St. Elmo

by Skye McNeil

  “Mom told me what happened last year with Aubrey. I wish you confided in me.” His deep green eyes shadowed further. “I would’ve done something to make it easier.”

  Jared swallowed the tepid liquid. “Thanks, but there wasn’t anything you could do. Shit happens when you’re in the military. It should be our motto.”

  “But to lose her while you both were deployed is rough. I can’t imagine losing Mina like that or any other way.”

  Jared didn’t want to respond. The mere thought of his ex-girlfriend, Aubrey, and the horrible way she died on the other half of the world made his stomach sour. Technically, they were broken up when she was hit with an RPG, but it broke his heart nevertheless to say goodbye with finality under such terms. The accident happened six months before Asher’s wedding. He hadn’t said anything to Bobbi. She wouldn’t have understood.

  “What about Bobbi? There was something between you two at our wedding. We all saw it.” He paused and studied his brother. “Did she make a difference?”

  Recalling a flash of his history, the younger Whitaker gripped his hands along the mug as tight as possible. He didn’t want to admit a thing to anyone. Looking over to Asher, he released a sigh. But this was his brother and not Spencer or any of the Ranger guys who’d give him hell for talking all lovey-dovey.

  “I didn’t think I could fall for someone so hard, so fast. I was determined not to get involved because I was still hurting.” He turned completely toward Asher. “Then I met Bobbi, and she sparked my adrenaline. I didn’t feel sad about Aubrey, and it felt amazing.” A sad smile found its way to his mouth. “It was great for as long as it lasted. Not even a week. How weird.” He held up a finger at his brother’s raised eyebrows. “And no, nothing happened.”

  Asher’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “A lot can go down in a short time in Timberline, Jared. I should know.”

  “Your situation was different.”

  “Yeah, maybe, but why’d you break it off with her?”

  Jared licked his lips. Why, indeed, was the question? “Because I got a call from the C.O. and I couldn’t risk losing another person I cared about while I was away again.”

  “I get it, I do, but I won’t let you break her heart a second time.”

  Raking a hand through his short hair, Jared frowned. “She wasn’t in love with me. It was a wedding. You know, love in the air and all romance crap. All she wanted was a fling.”

  “Mhm, sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself.” Asher finished his coffee and returned to the kitchen for a refill. “You want to explain why Spencer called this morning?”

  Jared coughed on his drink. “He wasn’t supposed to talk to you,” he groaned. He spoke to his best friend for five minutes earlier, and of course, the idiot called Asher to check in on him. Spencer had a lot of questionable character traits, but he was a steadfast friend no matter what happened.

  “Well, he did. He also told me he was in Australia and couldn’t come to the Davis-Whitaker Christmas in Nathrop.” Asher’s brow furrowed just like when they were kids about to brawl. “Start spilling, Scout.”

  At the sound of his nickname from both childhood and the military, Jared wiped a dribble of leftover coffee from his chin and sat straight. It was time to come clean about the farce he was about to deploy. He couldn’t fall under Bobbi’s spell another time. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

  »»•««

  Fluffing her hair one last time, Bobbi grinned at her reflection. The mandatory girls’ trip after the interview was a success, much like the interview itself. She fingered the loose curls of her auburn hair. “There’s no way my stylist back in Colorado would make me look this good.”

  Jessie applied a thin layer of mascara to her eyelashes. “Mandi is a genius. She turned Bridget’s hair lavender last spring. It looked amazing.”

  Cocking an eyebrow, she tried to picture the blonde bombshell with purple hair. “Yeah, it’d fit her.”

  “Don’t worry. It was temporary for one of her client’s book releases.” The older sister laughed. “But it made a great impression on the guests at the release party. The book’s main character was a mermaid, so she went as one of those.”

  “Oh, my God, I can see it now.” The two giggled.

  “Yeah, there was a lot of Bridget seen by all. I wish I could erase it from my memory, to be honest.” Jessie puckered her lips and smeared on red lipstick. “There, all done. You ready for your celebratory dinner at Finito, New York City’s finest restaurant?”

