If We Dare to Dream

by Collette Scott

  Andrew nodded. “Thank you. I’ve heard a lot of apologies these last few weeks.”

  “You deserve a lifetime more.”

  Ford returned with bottled water and handed it to him while Ian stepped away and removed his t-shirt, tossing it onto an open chair. “Hey, Andrew’s here,” he said to the other lounging adults.

  The two adults instantly rose from their chairs and joined him in the shade, but the teenage girl’s foot just continued to tap to the unheard music. Returning his attention to the new family members, he immediately noticed the same friendly smiles greeting him. Though he did his best to reciprocate, his mistrust remained high since he still had not determined why this close-knit family was being so accepting.

  “Grady, Torie, this is Andrew Sheehan. Andrew, this is my brother, Grady, and his wife, Torie,” Ian announced.

  Andrew greeted the smiling pair and listened politely as they also extended their congratulations and sympathies, but his attention had returned to the pool where he heard a muffled cry followed by a hearty swear. It had come from behind the waterfall.

  “Damn, brat, that was pretty low.”

  He heard her laughter first, and then a dark head emerged from the waterfall.

  “Hey, Jame!” Ian called. “Come out here.”

  She was treading water in the deep end, but she nodded at Ian and lithely swam to the edge. Andrew felt his mouth go dry as he watched her reach for the ladder and climb one step at a time. The water poured down her length in rivulets and plastered her long, dark hair to her back as she emerged. Though she was not trying to draw attention, her graceful movements were the most seductive thing he had seen in years, and he forced himself to look away before he embarrassed himself with his body’s reaction. It was the best of intentions, but when she stood on the patio and squeezed out her hair Andrew’s head whipped back around of its own accord.

  Oh dear God, he thought in dismay.

  She was in a fuscia polka dot bikini.

  ***

  Jamie was still laughing when she emerged from the pool. She squeezed out the excess water from her hair and reached for a towel tossed haphazardly on a chair. After wiping her face, she glanced back at the grotto, where Hayden was emerging holding his nose. She had gotten him good.

  “I think you broke it,” he whined.

  She laughed again. “I wish.” Wrapping the towel around her waist, she ignored Hayden’s continued whining and walked over to Ian to give him a quick hug. “Hey there. You done working for the day?”

  “Hey yourself,” he responded. “Night shift. Just woke up, actually. But look, we have company.”

  He stood aside and glanced back under the patio. Grady and Torie were speaking with an exceptionally tall, broad man. Jamie froze. There was only one man she knew that topped her brothers in height. Surprisingly, it was the last man she ever expected to see welcomed in Ford’s home.

  “Andrew,” she blurted. “What are you doing here?”

  “I haven’t spoken to her all week,” Ford said apologetically. “She didn’t know you were joining us this evening.”

  “Joining you?” Andrew asked.

  She would have felt a little sympathy for his obvious confusion if he had shown her any interest. After his initial double take when she first approached, she noticed that Andrew had studiously avoided looking at her yet again. With a touch of jealousy, she wondered why he refused to talk to her but seemed fine looking at everyone else. He had done the same thing when they visited him at his grandmother’s house.

  “Yeah. We can go talk first, but Isabel set a place for you for dinner.”

  Jamie sent a surprised glance at Ford, but Hayden chose that moment to come up behind her and squeeze out a foam pool toy on her head. She jabbed with an elbow and felt satisfaction when it connected with Hayden’s midsection and elicited a pained grunt. She glared at him over her shoulder. “We have company, Hayden. Behave.”

  Hayden straightened and looked beyond her, meeting Andrew for the first time. He smiled and reached past her to extend his hand. “Hey, nice to finally meet you.”

  Andrew shook yet another hand, and Jamie noticed that he had that same stunned look he had worn when he had been released. The idea of meeting her family for the first time and all at once would scare even the most normal person, let alone a man who had lived primarily with insurgents and convicted felons. Feeling peevish for her initial jealous dismay, she sent him an apologetic smile.

