“I can’t say.” Jake pulled out of the parking lot, then glanced over at her. “I’m sorry about all of this. About what Rian said. About fighting him, and... mostly for not giving you the chance to defend yourself like I should have.”
It didn’t matter, not anymore. Sydney reached over and grasped his hand. He threaded their fingers together. “So do you believe that I choose you?”
“Yeah,” he said in a gruff voice.
They drove the rest of the way to her apartment in silence, holding hands, the air between them thick with all that had happened.
When Jake parked, he said, “Tell me what you want to do, Sydney.”
She met his gaze and saw much more than a single question in his eyes. “Does the ranch have Wi-Fi?”
“Only in the mornings,” Jake said with a half-smile. “Kidding. Yeah, it’s how my parents watch whichever series they’re hooked on at night.”
“Really?” Sydney said, surprised. “Well, I could probably work remotely for a couple of days if I had to.” She looked out the front window. “If Rian doesn’t leave tonight.”
Jake’s tightened his grip on her. “Want to grab some more of your stuff now so we don’t have to wait around?”
“All right,” Sydney said. The thought of staying in her place, even if Jake was with her, and having Rian show up made her nervous. She didn’t want the two brothers fighting again. “Let’s go in and get you some ice, and then I’ll grab a few more things.”
Jake followed her into her apartment, and it was strange to see it now with him at her side. She saw it through his eyes, and she noticed how yellow everything was. Yellow throw pillow, yellow accent rug, yellow vases, yellow tablecloth in the kitchen...
“You like yellow, huh?” Jake asked.
She laughed, grabbing some ice and putting it into a zip-top baggie. “I guess. What about you?” She pressed the bag of ice on the side of his head.
“Hmmm,” he said, capturing her hand and pulling her against him. His arms slid around her waist, trapping her into place. “I don’t mind it.”
She blinked up at him as her heart thumped. She hadn’t forgotten one moment of his kisses or his touches. “Good,” she whispered as she lifted up on her toes and gently kissed his cheek.
“I’m not that injured,” Jake whispered back, moving his mouth to hers and kissing her. “Did I tell you thanks for choosing me?”
Sydney drew back slightly to gaze into his eyes. “You did not.”
His eyes seemed to bore into her, and he said, “Thank you.” He kissed the edge of her mouth. “Thank you.” Then he kissed her neck, sending a riot of shivers through her. “Thank you.”
“Mmmm,” Sydney said, her breath rushing out. “I like your thank you’s.”
He smiled against her skin. Then he straightened. “We should get going... before Rian gets any ideas. While you get your stuff ready, I’ll talk to the apartment manager about keeping watch on your place for few days.”
Sydney reluctantly released him. “All right, I’ll hurry.” Once in her room, she closed her eyes and exhaled. So much had happened in such a short time. Her mind was spinning, but her heart was full.
She’d had her phone on silent, and she checked it to find a missed message from her mother and several texts from Maria and June. Sydney sat on her bed for a moment and texted her mom, then replied to Maria and June. Rian’s back, and he and Jake got into a fight. I’m going back to the ranch with Jake for a few days to let things settle with Rian. Says he’s going to Canada for a job.
Replies tumbled in top of each other.
Wow.
What kind of fight?
You’re going back to the ranch with Jake? Really??? What’s going on with him?
Have you kissed him yet?
Sydney laughed at the last one. If only her friends knew, which they wouldn’t, at least not yet. Never kiss and tell, she wrote, following up with several winking emojis.
Then she pocketed her phone as she heard Jake come inside the apartment and call for her.
“Coming,” she said, grabbing the bag she’d added a couple of outfits to. When she walked into the living room, she stopped short.
Jake was standing there with the apartment manager, Randy Brown.
“Hi, Sydney,” Randy said. “This guy told me that you’re worried about your ex showing up and possibly trying to get into your apartment,” he said, indicating Jake.
Sydney nodded. “He might still have the key.”
“I’ll keep an eye out on the place and on your car,” he said.
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Sydney said.
Jake moved to take the bag from her hands. “Is that everything?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she told him. Then to the manager she said, “Please call my cell if there’s anything I need to know about.”
“Will do,” the manager said. “I’ll be putting a lock box on the door so he can’t get in, unless he breaks a window or something.”
“I appreciate that,” Sydney said. They all walked out of the apartment, and Sydney locked her door.
She and Jake said goodbye to the manager, then climbed into Jake’s truck.
Sydney felt exhausted, and she leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes.
“Do you want to grab something to eat?” Jake asked, starting the truck.
“Only if you want to,” Sydney said. “I want to put some distance between me and Rian.”
Jake reached over and grabbed her hand. “Let’s get out of here, then.”
Sydney fell into a deep sleep that night. When she awoke around 2:00 am, she was surprised she’d even slept. Although exhausted, she was also wired from so many changes and emotions happening over the past few days. That, and the fact that Jake’s room was only two doors away. He’d kissed her before sending her off to bed, and she’d seen the longing in his eyes, matching her own, but he was also putting her first. Which she appreciated.
But now, lying alone in the guest bedroom in the dark, she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted Jake’s arms around her, holding her, and him telling her that Rian was in the far, distant past and that the future would work out. That they would work out. Was it really possible, she wondered, to become so attached to a man in such a short period of time?
