His Girl Next Door: The Army Ranger's Return / New York's Finest Rebel / The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm

Her friend squeezed her hand and shook her head. “No. No, it’s not.”

“He’s not going to be around long enough for it to matter, right?”

Bella sighed then shrugged. She didn’t answer; it was a hypothetical question, anyway.

“You were right yesterday,” Jessica told her. “It’s time I let my hair down, enjoyed being in remission, being alive, and being in the company of a man.” She took a tiny sip of beer and tucked her feet up under her on the chair. She liked Ryan. She didn’t have to pretend otherwise. So why was she still trying to convince herself he was just another friend?

Because after what had happened last night, she knew that they were way beyond friends now.

Ryan pushed the button on his key to lock the car and walked toward the house. It was stupid, being nervous about meeting Jessica’s friends, but it had been a long time since he’d done normal stuff like this.

And his latest argument with George was playing on his mind. Hard to ignore.

His son had finally found his tongue, but the words coming out weren’t pretty. Ryan grimaced. Maybe George did genuinely hate him. And if he did, what on earth was he going to do about it?

He knocked at the door, sternly pushing back thoughts of his son. It swung back and Jessica grinned at him from inside.

“Hey, Ryan.”

The warmth that spread through him, the smile he couldn’t help but give her in return, somehow took away all the pain.

She was like his ray of sunshine on the gloomiest of days.

“Hi,” he answered.

She beckoned with her hand. “Come on in.”

Ryan hesitated for a second too long. He should have kissed her on the cheek, touched his hand to her arm, anything. But he’d waited too long. Now it would just be awkward. It was the second time he’d managed to do that and he vowed not to miss his chance again.

“So this is a friend’s place?”

She shook her head. “My brother’s.”

Oh, dear. He’d walked in on a family do or something.

When she’d said her brother was on burger duty he hadn’t realized it was his house.

“I don’t want to intrude, if you’re doing the whole family thing.”

She laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression shy. “It’s just my brother and another couple of friends.”

“If you’re sure.”

This time she was braver in reassuring him. This time she reached out and touched his arm, so lightly he could have missed it if he wasn’t watching the way her skin connected with his.

“It’s really nice to see you again.”

Ryan felt the warmth spread through him, just like it had when he’d arrived. He’d thought of little else but her since last night, except for when he was trying to deal with his son, and being with her again, right now, sure seemed right.

But then maybe he’d been away so long he wasn’t sure what he was feeling anymore.

“Come and meet everyone,” she urged.

Ryan stepped out into the yard and looked up. But the smile fell from his face in an instant, leaving him cold. That warmth that had spread through him like cookies just taken from the oven died like ice had been poured on them.

It wasn’t hard to pick out her brother. He was the one looking like he’d crush every bone in Ryan’s body, given half a chance. He stood up straighter, lifted his chin. He understood protective. If he had a sister like Jessica he’d probably be the same. But she was a grown woman and she’d invited him over. And he wasn’t the kind of guy easily intimidated—even if he did respect the big-brother macho act.

“Ryan, this is my friend Bella, and her husband, Bruce,” Jess said, making the introductions.

Ryan turned his attention to the petite blonde sitting with a little girl on her lap. Her double-wattage smile made up for the deathlike stare of the brother. He took the few steps to shake her husband’s hand.

“And little Ruby, of course.”

He smiled at the pudgy-armed child wriggling to get down.

Jessica moved closer to Ryan when she turned to face her brother.

“And this is my big brother, Steve.” He felt her stiffen as Steve walked over. “I promise he won’t bite.”

Ryan extended his hand and regretted it the moment the other man clasped it. His grip was tight, viselike, and his dodgy arm was barely up to matching his strength.

He tried not to scowl as pain shot up his arm. He was used to being the strongest, never losing an arm wrestle. Ryan clamped down his jaw and took the pain, refused to give in to it. Didn’t let it show even though he was burning inside.

“Nice to meet you, Steve.”

