by Elle Kennedy
“I think neither of us has a choice,” he said through a slow exhale. “So let’s man up and do this thing.”
A hint of a smile played on her lips. “Yes, sir.”
He stood off to the side as Lexie lifted the ornate, old-fashioned doorknocker. When the double doors swung open and Bree appeared in the doorway, some of his nervousness dimmed. She wore a simple emerald green dress that swirled over her bare knees, and she’d tied her black hair into a low ponytail, styled in a way that allowed wispy strands to frame her face. No make-up, save for shiny pink gloss that coated her lush lips and made Jake’s mouth tingle with the urge to kiss her.
“You came,” she said, sounding so delighted that he felt a spark of guilt for even considering bailing.
“I said I would,” he said gruffly.
Their eyes locked and the warmth of her gaze wrapped around him like a gentle embrace. Then Bree turned to Lexie. “Hey, Lexie. Your parents and sisters are already here.” She gestured for both of them to enter. “Come inside, everyone’s in the sitting room.”
As they walked into the massive front parlor, Jake realized that this was the first time he’d stepped foot inside Bree’s childhood home. White marble spanned beneath the dress shoes he’d borrowed from his twin, the white walls gleamed under the light of a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the place boasted not one, but two spiral staircases on either side of the space, each one leading to the second floor.
After a uniformed housekeeper came to take their coats, Bree led them to a wide doorway off to the left and into a large room boasting plush off-white couches, a wet bar and a fireplace Jake could probably walk into without ducking. He wasn’t sure why they called it a sitting room—looked like a regular old living room to him—but he didn’t dare ask. Considering the size of the house, it probably featured several more rooms like this, all with various rich-people labels.
Everyone in the room stared at him when he walked in. Stared at him.
Jake had never felt so damn uncomfortable, and not even the feel of Bree’s hand sliding into his could ease his nerves.
“Relax, it’ll be fine,” Bree murmured. She turned to their audience. “Everyone, this is Jake Bishop.”
As Jake stood there fidgeting, Bree made all the introductions. Brandon and Miranda Price eyed him with visible confusion as he shook their hands. Lexie’s sisters, Ava and Alyssa, were damn near smirking at him. Tanner Lockhart was frowning. And Bree’s mother Barbara looked at him with such distaste that Jake wanted to run—not walk, but run—right outta there.
But he forced his feet to stay rooted to the shiny parquet floor. He’d promised Bree he’d make an effort, and he’d always been, above all, a man of his word.
Still, that didn’t mean he had any hope in hell that this dinner would be anything other than a big fucking disaster.
This dinner is a big fucking disaster.
Bree had tried to remain optimistic as the group made small talk in the sitting room. Tried to keep smiling as their housekeeper Marta herded everyone into the grand dining room the Lockharts only used when entertaining. Tried not to cringe when her mother shot her a look loaded with sheer disapproval. Tried not to scream when her father kept referring to Jake as “Bishop”.
But she was beginning to realize that no amount of smiling and peacekeeping attempts would make this night any better.
Her parents hated Jake. No, they loathed him. When she’d informed them earlier that Jake would be joining them, the only reason they hadn’t cancelled the whole damn shindig was because they hadn’t wanted to look bad in front of the Prices. They’d agreed to let Jake come, but apparently they were determined to make her pay for it.
By thoroughly humiliating Jake.
She had to give him credit. He’d held his ground when her dad inquired as to why Jake hadn’t gone to college. Smiled politely when Barbara mentioned how fortunate Jake’s brother Nate and his wife Charlotte were to have found a mate that came from a similar background—translation: the son of the town carouser and the daughter of the town whore were made for each other. Jake even laughed it off when the mayor commented that the military ought to pay soldiers more considering they were getting shot at all the time.
By the time dessert was served, she’d actually begun to believe that she and Jake might get out of this unscathed. She couldn’t help but feel proud of the way he handled himself as he sat through uncomfortable questions and veiled attacks, but it wasn’t until her father made yet another jab at Jake’s lack of higher education that Bree realized she was feeling more than pride.
You love him.
Her wine glass stopped halfway to her mouth.
No. She couldn’t have fallen for Jake again.
She studied him from across the table—her mother had purposely seated them far apart to punish Bree—and took in the proud line of his jaw, the handsome face that for once remained free of stubble. He’d shaved before coming here. And he’d donned a suit, which she knew must have annoyed him to no end. But he’d worn it for her. He was here for her.
Warmth circled her heart, and she suddenly couldn’t deny that her feelings for Jake had deepened over this past week. She felt so much closer to him than she had twelve years ago. He’d opened up to her, taken an interest in her life, agreed to have dinner with her family.
So yeah, would it be so bad, loving Jake Bishop? They had great chemistry. She felt so incredibly at ease with him. He made her laugh. He made her heart soar from one crooked grin or rough caress.
“So, Jake, how is your mother doing these days?”
Barbara Lockhart’s question jolted Bree from her thoughts. When she noticed the way Jake’s fork froze over his peach cobbler, she silently pleaded with him to stick to the polite and controlled manner he’d displayed until now.
