by C. J. Thomas
The cowboy shut the office door behind him and I turned back to Noah, lowering myself into the empty chair. Noah was already leaning back in his own as my eyes bounced off the walls.
“Do you know how long Trevor will be?” I asked.
Noah laced his fingers together and set his hands on the desk in front of him. “He’s not an easy man to predict.”
“But you do expect him to come back?” My voice sounded more like a helpless damsel in distress than the confident woman I thought of myself as.
“I do.” His brow furrowed.
Noah’s eyes told me he knew more about Trevor and me than he was saying.
“What’s this about?” Noah asked.
My stomach rolled. I wanted to tell him the truth—how I didn’t like how things ended with Trevor the other day, how I wasn’t one to not finish a meal, and how I needed him to know I was getting married. But I couldn’t. I didn’t know who I could trust with what information. Follow your heart, I could hear the girls saying.
“It’s about the wedding.”
He gave an arched look. “How’s your fiancé?”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “Gary.”
“Yes, Gary.” He gave a weak smile.
Not having time to bullshit, I asked, “Go on and say it. It’s clear you already know.”
He pulled his hands onto his lap, angled his chair sideways, and flicked his gaze back to me.
“I can see it in the way you’re looking at me.”
There was the slightest pause. “We’ve seen the photo.”
“I know.” I flicked my eyes to his computer screen. “That man was looking at it when we came in. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
He frowned and shuffled his feet. Bringing his elbows on top of his desk, he leaned forward and asked, “Should I be worried about what you and my brother are up to?”
My eyes rounded. I couldn’t blink. “Why would you worry?”
“None of us need a scandal. There is too much at stake. We don’t need to add more staff, not to mention the sudden surge in lawyer fees.”
My mind flashed back to the way Trevor held me in his arms. They shielded me from harm, protected me from evil. He draped me in his compassion and I would do anything to go back and feel it again. “He told you?”
Noah tightened his lips as he stared.
“Anyone else know about this?” My pulse throbbed up my neck.
Noah gave a small shake to his head.
My breaths shortened as I pushed myself up and out of my chair. Trevor had promised me he would keep this a secret, yet Noah knew what we’d done. I paced the room, trying not to be pissed. It would only make the situation worse.
Noah stood and pushed his hands into his pockets. He stood there with a calm, unwavering expression. It was the same admirable qualities both Nolan and Trevor had, but in his own unique way.
“What Gary did to you was wrong.” Noah rolled his shoulders back.
I swallowed hard.
“Trevor only wants to make sure you’re safe.”
Suddenly, my hands began trembling. I fought back the tears as best I could, but they were on the verge of exploding out into the world. “You know where he is?” My voice cracked.
His eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Did you know Trevor was also a Marine?”
My heart slammed into my chest. Then it hit me. Of course I should have seen this coming. The clues were all there. But how could I have ever guessed Noah’s next words?
“He went to talk to Gary.”
“About me?” My voice shot.
“Trevor and Gary have a history, Sienna.” He paused. “They know each other extremely well.”
The first tear squeezed itself out and slid down my cheek.
“And now you have two men fighting for your love.”
27
Trevor
I sat on the wooden bench in City Park, near where we used to play as kids.
Inside, I was still fuming with everything that happened with Gary. A part of me had known I wasn’t going to keep my cool. With what he’d done to Sienna, I should have given him a bloody nose right after I cut off the oxygen to his brain.
Flipping my phone screen-up, I reread the text Noah had sent me half an hour ago.
Warning me that Sienna had stopped by the office looking for me, my heart raced with excitement and uncertainty. My hope was that she would understand.
My legs were restless as my gaze darted around looking for her.
Sienna should be arriving any minute now, and I couldn’t wait to finally get my thoughts—and feelings—off my chest. I was also prepared for the worst.
I sucked back a deep breath which did little to calm my raw nerves.
She wasn’t going to be happy about me breaking our promise, even if Noah had been the one to guess the truth. I wasn’t mad at Noah. If not for him, it would have found a way of surfacing on its own. The truth always did.
Turning my head, I gazed into the tall Rocky Mountain peaks. Soon, my thoughts drifted to my younger brother, Travis, and how if it weren’t for him leaving a condom in my bathroom, I might not have decided to go all the way with Sienna.
There were no regrets.
My chest was light, my mind clear. At least when she was there.
There were secrets in my life that she needed to hear before we could write the next chapter. Or end the story right now.
The thought of her not being a part of my life sent chills down my spine. Swiveling my head on my shoulders, I again looked around for her.
My eyes bounced from man to woman, brunette to redhead, only to come up empty of blondes. One very tall and leggy blonde, to be exact.
Stealing a quick glance to my phone, I checked that I hadn’t missed another call from her. I had called Sienna back after listening to her message. It sounded urgent. Tracking me down couldn’t mean nothing. After how we’d left things yesterday, I thought that was it. But after seeing the viral photo making its rounds of her and Gary kissing, she needed to know what I saw at Gary’s. I needed to know what she made of it—if anything.
