Wylde Fire Read online

  "So, are you still in to him?" Amelia asked. "Because he's definitely paying you attention now."

  Holly shrugged, pretending she didn't know. She knew. There wasn't a doubt in her mind. The moment she'd seen him walking across the sidewalk, every romantic teen fantasy came slamming back at full speed. "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. It's not like I have time to date right now."

  Amelia leaned back on her stool, resting against the wall. "That's true. How'd you strike things up with him today anyway? I remember always trying to get you to talk to him, but you'd turn beat red and forget how to talk."

  "I did not!" Holly laughed. "I was just…shy."

  "Tongue-tied and in-love, you mean."

  "We're adults now, Amelia. I know how to talk to a man." Holly sat up straighter, raising her brows with an air of superiority.

  Amelia wasn't buying it, her eyes narrowing. "So, you just walked up to him and said hi?"

  "Uh…well, I did walk up to him," Holly said slowly, the heat returning to her cheeks. "But-I-stole-his-parking-space-and-yelled-at-him-about-karma-first."

  She said the last part so fast, it all came out like one, long word. She truly had no clue what had gotten into her, because her actions were definitely extreme. But, hey, he'd hit one of her triggers when it came to unsafe driving and she'd been pissed. She couldn't help herself.

  "This is why we're friends," Amelia said, wrapping an arm around Holly's shoulder. "You're such a weirdo."

  "I'm choosing to take that as a compliment," Holly quipped.

  Amelia put her hands up. "Please do. It is my highest praise."

  Chapter Four

  "Hi, Suzie," Holly called out in a sing-song tone as she entered her sister's room the following morning. She dropped her purse on the top of the long dresser, walked to the windows, and threw open the blinds. "It's a perfect Saturday today. The weather is not too hot, not too cold, and has the crisp smell of fall approaching."

  Holly took a deep breath as she opened the window, enjoying the fresh breeze pushing into the room. "There was a huge event in town today, Suz. Southern Lifestyle Magazine's Garden Party, and they hired me to coordinate the champagne charity luncheon. It was nothing short of amazing." She grabbed the vase of flowers by the bed and stepped over to the bathroom, refilling the water inside before returning it to the nightstand.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled up the blanket by her sister's feet to expose her right leg and gently began massaging Suzie's foot and calf. "And you're never going to believe who I ran into—almost literally. I know you'd tease me about this if…well, anyway, it was Samuel Wylde. Yes, the Sam Wylde. He looks as good as he did back in high school. Maybe better. Same attitude, though."

  Holly went quiet for a moment, not unsure of what to say, but discouraged as to why she was saying it. Suzie certainly wasn't going to reply. She probably wasn't even able to hear her.

  Her sister had been in a coma for almost three years, and nobody could tell her when—or if—that would ever change. Beautiful blond hair was now listless and dull against the care center's crisp, white pillows, and Suzie's deep green eyes were almost a distant memory for Holly now, hidden beneath closed eyelids. Her sister's tiny frame had lost so much weight—mostly muscle. Last week, she'd turned seventeen, a full decade younger than Holly.

  "I visited Mom and Dad," Holly whispered. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "This morning. I wish you could see them, Suz. They have a great view of the Cumberland River. I left fresh flowers by the headstones—Gerber daisies, your favorite."

  Holly's fingers paused on her sister's foot. Was that a movement? She waited, but nothing happened. She was kidding herself, hoping for something that wasn't coming.

  The same car accident that had left her sister in a coma had also taken their parents, and marred parts of her own body. The mural of tattoos across her right arm and down her back hid brutal scars from the burning twisted metal that had nearly taken her life. Some of the scars on her back were still uncovered, but eventually she would rid herself of the painful reminders entirely.

  As desperately as she wanted to cling to her sister, to her family, to the life she'd once had, she couldn't look in the mirror every day and see everything she'd lost burned into her skin. It had haunted her.

  Colorful images and symbols of strength blended seamlessly together across her body cloaked more than just her pain. Despite everything she'd done to heal and move on, a part of Holly had died that day.

