Forever Series Box Set Books 1-3

by Mona Ingram

  Brett stretched his legs. “As far as I’m concerned, the weekend is already a success.” He hesitated. “Except for the fact that you won’t accept a loan.”

  Jenna set her mug down and gave him a pointed look. “We already talked about this, Brett and you know how I feel. But I do want you to know that I appreciate the offer. I’m not sure I made that clear last night.”

  “You did. I just thought I’d try again.” He stared into his mug. “There’s something else we have to talk about, though.”

  She nodded. “Danny.”

  “Yes... Danny. I’m thinking that one or both of us should start talking to him about the fact that you’ll be leaving right around the time he goes back to school.” A frown flitted across his face. “He’s come to rely on you; it’s not going to be easy for him.”

  “I know how he feels,” she murmured.

  Brett either didn’t hear, or decided to ignore her comment. “Would you be willing to interview housekeepers for me? I’d really appreciate that.”

  A hand reached inside Jenna’s chest and squeezed her heart. “Of course,” she said, lowering her face to her tea mug. “Speaking of which, I have a couple of job interviews next week.”

  “And you’ll be finding a place to live, I suppose.” He took a deep breath. “I’m afraid I didn’t make it very clear how much I was going to pay you when you came to us, but if you leave around the first of September, that will be roughly a month. I intend to pay you five thousand dollars.”

  She gasped.

  “No arguments. As I said, I’m sorry we didn’t discuss it before. I should have told you so you could plan financially.”

  Jenna didn’t have the strength to refuse. Plus, she desperately needed the money to provide her with a cushion. “Thank you, Brett.”

  “And if things go wrong,” he said, continuing as if she hadn’t spoken, “you’re to let me know. There’s always that loan.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, putting on a brave face. She was crumbling inside, but she wasn’t about to let him see that. “Now, what about tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?” He looked blank. “Oh, you mean Danny’s birthday. If I had my choice, I’d stay right here. Come to think of it, I’ll bet he’d like the same. We could let him run on the beach all he likes. Maybe he and I will even fly our kites.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll need a couple of hours to make his birthday cake, but other than that, sitting around sounds like a great idea.” She stifled a yawn. “Right now, I’m headed for bed.” She stopped and looked up into the sky. “Did you see any shooting stars last night?”

  “I saw a few.” She could tell he was smiling.

  “Make any wishes?” This conversation was getting dangerous.

  He rose and came to stand behind her. “Oh, yeah.”

  “And did they come true?”

  The heat from his body warmed her, but it was the heat in his voice that made her tremble. “Not yet,” he said. Her toes curled at the sound of his voice. “Not yet.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “GOOD MORNING, BIRTHDAY Boy!” Jenna greeted Danny with a hug when he padded into the kitchen the next morning. “I made you a special breakfast.” She gestured to the table. “Fruit, granola, and yogurt.” She hesitated. “I hope you like vanilla yogurt.”

  Danny stared at the food laid out on the table, his expression one of disbelief. He looked helplessly toward the deck, where Brett was having coffee. “But I was hoping...”

  “Just kidding!” Jenna hugged him again. “You can have anything you like. They have a waffle maker here, or you can have pancakes again this morning.”

  “No fair,” he said, a broad smile on his face. “Just wait until it’s your birthday. I’m going to get you back.”

  Jenna’s smile faltered, but she managed to get it back. “You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool me.”

  “Could I have waffles, please?”

  “Of course. And after breakfast, you can open your presents.”

  “I THOUGHT WE WERE ONLY going to get him a couple of things,” said Brett, after Danny had finished opening his gifts.

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who suggested I buy him a computer. He’s already looking up Queensland.”

  Brett looked blank.

  “In Australia. That’s where his friend came from. The boy from yesterday?”

  “Right. And the parental controls?”

  “Already taken care of.”

  “Good.” His gaze rested on his son. “He’s never going to want to take that T-shirt off.” Jenna had found a T-shirt with the same design as Danny’s kite.

  She smiled at the thought. “Did he go through the Superman phase?”

  Brett frowned. “What’s that?”

  “You really weren’t around much, were you?” It was more of a statement than a question. “Almost all little boys go through a phase where they wear a towel draped around their shoulders and run around the house pretending to be Superman. Some of them are lucky enough to get Superman T-shirts, but it’s not always necessary.”

  Brett picked up one of the rings from the ring toss set, but he wasn’t really seeing it. “Do you think I’m overdoing it now... trying to make up for lost time?”

  Jenna looked out at the deck where Danny was hunched over his new computer, then back at Brent. “You mean by buying him stuff?” She thought for a minute. “It probably wouldn’t hurt to cut back on the toys for a while but no, I don’t think you’ve overdone it.” Her gaze drifted out over the ocean. “He knows he’s loved, and that’s more important than anything you could buy him. Knowing my parents loved me gave me a belief in myself. I think it’s partly what got me through the disappointments of the past month.” Her gaze rested on the dark little head. “I can’t believe how much he’s changed.” She shook her head as if to rid herself of the memories. “But speaking of buying things, I already have most of his school supplies. Did you want to be there when we buy the rest?”