I locked in on a pair of mallard ducks swimming across the lake, leaving ripples in their wake. I was still trying to make sense of who the woman was who’d come to Gary’s rescue.
My fingers tapped my thigh anxiously. There was the change I was making more of her appearance than what it truly was.
She was an attractive young woman with an excellent figure and it was clear that she knew Gary well. But why hadn’t I seen her before that moment, and who was she? A sister I didn’t know he had? A friend? Something more than a friend? By the way she was so concerned for his wellbeing, and the way in which she tenderly held his face in her hands, she had to be more than just a friend. And, if she was, then he was playing Sienna for a fool.
I cracked my knuckles just as I turned my head to find Sienna walking in my direction.
Tucked beneath a ball cap, her ponytail swung over her shoulders. I watched, feeling breathless at the seductive swaying of her hips. Though her sugar brown eyes were hidden behind mirrored sunglasses, I knew she was looking directly at me.
The blood rushed from my brain as I stood, nearly sending me back to the bench.
A jolt of electricity shocked my skin alive and a silly grin pulled at the corners of my mouth.
She waved and I waved back, thinking about what Evan had asked me earlier. Do you love her?
I wasn’t sure I believed in love at first sight. I had never been in love before, so I didn’t know what it felt like. But if being weak in the knees and having the fluttering feeling roll over my stomach every time she was near, then I guess I had found myself accidentally in love.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hey.” We stared and soaked each other in before I suggested we sit.
When Sienna lowered herself to bench next to me, I wanted to move closer but something about her energy made me hold back. An awkward silence followed. Afte
r a minute of no words being exchanged, I said, “We used to play here all the time as kids.”
Sienna wet her lips, beginning to relax.
Sitting in the shade of the mature trees, I flicked my gaze to the meandering path and listened to the squirrels chatter against the planes flying overhead.
“Dad would wrestle with all of us. Including our sister, Charlotte.” I turned to Sienna. She angled her head in my direction, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Charlotte always wanted to be one of the boys. She was a tough girl, could hold her own.” I chuckled. “Over the years, there were many bets on what each of us would do as adults.” Flicking my gaze to Sienna, she was still hanging on to each word. “But it was my decision that caught everyone by surprise.”
Her tongue slid between the seam of her lips.
Turning my gaze forward, I stared over the lake. “I broke from family tradition to do my own thing. Our parents encouraged all of us to pursue our passions, and no one fought me on my dreams.”
“What were your dreams?” Her voice was soft, trusting.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees. “They were proud, supportive of my decision to become a Marine.”
I could hear Sienna swallow hard.
My eyes squinted. “Coming home was just about the hardest thing I had to do. We knew from an early age we would be brought into the family business. The only thing above country is family.” I rolled my neck back to her. Removing my sunglasses, I continued, “The bond bound by blood. The strength found in unity. Unwavering and unconditional loyalty. Held to the highest standards of truth.”
Her expression drooped as she cast her gaze to her hands. “I should have mentioned the wedding.”
Sliding closer to her, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and tucked her into my chest. Leaning close to her ear, I murmured, “I want you to know that what you did wasn’t wrong. It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
She nodded beneath her cap.
“As long as you’re being true to your heart.”
She removed her sunglasses and wiped her eyes dry. Taking a minute to blink back the tears, she turned to me and asked, “When did you find out?”
Looking back toward the lake, I said, “Word gets around quickly with my brothers. It didn’t take me long to piece it together after learning their weekend plans.”
“I’m so confused.” She bit her lip. “I want you to know that I’m not that kind of girl.”
“Never thought you were.” Then I turned and fixed my eyes on her. “What I need to know is why you’re here and not with friends and family.”
“Because everything inside is telling me that I’m with the wrong man.”
I froze. My eyes widened. When her words finally sank in, I squeezed her shoulder. That didn’t erase what I’d seen in the photo going around of her kissing Gary.
“Yesterday,” she whispered, “I told you I can’t to do this—”
I nodded, remembering the conversation.
“—I was talking about my wedding.” She reached for my free hand and latched on to one of my fingers. “You’re the only solid thing in my life right now.”
My heart drummed so hard in my chest, Sienna had to be able to hear it.
“Is that strange for me to say?”
Lifting my hand, I slowly rested it over her heart. It beat as fiercely as my own, confirming the knowledge that we were in this together. “What do you want me to do?”
She removed her sunglasses and looked me directly in the eye. “Tell me that I’m not just making this up. Tell me that what I’m feeling between us is real.” Her eyes darted over my face as her excitement grew. “Tell me that getting married is a mistake and that you’re the one I was meant to be with.”
Pulling my arm back to my side, I threaded my fingers through hers and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s take a walk.”
We walked for a while without saying anything and I could feel her nerves grinding. She couldn’t hold my hand. I understood why. It was because of who she was, the expectations placed upon her by her father. It took courage to make her confession. But there was still so much she didn’t know about me—things that might make her see me in a new light.
