“Thank you.” Piper rushed through the double doors, scanning the curtained-off patient areas, and spotted Harley lying on a bed. His head was tipped back, his eyes closed. His jeans were rolled up on his right leg to his calf, and his right ankle was wrapped. That explained why he needed a ride home. She went to him, wondering how he’d gotten to the hospital. Her gaze moved over his face. He was truly a handsome man, with dark hair and a short beard. Though his eyes were closed, she knew how powerful his deep-set slate-blue eyes were. She’d seen women hanging on his every glance and men cowering when those eyes turned fierce. She couldn’t help allowing her gaze to crawl down his beefy arms and broad chest to his waist. Harley wasn’t lean or cut, and he didn’t have six-pack abs. He was thick-bodied, brawny, and rugged. She never allowed herself to look him over—they were just friends after all. But now she couldn’t help herself. Her eyes drifted to the impressive bulge behind his zipper—she knew he wasn’t lean there, either. Harley was a few years older than Piper, and he had gotten quite a reputation in high school for the monstrous heat he was packing. Her pulse quickened, and she forced her eyes back to his face. He might be built like a grizzly and hung like a horse, but Piper had a feeling that despite his tough reputation and bravado, when it came right down to it, Harley Dutch was all cuddly cub inside.
Harley’s eyes opened, and the smile that melted panties everywhere lifted his lips. Piper wasn’t immune to his charms, but he dated the type of women who would dote on him, who wore pretty dresses and said all the right things. And as Piper’s crew had so kindly pointed out, as much as she loved children and would adore a family of her own, she was never going to be a doting wife. For that reason, she was glad she was into untamable grizzlies and not cuddly cubs, because she didn’t need to ruin their friendship over what could never be more than a few nights of incredibly hot sex.
“Hi,” he said groggily.
“Hey,” she said softly. “What happened? Your mom said you got hurt at the bar.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?”
“What kind of pain meds do they have you on? It’s me, Piper.”
“Piper,” he said softly, his face still a map of confusion. “Are you doing construction here?”
She glanced down at her T-shirt, jeans, and work boots, all of which were speckled with drywall dust. “Don’t mess with me, Harley. You know I’m working at Windsor Hall, getting the house ready to go on the market. What happened? Are you okay?”
He looked down at his leg and said, “I sprained my ankle. Someone should be here soon to pick me up.”
She crossed her arms and said, “That’s me, doofus. Your mom called. She’s taking care of Delaney, remember? Geez, did you hit your head?”
He nodded, smiling sheepishly, which took her by surprise. He didn’t do anything sheepishly. Harley was more of a barrel-in-and-blurt-it-out kind of guy.
“Sorry if I should recognize you, but I can’t remember anything.”
“What . . . ?” Her stomach sank.
Harley was everyone’s rock, including hers. He’d made it big on Wall Street after college, returning home about four years ago, when his father had taken ill, to help his family run their pub. His father had passed away shortly thereafter, and Harley had remained in Sweetwater, their small hometown, to care for his mother, sister, and two nieces, who had all been falling apart at the seams. Though Harley and Piper hadn’t been close when they were growing up, he’d become one of Piper’s closest friends since he’d moved home. He made a habit of being a pain in her butt, giving her grief about one thing or another and scaring off her dates. Even so, she couldn’t help but love the big, burly bartender. He was one of the few guys outside of work who wasn’t intimidated by her directness, her inability to put up with bullshit, or the way she’d dominated the male-driven construction industry, becoming one of the most sought-after contractors in the area. She spent more evenings hanging out with Harley and their friends at the pub watching sports or eating dinner than she spent at home. She couldn’t imagine her life without Harley in it, and the thought of him not recognizing her caused a crushing feeling in the center of her chest.
She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers. She couldn’t reconcile her large-and-in-charge friend with this man who seemed so lost. “You don’t recognize me? Do you remember your family?”
He shook his head, his eyes turning serious. “Wait, are you my girlfriend? Have we knocked boots? Because I’m sure I’d remember a sweet little darlin’ like you in my bed.”
“God, even with amnesia you’re a pain in my ass.” She dropped his hand and said, “I’m going to find a nurse and figure out what’s going on.”
She pushed to her feet, and he snagged her wrist, yanking her down so their faces almost collided. An arrogant grin slid across his lips, and he said, “Maybe if you kiss me, I’ll remember the rest. Or even better, what do you say we make a few new smokin’-hot memories?”
He winked, and she tore her wrist free, anger simmering inside her. “You ass! I should let you stay here and rot!”
Laughter rumbled out of his mouth, and he smacked the mattress. “I got you good, Trigger!” He called her Trigger, or Trig, because it didn’t take much to get her fired up.
“You’re lucky I don’t have a gun to pull the trigger,” she snapped. “I thought you had seriously forgotten everything. I was worried about you, and you’re playing games!”
“Aw, come on, Trig,” he said with a softer tone. “Admit it was funny.”
“How about we see how funny it is when I hit you so hard you actually lose your memory?”
“Uh-oh,” a pretty dark-haired nurse said as she walked into the curtained-off area. She wore light blue scrubs, and her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, like Piper’s. “It sounds like Mr. Dutch didn’t listen to my advice. You must be Piper. I’m Felicity, and I’ve had the pleasure of helping your boyfriend.”
“Thank you for taking care of him, but he’s not my boyfriend. He’s like a stray dog I made the mistake of feeding and refuses to go away.” Piper scowled at Harley, who was still chuckling, and said, “But since he’s already here, can I knock him around a bit?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to do that,” Felicity said lightly.
“Told you she was wild,” Harley said a little slowly. He waved a hand at his body. “She wants all this.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “That’s enough, Casanova.” She was used to his teasing. He joked around like that all the time.
“You want me. Doesn’t she look like she wants me, Felicity?”
“That sounds like the pain meds talking. I think I’ll stay out of this conversation.” Felicity handed Piper a couple of papers and said, “These are Harley’s discharge papers and his prescription. He’s going to be on pretty heavy pain meds for the next two or three days, so you might want to prepare yourself if you’re going to be taking care of him.”
“Oh, that’s not the pain meds talking. That’s straight-up Harley, and I will not be taking care of him.”