Her Soldier of Fortune

by Michelle Major

  “What were you doing in the barn?” Nate asked Ariana, lifting an eyebrow. “You and Jayden making up for the time you spent working on your honeymoon?” His tone was teasing. He was obviously comfortable with his brother’s wife. Bianca felt a pang of jealousy. She’d always imagined becoming best friends with the woman her brother married, but Eddie had remained stubbornly single, making excuses about the SEALs not leaving him time for anything else.

  Ariana rolled her eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Nathan Fortune. There’s a corner in one of the horse stalls where I can sometimes get a few bars of service on my phone.”

  “What?” Bianca felt her mouth drop open. “You actually have service on the ranch?”

  “It comes and goes, but I always try.”

  “That would be amazing. Can you show me where?”

  Jayden groaned. “Why can’t we all just be satisfied with the good ol’ landline on the kitchen wall?”

  “The ranch is perfect,” Ariana agreed, “except for that one little thing. It’s not like I’m checking Facebook. I need internet for work.” She sent a questioning glance toward Bianca. “I’m guessing you need it for your job, too?”

  Embarrassment roared through Bianca, making her stomach twist. Ariana was researching a book and was already a talented writer. Bianca had spent almost an hour at the library in town reading the series of articles Ariana had written last year about different members of the Fortune family. Bianca couldn’t possibly compare what she was doing to that.

  “I don’t—”

  “She’s starting her own business,” Nate interrupted. “Personalized gift boxes people order or buy in stores. Plus care packages for soldiers deployed overseas. She used to send stuff to Eddie and we were all jealous. They’re going to be popular. Rosa has already ordered a couple for her daughters.”

  “That’s so exciting,” Ariana said. “Do you have pictures? Are you selling them online?”

  Bianca nodded, darting a glance at Nate. Of course he knew about her gift boxes, but the pride in his voice as he explained her business idea to his brother and Ariana surprised her. She’d sort of assumed he was just being kind in his support of what she was doing, but he really sounded like he believed in her.

  It made her tingle all the way down to her toes.

  “I set up an Etsy account.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “I just went to town to pick up the supplies I ordered, but I have photos of a few of the boxes I made for the gift shop where I worked in San Antonio. I did different colors and themes.” She pulled up the photo stream and handed the phone to Ariana. “They’re simple, but it’s a start.”

  Ariana swiped a finger across the screen, her face lighting up as she did. “Oh, my gosh. I love them. I’m totally going to set you up with a couple of high-end boutiques from my old neighborhood in Austin. These would be perfect.”

  “Thanks,” Bianca said softly, wondering why she’d been so intimidated by Jayden’s wife. Ariana was one of the friendliest people she’d ever met.

  “Mommy, this is Sugar.” She turned to EJ, who’d returned with an adorable mutt wearing a red bandana at his side. “She’s blind,” EJ explained, “but she can get from the house to the barn and that’s why there are wind chimes all around. They help Sugar know where she’s going.”

  Bianca smiled. “I just thought this family had a thing for wind chimes.” She bent to scratch the dog’s head. She could tell by the dog’s cloudy eyes that she couldn’t see, but Sugar sniffed at Bianca’s hand, then gave it a gentle lick.

  “She likes you,” EJ said, his voice breathless. “She likes me, too.” He shaded his eyes with one hand and turned in a circle, surveying the property. “I bet Otis will come out now that Sugar’s back. He’s been eating the food Mr. Nate and I leave out for him every morning.”

  “You’re feeding that stray dog who hangs around?” Jayden asked with a pointed look toward Nate. “The one you said was nothing but a nuisance.”

  Nate shrugged, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

  “I told you owning a dog would do you some good.” Jayden nodded. “It can be lonely out here when no one else is around.”

  “He’s not my dog, and I don’t get lonely. I like the quiet.”

  Bianca tried not to flinch. She knew he didn’t mean to direct the comment toward her and EJ, but they’d certainly shown up and disturbed Nate’s quiet world.

