As an Air Force fighter pilot, Captain Andrew Reynolds resented the idea of being grounded. Making matters worse, he really hated the reason why he’d been granted leave. Two months after the accident that had killed his best friend hadn’t dulled the grief. Or the guilt.

Still, if he had to have his feet planted on the ground for the week before he deployed to South Korea, at least he had an upscale place to stay. Thanks to his twin sister Anna, who was traveling with her major league baseball pitcher husband, Quinn Lancaster, Andrew had their Barefoot Bay home all to himself.

Or he would if his mother would leave him alone.

How was a man supposed to drink himself into oblivion over the senseless death of a fellow pilot and friend if his mother insisted on hovering? He stared at her moving around the kitchen, wondered how he could convince her to leave without hurting her feelings.

“Mom.” Andrew kept his voice level. He loved his mother. She'd always been the stabilizing force in their family, especially when his father had been away during his tours of duty as an Army officer. He’d planned to spend some of his leave time with her. Just not this first full day on his own.

“I told you that I went to the store this morning.” She continued transferring items from her cloth bag into the refrigerator.

“And I told you it wasn’t necessary.”

“I can’t help it.” She withdrew a bag of frozen carrots. He had a deep and abiding dislike of frozen carrots. Which she well knew. “I want to make sure you eat something more than chips, dip, and,” she put the dreaded carrots in the freezer before pulling a can out of the refrigerator, “cold beer.”

He refused to feel guilty. After all, he was twenty-nine, with five years of military service behind him. Not to mention he had a damned good reason for drinking as much damn beer as he wanted. Hopefully, he'd find the right amount to erase the images. Maybe alcohol would numb this gut-churning sense of responsibility he felt for his part in the loss of a good man.

None of which had anything on the other issue haunting his thoughts. Not for a single second did Andrew believe there was enough alcohol in the world to remove Hailey King from his thoughts. Nor banish the erotic memory of being in her bed. And that was definitely one area he wouldn’t discuss with his mother.

“I can’t help but worry about you, Andrew,” Lillian Reynolds said.

And because she’d always been there for him to count on, in good times or rough, he wanted to ease some of her worry. Since she’d lived her entire life as a daughter and then as a devoted wife of someone in the military, he knew she would listen if he unburdened his soul. But there were some things, some private details he’d shared with an incredible woman that no man should ever relate to his mother. Those he’d deal with tonight when thoughts and images invaded his sleep. Still, it might do him some good to be reminded that life continued, and he had more to be thankful for than many people he knew. He took his mother by the shoulders, leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Why don’t I grill us both some steaks?” He smiled when he wanted to grimace. “And you can cook those carrots.”

“You mean the ones you hate?” She lifted hands, still soft after all these years, and cupped them on cheeks he knew were rough from two days of not shaving. “Why don’t I put together a salad instead?”

For the next two hours, they enjoyed steaks, cooked to perfection in his opinion, the salad his mother had tossed together, and, in his case, two of those cold beers she'd pointed out. There had been talk of Anna and the teaching she now did for children confined to hospitals. To Andrew's continued amusement, Lillian could quote baseball statistics, ones relating to her son-in-law's pitching in particular.

“Thanks for staying, Mom,” Andrew said, hours later as they stepped outside.

“Thanks for asking me,” Lillian said.

“Are you happy living here? Especially since Anna is with Quinn most of the time?”

“As long as my children are happy, I’m happy.” From the corner of his eye he saw her look up at him. “Are you happy, Andrew?”

“I just lost a good friend a few weeks ago. I can’t be there yet.”

“If he was as good a friend as you think, don’t you believe he’d want you to be happy?”

“I’m hoping a few days relaxing will get me there.”

They spoke a little longer before he convinced her that he wanted, needed, a few days of solitude. He stood and watched her back her car down the driveway, waved as she turned and headed for her little cottage. He stood a minute longer on the porch, enjoying the cool spring night, and considered having another beer, or two or three, in hopes the alcohol would lull him into sleep. Although he’d be better off exhausting his mind and body by doing some laps in the backyard pool. Then he could call his twin and tease her about using her new pool first.

Headlights from a slowly approaching car stopped him from going inside. He watched as the car slowed and finally pulled into the driveway. Other than his family, only the two sisters at the Super Min knew he was staying here. He wondered if it could be someone who knew his sister, or perhaps a fan of Quinn’s. Wanting to head off any intrusion, he moved forward. It took fewer than half a dozen steps for him to realize he knew the driver.

He didn’t need to see her face. He’d spent months watching her, laughing with her, trying not to resent the fact that his friend claimed to be in love with her. From the moment of their first meeting, Andrew had felt an attraction for Hailey King unlike any he’d ever known. Even hearing Hailey claim she considered Joe a friend and nothing more, Andrew had held back, waiting to see if she changed her mind.

