Read Online Northern Exposure: Compass Brothers, Book 1 by Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon - Free Book Online

of home—fresh mountain air, late summer flowers and hints of the cow pasture near the ranch’s airfield—had him flaring his nostrils like a stallion scenting a mare in heat. He blinked and shook his head, struggling to stay awake. Ironic, considering all the times he’d battled the intrusion of his alarm to linger in a dream of Compass Ranch a moment or two longer.
    He might have thought it another vision, or maybe heaven this time, when a familiar woman called to him. “Oh, Silas.”
    The backlighting of the hatch caused a blurry silhouette, haloed by Wyoming sunshine, to materialize above him. Thank God for the buckles locking his arms by his sides or he wouldn’t have been able to prevent himself from groping forbidden fruit. The lure of his personal siren’s proximity after years and miles of separation overwhelmed all his logic.
    “Lucy.” The gruff bark seemed indecipherable but she came closer, dropping to her knees beside him. His frustrated bellows, not to mention the sedation the Alaskan interns had forced on him, acted like nettles stuffed down his throat.
    “Si.” The ragged gasps of her breath betrayed her weeping, though he still couldn’t see her clearly. “Look at you.”
    Gentle hands stroked his scruffy face, his chest and his arms, stealing his ability to speak. When she entwined their fingers and laid her head on his shoulder, whispering prayers of thanks for his safety over his heart, he stared at her gorgeous mane of curls. Some things never changed.
    “Come on, sweetheart.”
    Silas tensed at the inherent command radiating from the latest form, highlighted by the sun. “Let’s take him home. We’ll catch up there.”
    “Colby?” It seemed some things did change. The broad, filled-out form exuded power and a potent strength Silas didn’t quite remember. Impressive. He hoped whatever blanket they’d covered him with for the trip hid the erection struggling to form despite the drugs lingering in his system.
    His gut clenched, and he closed his eyes. Leaving had been the smart decision. He never could have controlled himself around these two. Reports of home from his brothers and his parents confirmed the couple’s lasting happiness. He had no business intruding.
    Colby crouched near his wife, one hand rubbing her back with an ease that made it clear he’d done it a million times before. Silas had never built familiarity with a partner. Other than Red, he’d forbidden repeat performances. His chest ached with regret.
    For his friend.
    For himself.
    What would it be like to have that kind of unconditional support? He’d flown solo long enough to forget.
    The tiny space grew cramped to the max when the weight of another passenger rocked the aircraft. This set of shoulders blocked the sun entirely. Lucy, Colby and JD came into view, the sight so overwhelming it almost knocked him out again. He swam toward the sunshine, the heat and the people he treasured. He couldn’t bear to depart again so soon.
    “Welcome home, son.”
    Surely, the rasp in his father’s greeting had to do with his aging and not unbridled emotion. Right?
    “JD.” He couldn’t say more but didn’t have to. Three sets of hands braced him now, promising to lend him strength.
    “Rest. We’ve got you,” JD reassured him. “You’ll need all your energy when your mama sees you. Prepare yourself. She’s likely to squeeze you in half…or beat your ass with a wooden spoon. It’s kind of a toss-up at this point.”
    Silas laughed, or tried to. The pain in his side dimmed his vision.
    No! He scrambled toward the shimmering light but couldn’t gain a firm toehold on consciousness. He spiraled into nothingness, everything in him straining to rejoin his family.
     
    Lucy sat in the corner of the room, watching Victoria alternate sobs with shouts at her stubborn son, who occupied the king-sized bed in the center of his boyhood room. Colby stood by Lucy’s side, his supportive grip on her shoulder helping to keep