Jessica smiled sweetly in Ryan’s direction before taking a step closer to her brother and kicking him in the shin.

“Ow!” Steve dropped his iron grip and stepped back.

“He can be a pain in the backside.” Jessica smiled as her brother glared at her then went back to the barbeque. “It’s not until we have company over that we realize how barbaric he really is.”

Ryan smiled, but it was hard. His arm hurt like hell, scorching hot. He hated the ache that was thumping under his skin.

“So, Ryan, Jess tells us you’ve not long been back.”

He took the beer Jessica passed him and sat down in the nearest seat, looking over at her friend as she spoke.

“I’m home for a bit of rest and recovery, then hopefully back with my unit.”

Jessica sat down on the grass nearby. He moved to stand, to give her his seat, but she shook her head and crossed her legs, Hercules tucking in beside her.

It was hard not to watch her. Not to ignore everyone else and just drink her in. The way her ponytail fell over one shoulder, her tanned skin soft against the white of her T-shirt. The scoop neck showed him just enough cleavage to make it hard to swallow his beer.

And that smile. The way she cast her eyes downward when her lips curved up. It made him wonder what he’d ever done to have that look directed his way. To deserve her attention.

“So you’re not tempted to stay here, now you’re home?”

Ryan forced his eyes from Jessica and focused his attention back on her friends. “Tempting, but no.” He watched as Jessica played with a blade of grass, not looking up. “I need to be back with my unit.”

Steve appeared next to him then. “So you’re definitely leaving?”

Ryan nodded. Had he not made that clear?

Her brother gave Ryan what he guessed was a smile. It should have been easy to tell but it wasn’t. Unsaid words hung between them. Was Steve wondering why he was bothering with Jess, because he was leaving?

“How are those burgers coming along?” Jessica asked, breaking the silence.

Steve turned back to the meat, putting his hands up like he was surrendering.

Ryan took another swig of beer.

Maybe staying home with George would have been easier than facing off with the brother.

Jessica went out to Ryan’s car with him. It had been an interesting evening.

The fact it was only nine and the night was over told her it probably hadn’t been that successful. But then she’d pushed her luck hoping it would be.

It had reinforced a few things in her mind, though.

Her brother was an idiot sometimes, but he loved her and did his best to protect her. Even if it annoyed her intensely sometimes, she got it.

The other thing she’d learned was that Ryan was the kind of guy she wished she’d met years ago. Instead of wasting all her time on her idiot ex. Ryan had stood up to her brother with ease, and he was up-front and honest.

Bella had been right. What harm was there in having a little fun with a nice guy, when there was no chance of having her heart broken or breaking his? If he was only here for a short time, they could have a blast, enjoy one another and say goodbye as friends.

They were only a few steps from his car.

Jessica willed her body to cooperate and took a deep breath. She fell back one step and reached for Ryan’s hand, catching his wrist then letting her fingers glide down to his palm as he turned.

“Ryan, stop.”

She registered the surprise in his eyes as he faced her, but she didn’t let herself think about it. She’d been waiting to do this all night, wishing she had the courage. Jess kept hold of his hand and pulled him closer. His body obliged. Then she reached her other hand to cup his cheek, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

“Jessica …” he murmured against her mouth.

She shook her head. “Just kiss me.”

His lips met hers as if they’d been made to touch. But he only let her feather-light kiss brush him for a moment before he pushed closer to her, deepened their embrace and slipped his hand around her waist, pressing her gently against him.

His hold was tender but his kisses became more insistent, his mouth moving firmly over hers, his breath hot against her skin when he pulled away, before crushing her lips against his again.

Jessica sighed into his mouth, head cloudy, as if she was being swept away on a wave of happiness, floating with the tenderness of his touch and the way he’d responded to her.

“I’m not usually brave enough to do things like that,” she whispered.

Ryan smiled down at her, touched his forehead to hers, still holding her, both his arms around her waist now. He raised a hand and oh, so gently let his fingers skim her face, caress her cheek.