  “I’m sorry for appearing rude. Hayden, on the other hand, is always rude.”

  Hayden elbowed her. “Don’t believe her. She’s still a brat.”

  Andrew looked from her to Hayden several times before focusing solely on Hayden. “A brat, huh?”

  Laughing cheerfully, Hayden rubbed his nose mournfully. “You have no idea.”

  Andrew’s lips compressed thoughtfully and his gaze swept her from head to toe again before he quickly looked away. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Ford spoke up. “Ian’s going to cook tonight, and Jamie brought some really good looking sirloin tips. If you all can leave poor Andrew alone for a bit, I’ll return him to you in a few.”

  Jamie again looked curiously at her older brother and Andrew, wondering exactly what they were up to. There had been no discussion with her about Andrew joining them on their Saturday barbecue; in fact, no man she had interacted with had even been invited to one before. Of course, Andrew was not a normal date. She did not even think he liked her.

  Naturally, that made her wonder all the more why he was there.

  She never had a chance to ask. Ford and Andrew were already disappearing back inside the cool house to discuss whatever it was that had enticed Andrew to come to their party. As soon as the door closed behind them, she turned to Hayden.

  “What’s going on?”

  His brow rose in surprise. “You didn’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Ford gave him a job.”

  Jamie blinked, stunned. Not only had Ford never approved of anyone she brought home, he certainly had not encouraged anyone to work for him. Even Clay, who was a corporate lawyer, was never utilized for his knowledge at any point. “He did? When was this?”

  Hayden shrugged. “Dunno. I just found out today that he was coming over. I guess you mentioned to Ford that you wanted to help him get his feet back on solid ground, and he’s trying to help.”

  “No one told me.”

  Even she could hear the dismay in her voice, and her mouth clamped shut immediately. Torie stepped forward and placed her arm around Jamie’s shoulders. “Ford’s doing a good thing,” she said. “He’s trying to help you help him get resettled.”

  “Yeah, don’t worry, Mom,” Ian said playfully. “He’s not up to anything sinister.”

  “I wasn’t…” Jamie trailed off as she realized that she was actually thinking the worst.

  “Sure you were. You’re in a tiff because you thought Ford was doing something behind your back. He’s not. I talked to him about it last week, and I know he is only trying to help,” Grady said.

  “First time ever,” Jamie muttered.

  Torie chuckled. “That may be true, but when he offers he does follow through.”

  The boys had taken over the pool in the adult’s absence, so Jamie went to the fridge, grabbed a water bottle and sat down at the table to sample the fruit platter Isabel had brought out. Hayden pulled out the chair next to her and grabbed a handful of orange slices, popping several in his mouth and then reaching in for a grape to finger football it into the side of her face. She sent him a withering scowl.

  “And how old are you?”

  Hayden chuckled, obviously feeling pleased with himself. “Relax, Jamie. You were right about this guy, and Ford agrees with you. You should be glad that he trusts him enough to have him here.”

  She harrumphed.

  “You don’t need to be upset that you weren’t the one to invite him. You don’t have to control everything.”

&
nbsp; “That’s not it at all. I don’t think the guy even likes me. After all, I’m the reason all those years of his life have been wasted.”

  Hayden frowned. “I don’t think that’s true. You’re the reason he’s out now. I’m sure that counts for something.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s awkward.”

  Confusion spread across Hayden’s face, but Grady stepped in on his behalf. “The guy has been ostracized for years now and suddenly he’s got to start all over. I’m sure that makes him feel awkward. Give him time. He’ll settle in once he realizes that no one here is going to bite him.”

  “You sure about that?” Ian called. He had bent over to light the grill but straightened and stared pointedly at Jamie. “Mama Bear over there looks angry enough to bite him hard.”

  “Grady’s right,” Torie said, ignoring Ian. “I could see it on his face when we spoke. He looked like a deer in headlights. Can’t blame him… I guess we all just need to be patient.”

