Surviving Broken

by Beverly Preston

  “Well, you have four bedrooms and an office—”

  “I’ve already remodeled the master bedroom and bath when I first got here,” he informed, handing her a pencil to sketch out her idea.

  “Can I see it when we’re done?”

  “Sure.”

  “These four bedrooms all share one bathroom in the hallway. I know bathrooms are an added expense and I don’t know what your budget is, but if you get rid of this bedroom and switch the closet layout, each of these bedrooms could have their own bathrooms. The waterlines are already in the perfect place. Not very many people need that many bedrooms nowadays. Bathrooms are a big selling feature, second to a great kitchen.” JC smiled with a shrug.

  He stared at the plans. “That’s a great idea. What else you got?”

  “You already finished the master?”

  He nodded.

  “My only other suggestion would’ve been to make the master closet bigger. Women love big closets. Even if they can’t fill them up, they still want to dream about it.” She playfully nudged her shoulder against his.

  Reed smiled, reaching for her hand with his long tapered fingers. “Come on. I’ll show you what I did in my room.”

  Entering Reed’s bedroom proved to be almost too difficult for her. Suffused with the intense awareness of his solid masculine presence beside her, a nervous chill chased down her spine. She struggled as the air between them sizzled with zealous chemistry. Comforted by the warmth of his hand, she wanted to reach for him when he released her fingers and tucked his hands into his pockets, dragging his jeans lower on his hips, exposing yet another defined muscle.

  JC turned away from the sight of his carved bare chest and abs, covered with the perfect amount of dark hair dusting his tan skin. All the men she’d dated over the last few years manscaped. They waxed, got manicures and a few took longer to get ready than she did. JC couldn’t remember the last time she’d ran her fingers over a chest like Reed’s. I’ve never dated a man like Reed.

  Reed was a manly man, a good ol’ boy, rough and rugged yet gentle and tender. The kind of man who’d climb a tall tree to save a kitty for a child, or stops to change a tire for an elderly couple stranded on the side of the road. The more time she spent with him, the more she began to think he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. Being near him sparked a responsiveness, open and accepting, of her emotions. She wanted to explore her reactions to this man. He made her anxious, but it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him. It was the new feeling of a soulful connection that rattled her brain…and her heart.

  The bedroom had no furniture, simply a bed and an old nightstand. However, the room had been repainted a creamy white, the baseboard stained a rich dark coffee color. The bathroom was gorgeous with rustic modern elements. He’d designed a huge walk-in shower tiled in neutral colored stone and floating shelves hung beneath his and her sinks made from natural polished rock.

  Admiring his work, she rambled on breathlessly, attempting to make coherent sentences, telling him how impressed she was with the craftsmanship of his work.

  “I want to show you something. Close your eyes.”

  Without hesitation, she did as he asked. The soft flesh of his palms rested on her cheeks when he covered her eyes leading her toward the master closet. The warmth of his breath near her neck sent a pleasant tickle dancing across her skin. A small smile tipped the corner of her mouth as she realized exactly how comfortable she felt in his hands. Navigating her way through the darkness, JC leaned back, searching for support and guidance and found it against his bare chiseled chest. A quiet hiss escaped her lips. Sweet Jesus!

  He removed his hands from her eyes, exposing a closet built exactly how she described it. They both laughed, but awkward silence soon hovered between them.

  Breaking the silence, JC sauntered back into his room. “You need furniture, Reed. You’re not doing your new room any justice leaving it like this, all naked and boring.”

  “It’s naked because I don’t know how to decorate at all. I’m a guy. I’d be perfectly happy with a couch and a big flat screen TV.” Reed stared at her, longing concealed in his eyes as he stumbled through his words. “And the only reason it’s boring is because I’m alone. I haven’t dated in a long time.” He grasped her fingers again, fumbling with them in his big strong hands as he strolled out of his room back into the living room.

  Confusion clung to her emotions. Humiliated by his reluctance to ask her out on a date and terrified by her own panic that he might, tears pricked her eyes.