  “Well, I’m glad we’re all here together now,” Ariana said quickly. “We’re going to have so much fun.” She scrunched up her nose. “Bianca, I hope Nate hasn’t been subjecting you to his coffee.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Nate protested.

  “I’m making coffee every morning,” Bianca assured Ariana.

  The other woman smiled. “Smart girl.”

  “Can I take Sugar to the backyard?” EJ asked. “Maybe Otis doesn’t realize she’s here.”

  Nate looked like he wanted to say no, but Jayden cleared his throat and gave a small nod to Bianca.

  “Since it’s okay with Jayden,” she told her son. “But don’t go any farther than the shed.”

  Nate let out a long breath and ruffled EJ’s dark hair. “Jayden and I need to look at one of the tractors that hasn’t been running right. When we’re finished, I’ll bring Twix out to the corral for you to ride.”

  EJ pumped his little fist in the air. “Best day ever,” he said and called for Sugar to follow him around the house.

  Bianca leveled a look at Nate. “Back to the subject of you getting my son a pony.”

  “I think that’s our cue,” Jayden said quickly, grabbing his wife’s hand.

  “Good luck,” Ariana called over her shoulder as the pair hurried to the house.

  “Was she wishing luck to you or me?” Nate stepped closer again, and Bianca ignored the effect his nearness had on certain parts of her body.

  She narrowed her eyes.

  “Me,” he said with a grimace. “Definitely me.”

  She sighed. “Seriously, Nate. A pony?”

  “It’s on loan,” he said, holding up his hands.

  “A pony is the stuff of childhood fantasies. Now it’s EJ’s reality.”

  “It’s not a big deal in Paseo,” he countered. “Most families keep at least one horse, and lots of people have ponies when their kids are little.”

  She couldn’t argue that point, but still...

  “How am I supposed to compete with a pony when we leave here?”

  “It’s not a competition,” he insisted. “You’re a fantastic mom. Besides, there’s no reason you have to leave anytime soon.”

  My heart, she wanted to tell him. Protecting it was a good reason.

  “I thought you liked quiet.”

  He inclined his head. “I do, but I like you and EJ more.” He reached out and ran a finger along her collarbone. “A lot more.”

  “We don’t belong here.”

  His mouth went hard, but his eyes stayed gentle. “You belong here for as long as you want. I thought you’d be happy with the pony. EJ’s determined to learn to ride, and this way he can start on a horse that’s more his size.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  He grinned. “Darlin’, I’m always right. Trust me.”

  She laughed, but the truth was she did trust Nate. And she cared about him far more than she was willing to admit to either of them.

  “What am I going to do with you?”

  “I’ve got so many ideas,” he whispered, and she sucked in a breath when he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Right now there’s a tractor to fix. We’ll meet behind the barn in an hour for EJ’s first riding lesson if you want to watch.”

  Bianca blinked, unable to put a sentence together with how blown away she was by his sudden flirtation. “Sure,” she whispered and pressed her fingertips to her lips. She h
ad so many ideas of what she wanted to do with him, as well. Each one of them sexier than the last.

  His eyes turned dark as if he knew every erotic thought she’d ever had. But he only winked and walked past her toward the barn.

  She brushed her hair out of her eyes and turned for the house like she wasn’t about to explode from pent-up need. Bianca was used to wanting things she couldn’t have. And she wanted Nate more than anything.

  Chapter Eight

  “You’re in deep.”

  Nate kept the smile plastered to his face as he reached behind his back to give Jayden, standing at the edge of the corral, a one-fingered salute.

  “You’re doing great, EJ,” he called. “Loosen up on the reins a little. Remember you’re using them to talk to Twix, not scream at him.”

  The boy nodded, the tip of his tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth. He gave the reins more slack and the docile pony continued his wide circle in the ring.

