Reckonings

by Cynthia Eden

  As was his way.

  “I can’t leave Jinx,” she told him. “We’ll both be fine here, really.” Then she headed for the door. They’d had an amazing kiss and, then they’d gone to...this. A completely weird and uncomfortable situation in which he’d nearly been run down.

  Story of my life. Bad things happen near me.

  There was a reason she didn’t let too many people get close to her. When people got close, they had a tendency to get hurt.

  Or to wind up dead.

  You’ll never be happy, Jamie. Never. I won’t let you go to another!

  For an instant, that voice thundered through her mind. So strong and clear...as if the man who’d once shouted those words was actually standing there. Goose bumps rose on her arms.

  Davis stalked toward her. She thought he’d just walk through the door and leave her to have a mini breakdown in peace. He didn’t. He stopped right in front of her, gazed down at her and asked, “Do you think I don’t know you’re afraid?”

  Were her knees knocking together that loudly?

  “And it’s not just tonight, is it? There’s more...so much more.” His fingers lifted toward her face, and she didn’t mean to, but Jamie flinched.

  He instantly froze. “Someone hurt you.”

  More than you can imagine. “Good night, Davis. Thanks for following me home. And I’m... I’m so sorry for all the trouble.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes. She almost took a step back. Almost. Then she remembered. He was one of the good guys.

  “Don’t apologize to me. I should have stopped the jerk. I didn’t. I’m the one who needs to say that I’m sorry.” His lips thinned. “And I am... I’m sorry that I didn’t give chase right then, but I didn’t want to leave you. I didn’t know if anyone else might still be lurking around, and I didn’t want to take a chance, not when I didn’t realize what was happening.”

  Her breath felt cold in her lungs.

  “Why don’t you tell me what’s happening? Because I know you’re spooked.”

  “My house was broken into... Anyone would be spooked from that.”

  He waited.

  “Good night,” she said again.

  He sighed. Then he snapped his fingers together. “Jinx.” His voice was low, commanding, and her dog instantly bounded to his feet.

  She frowned at the dog. He usually only listened to her. Half the time.

  “I’ll put your dog in my truck. You get an overnight bag.”

  Wait, what?

  “You’re scared, so the way I see it...there are two choices. I can stay here with you...or you can come back to the ranch with me.”

  She didn’t want to be in her house. It was odd because she loved the place, but...everywhere she looked, Jamie saw a threat. Too isolated. She’d enjoyed the privacy before, but now she thought...he can watch me from anyplace.

  “The ranch is huge—you’ll have plenty of privacy, and if you come back with me, I’ll actually be able to sleep tonight. I won’t stay up, worrying about you every second.”

  His words had her lips curving. “I don’t think you’d worry that much.”

  His gaze was on her mouth, and his eyes seemed to be heating. “Yes...I would.”

  Tension was between them. Heavy. A bit hot.

  “Come home with me,” Davis said.

  And...she nodded.

  * * *

  HE’D NEVER ASKED a woman to spend the night at the ranch. The ranch was home, it was family. His twin brother, Brodie, lived there with his wife, Jennifer, and Davis had actually been thinking it was time he found a new place...so he could give those two privacy. Before Jennifer had rolled back into Brodie’s life, it had just been Davis and his twin out at the ranch. The rest of their family had stayed away because the place held too many painful memories.

  Ava, in particular, had hated the ranch. When she’d looked at the place, he knew she didn’t see the good times. She just saw blood and death.

  But that’s changing. We’re making new memories now. Seeing good...and not just the bad.

  “Looks like the party finally ended,” Jamie said as she stood by her car. She’d followed him back to his home. He’d offered to just drive her, but Jamie had been adamant that she’d wanted her own transportation. “All of the cars are gone.”

  They’d talked to the cops for a while at her place. Not that those uniforms had been much help. They hadn’t even wanted to put out an APB for the motorcycle. So, while the cops had asked aimless questions again and again, the perp had gotten away.

  And he’d better not come back.

  “It’s after midnight now,” Davis said as he glanced around. “I guess the party had to end sometime.” Though he still had trouble believing that his baby sister was actually married. Sweet Ava, all grown up.

  “I guess it did.” She opened her car’s back door, and Jinx bounded out to stand at her side. Before she could grab her bag, Davis leaned in and took it. When he pulled back, Jamie’s gaze was on him. “How am I supposed to thank you for this?”

  Oh, I can come up with some ways. But he was playing the gentleman, so he bit those words back. He didn’t want to make Jamie any more nervous than she already was. And coming on to her too strong, well...

  After that kiss, she already knows how much I want her. He’d nearly jumped her right beneath that tree, with all the wedding guests just yards away. Davis had thought about kissing Jamie plenty of times. He’d wondered how she’d taste. He’d never thought his lips would touch hers and his control would incinerate.

  It had.

  A one-time fluke...or a sign of an addiction to come?

