Zack stepped closer to the stage. It hadn’t been an easy night of sleep. Thoughts of Lena had kept him awake with Mike’s warning echoing through his brain. But it was Mike or Lena…and he really didn’t see the comparison. This was his time. He’d waited long enough. “So, are you going to ignore me forever?”
Lena set another plant on the stage and turned. “I’m not ignoring you.”
She eyed him up and down. “You look good, Zack.” Then she blushed. “You always looked good, I guess.”
“You guess?” He laughed, unsure if he should be insulted.
“Yes.” Lena picked up another plant. Zack came forward and took the load from her hands. “Well, no. Maybe. I have a question for you.”
“Okay.”
She bit her lip.
His heart fell, and the nerves returned. He carefully set the plant at the edge of the stage, in line with all the others.
“Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with letters?”
It seemed like a trick question, but he answered with his gut. “Yes, but there could be issues…like, what would happen on the wedding night? Think of all the paper cuts, Lena.”
She laughed like he wanted her to and even slapped his arm. “No, really,” she answered, getting serious again.
He rolled his eyes. “No. I think the connection you feel through the letters was already there. Maybe your subconscious recognizes those thoughts put to paper.”
Lena brightened at that thought. “Yeah! That’s totally it.” At ease again, she picked up the last poinsettia and set it on the stage. “All I know is, we’re soulmates. Those letters, Zack. He talked about politics, religion, family. He had a sister who died at three months old when he was only two. Can you imagine?”
Yeah, he could. Of course he could. That had been a long time ago, before they’d moved to Red Bluffs. But the ache of losing half his family had stayed with him.
Thankfully, Lena kept talking. She really did not think he could have written those letters. Not even a little? Sheesh.
“Look Zack,” she started, “I think we should just forget last night happened—”
“What?” He came out of his pity-party musings with a jolt. “Hell, no.”
“Hell, no?” She laughed with a shake of her head. “That’s almost sweet.”
“That’s not sweet,” he said, as a knot of irritation rubbed against his chest. “That’s the facts. It’s open season on Lena Rodriguez. I’m not going to let those letters stop me from getting what I want.”
Her eyes widened. The vein in her neck pulsed. “Wow—”
“Oh, shit.” That might not have sounded right. “I’m sorry.”
“No, please. Don’t hold back. I just love being referred to as game.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He backpedaled. “I’m not good at this.”
Zack rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a breath. “Lena—”
He hadn’t even heard the hum of the screen lowering, but it was down. Mrs. Rodriguez walked back through the doorway. “Everything looks great. Lena, would you mind sticking around after the show? We need to have everything taken down and loaded back up before we leave. It shouldn’t take long. The drama club will be here for the stage props. But the flowers came over from Sacred Heart.”
“I can help, too,” Zack offered, desperate to figure out how to get things on track with Lena.
“Wonderful! It’s settled then.” Anabel clapped and reached for them, each hand taking one of their arms. “This is Christmas, a time of peace and family…and love. Tomorrow, after you finish up here, you two should go and do something fun.”
Lena sent her mother a wary look out of the corner of her eye. “Okay…”
This was just what he needed. An order. Soldiers were good at taking orders. She couldn’t say no to Mom.
Anabel had given him the chance he needed.
Chapter Seven
The concert had ended brilliantly. No, that was too cliché. Cat’s performance had struck her with a revitalizing dose of homesickness, which made no sense at all seeing as how she was home. But it was missing so much of life here, her little sister was growing up.
She’d actually cried, and Lena never cried.
Now the weekend was upon them. Another tradition checked off. Another day closer to Christmas. She’d always loved the winter carnival, so it had been easy to agree when he’d suggested it. He’d made it clear this was a date. There was no way in heaven or hell she could pretend he didn’t mean a real one this time. Two people, holding hands, eating cotton candy…riding the Ferris Wheel.
“I’m so embarrassed, though.” Lena pulled her jacket closer to her body as the night air took another dive toward freezing.
“Why?” Zack took her hand and pulled her toward the line for the Ferris Wheel.
“My mother is match-making.” She’d been horrified speechless at the realization. “I feel like I should apologize.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Of course not. You’re the one who kissed me.”
He shrugged. “Not going to apologize for that, either. Besides, you kissed me back.”
He made her heart pound, and her head forget all about the letters. And she wanted to kiss him again, too. Now that she’d had a chance to get used to the idea, she wanted to do a lot more than kiss him. But she’d known him for so long. He was like a brother. A really good-looking, muscly—she shook her head to banish the thought and cleared her throat. Not going to go there.
“I have three years left of my commitment, Zack.” Lena got in line behind another couple then turned to him. “How the heck am I supposed to start a relationship now?”
He lifted a brow. “Are you serious? Isn’t that what you plan on doing with letter guy?”
Heat rose on her cheeks. “Oh, well. That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because we already have a relationship going.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, we do!”
“No.”
She opened her mouth to answer, but just as quickly, he grabbed her, circled her neck with his arm, and covered her mouth with his hand. She couldn’t help grinning. All the combatives training she’d done over the years weren’t going to help her against Zack, who’d had the same training, was twice her size, and at least eight inches taller.
