A Home for Christmas (11 page)

“Gee, thanks, Ma,” Riley said.

His mother then fully looked at Jenna and she saw
that look pass over her face that she’d seen on several people ever since she
launched her Maids to Go TV ad; that look that said, I know you but I’m not
quite sure where I know you from.

“Mom, this is Jenna Blackwell.  Jenna, my
mother, Paige, and my dad, Brody.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jenna said, smiling at them.

“Jenna Blackwell,” his mother repeated. “Where do
I know you from?”

“She owns Maids to Go and is in a commercial for
it on TV,” Riley explained.

“That’s it,” Paige said, stepping to her to give
her a warm hug. 

Jenna knew immediately that she liked both his
parents.  His mother didn’t quite look to her like the mother of four
boys.  She actually reminded her a little bit of Michelle Pfeiffer. 
She had blonde hair and green eyes, but Jenna would guess her to be around the
same size as her, just slightly taller.  Brody Stanton was an older
version of Riley.  Looking at him, she knew she was seeing what Riley
would look like in twenty or thirty years, and was very pleased by what she saw.

“Well, come in, come in,” Paige said, “can I get
you something to drink?  I just made some mulled cider.”

“Oo, that sound really good,” Jenna said, smiling
at her.

“Come on back here then.  Riley, take her
coat.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, winking at Jenna. 
He helped her out of her coat and then she followed Paige into her large
country-style kitchen that Jenna immediately fell in love with.  There was
a fireplace near the breakfast table that an inviting fire crackled softly
in.  Paige pulled a stool out for her at the center island then went to
the cabinet to get a mug.

“So, tell me, how did you meet?”

She told her about the whole purse incident,
finishing up when Riley walked in.  He came up behind her stool and placed
his arm around her waist, so that her back was pulled up against his chest.

“You’ve known each other how long now?” Paige
asked.

“Since Black Friday,” Riley answered.

“And you’ve been together ever since?”

“As much as we can.  This is the first
weekend it’s just been the two of us, though,” Riley told her.  “Her son,
Cam, is at Great Wolf Lodge with a friend.”

“You have a boy?” Brody asked.

Jenna nodded. “Cam is ten.  His dad and I
divorced when he was five.”

“That would be Wade Blackwell,” Brody stated.

Jenna watched recognition dawn on Paige’s
face.  “Wade Blackwell who was in Trevor’s class?  Oh!  Then you
are Jenna Cameron.  Your mother is Elise Cameron.  I’ve worked with
her on everything from PTA to the Junior League.”

“That would be her.”

They spent a pleasant evening with his
parents.  Jenna enjoyed every minute with them.  She loved looking at
pictures of Riley and his brothers when they were growing up.  In the
hallway, his mother showed her pictures of Riley in his uniform that she loved
so much she told Paige she simply had to take her phone out and snap pictures
of them to send to Cam.  Paige relayed to her how stressful it could be to
have four sons involved in the war in one way or another and admitted she was
glad Riley was no longer in the Navy. 

She showed Jenna Riley’s old room which was left
decorated as he’d left it when he moved out, with sports posters and pictures
of him playing various sports.  Jenna marveled at the changes in his body
over the years.  He'd been muscular in high school, but nowhere near as
defined as he was now.  His hair had been much blonder back then as
well.  She loved seeing the pictures of him and his brothers when they
were little, laughing that Riley had been cotten-headed when he was young. 
All-in-all, it had been a very enjoyable evening and when it was time for them
to leave, the hugs she exchanged with his parents were heartfelt on both sides.

Jenna wasn’t sure what woke her, if it was a
sound or a movement.  Whatever it was, her eyes flew open and she lay for
several moments, trying to figure out what felt wrong.  Beside her, Riley
moved and she realized that he was what woke her.  Watching him a moment,
she realized he was in the throes of a nightmare.  His brow was furrowed
and he was sweating and panting slightly. 

As gently as she could, she caressed his
shoulder.  As soon as she touched him, his body stilled and his brow
relaxed.  She trailed her hand slowly from his shoulder to his neck,
caressing him gently and sensuously, wanting to dismiss the vestiges of the
dream and replace them with other feelings.  She couldn’t imagine, given
the things he’d seen and done in the course of his career, what images still
haunted him.

She knew he was awake now but had yet to open his
eyes.  Wanting only to comfort him and help him relax, she began a slow
massage of his shoulders and neck.  He groaned in appreciation as she
worked the knots from his shoulders.  He looked over his shoulder at her,
a slow smile spreading across his face.

“That feels really, really good.”

She leaned down and kissed him.

“You were having a bad dream,” she said softly.

He closed his eyes briefly.  “I’m sorry,
babe,” he whispered, “didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Look at me, Riley,” she demanded.  “Don’t
apologize to me for that.  It is not your fault.  What you went
through, what you saw and did during your service, it’s no wonder you have some
fallout from it.”

“I don’t have them often.  Just catches me
off guard every once in a while.”

