If She Dares (Contemporary Romance) (17 page)

Unfortunately, Dave seemed determined to give one. “Juliet says to tell you you’re an idiot.” He smacked the ball away as Jack tried to take his shot.

“You know I respect your wife, but I didn’t ask for her opinion.”

“Yeah, you never do.”

Jack chased him down the court. Damn the giant’s long legs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we’re here for you—and not just to carry furniture if you move. We could actually give you advice if you wanted. We could bring over stuff for dinner if you’re taking care of a sick parent.”

Tony had been shocked by Jack’s casual mention of his mom being in the hospital. “She was hurt three days ago and you’re just
now
telling us?” Jack hadn’t been able to make his friend understand that not everyone had the same kind of family relationship as the Langs.

“We can take you out and get you drunk to help you forget Riley,” Dave said quietly.

Jack almost tripped over his own feet. There wasn’t enough liquor in all Atlanta to accomplish that.

“Alternatively, if you come to your senses, maybe we can figure out how to win her back.”

“That’s not what I want.”
Like hell
. He wanted Riley, wanted her like he’d never wanted another woman. But she needed a guy who could love her. That wasn’t him. He was good at trash-talking at the basketball court and helping witnesses concentrate. He was good at anything that took the focus off him and didn’t require looking too deeply at his past or emotional baggage. “She can do better.”

Dave stopped dead, holding the ball and looking at him blankly. “Hell,
yes
,
she can do better than you. Don’t you think I’m aware that my wife—a beautiful and brilliant woman with medical training—can do better than a lanky cop who never remembers when it’s his turn to do the dishes? The trick is keeping her so happy that she doesn’t think much about it.”

What would it take to make Riley happy? He thought about the sexy sounds she made in bed. He knew how to make her happy physically. But everything else? Even if he tried, the first time they hit a bump in the road, his nature was to retreat, to push people away and deal with it alone.

Well, congratulations, genius. You
are
alone
. Now he just had to figure out how to deal with it.

* * *

R
ILEY
PULLED
OUT
another paper-wrapped object from the unmarked box. “You know,” she said to Wren, “most people write helpful words like kitchen or bedroom on their boxes.” Of course, most people actually packed by room. It seemed Wren had just zoomed through the house she’d shared with two other people, randomly picking up items and tossing them into boxes.

I should just be glad she wrapped a breakable vase in paper
. “Hey! Wait a minute, this is my vase. I bought it on our family trip to Mexico.”

“Oh.” Wren paused in her task of unloading books onto a shelving unit to study the stolen item. “Uh...want it back?”

“I have a better idea,” Riley said. “You take the vase back to my apartment and just live there. I’ll move in here.”

Wren snorted. “They just elected you president! You can’t abdicate your throne—or your Oval Office, or whatever. Besides, I can’t set foot in your building. If I run into Jack, I’m afraid I’ll kick his ass.”

Judging by Riley’s own luck in not encountering him, the man must be rappelling out his bedroom window to avoid seeing her in the hallways. Or maybe he was already seeing someone else and spending nights at her place. Jealousy clawed at her, but she tried her best to ignore it. She didn’t actually believe that Jack was involved with someone else, but he was a free man.

“Ry?” Wren leaned over and tapped the bracelet on Riley’s wrist. “I’m sorry it didn’t do a better job of protecting your heart or bringing you luck.”

Oh, but there had been moments with Jack when she’d felt like the luckiest woman on earth. “You don’t have to feel sorry. No one’s to blame here, not even him.”

Wren made a rude noise.

“We can’t be mad at him for telling the truth. He told me he didn’t want a relationship. And why would he? He’s mostly seen people use love as a warped excuse for hurting each other or staying in bad situations.”

“You’re too kind for your own good. Does taking the high road and being all understanding about it make you feel better?”

“No,” she admitted tremulously. “Not even a little bit.” But crying for a week, with Mags looking on in concern, hadn’t helped, either. So she might as well try being emotionally mature about the situation.

