The Reckoning
The Wilde Brothers
by
Lorhainne Eckhart
Some scars just don’t heal.
Logan Wilde has always been the big brother, holding the family together, ever since a crisis made their father leave when Logan was just a teen. He was a surrogate father to his brothers even after their own father returned, and the brothers have always sought out Logan when they were in trouble.
However, this Christmas, Logan and his brothers will face their biggest crisis yet.
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The Reckoning, The Wilde Brothers
COPYRIGHT © Lorhainne Ekelund, 2014, All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design: Steven Novak
Contact Information: [email protected]
Editor: Talia Leduc
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
The door was white, with a brass handle and diamond-shaped cutouts in the Plexiglas. This was the sort of suburbia that Jake could never have imagined his brother Logan living in, this cute bungalow on a quiet street buried in a foot of snow. No, out of all the brothers, Jake thought this would best suit Samuel, the lawyer who lived a mile from him in Seattle, the brother he’d done everything with. He wondered for a moment, as he went to knock, whether he should have called. He hesitated a second and then rapped on the door, then squeezed his cold hands, wishing he’d brought his gloves. He wasn’t dressed for snow, for the Idaho cold, and he shivered in his leather coat and stomped his feet in the Oxfords he also should have left at home. Then he noticed the doorbell.
He didn’t bother to push it, though. He could hear the footsteps, the creak of the floor, and voices inside—his brother’s deep voice, which always grounded him. Today he felt odd, out of place. Everything felt so different. Logan had his own family now.
The front door opened, and there was something about looking into Logan’s blue-gray eyes, strong and confident as always, that made Jake feel as if he could handle anything life threw his way. Maybe that was why one look at his brother let him know everything would be okay. This softness was a side of Logan that Jake hadn’t seen before, though. The hard edge his brother had always carried now seemed smoother. Must have been a woman’s touch.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming tonight!” Logan held the door and gestured for Jake to come in, and Jake listened to the chatter and footsteps inside the house—Julia and the twins.
“Hope it’s okay,” he said. “I didn’t even think about calling until I pulled up here. Guess I’m used to just showing up, but it might not be okay to do that now that you’re married.”
For a moment, he ached at the thought that he might be intruding on his brother, a brother who’d always been there for him, anytime, anywhere. Logan was everything to him—had been everything to all of the younger brothers: him, Samuel, Joe, and Ben. But Logan wasn’t just any brother, he was who Jake had always looked up to. He knew that out of everyone in his family, Logan would walk through fire for him. His brother would always be there. For a moment, he found himself taking in the threads of gray that were taking over his brother’s dark hair. He looked older, probably from carrying the weight of everyone else on his shoulders.
“Get in here, would you?” Logan said.
There was something in his gaze, in the way Logan studied him, that made Jake need to figure out what was going on with him. Logan didn’t often say much, but he always knew when trouble was lurking around each of the brothers. He called often just to check in and make sure they were okay. Jake may have never told him, but he missed Logan calling, tracking him down. He still called, but he no longer grilled Jake like he used to. Even though it irritated Jake to be treated as if he were twelve years old, knowing his brother loved him and was there for him made him feel as if Logan always had his back.
Logan narrowed his eyes. Yeah, he could still read his brothers well. Jake had never, out of all the brothers, been able to hide anything from him.
Jake dropped his overnight bag on the beige carpet with a clunk. He didn’t wait for Logan to hug him like he always did. Instead, Jake reached out first and felt the muscles bunch in his brother’s back at their embrace. Logan had always looked after himself, and even though Jake was the football star, with ripped triceps, biceps, pecs, and abs—and those linebacker shoulders—Logan came in a close second. He’d noticed something else, too, the last few times he’d seen Logan, in the lines around his eyes. Ever since a roadside bomb had ended his career in the marines, Logan had changed, and even more so now that he’d married Julia. As he stood there with his brother, Jake flashed back to a moment he never wanted to relive: getting that call and not knowing whether Logan would live or die. It was something that stuck with him, the fear of losing someone so important that life wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Logan patted his back and then held his shoulders when he stepped away, looking at him closely. “You okay?” he said.
“Logan, who’s here?”
Jake heard Julia before he could come up with an excuse. She waddled around the corner wearing a long nightgown, a pink housecoat overtop, too pregnant to close it. She had short dark hair and the most beautiful green eyes, though they were puffy and shadowed with traces of darkness. Her hand was pressed to her back as she walked, and her face lit up when she saw him. Logan reached out to her, and she went right to him, sliding up against him, leaning into him.
“Hi, Jake! I didn’t know you were coming,” she said, snuggling against Logan. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, her hair sticking up in front. A gold band flashed on Logan’s finger as he held Julia and slid his large hand over her shoulder and arm, caressing her. It seemed so natural, the two of them together, and Jake was glad for his brother and thankful for this happiness he’d found. Out of everyone, he deserved it. Jake found himself wondering for a moment whether Logan would continue slipping away from them, though.
