Jack (7 Brides for 7 Soldiers Book 5)

by Julia London

  “I had to. I couldn’t let you leave Seattle without hearing from me.”

  “I don’t want to hear from you,” she said, and the rational part of her sat on her heart so that she could say her piece. “I’m really angry, Jack.” She folded her arms across her body. “Furious. If you can come here, how come you couldn’t make it to dinner, when I needed you?”

  “Interesting about that.” He took a small step forward. “I could have. But I—”

  “You don’t have to tell me,” she said, cutting him off. “You had a panic attack. And that’s the problem. I can’t deal with it, I really can’t. I’ve tried to be patient, but I need someone, too.”

  “I know,” he said softly, and it sounded as if his voice might have cracked a little.

  “No, you don’t know,” she said, surprised by how much it still hurt. “If you knew, you would have lived up to your promise. You promised me that I could count on you. But I can’t, and that hurts more than anything else.”

  “I do know, Whitney, and that’s why I came. I didn’t miss dinner because of a panic attack. I had a break in the clinic story and I went out to get it. I made myself go get that break, across town, and the only reason I could even think about going was because of you. Things got complicated and I couldn’t get away when I said, and that’s on me. But don’t be mad at me for panicking.”

  She was so confused. The Jack she knew wouldn’t go after a lead or a break or anything that required going out the door of his apartment building. She rubbed her forehead, and tried not to let her emotions weaken her.

  “Whitney, you have given me life again, you know that, right? You have made me whole again. I can’t bear the thought of not having you in my life.”

  “What does that even mean?” she asked him.

  “It means,” he stepped closer, his hands out of his pockets, “that I love you. That I would have crawled here if I’d had to. It means that I would suffer a thousand heart attacks to reach you. But I didn’t. I’m stronger, Whitney. I’m getting stronger every day, and I won’t give up until I am me again. And I won’t let you give up on your dream. God knows I’ve let you down, but I swear on my life, I will never let you down again. I will be there for you. And because of you, now I know that I can be.”

  She was folding. Literally folding in two. She had longed to hear him say those words, all of them. “You love me,” she said.

  “More than I can say,” he said roughly. He reached her and lifted her up to stand. “Please don’t give up and move home. Come back to Seattle with me.”

  “I’m not coming back here,” she said. “I’m moving all my things to Seattle, Jack. Dad helped me find a new place and put me in touch with a new realtor who has several places to show me. Not in the city, but in a suburb, where I can afford it.”

  Jack’s expression filled with relief. He sighed heavenward, as if he’d just been released from the grip of something painful. “I thought I’d lost you.” He suddenly took her in his arms, holding her tight. “God help me, I thought I’d lost you,” he said again into her hair.

  “You nearly did,” she said. “But for some reason, I love you, too.”

  “Enough to marry me?” He kissed her neck.

  “What?”

  That squeal came from Taylor. “Did you just ask her to marry you?”

  “He did!” Whitney said, stunned by it. Moved by it. So many wild thoughts and butterflies were suddenly swirling in her. She took his face in her hands and stared at him. She could see nothing but love swimming in his eyes. “Are you crazy?”

  “A little,” he readily admitted. “Will you marry me, Whitney? Do you love me enough?”

  Whitney laughed, still stunned, but elated. “I do, Jack. I love you enough to marry you. Maybe not right away, because I’m still pretty pissed, and I kind of need to know if I can trust you. But yes, I love you enough to marry you.”

  “Is this for real?” Taylor exclaimed.

  “That’s my sister Taylor,” Whitney said, and turned to her sister. “And if you don’t take those shoes off right this minute, he’s going to do it for me because he loves me.”

  “More than life,” he said. “And I know better than most just how precious that is.”

  Twenty-two

  Jack was beside himself on the day he and Christie went to Eagle’s Ridge, picked up their mom, and drove to the bridal boutique. Christie was being fitted for her wedding dress, and he couldn’t believe his baby sister could look so beautiful, or that she was getting married, or that he was getting married after her.