  She swallowed the fear tightening around her throat. “I haven’t dated for a little while either,” she said vaguely. There was no way she was going to talk about her last dating experience. Noticing the sledgehammer sitting on the floor, she bent over and tried to pick it up, but the heavy hammer barely budged. “Do you have a smaller sledgehammer?” she grunted.

  Reed huffed out a half laugh. His masculine mouth lifted at one end into a wry grin. “You want to help me tear this wall down?”

  JC nodded hotly. “How many walls can I pummel?”

  “Three. I’ve got a smaller sledgehammer in the garage.” Reed headed for it.

  JC opened the backdoor, stepping outside into the cool night air. She moseyed past the patio and backyard, gazing out over the ocean from the edge of the cliff. “Wow,” she whispered.

  “It’s a great view, isn’t it?”

  JC startled, not realizing Reed stood right beside her in the darkness. “I’ll say. Your place has a better view than Tom’s house. You can see around both sides of the point. I bet the sunrise is beautiful.”

  His tall lean muscular frame silhouetted against the moonlight, but a swaggering grin shone through the night shadows. “The sunrise is beautiful. I watch it every morning lying in bed.”

  Her lip twitched. “Give me that hammer.”

  Reed drew out several large X marks the spot and let her have at it. JC beat the hell out of the wall, releasing a month’s worth of pent up anger and pain, and current unidentified mysterious frustrations she had never felt before in her life. She didn’t understand why she felt so scared, nervous or confused, but one thing was for sure: the more Reed Rider stood right in front of her, yet still out of her reach, all sweaty in those damned worn out Levi’s, the more she craved him.

  By the time they finished, old insulation and drywall dust covered them from head to toe.

  “I think you enjoyed that a little too much!” Reed swept his hands over his arms, brushing off the grime.

  “I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Any time you need demo, please call me. That felt great.” It was after 2:30am and she didn’t want to go home. “Hey, Reed? I’m not really tired. Do you feel like coming over to go swimming with me?”

  A faint trace of humor gathered in his eyes.

  “I said swimming. Not skinny-dipping. I’ll make you breakfast after,” she bribed. “What’s your favorite?”

  “Darlin’ I like it all, but pancakes are probably my favorite. Let me grab my trunks.”

  “Pancakes are my brother’s specialty, but I make a mean eggs, hash browns and bacon.”

  They ambled back to her house at 3:00am. JC changed into her cutest brown bikini and found Reed already in the pool when she came outside. He’d been covered in dust and refused to come inside the house. She was fairly certain he changed into his trunks behind a palm tree on the side of the house.

  It took a half an hour for her to relax and stop thinking about the look and feel of his golden-tan wet skin. Unable to take his eyes off her, Reed seemed just as anxious. Their bodies casually bumped against each other, briefly touching as they swam and sat on the steps at the edge of the pool. They finally fell into a deep intimate conversation, both telling stories of how they grew up and the hardships they suffered losing their parents.

  Reed opened up, talking about the loss of his only brother in Iraq. “My little brother was seven years younger than me.” He tossed JC a small sullen smile. “He w
as killed in a road-side bombing two months after his deployment.” Another look of morose curled at the edge of his mouth. “Andrew was an adrenaline junkie, competitive, athletic…he thought he was invincible. He saved two other soldiers before the second blast took his life.”

  Though he spoke about his parent’s lives, he became uncomfortable talking about their deaths. Reed spoke quietly, saying only, “Momma, she died of a heart attack and Dad didn’t live long after she passed."

  JC held his hand, gently manipulating the center of his palm for reassurance and understanding. Over the years, she spoke of her daddy often, but it was unusual for her to open up about the loss and heartache she felt when he died.

  “My daddy died when I was a senior in high school. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.” It’d been seven years, but grief and sorrow still leaked from her eyes uncontrollably. “He could do just about anything. Work hard and play harder, that was one of his many mottos. Well, that and always be truthful. He’d always say, ‘Nothing good comes from lying’. He was fun, yet stern. A big teddy bear.”

