Theron, p.1
Theron, page 1
THERON
BROTHERS IN ARMS IN ALASKA
KALI HART
Theron is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Kali Hart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Brothers in Arms in Alaska Series
Sneak Peek BLAINE
1
ISLA
“No, no, no!”
White steam hisses from beneath the hood of my 4Runner a lousy five miles from my destination. I’ve been driving for seven days without a single car issue, and I’m not eager to walk the last leg into Three Rivers, Alaska. I’m tired and hungry. I want a nap, a shower, and a sandwich in no particular order.
I pull onto the shoulder, unable to see the road through the thick cloud of steam. I don’t need a mechanic to tell me that my engine has overheated.
Fishing my cell phone out of my purse, I cross all my fingers and toes that I have a signal. Something that’s been incredibly hard to come by the further north I traveled. My sister Nova thinks I should’ve flown, but skipping the drive would’ve defeated half the purpose to honor Mom’s memory.
“Two bars.” I bite down on my lip, glancing up at the sunroof. My curvy hips might get stuck, but it’s a risk I have to take if I want another bar. I shimmy my way up through the rectangular opening and hold my phone straight up in the air, hoping the surrounding mountains will be kind.
I didn’t decide to move to Alaska on a complete whim, but the summer job I accepted isn’t on my bucket list either. It was on Mom’s. She’d always wanted to spend a summer exploring Alaska. She’ll never get to live out that dream, but maybe me moving to Three Rivers…Well, maybe she’ll just know somehow.
Nova still thinks I’m crazy for selling most of my belongings and using my half of the small inheritance to buy the 4Runner that’s now stranded me on the side of the road. But a neighbor from our childhood, Theron Daniels, has settled in this charming mountainside town so it’s not as if I won’t know anyone. Besides, he’s already offered his help should I need it.
I found him on social media, though he hardly posts anything. Mostly just pictures of the fish he catches. But it was the photo of the mountains from his front porch that sold me on this particular location in Alaska.
I messaged him, telling him my plan, and asking if he knew anywhere in Three Rivers that was hiring summer help. A couple of phone calls later, and I’d secured a waitressing job at one of the town’s most popular restaurants—The East Fork. I’m supposed to start the day after tomorrow. Which is why it’d be fabulous if I could get settled into my rental cabin sooner rather than later.
“Theron?” My signal bounces between two and three bars, making the connection a challenge to maintain. So I step from the seat to my center console, lifting my body—and the phone—higher. I just hope I don’t have to stand on the roof. With my luck, I’d fall off.
“Isla, did you make it?” His deep voice comes through loud and clear, and I relax.
“Almost.” I tell him about the radiator, hoping I’m not inconveniencing him by asking for his help.
“I’ll be right there.”
Relief floods me at his immediate willingness to help me. “Thank you.”
Ending the call, I’m momentarily distracted by a rustle in the trees. I squint, hoping it’s not a hungry bear sizing up its next meal. Another shuffle and I see the distinct head of a moose and smile. Mom was always talked about the prospect of seeing moose in Alaska.
The faint roar of a diesel engine reminds me that I’m sticking out of my sunroof. The moose disappears into the thick woods two seconds before I spot a large red truck headed in my direction. The man must be Mario Andretti to have gotten here with such lightning speed.
I shimmy my way down through the sunroof, cursing when my hips momentarily catch. The excess force I use to free myself sends me down, into my seat, in one painfully swift motion. My elbow bangs against the steering wheel. Not funny. I can’t see a damn thing. I feel a breeze across my torso right before I hear the rip. “Fuck me,” I mutter, understanding the truth of things. My shirt is caught on the lip of the sunroof.
Another tug only leads to more tearing, so I shed the top hoping it’ll be easier to free it from its snare without me in it.
“Isla?”
I let out a shriek at the deep voice. I thought I had a solid thirty seconds before Theron approached.
“Everything okay?”
I’m only wearing my red and white polka dotted bra. Shit, my nipple’s poking right out of it. I yank the shirt down, ignoring another ripping sound, and use it to cover myself. Just my luck that the first impression my old neighbor gets of me all grown up is so mortifying. “I’m good. All good in here.”
“Can you pop the hood?”
“Yep. On it.” I shouldn’t care what he thinks of the kid who used to live next door. The man might be married with half a dozen kids. It’s been almost twenty years since I’ve seen him, after all. Back then, I was seven.
I pull on the hood latch until I hear the click, debating whether to cower in my 4Runner or wear the ripped blouse and face the man. It’s the extra loud hiss in the air when he opens the hood that forces me out. Logically, I know the car isn’t going to explode, but the irrational part of my brain is screaming eject!
“I’d say welcome to Alaska, but...” His low chuckle does funny things to my core.
