CHAPTER ELEVEN
Four o’clock finally arrived and Maria was free until Monday. When she walked out of class, Jamie stood exactly where she’d left him. Poor man, he must be bored out of his mind.
“You need to call Jake.” He pushed away from the wall and stepped next to her.
“He knows?” Damn, that was the last thing she wanted.
“No. Just call him.”
Handing her books to him, she dug in her purse for her cell. Turning it back on, she punched *3, speed-dialing Jake.
“Hey, Aunt Maria,” Jake said.
Because she was used to being called “aunt” by Regan, it didn’t register at first.
“Maybe I should say, new Aunt Maria.”
“Oh, my God, Dani had her baby?”
“Two hours ago. Evan Elijah Kincaid—nine pounds, two ounces, twenty-one and a half inches.”
Named for Regan’s father and his twin brother. “That sounds really big. Is it? How’s Dani? How’s the baby? How’s Logan?”
He laughed. “Slow down, Chiquita. Yes, apparently that’s bigger than normal, but no record set. Dani’s doing great. Baby Evan’s doing great, all ten fingers and toes accounted for. Your brother’s in the middle of a nervous breakdown but still sane enough to pass out cigars to all the nurses, doctors, and if they’d let him, to all the babies in the nursery. You’d think he managed having his son single-handedly, but I’ve never seen him happier.”
Maria squeezed her eyes shut against the burning in them. Her brother was a father, something he’d once thought he’d never be. This was just what she needed to get her mind off Fortunada, and she wanted to be there. “I’m coming home tonight. Tell Dani and Logan I’ll see them in about four hours.”
“I figured you would. Well, I’d best go see if I can calm down the new dad. Later.”
Later? That was all? “Jake, wait.”
“Yeah?”
She opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say. After all that had happened earlier, she felt the need to tell him how special he was to her. Even over the phone, though, she sensed he’d put his walls back up. “Nothing. See you soon.”
“Sure,” he said and hung up.
“What’s his problem?” she muttered, giving the phone a nasty glare. Other students jostled her as they streamed out of the College of Law building, off to start their weekend.
Jamie moved behind her, protecting her with his bulk. “He’s not a happy camper right now. You’ve got his boxers twisted in knots, and now the boss is sending him on a mission.”
When she stopped, he put his hands on her shoulders. “Keep moving, or else we’re gonna be stampeded. These people take their TGIF seriously.”
“That they do,” she said as they walked out into the blinding Florida sun. “What’s this about Jake? Logan’s sending him off? When and where?”
“Sometime next week.”
Jamie opened her car door, then came around to his side. “As to the where, I can’t say. If the boss wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”
She slipped on her sunglasses. “At least tell me if it’s someplace dangerous.” When he didn’t answer, she knew. What if Jake got hurt, or worse? Sweat trickled down the back of her neck. She pulled a band out of her pocket and bound her hair up into a ponytail. “Turn the air up, will you? I’m burning up with this hot wind coming in the window.” He turned the knob to high, and she leaned her face close to the air blasting out of the vent.
“I guess you want to put off going to your apartment until next week?”
What she wanted was for Jake to avoid danger. She wanted to turn the clock back a day for Jake to be there instead of Jamie. “Yeah, that can wait. I just need to stop by the house, throw a few clothes into a bag, and put extra food out for Mouse.”
“No problem. With my window busted in, we’ll need to take your Mustang.”
The three-hour drive home on I-10 was boring, and one she’d made countless times. It gave her plenty of time to think about Jake. Had she disgusted him? No, she believed him when he said he wasn’t like Jonathan. It was probably her inexperience. Why would he want her when he could crook his finger and have just about any woman who caught his eye?
Jake wouldn’t blow off Logan’s warnings, but if he really wanted her, that wouldn’t stop him. He’d find a way to make it right with her brother. So, that left . . . what? That he saw her as more than a one-night stand? Well, she hoped so. It was a role she would never agree to play. She wasn’t her mother and had no intention of having a revolving door into her bedroom.
If he saw her differently from the women he was used to, then it probably scared the hell out of him. What if he thought he couldn’t be faithful? Between not wanting to hurt her and Logan’s threat, Jake would put on the brakes and try to back away, which seemed to be exactly what he was doing.
“He’s afraid of commitment,” she murmured.
“Bingo.”
Had she spoken aloud? She glanced at Jamie. “But aren’t all men?”
“To one degree or another, I think, but I’d put Buchanan at the top of that scale.”
Out of curiosity, she asked, “Where are you on the scale?”
He grinned and winked at her. “Why, you interested in me?”
She should be. He was a gorgeous man with a great personality. “And if I were?”
That got her a laugh. “Then I’d say you’re a liar. No, you only have eyes for bad boy Jake.”
“So what do I do about it?”
“Just keep coming at him. He’ll fight you, but if you don’t give up on him, he’ll come around—realize it’s what he wants.”
That sounded easier said than done, but her heart wanted Jake—had for years—so she had to at least try. She also needed to convince Logan to back off. Maybe his attention would now be on his new son, and he’d stop trying to interfere in her love life.