“Normally, I’d advise doing shots and making out with someone even hotter than him to get over it, but that’s kind of how I ended up homeless.” Since Sam had been the first one in the house they’d shared, Wren was the one who left when his angry behavior toward her had grown even pettier.

“Plus, I don’t know any men hotter than Jack.” And the thought of kissing anyone who wasn’t him... Her throat burned, and there was a knot in her stomach. Tears weren’t far behind. “Wren, it’s going to get better, isn’t it?”

Her little sister hugged her. “Sure it will.”

When? But she didn’t bother asking. It was a question no one could answer. She just knew that every morning she woke up telling herself that it would finally be the day being without Jack sucked a little less. And every morning so far, she’d been wrong.

* * *

J
ACK
LISTENED
TO
his mother talk about the two job interviews she’d had and the therapy she participated in every day and hoped that his pride in her showed. He was afraid it might be overshadowed by his dour mood, even though he was making a genuine effort to be a festive dinner companion.

He poured a little extra gravy on stuffing that had long since gone cold. “You really seem to be doing great, Mom.”

She sighed. “You don’t. Honestly, kid, you look like hell.”

“I’m fine.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s been...a rough couple of weeks.” Plus, he was keeping weird hours, leaving early in the morning, staying out until late.
You can’t avoid her forever
. Maybe not, but it was working so far.

Dude. If this is
working
, I’d hate to see what failing looks like
.

“It’s Riley, isn’t it?”

Jack’s head shot up. Although his mother had once mentioned his “lovely” neighbor, they’d never discussed her. “What do you know?”

“That she loves you and that you clearly love her.”

He flinched. “I don’t.”

“How long’s it been since the two of you saw each other?”

“Since the day after you moved in here.”

“And how do you feel without her?”

Like someone was pulling out his internal organs on a daily basis. “Riley and I don’t want the same things.”

“She told me you don’t want to be serious about anyone. Are you sure?”

“Who would know better than me?” he asked indignantly.

“Baby, I made lots of choices in my life that weren’t what I wanted. I made them out of fear, out of self-delusion. You said I seem to be doing well here, and I am. It’s wonderful. But the black cloud over my being happy is this... I didn’t do it sooner. I should have taken you out of that trailer park, got myself out of that bar where I was surrounded by the same people and the same behaviors. I should have talked to a therapist about my father thirty years ago.”

He reached across the table for her hand. “I have so much respect for the changes you’ve made.”

“Change isn’t easy, but it
is
worth it. Take it from your mother—you don’t want to be sitting alone, thirty years from now, wishing you’d changed soon enough for it to count.”

He always told himself he was most comfortable alone, but she painted a bleak picture. If he kept pushing others away, would he be happy? Tony and Dave would have wives that grew old with them, generations of children and grandchildren. Jack had said he didn’t need that. But when he thought about all the years stretched ahead of him, time that would pass without holding Riley, without seeing her smile...

He’d thought of his mother as self-destructive for years. Was it any less destructive to cut himself off from a chance at being happy?

“Jack, answer from your heart. What do you want?”

“Riley.” When he didn’t stop to think, the answer was simple.

“Then what are you doing here with me?”

* * *

T
HE
TRADITION
AT
the Kendrick house was that before they dug into the food, everyone had to name something for which they were thankful. In Riley’s current mood, it was hard to summon the appropriate gratitude.
I’m thankful my sisters convinced my mom
not
to invite Chris Buchannan
, she thought as her father passed her the delicate china gravy boat.
I’m thankful that I haven’t given in to the urge to cry in at least two days
.

After Wren took a turn saying she was thankful for her new job, and Rochelle and Perry said they were thankful for each other—gag—Riley managed, “I’m thankful for Mags. I used to tell people I found a dog. But the truth is, I feel like
she
found
me
.” And God knew Riley had appreciated the source of companionship and comfort recently.

“I am thankful,” Larry Kendrick said, “to have three healthy, amazing daughters. I—”

When the doorbell interrupted him, Riley glared at her mother. “If that is Chris Buchannan, so help me—”

“Riley!” Wren had already jumped out of her chair. The dining room window had a view of the front porch. “It’s not Chris Buchannan.”

