by Susan Stoker
She couldn’t think about the kiss they’d shared or what “seeing each other exclusively” really meant. She needed to get dinner on the table and wanted to enjoy being with the two people who currently meant the world to her. She’d figure out everything else later.
Chapter Seven
A week later, Blade was at PT when Truck questioned him about the situation with Wendy.
“So…what’s up with this chick, Blade?”
“Her name is Wendy. And we’re dating,” Blade responded. He wasn’t ashamed of Wendy or how they’d met. He’d told the guys all about her initial phone call to him and how she’d tried to sell him life insurance. They’d all gotten a good chuckle out of that.
The fact that she lived right there in Temple was a fucking miracle as far as he was concerned. He probably would’ve continued being her friend but trying to make a long-distance relationship work wasn’t something he had any interest in. It was hard enough to have a girlfriend as a Special Forces soldier; it was almost impossible to have a meaningful, true relationship when they were never in the same place except for booty calls.
So far, he loved everything about her—except her increased penchant for avoiding his questions. It was starting to really get to him. He’d gone out of his way to be open and honest with her, hoping she’d feel comfortable enough to reciprocate, but often she hadn’t. He could tell something was going on with her. Something big. Though he was clueless because she wasn’t giving him anything to go on. He wanted to put her at ease. Wipe the wary look from her eyes when he asked the littlest things, like where she grew up or what her major had been in college.
He wanted to be with her all the time. Get to know every little thing about her, but his frustration was increasing. His feelings were growing, and with every question she avoided answering, it made him feel as if she wasn’t as into him as he was her.
“When do we get to meet her?” Beatle asked.
Blade shook off his morose thoughts and eyed the men around him. They’d just gotten done running their usual five miles and were on their way to the weight room for the second part of their workout.
“I’m not sure. Are you going to behave if I introduce you?”
The guys all chuckled.
“What? You think we’re going to scare her away or something?” Hollywood asked.
“Not on purpose, no,” Blade told them. “But I know you guys. She’ll say something that amuses you and you’ll start teasing her and she won’t understand that you’re kidding. Or you’ll sic your women on her.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Ghost asked. “I know the second I tell Rayne that you’re dating someone, she’ll want to meet her.”
“And if your sister hears from me that you’re officially dating, she might never forgive you,” Beatle said.
Blade sighed. He knew he needed to bring Wendy into the fold of his friends, but he was enjoying getting to know her and having her all to himself. “It’s early, guys,” he told them.
Fletch clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t listen to these assholes. Take your time. The girls are gonna love her.”
“How do you know?” Blade asked.
“Because you do,” Fletch said immediately.
“I’ve only officially known her a week,” Blade protested. “It’s too early to know if I love her.”
“Bullshit,” Truck said in a serious tone. “It might be love with a healthy dose of lust thrown in there, but I’ve seen you on the phone with the woman. You get this intense look on your face as if you’re using every one of your senses to listen to her. You block everything and everyone else out. And last week? After that fuckup at the bar and you went and saw her? You were different, man. In a good way.”
“Yeah,” Coach added. “When we went to that family organizational day and helped out with the obstacle course, you didn’t even notice the single soldiers there checkin’ you out…and usually you do.”
“And the last time you saw Annie, you looked at her differently,” Fletch said. “You want to share what that’s about?”
Blade sighed. He knew his friends were right. But love?
He couldn’t deny he liked Wendy a hell of a lot and thought about her all the time, but he wasn’t sure that was love.
“Wendy’s raising her brother. Has been since he was young…about Annie’s age. I’ve just been thinking about how tough that had to be on her…on both of them. I can’t imagine what she’s been through. She gave up a hell of a lot to take that on.”
Fletch whistled. “Wow. That’s serious devotion right there. How old was she?”
Blade frowned, then admitted, “I’m not sure. I’ve asked, but she didn’t really answer. Jackson is sixteen. I’m guessing she had to be in her early twenties when she took him in?”
“So, you’re dating an older woman, huh?” Hollywood teased. “Now I really can’t wait to meet this cougar of yours.”
Blade shoved his friend and everyone laughed. “See? That’s why I don’t want you assholes meeting her yet. Saying shit like that will make her skittish and uncomfortable.”
“You want to make sure she’s as into you as you’re into her,” Truck concluded. “Makes sense.”
“No, I just…” Blade’s words trailed off. Yeah, that was exactly it. He loved these men, but he was scared to death that someone would say something that rubbed Wendy the wrong way and she’d bolt. He could tell she was skittish, and that she hadn’t been completely open with him about something. He wanted to break down those barriers before she met his rowdy and somewhat uncouth friends.
“It’s okay,” Hollywood said, clapping Blade on the back. “But you might want to work on tying her to you faster because Fish and Bryn are coming to town in a couple months.”
“They are?” Blade asked in surprise. “Why?”
“He’s got an appointment at the VA hospital. Bryn talked him into getting fitted for a fancier arm. He said he might as well come back here to the doctors who originally worked on his arm since they already know him.”
