A Home for Christmas (13 page)

Riley chuckled.  "One step at a
time."

Jackie winked at him.  "You aren't
scared, are you, sailor?"

"Not even close," he returned.

"Good.  My sister needs someone strong
to be there for her."

"Oh, good grief.  We've only been
together a few weeks.  Enough!" Jenna admonished, but Riley could
hear the laughter in her voice.

"Fine.  I'll leave you alone.  For
now," Jackie said, winking as she walked away.

Jenna shook her head.  "I am so sorry
about that," she said.

"Nothing to be sorry about.  You think
my folks aren't thinking the same thing?  Look at them, over there with
yours.  Our moms are probably booking the church and naming our
kids."

Jenna looked up at him, smoothing her hand over
his shoulder boards.  "That doesn't bother you?"

"Not if it doesn't bother you."

She bit her lip.  "It's weird to have
my mother's approval about someone I'm seeing.  She hated Wade.  Of
course, I guess in the end, she was right.  But if I would have listened
to her, I wouldn't have Cam and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the
world."

He kissed her forehead.  "Everything
has worked out as it should.  If you hadn't married Wade, if things with
him hadn't gone the way they did, you wouldn't be here with me now.  I
believe everything in our lives worked the way it did to lead us to this
moment."

She smiled up at him.  "I think you're
right."

He chuckled.  "I know I am."

Jenna laughed, drawing the attention of their
parents from across the room.

"Will you look at that?" Brody Stanton
said, smiling.

"I haven't seen my girl that happy in a
long, long time," Ramsay said.

"Riley is awesome, Grandpa," Cam
said.  "Mom smiles and laughs all the time now."

"That's wonderful." Ramsay said.

The mothers exchanged knowing looks.  Both
felt it wouldn't be long before they were planning a wedding.

 Mike Casiano stood in the shadows of the
room, eyes on Riley and his woman.  He'd only agreed to come to this thing
at the Camerons because of the concerns Riley had for Jenna's safety...and at
the insistence of his mother, who had arrived from Italy just last night. 
He knew she was trying to set him up with the oldest Cameron daughter,
Jackie.  While Jackie Cameron was an extremely attractive young woman, she
held no interest for Mike.  Dating was something he decided long ago he
hadn't the temperament for. 

"Hey, stranger," he heard a feminine
voice say from over his right shoulder.  He looked over to see Kacee
Adtkisson walking up to him.  Kacee was a sort-of extended family
member.  Not related by blood, but their families had been close over the
years, so he viewed her as a cousin of sorts.

"Kacee," he greeted.

"I haven't seen you at one of these type
things in years."

"Been busy," he replied.

Kacee offered him a tender smile and he knew she
understood what he meant by that.  Truthfully, she was the only member of
her family that he could stand being around, other than her parents. Her many
brothers on the other hand, he could do without.

"So, what brings you out of your cave,
then?" she asked, sipping her champagne.

"Riley needed my help."

"I heard you got shot not too long
ago.  I'm glad to see you're on your feet again."

"Too stubborn to let it get me," he
replied.

"And so you are," she agreed. 
"Be careful in the future, Mike," she said, then walked away. 
He watched her go and wondered for the millionth time why he couldn't be
attracted to her.  It would send their mothers over the moon, but when he
looked at her, all he saw was a family member.

"All good on your end, Whit?" he asked
his colleague who was keeping an eye on Jenna's house.

"All's clear, Boss," Whit reported
back.

"They should be heading home soon."

"Are we watching the house all night?"

"Only if Riley ends up not staying the
night.  If he stays, no need for us to be there."

"Copy that."

Mike watched Riley and Jenna and her son approach
her parents and knew they were getting ready to leave.

"Heads up, Whit.  They're getting ready
to head your way."

"Are you leaving so soon?" Elise asked
when the three of them approached

"Cam has school tomorrow," Jenna reminded
her mother.

"Oh?  When is school out for
Christmas?"

"Wednesday," Cam answered.

"Oh, well, I guess you need to go get in bed
then," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Yes, ma'am.  Good night,
Grandmother."

"Good night, darling.  Riley, it was
nice to meet you.  I hope you can convince my daughter to come visit us
more often."

