enough, the moment she stepped into the kitchen, she ran straight into a six-foot-one wall of stone.

To keep from falling down and humiliating herself, she grabbed Cole’s shirt and was surprised when he maneuvered around, standing behind her, holding her upright. For a moment, she let herself enjoy the feel of Cole’s body surrounding her and the heat that rolled off him. When he put his hands on her waist, his fingers tightened on her skin and for a brief moment, her head dropped back to his chest.

Startled back to reality by voices coming closer, she pulled away from him. “Thank you for not letting me fall. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

Before Cole could answer, Nick, John, and Andrew walked into the kitchen, and boy were they ever a sight. Jamie took a step back, watching all four brothers interact with one another.

They were each wearing worn-out jeans—the kind that gave women heart attacks—with old plaid shirts, and for the first time, she noticed how different the brothers looked. Nick was the tallest one with light brown hair and green eyes, and a body to die for. John was the quiet, reserved one, although you could see his brothers’ charm was definitely rubbing off on him. Andrew was a beautiful specimen of a man, with dark brown hair and blue eyes; she couldn’t help but wonder how many broken hearts he’d caused over the years. And then her eyes landed on Cole. The man was absolutely gorgeous. His body was well trained and it was obvious that he loved his family so much.

She wondered why a man like him wasn’t married; surely, it wasn’t from lack of offers.

Before she got further lost in her thoughts, John interrupted her daydream. “Good morning, Jamie. You look amazing today.” She looked at John properly for the first time, and realized how much he looked like the pictures of their dad

scattered around the house. Out of all the brothers, he was the one who bore the most striking resemblance to the man Becca had talked so much about over the years. Before she knew it, Cole all but barked at his brother, “Give it a break, John.

You wouldn’t know what to do with her.”

Reaching for a cup in the cupboard, she heard John mumble, “And you do?” She smiled at the dynamic between the brothers. They might fight and argue, but they still loved each other, and nothing could change that. She envied that. Growing up as an only child, she’d always wondered how it would be to have brothers or sisters.

Jamie walked over to John and said, “Any chance there’s coffee, because caffeine would be a gift right now.” Hoping this would diffuse any tension in the room, she took a seat at the breakfast bar.

“Here you go, sweetheart. There’s always caffeine in this house,” John said as he handed her a cup.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, no makeup, and the jeans she was wearing yesterday were replaced by yoga pants. She noticed Cole looking at her, and briefly wondered if she should have dressed in something else. She was used to wearing simple workout clothes with Becca, but maybe he preferred his patients to wear something else. “I didn’t know how you wanted me to dress

for our session, so I hope this is okay.” She turned toward Cole while taking a sip of coffee.

He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned to face her and, when their eyes connected, the world stopped turning. The look in his eyes was doing things to her no other man had ever managed to. Her skin flushed and she couldn’t stop the roll of images playing in her head of Cole showing her all the ways he wanted her.

She didn’t know how much time passed before he spoke, his voice deep. “What you’re wearing is fine. As long as you’re comfortable in it, that’s all that matters.” She smiled at his words. He appeared genuine.

“How about some breakfast? I want to take it easy today, get to know each other and just get a feel of where you are.” She noticed how tight his face was, and she found a little solace in knowing she wasn’t the only one affected by what just happened.

“Sure, breakfast sounds great,” she said, gripping her cup of coffee like she was holding on for her life. She sat down at the kitchen table beside Cole and Nick, and took a look at the breakfast before her. Pancakes, eggs and bacon. She didn’t care about the calories or about what people would think if they saw her eat, so she just dug right in.

“So, Jamie, you know Emilia, too, right?”

Nick’s question brought her out of her food

daydream. She looked up at him, and the emotions in his eyes gave him away. She remembered how sad Emilia had been for weeks following her return from Montana, but had never mentioned anything about it.

“Yes, I do. We met in college, same as Becca,” she said with a smile that told Nick she knew there was more to his question than he was letting on. She might not be a trained psychologist, but she was a woman and she could read interest when she saw it.

“How is she doing? She was great with Cole when he got back,” Nick asked, and his brothers all looked up at him with a million unasked questions.