“That’s awesome,” Blade exclaimed. They hadn’t seen Fish or his wife since the shit Bryn had found herself in the middle of back in Idaho and then their wedding. “Do the girls know?”
“Yup,” Fletch said. “We’re going to have a barbeque at the house.”
Blade eyed him. “How’s the construction going?” Fletch’s house had recently been halfway destroyed by a man who’d used a rocket-propelled grenade to flush out the object of his obsession. Rayne’s brother had saved Sadie, and they were now an item. Poor Fletch’s house hadn’t fared as well.
“It’s going,” Fletch said. “The apartment over the garage is way too small for all of us, but we’re managing.”
There was something in the other man’s tone that Blade couldn’t read. “Em and the baby okay?” he asked.
“Yes. They’re great. The little whippersnapper has been kicking up a storm. Emily’s still got a few months to go, but I know she’s ready to bring that little one into the world now.”
“Still don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Truck asked.
“Nope. We talked to Annie, and although she really wants a little brother, she agreed that it would be fun to keep it a mystery until he or she is born,” Fletch said.
“So, a barbeque at your place in a couple months…will the house be ready?” Coach asked.
“The contractor claims it will.”
Blade smiled. He had a feeling the contractor would see the deadly Delta Force soldier come out in Fletch if the house wasn’t done on time.
“So, you’ll bring Wendy? And her brother is invited,” Fletch said. “Oh, and if he’s dating anyone, he can bring her along too, or he can bring a friend to make him more comfortable, being the only teenager there. The more the merrier.”
Blade thought about all the good times the team had experienced at Fletch’s house. Barbecues, Fletch and Emily’s wedding, and countless other get-togethers. He could see himself hanging out in the ba
ckyard with Wendy on his lap, laughing and having a good time with all his friends.
“I’ll bring her,” he told them. “As of right now, Jackson isn’t dating anyone, but I’ll let him know he can bring a friend if he wants.”
“Awesome,” Fletch said.
“If you want to introduce Wendy to the girls one on one before then, just let us know,” Ghost said. “You know the girls would love nothing more than to meet the woman who finally caught your eye.”
Blade rolled his eyes at his friend’s not-so-subtle order to introduce Wendy to Rayne and the other women. “Yes, Sir,” he said cheekily.
Everyone laughed.
As they settled into the routine of lifting weights and doing the circuit they’d set up in the weight room, Blade thought about Wendy. Was Truck right? Did he already love her? He wasn’t sure, but he did think about her all the time. Receiving texts from her was akin to winning the lottery. And when he thought about her brother having more run-ins with the thugs who were still harassing him and the other kids at the school, his blood boiled.
He might not know everything there was to know about Wendy and Jackson, but what he did know was that he wanted to do everything possible to make their lives better. More fun, easier, and safer.
Was that love? Maybe.
The only other people he’d felt that way about were Casey and his parents. He’d dated other women before but didn’t think about them while he was running, doing hand-to-hand combat training, or while innocently making his dinner. The sound of his phone ringing or the ding of a text made his heart beat faster and gave him butterflies. He was acting like a teenager with his first crush, but he didn’t care.
It was the thought of something happening to her that made Blade admit to himself that Truck was right. He was well on his way to loving Wendy. Getting to know her via phone had been the foundation for their relationship. A strong, sturdy one. This wasn’t a fling. He wasn’t casually dating her. He wanted her in his bed and his life.
Mentally, Blade vowed to do everything possible to get Wendy to open up to him. To answer his questions. To show her that she could trust him with all her secrets. To slowly integrate her and Jackson into his world. Once she met the other women, and little Annie of course, there was no way she’d be able to walk away. He hoped.
By the time Fish arrived with Bryn and they all gathered around the fire pit at the back of Fletch’s newly repaired house, Blade vowed that Wendy would love him back.
He was nothing if not stubborn, and once he set his mind to something, he always achieved it.
* * *
Wendy was running late, again.
It wasn’t exactly a surprise. She’d hit her snooze button too many times this morning, but this time it wasn’t because she’d wanted more sleep. Well, it was, sorta. She’d been dreaming of Aspen. They were lying together in bed and he was running his hands all over her body. He was gentle and loving and everywhere his lips touched her skin, she tingled.
It had been so long since she’d been with a man, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like. She had great orgasms with her vibrator, but it wasn’t the same as feeling a man’s rough hands on her skin or being filled by a nice hard dick. She’d been a bit wild as a freshman; her poor parents had the worst time with her, and Wendy was now ashamed of how irresponsible and bratty she’d been.
She’d snuck out, drank more than she should, and slept with too many boys. When Aspen had asked her why she thought Jackson might sneak out, she didn’t want to admit it was because she’d done just that. All the time. It was embarrassing, and she had a feeling answering him honestly would lead to other uncomfortable questions.
He’d been asking her questions she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, answer for a while now. Wendy hated avoiding them, and she had a feeling Aspen was getting increasingly frustrated with her, but she couldn’t answer him. She had to think about her brother.
