Managing to hide my surprise at the unexpected kiss, I caress her face. “Hi. Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
“I just had to touch you.”
She really tugs at my heart. “You can touch me anytime you want.” I kiss her on the forehead. “And before I lay you down on this sofa and strip you naked, I think you’d better show me your photographs.”
“Spoil sport!”
God, she really is trying my patience. I’ve never wanted a woman so damn much. Jake, Anna and Beth are all in their twenties, so if I brought Rona into their lives as my woman, it probably wouldn’t go down as well as someone more my age.
Unaware of my thoughts, Rona starts the slideshow on her iPad, and I can tell she certainly saw some sights while she was out with Jake today. There are some pictures of her that Jake has obviously taken. I wouldn’t mind having a copy of one.
“Didn’t you take any pictures from the tram? There are usually some good shots from there.”
“Um, no. I was too terrified to think about anything except putting my feet on the ground. I kind of buried my face in Jake’s jacket and didn’t look up until he dragged me off at the top and into the restaurant. The trip down wasn’t any better.”
I tighten my arms around her. “Is it the first time you’ve been on an aerial tram?”
“I’ve been in a cable car before and that was a hair-raising experience. I swore I’d never go in one again.”
“So why did you?”
“Big Red was a lot bigger and in the end, just as terrifying. But the waffles were worth the fright, I guess, not to mention the view.”
We fall into an easy silence as we continue going through the photographs. As we come to the end of her slideshow, I notice she’s drifted off to sleep on me. Rona feels so good and so right against me that I don’t want to move.
I place her iPad on the coffee table and sink further down into the sofa before pulling her into my arms and falling asleep with her.
Rona
As I awaken slowly, I realize I’m not in bed. Opening my eyes, I meet Jake’s from across the sofa. He’s sitting in one of the chairs with a look on his face I can’t decipher. It’s then I realize I’ve been asleep wrapped in Cade’s arms.
Managing to extract myself without disturbing Cade, I motion to Jake to follow me to the kitchen where I grab a cup of coffee. Turning to face Jake, I explain, “I didn’t realize I was so tired. I was sitting next to your father showing him the photographs and the next thing I know, well, I woke up to you watching us.”
“Is that all it was?”
I blush. “That’s how we ended up like that on the sofa.” I’m trying to remain evasive.
“You’re attracted to him though, aren’t you? I know he’s attracted to you. I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you look at each other when you think I’m distracted.” Jake offers a wry smile. “I also noticed you both looked a bit disheveled when I brought the car around at the airport.”
I open my mouth to speak but Jake continues, “I’m a guy and it’s kind of obvious when two people have been making out . . . although I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before.” He meets my gaze, then nods, “No, I didn’t think so.”
I’m not touching the ‘making out’ comment, but instead admit, “Yes, I’m attracted to your father.” I’m not the kind of person to lie and I won’t start now, despite how uncomfortable I am. “I’m more than attracted to him. But having this attraction between us doesn’t change the fact that I’m only a year younger than you. This makes your father very uncomfortable.” I sigh. “I’m sorry if this upsets you, but I can’t help how I feel.”
“I’m not even sure ‘upset’ is how I feel right now. He’s been alone for a very long time, he deserves some happiness.” Jake turns away and starts for the stairs before turning back to me. “Please don’t break his heart. I know what that feels like.”
“I won’t,” I whisper, wishing I could do something to help him win his girl back.
After Jake disappears upstairs, I take two coffees into the lounge and deposit them on the coffee table. As I sit opposite Cade, I see him watching me.
“How long have you been awake?”
“Long enough. I was about to come to your rescue when Jake left.”
“If everyone accepted us both being together, how would you feel about us as a couple?”
“How I feel about you will never change and will probably only get stronger the longer we’re living under the same roof. But my family isn’t the only problem.” He looks away. “I have twenty-one years on you. When you’re forty I’ll be sixty-one. I don’t want to leave you a widow when you’re so young.”
