Chapter 1
The minute the flight attendant announced our arrival in California, I knew I'd made a mistake. Coming home with my best friend Jake seemed like the right idea at the time, but I couldn't help but feel like a charity case. We'd just finished a years long tour in Iraq, and while he had a home to go to, I didn't. I never needed one until now. I was at the point in my life where I was done with the army, and crashing at cheap motels was no longer an option. I needed to put down roots, and rather than spinning the globe and pointing, I let Jake talk me into riding his coat tails. Again.
Jake, was my sergeant, and a hell of guy. Even though he was my superior, he never made me feel like he was better than me. Which is why I would have followed him anywhere, including Hell itself. He shared his home with his sister Zoe, who I'd been warned about more times than I'd like to admit. I had a bit of reputation with women. I was good for a one night stand, but anything more than that just wasn't in my DNA.
Jake and Zoe's parents died when they were teenagers. Zoe, was only sixteen, so Jake took over guardianship. They grew up in a mostly Spanish speaking household, which came in handy over seas. He'd even taught me enough to get by, but no one was more important to him than his baby sister. I often wondered how that felt, to feel that important to someone.
I was a foster kid. My mom overdosed when I was fourteen, and everyone knows, no one's interested in adopting older kids, especially kids with juvenile records. It didn't matter that the reasons for my lock up were less than forthcoming. I was branded. The houses I did go to mostly wanted me because I could do the yard work. My last “family” had been in the carpentry business, and I'd learned quite a bit about the trade. I found that I enjoyed it, and for a minute, I thought I could make something out of it. But, my dream died the minute I aged out, I had nothing but a bag of clothes, and the shoes on my feet. I was going no where fast, and I don't know if it was luck or fate, but that same day I met Jake.
He was sitting behind a booth outside of the local recruiting office. He was dressed in his fatigues, nervously tapping a pencil. I watched him for a while, as person, after person, walked right by him. He was quiet as a mouse, and it was clear he didn't have the best people skills. I don't know what made me do it, but I approached him. Before I knew what was happening, I was in the seat beside him, helping him flag down potential recruits. We signed up over fifty recruits that day, and most of them were women. He was so happy, he'd offered to buy me a beer, and the rest was history. We became fast friends, and the more he spoke about the army, the more intrigued I was. To say that he saved my life would be an understatement. I owed him everything, and now I owed him even more.
“Please fasten your seatbelts” The flight attendant's shrill voice rang out over the PA.
I hated landing. The jostling feeling when the landing gear meets the tarmac, and the little dance your stomach does as you descend. Jake flashed me a grin, nothing bothered him, except for women. His social awkwardness seemed to be even worse around the opposite sex, which is why we made such a good team. Not that I was bragging, but I had never had a problem in that department.
When the plane came to a stop, we waited as the various bells and whistles sounded, before the door was finally opened. Zoe was picking us up, so while Jake went in search of his sister, I went in search of our bags. I stood watching the belt go around for what seemed like forever, before finally finding both of our bags. I spun around, with one slung over each shoulder and scanned the airport for Jake. What I found instead was a petite brunette, in a black cotton mini dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. I tilted my head, giving her a sly wink, one of my signature moves. In return, I received an eye roll, and at the exact same time, Jake appeared directly behind her, his hands ruffling her hair.
I'd met Zoe before, but she sure as hell didn't look like she did now. In fact, the picture that Jake carried around was from middle school. She had to be at least twenty four now. Her braces were gone, and her body had filled out. She'd grown up, and damn had she grown up good. “Shit.” I muttered under my breath, before striding over to the pair confidently.
“Zoe.” I said slyly, with a jut of my chin.
“Wes.” She replied, with snark.
“You two gonna butt heads already?” Jake asked. “We haven't even made it home yet.”
“Come on boys, I want to beat the rush hour traffic.” Zoe said, ignoring her brother's remark.
The two of us followed her down the long hallway, and towards the parking lot. I couldn't help but watch her ass, as she swayed on her black heels, and I noticed I wasn't the only one. I suddenly wanted to throttle every man in the room for glancing at her, and I had to check myself. I nudged Jake, in an attempt to get my mind off what was directly in front of me. “How long's the ride to your place?” I asked.
“About a half hour.”
I nodded, before my gaze inevitably went back to Zoe. Her hair even swayed with an attitude all it's own, and the bad feeling I had when we landed, came rushing back ten fold. Maybe Jake was right to warn me against his baby sister, because the thoughts in my head were anything but good. I was so distracted in my own head, that when she stopped walking I barely registered it, nearly walking directly into her. “Sorry.” I mumbled, my normally cool, calm demeanor suddenly gone.
She ignored me, which only made me feel like more of an ass, and when we reached her car, my jaw went slack. “This is your car?” I asked in disbelief, as she put the key into the trunk of a black 1969 Chevelle.
“Yep.” She said cooly, as she lifted the trunk for Jake and I to toss our bags inside. My gaze drifted from the car to her dress, begging it to rise just a little higher, as she stood on her tip toes.
Shaking my head, I asked “Five speed?”
“Sure is.” She said, with a smile before closing the trunk, and slipping into the driver's seat.
“Shot gun!” I called out, enticing a loud laugh from Jake. “What? If I can't drive it. I at least want to feel the horse power. Come on man.” I half begged. “It's only a half hour right?”
Jake conceded, and I knew he would. To be honest, I wanted to watch Zoe. A woman who could handle a stick shift was hot, and it was even hotter when she was in a barely there dress, and six inch heels. I watched her toss her long hair over her shoulder, as she fastened her seatbelt, and then, we were off. Her sunglasses covered her eyes, but the smile she wore while shifting gears was evident. She enjoyed her car, and she knew how to handle it.
“I'm impressed.” I said, over the roar of the engine.
“You should be.” She teased, and Jake laughed.
This woman was going to be the death of me. I needed to find my own place, and fast, because even though I swore I wouldn't mack on my best friends little sister, she was making it pretty damn hard not to.
When we pulled up to the house, I felt my eyes widen. Jake said they had been left their parent's home after their passing, but I never imagined it looking like this. It was at least two stories, with a large attached garage. It looked like something you'd see on the cover of a magazine. The only thing it was missing were the iron gates at the entrance. After expertly parking her car in the garage, she slid from her seat, and popped the trunk once more. “Welcome home boys.” She said, before disappearing into the air conditioned house on a grateful sigh.
I tilted the seat up, allowing Jake to climb out before grabbing our bags from the back. I tossed him his, hitting him square in the chest with an oomph. “Don't get any ideas.” He said, his eyebrows raising skeptically.
I put my hands up in mock surrender. “Look man, I'm just grateful for a place to crash. Two weeks tops, and I'll be out of your hair. Promise.” I assured him.
“She's been through a lot, Wes.” He said in a hushed tone.
“I get it. She's off limits.” I said.
Cocking his head towards the door, he said “Come on, I'll show you your room.”