Until the night he’d given in to desire and temptation and had the glory of spending hours touching her, tasting her. It had thrilled him to realize she’d felt the same need and desire. They’d been able to have almost two months of privacy before the intimacy of their relationship was discovered. Then Andrew had to spend agonizing moments standing beside her, sharing her distress as they felt the sting of a verbal attack by the man they’d both considered a friend. It had been hard, incredibly hard, to not lash out and punch Joe in the face. Instead, he’d given his friend one shot at landing a fist on his chin. And then, three days later, he and Hailey had been horrified to learn Joe had been reckless enough on a flying exercise to lose his life.

Before he and Hailey parted they’d exchanged harsh words, words he didn’t believe either of them meant. They’d simply lashed out their exhaustion and grief on someone they trusted. It still hurt – both what he’d said and what she’d tossed back at him.

But even with all that burden and misery, Andrew just didn’t have it inside of him to regret what was proving to be an unforgettable time in his life.

He walked to the driver door, stopped when Hailey stepped out. It took everything he had inside of him to resist the temptation to ignore the way they’d parted and instead take her into his arms. He let out a long, slow breath, the kind of breath that always backed up inside of him whenever he saw her. It hurt, a literal pain in his chest, that he was so unsure of them together that he couldn’t step forward and hold her.

She wore her mink brown colored hair cut in varying lengths, something that on anyone else would look like it was the result of a terrible hair stylist. Andrew thought it looked incredibly sexy, giving her that ‘just out of bed’ look that never failed to have his mind thinking of sharing a bed with her.

When she closed the door and stepped closer he frowned at how she wobbled a little. She leaned a hand on the hood of her car. Looking closer, he noticed her cheeks looked more defined, as if she'd lost weight, and her eyes were shadowed by lack of sleep.

“Andrew.”

Hesitation trembled in her voice. So different from the way she’d said his name while he’d been inside her.

“Hailey. Why are you here?” He swallowed, scanning her face, and even in the pale light he realized she was pale. “Are you sick?”

“I needed to see you.” He watched her gaze flick to the front of the house. “I’m sorry if I came at a bad time.” Before he could say anything, her eyes rolled back. He managed, barely, to catch her before she hit the ground.

* * *

“I think I should take her to the hospital.”

Hailey kept her eyes closed, praying she wouldn’t add to her already embarrassing arrival by hurling. Then there were the tears that came so easily the past three days. Her emotions had been all over the map. She’d feel fine, determined to be strong and confident, only to draw a deep breath and sink into a vacuum of loss and uncertainty. In the end, she’d admitted she had no choice. She had to come see Andrew. He deserved to know the truth.

“She looks pale,” Andrew said. There was a pause of silence and Hailey puzzled over the fact that she heard no reply. “She was sick a few months ago. Some kind of bacterial infection.”

At the next silent break Hailey opened her eyes just enough to make out Andrew talking on his cell phone.

“She looks exhausted,” he said, sweeping a hand through his hair as he listened to the caller on the other end. “I haven’t seen her since right after Joe’s funeral.”

At his near-whispered confession, she knew she should open her eyes completely, let him know she was awake. But she lowered her lids as tears began to burn. She needed a little longer to gather her courage and face him.

In her mind’s eye, every plane, every feature of his face was imprinted on her mind.

For a few glorious nights she'd had the luxury, the stunning satisfaction, of caressing, tasting and stroking along every dip, curve, and muscle of his body. Of feeling how perfectly her body molded to his, responded to his, accepted his. As had been the case with no man before him.

Because of those nights a good man, just one she hadn’t loved in any way other than as a friend, had died.

And her life changed in a way she’d never anticipated.

It’s one reason why she’d known she had to come see him. Their relationship had been grounded in secret before the disaster of Joe’s reaction to discovering the truth. She couldn’t in all good conscience allow that silence to continue.

Slowly, she forced her eyes open and sat up. More tears flooded her eyes when she realized he’d spread a moss green afghan over her legs. Her movement caught his gaze and he swung around to stare at her.

It physically ached to look at him and not be able to touch. To be so unsure of her moves and his reactions. He continued to hold the phone as if listening, but those warm, toast-brown eyes studied her.

“She’s awake. She’s still a little pale. I really think I should take her to the hospital.”

Hailey shook her head no.

“Yeah, okay,” he said, but she had the feeling he agreed with the caller more than with her. “Thanks, Mom. Yes, I’ll text you tomorrow.” He smiled a little. “I love you.”

He lowered the phone, disconnected the call and squatted beside the sofa. He was so close, close enough that she could practically feel again what it had been like to be held against him, to have his body press hers down into the mattress as he filled her, along with the warmth and security of sleeping in his arms. Never in her life before Andrew had she known the kind of security and well-being as she’d known when he held her close.