  Bianca stood on the far side of the corral, leaning against the fence and looking tense as she watched her son. Ariana was at her side, a supportive hand resting on Bianca’s shoulder.

  “Rude hand gestures don’t make it any less true,” Jayden said.

  “She’s Eddie’s baby sister.” Nate took a few steps back until he was standing next to his brother.

  Jayden chuckled. “She’s not a baby.”

  “I’m giving her a helping hand.”

  “That’s not all you want to give her.” By his amused tone, Jayden was obviously loving a chance to give Nate grief about a woman.

  “Don’t make me kick your—”

  “Mr. Nate, I want him to go faster.” EJ looked over at him hopefully.

  Nate saw Bianca stiffen and shook his head. “Next lesson. First you get comfortable, then we’ll increase the speed.”

  “I’m happy for you,” Jayden said, nudging his shoulder. “You look better than you have since you left the SEALs. Are you sleeping?”

  “Like a rock.”

  “Like you used to.”

  Nate sighed. When he’d first gotten back to Paseo, he’d tried to hide the nightmares that plagued him. He didn’t want anyone in his family to worry, especially since there was nothing they could do to help him. He hadn’t thought anything would help him. Until Bianca.

  “What have you told her about Eddie?”

  “She hasn’t asked many questions,” Nate admitted, giving EJ a thumbs-up when the boy tugged on the reins to keep the pony from lowering its head to eat grass. “I haven’t offered anything. The official report didn’t give details, so why should I?”

  “Because you believe you’re responsible for her brother’s death.”

  Nate’s head jerked back like Jayden had punched him.

  “Not that I think that,” his brother amended. “No one does.” He leaned closer. “Except you. Which is what counts.”

  “What good would it do to tell her?”

  “It’s a secret between you. That isn’t the way to start a relationship. Trust me.”

  “There’s no relationship to speak of. She’s a friend.”

  “She’s more than that,” Jayden insisted. “You deserve to be happy, Nate. Eddie would want that for you.”

  “No one can say what Eddie would want because he’s not here. That’s on me.”

  “It’s not.”

  Nate shook his head, his cheeks aching from continuing to smile through this ridiculous conversation. “Did you make a stop in Austin on your way home?”

  “Yeah. Ariana wanted to visit her family.”

  “Did you see any of the others?”

  He didn’t need to spell out which others he was referring to.

  “We had lunch with Keaton. He was the first person Ariana profiled last year in her Becoming a Fortune blog series for Weird Life Magazine, so they’re still friends. He’s a good guy. Every one of them I’ve met has been.”

  “What about Gerald?”

  Jayden shook his head.

  Before Nate could ask more questions, EJ called for him. He jogged out to the boy and took hold of the reins. “Done for today?”

  “Can Mommy come out while I’m on Twix and pet him?” EJ bit down on his lip, a nervous habit he’d inherited from his mother and one that made Nate’s heart melt just a bit. “I think she’ll like him better then.”

  “I like him fine,” Bianca called from the fence. “I like him with some space between us.”

  “Please, Mommy?” EJ called.

  Nate arched a brow in her direction, then smiled as Ariana gave her a gentle nudge. She climbed through the slats of the fence and slowly made her way toward them.

  Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths as if she was approaching a man-eating tiger rather than a slightly paunchy and docile pony.

  “He smells like a real horse,” EJ informed her.

  “He is a real horse.”

  “He’s a pony,” Nate and EJ said at the same time.

  Bianca reached out a hand, which Nate noticed was trembling slightly.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered, moving to stand directly behind her.

  “Peachy keen,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “You saw them out here. Twix’s as gentle as they come,” Nate assured her.

  “Right.” She stroked her hand up the pony’s nose, yanking it away when the animal let out a soft whicker.

  “He likes you, Mommy,” EJ said brightly.

  Bianca nodded, although to Nate it looked like she was about to lose her lunch. He glanced up but Jayden and Ariana had started toward the house.

