Always for You: Jack (Sergeant Joe's Boys #1)

by Alexis Morgan

  There was just something about those soft gray eyes that drove him crazy, wanting to know what made her tick. For one thing, she always wore dressy slacks with a tailored blouse. Very fitted, very neat and tidy. Stylish was the word to sum up her attire. But then there were her earrings. Today they were a dangling pair of elephants in the same shade of blue as her shirt. The other day, she’d worn a brightly colored pair of clown fish.

  Maybe she wore the silly things as a way to appeal to her younger students, but he suspected they really represented a whimsical side to her nature that she normally kept under lock and key. Regardless of the reason for her taste in jewelry, he got a kick out of seeing what she came up with next.

  If anyone would have ever told him that he’d get turned on by a woman with honey-gold hair worn in a long braid and a pair of elephant earrings, he would have said they were crazy. And he would have been wrong. It had been all he could do to keep his hands to himself when they’d walked out of the house together.

  After she drove away, he’d tossed the mail on the table inside the front door where his mom would see it and then headed straight for the small gym he and his brothers had put together on the first floor of their garage apartment. He’d stripped off his jeans and replaced them with a loose pair of gym shorts to allow him greater freedom of movement.

  The ache in his leg made it clear that he’d regret not taking it a bit easier, but ice and aspirin would help with that. Right now he needed to burn off excess energy more than he needed to baby his fucked-up knee. If he gave in to it every time the damn thing acted up, he’d end up spending the rest of his life parked on the couch with a beer in his hand. He’d take it easier on himself tomorrow, but today he needed to go all out.

  A knock at the door broke his rhythm. He considered ignoring the summons but then rejected the idea. After another quick series of jabs, he walked over to open the door. Ricky was just lifting his hand to knock again. He jumped back as if Jack had startled him.

  “Need something, kid?”

  “Yeah, your mother said to tell you that some guy named Gabe wants you to call. He tried your cell, but it went straight to voicemail.”

  While he relayed the message, Ricky angled his head trying to see past Jack. He was no doubt wanting to check out the gym. Jack stepped back. “Come on in if you want to.”

  Ricky reached the center of the compact gym and looked around. “Is all of this equipment yours?”

  Jack walked over to the small fridge in the corner and pulled out two bottles of water. He started to toss one to Ricky before he remembered the kid only had one functioning hand and carried it over to him instead. “My brothers and I started off with that set of weights when we were teenagers and have added to the collection over the years. We all stay here in the annex when we come home for a visit. It only made sense to have a convenient place to work out.”

  He took a swig of water and then wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. “It pays to stay in shape anyway, and that’s especially true when you’re in the military. I’m no longer in, but I guess the habit stuck.”

  Ricky stared at the wraps on Jack’s hands. “Were you punching the bag?”

  “Yeah, I was.” Unsure how much to share with the kid, he added, “Hitting something helps knock the edge off when I get bored or frustrated.”

  “Do you like to fight? You know, like boxing?”

  Jack shook his head. “No, I never went in for the sport. The heavy bag is just part of my normal workout. I skip rope to warm up, do an exercise routine I learned in the army, hit the bag for a while, and then lift weights.”

  “Is that how you built up all that muscle?”

  Jack recognized envy when he heard it. Ricky still had the lanky build of a teenager who hadn’t come into his full growth yet. The fact that he probably hadn’t eaten regularly for a while before coming to stay with Jack hadn’t helped matters, either.

  “Yeah, pretty much. I was a beanpole when I entered high school, but the weights helped with that.” He looked around the room to see what advice he could offer his young charge. “You’re welcome to use the equipment, although there’s a limit to what you can do until you get that cast off.”

  Ricky wandered over to study the free weights, picked one up, and flexed his good arm several times before setting it back down. Then he sat down on the end of the bench and tried a few leg exercises. Jack left him to it while he did a few more rounds on the bag. He hadn’t forgotten about the message Ricky had delivered. What did Gabe want now? Jack had taken a few jobs that his old friend had thrown his way, mostly bodyguard work for American businessmen traveling overseas.

  He had a break in his construction schedule for the next week, so now would be a good time to do a quick job for Gabe. If it was any longer than that, though, he’d have to turn it down. His mom wouldn’t mind watching over Ricky for a short time, but the kid was really Jack’s responsibility.

  His reps on the bag done, he headed for the weight bench since Ricky had moved on to the treadmill. He’d do a shortened version of his usual program and call it good. Afterward, he’d go upstairs and take a quick shower before calling Gabe.

  The whole time he was lifting weights, he was aware of Ricky’s scrutiny. “Something on your mind?”

  “No.”

  Then a second later, Ricky changed his story. “After dinner, I’m going to take off for a while to see some friends.”

  Okay, that wasn’t good news, but Jack forced himself to think things over before responding. He didn’t like the idea of Ricky taking to the streets on his own. Yet Jack knew from his own experience as a teenager that if he were to forbid Ricky to see any of his friends, the kid was likely to go anyway. Worse yet, he might not come back, at least not on his own.

