by Rebecca Rose
Dave stormed off, leaving Jake to wonder if his brother’s point was valid. People always looked up to him and what he did. From strangers, to old school friends, to family. They always wanted to know how he could do what he did and be the man he was. The man he used to be. Jake remembered seeing admiration in some of his young cadets’ eyes and knew he once looked like that when meeting his own heroes. He mulled over how proud he used to be for what he did for his country. How maybe he had lost that pride with the aftermath and the melee his life turned into. He had once believed in this nation so much that he almost gave his life for it. Given the chance, would he do it again knowing the consequences? The answer came easy: Yes. Without question.
Later that night, Jake laid out his uniform and medals on his bed. They always sat in their cases, which were tucked high on the shelf in his bedroom closet. He couldn’t remember the day his last honor was given to him, because it happened at the beginning of his downward spiral. What he could recall, though, was feeling a sense of pride. All the men he looked up to had gotten that medal. Now he had it, too. But what did the shiny symbol mean to him? That he did his job right, and to the best of his capabilities? That he was a hero? Or did the honor mean nothing? Jake ran his thumb over it. No, it meant something. Otherwise, he would have to believe all the casualties of war were for nothing. Callahan’s and Chuck’s deaths would be for nothing.
Hell, Chuck blew his brains out and left family and friends wondering why. Jake knew the why. He lived the why every day. He never thought dying in that ditch would have been better than living with the emotional death that ensued. But sometimes when he felt overwhelmed by life and it caused him to act irrational, Jake wondered if Chuck had just needed to stop the pain, to bring an end to the countless images burned into his brain and the constant concern in people’s eyes. Casualties aren’t just the wounded and dead. No. They are the men and women who return home and discover blending back into civilian life is next to impossible without turning off a switch—the one thing Chuck couldn’t find once the only thing he knew was gone.
Looking up, Jake found his reflection in the bedroom mirror. Who was he now that he didn’t answer to Gunny? What did he want to do with the rest of his life now that he knew he had choices? Disgruntled, Jake put everything back in its place. Tomorrow he would have to call and thank Dave for being so up front about things and sticking by him while he came to his senses. No, Jake hadn’t been the easiest person to be around or work with, but Dave did it not only because they were brothers, but because they understood, respected, and loved each other.
Jake didn’t want to think about it anymore. It wore on his mind and exhausted his body. Sleep came easily, and so did the sweet dreams of Sophie—the one person who changed everything. She taught him how to appreciate life again with her quiet understanding and take-no-prisoners attitude. He wasn’t whole without her, and not because war ripped an abyss of pain through him, but because her mere absence did. He needed to get her back no matter the cost. Begging on his knees until she forgave him or he died of old age was something he was prepared to do if it meant there was a chance at spending eternity with her. Tomorrow. He was putting on his big-boy pants and getting her back tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-One
The frozen trees glistened as crystals would in the sunlight. Car doors stuck and wipers broke when their owners attempted to dislodge them from their arctic resting place. Jake looked outside his window and wondered for the millionth time what Sophie was doing, thinking, planning for this New Year’s Eve.
Pacing with a nervousness he only felt before going into battle, Jake scanned his living room shelves and smiled. They were a little disorganized and dusty. His eyes then wandered to the photos hanging on the walls. One of Dave, Sophie, and him at the Halloween party. Another one of his parents smiling, and another of him and Sophie the night they all ate together. Dave had snapped it with his phone when Jake pulled her in his arms for a good-night kiss. He managed to catch the shared look in their eyes. Love. Plain, simple, and in front of him. Jake almost let her go, and if it wasn’t for Dave, he probably would have without ever realizing why the rest of his life was so miserable.
Apprehension pulled at him as he pulled on his boots, grabbed his jacket and keys, then headed out the door. In his urgency he slipped on the last house step and ended up on his butt in the icy snow. With his right hip aching, he hobbled to his truck only to discover the door frozen shut.
“Shit!” he proclaim as he pulled on the handle with all his might. Giving up, he banged on the door. “I hate you!”
Limping back into the house, Jake filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to heat. While waiting he put rock salt on the steps so they wouldn’t bring him down again. Determined to get to Sophie, Jake walked out the door with the pot of hot water and poured it over his driver’s-side door. Steam floated up as the ice melted and the latch let free. With his objective only a few miles down the road he threw the empty pot onto the lawn. With a hardy jerk, Jake turned the key in his ignition. Click… click… cliccckkk. He knew he should’ve gotten gas yesterday. His gas line was probably frozen from being beneath a quarter of a tank and the weather under ten degrees. Now what was he going to do? Jake’s head fell with a thump on his steering wheel. The horn gave a week beep.
“Think, Jake, think,” he ordered himself. “Dave!”
Realizing he left his cell in the house, Jake pushed out of his vehicle and leaped up the slippery steps. With phone in hand, Jake dialed Sophie instead. If he couldn’t see her, then damn it, he was going to talk to her. His hands began to shake as her end rang.
“Hello?”
“I’m going sledding and was wondering if you’d like to come. You’d have to come and get me, though, because my truck won’t start,” he said in one extended breath.
“Jake, you okay?”
