The front door slammed open and Morgan pranced into the room. She jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to me.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“So much for knocking.” I laughed.
“Oh please.” She snatched my phone. “What has you so tense?”
“Dammit, Morgan.”
“Chill. What is C-corp?” She scanned the rest of the email. “Well crap. Does Cal know?”
“There’s nothing to know.” I snatched my phone back. “My Sergeant is just trying to do me a solid.”
“You going for the interview?”
I hesitated for just a second too long. “Of course not.”
She watched me carefully. “Colby told me you were shot.”
I nodded.
“Is that why you’re here and not with the army?”
“It’s more complicated than that, but yes.”
“But you want to go back?”
“I can’t go back.”
She pursed her lips, and I needed a subject change. The only way to get Morgan to back down when she smelled blood was to get her talking about herself.
“Shouldn’t you be going back to Europe soon?”
Her face blanched, and she sucked in a breath. “Maybe I’m like you.” Her voice was quiet. “Maybe I can’t go back.”
I studied her, thinking back over the past couple weeks. She’d been trying so hard to be the Morgan we all knew and loved, but I saw now that there was a darkness behind her smile, a sad crinkle to her eyes. I recognized it because I saw it every time I looked in the mirror.
“You don’t really have a job back there still, do you?” I asked.
She scoffed. “Do you all really think they’d just let me leave and work from another country for a month?” She leaned back into the couch. “No, I...” She buried her face in her hands, causing her next words to come out muffled. “I sort of married my boss.”
My jaw fell open, my mouth unable to form words.
She grabbed my arm. “You can’t tell the others. I haven’t even told my mom. It was a whim. We got married, and then a week later I sort of freaked. When Callie told me she was here, it was where I needed to be.”
“Don’t tell me it was some old guy.” I couldn’t believe that was the first thing I thought of to say. She smacked my shoulder.
“Eww. Dean is only a few years older than us.”
“Did you love him?”
“Yes. No. I don’t freaking know. Stop asking me ridiculous questions.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” I started laughing, unable to stop. “Only you would get married and then flee the country.”
“This is so not funny!” She laughed.
“Morgan, if it’s not funny then it’s just depressing. Take your pick.”
She grinned. “Jamie Daniels, why don’t you ditch Callie and marry me?”
“Sorry. I don’t go for married women.” I pulled her into my side. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“When did you become such a softie?”
I snorted. “That’s not exactly a term I’ve ever heard used to describe me.”
Jess’s face flashed through my mind along with the words she’d said to me at every chance. Being a Ranger means you have to be tough, not hard. Why the hell are you so hard, Jamie? It’s like you don’t care about me at all.
She’d been right. I had been hard with her. Then she died, and I still hadn’t forgiven myself.
“Jay is on his way over,” Morgan said, bringing me back to the present. She walked to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers. Taking the caps off as she walked, she handed one to me.
I drank it back with a sigh.
What if I didn’t apply for that job? What was I going to do? If I was honest with myself, I knew there wasn’t much for me in Gulf City career-wise. Tampa was only an hour away, so maybe I’d have options.
I thought of Morgan and her husband, separated by an ocean. Was he looking for her? Dreaming of her like I’d dreamed of Callie?
Our lives hadn’t stopped. She’d been married and even had kids. I’d seen and done a lot. But we’d made it back to the beginning, and now a different path lay out before us.
I pulled the truck up outside Callie’s house. It was dark, but she’d left the porch light on for us. Declan and Liam had gone to bed early, but it wasn’t a school night so I took Jackson out to a movie. Cal was wearing herself down between getting the restaurant up and running, working on her book, and taking care of her boys. We barely got any time alone, but that wasn’t what worried me. I didn’t think she was sleeping much.
I didn’t know for sure because she hadn’t let me stay the night with the boys there - probably a good decision - but I saw her exhaustion in the dark circles that slowly developed beneath her eyes. I saw it in her lack of patience with the workers at the restaurant. Worst of all, I saw it in the way she’d been yelling at Jackson earlier.
I turned off the car and glanced sideways at the sleeping boy. He’d struggled to stay awake for the entire movie but insisted we stay. As soon as we’d gotten in the car, he was out.
His chestnut hair spilled over light features - bright eyes, rosy cheeks. I reached over and brushed it out of his face.
A smile came to my lips as I shook my head to clear my thoughts. There was something about that boy, and I found myself wanting to be in his life. He was curious and smart, serious and happy. He fashioned himself his mother’s protector.
I got out of the car and walked around to his side. Pulling open the door, I reached in and lifted him. His head fell against my shoulder, but he didn’t wake. I shut the door with my foot and walked toward the house. It was unlocked so I shifted Jackson to open the door.
Callie met us on the other side. She stood still for a moment, an emotion flitting across her face that I couldn’t place.
“A little help?” I nodded down the hall toward Jackson’s room. She scrambled in front of me and pushed open his door. I set him on the bed, and Callie worked to remove his shoes. I pulled the covers up over him and leaned down without thinking. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world, putting this kid to bed. My lips grazed his hair, and when I looked up, Callie was staring at me.
