All the Days After

by Carrie Thorne

  “Besides, most of those were when I was on break from college or the navy. With the amount of credits I was taking to graduate early, then the brutal SEAL training… let’s just say I was eager for a little release.” Not that he needed to defend himself, but he felt defensive, dammit.

  All had been old enough; always more than consensual. He never made any promises. They clearly hadn’t been decent friends to Pippa if they’d blamed her for his not calling. Or to jump in her brother’s bed so easily.

  Her face dropped and her eye softened. “I’m really sorry. I admit that I avoided visiting when I knew you’d be home. Usually, I’d bring Sophie home as she didn’t have any place else to go, and she’s the best friend I’ve ever had, so I definitely didn’t want to risk losing her. I certainly never brought her to San Diego with me the few times I came to visit; I learned that lesson with Jenny from freshman year at UCLA. I don’t know how I would have gotten through finishing up at UCLA and finishing grad school without Sophie. And, quite frankly, she’s hot and she doesn’t date much.”

  He was a pretty decent judge of character and seriously doubted that Sophie was the innocent Pippa seemed to think. “She’s gorgeous, but I’m not doing that to you again. Even if she begs, I’m not going to have sex with her.” Well, maybe if she begged.

  His poor imagination flashed to all kinds of erotic fantasies… of Sophie laying naked on the hood of his truck, begging him to lick her sweet pussy… Cut it out. Don’t dig that hole any deeper.

  “Really? Because at dinner you were looking at her an awful lot–”

  “You’re my baby sister; you are so much more important to me than a convenient lay. That’s all those were in the past, my own ego. Trust me, my ego has quieted.” Too quiet lately. That brief kiss on Sophie’s cheek today had been the most action he’d gotten in forever, and her taste had left a permanent imprint on his lips.

  Pippa rose from her chair and aimed for the stairs. Briefly, she paused and looked back over her shoulder at him. “Sorry, Ash. I wish I’d come around more. And I sort of miss that ego. You are different. Quieter.”

  Not quite sure how to respond, he gave a brief nod. He was different. Losing half your damn team on one really bad op did that to a person.

  4

  T-Minus 20 Days

  Bright-eyed and bushytailed, Sophie’s eyes popped open at five in the morning. Same time as they did every day. Creature of habit. Which, she wasn’t ashamed to admit.

  She’d started waking early as a teenager to get some alone time before Yvette started to stir. She still enjoyed those few minutes of peace before the rest of the world was awake. Had to if she wanted more than a three-minute shower, as it took Yvette half the damn day to primp, then gaze at her own reflection in the mirror.

  Slipping on her running attire, she tiptoed down the stairs and out of the house. The sun was thinking of rising soon, casting a shadowy blue glow across the landscape, just enough to see where she was going. There was a path that ran along the edges of the property that was perfect for a run. She’d made a habit of running it every morning she was here visiting in the past. Someone else must enjoy it too, the path was so well worn.

  Thighs on fire, lungs burning, she pushed on, adrenaline and sheer force of will driving her on. Glancing at her smartwatch, she kept going. Two miles. That ought to do it for today, but she was enjoying the fresh air so much she wasn’t ready to stop.

  Rounding a bend, she caught sight of the rugged mountain view glowing in the predawn across a sprawling valley. She had no idea how far she was from the house now; this place was truly magnificent. A perfect place to refresh.

  Sadly, she shouldn’t slow to enjoy the view today, or she might not be able to get her momentum going again. Keeping her pace, she moved on and planned to return to the spot another time. Maybe with a picnic.

  Asher saw the collision coming before she did. Inevitably, painfully she barreled into him at full speed.

  Having the extra half second to prepare, he managed to shift just far enough to the side to catch her and try to control the fall.

  The momentum was too much, and they spun in a circle before they crashed to the ground. His arms wrapped around her to steady their rapid descent, spinning their bodies so she landed on him rather than the boulder she was otherwise headed for.

  Groaning from the force of the landing, Asher gripped Sophie as she lay sprawled across him. Air barely moving through his crushed lungs, he managed to ask hoarsely, “You okay?”

