I stared into her green eyes as my chest heaved with deep breaths. I didn’t know it could feel like this. Even standing next to this woman made my heart ache. The thought of touching her was enough to make my skin burn. She was so close. Close enough to kiss.

I bent toward her, ready to taste her lips when I heard an engine rattling along the driveway. I looked up to see my cousin’s truck racing over the gravel.

“Damn it,” I muttered.

Gretchen slipped out from under my arm. Her face was flushed. The moment was gone.

“I should go,” she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear.

I hadn’t seen him in years, but he hadn’t changed one bit. “Cuz, you’re home.” Cane jumped from the truck and hurried toward the porch in heavy strides.

Gretchen walked down the stairs. I wanted to pull her back on the porch, and wrap her in my arms. Steal the kiss I was thirsting for. Cane was already halfway up the steps and threw a burley arm around me.

“Good to see you.” Cane hadn’t even stopped to avoid bumping into Gretchen. It was as if he hadn’t seen her.

“Hold on, man. I need to finish something.” I jogged down the stairs, catching Gretchen at her car. “Doc, wait just a second.”

The blush on her cheeks was cute, and I couldn’t help but think it was from the kiss that almost happened.

“Yes?” She turned before ducking in the car.

“I don’t know if this is part of the program, but I was thinking about going out for dinner. Maybe trying the local cuisine. It would probably be good to have someone to talk to. Would you want to join me?”

Damn I sounded like I was in high school. I knew I was rusty, but I needed to get my game back faster than that. I had to have her. And clearly, I was willing to fucking embarrass myself to make that happen. I thought I saw a smile form on the corners of her lips.

“Are you asking me out Captain Jackson?” She tilted her head sideways.

“Brett,” I corrected. “And what if I am? Don’t give me that doctor-patient excuse. You are not my doctor.”

“I don’t know.” She hesitated. “I don’t think we went over this in the volunteer training.”

“Really?” I eyed her. “You’re kidding with me right now.”

She twisted her lips together. “Would you say this is part of your re-entry practice?”

I chuckled. “Most definitely.”

“Well, I can’t let you do that alone can I? Not after I just gave you that whole speech about reaching out.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” I winked. “You’re basically obligated to have dinner with me after that exam.”

She slid behind the driver’s seat. A second later she handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s my address. Pick me up at seven.”

I shoved the note in my pocket. “See you then, doc.”

I watched as she backed out of the driveway and her car disappeared in the wooded drive. I turned to face my cousin. I wanted to slug him for showing up when he did, but I hadn’t seen him in two years. That wasn’t exactly the best way to say hello under the circumstances.

“Who in the hell told you I was back?” I barked. I knew my cousins, aunts, and uncles would eventually figure it out, but I had kept a low profile on purpose. I didn’t intend to be absorbed in the family drama just because I was home.

“Good to see you too.” Cane grinned. “Looks like you aren’t wasting any time with the women. Don’t blame you. Two years is a long time. You picked a good one.”

I shot him a look. I had only met the doctor half an hour ago. It was too new for my moronic cousin to screw it up. I already didn’t like the way he was talking about her. As if she was a prize or a trinket to pass around. The doc was anything but that.

“That was nothing,” I grumbled, trying to make him drop Gretchen as a topic. “Who told you I was home?”

“Randy said he saw your lights on last night when he was out with his dogs. Told him I’d swing by to make sure it wasn’t a vagrant who had broken in. Had a feeling you might be here though.”

“Yeah. Not a vagrant.” My family was so damn nosey. Why couldn’t they leave me out of their problems?

“Since I’m here I should bring you up to date on family business.”

I sat on the top step, pulling the knife from my leg. I reached for a piece of kindling and began to whittle long clean strokes against the wood.

“Not interested in the family right now. Can’t it wait?”

Cane sat next to me. “Look, I know you’ve been out of country, but now that you are home, you can’t ignore the family. It’s your responsibility.”

I huffed. “I’m not going to be home long. Not long enough to do anything to help out. I’m not done over there. You’ve been doing a good job filling in for me. Just keep it up. One day, when I’m back for good, I’ll do my job.”

Cane laughed. “I’m not you, man. The family’s not going to keep listening to me since they know you’re back. You need to get everyone together. There are things that need to be addressed.”

I shook my head. I wasn’t going to organize anything. “Negative. I’m only going to be here another week or so and then I’m right back where I was. I’m sure you can handle whatever is going on. I need to be brought in on anything.”

Cane gripped my arm. I stopped whittling the wood. “No. I can’t. Not again. You’re the one who left us when we needed you most.”

I set my eyes on my cousin and curled my lip. “I wasn't the one who caused all the trouble. You can’t pin this on me.”

I rose from the step and walked in the cabin, slamming the door behind me.

The last thing I wanted was to get involved in family business. I walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. I needed something to calm down. But I knew beer wasn’t the answer. The answer was to get out of town. To leave the cabin. Head back to the desert where the turbulence and the chaos was something I could navigate. Survival boiled in my blood.

Cane followed me into the cabin. “Sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I took a swig of beer. “Forget it.”

“Can I have one of those?” He nodded at the bottle in my hand. I grabbed a second beer from the fridge.

He twisted off the cap. “Thanks.” He sat at the kitchen table, but I stood near the sink. I didn’t want to invite this conversation to happen.

“Say what you have to say, Cane. Lay it out there. I’m not promising anything, though.”

He cleared his throat. “The Osborns want to take us to court. They are contesting the land rights.”

My eyes widened. “Like hell they are.”

“It’s getting bad, Brett. Really bad. If you would just honor the contract Uncle Jax made. I mean your dad, then this shit would be over.”

I scowled. I hated it every time I was reminded of what my father had lured me into on his deathbed. He thought the only way to protect his legacy was to make sure there were grandchildren. That I would carry on the Jackson name with a family of my own. He had no idea how wrong he was in choosing me for that mission.

I’d spent the past two years watching tribes and families fight over land and family rights. Coming home to it only pissed me off. I had seen too many people die over fucking dirt.

“I don’t want to talk about the contract. If the Osborns take us to court, then it will be settled. There’s no way they will win.”

Cane finished off his beer. “You’re wrong. They have every intention of contesting the will. And your dad was clear. In order for the land to go to you, you have to be married. Can’t you do this for your family?”

“I’ve been home from a war zone for one day.” I gritted my teeth. “I have no interest in getting married.”

“It doesn’t matter who she is. Just find someone.” Cane rose from the table. “I’ll let you get some rest. You don’t seem like yourself, cuz. The man I used to know would do anything to fight for his family. I’ll catch you later.”

The screen door slammed behind him as he walked onto the porch.

I balled my hands into fists. What the fuck was going on around here? And how was I supposed to do anything about it?