On the drive back to the ranch, Jake had been quiet again, but this time they were connected, holding hands. She’d continued to hold his hand when Jake spoke with his parents and told them the latest developments. Sydney had received hugs from both parents, and still, she wished she could do more, bring them more comfort.
A deep voice rumbled from the hallway, and Sydney stilled. Someone was talking... in the middle of the night. She rose from her bed and crossed the bedroom, then cracked open her door to listen.
It sounded like Jake was talking in his bedroom. Was he on the phone?
Sydney walked down the hall and stopped outside his bedroom door. She froze when she heard Jake say, “You called the wrong person, Rian.”
Rian had called Jake? Now what was going on? She couldn’t stand waiting, so she opened the door and stepped into Jake’s bedroom.
He was sitting on the edge of his bed and looked up with surprise when she entered.
“I meant it when I told you that I’m done with you,” Jake said. “You have to fight your own battles now, and I suggest making your next phone call to the public defender’s office. They’ll take your case on for free.”
Sydney leaned against the wall, listening as dread filled her. Had Rian been stopped at the border or something? Had he been arrested?
After a few more minutes of Jake arguing with Rian, Jake finally hung up and turned off his phone. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
“What did he want?” Sydney asked, moving to sit next to him on the bed.
“He was arrested in an altercation at the Seattle airport,” Jake said. “Apparently, his driver’s license was flagged, and he wasn’t too happy about it.”
&n
bsp; “So he’s in jail?”
Jake lifted his head to look at Sydney. “Yeah, he wants bail money and needs an attorney.”
“You’re not going to do it, are you?” Sydney asked, even though she’d heard the conversation.
“I’m not,” Jake said, his gray eyes on her. “I thought I’d done hard things before, but this is really hard.”
“It’s the right thing, though,” Sydney said, moving closer and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“When I see you and know how he’s hurt you, it’s easier for me to stay on task,” Jake said in a quiet voice. “But he is my brother. And he’s desperate.”
Sydney placed a hand on his cheek. “What’s the worst that can happen? Be sent to a white-collar-crime prison?”
“Probably,” Jake said.
“How else will he learn his lesson?” Sydney pressed. “A couple of years in jail will teach him, and it will give you and your parents a break.”
“Mmm,” Jake said, pulling her closer. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just have to figure out how to live with my decision.”
“I can help you with that,” Sydney said, running her fingers through his hair.
Jake lowered his head and buried his face in her neck. “I can’t believe that Rian would give you up. His loss, my gain.”
“My gain too,” Sydney whispered in his ear.
“Is this what you usually wear to bed?” Jake asked.
Sydney looked down at her tank shirt that left little to the imagination, since she wore no bra, and the pajama bottoms that were more like flannel shorts. “Only when no one can see me.”
“I like it,” Jake said, moving his mouth against her neck.
Heat shot through Sydney. She was in Jake’s bedroom, in the middle of the night, and he was kissing her. If things had moved fast before between them, it had just sped up.
“Jake,” she said. “I should probably go back to my room.”
“Can I come with you?” he murmured, trailing his lips along her exposed collarbone.
“Things are so new, and I... I still need to clear my head with all of the changes in my life,” Sydney said.
Jake released a soft moan, then lifted his head. “I understand. And you’re right. I like you too much to mess anything up.”
“Thanks,” Sydney said, kissing him on his mouth.
“That’s not helping,” Jake said.
Sydney smiled. “Sorry. You look adorable when you’ve just woken up.”
“That doesn’t sound very manly.”
“In your case, it’s very manly,” Sydney said, reluctantly disentangling herself from his arms.
Jake stood with her and walked her to her bedroom, his hand clasping hers. He stood in her doorway. “Good night,” he whispered as he released her hand. “See you in the morning.”
“Good night,” she said, tempted to draw him into her room and lock the door behind them. But she wanted things to go right with Jake. By the way her pulse was thumping and her heart was practically reaching for him, she knew that she’d found a man she could spend a lifetime with.
They still had a lot of hurdles to overcome. Like his brother. And the fact that she worked an hour away. But... for tonight, she’d be happy with sleeping two doors down from him.
She began to shut the door, when Jake said, “Wait.”
She paused.
He leaned against the door frame, only inches from her. “I want to tell you thank you. I couldn’t have gotten through all of this without you, and as a bonus, there’s a beautiful woman in my house who I think likes me.”
Sydney smiled. “I more than like you, Jake Stevenson.”
“Good,” he said, his own smile appearing. “I hope to keep it that way, because I’ve fallen for you.”
Sydney felt a blush spread through her, and her stomach flipped over. “You’re making it really hard to shut this door on you.”
He winked. “Sweet dreams, then. I know who I’ll be dreaming about.”
Before she could respond, he stepped away and walked back to his room.
She watched him walk down the hall, and as he stepped into his bedroom, she closed her own door with a sigh. Jake Stevenson was the real deal, and Sydney didn’t know what she’d done to deserve this man. But she knew one thing for certain: she was going to follow her heart this time.
More romances in the Falling series:
Heather B. Moore is a four-time USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical thrillers and historical romances under the pen name H. B. Moore; her latest thrillers include The Killing Curse and Poetic Justice. She writes romance and women’s fiction under the name Heather B. Moore; her newest releases include the historical romance Love is Come and the contemporary romance series: Pine Valley Novels. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
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