Her dream this morning had been unexpected, but definitely enjoyable. There had only been two men in her bed since she’d taken responsibility for Jackson, and they’d been nice but hadn’t exactly made her see stars.
Her dreams of Aspen turned her on more than those past men ever had in person. Just the thought of Aspen in her bed, inside her body, made her wetter and hornier than she could ever remember being.
The one kiss they’d shared played over and over in her head like a broken record. He’d devoured her as if he couldn’t get enough. No one had made her feel like that, ever. Kisses had always been pleasant and merely a precursor to the “good stuff.” But Aspen’s lips on hers had been almost orgasmic all by themselves.
So that morning, she’d been dreaming of Aspen in her bed, both of them naked, and him looking at her with the same intensity he’d brought to their kiss. She kept hitting snooze so she could continue with her dream.
But her brother knew her all too well. When he’d first knocked on her door, telling her to get up, and she’d told him she was, he rightly didn’t believe her.
He came back ten minutes later, entering her room without knocking, and physically dragged her out of bed toward the bathroom.
They were now on their way to school. Wendy would drop her brother off then head to Cottonwood Estates for her shift.
“You want to practice driving tonight?” she asked, then yawned hugely behind her hand.
Jackson smirked over at her. “You gonna be able to stay awake until after I get home from my robotics club meeting?”
Wendy smacked him on the arm. “Shut it. Drive?”
“You could get in trouble if we’re caught.”
Wendy glanced over at her brother and smiled. “We aren’t going to go drag racing down the streets of Temple or anything. It’ll be fine. I hate that you can’t get your learner’s permit or license right now. I know you want it.”
Jackson shrugged. “We can’t risk it.”
Wendy sighed. “You’ll be eighteen in less than a year. It’ll be here before you know it.”
“Sis?” Jackson asked.
“Yeah, bro?”
“Do you regret it?”
Wendy knew exactly what he was talking about. “Never. Not for one second.”
“But when I think about how you were younger than I am right now when Mom and Dad died, and all you gave up, I can’t help but—”
“Stop right there,” Wendy interrupted firmly. “I don’t regret one thing that I did. I regret that you have to lie about your age. I regret that I can’t throw you the biggest, baddest eighteenth birthday party this town has ever seen on your actual eighteenth birthday. I regret that I wasn’t able to get you everything you deserved growing up. There are a lot of things I regret, Jackson, but every single one has to do with the life you’ve led, not about my own situation.”
He was quiet for a long moment before saying, “Have I ever thanked you?”
Wendy’s eyes filled with tears, but she refused to shed them in front of her brother. “Yeah, you have.”
“No, I don’t think I have. It sucks that I have to pretend I’m younger than I am, and it sucks that I can’t get my license until I’m over eighteen just to be sure I can’t be sent back to foster care. But I can deal. Thank you for doing what you did, Wen. Thank you for getting me out of that house.”
They hadn’t really talked about what had happened ten years ago, and this wasn’t exactly the time or the place, but Wendy wasn’t going to shut Jackson down now. “Do you remember much of it?”
“I remember every second,” Jackson said harshly. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. You absolutely made the right decision in getting me out of there. I hate that you’ve had to fly under the radar since then and that you could never get a degree or finish high school, but I want you to know that I won’t ever do anything that will make you regret what you did. I’m going to get my diploma, then get a scholarship and my college degree. I won’t let all those nights you went hungry so I could eat, or the money you spent on clothes and shit for me, go to waste
.”
Fuck. Now she was crying. Wendy wiped the tears from her face and concentrated on not wrecking the car before she could get to the high school safely.
“It was absolutely my pleasure,” she told her brother softly once she had control of her emotions. “I would sooner have died than leave you in there, not after I found out what was going on. I’m so proud of you, bud. You have no idea. I thought for sure I was going to screw you up. That everything Mom and Dad had done to make you the amazing seven-year-old kid you were would get flushed right down the toilet. Thank you for being as amazing at seventeen as you were at seven. And if you don’t get your diploma or your college degree, I’m gonna kick your ass. Someone has to look after me when I’m old and gray, you know.”
And with that, the heavy atmosphere in the car lightened.
“I wouldn’t mind driving a bit tonight,” Jackson told her, answering her earlier question.
“Great. Will Rob be able to drive you home after robotics?”
“I’m sure he will. If not, I’ll get a ride from someone else or call you.”
“Cool. We’ll eat, then head out and maybe work on some parallel parking.”
Jackson groaned. “I hate parallel parking.”
“Which is why we need to work on it some more,” Wendy returned easily.
“Sis?”
“Yeah?”
“When is Aspen coming over again?”
Wendy’s heart beat faster at the mere mention of his name. “I’m not sure. Why?”
“I like him.”
“Me too.”
Brother and sister smiled at each other.
“You deserve someone like him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone who will stand up for you when you won’t do it for yourself.”