by Tess Summers
Brenna took another sip of wine before declaring, “That’s it–I am swearing off men!”
Unfortunately, Ron had made her realize again how wonderful sex could be. That part of her had sort of withered away while she was with her husband. Maybe she’d take one of those unsolicited dick pic offers up if she got horny–but that was it. Just a hook-up, nothing more.
Except in the back of her mind, she knew damn well she could never do that. But she was pissed and hurt right now, dammit! So, if she told herself that’s what she was going to do, that’s what she was going to do. She was gonna start swiping left–or was it right?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ron
Ron was glad to be back in the States, and he was pleased his family had been able to make it for his return. He’d thought about asking Brenna to be there–had actually planned on it, until his kid brother, Greg, emailed that he was going to be home, and their mom and dad wanted him to take them to the base to be there when Ron got off the plane. Ron wasn’t ready to put Brenna through the meet the parents show yet.
Then Sarah jumped him–literally–he definitely wasn’t expecting that and was not happy about it. He made that fact quite clear when he set her down and practically shoved her away from him. She’d reached out to Ron’s parents to see if they were going to Miramar to greet Ron, and of course, they invited her to join them. His mom loved Sarah and viewed her as the best hope at getting grandchildren. Little did his mother know that was never going to happen.
Ron was annoyed at Sarah’s presumptuousness. Actually, it was more than presumptuousness, it was fucking underhanded how she went about it–calling his mom for an invitation? Especially after he had asked her to leave on his birthday when she came on to him. She seemed to think she could change his mind by getting his mom on her side.
It wasn’t happenin’. Yeah, he was a gentleman and didn’t embarrass her in front of his family, but they were going to have a Come to Jesus session because what she was doing was unacceptable. They were over; the sooner she accepted that, the better.
He listened to Sarah prattle on all through dinner and dessert. She was easy on the eyes, not so much on the ears. His parents didn’t seem to notice, although his brother shot Ron a few looks that seemed to indicate he did.
Fuck, he missed Brenna.
He had asked her out for dinner tomorrow night so he could explain that nothing happened with Sarah. He still didn’t have a good excuse why he hadn’t told her about his birthday, other than he hadn’t really thought much about it, even on the actual day. He had just wanted to be alone when he got home last time.
He was feeling the complete opposite today. If he wasn’t so unsure she was going to understand and forgive him, he’d go crawl into bed with her tonight so he could wake up with her in his arms. He didn’t want to waste a minute of his leave without her and wanted to be in bed with her all day. And, of course, all night, too. Actually, the whole weekend sounded pretty damn perfect. He couldn’t wait to hold her, smell her, taste her, and yes–fuck her six ways to Sunday. If she still wanted him.
****
They all stood in the parking lot of the restaurant after dinner. Ron promised to be at his parents for Sunday brunch. He was considering asking Brenna to join him; he needed to introduce her to his family. His brother, Greg, suggested they play golf in a few weeks when he was back in town.
“I’m going to be home more though, so plan on getting schooled on the course a lot,” Greg slapped Ron on the back and squeezed his shoulder, pulling him away from everyone.
“Oh yeah? Why is that? You dating someone?” Ron teased.
His brother just grinned.
“Holy shit! You are. What’s her name?”
“Frankie; she’s a single mom. I haven’t told Mom, so don’t say anything yet, but I want you to meet her. Maybe we could have dinner.”
Now maybe his mother would get off his back if Greg could give her ready-made grandchildren.
“That sounds great, I can’t wait. There’s someone I want you to meet too,” Ron said quietly.
Greg looked at Sarah. “Oh?”
Ron shook his head in disgust. “I’m not sure whose idea that was,” he gestured toward the younger woman, “but it was a bad one.”
“Sorry. It definitely wasn’t mine.”
They walked back towards where his parents and Sarah were still talking, and they all gravitated toward Greg’s car. Everyone got in but Sarah and Ron. Ron shot her a look that suggested she should get in his brother’s car. He started to reach for the door handle to open the door for her, when she said with a smile, “Can you give me a ride back to the base so I can pick up my car? It’s really out of your brother’s way, but you’ll drive right by.”
His mother had rolled her window down, otherwise he might have said what he was thinking. Through gritted teeth and a fake smile, he managed, “Sure.”
Greg shrugged his shoulders in a helpless gesture, and his family drove off, leaving him standing alone with Sarah. Without a word, he turned and started striding toward his vehicle, while she scurried to keep up with him. He wasn’t going to open her door for her, he wasn’t feeling particularly chivalrous, but it was too ingrained in him, and he tugged on the handle, gesturing for her to get in. At least he didn’t boost her up.
Ron was annoyed as he hopped in the cab. He didn’t like being manipulated, and that’s exactly what Sarah was doing. He went to fire up the engine when she grabbed him at the sleeve and said, “Can we talk for a second?”
Only a second because I’m not in the fucking mood for this shit.