  “What is this ‘we’?” Jamie said. “It’s done. I spoke to Chuck and he says that the detectives are looking at two suspects, one of which is pretty interesting. He lived in Kit’s apartment complex and was considered a weirdo. If they make the arrest, Andrew will resume his life without any help from me.”

  “But you’re the only friend he has right now.”

  “That we know of,” Jamie said to Torie. “He may have a whole bunch of old buddies.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. He doesn’t strike me as the most outgoing of individuals.”

  Having lit the grill and closed the lid to allow it to warm up, Ian joined the group at the table. “He’s here now, and we’ll all be as polite as possible. We’re adults and can behave as such, Jamie.”

  Her lips twisted sarcastically. “Fine. We’ll all behave.”

  They did.

  Ford and Andrew were not gone long, and when they returned Ford was looking very satisfied. Jamie kept her distance, preferring to work in the kitchen with her niece, Ana. They prepared a potato salad and fresh greens while Ford and Isabel catered to Andrew in an effort to make him more comfortable. Torie worked on the other side of the kitchen preparing chili and beans as side dishes. Though she tried not to, Jamie stole several surreptitious glances to the patio to check on Andrew, and each time he appeared as nervous as she felt.

  Awkward.

  Ana chatted gaily with Jamie while they worked, filling her in on her latest Facebook friend and the drama of being a freshman in high school. While Ana kept up the chatter, Torie brought Jamie a glass of wine, and she gulped it down quickly to steady her nerves.

  Luckily the wine helped. By the time they began to bring out the food and set the kids up at the secondary patio table, Jamie was feeling more accepting of Ford’s deviousness and more relaxed. The appreciative words of the hungry family pleased her, and though Andrew did not speak much the way he dug into his meal with gusto gave her a sense of satisfaction.

  As was customary, talk during dinner went around the table. Every member gave an update on their lives and careers, and Jamie noticed how carefully Andrew listened. Rather than have him squeeze in between others, Isabel had placed him in her seat at the opposite end from Ford. The position placed him in plain view of her, and Jamie kept a close eye on him throughout the meal. He eventually relaxed as the conversation continued, but she never saw him crack even the hint of a smile despite the ribbing between the brothers and laughter from the others. In normal Evans way, they continued their noisy dinner until darkness approached and Jamie arrived with dessert. Ian leaned back in his chair with his customary appreciative belch.

  “Great dinner,” he announced. “Although, I must take credit for the awesome grilling job. The meat came out perfectly, if I may so.”

  A murmur went around the table, first admonishing Ian for his terrible table manners, followed by hearty thanks from all around. When Jamie offered Andrew the plate with chocolate chip brownies, he met her stare for the first time since his arrival.

  “Thank you for dinner,” he said.

  After reaching for a brownie, his pale gaze held hers for several moments, and she took the opportunity to search his eyes for some inclination as to what he was feeling. He was so guarded that she could not read any emotion in the honey depths, but she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. Another charged moment passed before she finally looked away in disappointment. She just could not read him.

  Smiling thinly, she withdrew the plate. “Anytime.”

  Continuing around the table, she handed out the rest of the brownies before clearing off the remaining plates and returning to the kitchen to help with the cleanup. By the time she reappeared outside to say goodbye, Hayden and Ana were in the pool with the boys playing volleyball while the remaining brothers had taken over the lounge chairs and were cheering the kids. Though Andrew watched in silence, Jamie immediately noticed that his body was less stiff, and he seemed to be more relaxed than when he first arrived. She approached and hugged each brother in turn, but when she reached Andrew he had already come to his feet and was returning his chair to the table.

  “I’ll walk out with you,” he said in explanation.

  Jamie hid her surprise from her gaping brothers and nodded her agreement. “Okay.”

