Jake's Biggest Risk (Those Hollister Boys)

by Julianna Morris

  “That doesn’t change what could have happened.”

  “Please, don’t be so dramatic. I’m going to jump in the hot tub to relax. You can join me if you stop acting like an idiot.” She walked past him, pulling off her jacket.

  * * *

  JAKE STOOD IN the living room, his fists clenched against a rush of emotions. Nothing in his life had prepared him to care about someone the way he cared about Hannah and her son. She’d been his first thought when the deer had jumped onto the road. Perhaps they hadn’t been in real danger, but it was close enough for him to realize that it would kill him to lose her.

  After a moment he hurried into the master bedroom and looked out in time to see Hannah’s silhouette on the deck, her bare body painted in light and shadow. She lifted her arms, twisting her hair up off her shoulders before descending into the bubbling water.

  She was deliberately tempting him.

  He removed his own clothes and grabbed a condom before stepping out and closing the doors behind him.

  “We weren’t done talking, Hannah.”

  “I was done.”

  “Hannah.”

  “Jake.” She stared at him, almost daring him to say more. “I’m the one who’s supposed to fuss about dangerous stuff, not you. Remember?”

  She grasped the edge of the hot tub and lifted one of her legs above the surface, turning her foot back and forth as if inspecting it. Blood rushed into his groin, sweeping everything else away. He got into the hot tub and saw a satisfied smile on her face.

  “Much better,” she purred, half swimming toward him. “You’re lucky. I was always good at water sports.”

  His hands slipped over her breasts, full and slick in the churning bubbles. He was lucky all right.

  Damned lucky.

  * * *

  THE SUN WAS rising, flooding the bedroom with pink light, when Jake opened his eyes. Hannah lay against him, her head on his shoulder and hair wrapped around them both.

  He had overreacted the night before. Perhaps it was partly from lingering survivor’s guilt, but it had mostly been the blinding realization of just how important Hannah had become to him.

  He loved her and he loved her son, and leaving them wouldn’t erase those feelings; it would just make it worse because he wouldn’t be part of their lives.

  Perhaps that was what Josie had been doing all these years—trying to escape any pain or sorrow or regret. But he couldn’t escape what was inside him. No one could. And Hannah was inside him...she was inside his heart.

  Jake gazed out at the mountain standing guard over the lake, its white-crowned peak glistening in the dawn light. Loving Hannah and choosing a life with her would mean changes. And compromises. Whether she’d be willing to make those compromises with him was anyone’s guess. After all, she had Danny to think about, and she was as protective as a mother polar bear when it came to her son.

  When they’d met, he’d never expected to find someone with her depths. She loved the land and family and tradition, with a sense of home and place he’d never experienced. She was also prickly and had a quick temper, but that made two of them. They’d fight and make up and fight some more; it was inevitable.

  He smiled. They’d made love half the night and he wouldn’t mind picking up where they’d left off, but he needed a fresh supply of condoms. Hannah wanted another baby and he was okay with that, but until she agreed to marry him, he wasn’t going without protection.

  * * *

  IT WAS AFTER eight when Hannah woke up and slipped out of bed. Jake was asleep, his morning stubble dark on his face, and Louie lay curled on a fluffy pillow. For a stray, the kitten had developed a remarkable fondness for his creature comforts. Jake was careful about keeping the exterior doors shut, but Louie had shown little interest in the great outdoors—he’d landed in clover and he knew it. He wanted the best tuna, the softest pillow and long snoozes in a sunny window.

  She had a stack of huckleberry pancakes made when Jake wandered into the kitchen, wearing a disreputable pair of sweatpants and scratching the scars over his bare ribs.

  “Good morning.”

  He smiled sleepily. “Good morning.”

  “Sit down. Breakfast is ready.”

  “I thought I smelled something good.”

  Hannah piled the pancakes on plates and brought them over with butter and maple syrup.

  “Oh, wow,” Jake said, taking his first bite. “I don’t know which way I like these best. We’ll have to pick a lot of huckleberries.”

  “I always do.”

  They’d finished eating and Jake was on his third cup of coffee when he shook himself and started looking more alert. “Sorry about last night,” he murmured.

  “Which part?”

  Jake grinned. “Not the part that requires another trip to the drugstore. Mostly I’ve been thinking about us.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, I think we should get married.”

  Hannah stared. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but certainly not a proposal. “That can’t be what you really want. You’ve had your life turned upside down by the plane crash and everything else that’s happened.”

  “You’re right...except for the part about not knowing what I want. If Gordon’s death and my injuries are ever going to be more than just a freak accident, I need to look at where I’m headed and what’s important.”

  Hannah traced the rim of her cup. “Careful...you’re beginning to sound like someone who believes in karma.”

