Jenny (Beach Brides Book 5)

by Melissa McClone

His gaze went straight to her jean-clad butt. Oh, yeah. He nearly laughed. Guess he wasn’t that hurt if he was noticing how sexy she was.

  Jenny held a bag. “It’s from Berry Lake. That’s where I live. Home of the Huckleberry Festival and the Bigfoot Seeker Gathering.”

  Berry Lake, Washington. He hoped he remembered the name of her hometown.

  She tilted the bag toward him. He reached in with his right hand since his left was useless. His fingers pushed through tissue paper until he touched something soft and…furry.

  What…

  Dare pulled out a stuffed animal. Not any animal. A ten-inch Bigfoot. He laughed, even though it hurt his stomach and his head.

  Her green eyes twinkled. “I couldn’t resist.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t.” He placed the Sasquatch next to him in bed and then touched her hand again. “My very own Squatchy. Thanks.”

  His eyelids felt heavy. He struggled to keep them open.

  Jenny pulled his blanket up. “You’re getting tired.”

  “I want to keep talking to you, but I’m losing the battle.”

  “Sleep.”

  Dare didn’t want to let go of her hand. He was used to taking care of everyone in his family and squad, but today, for the first time in a long time, he could ask for what he wanted and not feel guilty. “Stay.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” As if to reaffirm her words, Jenny laced her fingers between his. “I promise.”

  Not that he hadn’t believed her before, but when Dare closed his eyes, he knew she would be there when he woke. It was the best feeling ever.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The days blurred into each other. Dare’s condition continued to improve. Jenny wrote while he slept or had appointments with various therapists, but she was relieved to be at the start of a new story and not on deadline. Daily calls with Missy reminded Jenny there was life outside of the hospital and kept her on track with to-do items she could check off the list. Brief visits to the hotel gave hints at the sights San Antonio had to offer, but Jenny didn’t want to play tourist. She preferred being with Dare. He seemed to feel the same way.

  He liked falling asleep with his hand on hers. Whenever he woke, the first thing he did was look for her. Knowing how much he wanted her to be with him gave her a rush.

  Not that they’d done anything other than hold hands, but she was learning more about him each day. His favorite color was blue—the same color of his gorgeous eyes. He loved watching football. He ate hot dogs with mustard and relish. Christmas was his favorite holiday.

  When she returned to the hospital after a quick trip to her hotel, Jenny couldn’t wait to find out how Dare had done at physical therapy. She walked into the room and found him sipping water from a straw. Squatchy sat against the pillow.

  “Where’s your mom?” Jenny asked.

  “Coffee break. She’s addicted.”

  Susan did like her coffee.

  Dare was smiling. His bruises had faded to a yellow color. Some of the scratches had healed. The stubble on his face gave him a sexy, bad-boy edge. “Guess what?”

  “You saw a UFO,” she joked.

  “Better.”

  “Better than a UFO?” She set her purse next to the chair. “I’m all ears.”

  “I got to talk to one of my guys. Ethan Humphreys. Nice kid from Peoria, Illinois. He’s recovering and should be heading home soon.”

  The relief and happiness in Dare’s voice made Jenny feel warm all over. She reached out and touched his hand. “I’m so glad to hear that.”

  Dare nodded. “Lee Yang is already home, so that just leaves Carlos Garcia. I haven’t been able to talk to him. Humphreys told me Carlos was messed up bad.”

  She gave Dare a squeeze. Between his leg, hip, and arm injuries, he couldn’t get around in narrow or small spaces. “You’ll see Carlos once you’re up and about.”

  “I’m going to keep asking until they get tired of saying no and let me in.”

  “I’m sure you could sweet talk a nurse.”

  He raised a brow. “You think?”

  “Definitely.”

  “I’m not much of a charmer, but I might have to give that a try for Carlos’ sake.”

  Dare oozed charm, but she loved that he didn’t realize it. “How did PT go?”

