As Morgan motioned for Jarod to come in, I made my way toward them and extended my hand.
“Jarod, this is my boyfriend, Blake Greene.”
His grip wasn’t too tight, but he was no pussy either.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I glanced down at Morgan and raised a brow. “Finally?”
“Jarod was in the army with Mike. They were both in special forces. We’ve kept in touch since Mike’s passing, and when I wrote him last, I told him about you.”
Nodding, I said, “Special forces. I would think you were away a lot.”
“Yes, sir. More often than I cared for toward the end. I’m officially out of the army now, though. I had an interview with a job here in Austin, and I thought I would surprise Morgan.”
Morgan wrapped her arm around my waist, and that made me feel like the king of the world. Jarod didn’t even bat an eye at it.
“When did you get here?” she asked.
“Last night. I met up with some friends and hit a few clubs, had more fun than I wanted, and found myself with a pretty little thing in my hotel bed this morning.”
Morgan and I laughed.
“Listen, I know I dropped in unannounced. I wanted to surprise you. Let me take you guys out to dinner. It’s on me.”
“No, let us take you out,” I said. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Salt Lick,” Jarod and Morgan said at the same time.
“Jarod loves Salt Lick.”
He nodded in agreement. “If I get the job here, I’m moving next door to the joint.”
“That would be awesome if you moved here. Let me grab my purse and a jacket. Be right back.”
Morgan rushed into her bedroom, leaving me alone with Jarod. He gave me a polite smile.
“I’m glad she’s finally found happiness. You’ve got a gem there.”
“Thank you, she makes me even happier. And trust me, I know how lucky I am.”
Jarod shoved his hands in his pocket and glanced around the house.
“Looks like a cute place. Do you guys live together?”
“Sort of. Sometimes we stay at my place, sometimes here. I have a place downtown.”
That caught his attention. “Really? I’m looking at some places down there, I mean, it’s pricey, but I’ve stumbled across a few foreclosures. If I get this head of security job, I want to be close to downtown. It’ll be convenient, and I’d love to be close to the music scene, but man, it’s expensive.”
I agreed with a simple nod of my head.
“I’m ready! Let’s go.”
We spent the rest of the evening eating barbecue, drinking beer, and hearing Jarod tell tales of his time in the army. He didn’t really mention Mike very much at all, which I thought was strange, considering they’d been good enough friends for Jarod to stay in contact with Morgan after all these years.
Unless he is interested in Morgan as more than a friend.
I watched him closely. The way he touched her now and then. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now I couldn’t not notice it. He had squeezed her hand several times, too. Suddenly I got a weird feeling about the guy.
“So, Jarod, how is that you and Morgan stayed in touch all these years?”
They both turned to look at me. Jarod shrugged. “Through Mike, really. He and I were damn good friends. Tore me apart when he died. After Butch called and told me, I had to break to everyone . . .”
He broke off, his voice going silent.
Shit. Maybe he didn’t talk about Mike because it was too hard.
You’re a dick, Greene. Way to go.
“It was hard. Mike was a good guy. He had his share of faults, but we all do. We had a pact, the guys in our unit. If anything happened to any of us, we would watch out for his girl and his family. Keep in touch. I’ve failed Morgan a few times and gone radio silent, but I always kept her in my thoughts and prayers.”
Morgan reached across the table and took his hand. He smiled, but he didn’t seem bothered when she pulled her hand away.
“Well, I’m glad you made it through safely. Thank you for your service,” I said.
A wide grin erupted over his face. “Thanks, dude. I like you. I was worried I wouldn’t, for obvious reasons, but you’re good people.”
Morgan leaned into me. When I looked down at her, she stretched up to brush her lips over mine. I wanted to deepen the kiss to show everyone this woman was mine, but I settled for the chaste peck.
When I looked back at Jarod, he was looking away, deep in thought.
My gut still told me something was off. For now, I would keep my eye on this guy, especially if he did get that job.
THE FIRST DAY of May was always my favorite. It meant the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The thought of spending more time with Blake doing fun things like camping, taking trips to the beach, and hiking some of my favorite state parks made me feel giddy inside.
After cleaning up the art room, I made my way into my office. I entered all my patient notes into their files, backed up my computer, and got ready to leave. Blake would be working late tonight, so I was picking up takeout and heading back to his place.
As I opened the door of my office, I let out a small scream.
“Jesus! Jarod, you scared me to death.”
The smile on his face told me he had good news. He’d been here for a week now, negotiating the logistics of his new job.
“I signed the contract!”
“That’s wonderful!” I exclaimed as he picked me up and spun me around. That had always been something he did, ever since the first moment Mike had introduced us. Mike said it was just his thing.
“We need to celebrate. Are you and Blake free?”
I chewed on my lip. “Blake has to work late tonight. He’s put in his notice to leave the company he’s with so he and my brother can start their own architectural firm. I guess they’re trying to get as much out of him as they can before he leaves.”
“That sucks. Would he mind if we got something to eat and grabbed a beer?”
