by Jaime Lewis
“Nope. Long story short. Tenley, who I heard you met today, got into some trouble, though it wasn’t her fault. I had been protecting her and her daughter when one of the guys after her ambushed us outside of a store. The guy went to shoot at Tenley’s daughter, but I made it to her in time and took the bullet instead.”
“Oh, my god. What happened? Did they catch the guys who did it, and was Tenley and her daughter okay?”
“Eventually, he was caught and killed. But not before he had kidnapped Tenley and beat her up pretty bad. She’s okay now. She and Potter are expecting their first child.”
“I know, Tenley told me.”
“They adopted Alejandra from Ecuador. When that earthquake struck that region back at Christmas, Alejandra was unfortunately left as an orphan. Both of her parents were killed, and she had no other family. Tenley was a volunteer with the humanitarian aid group down there. She was there for about a month. When she met Alejandra, they bonded from the get-go, and the rest was history. Same goes for Potter.”
“Wow! I had no idea. Tenley and I talked a little bit, but she didn’t mention any of that. What an amazing woman. Just like Alex. You know, Alex didn’t even question me when I asked her about needing a ride home tonight. She told me she understood and would be at the hospital in twenty minutes.”
“Well, Alex has her own story of survival. Most of her story is classified, though, but what I can tell you is she survived being held captive by a terrorist who wanted revenge against her. She was working with me and the team on a mission in a place that tourists would be stupid to go. That is actually where she and Ace met. But she was kidnapped right under our noses. It was amazing we were even able to locate her, but we did. Her condition when we found her is something I don’t think I will ever get out of my head.” His mind flashed back to that day when Bear carried her out of the building to the awaiting helicopter—seeing her shot with blood oozing from her upper chest. Practically every inch of her body was black and blue from the beatings she sustained at the hands of a mad man and his men.
Autumn cupped his cheek, bringing his attention back to her.
“Jack, I can tell whatever happened still haunts you. You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to. I understand.”
He smiled and kissed the palm of her hand. Autumn was too sweet, and he loved that she wasn’t the type of person who pushed for answers. That would be very helpful for when he was on the job.
“You saying that means a whole hell of a lot, sugar. But you should know some of it because as much time as we’ll be spending with the team, you are bound to see some of her scars. I just want you to be prepared, so you’re not shocked or wonder what they were.”
“Okay.”
He took a deep breath. “She was tortured. Tortured to the point that when we found her, we thought she was dead. Everything that happened between her and the men who were holding her was caught on film. And all I will say is that she fought to survive. That included killing five of her captors. She has some scarring along her back from what they did to her.” He chuckled. “But in the end, she kicked ass just like her uncles had taught her, and she survived and won the battle. I don’t know if Alex told you this, but our commander raised her when her father was killed in action. He and the rest of the team that is.”
He looked down and saw the emotion in Autumn’s eyes.
“Alex and Tenley sound like wonderful women who you are very proud of.”
“Yeah, they both hold a special place in my heart. But you know what?”
“What?” She whispered.
“I still have room in there for another amazing woman who I’d love to care for and protect along with her son.”
She smiled up at him. “You do, huh?”
He grinned and dropped his head down, “Yeah, I do,” right before his mouth covered hers and kissed her deeply. He ended the kiss and pulled her closer to his side.
“Take a nap. I’ll take first watch.” She curled up next to him and laid her hand on his chest, and he swore he felt his heart skip a beat.
Chapter Fifteen
Mmmm…Hazelnut coffee. Autumn lifted her head and sniffed the air. She wasn’t dreaming; she really was smelling hazelnut coffee. The problem with that was she didn’t have a coffee maker in her house. Mrs. Higdon next door did and always brought over coffee. That was how she got addicted to hazelnut. Some mornings, Cody would wake up before she did and run next door and bring her back a coffee, surprising her in bed with it.