“Well lucky me then, huh?”

When she smiled at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth, he spun her around, one arm tight around her back, then pressed her against the car. Almost rough, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. That he wouldn’t even think one bruise on her skin was acceptable. And then he was kissing her again. This time harder, more urgently.

Jess let her head dip back as he pressed into her, his body hard against hers, fitted snugly against her shape. She moaned as he left her lips and traced a row of kisses down her neck, stopping with the last touch against the indent of her collarbone.

When he raised his eyes again, held her face with both his hands, she couldn’t help but giggle. A tiny gurgling noise that rose in her throat.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

She smiled then sighed, letting her lower body press into his, as he moved his upper body back slightly to accommodate her.

“It’s just …”

He nodded. “I know.”

She wondered if he did. If he understood how conflicted she felt.

And still they stood there, bodies locked together.

“Can I make it up to you and cook you dinner this weekend?”

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “I must be missing something here.”

“What?”

He dropped a kiss to her nose then took a step back. Jess shivered. She hadn’t been ready to let any air between them yet, could have stood like that all night. Against his rock-hard, strong body, and melted against that soft, pillowy mouth of his all evening.

“What do you need to make up to me?” he asked.

“For the way my brother was. The way tonight turned out.”

He caught her hand and traced a finger across her palm. “Believe me, sweetheart, you more than made up for his frostiness.”

Jessica’s entire body felt hot, clammy. She wasn’t used to being so bold, and she certainly wasn’t used to talking about her actions. “He’s, well, protective over me. We lost my sister a few years back, and he’s made it his personal mission to keep me safe.”

She wasn’t lying. The fact they’d lost their sister had made Steven protective. Her ending up with the same cancer had made him worse, spurred his “big bad wolf” routine into action, but keeping that part from Ryan wasn’t the same as not telling the truth.

“I’ve met my share of tough guys, Jess, and your brother doesn’t strike me as anything other than worried about his little sister making a bad choice. He just wants to keep you safe, right?”

She liked the kindness on Ryan’s face, the way he looked so open. It was not how she’d expected him to be. The soldier who’d seemed so tortured on paper was surprisingly unmessed-up in real life. Or else he was just really good at disguising it.

“I still want to make it up to you.”

He grinned. “I’d like that.”

Jessica didn’t know where to look. His eyes were shining at her, suggesting things she wasn’t sure about. Things she might want but maybe wasn’t ready for. Yet.

“So dinner Sunday night?” she offered.

“Yeah.” Ryan squeezed her hand and opened his door. “Maybe you could tell me about your sister.”

Jess felt a shiver trawl her spine, her pulse suddenly thumping. She didn’t want to go there. Didn’t want to tell him how her sister had died, without being able to admit what she’d been through.

It was too close. Still too real for her to open up to him. And if she told him the truth, about her sister dying and then her getting the same disease, he would know she’d been lying all this time. That she’d listened to him talk about his wife, listened to him say he didn’t ever want to be in that position again, and pretended she was fine. When she hadn’t been fine, and still might not be.

“Maybe.”

He didn’t seem put out. Relief washed through her as he casually shrugged. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

She pushed his car door shut when he put down the window.

“Sunday,” she affirmed.

Ryan pulled away slowly from the curb.

She watched him for a moment, then walked back to the house. Even though she felt a little guilty, that she should have just told him from the very beginning what had happened to her last year, about the breast cancer, it was so nice that he didn’t know.

Would he hold her the same if he knew? Or would he think her as breakable as a tiny bird? Would he want her so bad if he knew what she’d been through? Especially when his wife had battled something similar and lost. From what he’d so honestly told her, she already knew the answer to that.

Jessica looked up and found Steve leaning in the door frame, his body filling the space. She glared at him.

“How long have you been standing there?”

He shrugged, not even caring he’d been found out, that she’d caught him as good as spying on her. “Long enough.”

She gave him a shove in the shoulder and walked past him.

