A Promise Of Home (A Lake Howling Novel Book 1) (27 page)

“How about if you’re ever on a boat?”

“Don’t like boats.”

“Walking along a beach and a freak wave drags you out?”

“I don’t like sand between my toes.”

“Driving over a bridge and it collapses, your car fills with water and then you open the window and have to swim out?”

“Ummm, I’ll stay away from bridges.”

Jake kissed her, then swam them back to the bank. Once there, he stood on the side, still submerged up to his waist.

“I’ll hold your stomach while you practice.”

Branna knew she wasn’t getting out of this easily, and he was probably right, she did need to learn to at least float.

“All right, let’s get it over with.”

He looked good wet, his big body shimmering in the sun. Branna felt something move in the region of her heart and convinced herself it was lust.

She squeaked as he flipped her onto her stomach, then the breath hissed from her throat when she felt Jake’s fingers slip under the waist of her panties and stroke the top of her buttocks.

“Hey!”

“You have some lake monster slime on you.”

Over the next twenty minutes, he patiently taught her to float and by the end she could keep herself on top of the water if ever there came a time when she needed to.

“Okay, first lesson over, Rosebud,” he hoisted her up onto the bank. “Now, about that lust.”

“I’m cold and wet now; the lust seems to have disappeared.” Branna gathered up her clothes.

“It’ll come back,” Jake said, pulling on his shoes, then throwing his T-shirt over one shoulder. “Hop on, and we’ll head to the showers.”

She watched Jake crouch in front of her with his back turned.

“The last time anyone piggy-backed me, I was in single digits.”

“You have to learn to be more spontaneous, Rosebud. It’s real tiring dating an older woman.”

He was taunting her again, so clutching her clothes she climbed onto his back and then he started jogging up his driveway.

“Two things I can honestly say I haven’t done for a while would be this and swimming and I did them both in one day,” Branna said, enjoying the feel of all that power and strength under her. The man wasn’t even breathing hard.

“Stick with me, sweet cheeks and I’ll show you a few more.”

Branna snorted as Jake walked them into the house and straight for the bathroom. Once there, he lowered her down his back. Turning, he cupped her face and kissed her. It was a kiss of possession, a kiss that drove any thoughts of being cold or swimming lessons and lake monsters from her head.

“Let’s get warm now,” he released her to turn on the shower and Branna dropped her bundle of things, then took off her bra and panties. She stepped under the spray as Jake pulled off his shoes; seconds later, he joined her. But she was ready for him and as he reached for her, she placed one hand on his chest and pushed him against the shower wall.

“You have lake monster all over you, Jake; let me clean you up.”

He gave her that slow smile.

Soaping her hands, she then started with his shoulders and began cleaning him slowly, running her hands in circles over his big solid body.

“You’re being thorough there, Rosebud.” Branna heard the hiss in his breath as she scraped her nails over his nipples.

“That slime is sticky.” She ran her tongue along his lips, then bit the tip of his chin. She loved touching him, feeling all that leashed strength. Her own body was aroused, her breasts aching and full and the ache between her legs needing release. Moving to his stomach, she stroked the flat planes as she leaned forward and took his nipple into her mouth. His body jerked forward.

“Jesusssss.”

Smiling up at him, Branna moved lower. Getting on her knees, she took the long hard length of him in her mouth. Two hands gripped her head, fingers raking her scalp as she swirled her tongue around the soft silken head. Bracing her hands on his thighs, she took him deeper.

“I’m done,” he rasped, lifting her to her feet seconds later; he then opened the door and walked out with her in his arms. Lowering her to the vanity, he spread her legs and slid inside her.

It was slow and achingly sweet. Steam swirled around them as Branna held on by digging her fingers into his shoulders. Her head hit the mirror as the pleasure exploded through her in a shuddering wave, as Jake emptied himself deep inside her.

He lifted her back into the shower seconds later and Branna slumped against the wall as he washed himself and then her.

“I’ll make us some food.” He kissed her softly and then she was alone…her body weak, mind swirling. He unbalanced her, stripped her raw with the need she felt for him.