Jake waited until he’d swallowed the cobbler before replying. “She’s doing well, Barbara.”
“Della was a big help during the planning for the charity benefit,” Lexie spoke up. “She organized the silent auction and headed up the decorating committee.” She shot Jake a surprisingly warm smile. “Your mom is such an asset to this community.”
Bree was as surprised to hear Lexie step up to Della’s defense as she was by the sincerity ringing from Lexie’s voice, but then she remembered that the blonde was good friends with Nate Bishop. And come to think of it, Lexie had seemed incredibly annoyed when Bree’s mother had made those barbs about Nate and Charlotte.
“My mother is big on helping the community,” Jake responded stiffly.
“Della could have helped the community by keeping a tighter leash on her husband,” Barbara said in a sugary-sweet voice.
“Mom,” Bree chided.
“Your mother’s right,” Tanner spoke up, curling his fingers over his brandy glass. “Henry Bishop was an embarrassment to this town.”
A muscle tic’d in Jake’s jaw. “Trust me, sir, you’re not the only one who disapproved of my father’s behavior.”
Across the table, Mayor Price displayed a startling bout of tact by changing the subject. “What are your plans after you leave the military, Jake?”
To Bree’s shock, Jake didn’t deflect the question. “I’ve already left it,” he replied. “I was discharged from the service two months ago.”
“Oh. I wasn’t aware of that,” Bree’s father said with a frown. “Please, tell us, what are your plans?”
“Jake was offered a position on the base in Colorado Springs,” Bree said, pasting on another broad smile. “It’s a combat instructor job—only highly skilled servicemen are being considered, and Jake is their first choice.”
Jake shot her a funny look, but Bree couldn’t figure out the reason for it.
“I see lack of ambition runs in the family,” Tanner said with a chuckle.
Jake’s mouth tightened.
“He’s also thinking of working with his brother Owen,” she went on, knowing she was babbling but unable to stop the words from popping out
of her mouth. “Owen runs a very successful contracting company.”
Jake’s cheeks took on a red hue, though she wasn’t sure if it was due to embarrassment or anger.
“Didn’t your brother recently marry Maddie Wilson?” Ava Price asked coolly.
Bree had completely forgotten Lexie’s sisters were sitting at the table. Ava and Alyssa had barely said two words during dinner, which was a huge freaking relief, since both women were total snobs. Ava had been in Bree’s grade in high school, and her yearbook blurb about her life’s goals had been one line: marry a rich man and spend, spend, spend!
“Yeah, Owen and Maddie were married last month,” Jake said. His tone was wary, as if he expected a verbal ambush at any second.
“Is the happy couple planning on starting a family?” Barbara asked politely.
“Eventually.”
Cue: verbal assault.
“Well. Let’s hope that Madeline will be more successful at controlling her children than your poor mother was.”
Jake’s shoulders went rigid. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Bree’s mother offered a saccharine smile. “It’s no secret that you four boys ran wild, and still do, from the sound of it. Your mother should have tried harder to discipline her unruly boys. Then again, your father’s influence was probably difficult to overcome. I imagine he didn’t set a very good example.”
Bree’s heart lurched at the same moment Jake snapped.
He didn’t lash out, didn’t yell at her mother, but she immediately sensed the change in him. The fury simmering beneath his black suit jacket, the way he was white knuckling that fork. The eerily calm set of his mouth.
“I guess I did run a little wild back then.”
He smiled at Barbara, and a shiver ran up Bree’s spine.
“You probably have some experience with wild children,” Jake added. “Bree was a handful back then, too, wasn’t she?”
Two red splotches appeared on Barbara’s porcelain cheeks. “My daughter was certainly not wild,” she said. Her gaze moved to the mayor, who looked faintly amused by this entire horrible conversation. “Bree was a very respectable young woman.”
“Respectable,” Jake echoed. His smile widened.
Bree’s hands trembled over her wine glass.
“I guess I saw a different side of her, Barbara. The Bree I knew was pretty damn wild. One time, she snuck in through my bedroom window, wearing nothing but a trench coat and rain boots.”
Mortification slammed into her.
Mayor Price chuckled.
Lexie’s eyebrows said hello to her hairline.
Tanner looked absolutely livid.
“Jake,” Bree blurted out.
“But she probably gets that from you, right, Tanner?” he said pleasantly, shifting his gaze to Bree’s father. “According to my old man, you were no saint in your youth either.”
Tanner’s jaw fell open. “Pardon me?”
“How many DUI arrests did you have in high school? My dad said it was two, but he wasn’t counting the ones your parents paid the sheriff to look the other way about.”
Shock had Bree turning to stare at her dad, who was red-faced and livid. “That is categorically untrue,” Tanner snapped before shooting a furtive look at the mayor.
“Whatever you say, Mr. Lockhart.” Jake glanced over at Bree with a stony expression. “Sweetheart, I’m afraid I must bid you all goodnight—” he scraped back his chair with a grating sound, “—before I do something wild and unruly, like tell your parents to fuck off.”
