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Authors: Lily Harper Hart

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Four

“I didn’t think it would be so … .”

“Depressing,” Mandy finished, shooting an understanding look in Ally’s direction. “Yeah, I know.”

“How many times have you been here?” Ally asked, scanning the area.

“Twice.”

The Hardy family had become aware of the tent city along the Clinton River in Mount Clemens several weeks before. Grady Hardy had been the first to visit while he was looking for a suspect in a case. That’s where he met Jake. Since all of the Hardy brothers had served stints in the military, the need to help hundreds of homeless veterans had been overwhelming.

At first, everyone had grand ideas of getting all of the men into homes and jobs. They soon realized, as much as they wanted to fix every problem, they weren’t equipped to do it. It wasn’t just the military haunting the men who found their way to the area, mental illness and substance abuse problems were stalking them as well.

“I don’t feel like this is enough,” Ally said, glancing down at the case of bottled water she was carrying. “I mean, it’s just food, water, and blankets. There’s got to be more we can do.”

“We all feel that way,” Mandy said, taking the case of water from her and stacking it on top of several others by a picnic table. James and Grady had bought eight picnic tables two weeks before, having them delivered to the riverfront because they figured something to sit on might be welcome. “What do you suggest we do?”

“I don’t know,” Ally said. “This isn’t right, though. These men served their country. There has to be something better out there.”

“That’s what I said.” Mandy moved closer, lowering her voice so only Ally could hear. “A lot of these guys need medication, and they refuse to take it. If they won’t help themselves, we have to do the only thing we can to make their lives easier.”

“I guess.”

“I know it’s depressing,” Mandy said. “Just tell yourself that we are helping, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

“What are Jake and James doing?”

Mandy followed Ally’s gaze to where the two men were showing off a handful of fishing rods and poles to several men. “I think they wanted to give them something to do,” Mandy said. “I’m not sure they’ll actually catch anything. Fishing is a hobby, right?”

Ally shrugged. “How should I know? My idea of a hobby is reading magazines. Oh, man, that sounds really awful considering where we’re standing.”

“Don’t feel bad about yourself,” Mandy said. “We can only do what we can do.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The two women worked in silence for a moment, Mandy finally breaking it. “So, what was going on between you and Jake last night? I didn’t mean to interrupt, by the way. I had no idea he was still down there.”

“We were just talking,” Ally said evasively. “It was nothing big.”

“Don’t even bother running that on me,” Mandy said, laughing. “I see the way you look at him.”

“And what way do I look at him?”

“Like you want to see him naked,” Mandy replied, not bothering to lower her voice.

A couple of men who were close enough to hear the conversation perked up.

“I do not want to see him naked,” Ally said. “That is just ridiculous.” She handed a package of Oreos to one of the men. “Have a cookie, and I don’t want to see anyone naked.”

“That’s a shame,” he said. “I was finally starting to enjoy the nonsense you gals were talking about.”

Ally stuck out her tongue. “I’m a lady.”

“You’re definitely a lady,” the man said. “If you don’t want to see him naked, I have something I might want to show you.”

“Alas, I’m a lesbian,” Ally said.

“No way.”

“This is my girlfriend,” she said, gesturing to Mandy.

“Now I know you’re pulling my leg,” he said. “That blonde girl is always being pawed at by that guy over there.”

Ally smirked. “Okay, you caught me. What’s your name?”

“Gus.”

“Gus? Like the mouse in
Cinderella
?”

“I have no idea,” Gus said. “If you like mice, though, I’m your man.”

Ally ruffled his hair, smiling broadly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

JAKE
watched Ally from across the way, smiling at the way she interacted with the homeless men who congregated around her.

“I haven’t fished in a long time,” James said, peering at the rod in his hand dubiously. “I’m not even sure if I’ve rigged this thing properly.”

Jake didn’t reply, his attention still focused on the comely brunette as she flirted and cavorted with everyone who approached her.

“What are you looking at?” James asked.

“Your sister is really good with them,” Jake said. “Mandy, too. They treat them like normal men. They don’t treat them like damaged goods. That’s really the greatest gift either one of them could give.”

James shifted his gaze. “Ally has a certain way about her,” he agreed. “She’s always been able to put people at ease.”

