“And Alana? How will we explain our intentions?” Jaxon asked.
“Slowly and diligently. You weren’t there last night. We’re not the only men interested in getting to know Alana. In fact, we’re heading to the fair by noontime. Alana should be going there with Garrett, Gunner, Wes, and Gia,” Gator told him.
“And Gabe?” Jeb asked.
“We’ll bring him along, but he’s on his own. This is something he has to learn to handle, and it’s his decision to join us or to let Alana move on,” Geno said, and they all agreed before they headed into the house to get ready.
* * * *
Alana stood on the porch, and an eerie feeling filled her belly. It was sudden. A sensation like she was being watched. She squinted her eyes toward the woods, as if that might help her see more clearly. But no such luck. It seemed her eyes were playing tricks on her. For every movement of a branch or a tree, she thought she saw a shadow of someone.
But her father had trained her well. Being the daughter of a Marine, she’d learned early how to shoot guns and be ready for the unexpected. She had a lot of friends whose fathers or mothers were cops, and they were just as well trained. Deciding that it was better to go back inside to wait for Gia and the guys to get there, she stood up and saw the movement in the corner of her eye. Sure as shit, there was someone out there.
Her heart pounded, and she hurried inside to where her gun was. The sound of banging on the door made her scream aloud, and she held the gun steady in her hands.
“Who is it?” she yelled.
“Alana, it’s Gia. Are you okay?”
Alana lowered the gun and sighed in relief. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it.
Gia looked at her face and then the gun in her hand.
“What’s wrong?” Gia asked as Garrett, Gunner, and Wes hurried up the walkway.
“I was out back on the porch waiting, and I thought I saw someone watching me. As I got up to go inside because I felt creepy, I saw him in the woods.”
“Jesus,” Wes said.
“We’ll go check it out. You get inside and wait for us,” Gunner said, and he and Garrett headed around the house.
Alana put the safety on her gun and then walked over to the cabinet.
“You got yourself a damn arsenal, woman. You know how to use all those guns?” Wes asked, moving closer.
“Of course I do. Trained by one of the best.”
“What, a cop?” Wes asked.
“No. Marine.”
Wes looked at Gia, and Alana noticed the exchange.
“You talking about Gabe Weathers?”
She shook her head and felt the tightness in her chest. She was still shaking with concern over the strange man in the woods watching her.
“My daddy,” she told Wes then closed the cabinet.
“Your father was a Marine, huh? Something else we have in common, Alana, besides knowing how to make a mean martini,” Wes teased.
The front door opened, and Alana jumped. Garrett and Gunner were there.
“Was definitely someone out there. Saw some boot prints. They’re not there now. Did you get a good look at the guy?” Gunner asked her, and Alana shook her head.
“He was camouflaged by the trees.”
“She’s got herself a nice arsenal of weapons here, Gunner, and she knows how to use them,” Wes told his brother.
Gunner walked over and nodded toward the case on the wall. Alana opened it up. He whistled.
“You know how to use all these?”
She lifted one eyebrow at him.
“Well, I don’t expect to have to come out here and clean up a mess when you pull something out and shoot the shit out of some guy.”
“If that guy breaks into my home, then I guess that’s a possibility.”
He chuckled. “Let’s hope not. I’ll call the local deputy here in Tranquility. Maybe he can do some drive-bys and look into who walks around those woods out back. I’m sure it was just some nosey hiker or something,” he said, obviously trying to ease her mind.
“I hope so too,” she whispered, and then she went to grab her sweater and her backpack. She locked the back door and rechecked the windows too. They all seemed to recheck what she just checked, which reiterated that they felt the guy in the woods was no nosy hiker.
They headed out, and Alana didn’t want to think about coming home to the dark, empty cottage alone. But she wouldn’t act like a chicken. She was used to being alone and not relying on a man. That was one thing she was forced to live without. The protection of a man like Gabe.
* * * *
“That’s no way to win a woman’s heart, friend,” Gunner told Jaxon as Jaxon watched Alana while she talked to two cowboys. They were being gentleman and all, but that possessive feeling was getting in the way of Jaxon’s rational attitude.
“What do you mean?” he asked Gunner.
“That mean, nasty puss you got plastered on your face. Scare the heck out of kids, never mind one very young, attractive, green-eyed woman.”
Jaxon glanced at Gunner. “Can’t help it. She shouldn’t be talking to any of those men.”
“If you think she should be talking to you, or one of your team members, then you guys should make a move.”
“How the hell can we?”
“Gabe will come around. He’s got to work through his emotions and all the hell he went through.”
“I can’t condone starting a complex relationship like this with myself and my team without Gabe on board.”
“Well, that’s stupid. Gabe will figure his shit out. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of her either.”
“That’s another thing. Alana can’t even look at Gabe without filling up with tears.”
“She loves him still, but she has feelings for you guys as well, right?”
“Seems that way. Still doesn’t make this an ideal beginning to a potential love affair.”
“A love affair, huh?” Gunner asked and chuckled low. Jaxon didn’t cut a smile.
They were silent a few moments, and then Gunner changed the subject.
Jaxon was grateful until he heard the direction the conversation was headed.