She gathered him close in her arms, cradling his
head to her breast.  “I don’t care how often you have them, Riley. 
Just know that I’m here for you.  You don’t have to go through this alone,
do you hear me?”

He nodded, drawing her closer to him, just
holding her tight.

“It hasn’t been bad for me.  Mike, who you
met at the offices?”  She nodded.  “He has trouble sleeping.”

“God, I bet so, after what you said happened to
him.”

“He had been having some problems prior to the
last mission.  It’s just been worse since then.”

“Do they offer counseling services to you when
you come home from combat?”

“Yes, and we’ve all been.”

She kissed his forehead, then tipped his head up
so she could kiss his lips.  Riley looked up into her eyes and he was
completely lost.  She was beautiful inside and out, and so strong she made
his head spin.  He smoothed his hand over her hair and tucked her beneath
him, making love to her slowly, using all the passion and tenderness he felt
toward her, hoping he could make her understand through his touch, his kiss,
how much she meant to him.

Her fingers trailed from his hair down his
shoulders and back, her nails scraping against him with just enough pressure to
give him chills.  He felt her breath quicken, her muscles tighten, and
knew she was close.  Slowing, he leaned down and kissed her, loving when
she folded her arms around him and held him tight.

“Riley,” she said on a breathless note. 
“Please.”

“Please, what, baby?” he asked, smiling down at
her.

“I believe this activity requires a bit more of
your, shall we say, arduous participation.”

“Does it, now?”

“Riley!” she cried, making him chuckle.

“Oh, I like this.”

She groaned and then he watched a devilish gleam
hit her eyes just before she pushed up on him and he allowed her to
successfully reverse their positions.  He laughed and then held on as she
took over, taking him over the edge at a fast and furious pace.  It wasn’t
long before he was shouting his release and she had collapsed against his
chest.

“You are the best cure for a nightmare,” he told
her, his lips against her brow.

“I’ll fight all your demons for you, sailor,” she
said, smiling.  She placed a kiss to the center of his chest then
disentangled herself from him and left the bed.

“Where are you going?” he asked, watching her
pull her robe on.

“I’m hungry.  Want anything?”

“I could eat.”

She threw his jeans at him.  “Then get
dressed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jenna looked up when Riley came into the kitchen
wearing only his jeans.  He came to her and lifted her up and sat her on
the counter, stepping between her knees to embrace her.

“Thank you,” he whispered, forehead pressed to
hers.

She reached behind her for a grape and held it to
his lips.  When he took it, she reached for the plate she’d prepared and
held a square of cheese up for him.  He took it, nipping her finger,
making her smile.  She continued feeding him for several moments,
pampering him in a way she was sure he hadn’t received since leaving his
mother’s home, and although she’d witnessed how much his mother loved him, with
four sons all close together in age, there was no way he’d gotten the kind of
one-on-one attention she gave Cam.  True, he didn’t seem to have suffered
for the lack of attention, but it didn’t matter to her; she wanted to spoil
this man, shower him with love and attention.

“Want some hot chocolate?” she asked, her hands
caressing his face.  She couldn’t stop touching him.

“Thought you were hungry,” he said, stepping back
from her so she could hop off the counter.

“I am, but I wanted to feed you first.”

“Not the way it’s supposed to be.  The man
is the provider,” he said, making her flash him a wry smile.

“I had to rely on a man once.  Didn’t work
out so well for me.  I know you aren’t him, but, if it’s all the same to
you, I’ll keep providing for myself and my son.”

“You’re right, I’m not him.  I can take care
of both of you…and yes, I know that’s not what you want.  But I want you
to at least know that you aren’t in this alone anymore.  I know I keep
saying that, but it's true.”

She smiled at him.  “I know.”

He glanced at the clock then for the first time,
and realized it was almost four in the morning.  “Oh, wow.  I didn’t
realize what time it was.  Let’s just go back to bed.  Cam will be
home before we know it.”

“OK, honey,” she said nestling into his side as
they walked back to the bedroom. 

When they got back into bed and she snuggled up
against his chest, Riley knew he’d never be able to sleep well without her by
his side again. 

The next day, Riley got up early and went for a
run around Jenna's neighborhood.  This served two purposes for him: one,
he needed the exercise, and two, it gave him a chance to observe her
surroundings.  It was early Sunday morning.  Some people were getting
ready to head to church.  Many were still in bed or just getting up. 
He encountered a few other joggers and dog walkers.  He was pleased to see
that most were friendly.  He also liked that her immediate neighbors all
had dogs, and that they were dogs who liked to bark when someone approached the
house.  This would help alert if anyone tried to approach the house. 
He wasn't comfortable with the whole situation that Wade was involved in and
fear that it might bleed over onto Jenna and Cam was consuming him.  Mike
and Whit were monitoring her. That made him feel better but he was still
uneasy.  Drugs and gambling was never a good combination, and Wade's
involvement in both needed to stop.

After four circuits through her neighborhood, he
went back to her house, surprised to find Jenna sitting on her front patio, cup
of hot chocolate in her hands.  He wasn't crazy about her being out in the
open like that but he didn't want to alarm her...and he had to admit it was
really nice to have someone there waiting for him at the end of his run.