“What about Mandy?”

James shrugged. “Mandy was really shy when she was a kid,” he said. “Ally was the outgoing one. I think Mandy grew into a person, and I happen to love that person more than I ever thought possible. Ally was always her own person.”

“How did they become friends?”

“Mandy was a tomboy,” James said. “She liked playing in the dirt with the boys. Ally took one look at her and decided she needed a makeover. I think this was in elementary school. They were inseparable every day after that. They’re good for each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mandy has a big imagination, and a big heart, but she’s also pragmatic, at least most of the time,” James said. “Ally has a big heart, and a big imagination, but her head is always in the clouds. They balance each other out. They can cut loose together, but Mandy always reins Ally in. And, when Mandy’s lost in her own head with deep thoughts, Ally is the one who drags her out and makes her have fun.”

“They’re like two different sides to the same coin,” Jake said.

“Yeah.”

“I have to admit, when I first met Mandy, I wasn’t sure what to think,” Jake said. “I realize she was going through something now, but she just seemed so unsure about herself.”

“She was insecure,” James said. “The explosion left her with body-image issues. Her back was a mess, and she was in pain, and she let that play with her head.”

“But you made it through it,” Jake said.

“I had no choice but to make it through it,” James said. “A scar on her back, one you can barely see mind you, doesn’t change her. I can’t imagine my life without her. Putting up with a few weeks of turmoil was a small price to pay.”

“She seems fine now.”

“She’s pretty much back to normal,” James agreed. “I kept waiting for her to fall apart after killing Sheryl. I thought there had to be a point where she’d regret what happened, even though it was self-defense. It never really came. She cried a little, she had a few nightmares, but she’s back to the way she was.”

“Does that make you nervous?” Jake asked. “Would you feel better if she broke down?”

James arched an eyebrow. “Better? No. I’m just glad she’s not dwelling on it. She has a tendency to let things fester, and then she explodes.”

“Is that what you’re worried about with Ally? After finding the body, I mean.”

“No,” James said. “Ally tends to fly off the handle and then settle. Mandy acts settled and then flies off the handle. If Ally were going to freak out, she would’ve done it last night. That’s why I wanted her with us.”

“And now?”

James smiled, watching as Ally tried to get some of the veterans to join her and Mandy in a silly dance.

“Now I think she’s fine,” James said. “She might have a few nightmares, but I think she’s going to be fine.”

“That’s good,” Jake said. “I would hate to think of her being down for too long.”

James sent him a funny look. “Yeah, that would be awful.”

 

“SO
, does everyone want to get something to eat?”

They’d finished at the tent city and were standing beside their vehicles along the riverside. James, as usual, was starving. He burned a lot of calories in a day, and he constantly needed to refuel.

“I could eat,” Mandy said.

“Actually, I want to get back home,” Ally said. “I also need my car.”

“I sent Grady for it,” James said. “It should be back at your house. He said he put the keys in your mailbox.”

“That seems safe,” Ally said, rolling her eyes. “I could have picked up my own car.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” James said, scowling. “Sometimes a brother just likes to do a favor for his sister.”

Ally chucked him under his chin. “Sometimes a brother just likes to control everything.”

Mandy snorted.

“Whose side are you on, blondie?” James asked.

“Mine,” Mandy said. “I’m hungry. If Ally doesn’t want to eat, maybe Jake can give her a ride to her house.”

James didn’t miss the hint of mischief on Mandy’s face. “We can take her home. I’m not going to ask Jake to be a chauffeur. This is his day off.”

Mandy made a face, one James couldn’t quite read. “Jake, don’t you live over in Clinton Township?”

Jake shuffled next to his pickup truck. “Yeah.”

“Well, so does Ally,” Mandy said. “You can take her, right? It’s on your way.”

“I’m sorry,” James said. “You’d think she was starving. We can take Ally home.”

“I don’t mind,” Jake said hurriedly. “It’s not like it’s a chore.”

Ally shrugged. “That’s fine with me.” She gave Mandy a quick hug. “I’ll call you later. Try to keep Captain Bossypants fed and happy.”

“I’ll do my best.”