“Ron, when I learned you were over there in that gunfight, I’d never been so scared. I thought, what if I never got the chance to hold him again and tell him how I feel? I know you said on your birthday that we weren’t right for each other, but I’m still in love with you. I want you back in my life. I don’t care about having a family–I just want you, any way I can get that. We were so good together, I know we can be again.”
Although he hadn’t been exactly heartbroken when she left over a year ago, he had cared about her. Had she said all this to him just four months ago, he would have considered having her back in his life–and his bed. But then he met Brenna, and everything changed.
He stopped Sarah from running her hand up and down his arm and placed it back in her lap.
They were going to have that Come to Jesus talk now, but he needed to be more gentle than he had originally planned on.
“We can’t, Sarah. We both know how it would end again. I’m not what you’re looking for. You need a man who can marry you and give you a family. I can’t do that.”
“I don’t care about any of that, Ron! I just care about you–about us.”
He shook his head. “We can’t.”
“Yes, yes we can! We were such a great couple! I know I can make you happy!”
How was he going to let her down easy? He finally decided to just be honest.
“I’m seeing someone else. And I’m in love with her.”
The brunette girl jerked her head as if he’d physically slapped her. Fuck, he did not like being in this position. Hey family, come back!
With tears in her eyes, she managed to croak out, “You–you love her?”
Shit, he probably should be telling Brenna this before telling Sarah.
He tried to look as kind as he could when he replied. “I do. I’m crazy about her.”
****
Ron sent Brenna a text that evening letting her know he’d arrived safely back in San Diego.
No response.
I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow was his next text to her.
I can’t make it, was her reply.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
She was going to listen to him. He wasn’t letting her go that easy.
He loved her, dammit.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ron
Ron showed up at the beach house at a quarter to six, roses in hand
. He dressed as though they were still going to dinner, dark grey slacks and a sage green button down shirt, although he wasn’t banking on them actually going out.
Zona was at the window of the entry with her excited bark but no one came to the door. He rang the bell again and thought about using his key, when Cassie appeared with a frown.
“She’s not here,” was all the younger sister said when she yanked open the door and didn’t even try to hold Zona back from charging at him full speed.
With an “oomph” when the dog knocked into him, Ron asked when she’d be home.
“No idea.” She responded like she was bored.
Ah, Brenna’s people definitely love and look out for her. Right now, they thought Ron was public enemy number one.
“Cassie, are we going to do this again? You know how much I care about your sister. I need to talk to her; tell me where she is.”
“Care about her?” Cassie roared. “Is that how they do it in the Marine Corps? Show people they care by seeing other people?”
He didn’t want to get into it with Mini-Me. He owed Brenna an explanation about his birthday, not her younger version.
“Cassie, tell me where she is.” He used his best general voice, the one that most people recognized meant business. He should have known it wasn’t going to work on the younger Sullivan sister.
“Go to hell,” she sneered before attempting to slam the door, forgetting Zona was still outside with him.
He put his foot on the threshold to keep it from closing and stepped inside with the pup.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve…” she started again until Brenna’s voice came from the hall.
“It’s okay, Cass,” she said quietly as she appeared barefoot, in light blue jeans and a baby pink cashmere sweater, hugging her arms around her middle.
Cassie obviously didn’t know what to do. She looked between Ron and Brenna, grimacing at Ron the entire time.
“Are you sure?”
Brenna nodded her head. “I’ll be fine.”
When Cassie hesitated, the older woman gave a weak smile and offered her reassurance. “I promise.”
Cassie scowled one last time at Ron. “I’ll be on the patio when you need me.”
When Brenna needed her. That wasn’t promising; like Cassie knew something Ron didn’t.
Ron offered the flowers to Brenna, who reluctantly accepted them and turned toward the kitchen, where she set them down on the counter without putting them in water.
He stood in the doorway, watching her with his hands in his pockets. Her pink sweater looked fuzzy and soft, and he wanted to run his hands up and down her back.
She didn’t offer him anything to drink, which was unlike her, nor did she say anything.
He thought, based on the texts they’d exchanged since the last time they were together, that she would be more receptive to hearing him out. Like she understood nothing happened with Sarah, and things were more innocent than they originally appeared. He was obviously wrong. It seemed like she’d taken the time during their separation to grow angrier with him.
Gesturing toward the couch in the family room, he asked, “Can we sit down?”
Brenna shrugged but made her way to the couch, where she sat with a leg tucked under her so a knee was sticking out, as if creating another barrier between them. He took the hint and sat a foot away from her.
With his elbows on his knees and hands steepled between his legs, he let out a long exhale before blurting out, “Nothing happened with Sarah.”
She looked at him for what felt like an eternity before finally nodding her head once. “But you were with her on your birthday.”
“She came over uninvited.”
“But she was with you. She was, not me. On your birthday.”
He didn’t have a good response other than, “Yes.”
“Just like she was with you yesterday when you got off the plane.”