With a small shrug, I replied, “I don’t think so. I’ll send him a text and let him know. Anywhere you’d like to go?”
“How about Pinthouse? I heard they have great beers on tap.”
“Sounds good. I’ll follow you over there.”
Before I started up my car, I sent Blake a text.
Me: Hey! Jarod stopped by my office to invite us out for pizza and beer to celebrate him accepting the job. If you get off in time, we’ll be at the Pinthouse on South Lamar.
I stared at my phone, waiting for Blake to message me back, but he didn’t. He must’ve been in a meeting.
An hour later I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe.
“Oh hell. I forgot how crazy Mike was.” Jarod said, taking another long drink of his beer. “Let me get you another one.”
I was feeling the effects of my one beer. “No, I’m good.”
“Come on, I know you’re not a lightweight, Morgan. And we’re celebrating. Besides, if you drink too much, Blake can give you a ride home.”
I chewed on my lip as I pulled out my phone. Nothing from Blake. It was so odd he hadn’t text me back.
“One more, and that’s it.”
He winked at me and slid off the bench. I watched as he made his way up to the bar. It didn’t take him long to flirt with a girl standing there. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Some things would never change.
After another hour and one more beer, it felt like I’d had six. There was no way I could drive home.
“I will have to Uber, these beers were pretty big,” I said, feeling the buzz big time. I wasn’t drunk, but I was not driving.
“Nah, I’ll give you a ride. Still haven’t heard from Blake?” he asked, a worried look etched on his face.
“No. So strange.”
Jarod got up and took my arm.
“I think I’m just going to call Nash,” I said. “He and Kaelynn can come, and Nas
h can take my car home. No, wait, I’m supposed to go to Blake’s tonight. Or was it my house?”
Laughing, Jarod took out his keys. “Listen, I’ll take you home. When Blake gets there he can ride back with me and get your car.”
“You’re okay to drive?”
He nodded. “I only had the one beer.”
Now that I thought back on it, he had nursed that one beer.
“I drank too much. I feel stupid.”
“Nah, come on. You probably needed a good night out.”
Jarod spent the drive home talking about his new job. He was excited about it, and I was happy for him. I hoped he could settle down and adjust to the private sector with no issues.
Unlocking my front door, I walked in.
“No alarm to shut off?” Jarod asked.
“No. I have one, but I never use it.”
I dropped my purse to the floor and headed to the sofa. My head was pounding, and my body felt heavy. I always felt like this when I drank beer, which was why I hardly ever did.
“Jesus, I feel like I had a lot more than I did.”
He laughed and sat down across from me on the love seat. “Those IPAs are good and strong.”
Grinning, I dropped my head back against the sofa and looked back at him, my face turning serious.
“Are you doing okay? Settling in and all?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It’s different, and I’m sure it will take getting used to. The missing adrenaline is the hardest part.”
“No nightmares or anything?”
“No, I’m okay, Morgan. I promise you.”
I pressed my lips together. “It’s just, I know what y’all went through and Mike never wanted to talk about it and . . .”
He stood and came to sit next to me. We faced each other, and I took care to slip back some away from him. I don’t think he had realized how close he had sat down next to me. When he reached for my hair and rubbed it between his fingers, I wasn’t even sure he was aware he was doing it.
“I’m not Mike, Morgan. If I need help, I’ll reach out. I had a therapist in the army. He helped me a lot.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, honey. I did. Please don’t worry about me.”
The sound of the lock clicking caused us both to look toward the front door. Jarod dropped his hand away right as the door opened and Blake walked in. He stopped and looked at both of us, his brows pulled in tight with a questioning look.
“Hey, I tried calling you.”
I reached into my purse for my phone. I had a missed call from him.
Shit. I had somehow turned my ringer off.
“Crap. The ringer was off. I must have accidentally done that.”
Blake made his way over to us. I stood and allowed him to pull me into an embrace. When his lips met mine, I melted.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
“I missed you too. Where is your car?”
Jarod stood. “She drank a little too much, so I offered to drive her home and wait for you. I figured I could just take you back to get her car.”
Blake smiled, but I couldn’t help notice the look in his eyes. It was not happy at all. He looked . . . angry.
“Nah, that’s okay. I’ve been gone all day, the last thing I want to do is leave again. We can get it tomorrow.”
“Will it be okay there all night?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’ll be fine,” Blake said, glancing down and giving me a wink. “How much did you have to drink?”
I laughed. “Two beers. But they must’ve been stronger than I’m used to. I for sure felt buzzed. I said I would Uber home, but Jarod insisted.”
Blake held out his hand to Jarod. “Thanks for making sure she got home okay. My phone had died somewhere around four, and I didn’t get back to my office to charge it until closer to seven.”
Glancing at the clock, I saw it was nine.
“You worked later than I thought you would.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m so ready to get this shit wrapped up and get out of there. Bryce even demanded I come in to work tomorrow.”
I frowned. “But we were going to Pedernales Falls tomorrow.” I’d been looking forward to the first hiking adventure of the season.