Instead of fighting, she put an arm around his waist and tucked her hand into his pocket. She really liked the feel of him at her side. He slowly lowered his hand from her mouth, but his arm stayed at her shoulder. She leaned her head against his chest and soaked in the joyful atmosphere as the crowds dwindled and the night grew dark. Yeah, she could get used to this.
“Hey-oh, Zack Benson! Long time, no see.”
Lena straightened as a man approached them. He was on the short side, light-haired, muscular. He pumped Zack’s arm with a warm grin, and glanced to Lena then back to Zack. He wagged his finger. “I knew it. This must be Elena. Just as pretty as you said. No, I take that back. Prettier.” His laughter echoed through the crisp air. “It is good to see you home, Lena. I tell you what, Zachary has waited a long time—”
“Lena,” Zack interrupted. “This is Mark Teller. He’s new in town. We met at an after-hours business gathering.”
She wanted to go back to the ‘has waited a long time’ part, but Zack turned the topic to fishing, and they chatted a few minutes before Mark made his good-bye and left. But he shook her hand and smiled. A smile that said he knew something she didn’t.
Finally, they reached the front of the line and were escorted into the bucket seat swing. Zack tugged on the safety bar and secured it over their laps.
“That man is up to something.”
Zack cleared his throat.
“And so are you,” she continued.
“Some people are just weird—take Mark, for instance.”
“Uh, uh—”
“Oh, look, I can see your house.” Zack
tucked her in under his arm and pointed south as they rose in the circle.
Lena rolled her eyes. “Fine.” But the bird’s-eye view of town captured her before she could make a smart remark about how he was evading her question. Lights were strung along the roofs of houses and businesses along Main Street. Wreaths hung from lampposts. “Look at the church all lit up. It looks so pretty.”
“You’ve missed it.” Zack spoke her feelings, and she nodded as emotion swelled within her.
“I didn’t realize. I mean, sure, I knew I missed the States, my family, the American way…my coffee maker.”
“I know what you mean.”
She really looked at him, and saw an understanding in his eyes that no other person could get…unless he was a soldier. She saw something else, too. The clear blue traces of love that she wanted to ignore but couldn’t.
“Zack,” she whispered and heard the pleading, breathlessness in her own voice. He’d held back since Quinn’s, giving her space and time over the last couple of days. But she wanted that moment back. Lena leaned in, touched his jaw line with trembling fingers as desire rose within her. “I’m going to kiss you now,” she spoke, her lips a breadth away from his.
“About damned time.” His no-nonsense response eased the nerves, making her smile in that moment before she made contact. But then the smile was gone, and she was enticing his mouth open with a swipe of her tongue, playfully nipping at lips that tasted of the coke he’d drank with their late dinner. She hummed her pleasure and felt his hands in her hair, caressing her neck, and then gripping her arms.
All the while, he pulled her closer and closer until she wanted to simply sink into him, feel the hard planes of his body against her soft ones.
Lena moaned then broke away as the Ferris wheel stopped. She yelped as the swing jerked forward then swung back. One hand gripped the rail to her left, the other gripped Zack’s leg. He laughed and covered her hand with his own. Then he lifted it, opened it. “Best idea you’ve had all night,” he said, placing a kiss against her palm.
Zack pointed out towards the river. “Look over there.” All along the west bank were barges waiting for their own part in the winter celebration—the fireworks.
Lena checked her watch. Nine fifty. “Almost time, and we’re stuck up here.”
“But we’ve got a great view.”
The swing started moving again, up and over the top of the circle, and then it stopped. Zack laid a hand on her bouncing leg. “We’ll get there, don’t worry.”
Once more, the Ferris Wheel moved, bringing them toward the ground. It wasn’t that she was uptight, but it had been so long since she’d been home for the winter carnival fireworks show. And with her family, too. “I know. Just been a while. We should both be down there.”
Because he was family. And wasn’t that exactly why she wasn’t supposed to kiss him? Apparently, she would have to work a little harder to overcome her desires. “I’ve had a really good time tonight, Zack.”
“Uh, oh. That sounds like a precursor.”
The swing stopped at the bottom of the circle, and the worker came over to hold it so they could step out. At the bottom of the steps, Lena turned and walked backward.
“No, it’s…” she thought about it for a moment. “I have this other thing going on.”
“The letter guy.”
“Right, the letter guy. And, I fell for it, the romance, the sentiment, but I’d forgotten how it was to be with someone who knows me, cares about me even when I’m not perfect.
“I have seen the ugly sides of you.”
She lifted her brow and put her hand on her hip, stopping in his path. “I have ugly sides?”
“No,” he said with a grin. He took her hand, and they continued toward the park. “Remember the time during college when you totally went ape-shit crazy on your roommate who thought it would be fun to invite her entire sorority over for a pre-exam bash?”
“Sorority and male counterparts,” she added, “with groping hands!”
She’d been doing a decent job of clearing her room, but had felt even better when Zack showed up after he’d gotten off duty. It helped that he’d been in uniform, too. Big and over-bearing. He’d made her heart pound with want, but he’d been hands-off during those years. When had it stopped? The wanting. Later. Separation had eased the ache of her crush.
