Whisper of Surrender

by Melanie Shawn

  “I told her my handsome U.S. Marshal grandson was picking me up and she is excited to meet you.”

  “Really.” Ethan’s tone was flat, and his lack of enthusiasm was evident.

  “You bet she is. Well, more so after I showed her your picture.”

  Ethan knew what picture she’d shown and if he cared about impressing Dr. Chicago he might’ve been embarrassed.

  Nana chuckled. “She was a lot more interested after she found out that you did charity work.”

  The “charity work” Nana was referring to was a calendar shoot he’d done the year before. Every Fourth of July weekend, every police officer, corrections officer, fire fighter, and paramedic in the county held a charity competition called the Battle of the Badges in Whisper Lake. The money they raised was donated to a different charity every year.

  Last year it was decided the different organizations would have competing calendars and the winner would be determined by sales. The fire department won, but just barely.

  A couple of years ago it was a boxing match and the boys in blue had easily walked away with the “title.”

  This year it was a talent show. Ethan had no plans on participating.

  Changing the subject, Ethan said, “I got the email about your flight change. Is everything okay?”

  “That’s why I’m calling you. I won’t be in until tomorrow night instead of the afternoon. I emailed you the new reservation.”

  “I know, I asked you about it.” He was sure this flight change had everything to do with the young doctor that was perfect for him.

  “Make sure to wear your uniform when you pick me up. Women love a man in uniform.”

  “I’m not-”

  “My room service is here. Gotta go. Love you!”

  Ethan stood on the street wondering how his life had come to this. It wasn’t just his grandma that was trying to fix him up, her peers were as well. He was certain that he was the current target of Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Dobrinski, and Mrs. Weathersby’s matchmaking schemes. Every few months they “secretly” played matchmaker to some unsuspecting schmuck. But since they had the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, people usually caught on. And after several not-so-coincidental run-ins with Kennedy Dawes and Laura Lopez, it was clear to Ethan that he was their latest victim.

  Both women were attractive, successful, and on paper they possessed everything he could ever want. There was just one problem. The same problem that plagued Young Patty Duke and Emily Ratajkowski. They weren’t Jess.

  He’d been living his life on the sidelines, waiting to get off the bench. But since it didn’t look like that was going to happen, Ethan was starting to think that he might just need to step up and take the shot.

  Now, all he needed was a plan to get her in the game.

  CHAPTER 3

  Jess rolled her wrist as she pulled the barrel brush through Kennedy’s long, thick hair and followed the movement with the hair dryer she held in her other hand. She was doing her best to concentrate on her work and mentally erase the image of Ethan Steele, shirtless, running in front of her house.

  She was willing herself not to picture his near-perfect physique, but it was proving to be impossible. Every time she saw him without his shirt on it was like staring directly into the sun. Except instead of seeing a black dot every time she closed her eyes, she just saw his Roman gladiator torso. It was frustrating to want something so badly, something that she was never going to let herself have.

  She knew he was doing it on purpose. He had to go out of his way to run past her house. Ethan had been a runner since high school, and for over a decade her street, Bluebird Way, was not on his route. He ran Lake Shore Drive up to Star Gaze Point and back down. Everyone knew that.

  Well, maybe not everyone…but she sure did.

  But then a couple of years ago, he’d switched things up to include Bluebird Way, which was not particularly scenic nor was it convenient to get to from his house.

  Ali had always believed that Ethan had feelings for Jess, but Jess wasn’t so sure. There was definitely something between them, but what was it? Ethan was the epitome of the Alpha man. If he were interested, why wouldn’t he have done something about it?

  Maybe because you treat him like a cold sore. A voice that sounded a lot like Ali popped into her head.

  “Thanks for fitting me in.” Kennedy was sitting in Jess’s chair and scrolling through her phone. “This weather and my curls are not friends.”

  “You know, I have some great anti-frizz products if you ever wanted to free the curls,” Jess hated to see women spend hundreds of dollars disguising their natural beauty, an attitude that wasn’t always great for business. Her bank account and her convictions didn’t always align.

  Growing up she’d wanted to be Truvy from Steel Magnolias, but unlike Dolly Parton’s character, Jess did believe in natural beauty, she just wanted to enhance it.

  “I like my hair straight.” Kennedy stared into the mirror and studied herself for a moment before switching topics. “I heard that Ali and Kade got engaged.”

  “Yep.”

  Kennedy and Kade had been the “it couple” of Whisper High over a decade ago. They’d dated on and off all through high school. But never as adults. Jess knew that they’d talked since he’d returned home, but she wasn’t sure how the woman would feel about her high school flame settling down.

  “I saw them getting coffee this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more in love. Well, besides your parents, anyway.”

  Jess grinned. Her mom and dad were the gold standard of love in Whisper Lake.

  Kennedy’s eyes lifted to Jess’s through the mirror. “Every time I start to lose hope that real love exists, I think about the way your dad looks at your mom, and I know that it does.”

  It wasn’t the first time that Jess had heard that or some version of that sentiment, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last.