“Did you catch the guy?” Jaxon asked, standing straighter then looking for Alana again. Gia was walking with her toward the vendors.
“No. But Alana was smart. She got inside, she locked up the doors, and she grabbed her gun.”
“Her gun?”
“She’s got herself an arsenal.”
“She could hurt herself.”
“Not likely considering what Wes told me.”
“Which was what?”
“She told him she was trained by a Marine.”
“Gabe,” Jaxon whispered and then looked to see where he was, but he had disappeared.
“Nope. Her father.”
“Her dad was a jarhead?” Jaxon asked, both surprised and intrigued.
“Sure was. But I still called it into the department in Tranquility. Deputy Peters said he’d personally look into it.”
“Fuck. I bet he will. He’ll call his cousin, Vincent. He, Haslow, Tito, and the bunch will be knocking on Alana’s door volunteering to be her personal bodyguards.” That just concerned Jaxon more, especially since Gator had told him how Haslow and his team were flirting with Alana.
“We plan on walking her inside tonight and checking things out before we leave her alone there for the night.”
“We can do that. I won’t be able to rest tonight unless I know personally that she’s okay.”
“Understandable. But that’s only if Alana says she’s okay with it. Deanna would have my ass if I didn’t look out for her with all this shit Alana’s going through. Deanna still hasn’t informed Gabe’s parents that he’s alive and well.”
“Hopefully, he’ll get over that and tell them himself one day real soon.”
“Hopefully.”
Jaxon heard Gia call his name, and then she waved for him to come on over and join them. Jaxon watched as
Alana locked gazes with Jaxon and then turned away. She jumped as Jeb snuck up behind her, smiling.
Now he would worry about some Peeping Tom watching Alana. There was no way she was going home alone. In fact, she might just have an overnight guest, even if he had to sleep on her couch.
* * * *
“You scared me.” Alana told Jeb as he appeared out of nowhere. He held her arms and rubbed them. “Sorry, doll. I didn’t mean to.”
She gulped as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Are you having fun?” he asked then ran one hand down her arm to her hand and clasped their fingers together.
At first she felt as though she should pull away. She was still feeling edgy from earlier at her cottage. But now, with the feel of Jeb’s much-larger hand holding her small one, she felt instantly safe.
As they walked around the fair looking at different items the vendors were selling, she leaned closer. She missed holding hands with a man and just walking around enjoying the time together. But her insecurities and her concern over Gabe’s reaction had her putting on the brakes.
She stopped and pulled from Jeb and walked closer to one of the vendor tables. She reached for the first thing she saw, a series of bracelets, some with charms and others just plain silver or gold.
The warm, male hand on her waist made her begin to shake. There were so many nights she longed to be held in bed. Longed for Gabe, for that ability a man had to make a woman feel safe, content, and loved. But it was wrong to have an attraction to the men in Gabe’s team, his roommates, his fellow Marines. Besides, she never really saw herself getting involved in a ménage relationship. Not that she was against them. She just never expected to have such a reaction to multiple men at once. She was so afraid of getting close to anyone out of the fear of losing them that it seemed safer, and wiser, to keep her distance.
Jeb’s hand caressed down her wrist and over the bracelet she held in her hand. He whispered over her shoulder, pressing his body closer to hers. “That one is pretty.”
She eased back to feel him snuggle against her body. His hand on her waist slid along to her belly in a possessive manner. She felt feminine, petite, and most definitely aroused.
Alana warned herself to gain some control here. She was just thinking how wrong this was to like Gabe’s friends, perhaps even lust for them, and now she was taking every opportunity to feel Jeb against her.
“I don’t know,” she whispered as she continued to look at the bracelets. She could feel his hips against her ass. Their significant difference in sizes was arousing too. She felt oversensitive to everything, including the rough texture of his jeans, the hardness of his thighs, the thick, masculinity of his hands on her body. It was all hitting her, making her palms sweat, her heart race, and anxiety fill her belly.
“What do you think about this one?” Jeb asked, holding up a nice silver bracelet with a dangling angel charm surrounded by three silver balls on each side.
“It suits you,” he told her.
“That is very pretty. It’s feminine and petite, juts like you,” the woman behind the table told them.
Alana smiled at the woman as Jeb placed it on Alana’s wrist.
“How much is it?” Alana asked.
“Twenty,” the woman replied, but before Alana could hand over her money, Jaxon was there giving the twenty-dollar bill to the woman.
Jeb smiled.
“Isn’t it perfect?” Jeb asked Jaxon.
Jaxon lifted Alana’s hand up but held her gaze, instead of checking out the bracelet.
“She is perfect.” He winked, and Alana blushed.
“Jaxon, please.”
“Come on. Let’s continue to look around.”
Jaxon placed his hands on her shoulders, and she was grateful he didn’t take her hand. She might do something stupid like hug him. But as they walked through the fair and around the vendors, she caught sight of the others, including Gabe sitting at a large table. Her heart began to pound again, this time bringing instant sickness and fear.