With that, Jake marched out of the dining room, leaving everyone wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
Silence. Pin-dropping silence.
And then Bree stumbled out of her chair, her legs shaky, her chest colder than the ice cubes in her father’s Scotch glass.
Without excusing herself, she hurried out of the dining room and caught up to Jake just as he opened the front door.
Sucking in a deep breath, she stormed after him and grabbed his arm as he stepped onto the porch. “What the hell was that?” she demanded.
At least he had the decency to look guilty. “Sorry,” he said gruffly.
“Sorry? That’s it? You just humiliated me in front of my parents and all you can say is sorry?”
His gray eyes flashed. “You weren’t the only one who was humiliated, sweetheart. I’ve just spent the past two hours being goaded and needled and treated like a leper. I might have been out of line right now—”
“Might have?”
“—but they were out of line too.” He shuddered out a breath. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t have.” Anger swirled in her stomach, fast and furious. “You know, I thought your willingness to spend time with my family was a sign that we were heading in the right direction, but you’re still the same hothead you always were. You felt cornered and you lashed out, and now you’re running away. I was stupid to think it could work this time.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You honestly think I’d stick around after listening to their not-so-subtle insults all night? And what was up with you, Bree?”
She blinked. “Me?”
“Yeah, all that shit about only highly skilled servicemen being considered for the instructor job and my brother’s very successful business.”
“I was trying to help,” she shot back. “To make you look—” She halted.
An edge crept into his voice. “Make me look what, Bree? Good? Better? Worthy?”
“Jake—”
“What happened to not caring what I do for a living? The whole you’re happy if I’m happy speech you gave me the other night?”
Annoyance skated through her. She couldn’t believe he was turning this around and making it about her, when he’d been the one to cause a scene back there.
She shook her head angrily. “I don’t care what you do for a living, Jake. You’re an adult—you can make your own career choices. You know what, though? I think there’s a reason why you haven’t made a decision about the job yet, and it has nothing to do with that mission you told me about.”
He bristled. “You don’t know a damn thing about it.”
“Really?” she challenged. “I think you’re stalling about this job—and not because you’re questioning your skills and second-guessing your instincts, but because you’re so freaking scared of having real responsibilities.”
His breath hitched in shock.
“And you know what else? Even though my parents were assholes tonight, I expected that of them. So did you, for that matter. But I didn’t think you’d lower yourself to their level and act like an asshole too.”
Jake barked out a harsh laugh. “So I was just supposed to sit there and take it?”
“Yes,” she shot back. “Or at the very least, you could have found a way to get your point across and voice your displeasure without crossing the line.”
Lingering mortification trickled through her, and she swallowed hard to ease the ache tightening her throat.
“You embarrassed me.” Her voice cracked. “You had no right to flaunt our sexual exploits in front of my parents.”
Regret flickered in his gray eyes. “Bree, I—”
“And that shit about my dad?” Disbelief clung to her every word. “I don’t care if any of it was true or not—”
“It was,” he cut in flatly.
“Like I said, I don’t care. What my dad did in the past is his business. You shouldn’t have aired all that dirty laundry, and in front of the freaking mayor, for Pete’s sake!”
She sucked in gulpfuls of oxygen, battling a rush of dizziness and a burst of frustration. “You should have shown my parents that you were the better person. Instead, you proved them right and showed that you were the disrespectful troublemaker they’ve always thought you were.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “When we were teenagers you complained that nobody took you seriously, but did you ever stop to think that maybe the
reason they don’t is because you don’t take yourself seriously?”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Everyone expects the worst of you because of your father, and instead of trying to show people that you’re nothing like Henry, you act like an ass and tell anyone who dares to challenge you to go to hell. Back then you walked around with this big chip on your shoulder, and guess what, it’s twelve years later and that chip is still there. You run away from responsibility and commitment, distance yourself from your family, from everyone in town, actually. You brush everything off like it’s no big deal. Well, it is a big deal. This kind of attitude might have worked when you were seventeen, but you’re an adult now. Start acting like one.”
Jake looked stunned by her speech, but she wasn’t even close to finished.
“My parents are snobs,” she said quietly. “I know they’re snobs, but they’re still my parents. And when they piss me off—and trust me, I’m pretty pissed off about the way they acted tonight—I wait until we’re alone to call them on it. I don’t tell them to fuck off in front of company.”
He scowled. “Sorry my manners aren’t as immaculate as yours, Bree.”
She clenched her teeth. “This has nothing to do with manners and everything to do with maturity. I thought you might be ready for a real relationship, but clearly you’re not.” Pain circled her heart. “God, I’m such a moron. I can’t believe I actually thought I was falling in love with you again.”
Shock filtered into his expression.
She ignored the tears stinging her eyelids and took a step toward the door. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get over it, just like the last time.”
“Bree—”
“And I’m probably doing both of us a favor when I say that it’s over. Thanks for a fun week, Jake, but we’re done now.”
His uncertain gaze swept over her, and then he gave a brisk nod. “Yeah. That’s probably a damn good idea, sweetheart.”
As Bree watched, he stalked toward his pickup, started the engine, and drove away.