Chapter Three
Owen
Most of my friends in the 94th ID at Fort Lee probably would’ve pegged me as a fairly chill guy, someone who never let shit get to me. Most of the time, they would’ve been right. I learned early in my days at the academy that if I obsessed and stressed over every little thing, I’d make myself nuts or give myself an ulcer. I’d decided to do the best I could and trust that everything else would work out as it was meant to be.
But that night after Max and Samantha’s post-wedding get-together, I was jittery. I sat in my room in the barracks, my phone on the desk in front of me, waiting for Jacey’s call and dreading what she might say.
I hadn’t planned to like this girl so much. I hadn’t expected the click that I’d felt with her at the wedding and then again today at Max’s house. But when I’d heard Jake greet her by name—by the name Kade used for his sister, not her given legal name—my stomach had rolled over, and all I could think was . . . shit.
Getting mad at her and ranting like a lunatic had been knee-jerk defensive action born out of the fact that I’d already known I couldn’t let this chick go . . . not without finding out if there was something here, something deeper. The physical connection was undeniable, and from our conversation in the dark outside the reception tent, I knew I actually liked her, too. I wanted to know her better. I wanted to see those pretty brown eyes light up, and I wanted to hear that contagious laugh again.
That was why, when I’d seen her tear up and begin to pull away today, all of my resolve and good intentions had melted like ice cream in the sunlight. Kissing her again might not have been one of my better ideas, but it had solidified my hunch that we could be amazing together . . . that this beautiful woman, who was as sassy as she was sexy, might be the one who’d send me tumbling head over heels, just like the rest of my friends.
Jake’s advice, while it hadn’t been what I wanted to hear, was actually pretty much spot-on. He was wise enough to know that keeping something like this from Kade would eat me up. I suspected that ultimately, trying to stay on the down-low for too long would’ve bothered Jacey, too. I’d heard Kade talk about his sister, and it was always with affection. They were definitely close.
Now that I knew who Jacey really was, I tried to divert my mind from worrying over her talk with her brother by remembering what he’d said about her in the past. I knew that the two had grown up in a beach town in southern California. Kade often spoke about surfing even before he could walk, and I wondered if Jacey loved to catch waves, too.
Their father had died suddenly when Kade was in college, which was what had led him into ROTC and ultimately, to his career in the Army. Jacey would have been in high school then, I thought. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. I wondered if losing her dad at that young age had contributed to her perception of herself as flighty and immature. From even the little I’d seen of her, she couldn’t have been more wrong.
My phone began to buzz, jolting me out of my preoccupation. I snatched it up and answered, my voice tense even to my own ears.
“Do I need to lace up my running shoes?”
Jacey’s low answering laugh eased some of my tension. “No, I don’t think so. Um . . . Kade’s on his way over to talk to you. But he’s not mad. At least, he didn’t seem like he was once Leah and I got finished talking with him.”
My chest went tight. Kade was an upright, honest guy, but I didn’t have a single doubt that he could’ve disguised his rage from his sister and his wife if he’d wanted to convince them that he wasn’t coming at me loaded for bear.
“What happened, exactly?”
Jacey sighed. “On the way home, I told Leah that we’d met last night, that you’d had no idea who I was, but that we’d liked each other, and that when we’d met again today, we felt the same way, even after you found out who I was.”
“How’d she take that?” I didn’t know Kade’s wife extremely well, but she seemed reasonable.
“She thought it was very romantic.” Jacey’s tone was dry. “She said you’re one of the best guys around, and that she’d always thought you needed to meet the right girl. And then she told me that I had to tell my brother, no ifs, ands or buts, because there was no way in hell she was keeping a secret from him.”
“But she was on your side when you talked to him?” I had to think that Leah’s support could only have helped Jacey’s cause.
“She was. Kade was home by the time we got there. Leah and my mom were giving Emma a bath, and I told my brother that I needed to let him know something. I said that I wasn’t asking his permission, just respecting his role as my brother, especially since I’m living in his house right now. By the time I got around to actually telling him, I think he was half-afraid that I was building up to something truly awful.”