  He set the cup on the bed tray. “I’m still limited with what I can do, but those surgeons managed to save my leg. I’m going to show my gratitude by working my butt off to recover ASAP.”

  He sounded determined. She gazed at his arms, the only parts other than his neck and head not covered. “You look fit to me.”

  That brow shot up again. “Like what you see?”

  Dare’s flirtatious tone matched the gleam in his eyes. Sometimes, he seemed so young and innocent with the way he kept Squatchy nearby and wanted her close to him, a one-eighty from a man who was a member of a special operations elite infantry unit and in charge of a squad. But then, something would change. A smoldering look would flash across his face that was all male and heated her from the inside.

  “Fishing for compliments?” she asked.

  “Always from pretty girls.”

  She laughed. “I’ll take pretty, but I’m thirty-one. Long past the girl stage.”

  “You’re not past anything,” Dare countered. “My granny calls my mom ‘girl.’ And thirty-one is only a couple of years older than me.”

  “Five.”

  “That’s a couple.”

  “More like a few.”

  “Few is good.” He reached for the TV remote sitting next to the cup on the bed tray. “Let’s see what’s on TV.”

  “Remember what the doctor said? No electronics for a few more days due to your head injury. That includes watching TV.”

  “I’m not watching.” He used the remote to change the channel. “You are.”

  “What will you do?”

  “Watch you.”

  “Very funny.” Except…he was looking at her.

  “Look what’s on.”

  The opening credits for Finding Bigfoot filled the television hanging on the far wall.

  “No way.” She laughed. “This is one of my favorite shows. How did you know it was on?”

  “I had a feeling you might watch this series. I asked a nurse to find out what time it aired.”

  Jenny’s heart bumped. Dare was injured and hurting, as was his team, yet he was thinking about her. So sweet. “Thanks. Keep this up, and I’ll be crushing on you big time.”

  “You aren’t already?” He feigned being sad with an exaggerated frown.

  “Well, maybe a little.”

  “I’m going to have to turn the little into a lot.”

  Electricity crackled between them. Tension built.

  If Jenny wasn’t careful, having a crush on Dare would be the least of her worries. She angled the chair so it was closer to the bed and gave her a better view of the television.

  “You can’t see the TV as well from the chair.” Dare patted the space to the right of him. “There’s enough room here.”

  No, there wasn’t. She stiffened. Space, that was. They’d be crammed, an entire side of their bodies touching.

  Anticipation surged. Okay, the thought held a certain appeal.

  Stop. Bad idea. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.” He sounded confident. “You’ll be more comfortable, and so will I. You can keep me warm.”

  She gave him a look. “I can get you another blanket if you’re cold.”

  “I don’t want a blanket.” His eyes darkened. “I want you.”

  Jenny’s pulse sprinted. Her mouth went dry. She adjusted the bottom of her T-shirt to give her time to control her excitement.

  She held in a grin. “Is this how you watch TV with your friends?”

  “No, but we flew past the just-friends stage a few weeks into my deployment.” He patted the mattress again. “Get up here.”

  Dare went after what he wanted. Which, right now, seemed
to be her. She was okay with that.

  Jenny climbed onto the bed, careful where she placed her hands and legs. She was trying to protect Dare’s injuries and herself. The width of the bed didn’t allow her to lie flat on her back, so she was on her left side. She kept a few inches between them, so their bodies weren’t plastered against each other.

  “Isn’t this better?” he asked, sounding satisfied.

  Better wasn’t the word she would use. Her heart beat triple time. Every nerve ending tingled. She doubted her pulse would slow by tomorrow morning.

  “Are you sure this is okay with your injuries?” she asked.

  “Yes, except for one thing.”

  Oh, no. Her muscles bunched. She must be hurting him somehow. “What?”

  He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. The space between them disappeared. “This will keep the IV line from being smooshed by accident.”

  Smooth move, Sergeant O’Rourke.