“She’s great, working hard and trying to stay focused. She doesn’t go out much; well, none of us really do. We’re all too busy.” That was the best way Jamie could think to tell him that Emilia wasn’t seeing anyone without raising any flags.

“Good to hear.” The rest of breakfast was spent talking about ranch business, and Jamie found herself paying close attention to what was being said.

Nick, Andrew, and John went off to get their chores done and Jamie helped Cole clean the kitchen. She was overwhelmed by the realization that this was something she could get used to. “Your brothers are very nice,” she said as she washed the breakfast dishes as she had offered Kathy. It was her

way of helping out since she had been an unexpected guest.

“Don’t let them fool you. We gave my mom more than a few gray hairs when we were younger.

So did Becca. Actually, I think she was the worst.

Being the only girl, I think she felt like she had to do more to prove herself, which always got her into more trouble.”

She smiled at how happy Cole seemed to be, but she also saw sadness in his eyes. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say he missed his sister.

“It’s hard to think of Becca as a hell-raiser; she’s so grounded now.” Becca was so committed to her work, it was difficult to picture her as a troublemaker. She never went out, didn’t date much.

Becca had told her about how her heart had been broken and how she would never let herself get hurt like that again. Jamie had never gotten the full story out of her, but she knew it was the reason she didn’t want to come home.

“When she left for college, something happened that changed her. She never said what it was, but she doesn’t come home often and, when she does, she’s not here for very long.” Cole’s concern for his sister was touching, just another reason she didn’t know if she could resist him much longer—even if she knew she should.

Jamie reached for his arm, and jumped at the electricity she felt soaring through her body when

she touched him. She pulled her hand back. “Becca doesn’t really talk about why she left. She talks about you and your brothers a lot, and about your mom, too, but she doesn’t talk about much else.”

“Don’t believe everything she tells you.” And just like that, the conversation had shifted to a lighter subject they both felt more comfortable with.

“Oh, no? So I shouldn’t believe that you’re the most selfless, giving, brave and courageous man Becca knows? Because that’s how she describes you.” Jamie made him blush, and she giggled at his uneasiness. So the man didn’t like being paid compliments. That didn’t surprise her because Cole didn’t come off like the type of man who would do something hoping to get something in return.

Cole had to focus like hell on the job at hand, but watching Jamie stretch and pull was testing his selfcontrol. She was way more tense than he could have imagined, and all he could think about during their therapy session was massaging the tension out of her body. They went through a series of basic exercises so he could assess her mobility and see how much pain she was in. He wanted her to push herself, but witnessing her level of pain reminded him why he didn’t get attached to patients. It made his heart ache to be causing her pain, but he

couldn’t soften the therapy simply because he wanted to protect her.

He had to stay professional and keep his hands off her, because this was not about the sexual needs she was bringing back to life, but about helping her make a full recovery. He was worried about some muscle atrophy and some joint inflammation, probably from her overdoing it outside of her therapy sessions. She didn’t complain once, even if pain was written all over her face. He admired her for that; she was doing all she could to get better and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

From the bench where she was lifting light dumbbells, she looked up at him. “Cole, I can’t do any more. I feel like my shoulder is going to rip from its socket.” He could tell she really wanted to impress him and he respected her for that, but the last thing he wanted was to push her too hard, too fast. He knew his approach was definitely a different therapy workout than anything Becca had ever thrown her way. He involved more weights and included some yoga training to stretch her muscles, which he guessed Becca didn’t use.

“That’s all right, don’t push it. We’re just going through it today so I can evaluate and see what the best way forward is. You can put the weights down and come lie down so I can see what the tissue and muscle feel like.”

Cole noticed Jamie limping and decided the afternoon session was going to be a little easier on her. She made it to the table and he watched as she lay down on her stomach. He had to bite back a curse at how sexy she looked.

“Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but the top has buttons in the back if you need to open it,” she told him, almost sheepishly.

His hands started to shake at the thought of touching her bare skin, and he laughed internally at how juvenile he was acting. They both chuckled at how strange the situation was as Cole undid the buttons on Jamie’s top. With all the buttons undone, he opened the top and put his hands on her shoulders. He hadn’t seen the scars yet and the moment he saw the one on her shoulder, he wished he could go back and take the bullets for her.