  As soon as she recovered from the force of the impact, she realized he was wearing nothing but Navy running shorts. Their bodies were rather indecently intertwined, sweaty and breathing heavily… her brain was useless. She managed to sit up and ease herself to a stand. “I’m okay. You?” she managed. That was the best she could come up with?

  Rescuing him back, having been saved from the major force of the impact by his swift catch, she held out a hand to help him up. Finding a smile at her chivalry, he grabbed her hand and let her help pull him up. A thrill ran up her spine at his touch, the adrenaline blasting into overtime now.

  “Fine. I’m good. See you back at the house.” He stretched out the aches from the fall, turned and continued down the path. Sophie blinked a few times to remember what she was doing, then continued on her path.

  Finishing a satisfying run, Sophie dashed upstairs for a quick shower. Feeling better than she had in weeks, she slipped on a denim skirt and t-shirt, a subtle splash of makeup and ran the brush through her hair. Coffee. Need caffeine.

  Not yet six. The rest of the household was still asleep. Sophie tiptoed down the stairs, finding the other early riser in the kitchen already. Asher was just pouring himself a warmup.

  Seeing her approach, he reached up into the cupboard above, grabbed an artisan ceramic mug and poured her a cup. Without a word, he gave her a friendly smile, handed her the freshly poured cup of coffee, and headed for the front porch with his own. Sophie looked out the window at his destination. Perfect timing. The sun was just coming up over the mountains.

  Hands cradling her cup, she headed out the slider and sat on the Adirondack chair next to his. Not that she was trying to sit next to him, knowing it would bother Pippa, nor did she want to interrupt his peaceful reverie, but it was the only other chair with an uninterrupted view of the sunrise. The moment the sun rose above the mountains, she felt something in her chest awaken. When was the last time she enjoyed a moment so tranquilly?

  Sitting side-by-side, they sipped their coffee in silence. The penetrating focus of the sun was about to crest over the faraway peaks. Purple and orange stretched across the endless sky.

  “Why accounting?” Asher glanced at her, then back to the sunrise just as the sun peeked out over the mountains.

  Why did he care if she was an accountant? She knew what people tended to think. Thick glasses, frumpy frocks, boring conversationalist. Pissed her off.

  Sophie looked over at him, green circles dancing in her vision that the sun had imprinted. Feeling snarky, she snapped back, “Why the navy?”

  He downed the last of his coffee in one big gulp, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “Touché.”

  Okay, maybe she was being a bit defensive. Too many had taken one look at her and couldn’t figure out why she chose to be an accountant. Why she didn’t want to do something more glamorous. An heiress, her mother had strayed from the expected path as well and never looked back. She liked to think the rebellious streak came from Colette.

  Quickly distracted, his eyes straying to her thighs, he took a slow, deliberate breath. Realizing her skirt had hiked up dangerously high in the reclined chair, Sophie pulled it down a bit, although she was suddenly tempted to hike it up an inch just to see his reaction.

  Shaking himself back to the present, he rose from his chair and headed back into the house. Somehow, despite the intellectual irritation with him, she enjoyed his eyes on her legs. What was wrong with her?

  She probably should have jus
t made friendly conversation, but his tone had been downright brusque. Judgy. Why accounting? She loved it. It was where she belonged.

  Her aunt had blown through every penny she ever brought in. Blew through her own inheritance before Sophie was even born. Ever the struggling actress, she made her way with bit parts in commercials and an occasional soap opera. Rarely would she stoop to waitressing.

  Any nonsense like that stopped when Sophie came into the picture. More importantly, when her income came into the picture. Well, what little of her income was available due to clever planning on her mother’s part.

  Unlike her aunt, Sophie made sure her inheritance stretched to pay for college, grad school, and left enough to give her a good start at life after. After watching her aunt, she was extraordinarily motivated to make it last. She wanted to buy a house one day, vacations with the family she hoped to have, never worry about living paycheck to paycheck.

  Clearly, Asher had more trouble talking about his decisions than hers. According to Pippa, he was planning to join Paul at the family hardware store. But he’d just gotten home and needed time to settle in. She understood that more than she could say.