  “Who knows? You’ve made me see that there has to be more to life if I can love you and Danny this much. Otherwise everything is just a series of chemical reactions.”

  A bubble of hope rose inside of her. She’d been scared of falling in love with someone who’d leave or get killed, and equally worried about Danny experiencing that kind of loss. But that could happen with anyone they loved. And in different ways. Barbi’s father had abandoned life, even though his body still continued, pickled by vodka and memories of his lost wife.

  Life was uncertain, whether you worked as a wildlife photographer or taught elementary school. It was just a little more uncertain with Jake.

  So what she had to decide was whether it was worth the risk.

  “I don’t know if it’s that simple,” she said, stalling. “You’ve always avoided relationships, even with your siblings.”

  “True, but I’ve realized some important things in the past few weeks. And I think the biggest reason I haven’t gotten close to my family is because I didn’t want them to be hurt if something happened to me. Then something did happen, and it turns out they cared, whether I wanted them to or not—even my grandparents, who’d never met me. It just took a while to work it out for myself.”

  “How will Josie feel about you being in touch with her parents?”

  “I’m not sure,” Jake said, yet his eyes were curiously untroubled. “My mother has some problems. I’ll try to make her understand, but that’s all I can do.”

  He lifted her left hand and traced the length of her ring finger.

  “Hannah, I finally get it. I don’t have to live the way my mother does, because I’m not her. And I will never be casual about risking my life again—I have too much to live for. I love you. I want to be here for both you and Danny and any other children we have, and I want the home I’ve never had. I know that if we both make compromises, we can find a solution with my career and traveling and everything else that will work for us both.”

  Hannah let out a breath.

  She did love Jake.

  He’d shaken up her comfortable world and she’d never be the same, but could it work between them? Barbi and Brendan seemed to think they could make their unlikely romance successful, and judging by the happiness in their faces, they were off to a good start.
>
  Things were more complicated for her and Jake—especially because of Danny—but not impossible. The fact he’d proposed in the first place showed he’d changed. The Jake Hollister who’d informed her that marriage and family were career enders would never have considered any compromise to his life acceptable.

  “I don’t want to give up teaching,” Hannah said slowly.

  Jake smiled, obviously recognizing she was thinking seriously about his proposal. “I wouldn’t expect it, though I’d want you to use the SUV to drive into town, at least in bad weather.”

  “That’s reasonable. I wouldn’t have to teach summer school, though...even when they have the funding for it.”

  “Okay. I have to finish my photography assignment in Alaska,” he said. “But I’m willing to limit my time away each year to two or three months, in the spring or fall whenever possible,” he said. “However, I’d like you and our children to travel with me for a few weeks during the summer, whether I’m working or not. I like the idea of sharing the world with them. And with you.”

  The thought of Jake returning to the place that had nearly killed him was frightening, but Hannah also understood. At the very least, he had to face what had happened up there. “Hmm, children...that’s a switch for you, maybe even bigger than getting married.”

  “I realize that. But I keep thinking about my own childhood. It was lonely growing up that way. I want Danny to have the kind of family I might have had if my parents had been different kind of people.”

  “You still have a family. A big one.”

  “I know, and I’m finally learning to appreciate them. But no matter how close I might get to my brothers and sisters, you’ve made me want more.”

  Hannah nodded, trying to be sensible, but it was difficult when her pulse was racing so hard. “So how many kids are we talking about?”

  Jake leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “At least one or two more, don’t you think?”

  A shiver of anticipation went through her. “That’s workable.”

  “I’m not your ex-husband, Hannah,” he whispered. “Please trust me. I don’t make promises I won’t keep, and I would do my best to never let you and Danny down. I love you both.”

  She looked into his face and knew her heart already trusted him. “I love you, too.”

  Jake grabbed her close and began kissing her, tasting coffee and syrup and huckleberries. There would be time for plans and babies and everything they could build together.

  Most of all, there’d be love.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from HIS KIND OF PERFECTION by Pamela Hearon.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  June

  KALE BARLOW WASN’T sure at exactly what moment it happened, but sometime in the past fifteen minutes—sometime between “This won’t take very long” and “Can you hold this wrench?”—the ground had shifted beneath his feet.

  He reached for his beer and took a long, cool swig, gaining a second to refocus before he spoke. “You’re breaking up with me because I’ve gained a few pounds?”

  Adele tossed her head, a habit holdover from when she’d had long hair. “It’s more than a few, Kale.” Her eyes flicked to the belly protruding over his cargo shorts, and her nose wrinkled in distaste. “I was reading this article this morning, and it hit a nerve, you know?” She held up the regional newspaper and tapped a spot with her finger. “It talks about how the attraction between two people’s got to be there, and if it’s not, then something’s wrong in the relationship.” She shrugged. “It made me realize it’s just not there anymore.”