Her eyes suddenly sprung open as a major thought hit her. Cody! Crap, she had fallen asleep on the couch last night when she was supposed to wake Cody every thirty minutes. Then memories of last night came flooding back. She hadn’t just fallen asleep on the couch. No, she fell asleep on Jack. And she kissed him! Oh, God, he was such a great kisser. And the way he had spoken to her, made her insides melt. She must have been exhausted, not even to hear him leave.
She’d worry about that later. Right now, she needed to make sure that Cody was okay. She jumped up from her tiny couch and went to take a step and tripped on a pair of shoes. With her brain not yet firing on all cylinders, she didn’t catch herself, and she ended up face planting on the floor. Thank goodness, the living room had carpet. As she laid there, a thought hit her. She didn’t leave any shoes in the living room, and she took Cody’s off him before she got him into bed in his room. She turned her head and saw a pair of tennis shoes. And not just any tennis shoes. They were men’s tennis shoes. What the hell?
She heard his voice. “Shit, Autumn!” No, it couldn’t be. Did he stay here at her place last night? She put her head back down. She thought she was still dreaming until she felt the strong hands go around her arms and lift her. She tilted her head back, so she was looking up at him. His light brown eyes held a twinkle to them this morning, and he had that sexy morning gruff on his face. God, he was an absolute eye-catcher.
“Am I dreaming, or are you really standing in my living room?” His laughter made her grin. “I guess that answers my question.”
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to leave my shoes where you could trip on them.”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Why are you still here?” She asked, running a hand through her hair to tame the mess. She wasn’t one of those women who could wake up and look like a million dollars.
“I told you last night I was staying with you.”
“I remember, but I fell asleep. You didn’t wake me. What about Cody? Nobody checked on him.”
He leaned down and kissed her. It was just a quick kiss, and when he pulled back, he had that adorable grin on his face, the one that made his dimple show.
“Cody’s fine.” He gestured to the breakfast bar behind her, where Cody was sitting eating pancakes.
Cody turned around with a mouth full of food.
“Mom! You gotta try Frost’s pancakes. They’re awesome.”
She looked up at Frost. “You made pancakes?” He smiled and nodded.
“But…How?”
He started to walk back to the stove and spoke over his shoulder. “Well, it’s simple. You open the box of pancake mix, put it in the bowl, then add eggs – Ow!” He jumped and rubbed his side. “You pinched me?” He was laughing as he said it.
“And you are a smart-ass.” He laughed even harder. “Now you know that was not what I meant. I didn’t have any pancake mix, so how are you making them?” She looked at the pan on the stove, and the site of the pancakes made her mouth water. They were golden, cooked perfectly, and looked so fluffy.
“While you were sleeping, Cody and I got ourselves ready, and we went to the store and did some grocery shopping.”
“You went grocery shopping?” He nodded.
“Cody wanted pancakes and sausage for breakfast.” She stood next to him as he flipped pancakes. He took one of the pancakes and broke a piece off, and held it for her to take. She leaned forward, opened her mouth, and he slipped the fluffy morsel
into her mouth. Damn, it may just be pancakes, but the man knew how to make them perfectly.
“These are delicious.”
He placed two on a plate and handed it to her and gave her a quick kiss. “Go sit with Cody and eat.”
“What about you? Aren’t you going to eat with us?”
He smiled. “Yep. As soon as these last two are finished cooking.”
She walked around and sat on the other stool. She leaned over and kissed Cody on the cheek. Then her eye caught the three bags of groceries sitting on the small table in the kitchen. Tomorrow was her grocery shopping day, but from the looks of it, she could cross that errand off the list. She’d pay Frost back later.
“Thanks for going to the store. That was on my list of things to do for tomorrow.”
He smiled. “No problem. Glad I could help.”
She looked at Cody. The side of his head looked bad. It was purple and red from the bruising. “How are you feeling, sweetie? Any symptoms the doctor said you needed to watch for?”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “No, just my head hurts a little.”
“Well, I imagine it’s going to hurt a little for a few days.” She took another bite and set her fork down. Frost had joined them now. He was standing on the other side of the breakfast bar. “You know, with all of the chaos yesterday, I never asked, how did you fall down?”