James was still confused, but Ally and Jake were already in Jake’s truck and pulling out onto the main road. When they were gone, he fixed Mandy with a hard look. “What was that about?”

Mandy averted her gaze. “What was what about? I’m starving.”


That
. You practically made Jake take Ally home. Why?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Mandy said, trying to slip away so she could move around the front of the Explorer. “What do you want for dinner?”

James snagged her arm, pulling her back to him. “What are you up to? Are you meddling again?”

“That’s a horrible thing to accuse your fiancée of,” Mandy said. “I’m really hurt by the accusation.”

“No, you’re not,” James said. “You’re acting cagey, even cagier than usual. That makes me think you’re up to something.”

“Fine,” Mandy said, wrinkling her nose. “If you must know, I think that Jake and Ally like each other, and I thought that maybe, if they were alone, they might get a chance to explore that.”

James ran his tongue over his teeth, fighting the urge to shake the sly grin off his blonde’s face. “Jake is not an appropriate boyfriend for Ally.”

“Why not?”

“Because we don’t know anything about him,” James said. “He could be an axe murderer in a past life.”

Mandy made an exaggerated face. “Oh, whatever. You trust him. You hired him. I just don’t think you want anyone to date your sister.”

“My sister deserves a good guy,” James said.

“Are you saying Jake isn’t a good guy?”

“No,” James said. “I think Jake is a great guy. I just don’t think he’s the guy for Ally.”

“And who is the guy for Ally?”

“That’s neither here nor there,” James said. “I just know Jake isn’t the guy for her, and the faster you get that through your pretty little head, the better.”

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“I said fine, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but your tone says otherwise,” James said.

“Well, my tone says that I’m hungry and you’re being silly,” Mandy said. “If Jake and Ally want to date, then they’re going to date.”

“They’re not going to date,” James said. “Jake hasn’t showed the slightest bit of interest in her.” As he said the words, James mentally rechecked his afternoon with Jake. He wasn’t so sure that was true. The look on Jake’s face while watching his sister had been reminiscent of a look on his own face the first time he’d seen Mandy again after more than a decade spent apart. “They’re definitely not going to date.”

“If you say so.”

“Get in the car.”

Five

Ally had known what Mandy was doing from the second she opened her mouth. While embarrassed by her forthcoming nature, Ally had also been secretly pleased. The idea of being alone with Jake gave her a little thrill. Unfortunately, Ally had no idea what to do now.

For his part, Jake was focused on the road in front of him. He was never overly chatty, but his silence seemed to speak volumes – at least to Ally.

“I’m sorry that Mandy badgered you into taking me home,” Ally said. “I think she really just wanted some time with James. I think I cramped their style last night.”

“It’s fine,” Jake said. “It’s on my way.”

“Right.” Ally stared out the truck window, mentally chastising herself for such a lame opening. “So, what branch of the military were you in?”

“I did six years in the Army,” Jake said.

“How long have you been out?”

“About three years.”

Ally sucked in her lower lip. Getting Jake Harrison to talk about himself was like pulling teeth. His silence was starting to grate. “Do I bother you?” Ally had never been one to stand on circumstance. The attraction she thought she’d felt between herself and Jake the night before had disappeared with the rising sun. Now he seemed angry to be in her presence.

Jake furrowed his brow. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you act like I have leprosy or something,” Ally said. “I was just trying to make conversation.”

“And I answered your questions.”

“And with such long and expansive answers, too,” Ally grumbled.

Jake rolled his shoulders, shooting an unreadable look across the console. “What would you like me to say?”

“Nothing.” Ally screwed her face up into a petulant pout. “Absolutely nothing.”

“I spent six years in the Army,” Jake said. “They weren’t great years.”

“Then why did you stay?”

“I didn’t want to leave until the fight was over,” Jake said. “At a certain point, I realized the fight was over – at least for me. I had to get out of there, and I got out of there.”

“And you came here?”

“My family lives on the west side of the state,” Jake said. “I wanted to be close, but I didn’t want to be too close. My family is great. My parents are wonderful people. I love all my sisters, and I like their husbands, and I even like being an uncle.”

“So, why didn’t you want to be close to them?”