  The horrified look on his face was all the answer she needed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

  He let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now go play with your son and let me get started on his birthday cake.”

  JENNA HUMMED TO HERSELF as the cakes cooled. The tantalizing smell of spices drifted through the house. Certainly not the traditional chocolate cake, but Danny had expressed an interest, and so far it was going well. She’d never made the frosting before, but the recipe looked simple enough... some mashed bananas mixed with icing. How hard could it be?

  She looked outside; the deck was still empty. Brett and Danny had kicked off their sandals and set out over an hour ago with their kites. Jenna wished she could follow them with her camera, but maybe later. She patted the tops of the cakes. Cool enough. “Slice it and ice it,” she murmured to herself. The four-layer cake looked spectacular in the picture; she hoped hers would turn out half that well.

  “WHY DIDN’T JENNA COME with us, Dad?” Danny was rewinding his string. The winds had been capricious ever since they ventured out, and his enthusiasm was lagging.

  “She was doing something in the kitchen,” he said, feigning indifference. “She said something about a walk on the beach later on.”

  “I know what she’s doing.” Danny shot a tentative look at his father. “She’s making my birthday cake, isn’t she?”

  Brett hesitated for only a moment. “Yes,” he said. “She is.”

  “Then let’s go back. It’s not fair that she’s all alone.”

  “You just want to play with your computer.”

  Danny’s eyes lit up. “I looked up Australia. They sure have a lot of insects and stuff that can bite you.” His hand slipped into Brett’s. “I’m going to visit someday, but I’ll be careful.”

  Brett nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Did you ever scuba dive, Dad?”

  “No, I’ve never tried. Why do you ask?”

  �
��Because they have a cool place in Australia to scuba dive. It’s called the Great Barrier Reef. I learned that from the computer, too.” He looked up at his father. “Is it okay if I go back now and find out some more stuff? I won’t bother Jenna.”

  “Go ahead.” Brett’s heart was full as he watched his son run ahead. Jenna was right; the boy had changed dramatically just in the few weeks she’d been with them, and he’d be the first one to acknowledge that it was mostly due to her. There would be a large hole in their lives when she left.

  When Brett got back to the beach house, Danny was sitting in a shady corner of the deck, immersed in his computer. The first thing he noticed when he entered the house was the sweet, faintly spicy smell of the cake. It drew him into the kitchen

  Brett prided himself on being able to assess a situation quickly and clearly. The trait had made him invaluable in the ER, but the sight that greeted him in the kitchen was so unexpected he didn’t know what to make of it.

  Jenna stood with her back to the door, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she was crying. Her slender shoulders shook silently, and as he watched, she tossed the package of birthday candles on the counter, her movements dejected.

  He ran to her, but she’d covered her face with her hands. “Jenna.” He gently pulled her hands away. “What’s the matter?” he examined her quickly, checking her hands, her face, her arms. Whatever was hurting her, it didn’t seem to be physical.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” Her hair had swung forward, blocking her eyes. He pushed it back gently and looked into her eyes. “What’s the matter?”

  She pointed to the counter, and he saw it. Her beautiful four-layer cake was no longer upright. The layers, separated by whipped banana icing, had slid ignominiously to the side, escaping the plate and landing half on the counter. If it wasn’t for her plaintive cries, he might have laughed.

  “I wanted to make it special for Danny,” she sobbed, “and now it’s ruined.”

  He didn’t know what to say, but continued to stroke her hair. Unlike most people, she was beautiful when she cried. Her luminous eyes looked up at him now, and he knew in that moment that he’d do anything in his power to make this woman happy.

  “What’s the matter with me?” she whispered. “Why can’t I do anything right?”

  He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “Don’t you dare say that, Jenna Samuels.” He looked around wildly. “You’ve done more things right for Danny and for me than anyone else in our lives. Where would we be without you?” His thumb brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek. “You’re a part of our lives, and I have no idea what we’re going to do without you.” His gaze dropped to her lips, and before he knew what he was doing, he was kissing her. There was nothing tentative about the kiss; it embodied all of the pent-up desire that had been building since she first walked into his kitchen. It was the kiss of two adults who desired each other. A helpless whimper escaped her lips as he gathered her in his arms; this was how it was meant to be.

  “Daddy, why are you kissing Jenna?” Danny had crawled up on one of the stools, his face only a few inches away from where their lips were joined. Brett managed to break away first, but not before he was rewarded by the hunger in Jenna’s eyes.

  “Well,” he fumbled...

  “I was being silly, and your Daddy was trying to make me feel better.” Jenna indicated the cake. “I’m sorry, Danny, but I think the filling was too slippery.”

  Danny studied the mess that had been his cake, and stuck his finger in the frosting. “Tastes good,” he announced. “Maybe we could have that rifle stuff. Remember, Daddy, Mrs. Jessup used to make rifle?”

  Brett laughed. “You mean trifle?” He looked at Jenna. “That would work, wouldn’t it?”

  Still dazed by Brett’s kiss, Jenna picked up the box of candles as though she’d never seen it before. “I suppose so,” she said. “And we could each have a candle.”

  “Yay!” Danny jumped down and started opening the cupboard doors. “We need to find a big bowl. That’s what Mrs. Jessup used.”