Jamie seemed as willing as she not to talk about Fortunada, and for that she was grateful. She didn’t want to talk about him, think about him, and especially didn’t want to wonder if he was her father. If he was, that would make what he’d tried to do to her in the pool shed gross, even if he didn’t know it was his daughter he’d tried to molest.
To take her mind off all men, and because she needed to hit the books, she spent the remainder of the trip studying for her upcoming final exams.
By the time they reached the hospital, it was the dinner hour, and Maria found Logan and Jake in the cafeteria. She and Jamie grabbed trays and slid them down the line. The only things she found that she would eat were macaroni and cheese, and a dried-up hamburger patty. She supposed it was too much to expect a hospital to serve fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Deciding to pass on the patty, she ended up with a bowl of mac and cheese, and two chocolate chip cookies.
Jamie pressed his arm against hers. “Your boy hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you walked into the room.”
Her heart gave a happy little flutter. Maybe she could talk Jake into leaving Jamie to babysit Logan and taking her to Steak ’n Shake. She slid into the seat next to Logan, putting her across from Jake.
She leaned over and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, Daddy. I’m surprised you’re not upstairs with Dani.”
He pushed his empty plate away. “She’s sleeping, but I’m going back up now.”
Jake snorted. “Bullshit, boss. You’re headed back to the nursery so you can press your nose to the window and stare at your son.”
Logan shrugged. “So what if I am? It’s not every father who can claim his baby is the most handsome one there.”
A giggle escaped her. Although her brother tried for nonchalance, he couldn’t hide the proud gleam in his eyes. “I can’t wait to see him. I’ll come up as soon as I finish eating.”
“Walk with me a minute,” Logan said.<
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Oh, boy. He wasn’t gonna wait until later to discuss Fortunada’s surprise attack. “I’ll be right back,” she told Jake and Jamie, exchanging a glance with Jamie.
In the hallway, her normally undemonstrative brother grabbed her in a tight bear hug.
“Jesus Christ, brat, you’re going to give me a heart attack yet. Are you okay?” He leaned back and searched her face.
“Yeah, I am.” As she’d done for Jamie, she assured Logan she was perfectly fine. These larger-than-life heroes were prone to do whatever it took to protect those they loved, and she didn’t want him deciding he needed to go after Fortunada personally. Another reason not to tell Jake. God knew what he’d get in his head to do.
“Saint said you don’t want Buchanan to know, and I agree it’s probably for the best right now. I’m sending him on an operation, and he needs to be focused.”
“Where to?”
He tapped her nose with his finger. “All you need to worry about is your last few days of school.”
With that, he turned to walk away. “Don’t be mad at Jamie, okay?” she called after him.
Coming to a halt, he turned. “That’s between me and Saint.”
Oh no, he wasn’t happy with Jamie. Not that she expected him to be, but it really wasn’t Jamie’s fault. She returned to the cafeteria and as soon as she sat, Jake stood.
“I’m off, too. I’ve got a lot to do before Wednesday.”
He’d ignored her since she’d arrived. Obviously, he wasn’t going to make it easy to follow Jamie’s advice. “I was going to ask if you’d take me to get something to eat after I saw the baby.” She wrinkled her nose at her plate. “I’m starving, and this food pretty much sucks.”
He met her gaze for a mere second, then his eyes slid away. “I’m sure Saint will be happy to feed you.”
“You bet,” Jamie said.
Maria watched, fascinated, as Jake glared at Jamie, some kind of male stare down going on between the two of them. “What was that all about?” she asked after Jake strode away.
“He won’t admit it even to himself, but he’s not liking me anywhere near you.”
That was a positive sign, wasn’t it? “Come on. Let’s go see the most beautiful baby in the world.” She’d think about Jake and the next step in her campaign to wear him down later.
Jake pushed the papers aside and pressed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. This was what happened when you let a woman get under your skin. You couldn’t concentrate, and in this business that was deadly.
His stomach growled, and he glanced at his watch. It was only nine, and he’d intended to spend several more hours mapping out a plan to rescue the spoiled, rich kid/terrorist-in-the-making. He could head over to Buck’s on the Beach and find Rosie, or Connie, maybe Karen—didn’t really matter which one—and try his best to get Maria out of his mind. Yeah, that’s what he’d do.
After flipping off the lights and setting the alarm, he stood outside the K2 building and looked up at the sky. Nothing but stars, a perfect night for drinking on the beach. He got behind the wheel and pointed his car toward his favorite pickup bar.
As always on a Friday night, Buck’s was packed. Jake made his way out onto the back deck and claimed the one empty seat at the bar.
“Jake, my man,” Buck greeted, sliding a bottle of Dos Equis toward him.
“You got uglier since the last time I saw you,” Jake said, catching the beer before it slid past.
The old man gave a hearty laugh. “Good thing the girls don’t think so.”
He estimated Buck to be around seventy, and his beach bar had been a hot spot for as far back as Jake could remember. The story was that thirty or forty years ago, Buck had sat on a chair in the sand, and without any building plans, had told the construction workers to put a wall here, one there, a bar to the left, a stage to the right, and so on.