“You’d already taken care of it by the time I showed up. You sure can raise your voice, Lena. I saw a few left hooks in there, too.”
“Oh, please.” Lena denied. “I do not think so.”
He smiled with a shrug.
“Hey guys! Over here.” Juan called them over, and Mom smiled contentedly with a little tilt to her head as she eyed Lena and Zack at her side. Lena went around and kissed her mom and dad, who were sitting next to each other in their matching canvas chairs.
When Lena took a seat at the picnic table, Cat handed her a warm thermos. “Hot cocoa.”
She took a sip. “Mmm. Just what I needed.” She glanced at Zack. She tilted her head in question. She’d never seen him hesitate to enter the family circle.
“I should go check in with my dad.”
She wondered if she had done something wrong, but then Zack’s gaze found someone behind her. Mike came up and set a hand on her shoulder with a squeeze.
Lena froze, shrugging off the touch as anger flashed through her. “Za—”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he interrupted. He didn’t want her to cause a scene. Not that she’d ever been a scene maker in the past, but if Mike really thought he was going to play guard dog…
She nodded. “You do that, Zack.” And that was her statement, to him, to the family. She made her own choices. And she’d damn well see whomever she pleased, even if he was her brother’s best friend.
Cat nudged her. Juan cleared his throat. Mike remained the stoic guard at her side.
She’d known it wouldn’t be easy to bring a guy home—even at her age. She just hadn’t considered how awkward it would be if Zack were the guy.
Chapter Eight
“What in hell are you waiting for? You’re going to let that woman get away!”
Zack bit back the inappropriate retort on the tip of his tongue. “I don’t let her do anything, Dad.”
His father had been distant when Zack was a kid, but they were much closer these days. He chalked it up to joining the Army. His dad had done the same when he was nineteen. Now, their relationship had evolved from father-son to good friends. His dad saw more than Zack let anyone else see, including his infatuation for one Elena Rodriguez.
“You like her, don’t you?”
“It’s a little complicated.”
“Well, of course it’s complicated.” His dad banged a fist against the table. “Otherwise, you’d probably be dating a man!”
Zack chuckled when the waitress came up and timidly set their dinners on the table. He thanked her then placed his napkin in his lap. They’d been coming here for lunch every Saturday since he’d gotten home.
He picked up his fork and stabbed the steak he’d ordered. “I just need a little more time.”
“I’d think time isn’t something you have a great deal of. What you need”—he pointed with his fork, narrowing his familiar gray eyes—“is a plan B.”
Frustration ate at him. Those stupid letters. Christmas was in three days. Another short week after that, and Lena would return to duty. Back to Sam Houston for new orders, a possible relocation, and three more years of service.
Why? Why had he made such a ridiculous promise? Because Christmas was about love. It was about family. It was early mornings with his pretend family, sitting near the tree. The year he’d been given his first pocket knife, and the time Mrs. R had bought him a sweater. He’d lost his family once and been gifted with a replacement—the Rodriquez family. Was it too much to ask for the best Christmas present ever, Lena’s love?
Zack cleared his throat, folded his napkin, and laid it next to his plate. “I had
a plan for Christmas morning to tell her everything. I didn’t expect it to be this dicey. I definitely didn’t think I’d have to go through her guard to get to her.”
His dad laughed. “Uncle EJ made a stink the day I came for your mother.”
Zack stopped the forkful of food halfway to his mouth. His dad rarely spoke of the old days, or even of his mom anymore.
“It was different in those days. Seemed like we all had a wild hair. Your mom’s parents didn’t want her to go. They thought it was a mistake to marry a soldiering man.” His dad shook off the memory. “Maybe it was.”
Zack suddenly knew what it meant for a sentence to be loaded. Holy moly. “No,” he answered succinctly. “It wasn’t. Besides, Lena’s a soldier, too. And perfectly capable of making her own decisions.”
“Son.” Zack nearly dropped his fork. His father never called him that. A wistful expression clouded the old man’s face. “You never know how long you’ll have, so make good use of your time.”
He thought about what his father had said throughout the day. When he wanted to go to her, Lena had disappeared to Sacramento with her sisters and mother. Christmas shopping. Now the day was over, and he hadn’t seen her at all.
He tossed and turned in bed, the one he’d treated himself to after eight years in bachelor quarters and less than luxury accommodations. He wanted her here, next to him, even for the short time she was home. He wanted to hear her whisper his name and say that she loved him.
But she’d fallen in love with the letter guy, who was only a part of him. The silly romantic part…he should have taken more time to swear or tell a dirty joke or two.
What if she didn’t love the rest of him?
Zack woke groggy and restless. He showered, lingering longer than usual as thoughts of his predicament continued to fill his mind. But maybe it wasn’t all that bad. They’d had a good time on Friday night. And she’d stood up for him, too. He hadn’t expected that.
“She loves you,” he said to the face in the mirror before he slid his razor down over his cheek. His stomach clenched, hearing the words echo against the tiles of his bathroom. He just needed to show her he loved her. Show her what he offered her was real.
Letters from Home (Entangled Flirts) Page 5