  "I miss you, Suz," Holly whispered again, wiping a single tear from her cheek as she stood and moved to the other side of the bed to massage her sister's other leg next. The tissue massages helped circulation, and while the nurses were great, Holly wanted to help when she could.

  "Miss Glen?"

  Holly quickly wiped her face clean and stood, facing the door to her sister's room. An older woman with thick brown hair spun into a bun stood in the entrance, smiling apologetically. "Hi, Mrs. Caster. How are you doing today?"

  "Fine," she replied, stepping farther into the room with a gentle nod. Hesitating for a moment, the woman's eyes tipped to the ground and her hands clasped together. "I noticed you come in earlier and wanted to talk to you about this month's bill, as well as the specialist she's due to see next week."

  "I'm late on the payment," Holly admitted, already knowing she'd passed the due date. "I'm going to get the money to you, Mrs. Caster. Soon. I just booked a new job. I'll have it for you very soon. I promise."

  After the car accident, their insurance payout had barely covered the hospital bill for the four of them—even though Holly was the only one to walk out. The settlement from the insurance company of the drunk driver who'd hit them ran out less than a year later. After a lengthy legal procedure, Holly successfully petitioned the state for legal guardianship over her sister and was able to procure some state medical aid as her new guardian.

  Despite the many avenues she sought help from, the continuing medical bills still left an enormous financial burden on her. Her own health insurance was abysmal, and barely covered the basics for either of them. In fact, it didn't cover this new facility at all, but after countless doctor consults, it had become clear to Holly that her sister's best chance was with the specialists here.

  Mrs. Caster tilted her head to the side, a sympathetic smile with sad eyes that made Holly feel two feet tall. "It's not just this month, Holly. You're three months behind. I think it's time we discuss alternate placement, or…"

  Holly's stomach turned, somersaulting and threatening to return all of its contents. "I'm not pulling the plug. Don't even suggest it," she snapped.

  There was no way Holly would be the one to end her sister's life. She'd care for her as long as she lived—Holly had promised their parents. Suzie was everything to her. She was all she had left in the world.

  Mrs. Caster's eyes widened. "I would never suggest that. I only meant that this is an out-of-network, private top-tier facility—"

  "That's why I had her transported here," Holly cut her off.

  Right outside of River Ridge, her sister's long-term care facility was not only one of the best in the state, but close to their home. She thought her sister would like that. She'd always loved River Ridge and had been sad when they'd moved to Nashville after Holly graduated high school.

  Either way, it was an amazing facility and exactly what her sister deserved. Holly was making sure of it. Or at least, she was trying.

  "There's got to be something we can do," Holly continued. "I'm getting a check on Monday from the job I did today, and I've got a new job coming in with a great payday. I can catch up on payments. Please, Mrs. Caster. Please."

  The older woman shuffled her feet, looking down at her hands for the millionth time. The air hung heavily between them, and all Holly could think of was Sam. He was her ticket out of this—his job, his triple-pay…it would save Suzie.

  Not that Holly could ever imagine admitting any of this to him.

  Everyone in town kne
w of the Glen family tragedy, but few had offered more than a kind word. The sad eyes, the sorrowful pats on the back—it was so contrived and, dang it, uncomfortable. Luckily, this town ran on gossip and her family had never had enough importance to stay the topic for long. Money talked in this town, and people like her new boss had it in spades.

  "Two weeks, and only because I've known your family since you were a baby. I want to do everything I can for you, but I can only bend the rules here so much. Be caught up on all missed payments within two weeks, and she can stay." One brow raised, she stared at Holly as if she couldn't believe she was giving her the chance. "Do you think you can manage that?"

  "YES!" Holly shouted, then put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she continued at a normal volume. "I can definitely do that. Thank you! Thank you, Mrs. Caster."

  "All right. Well, have a good visit. Oh, and Holly?"

  "Yes?"