  It was enough to make a grown man a little anxious.

  He and Whitney were planning a big wedding in Orange County next summer. In the interest of speeding things along, they were planning it in her parents’ backyard.

  But today he was in Eagle’s Ridge, and it felt great. He’d seen a couple of the guys. Ford was hosting a big party at New Year’s, and he and Whitney would be there to announce their engagement. He’d been down to Adam and Zane’s business, A To Z Watersports, with two beers and an apology, and as luck would have it, Ryder and Ford had come in. The four of them had spent an afternoon catching up and talking about old times.

  The guys didn’t press Jack on his absences. When they asked where he’d been, he said he’d been busy. It was easy to spin it—the article he’d written about Victory Health Services had been picked up by all the national news outlets, and had got the undivided attention of the Veteran’s Administration. Who would have thought that a guy who couldn’t leave his apartment would be freelancing for the Los Angeles Times and The Atlantic?

  Whitney’s dream was humming along, too. It turned out her dad was right about Louisa—a good friend, but a horrible realtor. Her new realtor had found a property in the suburbs that was perfect and affordable. Whitney’s Whimsical Treats would open in the spring. Whitney had also leased a one-bedroom bungalow on a hill overlooking a small lake, and she and Jack and Buster spent many lazy Sundays there, wrapped up in each other on the couch, reading the paper, bingeing on Netflix and making love. Jack took public transportation to her apartment at least twice a week and had reached a point he hardly thought about it any more. Eventually, they would get a place, but for now, Jack was still exploring his new After Afghanistan world.

  “I’m not going to lie, I still get pretty nervous in a crowd,” he told Dr. Pratt. He was in her office, sprawled in a comfortable armchair.

  “That’s perfectly natural. A lot of people without anxiety disorders feel nervous in a crowd. The trick is to know how to manage.”

  “And I don’t like flying.” He shuddered.

  “Then don’t fly,” she suggested.

  “And I have this weird fear that if I drive a car onto a highway, I might not be able to exit.”

  Dr. Pratt smiled. “Now that’s a little odd. I think you should work more on that one.”

  Jack laughed. “I guess so.”

  “You’re doing so well, Jack,” Dr. Pratt said. “I don’t need to see you for a month. We’ll monitor your progression, but I think in about six months, we can talk about weaning you off the medicine.”

  “No kidding?” Jack grinned. “Good. I really want to start a family.”

  Dr. Pratt laughed. “Talk about anxiety.”

  “What? Why?” he asked.

  “Oh,” she said, with a wave of her hand. “Children in general.”

  Jack left his appointment feeling a little nervous about the prospect of children. But when he told Whitney about it that night—at her favorite restaurant—she laughed and said, “Snap out of it! I’ll be there, won’t I?”

  Yes. She would be there. And that was all in this world that Jack Carter needed.

  # # #

  Dear Reader:

  I hope you have enjoyed the fifth book in the 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers as much as I enjoyed writing about Jack and Whitney. I’ve had cupcakes on the brain for three months now. If you enjoyed the book, I hope you’ll consider leaving a favorab
le review here.

  If you’re looking for a change of pace, I have some new historical romances coming in 2018, all new installments in the series. DEVIL IN TARTAN will be out in March, followed by TEMPTING THE LAIRD and SEDUCING THE SCOT.

  I am also working on some new contemporary romances. Look for THE PRINCES OF CIMARRON COUNTY, a family about the powerful Prince family, launching in 2019.

  Keep up with all my news at www.julialondon.com/newsletter.

  You can find me on the web at:

  www.julialondon.com/newsletter

  www.facebook.com/julialondon

  www.twitter.com/juliaflondon

  www.instagram.com/julia_f_london

  Thank you so much for your interest in our work—we all greatly appreciate it!

  Can’t get enough of these soldiers? Check out this excerpt from #6, NOAH, by Cristin Harber.

  Enjoy!