Oh, hell. Was Mitch visiting his aunt across the street again?

“You don’t have to talk to him,” Wren said fiercely. “I will go to the door and get rid of him. It’s Thanksgiving, a day for eating your body weight in mashed potatoes, not dealing with the jerk who broke your heart.”

“Who broke Riley’s heart?” Larry demanded with a thunderous scowl.

“Jack?” Riley shot to her feet. “You don’t mean Jack’s here?”

Rochelle tossed her napkin on the table. “Good. I’d like the chance to give him a piece of my mind.”

“Hold it!” Riley stood in the doorway, hoping to head off vengeful sisters and murderous fathers. “Everyone who is not me, stay in this dining room. I’ll talk to him alone.” With that, she walked on trembling legs to the front door. Mags followed her, yapping happily the entire way.

Why on earth would he be here? If he’d wanted to talk to her, they were neighbors for pity’s sake! He could knock on her door anytime. Instead, he was interrupting Thanksgiving dinner and putting her in a position where she’d have to give her mother answers.
Well, you see, Mom, the man I was having all the recreational sex with freaked out when I told him I loved him
...

She was scowling when she opened the door, but it was hard to cling to her outrage at the sight of those familiar dark eyes. Especially when they were brimming with emotion. She swallowed hard. “What are you doing here? How’d you even find out where my parents live?”

The corner of his lips twitched. “I work with the police department, remember?”

“Mags!” The little dog had run out the door. Luckily, she didn’t go far. She was merrily jumping against Jack, putting her paws on his shins. Riley was squelching the urge to similarly throw herself at him.

“Can I come in?” he asked, squatting down to scratch the dog behind her ears.

“No.” Not with five potential eavesdroppers. She scooped Mags up, deposited the dog inside and shut the front door. “We can talk out here.”

“Okay.” He took a deep breath.

And said nothing.

If she wasn’t so exasperated by his unexplained presence—if just looking at him didn’t make her want to cry—it might have been funny. “Jack!”

“I’m sorry. I’m not good at this. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. I’m not good with feelings.” He grimaced just saying the word.

Nonetheless, she was encouraged. “You have feelings for me?”

“Major ones. Scary ones.” He reached out, taking both her hands in his. “The thing is, Riley, you’re the most special woman I’ve ever met. And you deserve a man who makes you feel special, who never gives you a single reason to doubt that he loves you.”

Her breath caught. “Are you saying you love me?”

“Yes. But I’m terrible at this.” He ducked his gaze, but not before she glimpsed the self-reproach in his eyes. Before she had a chance to respond, he lifted his chin and blurted in a single breath, “RileyIloveyou.”

Happiness flooded her. Her eyes stung, and for the first time in weeks, it wasn’t because she was miserable.

She beamed at him. “That was an impressive first step.” Maybe his rip-the-bandage-off approach wasn’t textbook romantic, but he’d driven over here to tell her he loved her. Also? The sudden flare of heat in his gaze was more than enough to make up for a moment of nerves.

“Saying I love you should be accompanied by a kiss, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He threaded his hands through her hair and claimed her lips in a steamy kiss her parents’ neighbors were going to be gossiping about for days.

Riley’s fingers curled in his shirt. “You are so
not
terrible at this,” she said shakily.

“I might be,” he warned. “But I’m highly motivated to get better. I never knew I wanted...love before, but you changed my mind. You changed my heart.”

Emotion welled inside her, a sweet, piercing tenderness so intense it was almost an ache. “I love you, Jack.”

“I love you, too.” The second time was easier. He didn’t even clench his jaw. He grinned, looking pleased with himself. “So, what now?”

“The bad news is, you have to come inside and meet my parents. My family will never forgive me if I jump in your truck and flee Thanksgiving dinner.”

“And the good news?” he prompted.

“Later, I get you alone.” Delicious anticipation fizzed through her. She couldn’t wait to tell Jack she loved him while he was inside her.

“Our getting back together deserves some kind of special celebration, don’t you think?”