“Some lady…” Cody’s forehead scrunched up. “I think she was a parent picking up her kid. Anyway, she knocked into me, and I lost my balance, and my foot slipped off the curb.”
Frost had a fork full of pancakes and stopped mid-way to his mouth and set it back down on his plate. Now he had a scowl on his face. “You mean to tell me that an adult knocked you down?” Cody bobbed his head up and down. “Did she help you? At least say she was sorry?”
“I don’t think so. But I’m not positive. I passed out a few seconds after I hit the ground, and I didn’t wake up until I was in the ambulance.”
Frost looked at Autumn. “Somebody should’ve seen what happened. You should ask the school on Monday.”
“I plan to. I’m surprised they didn’t even call to check up on him? After all, it happened on their property.”
“Yeah, well, that school has a reputation for only caring about the flow of money coming in and not much about the students. There are a lot of people who don’t care much for that school. That is unless you are filthy rich, and all you care about is your status within the community, and then if you had children and didn’t send them there, you were frowned upon for doing so.”
“Trust me. I wish I could send Cody to public school. Not to mention, it would help financially.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Yeah, Mom. Why don’t I go to the school with my friends Justin and Caden?”
“Basically, it’s because of logistics. I don’t have anyone to watch Cody while I’m at work. His school is right near the hospital, and Corrine sends her son there, and she’s able to pick him up for me and drop him off at the hospital. Believe me, if I could send him to a public school, we certainly wouldn’t be living here.”
She could tell Frost wanted to question her more, but she was grateful he chose not to.
Instead, she decided to divert the conversation.
“Speaking of next week, are you excited to get back in all of the fray with the guys? Your leg is feeling up to it.”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to see. Do you guys have plans today?”
“Not really, I just need to make sure I get a few hours of work in today. But I can do that anytime. Why?”
“You have to work? Today? It’s Saturday.”
She remembered she hadn’t told him everything about her life and how she needed to work a second job.
“It’s not the work you’re thinking of. I do some side work for some of the doctors at the hospital.”
“What kind of side work?”
“Transcribing their notes. Some doctors still like to record their notes by voice, then go back and put them onto paper into the patients’ charts.”
“Doesn’t the hospital have the staff to handle that?”
“No, believe it or not, they are short-staffed. You know, with funding and budgeting. Anyway, I don’t mind doing it. It’s additional income.”
“Huh…” He rubbed a hand over his jaw.
Then he remembered what Alex had said last night when he mentioned Autumn’s income. Alex’s words to him were it wasn’t her story to tell. He wasn’t going to question her about it now. Not with Cody in the room. But it was at the top of his list of things he wanted to discuss with her. She and Cody were now his responsibility, which included making sure they were well taken care of.
“Anyway, like I said, I can do that anytime. Why? Did you have something in mind?”
He picked up her empty plate and put it in the sink.
“Ace called this morning, and he and Alex invited us over for lunch. Potter and Tenley will be there along with their daughter Alejandra. They have a pool, and I thought maybe the kids could meet one another and go swimming.
“Please, Mom? Can we go?” Cody’s eyes lit up. He loved meeting new kids.
Autumn laughed. Cody would go anywhere with Frost and his teammates. As she considered the offer, she felt different. It was hard to explain, but it was a feeling of acceptance. These people whom she just met and who were pretty much to themselves were welcoming her with open arms. She’d be stupid not to accept. Plus, she owed Alex for last night. She looked back at Frost and smiled.
“Could you call Alex and ask her what I can bring?”
◆◆◆
“You all set?” Frost asked Autumn as she emerged from her bedroom, looking fresh and ready to have some fun. She was wearing a pair of black shorts and a purple sleeveless top and black flip flops. She smiled and nodded her head. He hoped she would enjoy hanging out with some of his friends. Originally, Ace was planning on inviting the entire team, but he nixed that after Alex suggested that it may be too overwhelming for Autumn. A lot of times, the guys would bring dates with them. This way, Alex and Tenley can bond with Autumn without having to play nice with other women who weren’t technically part of their unit. Plus, Cody still needed to take it easy. He was surprised Autumn had agreed to let him go swimming, though she did lay down some rules on keeping the roughhousing to a minimum.