“It’s beautiful here. Like a postcard or something,” I blurt, tripping over words because my eyes can’t seem to stay off the muscular outline of his body not hidden by white steam. He continues assessing what’s happening under the hood. “What’s the diagnosis?”
“Your radiator overheated.”
“Kind of what I figured.” I glance down the road, as if I could see Three Rivers from here. But there are too many rolling hills and bends in the narrow highway for the small Alaska town to be seen five miles out. “I hope you weren’t busy,” I add sincerely.
“Nope.” He moves around the front bumper, giving me a full view of him for the first time. I’m too stunned for words. It’s not just the muscles for days, bulging through that tight shirt. It’s those deep green eyes, his sexy beard, and that tall, strong frame. It’s no surprise he spent twenty years in the Army. He has badass soldier written all over him. A naughty shiver races through my body. “I can give you a ride into town,” he offers.
“What about Betty?”
“Betty?”
“Betty.” I pat the side of my 4Runner. “We’ve really bonded on this three thousand two hundred- and thirty-three-mile trip. I don’t want to abandon her on the homestretch.”
Theron smirks at my comment, causing my nipples to misbehave. Down girl. Yes, the man is sex walking, but he’s way out of my league for so many reasons. I can hardly count them all. The internal lecture doesn’t stop me from glancing at his ring finger. Nothing there.
“I’ll drop you off wherever you’re staying and come back to tow Betty. She probably just needs to cool off after that long trip. I don’t have what I need with me to do a tow, or I’d do it now.” He closes the hood, stepping closer to me. His massive size is all the more evident at his proximity. I bet everything about him is— “Let’s grab your stuff.”
“Right. My stuff.” Never mind that there’s a refreshing mountain breeze. Watching those muscles in action, hefting my heavy suitcases out of the back of the 4Runner, has me burning up like I’m stranded in the desert. It’s been five minutes, and I already know I’m trouble when it comes to Theron Daniels.
2
THERON
Carrying suitcases from Betty to my truck is the best distraction I can come up with. I wasn’t prepared to see Isla all grown up. I sure as hell wasn’t prepared to see those tits barely contained by a red and white polka dot bra that’ll forever be burned into my memory. The last time I saw her, she was seven. A kid wrapping her small arms around my neck telling me to be safe in the Army.
Twenty years have come and gone since that day. I’m retired now. She’s a full-grown adult woman. A beauty that’s going to turn every head in Three Rivers—locals and tourists alike. Though our small town is a charming place, it doesn’t come without its troublemakers. I looked out for her family when she was younger, and I fully intend to do that for her now. It would be a helluva lot easier if the image of her hard nipple poking out from her bra wasn’t on replay in my mind.
“That it?” I ask Isla when I’ve emptied the back of her 4Runner, purposely avoiding her gaze so I don’t do something reckless and scare her out of town before she even sett les in.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Lock it up, and I’ll take you to wherever you’re staying.”
In the truck, I try like hell to keep my eyes on the road and off Isla Bennington, but it’s almost impossible. I can’t get over how different she is. Like I’m meeting a whole new person.
When she reached out to me through an Instagram message, telling me about her plans, I put her in touch with a couple of places in town regarding a job. I didn’t bother to skim through her photos because that’s not what I do on there. I share enough pictures on my account to remind my buddies about the pact we made ten years ago. We’re all settling in Three Rivers after our military commitments end; a band of brothers who’ll look after one another. Isla and I haven’t talked much beyond that initial conversation, other than her letting me know she was on the way and when she was due to arrive. “I’m truly sorry, about your mom,” I say as the outskirts of town comes into view.
“Thanks. It’s been…hard.” She lets out a pitiful laugh that makes me want to gather her in my arms. The overwhelming need to protect her is easy enough to blame on our history. It was just her, her mom, and a younger sister living in that rundown shack next door. The landlord was worthless. I looked after them the best I could until I joined the military. Even then, I sent her mom money every month.
“If you need anything while you’re here, don’t hesitate to call me,” I say instead of reaching for her hand.
“Thanks.” Her soft smile causes my chest to flood with warmth, making me wonder if she’s the reason I’ve never gotten married. I quickly shake the outrageous thought. Entertaining anything of that nature with Isla is out of the question.
“Which cabin?” I ask.
She spouts off the directions she was given, and my eyebrows draw together in concern. This town goes through a population explosion during the tourist season. The number practically triples not just from tourists but the seasonal workers. Many of them stay in dry cabins in this area. “You have any roommates?”
“No.”
“Who rented the cabin to you?” I try to keep my tone nonchalant, but inside red flags are waving for my attention.
“Shorty…I can’t remember his last name,” she says, stuffing the directions back into her purse as I pull up to it. “He’s the manager at The East Fork.”