  Following Jamie’s lead, Andrew expressed his thanks to everyone while Jamie went to the kids in the pool. When she was done, he was waiting patiently by the sliding glass door, his hand resting on the handle as though he was ready to bolt. Another round of farewells followed in the kitchen before Jamie and Andrew stood alone for the first time since they had initially met. They stood uneasily outside the front door as Andrew scanned the driveway. His brow was creased in a frown.

  “Which car is yours?”

  “Oh, I walked over. I don’t live far from here.”

  “You walked?” He stared up at the sky, which had grown dark in the hours they had spent with her family.

  “Of course. Why drive when it’s just down the street?”

  “But it’s dark… I’ll give you a ride.”

  Unable to help herself, she laughed out loud. “I’m fine. I walk here all the time. This neighborhood isn’t exactly dangerous.”

  Andrew had the grace to look slightly embarrassed at her teasing words. “You’re right… Tools of the trade.”

  Jamie immediately felt guilty. Surely it was not Andrew’s fault that he was nervous. After all, he had seen enough in his lifetime to never trust anyone again. “Sorry about that.”

  He glanced down at her with a determined set to his jaw. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “If you do that, you’ll have to walk all the way back to get your truck,” she pointed out wryly.

  “I don’t mind. After eating all that food this afternoon, I could use a good walk myself.”

  Heart pounding in her throat, Jamie looked up and met Andrew’s pale gaze again. It was too dark to read his expression, but he was actually looking at her for a change in addition to asking for her company, which had to mean something. Now she was responding by suddenly feeling nervous? Reminding herself that this was her opportunity to have him to herself, Jamie bit back her anxiety. Why was she seizing up with indecision and feeling vulnerable and afraid? That was not the Jamie Morton she knew. Taking a deep breath, she spoke before she could refuse.

  “All right then. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 11

  Hands stuffed deep into his pockets, Andrew walked alongside Jamie in the darkness, listening to her even breathing and the sound of her flip flops slapping against the hot pavement. He was not sure what had spurred him to walk her home; she did not seem to want his company anyway. However, there they were walking side by side in silence, and he had absolutely no idea what to say to her.

  He felt like an inexperienced teenager.

  To her credit, Jamie appeared as relaxed as ever. Though he had caught a glimmer of hesitation when he first insisted, she had carefully masked it and seemed as confident as usual. It surp
rised him how easily she had given in and agreed to walk alone in the dark with a convicted murderer, and he had to admire her pluck for placing her trust in him so effortlessly. If he were anyone else, he would have shaken her for doing something so foolish.

  They were approaching the end of Ford’s street when Jamie thankfully broke the silence. “So you’re taking a job with Ford?”

  There was no reprimand in her voice, only curiosity. He sent her a sidelong glance. “For the time being, yes.”

  “Good for you.”

  That sounded earnest.

  It bolstered his confidence slightly, and he attempted to keep the conversation going. “You have an interesting family.”

  She chuckled. “That I do.”

  As she spoke, he realized he really did like her family. They had not stared at him strangely or asked him questions about his past. They seemed normal and wanted to treat him as if he was too. He wondered if that would ever be possible, but he had to give them credit for trying. “They seem like good people.”

  “They are.”

  He was growing frustrated with her closed-ended answers, and he could not come up with anything else to talk about. She took a right at the end of Ford’s street, her pace fluid but unhurried. They were now on the main road going through the community, and orange street lights lit their path. Her pace remained even as she pointed to side-street far ahead.

  “I’m up there.”

  In a last ditch effort to come up with something to talk about, Andrew reached for his last straw. “Ford told me that you used to ride.”

  He sensed rather than saw her step falter, but her voice was clear when she answered. “He did?”

  “Yeah, when you came to see my grandmother. He mentioned that you used to do events.”

  “Jumping.”

  “Impressive. Why did you stop?”

  She turned her head to stare at him curiously. “My parents got sick with cancer. First my mother; then my father. I had no time to show anymore because I was caring for them.”