  He carried her bag toward the guesthouse. “The place is plenty pet friendly, so Jinx can go inside and get settled for the night.” Since the guesthouse was privately positioned away from the main ranch, he’d thought she might feel more comfortable there. The ranch had top-of-the-line security, so Jamie would be safe for the night. He unlocked the door for her and turned off the alarm. He motioned for her to enter, but Jamie hesitated. Jinx didn’t. The dog hurried inside and then—flopped near the door.

  “I, um, thank you.” She pushed back the hair that had fallen over her cheek. “It’s really nice of you to let me stay like this. I mean, you barely know me and—”

  “I know plenty about you.”

  Her breath caught. She searched his eyes, then her shoulders slumped a bit. “Ah, you think you do.” And she crossed the threshold and entered the guesthouse. “We always think we know someone, but it’s all surface. All what we want someone else to see.”

  Before she’d left her house, Jamie had changed into a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. He couldn’t help but notice how well those jeans hugged her curves.

  Eyes up. Clearing his throat, he focused on her face once more. She was watching him, her head tilted to the side.

  “What’s beneath your surface?” Davis asked her, truly curious now. Why did Jamie seem to hold herself back from so many people? He knew there had been plenty of guys who were interested in the doc, only she hadn’t been interested in them. He’d actually thought she’d shoot him down, too, but then she’d kissed him so wildly, so recklessly beneath the branches of that tree.

  “You don’t want to know.” Jamie exhaled on a faint sigh. “Thank you, again.”

  Ah, so she was trying to kick him out. Right. He gave her a little salute and backed up. “If you should get scared, just press one on the alarm panel. I can be here in a moment.”

  Jamie nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

  He hesitated. “Are we going to talk about it?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “You mean—”

  “The kiss that left me aching for you.”

  That light flush became even darker. She was so cute when she blushed.

>   “If that alarm call hadn’t come through, what do you think would have happened next?” Davis asked, curious. He knew what he’d wanted to happen but...

  “I would have told you good-night. The same way I’m doing now.”

  His lips quirked. He turned away from her. Shot down.

  “Davis, you don’t want the trouble I bring.”

  Her low words had him glancing back at her. “I can handle trouble. It’s kind of my specialty.”

  She swallowed. “You and your family...you’re good guys, and I wanted to—”

  She’d done it again. Made him laugh. The sound was rusty even to his own ears. “Oh, sweetheart,” he finally managed. “Whatever made you think I was one of the good guys?”

  Jamie took a step back. “But...”

  “Let’s be clear. I want you like damn hell on fire right now. I’ve been fantasizing about you for months. When I finally got my hands on you tonight...well, the desire I felt just got stronger. I want you.” Davis stared straight into her eyes as he said these words because he wanted to be very clear on this point. “But don’t mistake me for some good, easygoing kind of guy. That’s not who I am.” He was the kind of guy who saw what he wanted and took it.

  He didn’t play by the rules, and he sure wasn’t afraid of any danger. In fact, he thrived on adrenaline.

  “But how do you feel, Jamie?” Because he needed to know. He closed the space between them. If the woman didn’t want him, if he’d imagined the fire of her response, then he’d back off. Sure, they’d touched, and he’d thought the world had exploded; but maybe she hadn’t felt that way, maybe...

  “I didn’t expect the way I feel.” Her gaze dropped. Her long lashes shielded her eyes, so he couldn’t read the emotions there. “Maybe because I’ve tried not to feel anything in so long.”

  I’m going to discover all your secrets, Jamie. She was a puzzle to him, one that he would be solving very, very soon.

  He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently pushed her head up, so that she was staring into his eyes once again.

  “I want you, too,” she whispered. “But it’s so fast. I don’t want to make a mistake.”

  Fast...she must not have realized he’d been lusting after her for the past year. That whenever he knew she was coming to the McGuire ranch, he’d made sure that he was there, too. That if he caught sight of her in town, he dropped everything else to go and get close to her. Accidental meetings? Right.

  He’d played things cool for too long. Time to turn up the heat.

  “It won’t be a mistake.” He leaned toward her. Their lips were barely an inch apart. “It will be incredible.” Then he kissed her. Not the deep, consuming kiss that he wanted. But a light, soft good-night kiss. A tease for what was to come...because there would be plenty coming for them. She wanted him, and he’d use that. In the end, they’d both get what they desired.

  “Good night, Jamie.” He smiled at her. “Sweet dreams.” Then he walked away before he gave in to his baser urges and did a whole lot more than just kiss her good-night.

  * * *

  JAMIE SHUT THE DOOR behind Davis. She turned around, leaned her back against the wood, and her fingers touched her lips. She could still feel him. The warm, soft press of his mouth on hers.

  It had been so long since she’d let anyone get close to her. There’d been no lovers, not in years. Because it was far too dangerous to trust a man on that level. Dangerous for her.

  Dangerous for him.

  But...

  Sweet dreams.

  But a woman could sure dream.

  * * *

  JAMIE HADN’T RETURNED HOME.

  The motorcycle idled between his legs as he stared at her dark house. He’d gone back, sure that she’d be there, all alone and waiting.

  But her car wasn’t there. No cars were there. The house sat, shadowy and silent...

  Where are you, Jamie?