“How did he react?” As I asked the question, I stood up and stalked over to my window, which looked out over the parking lot. No sign of Kade yet . . . unless he’d parked over at the building where we worked and walked over.
“I made sure I didn’t make more of this than it is. I kept everything simple: I said I’d followed you at the wedding, that you hadn’t had any idea that I was his sister, and that we’d, um, hit it off. I also said that when we’d run into each other again today and I’d admitted to you who I really was, you’d insisted that I tell him everything before we took things any further.”
Hearing that Jacey had made me look like an honorable, responsible man in front of her brother only made me like her more. “How did he react?”
“Well . . .” She hedged a little. “At first, he wasn’t exactly thrilled. He went on for a little bit about bro codes and you knowing better, and—” She deepened her voice to imitate Kade. “‘Out of all the chicks in the world, he had to decide to get handsy with my little sister?’” Jacey giggled. “I asked him what getting handsy meant, precisely, because we hadn’t done anything but kissing and heavy making out . . . yet.”
“You didn’t.” I massaged my forehead. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I did. I was being honest, right? I did tell him that most of the heavier making out happened last night, before you had the whole story. That made him feel a little better, even though he did yell at me. It was at that point that both my mom and Leah came in to tell him to keep it down, because they’d gotten the baby to sleep. Mom told Kade to leave me be. She said that I had a steady head on my shoulders, and that she was sure I wasn’t going to jump into anything recklessly.” She paused for a beat. “Which made me feel good. I’d kind of expected her to take Kade’s side. But she didn’t, and then Leah told Kade that he was making a mountain out of a molehill. She reminded him about how much he likes you, and she pointed out that he’d hated all of the guys I’d dated in California. He listened to her, and he calmed down fast. He said you were the best company commander in the battalion, and I couldn’t do any better than to get involved with someone like you.”
All of that was encouraging. “So why is he coming over here?”
“Ah, I think he just wants to make sure you’re on the same page. I don’t know. He muttered something about me getting in the way of his friendships and that chicks complicate everything, and then he hugged me, said he loved me and assured me that he only wanted to talk with you.” I heard her take in a deep breath. “And he made me promise that I wouldn’t break your heart.”
A smile spread over my face. “What did you say?”
Jacey lowered her voice, murmuring softly into the phone. “I said that if things worked out between us and if I had the chance to hold your heart, breaking it would be the last thing I’d want to do.”
“I think you could, you know.” My words were quiet, too. “I know we’ve only just met . . . but I like you a lot, Jacey. It scares me shitless.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “I’ve never been with someone so . . .” She paused. “Solid. Someone who knows who he is and isn’t ashamed to own it. I like you so much, Owen. It feels like it means something, you know?”
I nodded as though she could see me. “I do, and I promise—” A pounding at my door broke into my reply. “Kade’s here. I’ll call you when he leaves, and we’ll make plans for this week.”
“Okay.” She sounded a little breathless. “Good luck.”
Ending the call, I dropped my phone back onto the desk and walked slowly to the doorway, schooling my face to a blandly neutral expression before I opened the door.
“Hey, Kade. Want to come in?”
He stared at me, his eyes narrow as he stepped over the threshold. I shut the door behind him.
“Dude, really? My sister? My baby sister?”
I cleared my throat. “In my defense, I didn’t know she was your sister when I first met her.”
He waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard all that.” With a long and heavy sigh, he sank into my desk chair. “I’m not here to bust your balls, Owen. Maybe I should be. Maybe any brother worth his shit would have you up against the wall, shaking you down and telling you to stay the fuck away from my sister. But honestly, I’m not even that mad. I was . . . surprised more than anything.”
I sat down on the end of my bed. “I understand that.”
“Jacey told me that she wasn’t upfront with you last night. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He leveled a steady gaze on me. “But today you knew.”
“Yeah, I did. And that’s on me. We weren’t sure, though . . . I mean, we thought maybe last night was just all the wedding crap and a bottle of decent wine. I guess I thought I didn’t want to jump the gun and get you involved if it turned out that we didn’t have any, um, spark.”
Kade snorted. “But from what I hear, spark wasn’t an issue.”