  Jack stayed seated on the bench with his eyes focused on the floor. Ricky might be more willing to listen to reason if he didn’t feel like Jack was using his size to intimidate him. They both knew Ricky had every reason to fear someone stronger and bigger than he was.

  “I’m not your jailor, Ricky, but I also have to say that I don’t like the idea of you being out on the streets by yourself.” He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Ricky’s. “Whoever attacked you could still be out there.”

  Actually, for sure the guy was out there. Judging by the way Ricky just flinched, he knew it, too. That seriously pissed off Jack. How was he going to keep the kid safe if he insisted on protecting the identity of his attacker?

  Jack didn’t miss the fact that Ricky had stepped off the treadmill and was slowly making his way around the edge of the room. He took care to stay out of Jack’s reach as he headed for the door. “I’ll be hanging with my friends. It’s no big deal.”

  “Okay, like I said, I’m not your jailor. Having said that, there will be some rules when you leave the house. I want to know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Also, you’ll take a cellphone with you and answer anytime my mom or I call. We won’t make pests of ourselves, but we need to be able to reach you at all times.”

  He finally stood up, still making no move to get closer to Ricky. “Understand? My mom will worry.”

  So would Jack, but the kid might care more about how Marlene would feel. Ricky shuffled his feet and stared out the window. If he were anything like Jack had been when he first came to live with Joe and Marlene, the whole idea of anyone giving a damn about what happened to him was a foreign concept. Jack had chafed against their restrictions at first, but he had gradually come to appreciate the fact that someone actually cared.

  Ricky glared at him from across the room. “I don’t have a cellphone.”

  Well, at least that wasn’t an out-and-out refusal. Jack gave the matter some thought and then said, “That’s an easy fix. I’ll need to take a shower and change clothes first, but right after dinner we’ll head down to the phone store and take care of that little problem.”

  The boy’s whole demeanor changed. “Seriously?”

  Jack grinned. “Yeah,
seriously, but don’t go getting too excited. I’ll get you a decent enough phone, but it won’t have all the fanciest bells and whistles.”

  Ricky’s enthusiasm didn’t fade at all, although he tried to hide it. “Something is better than nothing. Whatever we get is fine.”

  Yeah, that would last right up until he saw all the available choices. “I’ll hit the shower. Do me a favor and tell Mom where we’ll be heading after dinner in case she needs us to pick up anything while we’re out.”

  When Ricky left, Jack headed up the stairs two at time, doing his best to ignore the twinge in his knee. If he hurried fast enough, he’d have time to call Gabe to see what he wanted. Hopefully it was a short-term job, because he could really use the distraction. He missed the structure of life in the military, and the discipline required by an occasional stint as a bodyguard or doing a little security work helped.

  As he cranked the water up to just short of scalding, it occurred to him that maybe he could drop Ricky off to see his friends on the way back. That way he’d have at least some idea of where they liked to hang out and maybe even who they were. Feeling only slightly better about the situation, he stepped into the shower and let the hot blast strip away the sweat and dirt. It was a damn shame it wouldn’t do the same for his body’s continuing hunger for Caitlyn, which made it all the more important he make that call to Gabe.

  But maybe while he was gone he could keep an eye out for some earrings for her. Parrots, maybe, or possibly a pair of lizards. The thought left him smiling.

  —

  Jack loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher while his mother packed up the leftovers and stuck them in the fridge. From the way she kept glancing in his direction when she thought he wouldn’t notice, she had something on her mind, something about him that wasn’t making her happy. He knew his mother well enough that she wouldn’t speak her mind until she was good and ready. All he could do was wait her out.

  Finally, she sidled closer and whispered, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “It’s just a phone, Mom. It won’t cost that much to add another line, and it will make it easier to keep track of the kid.”

  She gave him a disgusted look. “Jack, I’m not talking about the phone. Of course he needs one of his own. I’m surprised we didn’t think of it sooner.”

  While he waited for her to get to the point, he gave the counter a quick swipe with the dishcloth and then slowed down to do a better job when he noticed the look on his mom’s face. After that, he turned his attention to the kitchen table.

  “I’m talking about you taking that job.”

  “I’ll be gone less than a week.”

  “Again, do you think it’s a good idea to leave Ricky for that long?”

  What reason could he offer her that she’d believe without him having to admit he was having trouble living life outside of the army? That he’d needed the military’s rules and regulations to keep his life in order and to provide the sense of purpose he so badly missed.

  “It’s good money.”

  She snorted. “Jack, please. Remember, this is your mother you’re talking to. Tell me what’s really going on.”

  He tossed the dishcloth in the sink and leaned against the edge of the table with his hands shoved in his pockets. “I wasn’t lying, Mom. The money is good, and it’s the kind of work I’m good at.”

  Her dark eyes filled with concern. “You’re also good at the construction work you’ve been doing. I know that for a fact, because every client we’ve had since your dad’s passing has gone out of their way to say so.”

  Jack gave credit where credit was due. “Dad taught all of us well.”

  Lately all of Marlene’s smiles were a bit sad, but this one looked a lot more genuine. “Yes, he did, and with the express purpose of making sure you would have a solid trade to turn to whenever you left the military behind.”