  Bobbi dabbed a hint of pink lip gloss to her mouth. “First hair and massages and now fancy dinners? You’re going to make Denver seem mundane.”

  Looping her arm through her sister’s, Jessie grinned with enough cheese to feed a mouse army. “Perfect, then you won’t want to leave.”

  Rolling her eyes, she took a last once-over in the mirror before the two left the enormous bathroom in Jessie’s apartment. Bobbi was ninety percent sure the entirety of her place in Colorado would fit in this room alone.

  “Whoa, Mina, you are scrumptious.” Asher whistled low, his voice hitching audibly when they stepped into view.

  Bobbi had to admit her big sister did look elegant in the navy Gucci dress with an empire waist. Even pregnant, she was dazzling. Jessie stepped to the side and blushed when Asher leaned over and whispered in her ear. It was evident Bobbi didn’t want to hear the contents of their conversation, so she moved passed them.

  Finding Jared near the door, she sauntered toward him. He shifted in his spot, seemingly uncomfortable with dressing up. Given his profession, it made sense. A hint of his arm tattoos peeked out from the long sleeves of his coat. She was never one to like tats, but the way Jared wore them made her mind change within seconds. “Planning your grand escape?”

  “Maybe.” His eyes matched the light green tie around his neck and clashed with hers before they drifted the length of her body before returning. “You’re beautiful, by the way.”

  “For a moment there, I wasn’t sure you were going to notice.”

  Jared tucked his tie back into his jacket, the act causing a lopsided effect. His stylish shoes nudged hers as he advanced. “I notice even when I don’t want to.”

  The warmth of his breath trailed down the scoop neckline of her brand new black gown. He was so close she felt the up-tempo rhythm of his heart. It almost matched hers beat for beat.

  “All right, kids, let’s go before this baby pops out,” Asher teased, cutting into their moment. He was well on his way to being a dad with his jokes.

  Bobbi tried her damnedest to remain collected throughout the four-course meal, which included her all-time favorite dessert, cherry cheesecake. The conversation was easy enough, mostly surrounding her recent interview and the upcoming holiday bonanza in the mountains. She noticed Jared didn’t join in much but kept to his food for the majority of the night. In honesty, she didn’t mind since the only reason she kept babbling was to keep her mind off him.

  When she and Jared returned to the apartment later in the night, the bed was the single object on her mind. Not bothering to close the door, she stripped off the dress, the expensive material slinking to the floor. The combination of red wine, cheesecake, and resisting the urge to stare at Jared all evening wore her to shambles. Or was it the interview, shopping, and beauty salon? She shrugged. Yeah, those were the safer bets and ones she clung to as she drifted to sleep, unbeknownst with Jared at her side.

  »»•««

  “Where the hell—?” Jared stopped his line of thought there when he cracked open his eyelids and saw Bobbi beside him. Well, it was a curtain of Bobbi’s red hair, but her cute nose poked out from underneath. Damn, I could get used to this. With poise, he shifted the hair out of her face. It wasn’t a beauty pageant contestant who met his gaze, but hell if she resembled a sleeping goddess anyhow. Bobbi’s makeup smudged sometime during the night. His eyes dipped to her lips, and he wished he could take credit for the pink mess there. He couldn’t. He couldn
’t even remember how or why he woke up in the bed compared to the couch. Lowering his gaze, he noticed his clothes were lumpy, but in place nonetheless. Damn.

  As quiet as possible, he moved to a sitting position and rubbed his face. Soft bristles met his palms, a reminder of his short-lived reprieve from the consistent military shaving policy. Before they caught their flight, he’d remedy it, though. It was as much routine as a requirement to him nowadays.

  He wracked his memory to the night prior. He and Bobbi weren’t alone at any point, so the flirting was minimal. Then why am I next to her in bed? Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jared guessed they both drank too much the night before and simply slumped into the bed before shedding any clothing. The movement to his right summoned attention, so he craned his neck backward. Bobbi smashed the pillow with her hands but remained asleep. He couldn’t help when his eyes skimmed the pale pink bra and matching undies, the sole items she wore.