Jenna's eyes bugged at that, but Riley took it in
stride.

"I'll see what I can do," he said,
kissing her cheek.

"Jackie?  Can you do me a favor?"
Jenna said to her sister.

"Sure, whatcha need?"

Jenna handed her phone to her sister. 
"Take a picture of the three of us?"

Riley looked down at Jenna, a bit surprised by
the request, but pleased by it.  He put his arm around her shoulders and
his hand on Cam's shoulder, smiling at her sister for the picture. 

"Perfect," Jenna said when Jackie
handed the phone back, showing her the picture she took.  "Thank
you."

Riley helped her into her coat and they headed
out the door.

"Riley?" Cam asked when they were in
the privacy of the Mercedes.

"Yeah, bud?"

"Do you have to go home tonight?"

Riley glanced at Jenna then met Cam's gaze in the
rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I do."

"Why?  I mean, you stayed all weekend
while I was gone, right?"

"Cam, I -," Riley began but Cam cut him
off.

"I don't want you to go."

"Cameron," Jenna said, "don't
interrupt."

"Yes, ma'am.  Sorry, Riley...but can
you please stay with us?"

Riley's gaze slid to Jenna, who was studying his
profile.  He wasn't sure how to proceed here and needed her to step
in.  Truth be told, he wanted nothing more than to stay with them, for
more than just the obvious reason.  He still wasn't convinced that what
Wade had gotten involved in wouldn't somehow blow back on her and Cam.  He
would sleep easier if he were there with them.  On the same token, though,
he wasn't sure what kind of message sleeping with Jenna while Cam was home
would be sending.  He was honest enough with himself to know that he
couldn't do the honorable thing and sleep in her guest room.

"Mom?" Cam asked, seeing that Riley was
deferring to her.  "Can Riley stay?"

She turned in her seat to face her son. 
"Why do you want him to stay so much?"

"I like when he's in the house.  It
feels safe."

Jenna's eyes widened.  "You don't feel
safe, just you and me?"

Cam looked down at his hands and then out the
window, avoiding her gaze.

"Not since Dad came pounding on the door
that day."

"Honey, your dad would never hurt you, you
know that, don't you?"

Cam shrugged.  "I guess...but I would
just feel better if Riley was there with us and not across town at his
brother's place."

"All right, bud," Riley said before
Jenna could speak.  "I'll stay."

Cam's smile was huge and caused Jenna's heart to
swell.

"Awesome!  Thanks, Riley."

"Cam, Riley can't..."

"Riley can't what?" Riley asked,
glancing over at her.  "I'll sleep on the couch."

"Dad's girlfriends sleep in his bed when I'm
there," Cam said, "it's no big deal."

"Cameron!" Jenna gasped, "It is a
big deal."

"You aren't Dad, Mom.  You haven't had
a boyfriend since you split up with Dad.  Now you do.  I'm not stupid
about what goes on."

Right at that moment, Jenna absolutely hated Wade
Blackwell.  She hated that her son was wise beyond his years about things
like that.

"The couch will be just fine for me,"
Riley said, and the finality in his voice let them know that he was through
discussing the matter.  "I've slept on the ground a lot in my
career.  The couch won't bother me."

Jenna sighed.  "You don't have to sleep
on the couch.  We have a perfectly good guest room," she told him.

"So, it's OK if Riley stays, then?" Cam
asked brightly.

"Sure, Cam.  If Riley doesn't
mind."

"I don't mind," Riley added. 
"I'll need to stop by my place, though, pack a bag."

"You mean Jack's place," Jenna said
almost absently.

"What?"

She shook her head.  "Nothing."

He eyed her skeptically for a moment, then turned
his attention back to the road as he headed toward Jack's place rather than her
house.  They didn't speak on the drive, but he noticed her studying his
profile a few times during the drive.  Something was going on in her head,
he just wasn't sure what it was.

He led them inside when they got to Jack's place
and told Cam to kick back with the X-box while he and Jenna went into his room
to pack and talk.  He shrugged out of his uniform jacket, hanging it up
while watching Jenna move around his room, looking over his pictures.