“Not really.” I stared down at my own knees, unable to look my friend in the eye as the image of his sister on my lap, grinding down on me, flew across my mind. “That’s why we wanted to talk to you now. I’m going to take Jacey out this week. On a date. I didn’t want to do that behind your back.”
“I appreciate that.” Kade was stiff. “You know, I like you, Owen. Leah asked me if I had any good reason to be unhappy about my sister being with you. I couldn’t come up with even one . . . except something that I didn’t want to get into with my wife.” He wagged his head. “Bro, we used to pick up girls together. We used to talk about what we did with those chicks. We joked about their tits, their asses . . . how loud they were in bed . . .” Kade shuddered. “Now when you talk about that shit, it’s my sister who you’ll be describing. That makes me want to pound on you until you promise that you’ll never look at her again.”
I was quiet a moment, thinking. “Kade, the thing is, we don’t talk like that anymore. Think about it. Did Max ever brag on how good Samantha is in bed? Does Jake tell us everything he and Harper do together?”
Kade looked pained. “God, no. And thank you, sweet baby Jesus, because I think some of what Jake and Harper get up to would give me nightmares.”
“Exactly.” I nodded. “We’re not kids anymore. You all have wives or girlfriends who are probably going to be wives before long. We respect our women, right? They’re not random chicks.” I took a deep breath. “I hope you’ll trust me to have enough regard for both Jacey and for you that I’d never treat her with anything less than my total respect.”
He studied me for a minute. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you? This isn’t a hook-up.”
“No, it isn’t. I’m not sure how serious it’s going to be, because we only met last night, Kade. I’m not proposing marriage. I’m just asking her on a date. If that goes well . . . I hope there’ll be more of them. If it doesn’t, then at least we’ll be friends. But I won’t play with her feelings. I’m not looking for fast and easy here.”
We sat together in silence, neither of us looking at the other.
“Does this mean the last man standing is about to go down?” Kade broke into what looked like a grin. “Are you joining the committed club?”
I shrugged. “It could be. Not getting ahead of myself, though.”
“Fine.” With a long exhale, Kade stood up. “Just . . . don’t break her heart, okay? Jacey acts like she’s full of confidence and totally impervious, but the truth is, she still second-guesses herself all the time. She’s vulnerable.”
I quirked my eyebrow. “I heard that you told Jacey the same thing—not to break my heart.”
“I did.” He waved one hand. “What can I say? You both matter to me. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt here.”
“Neither do I. I promise to do my part.” I offered him my hand.
“That’s all I can ask.” Ignoring my hand, he brought it in for a quick, tight man-hug, slapping my back. “Do your best. And don’t fuck this up.”
* * *
The following week was a busy one. With Max away on his honeymoon, the rest of us who were company commanders stretched to cover his men and duties, too. Derek was only just now back to full-time duty after his long recovery from the freak accident at Air Assault school, so all of us were still lending him a hand as well.
It had taken me some maneuvering, but I’d managed to free up my Wednesday night to take Jacey out to dinner. All that day, I had a spring in my step, and I caught myself whistling as I went about my many tasks.
“You’re in a good mood today, sir,” Lieutenant Ross, one of my platoon leaders, observed with a smile as we walked the back of the range, where one platoon was working on qualifications. “It’s a bitch of a week with all the extra duty. I figured we’d all be growling and grousing every day. What’s your secret? Got a hot date tonight?”
Because it was just my luck, right as he said that, Kade passed by us. He paused mid-step, shooting me a raised-eyebrow look. I knew what that expression meant. He was not-so-subtly reminding me of my vow not to talk about his sister the way we did about other women.
“Um, I do have a date tonight, with a beautiful woman. Beautiful and intelligent. She’s a wonderful woman, and I’m very lucky that she agreed to go out with me.” I glanced at Kade.
“Captain Hughes, are you saying my sister isn’t hot?” With a smirk, Kade crossed his arms, challenging me to talk my way out of this one. “Is that what I can take from your answer to Lietenant Ross?”
“Sir—you’re taking out Captain Braggs’ sister?” Ross’s eyes were huge in disbelief.
“I am.” My good mood was quickly disappearing. “Did you need anything else, Ross?”