“Because it seemed like too much after being away from them for so long,” Jake said. “I didn’t want them around me all the time because I just couldn’t take it. They were always looking at me, wondering. I didn’t want to talk about my service, and I didn’t know how to tell them I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“So, you ran,” Ally said.

“I didn’t run,” Jake replied. “I gave myself some distance. I always figured I would move back over there some day.”

“And do you still think that?”

“I don’t know.”

“And how often do you see your family?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” Jake said.

“I’m the curious sort,” Ally said. “What about your family? How often do you see them?”

“A couple of times a year,” Jake said. “I go over for Christmas, and a week in the summer. I go for other events, too. It’s only a three-hour drive.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Sometimes.”

“What do you do for fun?”

“Are you writing a book?”

Ally ignored his tone. “Do you even know what fun is?”

“I have fun,” Jake said. “I probably don’t have your version of fun, but I have fun.”

“Like?”

“Like I go up to the park in Shelby Township on the weekends and I hike,” Jake said.

“Hike?” Ally wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“I like to hike,” Jake said. “I like nature. I like the outdoors. I like an open feeling.”

“What else do you like?”

“What do you like?” Jake asked, turning the question around. “What do you do for fun?”

“I bug my brothers,” Ally said, not missing a beat. “I like to shop. I like to go to the spa. I like to work out, but I do it in the gym. I also like to read and go to the movies.”

“I see.”

“What? You don’t like any of those things?”

“I didn’t say that,” Jake said. “I just … you’re just so … you just talk a lot.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s a loud thing,” Jake said. “Where is your house?”

Ally sighed, pointing. “Make a right up here.” After a few seconds, Ally started talking again. “So, what kind of books do you like?”

Jake rubbed his forehead wearily. “You can’t take just sitting there in silence, can you?”

“I can be quiet,” Ally grumbled.

“Try it.”

“Fine.”

After driving several blocks, Jake realized he had no idea where to turn next. He glanced over at Ally, taking in her shrewd look, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “Where next?”

“Oh, I have to be quiet,” Ally said. “I figured you would just find my house through osmosis.”

“You’re funny.”

“No, I’m quiet.”

Jake drove another two blocks. “Are you going to tell me where you live?”

“I thought the sound of my voice was like woodpeckers poking holes in your brain?”

Jake gritted his teeth. “That’s not what I said.”

“Stop here.”

Jake pressed on the brake. “What?”

“Just … stop here.”

“Why?” Jake braked, ignoring the horns blaring behind him as he searched Ally’s face. “What’s going on?”

Ally opened the door of his truck and unfastened her seatbelt. “This is close enough. I’ll walk from here.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Ally ignored him, jumping out of the truck and plodding over to the sidewalk. Someone honked again, and Ally extended her middle finger in their direction before turning and starting her trek down the street. She didn’t look back to see if Jake was still watching. She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

 

JAKE
was flabbergasted. He had no idea what he should do, but the increasingly impatient honking was going to drive him mad. He pressed on the accelerator, turning off onto a side street the first chance he got. Then he waited.

It only took Ally a few minutes to catch up. She turned onto the street, purposely ignoring Jake’s truck, and continued down the sidewalk. Jake rolled down the window, edging up the road as he tracked her pace. “Get in the truck.”

“Shh. You need to be quiet. You talk too much.”

“Get in the truck.”

Ally pressed her index finger to her lips and shook her head.

Jake slammed his hand against the steering wheel angrily. She was infuriating. No, she was beyond infuriating. What’s beyond infuriating? “Get in the truck!”

Ally turned and started plodding down a driveway. Jake recognized her small car parked in front of the house. He pulled his truck in behind her car, slamming it into park, and jumped out of the cab.

He rounded the cab, cutting Ally off from the front door. “Why did you do that?”

“You’re making a scene,” Ally said. “You don’t want to be too loud and rile up the neighbors.”

Jake glanced at the small bungalow, frowning. “You live here?”

“No, here in Clinton Township we just pick a house that strikes our fancy and live there for the night.”

“You’re incredibly sarcastic,” Jake said.

“I have a gift.”

“I’m sorry I told you to be quiet,” Jake said after a beat. “I … you were just asking a lot of questions.”

“I thought we were having a conversation,” Ally corrected. “Obviously, I was wrong.”