“The day you came into my garage was the best day of my life.” My legs moved in slow, shallow steps. Sienna stepped next to mine, hugging her midsection. “But I can’t tell you how to feel.”
We stopped and faced each other. Hooking her chin with my finger, I tipped her head back. The glint in her eye caught my attention. As I watched them sparkle beneath the blue sky, I said, “Not because I don’t think all those things are true.”
“Then why?” A pained expression pulled her lips down.
“You’ve heard of Semper Fidelis, the motto of the Marine Corps.”
She stopped and her eyes widened. “Always faithful,” she whispered.
28
Sienna
In that moment, when I looked into his eyes that sparkled like the ocean, I knew which man I wanted. My body flushed warm before dread pulled my head out of the clouds. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the man I was set to marry. And I still didn’t have a way out of the fire.
“Always faithful.” Trevor’s hot breath swirled over my ears as he nodded.
Biting the edge of my lip, Trevor was more amazing than I’d thought possible. He consistently found new ways to surprise me. It was refreshing to see his intellect shine. My only regret was not finding him sooner.
He lifted his head, looked up the path, and began walking. “I know who your fiancé is.”
My stomach hardened. I couldn’t look him in the eye.
He spoke with such confidence; there wasn’t even a hint of remorse in his voice. I loved that about him, but I was still extremely embarrassed by the photo from last night.
Pulling my ball cap further over my eyes, I cursed my father for inviting the media to the family dinner. I wanted to tell Trevor that it wasn’t my decision—that the only reason my father did it was to put the spotlight on him. But I didn’t know how, and certainly didn’t want him to think less of me.
“When did you learn who he was?” I glanced at his hand, wanting to reach out and touch it.
He walked, continuing to look around. Scents of fresh cut grass swirled around our ankles as the sounds of runners jarring over the concrete circled around us. Suddenly he stopped and lifted his hands to my face.
I froze but didn’t fight it.
His calloused hands were gentle and large. When he brushed the pad of his thumb over the cut on my lip, I flinched. “It’s healing nicely.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, not knowing what else to say.
Fixing his gaze on me, he lowered his husky voice and said, “I needed to know who did this to you. Who the fool was who would want to break this beautiful face and cause the pain I saw in your eyes when we met.”
My scalp prickled as a sudden chill moved down my spine. The more he talked, the angrier he became. I liked that he wanted to protect me. I didn’t want to have to do it all myself. “And when you learned it was Gary, a fellow Marine?”
He turned his head and looked away. Scrubbing a hand over his face, anguish deepened the ridges on his brow. “It’s not just that he’s a Marine …”
His raspy breath fell upon me. Arching my brow, I gave him a questioning look.
His next breath was a sharp intake of air and he turned back to me with dark, menacing eyes.
My pulse ticked in my neck but I held my ground, firmly locking my legs in place.
The tornado of emotion swirling in his eyes made it clear that he was struggling to come up with the right words to explain his change in demeanor. I didn’t want to make any assumptions, but they were endless. I was nervous about what Trevor had to say. He was far too quiet. I didn’t want to overstep a boundary I wasn’t sure of. I’d caused enough ripples in the water to warrant a drowning.
Finally, he turned with tense muscles and started walking again.
/> I followed without saying a word, knowing that this was his time to share. He was quiet for a long while, and I just listened to his breathing, appreciating the way it felt to walk in his shadow.
Every now and then our fingers brushed against each other’s and, when they did, my heart was sent fluttering out of orbit. Without having to say, we both knew that we couldn’t let our emotions get away from ourselves while in public. We were already risking more than either of our families could endure, but he was worth it—this was worth it.
“You know what my biggest fear was when joining the family business?”
I looked up at him from beneath my brow. Shaking my head, my lips spread into a small smile that wasn’t a true reflection of the nerves currently jumping inside of me.
“Letting them down.”
For the first time since meeting him, I saw fear in his eyes. Inching closer, I needed to feel his warm, hard body against mine. He was the kind of gentleman Mom would approve of—the kind of man who made me feel at ease. There was no doubt Trevor Foster was one of the good ones. A man who would pick me up when I fell. Hell, he had proven it plenty of times since we’d met.
I latched onto his hands, hiding them between us in case anyone saw, and listened to more of what he had to say.
“It’s not that I’m not trained, or don’t have the confidence to make the decisions that need to be made.” He wet his lips with his tongue. “But because when I was fighting over there,” he jutted his head east, “I was overly confident in my abilities to lead. And, because of me, some of the best men I ever knew died.”
My heart stopped.
I didn’t know what to say other than “I’m sorry.”
Everything about him was making more sense. The reason he didn’t see himself as a war hero, his distaste for politics, even thinking back to how he expertly dressed a wound—my wound.
“I’m not the man I was before shipping out.” His voice was barely a whisper. “Every day I question why I lived and they didn’t.”
I could feel the anxiety and depression coursing through his veins as he talked—his breath absent of whiskey. Something had changed. I hoped that I was the reason for it. “Is that why you drink?”