They gathered everything up. Cody grabbed the swim bag with the towels and a change of clothes, Autumn grabbed her purse, and Frost carried the buffalo chicken dip Autumn had made. He inhaled the aroma from the buffalo sauce as he carried the dish, and it made his mouth water. He kept trying to sneak some while she was making it, and she kept slapping his hand.
He was the last one to step out of the house, closing the front door and making sure it was locked. Not like the door could keep anyone out. He scanned the street, and again, he got that uneasy feeling. He looked to the right where the elderly lady was last night, and he caught sight of her. She was sitting in a rocking chair doing some sort of sewing. Autumn had walked over and was speaking with her, so he decided to join her.
“Mrs. Higdon, I’d like you to meet Jack. Jack, this is Mrs. Higdon, my neighbor, and friend,” Autumn said as Frost approached.
He shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Likewise,” she said as she eyed him up and down and then gave Autumn a sly grin. “You done good, girl.”
Frost threw his back and laughed as Autumn’s mouth gaped open at the woman’s words.
“You’re in the military,” she spoke it as a statement, not as a question.
“Yes, ma’am. Navy.”
She gave him a soft smile. “I thought so. You all look like you’re on your way out, so don’t let me make you late. You take good care of our girl and her boy. I hope to see you around more, Jack.”
He smiled back at her. Meeting her and exchanging a few words with her, Frost already liked Mrs. Higdon. The way he saw it, Mrs. Higdon w
as a lot closer to Autumn than just a neighbor.
“I’m sure you will.”
“Good to hear. Now you all get on out of here.”
Autumn leaned down and hugged Mrs. Higdon, but to his surprise, when he went to shake her hand again, she pulled him down and hugged him too. She reminded him of his grandmother. Before she let him go, she whispered something.
“I mean it, Jack. She and that boy are special. You treat her well, and she’ll make you very happy.”
“She already makes me happy, ma’am. And, I don’t plan on letting her go.”
She patted his hand and gave him a wink. He couldn’t help himself. She was a special lady, and he kissed her cheek.
After their goodbyes, he grasped Autumn’s hand as they walked to his Tahoe with Cody on his other side. This feeling of being a family was something he could get used to.
“I like her,” he said, referring to Mrs. Higdon.
Autumn smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. “I do too. She’s special. She took a liking to Cody and me as soon as we moved here. It was like gaining an instant mom.”
Autumn went to step up into the car when she looked down and scowled. Frost looked down as well and saw the cigarette butts on the ground, between his car and hers.
“I’d love to know who keeps emptying their ashtray right next to my car,” she growled as she hopped up into the car. Cody was getting in the back and buckling up, and Frost stood there, holding the door, looking at the cigarette butts.
“Does that happen often?” He asked, looking at the pile of butts again. There had to be like eight or so lying there.
She turned her nose up in disgust. “Yeah, a couple of times a week at least. It started about a month ago. And each time, I have to pick them up. It’s disgusting. Not to mention rude.”
Frost started to get that Spidey feeling. It was the same feeling he would get when danger lurked while they were on missions. The hairs on the back of his neck were tingling. He scanned the area as he closed the door and walked around to get in. Nothing seemed out of sorts, and he didn’t see anyone, but something kept pulling his attention to the house across the street. Now that it was light out, he could see it better. The small front yard required a desperate trim. And the house itself looked to be falling apart. Shutters were either missing or broken. Even a couple of the windows were broken. The paint on the side of the house was chipping away. The house looked abandoned, but he wondered if someone lived there because he saw them last night. Well, he didn’t exactly see a physical person, but he knew he saw the curtain move in the front window.