"Have a good run?" she asked when he
got close to the porch.

"It was productive," he answered. 
She smiled at him over the rim of her mug.  Looking down into her eyes, he
felt a warmth spread in his chest that he was beginning to recognize as
something only Jenna could produce in him.  He felt himself getting lost
in her and it surprised him.  He never really thought of himself as the
settling down type before meeting her and Cam. 

"Riley?" she asked softly, head cocked
to one side.  "What is it?"

He shook his head and leaned down to gently kiss
her. 

"I'm gonna grab a quick shower," he
said then went inside.

Jenna got up and followed him inside.  She
gave him a few minutes to get into the bathroom and get settled, then she went
in and stood inside the door, watching him standing under the spray in her
shower.  His back was to her and she stood mesmerized by the water
trailing down his muscular backside.  Her eyes skimmed his scars but
focused more on the muscles.  He was really a finely built man, lean and
muscled, not an ounce of fat on him.

He turned and his eyes locked on hers.  A
slow smile spread across his face.

"Hey," he said, wiping water from his
face with his hands.

"Hey," she echoed, staying where she
was, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Need something?"

"Just admiring the view," she said
simply.

"Yeah?  Why don't you come in here and
wash my back for me?"

Jenna laughed.  "Oh, no, no, no. 
Cam will be home soon.  Playtime is over, Sailor."

"Is that so?" he asked, running a soapy
hand over his arousal.

She groaned.  "You're killing me."

He winked.  "That's the plan."

"You are so bad!" she laughed.

"Come on, you can't leave me hanging like
this!"

She bit her lip and slowly walked across the
short distance that separated them.  Her shower was an open entry shower,
no door.  She braced her hands on both sides of the opening and leaned
slightly in.

"Need some attention, baby?" she
purred.

"I'm thinkin', yeah," he said.

"Mmm, OK.  Close your eyes," she
instructed.

He offered her a sly smile, then obediently
closed his eyes.  Smiling, Jenna reached in and turned the hot water off,
then took off at a run when he yelled as the cold water pelted him.

"You'll pay for that, Ms. Blackwell!!"
he called after her, making her laugh.

"Hurry up and get dressed.  Cam will be
home within the hour," she said, throwing a towel at him when he stepped
out of the shower.

"Just you wait.  I'll get you when you
least expect it."

"You gotta get up pretty early in the morning
to one up me, my friend," she said, then left him to get dressed.

***

"Got word that Blackwell's been checked into
a rehab facility in Dallas," the man who'd been taking pictures outside of
Jenna's house said into his phone.

"Did you get payment from him?"

"No.  Didn't even know he was in Texas
until he showed up on her doorstep."

"And you said she has a nice place? 
Owns her own business?"

"I sent the pics I took.  Her house
isn't huge but it's newer and it's nice.  She's also got her a man who
looks like he's seen some action."

"Jenna Blackwell has a boyfriend?"

"He was at her house at seven in the morning
and came out barefoot.  So, I'd say so."

"I don't want to tangle with him...what
about the kid?  Does he have security on him or anything?"

"No.  She takes him to school but he
rides the bus home and is home alone for an hour or two sometimes before she's
there."

"Nab the kid, then."

"Come on, Boss, really?  I'm not into
hurting kids."

"I don't want to hurt him.  Just use
him for leverage.  She'll flip out and go to Blackwell for the cash to get
him back.  She gets her kid and we get our money."

"What if she don't pay?  I'm tellin'
ya, Boss, the boyfriend had that look about him.  Cop, military,
something.  But he definitely had that 'don't mess with me vibe'
going."

"So, you make sure he isn't around when you
grab the kid.  One way or another, I'm getting my money.  Wade
Blackwell isn't going to disappear into rehab and think he's off the hook with
me."

"All right, Boss.  I'll try to get him
tomorrow."

"You do that, Richie.  Get me my
money."

Richie Ponticello was muscle for the Lanzillo
family.  Manny Lanzillo, his Boss, was one of the biggest operators in the
sports gambling business.  Wade Blackwell had fallen in with Manny and
then gotten in over his head.  Richie actually liked Wade.  He wasn't
on board with going after his ex and his kid, but whatever.  He knew
better than to mess with Manny where money was concerned.  Wade thought he
could charm his way out of paying Manny back, and it had worked to a certain
extent...until his debt started getting bigger and bigger and to cope, he'd
turned to drugs.  Manny had no tolerance for drugs.  Once Wade started
doing coke, his leniency from Manny was gone.  Going after the kid still
felt wrong, though.  The ex hadn't been in Wade's life for five
years.  Didn't seem right that she was going to get pulled into Wade's
mess.  Still, orders were orders and Richie knew he'd be wise to follow
them and not upset the boss.  He thought it might be in his best interest,
however, to do a little bit more research on the new guy in Jenna Blackwell's
life.  He'd said he would grab the kid tomorrow, but the more he thought about
it, the more waiting seemed like a good idea.