  Right now he’d give anything to have Joe standing there with them. Jack loved his mother, but she’d never had to walk away from the one thing that had given her life direction. At least Joe had known firsthand how hard it was to make the transition from a career in the military to finding his way in the civilian world. Of course, if Joe had been there, Jack wouldn’t have been trying to fill his shoes when it came to the family business.

  “And if I can’t find a way to leave it behind, Mom? What then?”

  She headed straight for him and reached up to cup his face with her hands. “Give yourself some time, Jack. You’ve had a lot to process, what with the injury to your leg, Joe’s death, and now taking on raising a teenage boy. Considering what we suspect Ricky’s life was like before he came here, I’m guessing it has stirred up some bad memories of your own childhood. Any one of those things would be hard enough to deal with. Add them all together, and it’s no surprise you’re having a few second thoughts about what your life’s become.”

  Marlene stepped back and let her hands drop back down. “I was a military wife for twenty years, and I’ve been a military mother for another ten. I won’t deny that I’m glad to have one of my sons out of uniform.”

  She smiled a little. “I do understand you weren’t ready to leave the army when your knee injury forced you out. And even if you had been thinking about retiring, you might have had some other career plan in mind rather than taking over Dad’s business. I can also see why taking security jobs for your friend Gabe helps you keep a foot in that world while you adjust to your new life. Having said that, I want you to be careful about what jobs you take on with him. That’s all I ask. Ricky and I will be fine while you’re gone.”

  Jack hoped so. As much as he could use the break the job would give him, he worried about leaving Marlene alone with a volatile teenager. “Gabe said this job is a slam dunk. I can’t share specifics, but it’s a quick, in-and-out business trip.”

  “Are you going somewhere?”

  When had Ricky joined them in the kitchen? No matter. The fact that Jack was going to be gone wouldn’t have remained a secret for long. “Yeah, I leave tomorrow morning. With luck, I should be back Friday night, Saturday morning at the latest.”

  He turned to face the kid. “So, you still want to go pick out a phone? I could do it for you, but I can’t promise that one of those sparkly, pink protective cases wouldn’t catch my eye.”

  While Ricky sputtered in indignation, Marlene shot Jack a quick grin. “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knows sparkly purple cases are the hot ticket these days. In fact, that’s what I have myself.”

  She turned her smile in Ricky’s direction. “Hey, just think. We could be twins.”

  At first he looked horrified, but then he realized they were both jerking his chain. “Pink’s not my color. From what I hear, they reserve those for ex–Special Forces soldiers.”

  “Hey, watch what you say about the Special Forces.” Jack reached over to smack the kid on the shoulder, but Ricky laughed and ducked back just out of reach. Jack gave him a mock glare. “Maybe I’ll have to rethink this whole phone thing and just make you one using tin cans and string.”

  Still grinning, Ricky held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, Jack, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I keep forgetting how sensitive ex-soldiers like you are. Seriously, a plain black phone will be just fine with me.”

  “Smart ass, let’s go. I need to get back and pack.”

  —

  It had been three hours since Jack had dropped Ricky off near that same spot he’d followed him to on the day they’d first met. He hated like hell leaving the kid alone out on the streets, but his gut said that he had to trust him sometime. Ricky had promised to be home by eleven. If he was going to be any later or needed Jack to come get him, he’d call. Jack had given him some spending money plus enough extra to take a cab if for some reason he didn’t feel safe waiting until Jack could get to him.

  Damn, watching his young charge walk away had been surprisingly stressful. How had Joe and Marlene survived all those years of fostering kids?
It must have taken incredible courage for them to take on the chore of raising Jack, Tino, and Mikhail.

  Back at home, he’d stopped in the house long enough to thank his mom again for her help with Ricky. He figured she knew how much all three of her sons appreciated everything she did for them, but it never hurt to tell her again. Joe’s death had served as a harsh reminder to them all that you never knew when you’d missed your last chance to tell someone they were loved.

  Once he finished packing, he had emailed his brothers to let them know what was going on. They already knew about Ricky, but he wanted to keep them in the loop on his own activities as well. After that, it was a real struggle to fill the hours until Ricky was due back. Until the kid was home, there was no way Jack would be able to sleep.

  As the clock ticked away the last few minutes approaching eleven, Jack picked up his keys and prepared to take to the streets and start hunting. But before he reached the door, someone knocked. Preparing himself for the worst but hoping for the best, Jack fought to look calm as he opened the door. It was Ricky. Damned if he hadn’t come home right on time.

  “Yeah, kid?”

  “Your mom said to let you know I’m back.”

  “Okay, thanks for stopping by. If I don’t see you before I leave in the morning, behave yourself and keep an eye on Mom for me. I know she acts like everything is okay, but don’t forget she just lost her husband. Sometimes Dad’s death still hits her pretty hard.”

  Nothing but silence, but then Ricky stood taller and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on her for you.”

  “Thanks, kid. You’ve got my email address, or you can text me if something comes up. I’ll answer as quickly as I can. Otherwise, I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Ricky grinned a little. “Don’t threaten me.”