  "You're here almost every day. It's wonderful, but…don't forget to live a little." With that, Mrs. Caster left the room.

  Holly sat on the edge of Suzie's bed, her body trembling with nervous energy and completely unable to unwrap the advice the woman had just given her. She didn't have time to live a little. Especially now that she had to figure out how to come up with an insane amount of money—fast.

  Her mind kept drifting back to Sam. Could she ask for an advance on her fee? She'd have to, but even then, it wouldn't cover the full cost. Her fee would only cover a couple months and then she'd be right back in this situation again. She needed a more permanent solution, but at the moment, she couldn't think of any. Turning her attention to her sister, she leaned closer to her.

  Suzie looked so peaceful, even with only the beeping of machines to keep her going. Holly took her hand and kissed the back. "I've got you, Suz. I'm going to take care of you."

  Chapter Five

  Sam's phone buzzed in his jeans pocket, but he didn't reach for it. He already knew who it was—or rather, what it was about. Another family member asking how he was doing, if he was coming to the wedding tomorrow, or why he wasn't at the rehearsal dinner tonight.

  Lifting the glass of whiskey to his lips, he downed the entire thing in a few swigs. He reveled in the delicious burn of the fiery liquid sliding down his throat for a moment, then reached for the bottle and poured another. He shot that glass back as quickly as the first.

  Damn, their whiskey was fantastic. And tonight? It was even better.

  He'd meant to go to all the wedding festivities. Hell, he'd promised his mama he would. But when it came time to head into town for the rehearsal dinner, he'd found himself at the distillery instead.

  Sam poured a third glass, sipping this one more slowly as he kicked his feet up on his desk. It was way past quitting time, particularly for a Saturday, but he liked it that way. He couldn't remember the exact moment when this had become his normal—weekends spent working alone in his office. Wyldefire Whiskey monopolized a lot of his time, true, but he couldn't blame his new business.

  He'd been this way ever since he'd caught his high school sweetheart a few years ago riding his younger brother, screaming out Grady's name instead of his own. Apparently, his brother's new title—Dr. Wylde—was more appealing to her than being a rancher's girlfriend.

  Sam finished his glass again, running his finger around the rim. He wondered if things would have been different if he had shared his aspirations with her, or told her he wanted more for himself than to run his father's business. Or maybe he'd never have started Wyldefire without the kick in the ass from their break-up.

  Either way, he was over Jane. That much, he was certain.

  What he wasn't over was their betrayal—not only hers, but his family. Grady was his brother, his flesh and blood, his friend. And Noah? That traitor had known about their affair and never said a thing. Now his entire family was at their wedding festivities, celebrating…what? A marriage born in lies? Brothers divided?

  All of it made his stomach turn, though the amount of whiskey he'd consumed with no food might have something to do with that, too. Everything was spinning out of control, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

  Sam dropped his glass down on the desk's surface with a thud and pushed up to his feet. He felt the fiery liquid in his stomach, and grimaced. Food. He was certain there was a box of crackers somewhere in their sampling room downstairs that would help settle his stomach. No doubt the stress of this weekend was getting to him, since he didn't feel even remotely drunk enough to explain the stomachache. Stretching his neck from side to side, he released the tension he was holding, then tidied a few papers on his desk and tucked the bottle away in a drawer.

  Pulling a few keys out of his pocket, he locked the office door behind him and exited into the hallway that ran the length of the distillery's top floor. The main warehouse where the actual distilling process took place was in the center of the entire building, flanked on one side by the offices and reception area, and the other side by the barrel rooms.

  "I promise I'm not robbing you," a female voice called out, jolting Sam back into the present.

  Sam came to a sudden stop in the middle of the stairs down to the main warehouse. He might be caught off guard, but claiming not to be a robber actually seemed like a pretty great robbery technique. He fixed his eyes on the woman standing below him, a sheepish grin on her lips.

  Holly.

  She was as lively and beautiful as she'd been when he'd seen her this morning, but she was now wearing dark black jeans under a loose green sweater that dipped down just low enough for him to have to concentrate on keeping his gaze on her face.