Jake believed it. The place looked like the Mad Hatter had built it with mismatched pieces of wood that had washed up on the beach. The only reason city officials hadn’t closed it down for not meeting code was because the locals would run them all out of office if they tried to mess with Buck’s place.
Buck glanced over Jake’s shoulder and grinned. “Looks like Carly’s headed your way.”
Hell. “Her boyfriend around tonight?”
“Should be getting off duty in about an hour. Why don’t you just give in and fight the man? I’ll set up a ring out on the sand and you two can go at it. Unless you’re ah-skeered of him.” Buck cackled and moved down the bar.
Jake grunted and took a sip of the ice-cold brew. He could take the dude on, but just didn’t see the sense in tangling with a cop. No good could come of it.
“Hi, Jake.” Carly squeezed in next to him.
“Hey, Trouble.”
“Aw, you say the sweetest things. That’s why I like you. Come dance with me.”
“I get anywhere near you, beautiful, and Mr. Big Bad Policeman’s gonna trump up a reason to throw me in jail. Go find someone else to play with.”
Full, red lips formed a pout. “I want to play with you. Pleeease.”
Not happening. He’d danced with her before he knew she had a jealous cop for a boyfriend. The man had gunned for him ever since. No woman was worth fighting over. Maria is, said a voice in his head. Dammit. He was here to get her out of his mind.
“Buck,” he called and held up his empty bottle. Carly’s hand found its way to his thigh, and he sighed. There must be a hundred plus men here tonight. Why him? His beer came sliding down the length of the bar. Jake picked it up and stood.
“Here, have a seat.”
When she was settled, he noted that her miniskirt barely covered her crotch. She was trouble, all right. “Later,” he said and walked away.
Was this to be his existence? Hanging out in bars, looking for the next pickup, and fighting off women who were trouble. He hadn’t thought much about it before—had rather liked his life, the danger of his job, the fun of deciding who he’d take home. He still loved what he did for a living, but the glitter of his nightlife was quickly fading.
An image of him at fifty or sixty—the hair from one side of his head swept over to the other in a futile attempt to hide his bald spots—and hanging out at Buck’s hoping to score played through his mind like a bad movie.
Damn you, Maria. She was messing with his head, not to mention his nightlife.
Eight, maybe nine beers—maybe more—and two hours later, he’d danced with Rosie, Karen, and several women he’d never met before. All had been willing to go home with him, and he’d fully intended to end his night with one of them. He just couldn’t find the desire to follow through.
“Hit me,” he called to Buck, stumbling as he aimed for a bar stool.
The old man came over empty-handed. “I think you’ve had enough, son. You ain’t driving tonight, are you?”
Jake laughed. “How the hell you thunk . . . think I got here?”
“Still driving that Challenger?”
“Uh-huh.”
“They got special keys, don’t they? You know, cool ones with all those buttons you can push.”
He dug into his pocket, found the fob and stared at it, trying to bring it into focus. “Yep.”
“Let me see.”
Next thing Jake knew, Buck had his car keys and wouldn’t return them. “That was a dirty strick . . . trick. Gimme them back.”
“Nope. Never seen you drunk before, Jake. Don’t much like it. Now call a friend to come get you.”
Hell. He didn’t exactly have a friend. Well, the boss was a friend of sorts, but he wasn’t about to call him. If he called Saint, another sorta friend, he’d never hear the end of it. He could call any number of K2 employees, but didn’t want them talking about having to drive Romeo home. Rosie or one of the other girls would be more tha
n happy to drive him, but they’d expect to come inside with him. Nah, not in the mood.
He fumbled for his cell and finding it, scrolled through the blurry numbers, flipped past Maria’s, then back to it. She was his friend, right? Why the hell not call her since she was the reason he was drunk. He pushed her number.
“Jake?”
“How’d ya know it’s me?”
“Ah, a little thing known as caller ID.”
“You’re being scar . . . shar . . . sar–cas–tic. It’s not becomer . . . becoming.”
“What’s wrong with you? You sound drunk.”
“You been talking to Buck?” He glared at the old man.
“Who?”
Jake handed the phone to Buck. “She wants to talk to you.”
Twenty minutes later, Maria, his friend, stood next to him. He grinned. “Hi, Sha . . . Chiquita, my best friend.”
She leaned away. “You smell like cigarettes.”
He grinned. “That’s ’cause I smoked some.”
“You don’t smoke.”
“Oh.”
She glanced at Buck. “What does he owe you?”
“He’s good for it, just get him home and put him to bed. You the reason he’s messed up?”
The two shared a look Jake couldn’t interpret before she turned to him and tilted her head, studying him. “I don’t know, am I?”
He nodded. “Yep.” Buck had told her to put him to bed. He liked the sound of that.
She put her hand on his leg and squeezed. “Come on, Tiger Toes, let’s get you home.”
“Kay.” He slid off the bar stool. Why did her hand feel so much better than Carly’s? Also, he was starting to like “Tiger Toes.” He really must be drunk.
Trying not to lean too heavily on her, he let Maria—his best friend in the world—lead him to his car. “Where’d ya get those?” he asked when she hit the button to unlock the Challenger.
“What, the keys?”
“Yep.”
Someone Like Her (A K2 Team Novel) Page 11