  Julia

  Book Blurb – NOAH –7 Brides for 7 Soldiers #6

  Navy SEAL Noah Coleman knows how to do two things well: underwater demolition and hand-to-hand combat. So renewing his enlistment is a no-brainer until he receives a message about his cousin’s aggressive terminal cancer. A quick trip home confirms the worst, which means his niece Bella will become his responsibility.

  Elementary school guidance counselor Teagan Shaw has known Bella since her son announced the two were best friends. The shy little girl is also on Teagan’s radar because of Bella’s early signs of gifted aptitude. But Teagan is more concerned about the military man thrust into the role of single parent.

  While Noah adjusts to civilian life and Eagle’s Ridge, he and Teagan begin forging a friendship. But Teagan has a secret, a shadowy figure from her past who is intent on returning to torment her.

  EXCERPT – NOAH – 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers #6

  © Cristin Harbin – 2017 – All Rights Reserved

  Chapter One

  “I figured out you weren’t a fool.” Teagan pointed to a cabinet. “Plates are in there.”

  Noah grabbed four and followed her gaze to another cabinet and found glasses. “Roger that.”

  A minute later with hands full, he found a small amount of peace in setting the table. Some things never changed, whether he laid out forks and knives at home in Eagle’s Ridge or had found himself doling out plates and glasses with teammates in a foreign land during downtime on a classified mission.

  When he was done, Teagan had a salad in a bowl in the center of the table and had the pizzas as the centerpiece, ready to serve.

  “Not bad, partner.” She lifted her hand to give him a high five.

  “It’s been a rough afternoon, but I’m not fragile,” he cracked. “No coddling needed.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to assume I’m coddling.” She didn’t drop her raised hand, instead wiggling it for attention. “But if you protest too much, I’ll assume you’re in desperate need of pampering.”

  He chuckled. “Point made.” He slapped her much smaller hand, and as their fingers brushed, his palm tickled with an urge to clasp her hand.

  “Hungry?” She pulled her hand away quickly and shoved both fists into her jeans pockets, pivoting toward the steaming pizza.

  He didn’t like how quickly she split. “Hey.”

  “Hmm?” Teagan rocked on her heels, barely glancing his way.

  “Thanks. You could give me so much hell right now, and it’s cool you’re not.”

  Slowly, she stopped the heel rock. “I—”

  A thunder of footsteps blew into the room, followed by a chorus of “We’re hungry!”

  Teagan ushered them toward the sink. “Hands! Wash those hands.”

  Whatever she had been about to say was gone.

  Jackson and Bella shared a stool in front of the water faucet, making a mess more than killing germs, while Teagan filled glasses with milk—including some for him, which he got a kick out of—then they sat around the table as though they each had assigned seats.

  The kids took the middle of the rectangular dining table, and Teagan headed toward the far end, leaving a vacant end chair for him.

  At that moment, he realized he was the stranger in the room. He hadn’t known his seat, and he saw both kids had better table manners than half the men he knew.

  Guilt needled him in the ribs. Noah barely knew Bella beyond FaceTime, mailed cards, and the rare holiday visit. He loved her with every beat of his heart, but knowing who the kid was, that was different, and sitting at this table… No, they didn’t make him feel like a stranger. More like a friend. Both old and new.

  They waited for him to sit. Noah rubbed his chest, rolled his shoulders back, and pulled out the chair at the head of the table. The second his butt touched down, Bella and Jackson chattered with food requests, their unsteady hands reaching for pizza.

  He smiled, not expecting this, though he had zero expectations. Literally, none.

  He hadn’t put one iota of thought into whether Bella might have table manners or whether Lainey had served meals with… What was a good word? Purpose.

  “Salad?” Teagan asked.

  “Thanks.” Noah took the large bowl Jackson shoved his way, passing it toward his niece.

  Both kids acted as if they were famished, but they didn’t shovel the dinner down their throats. Again, Noah knew adults who made more of a mess, and that memory reminded him of hell week during BUD/S training, when meals were solely for consuming calories. Up until he came home to Eagle’s Ridge, there were times that protein and nutrition were secondary while on the job.