  From what she heard about him from Pippa, he was an overconfident thrill-seeking rogue that tended to leap before he looked. As quick to jump in the sack as he was to dive out of a plane. Seeing his brutal pace on his run, then his tranquil moment watching the sunrise, she could see a glimpse of what he had been, followed by the serenity that he valued now.

  ***

  Later that evening, stretching every aching limb in her body, Sophie took up half the booth at her new favorite restaurant. “I’m ordering everything on the menu. Who knew wedding errands were so exhausting? Especially the dang dress fitting? And I didn’t even have to try anything on.”

  Perusing the menu, Pippa nodded blankly, “Agreed. I suddenly see why women go on a crazy diet beforehand. That was a close one when she almost couldn’t get the zipper up, and I didn’t gain a pound.” Pouting pitifully, she held the menu closer to her face, “I can’t even read the menu, and it’s written in gigantic Times New Roman font.”

  An adorable, sunny server, maybe twenty-one at best, dressed in black jeans and a black polo shirt with a black apron, glided over to take their orders. “You ladies look like you could use a drink.”

  Sophie wanted to argue, but Jillian, as her nametag read, had a point. “God, yes. I’ll have a glass of your house white.”

  From across the booth, Denise and Pippa added an order of the same. Denise’s phone chirped like friendly little birds tweeting in her purse. Reading the message, she nabbed Jillian before she left the table. “Wait, add an IPA to that. My son will be here in a few minutes.”

  Feigning a smile Sophie knew to be fake, Pippa nodded, “I’m glad Asher’s getting out. He didn’t want to have to fend for himself tonight, huh?”

  Rolling her eyes, Denise sat up in the booth and gulped half her water in one sitting. “I think he’s more afraid of dinner alone with your father.” Denise ignored the forced pleasantries. She knew her children and their headbutting well enough by now.

  Sophie, however, wasn’t comfortable with the rivalry. With no siblings of her own, nor any cousins, uncles, grandparents, or even a mom or dad anymore… just the one horrible aunt, she really didn’t comprehend the stubbornness. It was hard to see why Pippa couldn’t just suck it up and make amends with her brother. Or why Asher would go out of his way to avoid his father. Regardless, she didn’t say anything. She supposed one had to have family to understand.

  Sitting quietly, engrossed in the menu, Sophie kept silent. Macaroni and cheese or fish and chips? Even a cheeseburger sounded good right now. Hell no on the salad; as much as she loved a spring mix with fresh fruit, she needed carbs and grease today.

  Before long, Asher strolled up to the table looking outrageously sexy, as usual. He’d clearly just showered after a day working on his truck; his hair still damp, crisp white t-shirt clinging to his very nicely sculpted chest and broad shoulders, with low slung faded, but clean, jeans and pristine black running shoes. Sophie tried not to sigh, but he was a freaking work of art.

  Pippa hadn’t been wrong in preventing their meeting, that was for sure. How her best friend hadn’t noticed the blazing hot chemistry already, she’d never understand. Although, with the incredible hyperfocus Pippa had, often to excess, she may not notice anything but the wedding for the next few weeks. When studying for her GREs, she hadn’t even noticed Sophie had chopped off her hair into a regrettable pixie. She envied women that could pull off a short, spunky do.

  “You ladies look wiped out. Dresses chasing and attacking you all afternoon?” Flashing an amused smirk at the heavy-lidded table of women, he slid in the empty seat next to Sophie. Under normal circumstances, she might have scooted to the far end of the booth to make room. Like a moth to the flame, she couldn’t seem to move away from him.

  Jillian appeared with drinks a moment later. “Alright, drinks plus some more water for the table. What are we hungry for this evening?”

  Swimming in chaos, the words on the menu made no sense to Sophie’s exhausted eyes. “I need comfort food,” she pouted.

  Quite helpfully, Jillian took charge. “Macaroni and cheese with an added layer of cheddar and tomatoes.”

  Lightbulb shining over her head, Sophie added, “Brilliant. Plus jalapenos. Lots of them.”

  “You got it.” Jillian made the rest of the rounds before walking away with a swing in her hips. Sophie envied that sort of energy right now.