  In his mind, he had two options. The first being to sneak out of bed and hop in the shower, with Bobbi never the wiser of her bedmate. Or, he could shove aside the premonition building within him and pepper her body with butterfly kisses until she awoke. It wasn’t that he was opposed to it. The consequences annoyed him as he thought it over. He fell for her not six months ago, and he’d done all he could to shove those feelings in a box. It was easy when they were apart. Now, it took every ounce of willpower not to slide into his old emotions toward the slumbering woman. He was failing.

  The generic ringtone on his phone echoed from the kitchen, making the decision for him. Sneaking out of the room, Jared checked the caller and then stepped into the hallway.

  “Hey, Spence, what’s up?”

  “Hey, stranger. So what the hell is your dumbass operation ‘bring a friend to dysfunctional family Christmas’ Ash was telling me about?”

  Jared scratched his left heel with his right foot, noting only one sported a sock. “I don’t know. I just can’t be around Bobbi alone and thought you’d be the guy for it. I forgot you were in Australia.”

  “Hmm, sounds fishy to me, but whatever. From what Ash told me, it may be better if you went alone. I mean, I’m all for giving you shit, but if you like this girl—"

  “I can’t, Spence. I’m already having feelings for her. If I get too involved again, I’m screwed.”

  “Well, what do you want?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Spencer cleared his throat. “Dude, you were a wreck after you got back from Asher’s wedding. You asked me to help you break up with her, remember? Now, you’re afraid to fall in love with her again. You knew you’d see her, so why’d you agree to go?”

  Letting out a frustrated breath, Jared nodded at a passing tenant in the hallway. “Because I wanted to see my family.”

  “And Bobbi.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Psh, no maybe, Jare.” Spencer chuckled.

  Jared coughed. “I don’t think she’s interested. She’s been pretty distant.”

  “Then make her pay attention to you.”

  Jared stuffed his free hand into his pocket. “How?”

  Spencer laughed. “How else? Make her jealous. It always works for me.”

  “I don’t know. It may not end well.” The idea didn’t sound the best to him, but then again, he did like to see the envy flash in Bobbi’s eyes.

  “She has a lot of female cousins, right?”

  “Well, yeah—”

  “Then convince one of those to help you win her.” His buddy munched on what sounded like a chip. “I’ll guarantee one of them will go along with it. Girls are all about love and shit. Plus, a cousin would know exactly how to push her buttons.”

  Walking up the hallway, Jared thought it over. Do I want to make her fall for me? He recalled the way her dress hugged those curves last night and how she wasn’t afraid to eat each morsel of food at dinner. Bobbi wasn’t like the other girls he knew. The problem was she didn’t appear to be in a forgiving mood. I guess I do. He still wasn’t sure if what he felt was infatuation from seeing her again, but his heart told him the opposite was true. This wasn’t a passing whim. Not if the younger Davis woman stayed in his mind despite six months passing.

  “Look, I need to get back to the Outback trail or whatever.” Spencer cut into Jared’s thoughts. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Later.” Hanging up, he leaned his back against the wall in order to steady his nerves. “Weird, Spencer’s usually not one to help when it comes to love. Maybe his walkabout is helping with his commitment issues.” He smirked. “Doubtful.”

  A rustle from within the apartment told him Bobbi was long longer a sleeping beauty. She was alive, well, and tormenting him each second of the day. He wouldn’t give in. Not right away. He’d done it once. Letting a woman consume his heart simply to have it broken, not once but twice, was scarier than he imagined. Swallowing the memories, Jared stood straight and rolled his shoulders. This next week would either be perfect, and Bobbi would fall for him, or he’d carry on with his life on the move. He needed something he could count on. I just hope it’s not a mistake.

  Chapter Three

  The opportunity to sway a Davis cousin over came sooner than Jared thought possible. At the airport the next morning, he was pleased to find Erin Davis amid the passengers on the outbound plane to Denver. He vaguely remembered her from Asher’s wedding, but he wasn’t exactly focused on any other woman except Bobbi back then. Glancing over to the woman on his mind, he knew the same was true today.

  Erin stood in line behind him at the coffee shop while they waited for their flight to board. “Hey, Erin, I’m—”

  “Jared, Asher’s brother, right?” she filled in with a smile.

