Page 9 of Wild Bliss

Nell nodded. “Sawyer Hathaway. He lives on one of themountains. I could go with you to talk to him if you like.”

She didn’t need anyone as an emotional support human. Shewas an adult, and she would likely be alone all of her life. The school-marmwallflower, all things lonely woman, and it was time she accepted herindependence. “No, but I would appreciate directions.”

Nell told her how to get to her landlord’s home.

After school, Sabrina would make her stand.

* * * *

“So we’re like a Waffle House in hurricane country.” Wyatthopped down and moved to the back of the Jeep where all the supplies they’dpicked up in Alamosa were stacked. The snow crunched beneath his boots. Therewas already a couple of inches on the ground, but according to everyone hetalked to this was nothing compared to what they’d wake up to in the morning.

It was weird to think he wouldn’t be spending tonight at thebar. Hell on Wheels had become as much his home as this cabin.

Sawyer popped the back open and gave him a frown. “WaffleHouse?”

His best friend could be dense from time to time. Althoughhe had to allow Sawyer hadn’t spent much time out of Southern Colorado.

“It’s how people on the coast know if the hurricane isserious rather than media hyped. If the Waffle House closes, you get your buttout of the way. Same for Hell on Wheels. If Hell on Wheels is closed, you knowit’s going to be bad.”

Sawyer hefted a case of bottled water. The well water theywere on sometimes froze up during bad storms, he’d explained. “Well, the lastthing I need is to have to deal with a bunch of drunk assholes who can’t gethome.”

“I thought we decided we were going to call them valuedcustomers.” He was working on Sawyer’s business skills. Not that Wyatt himselfhad any, but he was learning. He’d found the library in Del Norte and checkedout books on business and self-help and finance. It had become apparent toWyatt there were certain parts of Sawyer’s surprisingly varied businessportfolio Sawyer didn’t enjoy running. Which was actually most of it.

Sawyer preferred to be in his workshop. It was his fortressof solitude. Wyatt was pretty certain almost no one else in his life knew howdedicated to creating furniture made of reclaimed wood the man was. He soldeach piece online for ridiculously high prices but always had someone else meetthe buyer.

Like being an artist would mar his terrible reputation.

Wyatt was working on that, too. Sawyer was awesome, but hehad definite abandonment issues and a deep-seated fear of rejection. He’dworked a couple of psych books in, too.

Sawyer’s dark eyes rolled and he headed for the cabin, thesnow starting to fall in earnest. Wyatt grabbed two sacks of groceries,including the ingredients for the beef stew he was making. Sawyer also ate likecrap before Wyatt came around. Well, Wyatt had, too, but he was on aself-improvement journey, and he’d been told by Doc Burke a healthy diet wasimportant, and bar food wasn’t something a man should live on.

“They’re pains in my ass if they get stuck up on thismountain for the next four days. You were here during an easy winter,” Sawyerexplained as Bella started barking at the door as though letting them knowthey’d stupidly left her behind and what the hell? “Sometimes these storms canlast for days, and we’ll be digging out longer. It’s better down in the valley.They’ll be able to get around using snowmobiles, but up here on the mountainit’s dangerous. If the drifts are as bad as I suspect they’ll be, we’ll have tostay put until they can clear the road, and that will likely be into nextweek.”

He’d survived last winter, though he’d mostly only gone fromthe bar to the cabin and back. It had been months before he’d actually goneinto town with Sawyer. Months later before he’d ventured down himself.

And seen the most beautiful woman in the world.

She was the new schoolteacher and very important, one of thebartenders at Trio had explained as though trying to warn him away. He didn’tneed to be warned away then. He hadn’t been ready, but now he rather thought hewas. He’d read a lot and figured out what he wanted.

Her.

And Sawyer. A real Bliss relationship.

The only problem was Sawyer was still Sawyer, and SabrinaLeal had no idea either of them existed.

But he was worthy of love and affection. Worthy of gettingwhat he needed.

The other place he frequented was the Bliss Mental WellnessCenter. Having Alexei Markov in his head was way nicer than his brother’svoice. His brother told him he was a fucking moron who deserved nothing. Alexeisometimes told him he was good boy who had been twisted by elemental criminals.In a thick Russian accent.

He loved it here.

Sawyer didn’t know it, but Wyatt was never going to leave.One of the things he’d learned was he had to work for the future he wanted. Inhis younger years, “work” meant beating the shit out of whoever his brotherasked him to or getting his own ass kicked. But he wanted more now.

He hoped no one ever found out what he’d done. His last actbefore demanding out. His final crime against his family.

“You should be happy you have all the other businesses.”Wyatt wasn’t going to dive into the past. Not when the future was so happily infront of him. Once the storm passed. “Are the others going to be okay withouthaving the bar open? Doesn’t Lark have a mom in assisted living? I know Gil’swife has a job, but they probably need the money.”

He was going to get the man to admit what Wyatt had alreadylearned. Sawyer couldn’t begin to accept the truth about himself unless he waswilling to admit it out loud. That was the first step. He would admit he had aheart, and they could start opening it up.

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