  Jenny could imagine Ash doing something similar. Her front pressed against his right side. He might be injured, but he was solid.

  Heat emanated from him. No way had he been cold.

  Of course not. She had underestimated Dare, but this side of him was sexy. “You have this all figured out.”

  “I’m highly trained. Skilled in rapid responses and direct action.”

  “I can only imagine your…talents.”

  Mischief flashed in his eyes. “I’ll show you…”

  Temptation flared, but Jenny wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. She stared at the television. “The commercials are over.”

  “Bigfoot really is my competition.” Dare’s tone was playful. As he looked at her and not the TV, he rubbed her arm as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do.

  The way his fingertips caressed her skin distracted her, but she couldn’t deny his touch felt oh-so-good. Had seduction techniques been part of his training?

  “Have you seen this episode?” he asked.

  Ignoring the tingles his touch brought, she focused on the screen. “No, but I’m behind. I’m a binge watcher.”

  “Me, too. That way, I don’t get caught up on cliffhangers. Not a fan of those.”

  Watching a show could wait. Jenny wanted to learn more about Dare. She picked up the remote and turned off the television.

  “I thought you wanted to watch this,” he said.

  “I’d rather talk to you.”

  That charming grin of his returned with a vengeance, and her breath caught in her throat. “I’m all yours.”

  If only… She almost laughed. “What TV shows do you watch when you are home?”

  “Whatever’s on Netflix. No TV. I moved into the barracks about a year and a half ago. It was only supposed to be temporary, but I’m still there.”

  “What’s it like to live in the barracks?”

  “Like being the oldest guy in a dorm.” He laughed. “Not really. I’ve never lived in a dorm. But I had no other choice. My former roommate was my best friend, and I was renting a room from him.”

  Her lips parted. She remembered what Dare had texted about his best friend. “You lost your best friend, your girlfriend, and the place you lived?”

  Dare nodded. “I didn’t put up much of a fight. I just wanted…out.”

  Jenny had a feeling there was more to the story. “How do you feel now?”

  “Like I dodged a bullet.” No regret sounded in his voice or showed on his face. “I’m happy how things have turned out and where I am. Especially now that I’m here with you.”

  His words made her happy because she felt the same way. Hard to believe she hadn’t known Dare existed at the beginning of July, and now she was rarely away from him.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Any ghosts in your relationship closet?”

  He’d been open with her. It was her turn. “I was engaged three years ago. I found out a couple of weeks before the wedding that he had a gambling problem and owed a lot of money. Almost two hundred thousand.”

  “Whoa.”

  “That was my thought.” She shook her head. “He felt I should help pay off his debt. I disagreed. Things went downhill from there, and we broke up.”

  “That had to be hard so close to your wedding.”

  “Yes, but he was with me for all the wrong reasons. I just hadn’t realized it. I still feel foolish for being taken in like that, but I know I dodged a bullet.”

  “Everything happens for a reason.”

  She thought of her brother dying for his country and her parents who’d died after a head-on collision. “You think so? Because that hasn’t been my experience.”

  “I’ll add the word sometimes,” Dare said. “Look at us. I wish my squad and I had never gotten injured, but if I was still with the platoon, I wouldn’t be here with you, and I wouldn’t have Squatchy as my new sidekick. Maybe there was a reason this time.”

  “I’d like to think so in our case.”

  “She agrees with me, Squatchy,” Dare said to the stuffed animal. “That’s a good sign.”

  His smile crinkled his eyes, and the result took her breath away. He was so hot. The best-looking man she’d ever met. Dare could be with any woman. Why her?

  Just enjoy being with him while it lasts.

  “Speaking of Sasquatch,” he continued. “Did you know there have been Bigfoot sightings around Joint Base Lewis-McChord that’s south of Tacoma? Stories have also circulated about Cat Lake and other places used for training,” Dare said. “Though it could just be an urban legend.”