“I just found myself driving,” Jake said. “I was supposed to go up to Mom and Dad’s first, but I saw the sign to McKay…and, well, here I am. I hope I’m not intruding?” He felt Logan’s hand on his head, rustling his short dark hair.
“You’re kidding, right? You’re always welcome, you know that.”
Jake wondered for a moment whether Julia felt the same way. Women could be funny about that sort of thing—as he’d found out with Jill.
Julia glanced up at Logan and then back to Jake. “Logan’s right, Jake. Of course you’re welcome. You were coming with the rest of the family for Christmas dinner anyway, so what if you’re a day early?” She reached out and touched his shoulder, and then she yawned. “Oh, I’m sorry. I haven’t been getting much sleep. I can’t get com
fortable at night now. I wake up often.”
“Maybe I am intruding,” Jake said. He didn’t know the first thing about babies or pregnant women.
“Uncle Jake!” Trinity, one of his eleven-year-old nieces, ran toward him and threw her arms around his waist. Dawn, her sister, was right behind her. Dawn’s dark hair was shorter than Trinity’s, which fell to her waist. They were both barefoot in pajamas. They were cute—a handful, he thought, although he didn’t know them well.
“I hope I didn’t pull you two out of bed,” he said. It was late, of course. With single Logan, Jake had never had to consider the time. Married Logan meant he had to think first before just showing up.
“We’re just getting ready for bed,” Dawn said. “We weren’t there yet, though, and we’re not tired!” She beamed up at Jake, and he noticed her green eyes were lighter than her sister’s.
“Hey, it’s late,” Julia said. “Even though you don’t have school tomorrow, you’re still going to bed.” She looked to Logan, maybe for backup, Jake thought.
Logan kissed the top of her head, squeezed her shoulder, and said something to her in a low voice.
She glanced up at him and rolled her eyes. “Okay,” she murmured.
“Girls, why don’t you help me make up the sofa for your uncle to sleep on?” Logan said.
“I’ll get the blankets!” Trinity yelled and started down the hall after her sister.
“Are you hungry? Did you have dinner?” Logan said. “Julia made a beef stew, with fresh bread she brought home from her cafe. Thankfully, today was her last day.”
Julia rolled her eyes. “I told you I can’t just hand my business over to anybody. I had to hire and train someone to fill in for me when I have the baby.”
Jake wasn’t sure what to say. Logan had told him that Julia owned a small cafe in town that served specialty coffees and lunch, but that was all he knew. Logan exchanged a glance with Julia. Whatever passed between them, Jake was pretty sure it had to do with him.
“No, I’m good,” he replied. “I grabbed a burger on the road.” His stomach still burned from the greasy, soggy burger he’d picked up at a truck stop. It had filled the hole, but that was about all.
“How about a beer, then? You look like you need one,” Logan said as he slid his hands over Julia’s shoulders and back as he walked with her into the kitchen.
Jake followed the couple. “Wouldn’t mind some water.”
Julia started to the sink, but Logan stopped her, turning her around. “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “You’ve done enough today. I want you off your feet.” He pulled out a chair and then scooted another chair in front of her, lifting her feet so she could put them up. Julia sighed as she leaned back, resting her hands on her protruding belly and letting Logan take care of her. It was a sight that shouldn’t have bothered Jake, but Logan was now so focused on his wife that he wondered whether he’d forgotten about his brothers.
“Just sit there.” Logan leaned in and kissed her, and she reached for his cheek and slid her hand over it. Jake could hear the rasp of whiskers as Julia ran her hand over the dark shadow on his brother’s face. It looked as if he hadn’t shaved today. Their kiss lingered for a second, a kiss so private and intimate that for a moment, Jake wondered whether he should leave. Then Logan tapped the table, watching Jake.
“You sure just want water and not a beer?” He reached in the cupboard for a glass and filled it with water.
A beer or six would have been great, but then he’d have to talk, and he didn’t want to talk right now. He felt odd in front of Julia, and there were some things he could say only to Logan, so he didn’t say anything as Logan put a glass of water in front of him. Logan was watching him and then glanced over to Julia, who was resting her chin in her hand, her elbow propped on the table. They exchanged another look as if they could read each other’s thoughts. She really was connected to him.
“You know what? I’m really tired, and if it’s okay with you, Jake, I’m going to go to bed,” she said, flattening her hand on the table toward him. “I’ll leave you two so you have a chance to catch up.” The girls were chattering excitedly in the living room, and Julia ran her hand through her hair. “The girls are making you a bed on the sofa, Jake. They’re sure excited you’re here early.”
She had a sweet smile. Jake could see how suited she was for Logan.
“Logan, will you send them to bed when they’re done?” she said. “I’m done arguing with them. They listen to you better.”
Logan flashed her a cocky smile as he helped her up. “That’s because I’m not a pushover like you are. They know they can’t get away with anything with me, so they don’t bother trying.” He kissed her again, his hand sliding down her back and over her behind as she started out of the kitchen.