She looked down, avoiding his gaze only to have a single tear plop onto the back of her hand. She used the ruse of smoothing the soft material to wipe the tell-tale tear off. Then, preferring to be seen as independent and strong, she struggled to sit straighter.

“Just stay where you are for a bit longer.” His hand was gentle when he touched her shoulder, holding her in place. “Damn it, Hailey, you scared the hell out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “I had planned to get here earlier.” A hint of a smile curved her lip. “I got lost.”

Humor sparkled in his gaze. “I don’t understand how you can be so damn smart and the best Air Battle Manager the Air Force has and yet get so turned around whenever you’re on the ground.”

It was how they'd met actually. She'd been heading toward the Air Traffic Control Tower, but having gotten lost, found herself in front of the Communications Squadron Building. She'd turned away from the building to discover two men staring at her. They had similar builds, twin attitudes, and the kind of cocky smiles she’d run across on just about every pilot she’d ever met. Although she'd hidden it, her focus had centered on Andrew.

“One of my many talents?” she asked, trying to match his teasing.

“You’ve always been unapologetic about getting lost.”

“Being directionally challenged is embarrassing enough.” She shrugged. “And it’s a hard trait to hide when it pops up so often, so there’s no sense making excuses. Haven’t you ever gotten lost, Andrew?”

“Yes, of course. I certainly did the first day we met. I stood there,” he said, his tone implying he’d gone back in his mind and pictured that day. They’d never discussed it, had never dared breach that invisible barrier whenever Joe was around. And when they’d finally been intimately alone, well, other subjects and needs took precedence.

“I couldn’t move,” Andrew went on. “I could only stare, not sure what to say. Then, Joe walked over to you and I heard you laugh at something he said.”

“When I told him I was lost, he said he knew how I felt because he’d just lost his heart.”

“He swore to me that he fell in love with you right then and there. I’ll always regret not making the first move toward you that day.”

“I was never interested in him, Andrew. Not that way. You know that.” You felt it, she wanted to add but kept silent.

“It doesn’t matter. Not now.”

“Andrew.”

He stood, avoiding the hand she reached out. She swallowed down her fear at how easily he dismissed what they’d shared. Would he find it as easy to dismiss the reason that had brought her here to see him?

“I’m guessing you also forgot to eat. My mom suggested you stick to something easy until you’ve had time to settle a little more.”

She resisted the urge to place a hand on her stomach. “A slice of toast? Maybe something cold to drink?”

He nodded and walked away. Her throat aching, her heart thudding, Hailey tossed back the afghan and got gingerly to her feet. She swayed a moment before she steadied. She realized, with a touch of humor, that Andrew had stripped off her shoes. Giving herself a little bit more time, she glanced around the room. Spacious, it conveyed an inviting feel through comfortable furniture and colorful accents. Drawn, she crossed the room to stand in front of a wall of windows that overlooked a large patio and lighted pool.

Home. It wasn’t the size of the building, the type of furnishings or the expensive surroundings that invited and welcomed. She knew this wasn’t Andrew’s house and still, while standing in this space, she felt surrounded by the love and warmth that so often filled his voice when he spoke of his family.

Tears of longing lodged in her chest. What would it be like to grow up in the kind of family many took for granted? What would it be like to know your mother and father, your sister? To always know you could count on them, that when you walked in the door at the end of a school day they would be there? She couldn’t imagine. Oh, she knew many had lived in far worse circumstances than she. Her mother hadn’t been cruel, she’d simply been focused on her own needs and career. To the extent that she’d never bothered to tell Hailey’s father of her existence.

Against all attempts at restraint, she lowered a hand to her stomach. She had no idea of what Andrew’s response would be like. But, she swore as she pressed a little on her stomach, her child would never feel unwanted or easily set aside.

When Andrew’s reflection appeared in the window, she kept her back to him. Maybe if she didn’t face him, she’d find the courage to reveal the reason for her unannounced appearance. “It’s a lovely place. Your sister’s, right?”

“Her and Quinn’s, her husband.”

“He’s a baseball player.”

“A pitcher. They're in Chicago for a four-game series.”

“I’ve never been to Chicago. Not much need for a naval base there. Have you?”

“Once.”

She winced a little at the abrupt tone. “It was nice of them to let you stay here for a while. And your mother lives close by, so you’ll be able to spend some of your leave with her.”

“Hailey, why are you here?”

She should have known he wouldn’t tolerate her evasions. She would have liked a little more time to prepare, but then she didn’t believe there would ever be enough time. It seemed wrong somehow to just blurt it out. And yet there was no point in sugar-coating the issue.

“I’m pregnant.”

She couldn’t see his features clearly in the reflection. She heard no sharp intake of breath.

But the sound of dishes hitting the tile floor was unmistakable.