“Uh, no, sir. Thanks.” The lieutenant sprinted away, and inwardly I rolled my eyes, knowing this news was going to travel fast and far among the battalion. Soldiers were bigger gossips than a bunch of old ladies.
“Thanks for that.” I glowered at Kade. “Seriously. I was trying to do the right thing, and you throw me under the bus like that? What the fuck?”
“Hey.” He spread his hands. “All I did was ask a question. You’re the one who made the point of not saying Jacey is hot.” He nodded slowly, his eyes crinkling on the corners. “It’s comforting to me that you’re only interested in her very sexy . . . mind.”
I could see that I wasn’t going to win this, no matter what I said. “That’s exactly right, Kade. That’s what I see in Jacey. We’re going out tonight, and we’re going to talk philosophy and literature. Matter of fact, some of those kinds of discussions take a long, long time, so don’t worry if Jacey is late getting back to your house. You can go to bed with the perfect assurance that we’re only connecting . . . on a mental level.” I leaned forward and winked.
Kade’s face darkened. “That’s not cool, Owen. You made a promise to me.”
“I did, and I’m keeping it.” I pulled my hat out of my pocket and fitted it back onto my head. “I don’t know what you could see wrong in what I just said, unless your mind is in the gutter.”
Whistling once again, I strode away, snickering to myself. Point Hughes.
That sense of victory lasted until four-forty-five that afternoon, when Colonel Debbings called me. I was just getting ready to leave my office and head to the barracks to shower and get ready for my date. I answered my phone with trepidation; nothing good ever came of a call just before five in the afternoon.
“Owen, I need you to head back over to the range. Kade’s got a couple of Max’s platoons over there, and Lieutenant Norman’s wife just went into labor. They need another supervising officer.”
I stood for a moment, my eyes closing as suspicion and irritation waged for the upper hand. Kade wouldn’t sabotage my night with his sister, would he? I thought of the way he’d looked earlier today. Maybe . . .
Tamping down the disappointment, I told the colonel I was on my way. And then I paused to text Jacey, explaining that I’d been kept late and would call her when I was leaving. I apologized as well as I could over text, but I was careful not to mention Kade.
Jacey: Don’t worry—I know how the Army is. I’ll be here, and if you end up being there too late, we can always go out tomorrow night. ☺
When I arrived at the range, Kade glanced at me with a mix of guilt and regret. “Hey, Owen. Sorry about this. Norman’s wife called just as we got here, and he had to take off.”
“Yeah, and there was no one else who could step in, huh? I was the only one around. Don’t you find that a little coincidental, considering our conversation earlier today?”
His eyebrows shot up, and he pressed a hand to his chest. “Dude, I didn’t make the call. The colonel was the one who told me she’d send you down. Apparently, she checked around, and you were the only one not already on duty. Don’t get pissy with me, buddy.”
I growled under my breath and spent the next two hours standing around, supervising the troops who were qualifying. It was loud and mind-numbingly boring, and my mood wasn’t at all helped by Kade, whose position and expression mirrored my own.
By the time I could leave, I didn’t even bother saying good-bye. Instead, I hurried straight to my car, dialing my phone as I walked.
“Jacey, I’m so sorry about tonight,” I began.
“Hey, seriously, don’t worry.” Her voice was low and warm, and suddenly I couldn’t wait to see her again. “Like I said, I’m used to the Army. Kade’s schedule is never his own.”
“I know it’s too late for our dinner, but I wondered if I could come pick you up and take you for coffee and dessert? There’s a little diner in town that I know, and the chef there makes killer chocolate chip cookies.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” She laughed. “I’ll be waiting.”
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up in front of Kade and Leah’s house, hopped out of the car and jogged up the front walk. Jacey opened the door before I could knock, her pretty face lighting up with a smile.
“Look at you, soldier boy!” She greeted me, standing on tip toe to kiss my cheek. It had been two days since I’d seen her, and all I could think was that I’d somehow forgotten how fucking beautiful she was. Her hair was down around her shoulders, the dark blonde waves curling at the ends. She wore a simple black shirt with a low, round neckline and faded blue jeans that looked as soft as butter.