  “I hope you can make it to their anniversary party.” Jess had invited the entire town. Literally. Instead of sending out individual invitations she’d posted it on the town Facebook page. Everyone loved her parents, and she didn’t want anyone to get left out because she was bad at details.

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Even though it’s going to give my mother another excuse to point out that I don’t have a date.”

  “I heard that you’ve been seeing Ethan.” Actually, she’d heard that the Needlepoint Mafia had been throwing the two of them together, but tomayto tomahto.

  She was starting to wonder if it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he had a girlfriend. Maybe then she could get over her unrelenting attraction to him.

  Kennedy shook her head. “Nope. No spark. At least, not on his part. I gave it the old college try, but it was painfully obvious that he wasn’t into it. I’m hoping the ladies don’t drag it out. When I ran into Mrs. D at the grocery store I threw Laura Lopez’s name into the mix, so, fingers crossed, she is the current forerunner in the Ethan Steele games.”

  Laura Lopez?

  The exotic beauty had been married and divorced twice, but it had not soured her on romance. If anything, she seemed more determined than ever to find her happily ever after. A stab of jealousy hit Jess’s chest at the thought of the two of them being caught up in one of the old ladies’ matchmaking schemes.

  No. Jess tried to shake off the green-eyed monster. She’d just been thinking that it would be a good thing if Ethan were involved with someone else. Anyone who wasn’t her.

  Ethan was too protective. He was too overbearing. He was too intense. He was…too much. And as much as Ali had hypothesized that he had feelings for Jess, he’d never come right out and said as much. He’d never made a move. He’d never even hinted.

  So the truth was, she had no idea what Ethan felt or didn’t feel about her. But she did know that he ran by her house, shirtless, several times a week. And that it was driving her insane.

  Ethan was all she thought about. Morning. Noon. And night. She saw him in her dr
eams. Waking and nocturnal. He was always with her, like a shadow in her soul. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake him.

  The chime on the door sounded, and Jess glanced up as Mrs. Chen entered the salon. And she wasn’t alone.

  Speak of the devil.

  * * *

  Ethan’s eyes locked with Jess’s as soon as he walked into the shop, and like it did every time he stared into the endless depths of blue pools, his mind went blank. The world around him ceased to exist, and his heart slammed into his chest.

  His reaction when he and Jess made eye contact still surprised him after all these years. It never waned. It never lost any of its punch. If anything, it grew more potent. More powerful. More possessing.

  When he was younger, he’d thought that the feelings he’d had for Jess would eventually go away. Instead, his crush that started the first day of his senior year (and her freshman year) grew even stronger as the years went on.

  He’d known who Jess was, after all, it was a small town. He knew that she was sick, but he’d never really seen her sick. Well, until that day he was headed to the bathroom and found her lying in the hallway in front of a row of lockers.

  He had rushed to her side and called her name. Ethan could still remember the panic that gripped him when she didn’t respond. Since he’d spent his summers as a lifeguard at the lake, he was certified in CPR. The relief he felt when he’d felt her pulse was indescribable.

  He called out for help and began giving her mouth to mouth. After the second breath that he administered, her eyes fluttered open and for a split second they stared into his. He’d never forget that moment. When she saw him her crystal blue eyes softened and she whispered his name. “Ethan.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Then it was as if cold water had been dumped on her. She blinked and looked around in confusion before scrambling to sit up. He’d tried to keep her sitting down, but she was having none of it.

  “Wait. Just stay there. You shouldn’t move.”

  “I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy.”

  When he saw that she was hell-bent on standing up, he helped her. Then he started to guide her to the offices.

  “My class is this way,” she tugged away from him.

  “You need to go see the nurse.”

  “No! I don’t.”

  “You were just passed out on the floor.”

  “I know, but I’m fine now. See?” She waved her hand up and down her body as if to demonstrate that she was okay.

  “You need to get checked out.”

  “No.” She shook her head and started unlocking her locker as she explained, “I just need my oxygen. I thought I’d be okay without it, but…”

  The door opened, and he watched as she tugged a steel tank on wheels out. She tucked the tubing behind her ears and positioned it under her nose before turning the knob.

  “I still think we need to tell someone-”

  “No. Please,” she begged. “If my dad finds out, he’ll make me be homeschooled. It wouldn’t have happened if I’d had my oxygen. I was just trying to be…”

  “Normal,” he finished for her.

  Her chin dipped in a harsh nod, and he saw tears beginning to form in her lower lids. “Yeah.”

  His chest ached at the depth of emotion that he’d seen in her eyes. He saw a determination and desperation that he’d never felt or seen before.

  He agreed to stay silent. It was the first time in his life that he’d ignored his gut instinct. His brain had been screaming for him to go and tell the nurse or a teacher that she’d passed out, but he couldn’t. The look in her eyes flipped the override switch in his brain.

  And now, just like in that hallway, her expressive aqua stare told him more than her pretty mouth ever would about how she felt about him. They widened slightly in shock to see him, then softened for a split second before hardening. It was that flash of softness that he lived for. That tiny glimpse into her soul that gave him hope.