“What?” I whispered.
She pointed to the door, and I followed her out.
“You’re a natural.” She wouldn’t look at me as she walked into the kitchen.
“You don’t have to sound so upset about that.” I laughed, trying to relieve some tension. She wasn’t laughing.
Callie walked toward the counter and pulled down two mugs. “Coffee?”
“Nah,” I answered, taking a seat at the table. “I’d never sleep tonight.” I watched her as she filled her cup halfway and then reached into the fridge for the milk. “Since when do you drink coffee?”
“Since I need to work late if I’m ever going to get this book finished.” She took a sip, and her face showed her disgust. She hated the stuff.
“Don’t you think you’re going a little too hard lately.”
“No, Jamie.” She sighed. “I don’t. Now come here. I don’t want to talk about the kids or work. I haven’t been alone with you all day, and I want you to kiss me.” She set her mug on the counter and waited.
I smiled. She didn’t have to tell me twice. I stood up and did my best sexy walk toward her. She finally laughed.
“You’re an idiot.”
“A sexy idiot, though.” I grinned.
She reached out and took my hand, using it to pull me in close until our breaths took up the same space.
“Hi,” she breathed.
“Hi.” I pulled her tighter against me as I claimed her lips with mine. I didn’t think I’d ever tire of kissing California McCoy. Her soft lips, smooth skin, the way she growled from the back of her throat when my tongue entered her mouth - it was enough to undo a man.
I grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up onto
the counter. He legs came around me, trapping me against her. I dipped my hands under her shirt, feeling the soft skin of her back under my rough fingers.
“Mom?” The sound barely registered to my ears, but Callie broke away with a small laugh.
Jackson stood rubbing his eyes in the doorway. Callie leapt off the counter and ran over to him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck and avoiding the stare of the young boy in the room.
I got into my truck, breathing heavily.
The email from Sergeant Carlson popped into my mind for some strange reason. Yeah, I thought. There’s no way I can leave.
17
Callie
“Liam,” I yelled. “Stay close.” He didn’t acknowledge a word I said as his feet took him sprinting across the playground. Selective hearing. That was what my middle child suffered from. Or, I guess you could say it was what I suffered from since I was the one constantly being ignored.
“Come on, Dec.” Jackson took Declan’s hand out of mine and led him toward the sandbox. “Let’s play.”
I shook my head and made my way to the nearby bench. Liam found another boy who looked to be his age to play with. They ran up the steps to the jungle gym, one brown head and one blond.
The sun beat down on us, hot for a November day. I shielded my eyes to look out over the park. It was beautiful, all green grass and screaming kids. Not for the first time, I was glad we’d moved back to Florida.
It was nice to get a break, just me and the boys. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving, and it’d be great, but draining. Today I was content.
A shadow crossed my vision, blocking the blinding sun. I looked up and grinned when I saw the grizzled face of Seth Franklin. Ten years later and still kicking. He smiled back at me.
“California McCoy. I thought you left all of us Floridians to our own devices years ago.”
“I figured you all couldn’t survive much longer without me.”
He chuckled and walked around the side of the bench. He moved slowly, each action careful. He must have been almost eighty years old.
“Mind if I sit?” he asked.
I scooted over. “Not at all.”
He lowered himself as his eyes scanned the playground. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he turned to me. “Rumor around town is the McCoys are back in the diner business.”
“Not diner,” I said. “Restaurant. And not McCoys. Just me.”
“I’ve missed Ally’s ever since it closed.”
“Me too.”
Seth was a regular at Ally’s since before my mom died. He’d been there practically every day. The only time he’d disappeared from our lives was after his grandson… I shook my head to get rid of that train of thought. It was a nice day and thinking about the shooting would affect that. But, wasn’t I thinking about it all the time, anyway? I couldn’t help it. I was writing a book.
Which was exactly what I blurted to Seth when our conversation lulled. I hadn’t meant to tell him, but he’d been like part of the family.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment.
“Did you hear what I said?” I asked. “I just had to tell you before you found out some other way. I’m writing about the shooting. I’m sorry if that’s painful, but I have to do it. It’s still painful for us too, and it’s been ten years. We need to move on. We have to.” I realized I was rambling and clamped my lips shut.
His eyes looked so sad in that moment that I wished I could take it all back. I thought he was going to get up and leave, disgusted that I’d use his grandson’s actions for a story, but he stayed put. He turned back toward the playground.
“You have kids?” he asked.
I looked sideways at him, knowing he must already know the answer since I was sitting here at the park. I answered him anyway. “Three. Jackson and Declan.” I pointed to where Jackson was still playing with his baby brother. “Liam.” I nodded toward Liam who was chasing the other boy across the wood chips.
Seth smiled sadly. “I have one son. Jeremiah. But Jerry had four children. Two boys and two girls.” He nodded toward the boy playing with Liam. “Bryant there is my oldest grandson’s kid.”