“Are you purposely trying to drive me crazy?”

“Are you purposely trying to be mean to me?”

Jake stilled, his mouth tipping down into a grimace. “Mean to you? I was being mean to you?”

“You hurt my feelings,” Ally sniffed.

“Did I really hurt your feelings? Or are you doing this to make me feel bad?”

“I try not to make people feel bad if I can help it,” Ally said. “Unlike other people I know.”

Jake made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat. “I’m sorry. I just felt … closed in.”

Ally swiveled, fixing him with an odd look. “You don’t like feeling closed in,” she said. “That’s why you like being outdoors. That’s why you left your family. You’re afraid of being smothered.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Jake ignored the question. “Do you want me to walk you to your door?”

The sad look that flitted across Ally’s face wasn’t lost on Jake. He knew what it was before it even registered: Pity.

“I’m sorry I badgered you,” Ally said, suddenly contrite. “I just … I just wanted to get to know you. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t make me feel uncomfortable.”

“I did,” Ally said. “That wasn’t my intention, but I did. I really am sorry.”

Jake sighed, the urge to strangle the pretty brunette and kiss her suddenly warring in his brain. He pushed both options out of his mind. “I’ll walk you to your door.”

“That’s not necessary,” Ally said. “It’s right there.”

Jake scowled. “When someone offers to walk you to your door, you let them. That’s the polite thing to do.”

“Oh, so you’re polite now?”

“You are just … .”

“Adorable?” Ally supplied.

Jake couldn’t hide his smile – or the small laugh that bubbled up. “I was going to say annoying.”

“Those words are interchangeable in my book,” Ally said. “If you want to walk me to my door, it’s this way. If you want to bow down when we get there, you can do that, too. Just don’t expect me to curtsey in response.”

“How has no one killed you?”

“People find me charming.”

“I can see that,” Jake said, pulling a genuine smile from Ally’s lips. “I can also see you driving people to murder.”

“I’m multifaceted weird,” Ally said. “You’ll get used to it.”

Jake had a sinking feeling she was right. “Let’s get you inside. You’ve had a big couple of days. You could probably use some rest.”

“I just want a hot bath,” Ally said.

For some reason, the image of Ally naked and covered in bubbles invaded Jake’s mind. “Um, okay.”

Ally dug through her purse, searching for her keys. Jake watched her for a moment, fascinated as the sound of endless items being shifted filled his ears. “What do you have in there?”

“Stuff.”

“What kinds of stuff?”

“You know, girl stuff.”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Huh, that’s weird.”

“What’s weird?” Jake was still watching her.

“The door is open.”

Jake snapped his attention from Ally’s angular face to the door, immediately pushing her to the side. “You didn’t leave it open?”

“That’s not the way I roll. I’m not stupid.”

Jake put a protective hand in front of Ally, clearing her away from the door. “Stay here.”

“No way.”

“I’m going to go in and check the house,” Jake said. “You’re going to stay here, where it’s safe.”

“I’m not staying out here alone.”

“Well, you’re not going in there with me,” Jake countered.

Ally crossed her arms over her chest obstinately. “I either go in there with you, or neither of us go in.”

Jake scowled. “You stay right behind me. I’m not joking with you.”

“Fine.”

“If you even think of … .”

“I said fine.”

Jake shook his head, immediately knowing he was doing the wrong thing but not seeing another option. He pushed the door open, wishing for a second he’d thought to arm himself before he left his apartment this morning. It hadn’t seemed necessary then. Now? He wasn’t so sure.

The first thing he saw when he entered Ally’s house was a mess. The couch cushions were askew, and all the drawers in the coffee table had been ripped out and discarded onto the floor. Ally gasped when she stepped inside. “I’ve been robbed.”

“Look around,” Jake ordered. “Has anything been taken?”

Ally scanned the room. “The computer is on the table where I left it. The television is in the same spot. Isn’t that the sort of thing people would steal?”

“Yeah.”

Jake moved further into the house. “Look around, but stay behind me. Do you understand?”

“No, Officer Obvious, can you speak slower?”

Jake shook his head, glancing around the corner that led to a small hallway. “What’s down there?”

“My bedroom and an office.”

“And over there?”

“The kitchen and a laundry room.”

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