“I hope this is okay.” Stepping back, she swept a hand down her front. “I was wearing a dress, but when plans changed, I thought this might be more appropriate.”
“You look . . . breathtaking.” I pulled her closer, unable to stop myself from kissing her. Her lips were soft and inviting, and they tasted faintly of strawberry. “And perfect.”
“Isn’t she gorgeous?” Leah rounded the corner, carrying Emma on her hip. The baby looked as though she was freshly bathed, her pale blonde hair damp and curling. She was dressed in one of those one-piece deals that covered her little feet, and even I had to admit she was cute. “And thanks to you being late, I had help giving the princess here her bath, since her grandma went back to California today and her daddy wasn’t home yet, either. Did you two get stuck in the same deal?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Kind of.” I wasn’t going to complain about Kade to his wife and sister. That would’ve been completely uncool. “Is it okay if I take Jacey with me now? I don’t want to leave you shorthanded with the kiddo there.”
Leah chuckled. “The kiddo here, as you call her, is heading to bed right now. I’m fine. You two go have fun.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. Taking Jacey’s hand, I led her to the car. “Sorry about my uniform. Once I was done, I didn’t want to waste time changing. I just wanted to get over here and pick you up.” Opening the passenger door, I stepped back to let her climb inside.
She touched my arm, right where the camouflaged material met my tanned skin. “I don’t mind a bit. You’re a soldier, Owen. It’s part of who you are.” She grinned wickedly. “Plus, you look so freaking hot in those BDUs. It just makes me want to unbutton you and see what’s underneath.”
What was underneath my uniform pants stiffened even more at her words. “I guess that’s a ringing endorsement. You know, I can wear this every time we’re together, if that’s the reaction I get.”
Jacey trailed her fingers down to my hand. “Owen, you make anything look damn good. Now get in this car and drive me to the diner. I believe I was promised chocolate chip cookies, and my mouth’s been watering ever since you said that.”
I sketched a small bow. “Absolutely, mademoiselle. Your wish is my command.”
* * *
The diner was quiet and nearly empty, just as I’d hoped. Jacey and I both decided to forego coffee for glasses of ice cold milk to go with the huge chocolate chip cookies we’d ordered.
“Oh, my God, it’s still warm from the oven.” She closed her eyes and moaned, and I was millimeters away from crawling across the table and laying my body on top of hers, kissing her until neither of us could breathe.
I cleared my throat. “Jacey, honey, if you keep making sex noises about that cookie, I can’t be responsible for what I might do. You’re making it very hard to keep my mind on anything but getting you naked.”
She tilted her head, eyes wide and innocent. “Oh, those aren’t my sex noises.” Leaning forward, she dropped her voice to a whisper. “My sex noises are much louder and much more . . .” She dragged the tip of her tongue between her lips. “Explicit.”
I swallowed hard. “Jacey.”
She smiled. “Yes?”
“You’re killing me.”
Lifting her cookie, she took another bite and chewed slowly. “I’m sorry, Owen. I’ll try to be good now.” Even as she made the promise, I felt the toes of her bare foot rubbing sensuously along the backside of my calf.
Sighing, I broke off a piece of my own cookie. “Tell me more about why you moved out here to Virginia and what you’d like to do now.”
“The first part is easy,” she answered, wiping a few crumbs off her lips with the paper napkin. “As I told you the other day, Kade wants Leah to finish her degree, so he asked me if I’d consider moving in with them for a while to help with Emma.”
“That’s why he asked you. Why did you say yes?”
She twisted her napkin between her fingers. “I love working with makeup. I enjoyed the artistry of it. And I liked the people who I worked with at first. Then my client list shifted to more upscale women who wanted to look perfect instead of interesting. It was so boring. I began getting restless, and one day I lost it. I told off this lady who kept insisting that I make her look like Emma Stone. I knew right at that moment that I couldn’t do it anymore. I was done. The next day, Kade called to see if I might consider coming out here. The timing couldn’t have been better. I said yes because I’ve never lived anywhere but SoCal. I said yes because I thought I might find more options out here. I said yes because I hoped I’d find my future here.” She shook her head. “That sounds so immature, doesn’t it?”