  “He sounds like a good man.” Reed smiled softly giving her fingers a double-squeeze.

  She nodded in confirmation. “He was the best. I miss him.”

  JC continued to talk for nearly an hour. Sharing her sadness with Reed brought a deep sense of relief, her wall of self-preservation dissolving.

  “What about Tom? Are you close to him?”

  JC nodded quickly. “We’re super close. I definitely think of him as a second dad. My mom and dad were crazy about each other, so we didn’t think she’d ever date again. Even she never expected to date again, but when she and Tom met it was like…bam—” she slapped her palms together, “—fate. Something you’d see on the silver screen or read about in a book. And Tom, well, you know, no one ever expected him to get married.”

  JC couldn’t help but feel like a barrier had been broken between them and within herself. Their attraction toward each other was blatantly obvious, but an intimate connection of friendship drew her closer to him. JC had never taken her time kissing a man, nor had a man ever taken his time pursuing her. If she was attracted to a man, she dated him. However, Reed had the patience of a saint and seemed to be in no hurry.

  At dawn when the dark sky turned to gray, they hopped out of the pool. Reed went home to shower and change into shorts and a t-shirt. JC rinsed off and threw on a summer dress before starting breakfast.

  Reed sauntered in through the back door into the kitchen. He stood behind her, watching as she laid strips of bacon into the pan. His strong hands lifted to her shoulders and coasted lightly down her arms. Searing awareness washed over JC, prickling her skin with heat. Her breath turned heavy and her lids fluttered shut relishing in the pleasure of his touch. Without any reluctance she tilted her head to the side exposing a vulnerable spot on her neck.

  Nuzzling into her wet hair, he muttered something about her scent, but she couldn’t hear him over her pulse rampaging through her veins. She spun around slowly, staring at the affliction and desire hidden deep within his ice blue eyes. His arms went around her in a warm embrace as he dipped his head and she closed her eyes—

  Bzzz bzzz bzzz!

  JC’s heart lurched at the sound of her phone vibrating on the granite countertop. Glancing at the number, she panted, “It’s my sister. If I don’t answer, she’ll just keep calling.” Pulling her close, he stroked her hair as she huffed out a breath of aggravation answering the call. “Morning sis.”

  “Morning. I’m calling to see how you’re doing.”

  JC smiled, resting her cheek against the hard planes of his chest. “I’m…great. I’m cooking bacon, eggs, and hash browns. You’re missing out.”

  “Good! I’m glad you’re feeling better. Wait a minute. You’re cooking breakfast?” Tracy hesitated. “Holy crap! Are you with the neighbor?”

  “I am with the neighbor. And his name is Reed.”

  “You hooked up with the neighbor?” Tracy blurted, caution mixed with enthusiasm, followed by a short pause. “Was he good? Did he help you out with your little problem—”

  “Hey, he’s right here and can hear every word you’re saying. And no, I did not hook up with him.”

  “I don’t do hook ups.” Reed assured, loud enough for Tracy to hear. Humor coated his deep sexy voice

  Tracy squealed with excitement. “What does that mean, he doesn’t do hook ups?”

  JC’s face flushed so hard it could’ve burst into flames and she tried to bury her embarrassment in his chest. “I don’t know. Apparently Reed doesn’t do hook ups.”

  Reed shook his head. “Nope! Tell your sister I’m workin’ on a girlfriend though.”

  “Girlfriend!” Tracy shrieked, making JC pull the phone away from her ear. “Girlfriend! Evidently, he doesn’t know about your rulebook. What the heck is going on? I just talked to you two days ago.”

  “It means I’ll call you later.”

  “Wait! Wait! Don’t hang up. Why is he there for breakfast if you didn’t sleep with him?”

  JC rolled her eyes. “I don’t have to have sex with him to make breakfast for him, do I?” She couldn’t see Reed’s face, but felt a low laughter in his chest. “I’ll call you later, Trace. Love you.”

  “Love you too. I want details—” Tracy demanded as JC ended the call.