I can’t help the tears of loss that run down my face. Loss shouldn’t be what I’m feeling right now, especially with only knowing Cade for such a short time. But the thought of not being able to be with him, to lose the closeness we’ve already developed, causes my tears to fall freely.
Moving from the sofa, he crouches in front of me as I move forward. He wraps his arms around my waist. My arms slip over his shoulders, but unfortunately, the embrace ends quickly as we hear Jake moving around upstairs.
“Will you be okay?” he asks me as he moves away.
I just nod my head, not really believing I will be.
“We’ve been invited to Anna’s for dinner this evening. I hope you don’t mind.”
I wipe my face. “No, that’s fine.” With a deep breath, I confess, “I’ve fallen in love with you, Cade. I know it’s quick, but I’d rather use what time we both have left and spend it together instead of apart. No one knows what the future holds or how long or short it will be. I just know I want my future to include you.”
After my heartfelt declaration, I leave Cade and head up to my bedroom to shower and change for dinner.
Chapter 5
Jake
Catching my father and Rona asleep together on the sofa has given me an ache in my chest. I’m jealous. Not because my father finally has someone who looks at him and sees him as a man, instead of his worth, but because that’s what I want. What I had with Elise. Back then, at eighteen, I did what I thought was for the best, and a huge part of me regrets it. She was the only girl I’ve ever craved . . . the only one who still has my heart all these years later.
Elise had lost her older brother over in Afghanistan fourteen months before I signed on the dotted line. After witnessing her heartache, I couldn’t put her through that again so I broke up with her. But now that I’m out of the Marines, and home again, I want my girl back. But Beth, my sister, broke the news to me that Elise is now engaged. It kills me knowing that another man is putting his hands on her when she’s mine.
It shouldn’t because I haven’t exactly been a monk, but they never meant anything to me and were just a way of letting off steam. Elise seems to have moved on with someone else. I told her that’s what I wanted, but I’d lied through my teeth to make her leave me because she had been slowly breaking through the barrier I’d erected before I went to Paris Island.
The big question hanging over my head right now is what the hell I’m going to do about her. I love her. It’s that simple. When I’ve been home over the years, I’ve spotted her around and noticed she always goes out of her way to avoid me. But every time I’ve caught sight of her, my heart somersaults in my chest. She’s always going to be my girl and a Marine never gives up. I just need a plan of action—a plan that includes me showing up wherever she is, and not letting her avoid me.
She has to still feel something for me, otherwise why try and avoid me as much as she does?
With that thought in mind, I pull myself out of my dark mood and strip. Tossing my clothes into the wicker hamper in the corner of my room, I head to the bathroom.
I catch a glimpse of my scarred hip as I turn the shower on, and it causes me to pause. The scar is an angry mark on my body starting on my hip and extending onto my buttock. If I overdo it, then the scars look red and angry, and h
urt like a bitch. Sometimes on waking, I have to slowly massage my hip, thigh and buttock before I can get out of bed, something I’ve kept to myself.
I see the look on my father’s face when he sees me limping, and it hurts because I’m the one who put that look on his face. I don’t want pity from anyone, but knowing my father is hurting because I am, doesn’t sit well with me at all. This is one of the reasons why I’m happy he’s falling for Rona and vice-versa. At last, I hope, he has someone to talk to and be there for him because, God knows, he must have been lonely as hell over the years. I’m also hoping with their growing relationship, he’ll be too distracted with Rona to worry a lot about me.
But while he’s doing that, I’m going to get my girl.
Stepping into the steaming shower, I stand under the spray and feel my body start to relax as my mind wanders to my girl. As it does, the tension creeps back and I imagine the way she would react to me; to my body. Her gorgeous head of blonde curls flow down her back to her waist and I ache to touch those silky strands again. The light sprinkling of freckles she has over her nose and cheekbones still create a craving to taste her. I used to tease that her freckles tasted like cinnamon sugar, which always had her laughing. The melodious sound would stop, though, when I put my mouth on her pussy lips, and opened them with my tongue so I could dip inside and really taste her.