  “I hadn’t heard that about JBLM, but the Pacific Northwest is full of sightings. Our town has capitalized on the ones around Berry Lake. There’s a shop that offers Bigfoot tours and searches to tourists.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. Bigfoot is big business in Berry Lake.”

  “When I visit, we can go on one of those searches.”

  Not if or maybe, but when. Anticipation surged. Jenny would love to show Dare around her hometown. “That would be fun.”

  “I can think of something else that would be fun.”

  Her gaze met his, but his face gave nothing away.

  “A game of cards?” she asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Twenty questions?”

  “Try again.”

  Until he improved a little more, they were limited on where they could go or what they could do. “A walk?”

  “I’m quite comfy where I am.” Of course he was. And if he kept scooting her closer, she would end up on top of him. Although, that might be his plan.

  “I have no idea,” she said. “What?”

  “This.” Dare captured her lips with his. She inhaled sharply, caught off guard. Did this count as direct action or perhaps a rapid response?

  Whatever it was, Dare could kiss.

  His lips tested and tasted and teased.

  Highly skilled, yes.

  The way his mouth moved over hers made Jenny want more. She arched closer.

  Her fingers itched to touch him, but she wasn’t sure what was safe and what would hurt him, so she kept her hands to herself.

  Not that she needed more than his lips against hers.

  He tasted sweet and warm with a hint of peppermint.

  As he pressed harder, she parted her lips.

  No one had ever kissed her like Dare. She felt desired and cherished. In his kiss, she found a sense of belonging…as if she’d come home.

  He pulled back, not far, just enough so he could gaze into her eyes. The hunger in his matched what she felt coursing through her body.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that.” His voice was as tender as a caress.

  Her lips tingled. “Me, too.”

  “We’re going to have to keep doing that.”

  He’d get no disagreement from her. “Sounds like a plan.”

  And he kissed her again.

  CHAPTER NINE

  A few days later, the sun beat down on Dare’s face. The temperature
felt more like August than September, but he had no complaints. He tilted his head back to smile at Jenny as she pushed his wheelchair toward a bench at the edge of a grassy area.

  He inhaled, taking in the scents of the outdoors. Just what he needed. “It’s a gorgeous afternoon. Thanks for getting me outside.”

  “The fresh air is good for you.”

  She was good for him.

  Grateful didn’t begin to describe how he felt for finding that bottle on the beach or to Staff Sergeant Hamilton for telling Dare to reply or to his mom for calling Jenny. Dare had never believed in fate before, but something extra seemed to be in play here.

  “You deserve a change in scenery,” she added. “What you’re going through can’t be easy.”

  It wasn’t. “Having you here helps.”

  “And your guys.”

  “It’s only Carlos and me now.”

  Humphreys had been shipped to Columbus yesterday, even though he’d asked to stay with Dare and Garcia. An order was an order, but Dare understood why Ethan felt that way and reminded him that Yang was back at Fort Benning and might want to see him.

  Jenny set the brakes on the wheelchair before coming around to sit on the bench. “You’ve been doing a great job to make the best of your situation, which has helped your mom. But I know you’ve been worried about your squad, especially Carlos. Please don’t feel the need to pretend in front of me.”

  “Why would you think I’m pretending?”

  “Because even though you seem like a superhero, you’re very much human.”

  That was something he’d been reminded of every single day since the crash. He’d been in firefights and raids. Yeah, he’d been shot at and grazed by bullets. But he’d never really thought about dying until now.

  “There’s no reason to tell everyone how I feel.”

  Especially her. She might not like seeing him that way. He didn’t want her thinking he was less of a man.

  Dare blew out a breath.

  “You can’t hold it all in,” she said. “At some point, it’ll come out. Please, talk to me.”

  He wanted to say no. That nothing was wrong. But he’d be lying to her if he did that. His father had done nothing but lie and withhold information before he’d deserted the family. Dare tried hard not to have anything in common with him except his gender and last name.