“How did you–?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Nothing happened. She came with my parents, I didn’t even know she was coming.”
She took a deep breath but didn’t respond.
“You have to believe me, Bren.”
With a shrug of the shoulders, she said, “I do.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. Relief that was short-lived.
“We had a wonderful love affair, Ron, but it has run its course. It was just too hard. You were right, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen when you warned me I would be unhappy.”
Was too hard? Why is she using the past tense?
“Darlin’, Sarah doesn’t mean anything to me. You are who is important to me.”
“And yet, it was Sarah who has met your parents. It was her who spent your birthday with you. It was her that was there yesterday with your family and the other families when you got off the plane.”
“Brenna, I didn’t want her there. I–”
She cut him off as tears filled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I started seeing someone else while you were away. I’m sorry.”
He felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to his stomach.
“Who?” he growled.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Who?!”
“Kyle.”
He knew it. The way Kyle stood with his hand at the small of her back, how protective he was, the things he said that hinted there was more to their relationship than friendship… Ron provided Kyle with the perfect opportunity to be there for her. Kyle was no fool, he took it.
He sat silent for a moment before standing up. “Well, I hope everything works out for you,” he said before heading toward the door.
“Ron, wait!”
He turned around on his heel and looked at where she had gotten to her feet.
She didn’t say anything else, just stood with her bottom lip quivering. It took every ounce of his strength not to take her in his arms and kiss that trembling mouth. But it was no longer his mouth to kiss.
He offered a small smile. “If you ever need anything, you know I’ll be there,” he said then turned around and left.
He had to get out of there, before he did or said something he shouldn’t. She was Kyle’s now, not his. And unlike Kyle, Ron respected that. Regardless if it hurt like hell.
If he hurried, he could still make his dinner reservation.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Brenna
It’d been six weeks since Brenna saw Ron. She thought about him every day and prayed he was safe, and, of course, wondered if he was with Sarah, or dating someone new altogether.
She had hardly left the house since she lied to him and said she was with Kyle. Each time she relived that night and came to the part of the hurt on his face, it filled her with remorse, and left her questioning if she had done the right thing. She shouldn’t have ended things with a lie.
It did motivate her to finish the screenplay she had started while he was overseas though. She wasn’t surprised how easily it flowed out of her; it was inspired by her and Ron’s love story, except the characters got the happily-ever-after ending she and Ron missed out on.
Brenna’s agent had forwarded the rough draft to the studios, even before it went to the editors–a move that surprised Brenna, considering how long it’d been since she’d submitted anything. That was promising. Then came the phone call she had been both dreading and praying for, she had a meeting scheduled tomorrow with the studio executives.
She obviously had been praying someone would be interested so her work was validated, but also because, for some reason, the screenplay becoming a movie somehow confirmed to her that their relationship had been real. She had allowed herself to grieve losing him, but in doing so recognized just how wonderful her time with him had been, regardless of how brief it was.
She dreaded it because it brought the fact they were over front and center, and how shitty their story really ended. They didn’t get their happy ending.
Nevertheless, sh
e wouldn’t trade what they’d had together, even if it meant she wouldn’t have the pain. The hurt had lessened, exchanged for regret and wondering about what might have been had their circumstances been different. Then there was the loneliness.
She was hopeful her Prince Charming was out there. Ron had made her see there was room in her life, and her bed, if she ever did find him. Maybe he’d also have a crooked nose but, she doubted anyone’s smile would ever compare to her Marine’s.
Brenna would always consider Ron her Marine. Although he probably never really was hers to begin with, he sure made her feel like she was his. Even if that wasn’t real, she cherished the memory of it, regardless if it was bittersweet now.
The meeting with the studio execs was in Los Angeles, so Luke was coming by tonight and taking Zona home with him. Brenna wished things would have worked out between him and Cassie, but given Cassie’s track record, maybe it was better this way.
Luke arrived right on time. Brenna was half-hoping her sister would be with him. He walked through the door alone and she had to agree with Cassie’s assessment the first time she saw the SWAT sergeant, he was sex on a stick. Not only was he sexy as hell, but he was one of the good guys.
“Hey! Thanks for coming all this way to get Zona. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. It’s my day off. It was nice to go for a drive.”
“No Rex with you?”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t trust him in the Jeep with Zona. I’m worried he’s going to show off for her and jump out.”
That brought a smile to Brenna’s lips.
“No date with you?”
The pained look he gave made her immediately regret asking the tongue-in-cheek question.
“Haven’t found one that I trust not to jump out of the Jeep either.”
“Hypothetically, if you did find one that you thought wouldn’t jump out, but then she did, would you chase after her?”
He gave a rueful smile. “If I thought she was the one, you bet your ass I would.”
“I wonder what that would feel like in real life,” she mused aloud while staring into space, as if picturing it. She never had had someone chase her, although she’d written plenty of heroine’s stories where it happened, so she could imagine it.