Blake started to reply, but Jarod cut him off. “The state park? I’ll go with you. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the trails around here.”
Blake pulled me closer to him, a clear sign he didn’t like that suggestion one bit.
“You’re more than welcome to join us. I won’t be going to the office on a Saturday. I wouldn’t give up a weekend with Morgan.”
I placed my hand on his chest, smiling up at him. This relationship of ours was still in the early stages, but it felt like we had been together forever. My insides warmed just being near him, and the hint of jealousy in his voice made my lady parts tingle. He had nothing to be jealous of. Jarod truly was only a friend—there had never been romantic feelings between us.
“It’s a great date place, if you’ve met anyone,” Blake added.
Jarod smiled. “That’s a great idea. I have met someone in the building I’m renting out of. Maybe I’ll ask her out. She might feel better knowing it’s a double-date sort of thing.”
Blake’s tension seemed to slip away some.
“Let me get on out of here so you guys can start your weekend. Thanks for the company tonight, Morgan.”
Blake stepped aside and followed Jarod to the front door.
I lifted my hand in a wave. “Call me if you want to go tomorrow. We could meet at the park around nine.”
He lifted a hand and replied, “Sounds good. Night, Blake.”
“Thanks again for seeing her home.”
I couldn’t help notice how sharp Blake’s voice sounded. Once the door shut, he turned back. He reached for his tie and undid it, pulling it out from around his neck and casting it to the floor. Then he pulled his shirt out of his dress pants.
My breathing increased, and I followed his lead, undressing while I walked backward toward my bedroom. By the time we reached the room, we were both naked, I was in his arms, and Blake was sliding into me, taking me to a euphoria only he could summon.
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, is this really their first date?” I asked, staring at Jarod and his date, Renee.
“I think they’ve talked a few times, but he said last night he would ask her out, so I’m guessing yes,” Morgan replied.
We both stared at the couple. They were sitting on a rock, heavily petting each other while kissing.
“I mean, there are kids around, and I’m worried he’ll fuck her right on that rock.”
Morgan laughed and hit me lightly on the stomach. Then she pulled me by the hand to lead me down a path.
“Come on. Let them fend for themselves. I want to enjoy this beautiful day, not watch them make out.”
We walked down the path hand in hand. I loved being with this woman so much that I couldn’t understand how in the hell I had survived before her.
“I bet you’re ready to be done and out of the firm. They’re working you to death.”
With a sigh, I nodded. “Yeah. Wednesday is the last day. I gave them plenty of notice, and I’ve finished up or passed along all of my projects. Now the asshole is just being a dick.”
“That’s a shame. You’ve done so much for his company.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m excited about working with Nash. I think the two of us are doing to do great things together.”
She smiled. “I don’t think it; I know it.”
“I told Nash I wanted to take a little time off before I hit the ground running with him. I was hoping maybe we could spend time together. I know you still have to work, but at least I can have dinner ready and waiting for you when you come home.”
Morgan’s eyes lit up and she let out a soft giggle. “I like the sound of that.”
I cupped her face and kissed her gently. Her arms wrapped around my neck as her body pressed against mine.
God, she drove me mad with desire. Mad with love.
“Y’all ready to head on out?”
The sound of Jarod’s voice caused us to slowly pull away, but not before I looked deep into those beautiful eyes and said, “I love you.”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip while she smiled sweetly. “I love you too.”
We turned around, and the way Jarod looked at me was startling. His eyes were dark, and I couldn’t tell if it was anger or jealousy I saw. Maybe it was hard to see Morgan with another man besides Mike.
“Y’all want to join us for dinner, or are you in a hurry to get back?” Morgan asked.
Renee shrugged. “I’m good with dinner.”
Jarod agreed, and we met them at Z’Tejas, where Morgan and Jarod soon got lost in stories of times they spent together when Mike was still alive. I didn’t mind; I was glad she could surround herself in good memories, but it left Renee and me sitting there awkwardly with our drinks. We tried to strike up a conversation or two on the side, but couldn’t find much common ground. When an hour and a half had passed with only Jarod and Morgan talking, I had pretty much had enough of being left out of the conversation, and so had Renee.
She cleared her throat loudly to get Morgan’s and Jarod’s attention. “Maybe you two would like to continue this evening alone while Blake and I head on out?”
My eyes widened in shock at her directness, but I had to give the woman props. She would not sit there any longer and be ignored.
Morgan reached for my hand. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry. It was rude of us to keep going on and on and leave y’all out.”
Renee said nothing as she dropped money onto the table and then looked at us. “It was a great day. I’m going to be heading on home.”
Jarod looked confused as hell. Either the guy had dated very little since getting out of the army, or he really wasn’t interested enough in Renee to go after her. Finally he realized the girl was walking off, and he got up.
“Don’t worry, we got the check,” I said, glad he would finally be gone. I tried hard to like the guy, but there was something about him that sat wrong with me.
“Thanks,” he said then turned to Morgan. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
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