“Bro, you surely haven’t gone to bed already,” he yelled down the short hallway that led to the two bedrooms on one side and their “playroom” on the other. The cabin’s only bathroom was at the end of the hallway.
Emmett appeared from the bathroom and placed his index finger to his lips in the universal sign of “be quiet.”
“Why? You got company back there?” He sure hoped so. It had been some time since he and his brothers had brought a female up here. Too long.
“Shhh. There’s a woman back there,” Emmett said in hushed tones. “She’s injured. I found her on the road.”
A million questions swirled in Cody’s head. “Who is she?”
“I don’t have a clue,” he answered.
“Did you check for ID?” Bryant asked.
“None. She only had the clothes on her back, and they were in rough shape. Looks like she was in some sort of an accident, but I didn’t see her car where I found her.”
“Did you ask her who she was?” Cody knew the ranch was way off the beaten path and wondered how anyone would get so lost to end up on it.
“She’s been out since I found her. Bad blow to the head. No broken bones that I can tell and no fever,” his eldest brother answered. “I wiped off the grime as best I could. Then I put her in bed.”
“Which bedroom?” he asked.
Emmett answered, “Mom and dads’ room.”
That figured. Even after all these years, none of them slept in there, keeping to the old routines from long ago before the accident. Unlike the house in the valley, where Emmett had claimed their parents’ master suite, the cabin held an almost sacred quality for all of them. It was the spot that their family
had enjoyed being together more than any other place on the planet.
Cody walked gingerly down the hall, keeping the squeaks from the floor to a minimum. He opened the door and peered into the space. The lamp on their dads’ desk illuminated the room in a soft glow. Its warm light revealed a beautiful woman in bed. Her dark auburn hair covered the white pillow, which was stained with a little of her dried blood now. The wound on her forehead was at least three inches long, though it didn’t detract one bit from her perfect features. He’d never uttered the word “stunning” before, but that was what she was. The heavy quilt, which had been given to their mother as a wedding gift by a distant relative, covered her. Her neck was slender, and her skin had a pearly hue, adding to the perfection his eyes were enjoying.
Though it might’ve been best to remove the woman’s clothing to inspect her injuries more thoroughly, his brother hadn’t. Typical Emmett. Always doing the right thing. He probably didn’t want her to wake up completely stripped in a home full of strange men.
On the nightstand next to her was a bowl of water and the cloth his brother must have used to wash her.
Even clothed, her breasts pressed up against the covers, making it clear she was endowed in the manner he liked very much. Though he and his brothers enjoyed the whole feminine package and mystique, Bryant was definitely a leg man, Emmett a die-hard butt man, but Cody had always been drawn to the mouthwatering mounds of a woman’s upper half, and this sweet lady’s upper half was drool-worthy.
His cock tightened at the sight of this mystery woman. But along with the lust she’d ignited in him, there was something else, some other emotion, something powerful, something new. He tamped down his lust and went back to where he’d left his brothers.
“Holy hell, she’s a knockout, Emmett.”
“I know that look, Cody. I swear you’re the most hopeless romantic of any man I’ve ever known.” Emmett shook his head. “She’s not some chick we found at the club in Destiny. She’s not even from here. Best to keep that in mind.”
“Maybe so, but I believe in long shots.”
Bryant’s eyebrows shot up. “A knockout, huh?”
“See for yourself,” he told his twin.
As Bryant headed down the hallway, Emmett opened the liquor cabinet. “I just got her to bed. I need some fire in my belly. How about you?”
“For sure. Have you tried to wake her?”
“She was mumbling something when I found her, but she was never truly conscious. I haven’t been able to get her to respond since. Whatever happened took a lot out of her. She needs to see a doctor.”
Listening to the deluge outside, Cody knew getting her to Destiny and to Doc wasn’t happening. “Nickel Ridge has got to be toast.”
“Yep,” Emmett said, clearly thinking the same thing as him. His brother got out three glasses, placed ice cubes in the first one, which was meant for him. Another he poured water in about a third of the way from the bottom. The last he left alone, save the Maker’s Mark whiskey, which he also added to the other glasses. “Here you go, Cody.” Emmett handed him the straight-up glass.
“Fuck, she’s got to be some kind of model,” Bryant said, returning from his inspection of the woman. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful creature in my life.”