“Yeah… ummm… my truck isn’t working.”
“Do you have enough gas in it?”
He laughed because she knew. Somehow, someway, she always knew. “No, I don’t.”
“I—”
“Sophie.” He took a deep breath a prepared to confess his love. “Listen, I think—”
“You’re thinking? Sorry, I don’t mean to be nasty.”
“The least you could do is listen before you start tearing me a new—”
“Listen? You want me to listen? You have some nerve, Jacob Mark Sanders!”
She called him by his full name. Hearing her say it with the huff and overexaggerated syllables brought a smile to his face. He did love her. Every damn thing about her and that included her temper. “Sophie.” When he noticed she had hung up, Jake looked at the phone and began to laugh. He was head over heels in love with her, and it looked like he was going to have to hike to her place to tell her.
* * *
“How dare he!” Sophie charged down the stairs and into her garage. Her engine revved to life. Hydroplaning onto the street, she skidded before gaining control of the car. They were going to have it out. If Jake thought they fought before, he was in for a huge surprise. He needed to stop toying with her feelings and let her know how he really felt about her so they could move on together or apart. The simple idea of Jake with another woman gave Sophie’s temper another reason to hit the gas pedal.
She slid into his driveway as Jake climbed out of his car. Sophie barely missed hitting him.
“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled.
She slammed her car door and stalked over to him. “If you think you’re going to take up with some floozy just because I’m not working at the Lion anymore, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“You’re nuts. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” His look of amusement brought on Sophie’s thirst for blood. Just before her palm would’ve made a satisfying connection with his face, Jake caught her hand. “No, I won’t do it this way.”
“Do what? Tell me there’s someone else. That we were just a fling and you’re happy now.”
A flood of tears, held in for too long, began to flow. As hard as she tried to stop her breath from gasping, the hurt she felt from his desertion overwhelmed her. The strong person she’d once been disappeared. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t move away from him. What was she doing? Why was she acting like a madwoman?
“Sophie.” His voice became so soft she wondered if she heard it at all.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Jake. You make me crazy.” Her knees weakened when a tear escaped the corner of his eye.
“I love you, Sophie. Every crazy thing you do. The way you bicker with me and don’t put up with my shit. How you like to sit on the couch watching bad movies with your left leg tucked under you. When you dance it’s like seeing an angel fly—it’s amazing. I can do anything with you by me and nothing without you. I do love you, Sophie.”
She couldn’t have heard right. It must be the roaring blood in her head causing this moment of insanity. “What?” Jake wrapped his arm around her waist before she could sink into the snow.
“I was on my way to your house to tell you when I fell down the friggin’ stairs. Then the door to my truck was frozen shut. Then the truck wouldn’t start. Sophie, I’m not a whole man without you. At first, I didn’t know what to do with these feelings that exploded in me when I met you. Now I get it! Love makes you do ridiculous things. We’re friends, lovers, you trust me, I trust you, and that’s sayin’ a lot.”
“I—”
He kissed her fiercely, his need strong and urgent. “Please believe me when I say it’s you. Only you that I want. That I’ve been waiting for.”
Her head spun with all he was saying. “You hurt me.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. Sophie, I’m missing time. And for once I can do something about it. It’s you. I lost time with you. I was so scared that I’d hurt you that I never realized how much I was doing that exact thing. I wake up looking forward to talking to you and then remember you’re not there. I want to wake up with you by my side every morning. I haven’t washed my pillowcase because it smells like you. I miss the way we laugh, the way you challenge me. I’m bored! Oh my God, I’m soooooo bored without you.”
“Really?” This was more than she could ever ask for. He was coming to her, but she needed to know: “Why now?”
“Knowing you were leaving the Lion threw me. What if I never saw you again? What if I never got that second chance? Dave asked me why it was you. Out of all the women in the world, why was it you?” He knelt in the icy driveway before her as another tear escaped his eye. “Sophie, hurting you was the worst thing I’ve ever done. You deserve a man who will stand up and fight for what he believes in. One who will give you that home, children, and a dog—”
“Oh, my God.” Her breath escaped her lungs in a rush while her mind went blank. This was the man she’d been waiting for, and he was prepared to give her everything she’d ever dreamed of.
“You make me want to be the man to give it to you. You humble me and I will beg until the last breath leaves me. I love you. I—”
“—don’t have to beg, Jake. I love you, too.” She fell to her knees in front of him.
Jake rested his forehead on hers. “Don’t ever let me go. I know I can get through this with you by my side. It’s a whole new world for me, and I want you to be a part of it. I want to build a family with you and memories. Life will mean nothing without you.” He heard Sophie let out a giggle. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Jake. You thought you had a choice in this? I was just giving you time to come to your senses. You’re mine, and we’re going inside that house and I’m going to show you just what you’ve been missing.”
“Yikes. Should I be scared? This sounds like a battle.”
“One you’re going to love losing.”
About the Author
Once Rebecca Rose picked up her first romance novel she knew her destiny was typed on those pages. She lives to find romance in ordinary life doing everyday things, and believes we need only to be mindful enough to find it. While being slightly dyslexic creates some challenges, she feels compelled to write about the characters who reside in her head.