“The scar healed well,” he said, massaging her shoulders. “The tissue itself is scarred, so we’re going to have to work on that, and the muscles are tight and contracted, so that’s going to require a lot more stretching, ice and heat.” Cole kept massaging her shoulders long after he should have stopped, but she had so much tension he couldn’t help himself.

The scars were healed up, but seeing them for the first time felt like he was experiencing them himself.

The location of the wounds had been selected to inflict maximum pain. How she’d survived was a

miracle. “Cole, you don’t have to keep doing that.

The pain stopped.” She started to sit up but Cole gently pushed her back down. And that was when he noticed her breathing was shorter and her skin was covered in goose bumps, telling him more than he needed to know with his control barely hanging on.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn as hell? Lie down and don’t move. You’re not going to get any kind of sustainable results if your muscles are this strained.” If he were being honest with himself, he knew he didn’t have to keep massaging her, but her skin was so soft and when he started to feel the tension evaporate, he just couldn’t bring himself to stop touching her.

“Cole, really, you don’t have to do that.” The more he touched her, the more he found himself never wanting to stop. He watched her body’s response to him and smiled when he noticed her trying to keep herself from squirming, but she couldn’t control her reactions to him.

“Are you always this difficult?” He smiled, aware he was getting to her by the way she shivered. He wasn’t immune, either; the moment his hands touched her, he’d become rock-hard. He couldn’t remember the last time he had an erection from just touching a woman.

Before she could answer, the door of the clinic swung open and his mom was there. For a

moment, she just looked at him and he didn’t miss the smile on her face. He was almost on top of Jamie, which probably didn’t look professional, not by a mile, but she just smiled and said, “Sorry to interrupt, kids, but lunch is ready.”

Jamie took the opportunity to sit up on the table, her back to him as she kept her top in place with her hands. “Cole, could you button me up for lunch, please?” It took him a minute to assess the situation, but once he gathered all of his thoughts, he buttoned her shirt as quickly as he could, desperate to get away from her before he did something stupid.

Jamie walked out of the clinic first, giving Cole time to calm his erection before he went to have lunch with his mother. Reacting like that to the woman he was supposed to be helping was not a good sign. Hell, it was downright unprofessional and broke a bunch of ethical rules. Sighing at his dilemma, he locked her files in his desk, but before he reached the door to step outside, the clinic’s phone rang. When he answered, he smiled at the sound of his baby sister’s voice. “Hey, big brother.”

“Hey, sis, how are you?” She sounded tired, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something going on with her.

“I’m good, you know me…. So, how’s our girl doing?” He held back a smart-ass comeback. If there was one thing his sister didn’t believe in, it

was coincidence, so whatever she thought would come out of sending Jamie to him must be pretty big.

“She’s good. We just had our first session.

Mom’s really taking a liking to her and the guys are all drooling over her, so overall, I’d say we were doing well.” His sister laughed on the other end of the line and he found himself smiling with her.

“How about you? Are you drooling all over her?” Cole didn’t miss the mischief in her voice, nor did he miss his body betraying him with thoughts of Jamie half-naked on his table.

“I’d have to be blind not to, but you knew that already, didn’t you?” If there was one thing his sister excelled at, it was being sneaky about doing things she knew would be good for him. Sending Jamie his way had to be one of the best things she’d ever done for him, no matter how it turned out.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Okay, I have to go since my patient just walked in, but you take good care of her, you hear me?” Leave it to his sister to drop a bomb and leave just before the question time.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got her.” Strangely enough, he knew he did. He felt a connection to someone for the first time in a long time, and he wasn’t ready to let that go.

“I know you do. Love ya. Give Mom my love.” And just like that, his sister hung up, leaving

him to wonder about how much of this she’d planned. After all this time, Cole felt like he could make someone else happy, that he could give Jamie what she’d been missing all her life, and it scared him more than he’d ever admit, because this meant she had the power to break him.

Nick, Andrew, and John worked through lunch, leaving her alone with Cole and Kathy. “I made soup for lunch. Jamie was nice enough to offer to help me cook while she’s here. I told her the patients usually have time to make a menu selection, but since this was a bit unexpected, we’ll just have to adjust.”