Once upon a time he would have shoved her back, grabbed her and made her beg for mercy, the way they’d been as kids, play fighting at every opportunity.

Tonight he just shut the door and followed. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“He’s only here for a couple of months.”

He grabbed her shoulder, his fingers firm enough to stop her. She didn’t turn.

“That wasn’t my question.”

Jess spun around. “So what? So what if I do?”

His eyes crumpled, the creases at the side of his eyes, the ones that hadn’t been there before she’d battled her cancer, appearing. Jessica hated seeing the way he’d aged.

She relaxed against his touch. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“I was going to say that he actually seemed like a nice guy.”

Jessica let out a shuddering breath. “He is.”

“And I can tell he likes you.”

She closed her eyes, embarrassed. Had Steve seen the way she’d kissed him? “But …?”

“But he’s going away soon and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Argh. There he went again. Just when she was starting to think he wasn’t going to interfere. But he was only telling her what she already knew.

“I know what I’m getting myself into, Steve.”

She turned to walk away again, but his words made her stop.

“But does he?” Her brother paused. She could feel him behind her but he didn’t touch her this time, didn’t try to stop her from walking away. “You need to tell him, Jess. He needs to know.”

Tears filled her eyes then, but she forced down the choke in her throat. Wouldn’t let it take hold of her. “Or what?”

His voice softened. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, okay?”

Too late for that. Her heart had already been broken before, shattered into so many pieces she’d wondered if it could ever recover. She was in no danger of Ryan doing that to her.

“I don’t want him to treat me any different, Steve. I just want him to like me for me.”

Steve moved closer, touched both his hands to her shoulders, waiting until she spun around to face him. “He’ll still want you, Jess. If he’s half-decent it won’t scare him, but you need to tell him.”

“I can’t,” she whispered.

Steve couldn’t understand, because she didn’t want to tell him the whole story. The truth about Ryan’s wife’s death. And it wasn’t her story to tell anyway.

“Come here.” Steve pulled her into his embrace and held her as she cried. As the tears soaked the shoulder of his T-shirt.

He might be an ass sometimes, an overprotective oaf, but when she needed him he was always there for her. She leaned heavily against him, safe in his arms.

“He’s not Mark, you know,” he told her, holding her tight. “The way he looked at you tonight, the way he was around you, I can just tell.”

She nodded against his shoulder and closed her eyes until the tears stopped.

“What if I want to be the old me for a little while? What if I want to enjoy his company and have fun while he’s here? Does he really need to know?” she begged.

Steve stepped back. “You’re not that kind of girl, Jess. If you were, your ex leaving you wouldn’t have hit you so hard.”

It was true. She’d never been interested in casual relationships, but this was different. This was getting outside her comfort zone with a man who wasn’t making her any promises, who was only here for a short time. Was it so bad that she wanted to be with him while she could?

“I don’t want him to know, Steve. It’s more complicated than I can explain.”

“I’m not saying anything if you’re not. It’s your choice.”

She kissed her brother on the cheek. “So if you liked him so much why were you so hard on him?”

That made him grin. “I had to test him. No point letting him off easy.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “You’re terrible.”

He linked arms with her and they walked back into the kitchen. “Nope, I’m your big brother. And it means I’m allowed to be the tough guy.”

As much as she moaned about him, there sure was something nice about knowing she had Steve around to protect her.

Ryan sat on his bed and toyed with his dog tag. It comforted him, the weight of it, reminded him of all those nights he’d lain awake on the other side of the world. Thinking about what he’d done, what he should have done and what the future held.

Part of him was itching to be back with his unit, but the other part was feeling settled. Happy to be back home on American soil.

And spending time with a girl he was going crazy about.

But it wasn’t helping him with his son. Jessica had helped him, plenty, but his feelings for her weren’t making things right with George. Instead he was showing her the person he wanted to be without proving the same to his son.

Something was weird about being back under the same roof as his parents. About having his son down the hall yet not feeling brave enough to go into his room to try to talk to him.