  He turned off the motorcycle. Strode toward the house. This time, he was careful. He’d come prepared. It only took a few minutes to disable her alarm. Then he went back to the window he’d broken before. Someone had nailed a board over it. Probably that hick who’d been in the truck. The one who never should have been near Jamie.

  As if the board will stop me.

  He just broke another window. The glass shattered and—

  Silence.

  No alarm. No shrieking dog. But also...no Jamie.

  Where are you, love?

  He lifted the window and climbed inside. The room was dark, but he could smell Jamie there. Light lavender. He’d never forgotten that scent, not in all the long years that had passed. He could almost feel her in the house.

  He turned on the lights. Saw that he was in her den. Everything was neat. Put in its place. Same Jamie. She’d always been so organized. She had shelves filled with books. Paintings lined the walls. Paintings that he knew she’d done. She’d always had talent. A lifetime ago, she’d made sketches of him. She sketched her family. Her home. Everything.

  There were no personal sketches, though. Not even any photos. No family mementos that he could see.

  He stalked through the house. Cookbooks in the kitchen. Pots, pans...nothing personal.

  He went into her bedroom. Her scent was stronger there. Her bed was made, a tidy four-poster of dark cherrywood. He opened the drawers of her dresser. Touched her soft silken gowns. Opened another drawer. Saw her bras. Lacy. Beautiful. Scraps of sexy underwear.

  She’d better not be wearing these for anyone else.

  His fingers clenched around the gown in his left hand. He’d told Jamie, so long ago, that she would always be his. They were linked, and nothing—no one—would ever tear them apart.

  Not even Jamie.

  He didn’t forgive her for what she’d done. Forgiveness wouldn’t come easily, but they would get past this dark patch. After Jamie had been punished, they could start building their life again.

  He threw down the gown and headed for her little nightstand. There, finally, was a picture. Jamie was in that picture, smiling up at him.

  But Jamie wasn’t alone. He recognized the man with her. The man who had his arm so casually wrapped around Jamie. The fool who was smiling at the camera.

  The dead man.

  His fist slammed into that frame, punching at the glass. He’d cut himself when he busted the window earlier, and his blood dripped onto the photo.

  He was staring down at the man who’d made Jamie hate him, the man who’d made her turn away all of those years ago. Jamie still had a picture of him?

  No, no, this wouldn’t work. Time for her punishment to begin right then.

  He took the photo. Shoved it into his pocket. Then his gaze darted around her house. This wasn’t Jamie’s real home. She needed to see that. This place was nothing but an illusion...an illusion that would...

  Go up in smoke.

  * * *

  “JAMIE, JAMIE, RUN!”

  She stared in horror at the scene before her.

  “He’s got a gun, run!”

  But she couldn’t run. She was rooted to the spot, and when the gunshot blasted, she screamed. Screamed again and again and—

  Jamie jerked up in bed, her heart racing as the dream slowly faded from her mind.

  Sweet dreams. Her fingers clenched around the covers. Right. As if she ever had those. Instead, memories from her past plagued her, haunting her and never letting go. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t escape from them.

  She rose from the bed. She could see the faint light of dawn streaking toward her, cracking through the blinds. Another night had passed. The day would be better. It had to be.

  That was her mantra, anyway. The way she got through all the dark nights of her life.
r />   The day would be better. It had to be.

  It was Sunday, so her clinic wasn’t open. She didn’t have to rush in to check on her four-legged friends.

  Jinx brushed against her leg. She bent down, her fingers pushing against his fur. “It’s okay. You know the drill. Sleep means the nightmares come back.” After so much time, she’d thought those dreams would fade. But then, maybe some memories never vanished.

  A sharp rap at the front door had her tensing.

  The knock came again, harder. “Jamie!”

  She hurried from the bedroom and toward the main door. That was Davis’s voice—she’d recognize it anywhere. Most people confused Davis and Brodie, but she didn’t. She saw all the small differences between them. The way Davis’s eyes crinkled a bit more at the corners, the way his voice was a shade deeper, the way—

  “Jamie!”

  She fumbled with the locks and opened the door. She’d slept in her clothes, too nervous to change last night.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Davis said, his voice grim. As grim as the expression on his face. The faint lines near his eyes had sharpened.

  “Problem?”

  Sympathy flashed in his eyes. “It’s your house. Someone saw the smoke this morning and called the fire department. It’s just... It caught fire, Jamie. Your place burned last night.”

  * * *

  IT WAS GONE. The entire house was just a blackened shell now. Jamie stood in front of her home, watching as the firefighters examined the smoldering rubble.

  “The alarm should have gone off,” she said, feeling numb. Gone. Everything was destroyed. The bitter scent of ash filled the air, and Jamie found herself shaking her head, desperate for this to be just a bad dream. That home...she’d tried so hard to make it hers. She’d planted flowers around her windows. She and Jinx had spent hours outside, chasing balls, playing.

  “I checked with your alarm company,” Davis said. He was at her side. Just as he’d been, ever since they’d arrived at this nightmare scene. “They never got any sort of signal from your place. I’ll do some investigating, but my hunch is that your alarm was cut.”