“Kathy, anything you make is going to be delicious. I realize this wasn’t planned and that I’m an imposition, so please don’t go out of your way for me. I’m a pretty good cook actually, so if I can help, I would be happy to.” Jamie sat down at the table and Cole sat across from her, looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

For the first time in a long time, she let herself feel that.

“She’s beautiful, smart and she can cook— now, honey, why’re you not married yet?”

She let her thoughts wander back to the studio a few minutes earlier. Her skin caught fire

when Cole had touched her, and she didn’t know how to feel about it. Having Kathy walk in on them in that position had been embarrassing, but God, his hands felt good. Breaking out of her reverie, Jamie realized she hadn’t answered Kathy’s question yet, so she took a spoonful of her soup then said, “I came close once, but it didn’t work out.”

“His loss.” Jamie blushed at Cole’s words, not knowing what to say. They ate in silence, apart from some chitchat about Jamie’s therapy and Cole’s work on the ranch. Jamie loved how welcoming this family was, and she had a feeling that Becca had somehow planned this whole thing, and it was as impromptu as she’d made it out to be.

After lunch, Jamie offered to do the dishes, explaining it was the least she could do for all the trouble she’d caused. She and Cole were in the kitchen—she was washing and he was drying—and she smiled, feeling content, happy in the simplest of moments.

“So, almost married…. What happened?”

Cole asked as she put the plates away in the cupboard.

Avoiding making eye contact, Jamie kept her head low as she answered him. “We should finish up here,” she said, pulling her body away from his.

She knew they were on the edge of sharing something important, and there was no way she was allowing herself to go there with him, so she

willingly decided to avoid his question, feeling thankful when he didn’t push it.

For the second half of their day, Cole took her out for a tour of the ranch. It wasn’t as physically demanding as what she could have been doing in the clinic, but she understood that sometimes you just had to think outside the box to get to the bottom of someone’s fears.

“So, what made you want to become an aid worker?” Cole asked her as they walked side by side away from the main house. She wasn’t shocked by the question, but she still debated between telling him what she told everybody and telling him the truth. She wasn’t the most interesting person in the world, and she didn’t want Cole to see her as boring. Jamie kept on walking, keeping her eyes forward, paying attention to the ground so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself and fall flat on her face.

When she finally spoke, she had a hard time constructing full sentences. “You know, I really don’t know. I just always wanted to help people and it just seemed to happen,” she said softly.

“A master’s degree just doesn’t happen, Jamie. You must have really wanted to do this if you put so much effort into it.” His words took her by surprise and when she looked up at him, she saw the honesty in his eyes.

She smiled at him and said, “No, I guess you’re right. My mom was big on education and helping others, so to me, it just always made sense I’d be doing what I do… or used to anyway.” At that moment, she regretted saying all that, giving too much of herself away, but to her surprise she continued talking, the words just spilling out. “And then this happened and now I’m not sure of anything anymore, except that I want to get back to 100 percent. Now, whether I end up going back out there or not is another story.”

When they reached their destination, Jamie understood why Cole had asked her to change into her swimsuit. They were standing a few feet away from a large hot tub, covered to protect them from the elements, surrounded by nature. “Wow, this is beautiful,” Jamie said as she took it all in.

When Cole said, “It sure is,” he wasn’t looking at the setting before him but at her, and she couldn’t do anything except blush. The man just got to her. She knew it was wrong considering their relationship, but she couldn’t deny the pull she felt toward him. How could someone she barely knew make her want things she hadn’t thought about in years? He evoked such passion in her, it was throwing her off-balance.

Seeing Jamie’s face light up when she saw the little oasis was the reason Cole had brought her there. He could kid himself by saying this was about getting her in the water to lower the burden on her muscles, but in reality it was all about seeing that smile of hers. As they walked down to the spot, he found himself hanging on to her every word and the more he listened to her tell him about her life, the more he wanted to know.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, neither of them moving, just taking each other in.

He swore something almost magical happened in that moment; it was like a current had passed between them, something he’d never experienced before. Before he did something he would regret, he took off his shirt, looked at her and said, “Well, let’s get you in the water and see what we can do.”