  Releasing her from his arms, he leaned his hip against the counter. “You told your sister about me?”

  “We’re sisters, Reed. We tell each other everything, almost everything. I thought you were a burglar remember? But I told her a lot about you.”

  Folding his arms across his chest apprehensively, he squinted, questioning cynically, “You have a rulebook?”

  Her lips pursed in a hard line and her eyes fell to the skillet as she flipped bacon. She’d never been self-conscious about her rulebook or dating ethics, but his stance made her uncomfortable. JC didn’t want him to judge her moral fiber or integrity.

  Standing tall and turning to face him, she set the tongs on the counter and folded her arms across her chest, mimicking Reed. “Yep, I have a rulebook. And it’s full of ridiculous guidelines I started abiding by my senior year of high school. Stupid stuff, ya know? Never sleep with men on the first date. No married men or men who have girlfriends or kids, and I don’t date men more than five years older than me. I don’t use certain terms like, making love or I love you’s. I prefer to use the term dating as opposed to girlfriend and I don’t live with men. I stayed with a man for a few months, but it didn’t work out very well for me. At all!”

  Taking note of her defensiveness, he unfolded his arms and rested his palms behind him on the counter. “Is that how you see me, JC? A hook up?”

  “No. That’s not how I see you.” JC’s nose tickled and one tear trickled down her cheek. He stepped in front of her and wiped the droplet with his thumb, tilting her chin up to look at him. “I don’t know how I feel. You make me nervous. We just met and I told you more last night about my daddy than I have anyone else, except my family. You make my hands sweaty, and…and I never cry like this. I…I…just want to be around you,” JC confessed with bewilderment.

  “Oh, hell. Don’t cry,” he said softly, pulling her against the length of his body with one hand and reaching behind her with his other hand to flip the bacon.

  “I’m not crying. I’m just emotional for some stupid reason.”

  “Darlin’, I’m from Texas. Where I come from, men don’t share. I won’t just date you. I fully admit I’m not completely opposed to hooking up, but that’s not what I want.”

  She felt the bristle of his beard as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

  “I’m trying to be a gentleman and you’re not making it very easy.” He turned the gas burner off and set the tongs down.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She scowled, placing her hand on his chest, putting a few inches between them.

  “That means, you look too good, you smell bett
er than any woman I’ve ever been around. You’re eyes are the most beautiful shade of jade green, spotted with three honey colored flecks wrapped in root beer brown. One on your left eye and two on your right eye. And if you get any feistier...”

  Sexual tension sparked between them. Raising up on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “If I get any feistier, what’s gonna happen?”

  “Darlin’, haven’t you ever heard the old saying, patience is a virtue?” He groaned with a soft reply, “I don’t want to be a piece of ass to you and I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to treat you like one. My heart doesn’t work that way.”

  A slow grin crossed her lips. “I missed out on the patience gene. That’s in my sister’s DNA. And I don’t want just your ass, Reed.” No matter how torturous or difficult it became not to kiss him, she’d wait. No matter how long it took. JC simply wanted to be next to this man. “Well then, I guess you should also know I don’t lie. Ever. In my family, you’re only worth as much as your word. I’ll always be honest with you.”

  He reached around her and grabbed a piece of bacon. “What else you got in that rulebook of yours?” His slow drawl was layered with intrigue and sexy playfulness.

  “Silly stuff.” She grabbed a strip from the skillet. “Most women have a wish list when it comes to what kind of man they want to date. I, on the other hand, have an encumbering list of rules I use as a safety net to keep me out of trouble.”

  “I like trouble.” Reed teased with bent brow, dragging his hand through his hair. “I’m almost eight years older than you, darlin’. Is that gonna be a problem?”

  Without even thinking, she shook her head adamantly. He could’ve said eighteen years older and it wouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference.

  “You gonna sleep all day?”

  She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “No. I have sleep issues.”

  “You wanna help me go shopping for my boring bedroom?”

  Laying her head against his chest, she nodded.

  “You all right now?” he asked sweetly.