How can I sit near by Gabe and act like he doesn’t exist and like we weren’t in love? How can I pretend to be friendly when all I want to do is scream and cry, yell at him and demand he come back to me and be the man I remember? How can he just give up on us and what we had? Why doesn’t he love me? How can he just ignore me and not want to hold me like I’ve longed to hold him? God help me get through this. God, I can’t do this.
She paused three tables away from where they all sat.
“I’m sorry. I need to use the lady’s room. I’ll meet you after,” she told Jeb and Jaxon.
Jaxon gave her that look. An expression a commander gives a soldier when he knows he’s up to something.
“I’ll walk with you,” Jeb offered.
“No. I’ll be fine. Go with your friends, and I’ll be back.”
He gave her a knowing smile and then ran his knuckles gently against her cheek.
“Hurry back,” Jeb said, and she nodded, turned away, and instantly felt the sickness lessen.
As she quickly headed toward the center of the fairgrounds, where there was a building with restrooms and information, she turned to her right and bumped into someone.
The man grabbed her by her waist and stared right into her eyes.
His eyes were dark, angry, and definitely creepy, and she stepped back, but he didn’t release her.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you,” he said to her.
“That’s okay. It was my fault too.”
“Have I seen you before?” he asked her, releasing his hold but still in her space.
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, you look familiar. I would remember such a pretty face.”
She thought the man was kind of strange, especially the way he looked her body over and even eyed her breasts. She knew she was well endowed, but he was blatantly staring.
“Sorry again. Enjoy the fair.” She turned to go, but he reached out and gripped her wrist.
She gasped and debated about slugging him, making a counter move, or just yelling and making a scene. But he must have realized what he had done because he quickly released her wrist.
“The clothing boutique in Tranquility. That’s where we met.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t think so,” she replied and held his gaze.
“Yes, a little over two weeks ago, your first day on the job, and I couldn’t find the right size shirt. You helped me.” As he spoke, his eyes sparkled, and again she felt this creepy sensation.
“Well, I’m sorry that I don’t remember you. I’m glad that I was able to help you.”
“Do you like working there, or do you like working at Casper’s better?”
Instantly, she went on alert. How did this man know she worked at Casper’s? Was he following her or something?
“How did you—”
“Oh, I go there with friends and saw you working yesterday. You’re a hard worker. That’s impressive.”
He looked at her arms, her shoulders, and body. She needed to walk away. How many times over the years had weird men hit on her or tried flirting and she got a funny sensation? It was a gut instinct that she needed to respect and listen to.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I need to go. I’m meeting friends.”
His expression changed to an angry one as he looked over his shoulder and back toward the tables where the men sat. Again, she couldn’t help but wonder if the man was watching her. How strange.
“I’ll see you around then.” She nodded, turned, and hurried toward the building. But before she entered, she looked over her shoulder and saw the man watching her. But then he nodded and smiled before he started walking away.
That guy was definitely a little weird. She headed inside, hoping to waste more time and gather the strength she needed to face Gabe and his roommates.
* * * *
“Are you kidding me? Wha
t is Gunner going to do? What about Deputy Peters?” Gabe asked Jaxon as he told them about what happened at Alana’s house when Gunner and the guys got there earlier to pick her up.
Gabe was instantly upset and angry. Alana was gorgeous. It was taking so much will and fight to not hold her, touch her, hell, kiss her and feel her in his arms. But he couldn’t do that to her. She shouldn’t have to settle for a man like him. Maybe letting his friends care for her would at least allow him to know she was safe and secure.
“Well, the thing is, Peters said he would personally take care of driving by her place and checking on things,” Jaxon told them.
“Vincent and those guys hit on Alana the other night at Casper’s. Now his cousin, the deputy, wants to watch over her? I think fucking not,” Gator stated firmly, his fists clenched.
Gabe looked at him and then at Jeb, Geno, and Jaxon. They all already cared a lot about Alana. She would be safest with them.
“What are you going to do about this?” Gabe asked Jaxon.
Jaxon raised one eyebrow up at him.
“Me? How about us, as a team, Gabe? You know you care about her. Hell, you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of her,” Jaxon told him.
“She’s a beautiful woman,” Gabe whispered, his heart aching.
“She was yours, and could still be yours and ours, if you would get your head out of your ass about not being good enough for her,” Geno told Gabe.
“Fuck you.”
“No, fuck you,” Geno said, and Gabe stood up.
“I don’t need this. Just protect her. That’s all I need to know about any of this plan you all have.” He grabbed his cane and began to walk away. As he headed around the corner, he spotted Alana. She was talking to Vincent, deputy Will Peters’ cousin.
A deep, angry, jealous feeling filled him as he watched Vincent touch her hand and lift her wrist up to look at some bracelet she wore. How dare the fucker touch her? It seemed she had an effect on every man around her, and they all felt compelled to be close to her. She was his girlfriend. He was the first man to ever make love to her. He was shocked that thought hit his brain because then came the thought of another man having her. He saw red just thinking of Vincent touching her body and making her moan in pleasure. But when he thought of himself loving her, he felt incapable, weak, and not whole. He would need his brothers, his team, to make her his woman again. That thought struck him so hard that he felt the tears reach his eyes and his belly ache with the realization.
The American Soldier Collection 11: Mending Hearts (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 6