“No.” I caught her hands in mine, squeezing gently. “It sounds like a woman who embraces adventure.”
“The second part is harder. What I want to do next is the question that keeps me up at night. I don’t know. I majored in English, but I never finished college, because my makeup gig took off. I love kids, but I don’t want to teach. I enjoy art, but I’m not talented enough in any particular medium to make that work for me.” She lifted one shoulder. “I’m at a loss. I keep waiting to find the one thing that makes me say, Aha! This is what I’ve been looking for. So far, nothing has.”
I studied her, watching the play of the artificial lights on her hair and face. “What is it that brings you joy?”
Jacey caught the corner of her lip between her teeth. “I think . . . whatever I can do to show others the real beauty they possess, regardless of what they see as their faults and flaws . . . that’s what makes my heart sing.” She winked at me. “Well, that and chocolate chip cookies.”
“There you have it.” I finished the last bite of my cookie. “You need a career that lets you eat cookies every day.”
“Sign me up.” She took a long drink of her milk. “Okay, that’s enough about me and my quest for the meaning of life. Let’s talk about you for a change. Tell me how you ended up at West Point.”
For the next hour and a half, we talked about our childhoods, growing up on opposite coasts. We compared our high school years, and Jacey shared with me a glimpse of the pain she’d felt, losing her father when she was fifteen. I told her how I’d chosen West Point because I’d admired the ideals embodied there. We discussed our favorite foods, the television shows we’d binge-watched recently, and the books that had changed our lives.
When the diner began to close around us, I paid the bill and we left, getting into my car. Jacey turned to me, twisting a lock of her hair around one finger.
“Thank you for tonight, Owen. I can’t remember when I’ve had more fun.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever spent this much time talking to a woman,” I admitted. “Or even to any of my friends. You’re easy to be around, Jacey.” I reached out to lace our fingers together. “I wish I could take you somewhere with me so we could be alone and the night didn’t have to end. But my room in the barracks isn’t an option.”
“And I kind of doubt Kade would be all right with me inviting you into my bedroom at their house,” she sighed.
“I guess that I’ll have to settle for kissing you good-night here.” I pulled her toward me, feeling a swell of both contentment and longing when she sighed against my neck. “God, you feel good. I could hold you like this forever.”
She lifted her face. “I’d stay with you forever.”
My heart thudded against my ribs, and I framed her face with my hands, angling my head as I feathered a kiss over her lips. With a soft touch of my tongue, I persuaded her to open to me, swallowing her groan of pleasure as it washed over me.
I wished that we had all the time in the world tonight. I wanted to kiss her into oblivion, taking myself along for the ride, too. I wanted to lay her out, sink into her and lose all sense of the rest of world, existing only for the two of us.
But none of that was an option just now. Tonight, I had to be content with what we had here. Still, I couldn’t help covering one of her full breasts with my hand, kneading it gently, feeling her nipple harden beneath my palm.
“You’re so beautiful, Jacey. I wish we had someplace to go.”
“We’ll figure out something.” Her voice was husky as she arched her neck, pushing into my touch. “We have to, because now we know.”
“What do we know?” I ventured my hand under the neckline of her shirt, slipping my fingers over the silky cup of her bra.
“We know that we have more than just a spark. We have that something extra, too—the connection that means we want more than just the sexy times. As my mom would say, we’re compatible.”
I ghosted a kiss over her forehead. “I definitely agree with that assessment. We have the spark and the compatibility. The full package.” My fingers toyed with the stiffened bud of her nipple, and Jacey hummed her encouragement.
“Since we’re both on the same page, what are we going to do about it?” She sounded more than a little bit breathless as she wriggled closer to my touch.
“I suggest you have dinner with me Friday night.” I sucked her earlobe between my lips. “And then maybe we could . . . find some place to give this spark room to grow.”
“I’m all for fanning the flames.” Jacey insinuated her hand between our bodies and cupped my aching dick. I ground my teeth together in exquisite frustration. “But pretty soon I just might self-combust. Your hands on me are making me crazy.”
I rested my forehead against hers. “I know. But don’t worry. I have some ideas.”