Turning off the water, she stepped out and dried herself. Pulling on her damp panties, she gathered up her running clothes, then wandered into his bedroom. Grabbing a T-shirt from the pile of neatly folded clothes on the end of his bed, she pulled it over her head. Then, using his hairbrush, she attempted to untangle the knots in her hair. The smell of coffee greeted her as she reached the kitchen and she smelled grilled cheese sandwiches and realized she was starving.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Smell good?” Jake watched Branna drop her stuff by the door, then walk around his breakfast bar and sit on one of the stools.

“It does, and makes me realize that it’s been way too long since I ate anything.”

“All that exercise has to tire you out.”

She didn’t answer, just took the coffee he handed her.

“You have to see him some time, Branna.”

The cup had been halfway to her mouth, but she lowered it, placing it carefully on the bench before her.

“No, I don’t.”

Jake hated that particular expression of hers. The blank one that told him nothing of what she was feeling. He realized that he knew most of her expressions now.

“He’s not going anywhere, Rosebud. He’ll stay until you do.”

“As long as he keeps away from me, I don’t care.”

“Now, that’s a lie; he’s your father, you care.” Taking a sandwich out of the pan, he put it on a plate, then slid it in front of her. “This thing between you is not going away.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I do.”

“Leave it, Jake.” Her face was shuttered.

“Come on, Branna, the man is living with my parents, so every time I go there I see him and he talks to me. Tells me about you and what you mean to him. Give him a chance to at least tell you his side of the story.”

“I didn’t ask your parents to take him in, nor did I ask Declan O’Donnell to come here, so don’t tell me what I have to do, Jake. I’m an adult and can make my own decisions.”
“So what, you’re just going to avoid him? Stay out of Howling until he hopefully leaves?”

“Don’t talk to me about avoidance, McBride.” She tore the crust off the sandwich and then began to shred it between her fingers. “You spent years learning to heal with those hands,” she pointed to the one he held a spatula in. “Don’t you think it’s about time you faced up to why you walked away from that?”

“We’re not talking about me.” Jake put another sandwich into the pan, because he needed to do something.

“So, it’s okay for you to poke at my raw spots, but I can’t do the same? Or are your demons more important than mine?”

“You know what happened and my reasons why I walked away, Branna.”

“And that’s it?” She was angry now, her body rigid, eyes flashing. “You were traumatized, so case closed. You’re just giving up on what you love? You going to stay hidden here, Jake, tucked away from the world and the career that you dedicated years and years of your life to?”

He was back there again, with the blood and screams of the children. Their eyes pleading with him to take away their pain, live or die, they didn’t care; they just wanted to be free of it.

“You know nothing about it.” Jake tended to get ugly when people made him face the fact that he no longer did what he was born to do.

“And you know nothing about me either.” She was standing now, hands clenched into tight fists.

“He’s your father, Branna. The man raised you and from what I can tell, he’s not a bad guy. He deserves at least a chance to talk to you.” Jake tried to sound calm and reasonable, but his words were cold and clipped. His palms had begun to sweat and his head was filled with visions, but no one looking at him would know what was going on inside. Just like Branna, he’d learned to hide.

“I deserved more from him!” she cried. “I deserved his love and comfort, but he gave me nothing, turned his back and forgot me. I don’t have to forgive him anything.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Branna,” Jake put the spatula down and moved to face her across the bench. But I think it will help you if you at least just talk to him, and if you can’t find a way forward, then you will have given it a shot, and he can leave knowing he tried.”

Her face was flushed and she was breathing fast. She was staring at him as if he’d betrayed her and maybe in her eyes he had, because he was forcing her to face something she didn’t want to face. He didn’t want to acknowledge that she was trying to do the same with him.

“And, what about you, McBride? Are you going to find a way forward, or live in this town fixing cars, while your adoring public make excuses as to why one of their golden boys copped out on life?”

“I didn’t cop out.” Jake braced his hands on the bench. I just don’t want to be a doctor anymore.” His words were a low growl, which most people would realize meant he was angry, but not her, she simply growled back.