  Then he saw who was seated in Jess’s chair and he knew that this was another setup. When Mrs. Chen had waved him down and asked for assistance, he’d thought it was odd that she’d “forgotten” her cane. But, now he knew she hadn’t.

  “Hey, Mrs. Chen!” Jess greeted the woman hanging on his arm as she ignored him completely. “I think your appointment isn’t until tomorrow.”

  “Yes, it is. But I need a color change. The orange is giving me a headache.”

  He looked down at the fingers clutching his bicep and saw that the shade she wore was a barely there, light pastel shade that he couldn’t imagine would cause any kind of a headache.

  Jess nodded as she continued working on Kennedy’s hair. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes, but I can fit you in.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll wait.”

  Ethan escorted Mrs. Chen to the two-seat sofa in the waiting area.

  “Thank you. I don’t know how I would have managed without you.” Mrs. Chen patted Ethan’s arm as she gingerly lowered onto the couch. “Would you mind fetching me a water before you go?”

  Ethan wasn’t sure if she thought she was being sly or not but her tactics were painfully obvious.

  “Sure.”

  “Ladies.” He dipped his chin in a nod as he passed behind the women on his way to the back of the shop where Jess kept a fridge filled with soda, tea and water for her clients. He’d had to grab an iced tea for Nana several times.

  Kennedy smiled and lifted her hand in a slight wave. Jess just stared at him through the reflection of the glass. He could see that the wheels were turning in her pretty little head, but he had no idea where they were going.

  After delivering the drink to Mrs. Chen, he gave a general, “You ladies have nice day,” to the room and left.

  As he was walking out of the shop, he heard Jess ask, “Did you have a nice run this morning?”

  His cheeks strained as he forced his mouth not to curl up in a smile. Casually, he turned back and said, “I did. Thanks.”

  She wasn’t looking at him, but he sensed that she had more to say. He loved that he could get under her skin. Just like the look in her eyes, it was another thing that gave him hope. Why would she care if he ran by her house if she didn’t have any feelings for him?

  He’d seen how she was with the other guys in town. She joked around. She flirted. She was bold. But with him, she held back. There was a time when he’d worried that it was because she just plain couldn’t stand him. But over the past few years, after catching her staring at him when she didn’t know anyone was looking, after seeing the flush rise in her cheeks when they’d bump into each other, or the way her lips parted and her breaths grew shallow whenever they were in a confined space, he’d decided it was something else.

  The door shut behind him and he headed back out into the beautiful summer day at Whisper Lake. He slid his sunglasses on as a satisfied smile spread on his face.

  He was more sure than ever that she felt something for him.

  She wanted him. She just didn’t want to want him.

  CHAPTER 4

  Jess stared at the shoes in her closet. Lanterns was close enough that she didn’t need to drive but far enough away that wearing the shoes she wanted to would be torture.

  It hit her then that just a couple of years ago she wouldn’t have been having this dilemma. Walking the few blocks, it would take to get to Lanterns would’ve been out of the question. Even if she’d felt up to it, she wouldn’t have wanted to drag her oxygen tank along with her. She took a deep breath, appreciating the fact that she was able to. Most of her life that hadn’t been the case.

  She grabbed her red strappy heels. She lowered to the edge of her bed and reminded herself of the promise she’d made to herself after she’d gotten the heart transplant. She was never going to take her life for granted.

  Time was not something that was guaranteed. It was a lesson she’d learned early in life. Doctors hadn’t given her a long life expectancy, and there’d been seve
ral times when she hadn’t been expected to make it out of the hospital.

  Then, a miracle happened. It was a Thursday. She’d been lying in her hospital bed watching General Hospital, of all things, when her doctor came in wearing a smile she’d never seen him wear before.

  He’d told her that they had a donor and they needed to prep her for surgery. After that, everything had happened so fast. It was like her entire life had moved in excruciatingly slow motion and then it sped up to hyper-speed. In the blink of an eye, one woman had lost her life, and Jess had gained hers.

  As a young child, Jess had faced her own mortality and made peace with death. Now, as an adult, she was facing actually living, and she had to make peace with life.

  She wrapped the skinny strap around her slender ankle and told herself that life was precious. It was fragile, and she planned on making the most out of it. Heels and all.

  When she stood, she walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner. Her hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail with a white and black polka-dot scarf wrapped around it. She had a sleeveless white turtleneck tank that had a keyhole back and boyfriend jeans that were rolled up exposing her ankle and lower calf. A bright red lip and her signature thick black cat-eye liner finished off the look.

  Fashion had always been a big part of her life. It was a way of expressing herself when she’d felt like her only identity was her illness. She’d adapted a rockabilly pinup style around the age of fourteen after seeing a documentary on vintage pinup girls while she was lying in a hospital bed. It had been transformational. It inspired her and gave her a purpose.

  She enrolled in cosmetology school right after she graduated high school and even though it had taken her three times as long as it did other students to graduate because of her condition, she’d done it. Up until she had her surgery she worked part-time at The Mane Attraction. Then a few months after her transplant, the previous owner retired, and she and Amelia took over.