When he’d gone back to war after his wife died, he hadn’t had a choice. He had been granted emergency leave when she’d been diagnosed, and the army had been understanding when he’d kept extending it. But the reality was that he’d owed them more time, and even though it had been hard going away again after all that had happened, he’d done it.

Back then, he’d told his parents they could move into his house, to keep things less traumatic for George. Besides, their place had been small, and the home Ryan had shared with his wife was comfortable and much bigger.

Ryan had felt like his paying the mortgage, making sure his parents and son were financially okay, was enough. But it hadn’t been enough and until a couple of weeks ago he hadn’t truly understood that.

Jessica was helping him to clear his head. To realize what it meant to be a real father again. Somehow her letters and her compassion, the way she made him feel when they were together, were reminding him of the man he’d once been.

Because right now the man he was around her wasn’t the same man he was around his son.

And it was fear holding him back. Because when his son refused to talk to him, he wasn’t telling him he hated him. Ryan could still pretend that one day things might be okay again.

But unless he did something about it, he might lose his chance forever.

He smiled as he thought about Jessica. About the way she’d fallen into his arms tonight and kissed him like he’d almost forgotten how to. It had been a long time since he’d held a woman, and with her he felt like himself again.

It spurred him into action. If he was going to be that guy, he had to be him in every aspect of his life. And that meant making things right with George.

Now.

No more excuses.

He got up and opened the door, then walked down the hall. Light was still spilling out from beneath his son’s door, even though it was late.

Ryan knocked softly. There was no response, so he opened it.

George was lying on his bed, earphones in his ears, iPod resting on his chest. The lamp was still on, even though he’d fallen asleep.

He stood there, towering over his boy as he slept. His face was so young in slumber. There was no trace of the sulky preteen, almost a hint of the face he’d known years ago, when they’d been so close.

Ryan bent to pick up the iPod and gently reached to take the earphones out.

George stirred. Then opened his eyes.

Ryan froze.

His son went to say something, went to move, but Ryan put his hand against George’s chest and slowly bent his legs until he could sit on the bed. George didn’t say a word.

There were questions in his son’s eyes. Questions he wished would come out in the open so he could tell him the truth, could tell him how sorry he was.

George pulled the cord so his ears were free. Then glared at him. Ryan went to move, to stand up again, but his son grabbed his hand. Made him stop. Then George burst into tears, his entire body shaking from the sobs deep in his chest.

“Come here.” Ryan took his boy into his arms and held him, held him so tight he hoped he wasn’t hurting him, and fought the emotions that were running through his own body, thrumming through him, desperate to escape. His eyes were burning, body tense as he held his son, the boy suddenly feeling so young and vulnerable in his arms. “Shhh, it’s okay.”

“You left me,” George managed to say between sobs. “Why did you leave me?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, holding him even tighter, never wanting to let him go. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Grams told me,” George sobbed, “she said you would be leaving again soon.”

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and did his best to force away his own tears, to push them away and be strong for his son. It was like his heart was being pulled from his body to beat in the unforgiving heat of the desert sun. Left to wither, exposed to the world.

“I’ll never leave you like that again, ever.” Ryan said the words into his son’s hair. “I promise.”

“But you are going back?”

George pushed away from him to sit upright. His eyes full of hurt, questioning his father.

“I am going back,” he said, knowing he had to be honest. There was no point in pretending otherwise. But it was also time for him to be honest with himself. He wasn’t done with the army, not yet, and he’d already agreed to another term. But it was time to prioritize, and he’d given his country years of service. Had been a dedicated and loyal soldier.

Now maybe it was time to put that same amount of energy into being the father he’d once been. The father he’d always wanted to be. Maybe it wasn’t just about his duty to the army anymore.

“This time will be my last tour,” he said, knowing he was speaking the truth, even though he’d never decided, until right now, that it was going to be his final stint away. “I will go away one more time, then I’ll be done. And this time I’ll be there for you even though I’m away—we’ll stay in touch properly, okay?”