Now with multiple books published, she is a full-time writer with a nag for a muse who talks obsessively, even in the car. That is, of course, when the voice can get a word in edgewise with her three children and husband of nineteen years along for the adventure.
Rebecca hopes her writing brings you to laugh, cry, and rejoice with her characters. Maybe even leave a lasting impression on your soul.
Don’t miss the next book in the Unlikely Love Series!
Turn the page for a sneak peek of
Tempting Mr. Perfect.
Chapter One
She walked out the door without even a good-bye. Dave’s heart sank to his feet while his stomach churned and his mind tried to think of any way to make her stay. Never a man to beg, Dave realized that might be exactly what he would have to do in order for Kathy to open her eyes and understand where she belonged—with him. He came around the bar and began closing up the Hungry Lion Bar-n-Grill for the night. Money in the safe, chairs up on the tables, bathrooms empty, all doors locked, lights off. Every night Dave would wonder if this routine would get tiring, and to his surprise it never did. He knew where he wanted to be, and every day he came in here was another dream come true. Except for the fact that the woman he loved walked out after every shift and never went home with him.
The late-night air hung heavy and made a promise for the following day to be humid. Dave sauntered to his an old beat-up truck that he just couldn’t part with. The paint had faded, and the body was slightly rusted, but the engine purred with awesome power.
Hearing her laugh, Dave turned to see Kathy still chatting with the late-night waitress, Sue. They were standing next to Kathy’s car engrossed in conversation. Exhilaration pumped blood fast and hard through his stiffened body. His mind split into two different personalities with opposing opinions. One said to walk over there, grab the chick, and kiss her. The other pushed for him to jump in his car and escape as fast as he could—ensuring his dignity. The meddlesome, internal argument came to a halt when Kathy spotted him. He’d been standing there like a fool, with his keys dangling from his fingers, and starting at them. She waved him over with a smile.
God, I’m such a dingbat, Dave scolded himself then dragged his feet to join them.
“Dave,” Sue said. “You work too much. We were talkin’ ’bout going out ’morrow night for male strip review. Wanna come and perform for us?” she teased.
“Umm… not really my thing, Sue. But, you could always try my brother. Jake seems to like taking his clothes off.” He winked at Kathy. From under the streetlight he saw color rush to her cheeks. Gosh, she’s so cute.
“I might just do that. You think Sophie would mind?”
Kathy gave a sweet little laugh. “See Jake naked? No, I don’t think so.”
Dave shifted on his feet—awkward and wondering what else he should say. Kathy wrung her hands while Sue kept smiling at them both.
“You know kiddos, I’m gonna run. The husband is waitin’ and the curtain climbers will be up in six hours.”
Dave nodded. “Okay, Sue. See ya next weekend.”
“Bye, Sue.”
Together they watched her leave, the last lifeline to easy conversation between the both of them. They stood in the parking lot and stared at each other as if their very next words would determine if the sky would fall in. Nervous tension prickled the air. Hypersensitive hormones made his body aware that the opposite sex stood in front of him and mating was imminent. Dave took a step forward. Just friggin’ kiss her! They were so close, their bodies brushed, and she didn’t back up or try to avoid his touch. He dipped his head so their faces were as close as he’d dreamed about. But, instead of kissing her, he began stroking a hand up and down her arm.
“You should go.” His eyes held hers. “It’s late.”
“You’re right.”
But she d
idn’t move. No, actually, her lips did in the slightest way, casting a bewitching spell of lust over him so that Dave could neither move nor think. A voice echoed in his head: Kiss me, Dave. Do it now! With the world around them diminished, and his self awareness no longer his own, Dave brought his lips to hers. Testing, tasting, and cautious. His eyes closed, heightening his other senses, increasing his anticipation. Hands, gentle and soft, cupped both Dave’s checks then glided into his hair. Oh, he felt about to come undone. Soon, there would be no going back to sanity. Not if he didn’t loosen the strong hold he had around Kathy’s body. The kiss went deeper, and Dave soon found his body pressed between her Prius and her. She hooked one leg on his hip. Dave accepted this gift by grasping her thigh and lowering himself so their intense brazes met and created a fierce inferno. Touching her wasn’t enough; he wanted more. He needed more.
Tearing his mouth from hers Dave managed to say, “Come home with me.”
Kathy opened her mouth and replied in serious honesty, “Beep… beep… beep… beep.”
“Oh, what the hell!” Rolling over in bed, Dave slapped the alarm. “Every time I get the balls to make a move on her, I’m interrupted! Damn it!” He threw the alarm across the room, and it slammed into the wall and fell broken to the floor. Hard and sex deprived, Dave covered his eyes with his arm. “You’re pathetic. A pathetic man with a crush on a gorgeous woman who pretends to know you’re alive and avoids ya as much as she can.”
Showered and testy, Dave headed out. The ground, frozen and slick, welcomed him to slide into his driver’s-side mirror. Nope. Can’t be spring and can’t be summer. Nope, Dave, you’re in the middle of the worst winter in New England history! He rubbed his elbow fast, to help with the pain, then climbed into his truck. The day will get better, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the truck is fired up.