Groaning, I push my hips forward in arousal. I need release. It’s been a hell of a long time since I felt the touch of a woman, but as my dick swells with thoughts of Elise, she’s the only one whose hands and mouth I want on me.
My thoughts are really not helping right now.
Continuing to wash my body, I ignore my hard-as-hell dick, rinse off, and step out. I grab a towel, and dry off quickly. Shoving my legs in underwear, I opt for dress jeans and a shirt for tonight’s dinner over at Anna’s house. She’s been badgering me to spend time with her since I stepped foot in Wyoming a couple of days ago. I don’t think she had family time in mind and preferred to see me alone. But we’ll both take the compromise for now. I can avoid the pep talk I know she really wants to give me. She definitely wants to talk about what happened to me, and about my plans for the future. I’m just not ready to discuss them with her, no matter how much I love her.
The first person I plan on talking to is Elise, if she’ll listen.
Fastening the last button on my shirt, I grab socks and shove my feet into my boots just as my cell starts to vibrate across the wooden dresser. I answer, “Hello,” without bothering to look at the caller ID. Shows how damn distracted I am.
“Jake.”
Elise.
“Jake, are you there?” I hear a trace of nervousness in her voice.
“Yeah,” I whisper, and then more strongly, I say, “I’m here.”
Just knowing she’s on the other end of the telephone with me has caused my brain to freeze, preventing me from forming a more coherent sentence.
“Beth told me you’re back home now. I just wanted to make sure you’re really okay. You are, aren’t you?”
I drop my ass to the bed, wondering what to tell her over the phone. My family kept my injury to themselves, so Elise has no way of knowing something did happen, although she’s probably guessed.
As I’m dragging my hand through my hair, about to answer her, she jumps in again. “Jake, dammit! Will you please stop with the silent treatment? I never did anything to you. You left me, remember?”
“I remember,” I growl. “Fuck, Elsie. You’ve thrown me, calling out of the blue. I don’t know what the hell to say to you, but I can’t do it over the phone.”
“You’re frightening me,” she whispers.
“Don’t be afraid. I know I hurt you badly in the past, but I’ll never intentionally hurt you again. I promise, Elise. Please meet me so we can talk.”
I force myself to stay silent while I can practically feel the wheels turning in her head.
“All right. I’ll meet you, but I can’t now. I’ll call you, but Jake, you are okay, right?”
“I’m good, Elise. Don’t worry.”
“If you’re sure, I’ll see you soon.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
After a few seconds of sitting with my cell to my ear, I realize she’s disconnected so I drop my cell to the bed. I lean forward with my elbows resting on my thighs and my head in my hands still reeling from hearing her voice. Knowing she’s the one who made contact fills me with hope.
Elise
Hearing Jake’s voice for the first time in years has tears running down my face. He’s the only man I’ve ever given my heart to, and he still has it. No one has come close, although I thought, not too long ago, that maybe I’d be able to give it to Tom, my fiancé.
Guilt fills me as I think about Tom. I was feeling lonely when Tom arrived in Jackson Hole, and moved in with his sister, Grace. When he finally got around to asking me out to dinner, I accepted, and things went from there. The thing is, I have no clue how I became engaged to him. He never really asked me, it was more of a one-sided discussion on his part, and before I knew it, everyone was talking about ‘Tom and Elise’ being engaged. I’m too soft for my own good. Too worried about hurting someone the way I’ve been hurt, that I went along with it thinking I’d eventually get used to the idea. And now Jake’s home.
Beth had told me Jake was coming home for good, but not the reason why. That’s how I managed to work up the courage to call him—our first contact in too many years to count.