  "Good save." She pointed to his hand on the banister where he'd grabbed hold to keep from toppling over when she'd surprised him. Her eyes lifted to his and the corners of her lips twitched into a smile that made something inside him ache.

  Sam took the last few steps slowly, meeting her on the main floor. "Holly…" He glanced around the empty warehouse, only the sounds of the machines whirring. "Did you break in here?"

  "Um…" She shrugged her shoulders loosely. "I guess it depends on your definition of break-in."

  Her dark red hair was swept up into a loose, low braid that was so long it lay on her right shoulder, and her left sleeve was pushed up just far enough to see the beginning hints of a tattoo on one arm.

  Sam wondered how he could feel so at ease with the same type of woman who broke into warehouses at night and stole parking spaces out of spite. "I could have you arrested, you know," he mused, walking a slow circle around her, one hand in his back pocket.

  Holly spun around and whacked him squarely on the chest with her hand. "Samuel Wylde, you wouldn't dare!"

  He chuckled, unfazed by her light swat. "How responsible would it be to allow breaking and entering to go unpunished?" he teased, snatching her wrist before she could pull it back.

  Holly's eyes dropped to her hand in his, and they said nothing for a moment. Her pulse thrummed beneath his fingers—he felt it in his entire body. Her breasts lifted against her sweater, faster than before, but it wasn't fear. No, her eyes were molten silver.

  She wants me.

  The very concept of restraint fled his brain as his desire took control. He stepped closer to her, pinning her hand to his chest and touching his forehead to hers. Their breathing was rapid, and she shivered against him. He needed to kiss her. Every part of his whiskey-filled brain begged for it, and yet, something kept him from moving farther.

  "Sam," Holly whispered, her voice hoarse. "I…I shouldn't have come. You're drunk."

  Releasing her wrist as the moment broke, Sam straightened and stepped back. No doubt she could smell the liquor on his breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

  "No, it was…it was nice, but we have work to do. You're my boss, and I need this job. And you? You need to be sober."

  Something about the way she said it was pleading, desperate. "The job is already yours, Holly—and I can assure you I'm not drunk. In fact, I was on my way to scrounge
up some food before you committed this little felony."

  The stormy fire in her eyes disappeared, and her smile returned. "Food. Good," she said, clapping her hands together. "And, FYI, it's not a felony when the lights are on and the doors are unlocked. Or, at least, I think. Plus, this is reconnaissance, not trespassing."

  Sam chuckled. "How do you figure?"

  "Like you said, you hired me to launch this place. Since I've only got three months to do it, I had to get a move on. In fact, you should probably give me a key."

  Sam shook his head. "Would you like a kidney as well? How about my first-born?" Did I just ask her to have my babies? He needed food in his stomach fast.

  Holly rolled her eyes. "Dramatic much?"

  "The karmic delivery woman calling me dramatic. Ironic." Sam led her to the sampling room, a long bar on one side. Not the typical layout for a distillery, but he'd wanted a place people could not only come try his whiskey, but enjoy a glass or two with friends. "So, lay it on me. What is your idea that needed middle of the night reconnaissance?"

  "Sit." She motioned for him to sit on one of the stools at the bar, nudging his shoulder. "Point me to the food."

  Sam slid onto the seat as she walked around to the other side of the bar. "Should be in the cabinet on the left there."

  She pulled out a bag of peanuts and a box of crackers and held them up. "Pickings are slim."

  "Sorry I haven't gone grocery shopping for robbers recently." He pointed to the crackers and she handed him the box.

  "I think you meant to say fantastic event planner. Go-getter. Hustler. The best at her job in all of Tennessee."

  "Or good-with-a-lock-pick."

  Holly propped her elbows on the bar with a shrug. "For the last time, the door was unlocked. Honestly, if you're going to get upset over every felony I commit…"

  "Oh, is that so?" He chuckled. This woman might actually drive him crazy before the launch ever even happened.