“If that is truly the case, then fine, but will that choice make you happy? Can you say that, Jake? Say you’re really happy not doing what you love?”

“We are not talking about me, Branna, we’re talking about you,” Jake said slowly, keeping his words even, when inside his body was a furnace of seething emotion.

She placed her hands before his and leaned forward, their eyes now level. Hers shot green sparks at him, little lasers of hurt and anger.

“You can’t say it because you’re not; in fact, you’re miserable. I see the sadness in your eyes, the sorrow that grips you when you don’t think I’m looking. It hurts that you’re not practicing medicine anymore, hurts way down deep that you’re not helping people.”
“You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.” But she did, because she was the only one to have ever spoken to him this way, the only one who made Jake face how hard it would be to give up medicine for the rest of his life.

“Oh, I know all right. I know you’re scared and that you’re hurting,” she said, backing away from him. “Because I’ve been scared and hurt too, Jake, but I don’t need you or my father, because I’ve survived without you both and I will do so again.”

Before he could reach her, she’d left, slamming the door behind her, and Jake stood rooted to the spot replaying her words in his head.

“If that is truly the case, then fine, but will that choice make you happy? Can you say that, Jake? Say you’re really happy not doing what you love?”

He stood at that sink as his sandwich went cold, and didn’t fight the memories as they filled his head.

The day he left here to go to medical school, the day he graduated. It all came back. And then he was there in Iraq, standing in what had once been a school. The bomb had ripped through the place, killing and maiming, and he’d done what he could for days until he could do no more. His mind had gone blank as he worked, and then Ethan had come and taken him back to base. When he woke after two days of sleeping, his head was filled with what he had witnessed. After the first consult, he’d refused help; no shrink was getting into his head and he’d come home to heal. But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d placed a temporary bandage over his pain and then locked it all away and just existed.

Branna was right, he had been surly and punished those closest to him and the people he cared about had accepted his behavior because, unlike him, they believed in him and that one day he would once again be a doctor.

Picking up the phone, he rang Ethan.

“I need that appointment now, today or tomorrow.” He listened to Ethan tell him that he’d make a call and get back to him. Minutes later, his cell rang and it was the Texan telling him to be ready as he was flying over to pick him up.

After that, Jake called his father and told him to keep an eye on Branna, then Annabelle to ask her to stay with Branna at night.

“None of your business, Annabelle, just stay with her till I get back.” Disconnecting the call as she asked another question, Jake then called Buster.

“I’m going to be out of town with Ethan for a few days, Buster, watch over Branna for me.”

His friend didn’t ask questions, just said he would and Jake knew she’d be safe until he returned to straighten out the mess he’d just made with her.

He was ready when he heard the thunder of Ethan’s helicopter approach. Picking up his cell phone, he sent a text to Branna, telling her he was going to be out of town for a few days and that he would see her as soon as he got back. He finished with the word “sorry,” because in all honesty he didn’t know what else to say. Picking up his duffle, he walked out the back door to the paddock Ethan was landing in. Ducking under the blades, he opened the door and climbed in. Strapping himself in, he put on his headphones and then they were in the air again.

Branna stood at the window and watched Ethan’s helicopter rise in the air and disappear. She’d gotten Jake’s text, but didn’t reply, because she had no idea what to say. Her eyes were raw from crying and acid had formed in her stomach at the thought of the words they’d said to each other. Where was he going and why had he left? She missed him already, and that annoyed her, because it meant she cared…which she already knew, but now she really cared because the pain was bad.

“And that, you idiot, is why you don’t form attachments to people,” Branna muttered as she finished dressing.

Heading downstairs, she grabbed her keys and handbag and left the house. Her father had kept her out of Howling and Jake was right about one thing, he wasn’t keeping her away any longer. She needed supplies and if she saw him, she’d nod her head and walk away. Declan O’Donnell wasn’t the kind of man to make a fuss any more than she would. He wouldn’t force a confrontation between them, so she was safe there.