When he turned to look at her, he caught her staring at him and God, did he like the way she devoured him with her eyes. “Jamie, you’re staring at me again,” he told her playfully, not wanting to embarrass her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.” Her voice shook and her eyes never left his body, making him hard. She really didn’t have any idea how much she affected him.

“Don’t apologize, but, honey, I’m just a man.

Now, what do you say we get into the water and work that lower body?” Cole stepped right into the

steamy hot water, wishing it was a cold shower instead.

He needed to cool off, and fast. The way she’d looked at him when he took off his shirt was too much to bear. It was almost like she wanted to lick him up and down; hell, he was more than happy to let her have her way. He watched her as she carefully removed her clothes, until she was standing there in nothing but a polka dot bathing suit, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

She was all curves and all woman, and damn if he didn’t want to feel her come undone around him.

When she spoke, he realized he’d been staring at her. “Okay, let’s do this. I love the water.”

Her comment snapped him right out of his daydream. Damn, the woman had curves that were making him think all sorts of dirty things, like getting out of the water, laying her on the cold ground and driving into her until they both came so hard the earth shook.

They worked in silence for a little while, but when Jamie’s body tightened up after one of the exercises, Cole eased her out of his hold and sat her down on the bench on the side of the hot tub. “Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing her left thigh.

“Yeah, I think it was just a spasm.” Cole’s hands started digging into her muscles, trying to relax the contractions. After a few minutes, when he

was satisfied it had passed, he backed away from her and sat down near one of the jets.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair. He hated that he didn’t know her body well enough yet not to push her.

“Can we do this every day?” she said, smiling up at him as she floated on her back, enjoying how wide the hot tub was.

“Easier on the pain, isn’t it?” Cole had her legs in his hands, feeling how relaxed she was even if they were working her muscles; that was the state he always wanted her in when they worked together.

“I could stay in here all day and I wouldn’t feel an ounce of pain.” She looked so at peace then, that he would do anything to put that look on her face every day.

“We’ll do this more often.” Cole had gone over Becca’s files about Jamie’s therapy and noticed she enjoyed anything that had to do with water. He didn’t bring patients to this side of the house—they had a small pool in the clinic—but he wanted to get Jamie to feel comfortable and he wanted to share some of the things he enjoyed with her.

“I’d like that.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. Right then, he knew it was only a matter of time before he lost all self-control and took what he so desperately wanted. And, most importantly, before he gave her his heart.

The rest of the afternoon went by like a flash. They managed to make big progress in the water and Jamie noticed she didn’t limp back to the house.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Cole stilled right away and asked her what was wrong. “Nothing is wrong. I’m not limping. Did you see that?” She smiled.

“Yeah, I saw that. Well, would you just look at that; maybe I do know what I’m doing.” Before he could say another word, she was in his arms, giving him the biggest, tightest hug Cole had ever received in his life.

She pulled away, looked him in the eye, said, “Thank you,” and kissed him, but not long enough for Cole’s liking. He saw the light flash in her eyes when she realized what she’d done.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.

I’m going to see if your mom needs help with dinner.” He watched her as she walked back to the house like the ground was on fire.

“Jamie, wait….” But she was already heading into the house and Cole stood there like an idiot, grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t quite understand what was happening, or how this woman was getting his emotions all hyped up so fast, but he had a feeling he would be thanking Becca for sending Jamie his way.

He headed back to the house when Nick stopped him. “How did it go?” Nick asked, putting his gloves back on.

His head was still spinning from the feel of her lips on his, so it took him a few seconds to gather enough wits to answer his brother. “Good.

She loves the water, so I might have to add the activity more often. Becca did a good job with her, but what she went through fucked with her head.”

“It’s only fair she fucks with yours now. Oh, come on, man, I see the way you look at her. I mean, hell, she’s beautiful, but I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that.” Was he that obvious when it came to the brunette who was turning his world upside down?

Hell, could he even feel like this about someone he’d just met? “I’ve known her for a day, Nick. You’re pushing it.”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not, but if Becca sent her here at this time of year, you better bet your ass she had an ulterior motive.” Before Cole could add anything, Nick walked back to the barn, leaving Cole to do some serious thinking about the woman who was slowly turning him inside out.

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