  “Uh, yeah. Good memory.” The line moved up, and he studied the shorter woman. He didn’t go for her type. Well, not normally. The blonde with brown eyes was indeed fascinating, but she wasn’t Bobbi.

  “Thanks.” She eyed him. “So, are you going to make an honest woman out of my cousin or what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Erin flipped her straight hair over her left shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. It’s obvious you two still like each other.”

  “It is?” he asked, now worried. If Erin could tell, then maybe Bobbi could too.

  “Hell yeah.” She pointed over at her cousin. Bobbi had her nose stuck in a paperback but looked up now and then at Jared. “She can’t keep her eyes off you.”

  Hope swelled in his chest. “You think so?”

  “Yep. Now, are you going to answer my question?”

  Jared stepped forward as they neared the register. Coffee was no longer on his brain. If he went forward with his innocent scheme, would Erin agree? Turning to her, he said, “Yes, I want to be with Bobbi.”

  Erin squealed and squeezed his arm, which made Bobbi scowl at them. “Oops, probably shouldn’t be all over her man.”

  “Well, that’s the thing.” He paused and ordered his latte. “She isn’t exactly pro Jared right now.”

  After she ordered her cappuccino, Erin followed him to the pick-up counter. “I understand why. I mean, you demolished her heart at the wedding.” She picked up a napkin and met his gaze. “What’s your plan, lover boy?”

  The barista handed their coffees over, and he led them to a table out of ear reach of Bobbi. “I wanted to talk to you about it as it turns out.”

  “Oh, color me intrigued.” She sipped the frothy drink. “Spill it.”

  Never one to back down from a challenge, Jared proceeded to explain his shaky plan. After he finished, he sat back and waited for Erin’s response. She’ll either agree or throw her coffee on me. He hoped for the former since scalding cappuccino and denim didn’t go well in his opinion.

  Erin took a sip and then set the paper cup down. Squinting at him, she said, “Well, shit, it’s crazy and just might work.”

  Jared released his clenched fist and sighed in relief. “You think so?”

  “I know Bobbi.” She
jutted a thumb toward her cousin. “If we play this right, she’ll be yours in time to kiss under the mistletoe.”

  Grinning, he tried not to get too excited. “All right, then, our first plan of action is to make her jealous. Think you can do it?”

  “Psh, of course I can.” She adjusted the front of her shirt to show off more cleavage. “I’ll switch seats too, so we can sit next to each other. She won’t approve of us being all cozy.” Laughing, she shook her head. “This is going to be fun. But make sure you play it cool, or she’ll know something is up.”

  Jared finished off his latte. “I’ll do my best. Just punch me or something if I get out of hand.” Her brows rose. “I can handle it, don’t worry.” From the corner of his eye, he spotted Bobbi staring at the two of them. Her blue eyes were curious, and yet, another emotion shone through. Sure enough, his plan was working already.

  »»•««

  How to Make His Christmas List. Bobbi started to turn to the next article but paused when she remembered the conversation she shared with Clara the day before.

  “Use it on Asher’s brother,” she’d ordered over the phone.

  “I doubt any of this bullshit could snare a man,” was her unbelieving response.

  She smirked at the recent memory. Clara had been dead set on her using the suggestions since they both knew Bobbi harbored feelings for the tall Ranger. She didn’t want to think of the repercussions if Clara was right in her prescription of a week full of healthy doses of loving as she called it before Bobbi rolled her eyes so fast she swore she created new stars. Her doctor roommate needed a refresher on actual prescriptions.

  Skimming the bullet points, she wondered if it’d hold merit. Casting her gaze to Jared, she scrunched her nose. He and her cousin were getting along quite well. Too well for her liking. Bobbi would’ve accepted they were just friendly if Erin hadn’t plopped on Jared’s lap like a toy poodle.

  “I’m not jealous,” she’d told her sister when Jessie waggled judgmental eyebrows at her reaction. Now, three hours later, the plane neared Colorado airspace, and the magazine remained unread despite numerous attempts otherwise.