  He ate his salad in quiet, listening to Bella and Jackson recount the harrowing drama of the fire drill, and when he had a break, he motioned to the table. “This is really nice, Teagan.”

  “Nothing, really. We’re glad you’re both here.”

  “I’m always here,” Bella added.

  “Doesn’t change that I like having you at my table, sweet pea.”

  Noah swallowed another mouthful of lettuce and tomato and suddenly missed Lainey. This was her chair, her daughter, the conversation she was supposed to hear. She was his confidant, and he was her hero. Wasn’t that how they’d always been? Not twins but always wanting to be. Closer than just the sister that she wasn’t, even. Cousins could be that close, and that stabbing in his chest wouldn’t go away.

  “What’d you do today?” Bella asked him.

  He took a quick breath. “Stopped by Nuts and Bolts.”

  “Is it open yet?” Teagan asked.

  “Soon.”

  “I want to drive a tractor.” Jackson dropped his fork. “Can you show me?”

  Noah lifted a shoulder. “I don’t have a tractor. But if I did, I could show you.”

  “Told ya,” Bella said.

  “It’s an automotive shop,” Teagan explained to Jackson. “The one you liked to visit.”

  Jackson perked up. “With all the cool stuff?”

  Noah smiled. “You got it. I’ve kept all that too.”

  “Awesome.”

  Bella and Jackson kicked their legs under the table, giggling, and stopped upon one swift look from Teagan. Noah really needed to master that drop-chin-and-pinch-eye thing she did. He was ninety-nine percent sure that if he tried it, a kid would cry.

  “Which type of pizza looks good?” Teagan asked, this time in a normal volume.

  Noah eyed the choices and realized eating with kids was a lot like eating with the guys. If he didn’t hop to, he’d go hungry. “That one.”

  “Good choice.”

  As Teagan moved to dole the slice, Jackson’s hand shot forward. “I want to help.”

  “Sure thing, buddy.” Noah lifted his plate and caught the flying slice of pizza at the last second.

  Bella ate her pizza backward, and Jackson ate his topping-side down. They both had pizza sauce on their faces and ranch dressing on their chins. Noah laughed, settling back in his chair and taking a sip of milk.

  “What’s funny?” Bella asked.

  “Ju
st taking it all in, ladybug.”

  Bella and Jackson were having a heated debate on whether honeysuckles had honey in them, and Noah caught Teagan studying him.

  “Are you okay?” she mouthed.

  Good question. He ran a quick hand into his growing hair and nodded. But the truth was that this dinner table was nothing that any parenting blog or new-to-guardianship checklist had prepared him for. He was content to see and hear the clatter and chatter as napkins dropped and milk sloshed.

  Noah was a planner. He understood the planks of success and why he was driven to always triumph. He liked to win. It took resources. Prep. Training.

  That was how he approached moving back to Eagle’s Ridge and taking over Bella’s care. Every resource he’d consulted had mentioned the immense risks that he’d come across, but none explained the reward other than the joys of parenting. What the hell was that?

  This was that. His chest tightened. Was he okay? “I’m doing all right.”

  “Good. Bella, seconds?” Teagan offered Bella more salad, only to receive a polite, ranch-dressing-covered head shake, then she caught his eye again. “Don’t forget to eat. You’re just starting this marathon.”

  He laughed. Good food. Great company. Maybe he was doing better than all right tonight.

  END OF EXCERPT – BUY YOUR COPY OF NOAH TODAY!

  Julia London’s Book List

  7 Brides for 7 Soldiers - Multi-Author Series

  Ryder - Barbara Freethy (#1)

  Adam - Roxanne St. Claire (#2)

  Zane - Christie Ridgway (#3)

  Wyatt - Lynn Raye Harris (#4)

  Jack - Julia London (#5)

  Noah - Cristin Harber (#6)

  Ford - Samantha Chase (#7)

  Lear Family Saga Series

  Material Girl

  Beauty Queen

  Miss Fortune

  Highlander Lockhart Series