"Jenna?" he prompted, placing a bag on
the bed.

She looked up, seeing him just in his undershirt
and uniform pants.  She sat on the edge of his bed, smiling at him, but he
could see the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked, adding
clothes to his bag.

"I'm fine.  I didn't know that Cam was
feeling uneasy since Wade came over the other morning."

"Maybe it's just that he hasn't really seen
his dad wasted like that.  Not that he's scared of him."

She nodded, then got up to pace again,
restless.  She paused before a picture of him with several other guys and
one woman.  They were all in combat gear, even the woman, in a desert
somewhere.  She recognized Mike standing next to Riley, his eerie eyes
staring intensely at the camera.

"Where was this?" she asked, turning
the frame toward him.

"Iraq."

"Who are all of these people?"

He came over to her.  "Left to right,
Zig, Max, Whit, Coop, Colt, Tessa, Gib, Me, Mike."

"I didn't know they let women in units like
yours."

"Tessa was tactical support, and Captain
Gibson's assistant.  Zig was the one we lost the day that Mike was
captured.  He was also the only one of us who was married."

"How long have you been out?"

"Little over two years."

"And you've been doing the private
securities thing ever since?"

"After recovering from injuries, yeah."

She closed her eyes a moment, then crossed over
to him, folding him into her arms, squeezing him tight.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked,
concerned.

She shook her head as she pulled back.
"Nothing.  Can I help you pack?  You should bring several days'
worth of clothes. That way..."

He stopped her by pulling her back to him and
kissing her until she was clinging to him.  When he pulled back, she was
smiling up at him, a dazed look in her eyes.

"Not sure what's running through that head
of yours right now, but whatever it is, just let it go, OK?"  He was
stroking his hands over her hair and neck, his thumbs stroking her jaw. 
He couldn't stop touching her, didn't want to stop.

She took a deep breath and after a quick kiss,
took a step back from him.

"I'm fine.  So, come on, get
packing!  I want to get home and get out of this dress!"

He growled low in his throat.  "I'd
like to get you out of that dress, as well."

Jenna laughed.  "So, get to packing
then, Sailor!  I'm going to check on Cam."

He watched her walk out, wondering again at the
sadness he'd seen in her eyes. Something was going on in her mind and something
told him it had more to do with him than with Wade and Cam.  He just
wasn't sure what was troubling her.

***

Wade felt absolutely miserable.  Detox
sucked.  He had the shakes.  And worst of all, he had nothing but
time on his hands.  Time to think about all he'd done wrong over the last
few years.  He'd had a good life.  He'd had a good family.  He'd
had a good wife, and he'd had the best son.  He scrubbed his hands over
his face.  The fame had taken him by surprise.  The women had come
out of the woodwork and hey, he was a guy, who was he to resist?  Except
because he was weak, he'd lost the only two people who ever meant anything to
him.  He recognized that Jenna was lost to him now; she'd met someone and
moved on, and he couldn't blame her.  But Cam; he was scared to death that
he'd done irreparable damage to his son.  He'd blown him off time and time
again so he could go get laid, or go score his next high, or gamble half his
savings away.  And now he owed Manny over two hundred thousand
dollars.  He was beyond screwed.

He wanted to talk to Jenna.  She always knew
how to fix things.  He'd screwed up when he'd let the fame get to him and
he cheated on her.  Jenna always took care of everything.  She'd
allowed him to follow his dreams and had made it so he didn't have to worry
about anything.  And like a complete moron, he threw that all away.  He
needed to talk to his son, too.  He needed to try to salvage his
relationship with him.  He needed...another fix.  Detox sucked!!!!!

Rolling into a ball on his side, he clenched his
eyes shut and prayed for an end to the pain.

***

Richie didn't want to be going after Jenna
Blackwell.  Nothing about what Manny wanted him to do was sitting well
with him.  It wasn't that he hadn't gone after the family of those who
owed Manny money before.  Maybe it was time for him to get out of this
business.  Who knew?  All he did know was that Jenna Blackwell and
her kid didn't deserve to pay the price for Wade's stupidity.  But, orders
were orders and he had a job to do whether he liked it or not.