  The remains of the cake was soon consigned to a large bowl and placed on the counter with three dessert bowls. Danny put the box of candles beside the bowl and turned to Jenna.

  “Daddy and I can make you feel better.”

  A strangled gasp came from Brett, but Jenna kept her eyes averted. “I’m feeling better now, thanks to you, but what did you have in mind?”

  “We practiced flying our kites, and we can put on a show for you. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  Jenna chanced a glance at Brett. “I’d like that very much. I’ll just grab my camera.”

  “Okay.” Danny had taken over. “You’ll have to put your folding chair down on the beach so you can see us properly.” He gestured impatiently. “Come on, it’s going to be epic!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  THE KITE-FLYING DISPLAY was everything Danny promised. The two staged a mock battle, with Danny’s fierce kite winning the day. With the memory of Brett’s kiss lingering on her lips Jenna had a hard time concentrating, but she managed to get a couple of good shots and mentally added them to the album she was going to make as a gift for Danny when she left.

  Jenna laughingly applauded their efforts when the show was over. In a rehearsed move, Brett and Danny bowed low, accepting her compliments as their due.

  “You were wonderful,” she said, directing her compliments toward Danny. Her gaze slid toward Brett and her heart started to pound. “And you weren’t bad either.”

  His gaze held hers for a long, intimate moment. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Danny must have sensed the tension between them. “Are you going to kiss Jenna again?”

  Brett extended a hand and pulled Jenna up from the folding chair. “Not right now, Son.” He looked to her for a reaction, his gaze lingering on her lips. “Maybe later.”

  “DO WE REALLY HAVE TO go home tomorrow?” Sprawled out on the deck in front of their chairs, Danny looked up from his computer. “I like it here.”

  “We all do, Son, but we have a busy week coming up. Jenna says there are still things on your school list she needs to buy and I have a busy week at work.”

  “And you have that fundraiser.”

  “Damn. I’d forgotten.”

  Danny’s ears perked up. “Fun raiser? What’s that?”

  “Fundraiser, Son. Fun with a ‘d’.” Brett spoke gently. “I have to get all dressed up and stand around talking to people I don’t even know.”

  Danny frowned. “Why?”

  Brett laughed. “Good question. So they’ll donate money to the hospital for things we need that are beyond our current budget.”

  Danny considered this for a moment. “They should, like, auction you off. I saw that on television. Jenna and I would pay for you, wouldn’t we, Jenna?”

  “Oh, for sure.” She cocked her head to one side. “How much do you think he’s worth?”

  Brett pretended to be offended. “Now just one minute...”

  “A million dollars!” Danny’s reply was immediate. “He’s worth a million dollars.”

  Jenna pretended to study him. “You know, I think you’re right. He’s worth at least a million dollars. Shall we bid on him?”

  Brett looked from one to the other. “Don’t I have anything to say about this?”

  “No!” They spoke as one. Danny rolled around on the deck, clutching his sides with laughter. “We’ll own you, Daddy. What do you think about that?”

  “What do I think?” Brett looked from his son to Jenna. “I think I can live with that. Now off to bed with you, birthday boy.”

  Danny rose reluctantly. “Will you come and say goodnight?” he asked Jenna.

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “WHERE’S YOUR DAD?” she said a few minutes later.

  “I think he went to the bathroom.” Danny kicked off the sheet, revealing his Minions pyjamas. Jenna didn’t understand the whole phenomenon, but Danny wa
s enamored of them, and that was what counted.

  “Sorry again about the cake.” She brushed the hair away from his brow. “But the trifle was pretty good, wasn’t it?”

  “And we got to have extra whipping cream.”

  “That was definitely a bonus.” She kissed him on the cheek and he locked his arms around her neck.

  “Jenna?” His voice quavered.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you really have to leave us? Daddy said you’re looking for your own place now.” His breath tickled the hair on her neck, but she scarcely noticed; it was taking all of her willpower not to cry.

  She pulled back and smiled into his dark, trusting eyes. “We always knew I’d be leaving eventually, Danny. I can’t stay with you forever.”

  “Don’t you like us anymore?”

  She tucked the covers under his arms. “You know I do, but I’m not cut out to be a housekeeper.”

  He seemed to consider her words. “Will you go back to being a photographer?”

  “Eventually, yes. It’s what I enjoy doing.” She touched the tip of his nose. It had become their signal when she wanted him to listen. “And you’ll be back in school shortly, and making new friends.”

  “Will I see you anymore?”

  “Yes, you will.”

  “Promise?”

  A tear ran down her cheek but she ignored it. “Do you remember when I told you I’d never lie to you?” She picked up his small hand. “I promise, Danny. As soon as I have an address where I’ll be staying, I’ll make sure you have it. You’ll be welcome to come and see me any time.”

  “And will you come see us?”

  “Yes, she will.” Jenna hadn’t been aware of Brett in the doorway. He took a few steps forward. “Jenna will always be a part of our family.”

  “There,” she said through her tears. “That makes it official.”

  “Okay.” Danny still didn’t look convinced, but he yawned widely as sleep overtook him. “Goodnight.”