Shorty Carlson isn’t my favorite person in town. In fact, he and I have squared off more than once. Usually when he’s had a few too many at the bar and needs to be sent home. How he made manager at the most popular restaurant in town still astounds me. “You’re okay with the arrangement?”
“Seemed fair enough,” Isla answers, seemingly unconcerned. She still has that innocent trust she had at seven. “Rent is reasonable. More affordable than a lot of other places. Walking distance to work.”
“Everything in this town is walking distance.” I’m relieved I’m able to lighten the tense mood I’ve created. “You have keys?”
“They’re supposed to be in the mailbox,” she says, hopping out of the truck and missing my deep frown. Could the idiot have picked a more obvious place? I tamp down my annoyance and set my focus on carrying her bags to the front porch. Some internal feeling nags at me, but I push it aside for later consideration.
Isla is a gorgeous woman. Her curvy figure in those jeans could make a man forget his name. Add in that red and white polka dot bra… I’m having a helluva time thinking clearly around her. The sooner I can get her stuff unloaded and leave, the better. I need to get my head on straight before I see her again.
“This is cute,” she says, her eyes sparkling as she dips her head inside the cabin. I don’t dare go in right now, but I do a quick check from the deck to ensure the place isn’t trashed. The cabin is one room with a ladder to a landing Shorty no doubt labeled a loft. The furniture is well worn, but the place is at least clean.
“Need anything else before I go get Betty?”
“A nap,” she says with a laugh that makes her eyes twinkle in dangerous temptation. I can’t help but glance up to the loft, wishing I could snuggle close to her and let her fall asleep on my chest.
It’s clear I need to get the hell out of here now. Isla should feel like a little sister to me. But I know, even without the wardrobe malfunction earlier, I’d still be having dirty thoughts about her. “I’ll tow Betty back to my place and see how she does after she’s had some time to cool.”
She lingers in the open doorway, hugging the frame. A cute, long yawn escapes, drawing my attention to her lips. It’s time for you to leave, man. “Thank you, Theron.”
“If you need anything, you call me.” I should leave it at that and go, but the urge to make my point defeats common sense. “Be careful, okay? There’re a lot of characters here. Some are wonderful people who’d give you the shirts off their back. Some are—”
“You can save the big brother lecture,” Isla says in a teasing tone. “I know to watch my back and be careful with who I trust.” Though her smile stays fixed, the light in her eyes dims. “I’ve learned that the hard way,” she mumbles under her breath.
The big brother comment should be all the clue I need about how she sees me, but it doesn’t stop my mouth from running. “I’m here to look out for you. Whether you want me to or not.”
“I don’t mind.”
Maybe I’m imagining the flirting tone, maybe I’m not. Either way, I clamp my mouth shut before I can stick my foot in it, give her a nod, and hurry to my truck.
“Be good to Betty!” she calls.
“Lock that door behind you.”
3
ISLA
“Took you long enough to call me!” Nova scolds the second she answers. I waited until I had all my bags inside and caught my breath before I made the call. “I’ve been waiting by my phone for two hours afraid you got eaten by a bear or trampled by a moose.”
“Stop being so dramatic,” I say with a laugh, deciding not to tell her about the sunroof incident where I did indeed see Bullwinkle. “Betty had radiator issues.”
“That’s what you get for impulsively buying a used SUV instead of flying like a normal person.” Nova lets out a heavy sigh, likely ensuring I hear all of her disdain. She’s never acted like the youngest sister in this relationship. “Alaska?”
“You know this was the one place Mom always wanted to see…” I don’t have to finish that thought aloud for both of us to know the words. But never got the chance to. We’ve had this exact conversation a dozen times and the awkwardness never seems to dim. I persist anyway, hoping this time she’ll finally understand. “I had to do this, Nova. I feel like it’s important.”
“You couldn’t pick Anchorage or Fairbanks? You know, some Alaskan city with modern day conveniences and shopping?”
“I like small towns,” I counter. “They have charm and quirks you won’t find in cities. Safer too.”
“Or just more places to hide bodies. I looked this place up on the map. You’re surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness. If you go missing, no one will ever find your body.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say sarcastically, yearning to wrap up the conversation so I can get in that much needed nap.
“At least tell me you have indoor plumbing?”
I bite down on my bottom lip, my eyes fixed on the tiny kitchen sink. I haven’t quite figured out how it works. When I turned on the faucet earlier, nothing happened. There’s also no bathroom. Just an outhouse a short walk behind the cabin. I really hope I don’t have to pee in the middle of the night or Nova’s fear about me getting eaten by a bear might come true.
The cabin is not everything I expected it would be. It’s cute and cozy, but in a very rundown sort of way. There’s a funky smell I want to air out, but without a screen on the windows, the mosquitoes would eat me alive in minutes. The couch has stains that are better left a mystery. The lack of any running water is frustrating.