Jake chugged down his water as Logan followed Julia and then stopped just outside the living room, calling out to the girls and sending them to bed.
Dawn raced into the kitchen first. “Goodnight, Uncle Jake! We made you a bed on the sofa. Do you promise to be here in the morning?” She didn’t wait but threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Trinity appeared right beside her. She didn’t hug him right away, frowning at him. Maybe she was picking up on his uncertainty just being here with them. Then she leaned in and hugged him. “We’re glad you’re here. Don’t worry, everything will be all right.”
He was startled by what she’d said. How did she know he was struggling with so many things? Smart kid.
“Ah, thanks, girls,” he said. “You bet I’ll be here. I’ll even have breakfast with you. Have a good sleep.” His throat was thick as he watched Logan with the girls, watching over them in the same way he had once watched over him.
“Bed now.” Logan gestured for them to go and hugged both of them before sending them off to their room. He rested his hands on the back of the chair and appeared to be thinking about something. When his gaze rested on Jake, he wore the same expression he always had when one of the brothers did something they shouldn’t have. Jake remembered looking up into that stern face—the face of a brother he loved, feared, and depended on. A brother he could never pull anything over.
“Out with it,” Logan said.
“Out with what? What are you talking about?” Jake lifted his glass to finish off his water and realized it was already empty. Logan noticed, of course. He never looked away. He had a way of studying and watching a person, and if Jake hadn’t have known him, he would’ve been mighty nervous.
“Cut the crap, Jake. This is me. I know you. Weren’t you on your way up to Mom and Dad’s?” He tapped the back of the chair with his fingers, and there was a shrewdness in his gaze that had often made Jake squirm when he was young. How could he still manage to do that now that Jake was a grown man?
“Do I need a reason to stop in and see my big brother? Maybe you would rather I leave?” He was about to get up when Logan shook his head.
“Sit down. Don’t be an ass. What’s going on with you? You were coming down for Christmas dinner anyway, but didn’t you say you would drive Mom and Dad here? Don’t you have that big game coming up right after Christmas, too?”
Yeah, the Seahawks did, but not with Jake. He was the man out this time, with one too many wide receivers on the team. The fact was that he had torn his ACL, and though he’d pushed through the pain, the doc had benched him this time. “No,” he replied, “and Samuel can drive them down. He’s supposed to be there now, anyway.” He slid the glass back and forth on the table, taking in its blue flower pattern. He could feel his brother’s gaze burning into him. When he looked up, Logan was still waiting. He wondered whether his brother could stand there all day. He knew his dad would have, too, but Jake had always been closer with Logan, and Logan seemed to know when something wasn’t quite right in a way his father never could.
“Hmm, well, the girls will be happy to have you early when they open their presents. You are staying, right?” Logan walked to the fridge an
d pulled it open to lift out two cans of beer. He stopped in front of Jake and held one out, waiting as if he knew Jake would take it, which, of course, he did.
Jake popped the top and watched a slow, easy smile touch his brother’s lips. Logan could be a smug bastard sometimes.
“So what is it, Jake, girl trouble or work trouble?” Logan asked. He opened his own beer and waited.
“Both,” Jake replied.
Chapter Two
Baby Jake was far from small now, Logan realized as he stared down at his brother, a six-foot-two totally ripped football star who made the chair he sat in look as if it had been made for a child. His thick hair had enough natural wave to give it that messy look Logan knew women loved. He’d seen them swarming around Jake, but then, there was something about the swagger of an athlete that brought hordes of women out from everywhere.
But Jake had two sides to him, and Logan wondered at times whether he really understood who his brother was. Going from charming to moody—times when his quiet brother preferred to hold up a wall in the back of the room and just watch people from a distance—was a balancing act Jake pulled off most times. Those who didn’t know him well believed he was a people person, the life of the party, but that was an illusion Jake maintained carefully, and Logan knew all too well that he could only prop up that facade for so long before he became squirrelly, needing to go off someplace alone and brood.
For Logan, seeing his brother on his doorstep a few days before Christmas was a good thing, except Jake was about as forthcoming as your typical woman, who could keep every secret known to mankind. Something had made him go out of his way to take a detour from the main highway to McKay, and Logan didn’t buy that load of crap about “just passing by the sign,” especially on slick winter roads. Whatever it was that was bothering him had to be pretty heavy to have him landing on Logan’s doorstep early.
Logan pulled the back of the chair out as he felt his leg start to ache, just as it did every night about this time. He wouldn’t give it a rest even after the doctors told him to ease up, but he knew that with the injuries he’d sustained, he was crazy to push himself as if he were indestructible. He’d already beaten their odds, though. They’d said he’d never walk on that leg again, and he’d proven them wrong the first of many times when he fought through the pain every day until he could move. He’d regained the muscle that had wasted away after months holed up in a hospital bed.
The Reckoning, A Wilde Brothers Christmas (The Wilde Brothers Book 4) Page 1