  Asher nudged her with his knee. “Jalapenos on macaroni? That sounds just plain weird.” Rather than pulling away after the friendly nudge, his knee stayed, their legs melting and fusing together.

  Taking a slow sip of her wine, Sophie licked away a stray drip from her upper lip and looked up to find his eyes on her mouth. Maybe she ran her tongue over the crease of her lips deliberately, knowing he was watching, or maybe not. It couldn’t be helped. Turning slightly, the distance between them closing as a result of the motion, she flashed him a sly grin, “Jalapenos make everything better. Adds a little heat.”

  His eyes managed to leave her lips and reach her eyes, but he was no less flirty, the corner of his mouth turned up mischievously. “What about on ice cream? Apple pie?”

  “Amazing combination.” Briefly, she allowed her gaze to get lost in his warm, whiskey eyes. With a flipflop in her chest, her heart took a moment to remember how to beat, as if it had been getting it wrong all these years.

  A timely interruption from Pippa brought her back to the moment. “Sophie adds spice wherever possible. I’m actually not sure she willingly puts anything in her mouth that doesn’t set her on fire.”

  Choking on his poorly timed sip of beer, Asher caught his breath and muttered a few expletives under his breath. Sophie couldn’t hide the blush at the visual, biting her lip to keep from saying anything. Quickly changing the subject, Asher managed to speak without coughing, “Did your dress fit okay?”

  Good subject change. Pippa beamed, ready to talk wedding again. Sophie didn’t know how she did it; she was weddinged out. “Just barely. I’m having them adjust the bust a little, add some lace to the–”

  “Okay, going to stop you there. I’m thrilled for you, but descriptions of lace are a bit beyond my pay grade.” Asher looked befuddled as the topic turned to lace. Sophie flashed to Mr. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice and his rather disgusted thoughts on lace conversations. She held back the giggle, thinking he wasn’t likely to appreciate the reference. Later, Pippa might enjoy it.

  Asher, uninterested as he was, managed to show support for his sister. Despite their avoidance of each other, they really seemed to get along well. Teasing and referencing good times from their past, they clearly had a happy history. It hadn’t been all tense, and they had a number of mutual friends, male and female, over the years. Like Lincoln.

  Denise was a hoot. Sophie had been so young when her mom died, so she hadn’t realiz
ed moms weren’t just parental units. She’d always adored Denise, but it was good to see her joking around with her children. “Pippa, stop worrying, your butt looked great in the dress.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I like my butt. I just mean that before she removed that extra strip of lace, it almost made me look like I was wearing a bustle or something.” Oh boy, Pippa was getting downright giggly. And after only one glass of wine.

  Quite timely, Jillian brought around their entrees. Piping hot, Sophie’s bowl of cheesy, spicy goodness made her mouth water. As requested, it was almost more cheese and tomato and jalapeno than pasta.

  Before she could taste the melty, gooey goodness, Asher’s fork dove in and scooped up a massive bite with a little of everything on it. “Wow, that’s amazing. Ouch.” Gulping the last of his beer, he tried to cool his mouth.

  Snagging a cluster of fries off his plate, Sophie dipped in the special sauce and shoved the bite in her mouth. He flashed her a teasing accusatory glare, but spun his plate so she had easier access to the fries. Pippa and Denise were lost in their respective entrees, fortunately not noticing the easy camaraderie that was developing across the table.

  After devouring the entire bowl, with Asher’s help, Sophie groaned with a full belly. Leaning back in the booth, Sophie extended her legs, nudging Pippa’s out of the way so there was room for her. “I’m so full. Maybe I should have ordered that salad.”

  Asher shook his head. “Nah. That was fantastic. Mom, you want to make that sometime?” He leaned back in the booth next to Sophie, the back of his hand grazing hers out of sight under the table.

  The connection was light but shockingly arousing. She should pull her hand away, but the contact was like an unbreakable conduit joining her practicality and her fantasy world. It couldn’t possibly be intentional.

  With still a feather-light touch, he swept his index finger across her knuckles in a silent and inviting, Hello.