  “Oh, hell, Addy.” Kale grabbed the rag from his back pocket and swiped it down his sweaty face. “You put too much stock in those dime-store psychologists. As I recall, the attraction between us was fine last night.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Mr. Fit’s not a ‘dime-store’ psychologist. He’s a fitness trainer, and he makes a lot of sense.”

  Kale answered with an eye roll of his own. “That’s probably a syndicated column written by a guy in Manhattan whose sole purpose in life revolves around fitting into a thirty-two-inch waistband.”

  “You just don’t get it, Kale.”

  “Yeah, I do.” He rammed the rag back into his pocket and shifted his weight to lean against the pontoon boat whose motor was cutting out for no apparent reason. “You’re upset that my business went from being an eight-hour shift to a sixteen-hour shift when Memorial Day came around, and suddenly I don’t have time for long romantic walks along the beach.” He waved a hand toward the marina and the parking lot where seven more boats waited on their trailers for his attention. “But it’ll take four months of this to have anything extra to pay for that January cruise to the Bahamas you’ve got your heart set on.”

  Adele crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. “The cruise was your idea. I suspect you think you’ll enjoy it because you won’t be required to do anything except stuff your face around the clock.”

  Kale flinched inwardly at the direct hit. Napping in the sun in a chaise longue with a never-empty beer in his hand and a snack bar or full buffet always within reach was his idea of heaven on earth. But the first week of June had just been marked off the calendar, and the winter cruise reward seemed a long time off. Noticing he was fast losing the sunlight, he breathed a heavy sigh. “Just go on home and get over your mad, Addy. I’m busier than a cat covering up shit on a concrete walk, and I don’t have time for this tonight.”

  His girlfriend’s face flushed deep red. “I’m tired, too, Kale. Tired of being with somebody who thinks of sex as a spectator sport...and he’s the spectator instead of the participant.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I’m tired of you lying there while I do all the grunt work.” She tossed the newspaper at his feet and stalked off. “And don’t call me,” she threw over her shoulder. “We’re done.”

  Kale finished his beer as he watched her leave. “Damn it!” He so didn’t need this right now. Taking out his frustration on the can, he crunched it into a ball and aimed a jump shot into the recycle bin. “Oof!” His feet made it only a few inches off the ground. Landing hard, he felt his insides shudder. The can fell two feet short of the goal.

  His concentration was completely broken now, so he hefted the cover back on the boat motor, shoved the discarded newspaper into one of his deep pockets and lumbered slowly to the beer can. Yeah, he was a little short of breath when he got there, and okay, leaning over to pick up the can was more difficult than it should have been. But, with the new business he’d leased, he didn’t have time right now to think about diets or fixing relationships. He had too much going on. He’d finally found a place he’d wanted to buy and settle down in...and the woman to do it with. He just needed enough money for a down payment and an engagement ring.

  Until five minutes ago, he’d assumed the money was the hard part. Sad fishermen with boats that wouldn’t run and hungry mouths to feed were cutting back on his prospective down-payment money in a big way.

  And no kid should ever have to go to bed hungry.

  Kale’s throat tightened with what felt like anger, but he swallowed the emotion and let it drop
down into his stomach where it would be cushioned.

  So now Addy was going to throw him away like a piece of trash? Like hell, she was. They’d been together for almost a year. Things were comfortable, just like they should be, and he wasn’t about to let her go.

  In fact, his mind wouldn’t even drift to the topic of starting over again...with anything.

  At twenty-nine, he was well beyond those years of constantly having to reinvent himself to try to fit into whatever community his dad’s fly-by-night ventures had moved them to.

  Spectator sport, huh? That was a low blow.

  True, he liked to take things slow and easy in bed. A lot of women would like it that way. Hell, when had Addy decided she didn’t like it that way?

  He trudged out to the gas pumps and jotted down the figures on his pad one last time for the day. On his way through the door, he switched the lighted sign from green and Open to red and Closed, locking the dead bolt to secure the front of the building for the night; then he leaned over the counter and flipped the pump switch to Off.

  “And so am I,” he announced to the empty store. Passing through the snacks section, he grabbed a bag of chips, an ice cream bar and two more beers from the cooler.

  His apartment at the back of the marina was a welcomed sight, although he wished Addy were there. He passed up the couch they usually shared and plopped into the well-worn recliner and raised the footrest with a sigh. Not giving the ice cream time to melt, he gobbled it down first as he used the remote to channel surf. The program choice wouldn’t make much difference anyway—his mind was on Addy.

  He wanted her there with him, damn it. Wanted things back the way they had been yesterday.

  He pulled the newspaper from his pocket and glanced at the article—the ridiculous drivel that had convinced her she needed to break up. The entire thing was about mutual attraction. Nowhere did it talk about beauty being only skin-deep or the eye of the beholder stuff.