I know Jake too well. It must be pretty serious for him to be home permanently. He had the drive to go after the career he had his heart set on, and now that he’s out of the Marines, I’m really worried about him. There’s no way it’s voluntary for him. He broke my heart, but if I were honest, I’d be back with him like a shot if he indicated he wanted to try again. He’s my weakness, and now I have to figure out a way of breaking it to Tom that the wedding is off.
That thought terrifies me. When I met Tom, he was sweet and harmless—a guy who’d make a great friend. He seemed as lonely as I, so it made it easy to be with him. But something has changed in him lately and it worries me. I can’t go on with him the way things are. Not when I’m still in love with Jake; it just isn’t fair to Tom. Plus, I’m not made to be with two men at the same time, even though I’ve never actually had sex with Tom. I wasn’t ready, although I should have been considering it had been years for me. Eventually we decided we’d wait until after we were married.
Still clutching my cell to my chest, I hear a car pull up my driveway. My heart sinks as I watch Tom climb out of his car. I was hoping for Jake, but that was silly. I told him I’d call him to arrange a time.
Quickly running into the bathroom, I wipe away my tears with a damp washcloth, and after I’ve patted my face dry, I nearly jump in surprise when I pull the towel away and see him.
“You frightened the life out of me.” My heart pounds in my chest with fright and nerves.
“I wasn’t exactly quiet when I came through your front door. I actually tripped on that missing tile,” Tom grumbles. “You need to get that fixed before I break my neck.”
You could offer to fix it.
“It’s on my list of things to do.” Hooking the towel over the rail, I slide past Tom and head into the kitchen like I have purpose.
Grabbing the jug with freshly brewed coffee in it, I pour him a cup and lace it with sugar and milk. Sliding it across the breakfast bar, I offer him my full attention and say what I’m thinking, “You could fix it for me.”
“Sorry. I don’t have time.” He shoots me down as though I’m a piece of dirt on the bottom of his shoe.
Reaching for my own drink, I wrap my hands around it for warmth as I feel all the heat leave the room with Tom’s cold words. He’s an ass and these past few weeks have made me see him in a different light.
“Okay. I’m outta here. Just thought I’d stop by and make sure you’re here and not out gallivanting in town.” He kisses me on the forehead
as though I’m a child that needs consoling before turning tail and driving away.
Well, he’s never been so rude before. I’ve really had enough of him and the way he treats me.
Chapter 6
Cade
Arriving at Anna’s house, I glance over at Rona who seems nervous if her constantly twisting hands are any indication. In addition, she’s been fidgeting in the seat for the past ten minutes. Jake isn’t much better and seems as agitated as a hornet’s nest, which I notice as I help Rona out of the car. “Are you okay?” I whisper.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit nervous.”
“You don’t have anything to be nervous about.” I offer her an encouraging smile and turn my attention to Jake. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he automatically replies.
Something is going on with Jake tonight. He’s been distracted since he came out of his room to join us for dinner. As though he’s here in body, but his mind is elsewhere.
I take Rona’s elbow and we follow Jake to the front door, which has just been opened by Gaby.
She only has eyes for Rona. “Are you Uncle Jake’s girlfriend?”
Her question brings Jake and me up short.
I lay my hand against Rona’s back so she knows I’m here with her. “Um, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not Uncle Jake’s girlfriend. Your grandpa and uncle were kind enough to invite me to stay with them. Are you Gaby?”
“Yes.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Gaby. I met ‘Honey Bee’ yesterday and I love that name, I also love the cereal.” Rona smiles.
With a giggle, Gaby takes hold of Rona’s hand and pulls her inside the house, leaving Jake and me standing at the door.
“I guess Rona passed inspection.” Jake grins.
“I’m surprised.”
“You’re not the only one,” Jake whispers as we follow them into the house.
I see Rona in the kitchen with Gaby, who is introducing her to her mother and father as well as Beth’s husband, Mack. I’m not sure where Beth is though.
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