  “End of your lesson,” he told EJ, tugging on the reins he held. “Let’s get Twix back to the barn.”

  “I can do it,” EJ said.

  Nate helped the boy off the pony and handed him the reins. “Put him in his stall and start brushing him down.”

  “Yes, sir,” EJ answered and made his way into the barn, the pony happy to follow since the barn meant rest and food.

  “I’m such a wimp.” Bianca covered her face with her hands when EJ disappeared around the corner. “I don’t want my fear to rub off on him.”

  “What happened with you and a horse?” Nate gently pulled her hands way from her face, lacing his fingers with hers.

  “Nothing.”

  “Your reaction to Twix isn’t nothing.”

  She took a shuddery breath. “I fell off a horse when I was in third grade and got kicked in the back. My mom blamed the accident on me because I kept sliding off the saddle. The horse wasn’t tame like your herd. He belonged to one of her boyfriends, and she insisted I learn to ride so she’d have an excuse to be at his house every weekend.”

  “I’m sorry, Bianca. That must have been terrifying.”

  She shrugged. “Eddie had just left for boot camp, so it was Mom and me on our own. That was never a good thing. I missed a couple of days of school, but the next Saturday she dragged me back out there. I had a panic attack and puked all over her new boyfriend. It was kind of the end of their relationship.”

  “I imagine that didn’t sit well with her?”

  “Not at all. I missed Eddie so much at that moment. I wanted to call and beg him to leave the navy, to come home so I wouldn’t be alone with her. It was miserable with the two of us in the apartment. Eddie could always make her laugh or lighten the mood. I couldn’t do anything right. I still can’t, according to her.”

  Nate ignored his resolve to keep a safe distance between the two of them and pulled her closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she rested her head against his chest with a sigh that made his heart ache. When he’d enlisted, it hadn’t seemed like a big deal. Yes, Jayden also left home for a career in the army, but Grayson was still with their mom, and Nate came back to Paseo during every leave to pitch in at the ranch
. Between the three boys, they’d always been able to take care of Deborah.

  He knew from the little Eddie had talked about his mom that she was the exact opposite of Nate’s mother. Based on how Eddie had described Jennifer Shaw, she was an immature, insecure party girl who’d never grown up. There was no doubt Eddie loved his mother, but he’d often seemed relieved to be far away from home. Nate hadn’t given much thought to how Eddie’s sister would fare being left alone for so much time with a woman who clearly had very few maternal instincts.

  It was a wonder Bianca had turned out as sweet and nurturing as she had with Jennifer as a role model.

  “You’re amazing,” he whispered into her hair, loving how the flowery scent of it seemed to envelop him.

  She snuggled closer, and Nate realized that if his brother or Ariana was looking out the window in the kitchen, they’d have a perfect view of this embrace. He should care. He should step away from her, but he didn’t.

  “And you’re not alone,” he told her. “Not anymore.”

  She lifted her head. “Maybe you can teach me to ride?” Her voice shook slightly.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to,” she insisted. “I’ve made a lot of decisions in my life based on fear. That needs to stop. I want to be brave. I figure if I can get back on the proverbial horse, I can do anything, right?”

  He could feel her fear like it was a living thing, radiating from her in waves. “You can do anything.”

  One side of her mouth kicked up. “Even this?” she asked and pressed her mouth to his.

  The kiss was over so quickly he didn’t even have time to respond. It was a soft promise, and her eyes danced as she pulled away. “The next move is yours.”

  He wondered how he’d ever thought he’d be able to stay away from her. His need was a palpable force, humming under his skin and making his blood feel like he’d just taken a shot of adrenaline.

  He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’ve got all kinds of moves,” he said, trying to sound romantic or sexy or something.

  But he realized how out of practice he was when Bianca laughed. “I just bet you do. I can’t wait to see them.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the house then back to him. “Are you okay with EJ in the barn? I’d like to get Ariana’s opinion on a couple of marketing descriptions I did for the military care packages.”