I couldn’t help myself. “So, he’s-”
“Matthew’s nephew.”
I gripped the edge of the bench until my knuckles turned white. “Why are you telling me all of this?” The question came out more as a breathless gasp.
Seth reached over and patted my hand. “Because Matthew did a horrible thing. No one will ever forget that. But he was a son, a grandson, and a brother. He was loved, and we tried to help him. Just…” His voice thickened. “Remember that when you write about him, when you immortalize him, what he did. Even if you hate him… he wasn’t a monster. He was just a troubled kid.”
The tears in Seth’s eyes never fell. I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself together if they had.
“Mom,” Declan yelled. “Play with me.”
Jackson nodded his agreement.
I stood up and smoothed down my shirt before glancing toward Seth once more. “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.” They’d all been through a lot. That town. My friends. No one came through it without being irreparably changed.
I should have spent that evening preparing for the following day - cleaning the house and everything - but as soon as I powered up my computer, I couldn’t stop. I stayed up late rewriting large sections of my book. It was time to tell the story as I saw it at twenty-eight, not as I felt it at eighteen. It was time to get the whole picture.
18
Jamie
“Do you get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?” I asked Colby as I shrugged on my suit jacket.
He gave me a knowing look. “It’s different now.”
“I know.” I stood in front of the mirror straightening my tie. “But it’s still the holidays.”
Growing up, it wasn’t a holiday celebration if there wasn’t some blow up between me and my dad. The only good ones I had were spent with the McCoy’s, but those had been few because my dad enjoyed being a dick. He’d conditioned a wariness in me when it came to any celebration.
“You know, I haven’t celebrated Thanksgiving since I left.”
“Your unit didn’t do anything?” Colby asked.
“Some of the guys took leave when they could. But if we were on a mission, that wasn’t possible. I always stayed on base and got drunk.”
A strained laugh burst out of him. “That’s sad, Jamie.” He patted my shoulder and left the room.
“Maybe,” I grumbled. “But I still think the crap is coming.”
I stepped into my shoes, shined to perfection. My father had always expected us to look our best for the holidays. Some habits died hard. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter were the only three days of the year I’d be caught in a suit, especially back then when I’d have been happy living in my swim trunks.
Colby and I arrived at Callie’s with plenty of time to spare. Her, Amber, and Jay were doing the cooking while Morgan and the boys ran around the house.
Jackson stopped following them when we walked in. “Uncle Colby.” He nodded to Colby then turned a stern stare on me. “Jamie.”
I laughed, knowing instantly it was the wrong move. His face hardened.
“Jacks,” Colby said, looking between us with his own laughter in his eyes. He was smart enough not to let it out. “Come on, bud. Take me to your mom.”
Morgan walked up beside me. “Little man doesn’t quite know what to make of you.”
“He kinda walked in on me and Callie the other night.”
She laughed. “Yep, that’ll do it.” Her expression turned serious. “Cal told me he misses his dad.”
I didn’t want to think about the man who’d been there when I hadn’t. The only thing that mattered was that I was there now. So, I changed the subject. “It’s Thanksgiving. Doesn’t your family want you with them?”
“Mom and Dad went on a cruise
. Mom still has trouble with holidays. And Parker never comes home.”
“How is Parker?” I’d always liked her.
Morgan smiled. “Really good. I miss her.”
I’d just wrapped my arm around her shoulders when a knock sounded at the door.
“Jackson,” Callie called. “Liam, Declan. I think the door is for you.”
Three pairs of feet thundered across the floor and excited chatter filled the room when the door was flung open.
“Grandpa!” Jackson jumped at the man who caught him mid-air with a laugh.
“Papa!” Liam joined the fray, pushing the younger Declan aside.
“Dad.” Colby grinned as he appeared from the kitchen and scooped Declan up.
“Sorry,” the man said. He was good-looking, with dark hair. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He looked so much like Callie. “I only told Cal I was coming a few days ago. I was supposed to wait until Christmas, but I missed you all. My flight was delayed.”
Colby gave him a one-armed hug before handing him Declan. Callie walked out a moment later to join the reunion. The look she gave her father was one of complete love. I still didn’t know everything about their meeting, but she’d spent almost ten years getting to know him in L.A.
“Dad,” Callie said. “I want you to meet some people. You’ve met Morgan and Jay, but this is Amber.” She finally walked toward me. “And this is Jamie.” When she wrapped an arm around my waist, he raised an eyebrow before shaking my hand.
“Your grandmother is sad she’s missing this.” He shifted his eyes back to Callie.
“Maybe her health will let her come in a few months,” she said hopefully.
“I’m sure it will. Sweetheart, is there somewhere we can talk?” he asked. “I hate to spoil the fun, but there’s a reason I came early other than missing you, and I’d like to get it out of the way.”
He was direct. I liked that.
She nodded toward the kitchen, and he followed her. Needing a bit of air, I stepped outside and sat on the front stoop.
Invincible- The Complete Set Page 30
