She quickly steered the conversation in a different direction. “I want to apologize.”
“For?”
“Getting so upset when I saw Cody helping you this morning. It’s just that he seems too young to do that kind of stuff. But then I saw how happy he was helping you. Besides, I should have realized you’d make sure he was safe.”
Jared pulled at the leather strings on the baseball glove he’d been using. “No, you’re right. He is too young.”
“Did you do that kind of stuff when you were his age?”
“Yeah.”
“Like?”
He twirled the glove in his hand. “Like a hell of a lot harder things than mowing a damn lawn.” He motioned to the field, ending the discussion. “They’re done with warm-up. I’m gonna go grab a Coke before the game starts. What would you like?”
She wanted to ask him more, but one look at the hard set to his jaw, and she knew he wouldn’t answer. “A Diet Coke would be great.”
Even behind his dark glasses, she could feel the heat of his gaze. “Diet is the last thing you need. You’re getting a regular one.”
She watched his broad shoulders disappear into the throng of people standing in front of the concession stand. From all outward appearances, Jared appeared to have everything. But more and more, Jenny kept glimpsing a different side of him. A boy who grew up without a home. A teenager who did jobs more suited for an adult than a kid. A man alone who seemed to isolate himself from almost everyone and everything. Even as she tried to stop it, her heart reached out to him. He was making her life a living hell, but it didn’t seem to matter. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to fill the emptiness she glimpsed in him.
Jared returned with their drinks, and for the next two hours Jenny forgot her worries as she watched the kids play their hearts out. Cody pitched through five innings and reached base safely three out of his four trips up to bat. In the end, his team won by a score of eleven to three.
“Great game,” she said as they made their way back to the truck after handing out snacks. Jenny didn’t hear a complaint from the parents about her food choice, so she took that to be a good sign. “You looked like a real pro out there.”
“Thanks,” Cody said, quickly turning to Jared. “Didja see that double play Parker made in the second inning?”
“Just like a major leaguer.”
“Yeah.” Cody twisted off the top of his Gatorade and took a long swallow. “We creamed ’em.” He took another drink. “Thanks for the warm-up. It really helped.”
“Glad I could do it. Thanks for inviting me. I had a fun time.” There was nothing but truth in Jared’s voice.
When they reached the truck, Cody put his bag in the bed of the truck and hopped in the passenger side, leaving Jenny stuck in the middle again.
Seeing her hesitation, Jared just grinned.
“Behave,” she warned him for the third time, unable to forget the look of joy on Cody’s face when he talked to Jared.
“Always.”
“Never.” She climbed in. Jared slid in next to her and started up the truck. “How about we celebrate with some pizza?” she said.
“As long as you aren’t cooking,” they said in unison.
She bit back a smile. “And here I was even going to suggest we go out for ice cream, too.” Then she laughed, because she knew they’d end up having both.
It was nearly dark by the time they arrived back home. As they pulled into the driveway, Jenny saw her mom emerge from her beige Mercedes.
“It’s Grandma,” Cody said.
“Yes, it is,” Jenny said, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. She wondered what had brought her mom over so late.
“Hi, Mom,” she said as they piled out of the truck. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine. Except I’ve been trying to reach you for over an hour.”
“Sorry. I left the house without my cell. You’re sure everything is fine?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I’m just here to pick up Cody. Anna has to work later than planned, and she’d like me to take Cody home so he can get to bed at a decent time for school tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Jenny let out a relieved breath. Ever since losing Steven, she tended to assume the worst. Whether it was a middle-of-the-night call, the sound of a siren, or someone—even her mother—showing up at odd hours. “I’m sorry we’re home later than expected. We went out for pizza and ice cream to celebrate Cody’s big win.”
Catherine walked over and gave Cody a hug. “Congratulations. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”
“That’s okay, Grandma. Mom told me you’re working on some party.”
Jenny’s mom smiled. “That’s right. But the
party
is almost here, and then I won’t be so busy. You and I will have to plan some fun stuff for the summer. But it’s getting late, and we really should get on the road.”
Cody nodded and turned to Jared. “Thanks again for all your help.”
Jared tugged on the bill of Cody’s cap. “Anytime, slugger.
“Just give us a sec,” Jenny said, steering Cody to the house. “We’ll have his things rounded up in no time.”
Jared knew Jenny’s second could be anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. Right now all he wanted was a beer and to be alone. But he could tell Jenny’s mother had something on her mind. He leaned his back against the front fender and braced his boot on the inner rim of the tire.
“You went to Cody’s game?” she asked.
“He invited me.” Jared knew he shouldn’t have gone. But hearing so much raw desperation in Cody’s voice brought back too many childhood memories. There had been no way he could say no.
The porch light came on, but the single sixty-watt bulb didn’t extend to the driveway. Even so, in the waning evening light he could see the resemblance between mother and daughter. During their first meeting in the restaurant, Jared had barely given Jenny’s mom a second glance. As he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind, he noted she was still a striking woman for her age. But where Jenny was soft and too bighearted for her own good, her mother seemed tougher and less forgiving.
“May I be direct?”
“By all means.” He shifted his weight, planted his other boot on the tire.
“Something tells me I can ask, but you may not answer.”
Jared remained silent.
Catherine let out a sigh. “Jenny means the world to us, Mr. Worth. Or should I say Commander Worth. Paul told us you are a pilot in the military.”
He wasn’t a commander anymore. “Jared, please.”
“Jared.” Catherine gave a slight nod of her head. “We don’t want to see Jenny hurt. She’s suffered enough already.”
“I have no intention of causing your daughter any harm, Mrs. Beckinsale. Jenny and I have a business relationship. That’s all.” That kiss sure as hell hadn’t been about business.
“I guess I’ll have to take your word on that.”
“You have it.”
Catherine Beckinsale’s face seemed to relax ever so slightly. “Thank you,” she said before opening the driver’s side door of her car and reaching inside. She handed an envelope to Jared. “As Jenny’s business partner, please accept this invitation to come to the museum’s charity event. It’s formal—black tie—so I’ll understand if—”
“Will Jenny be there?”
“Yes.” Catherine paused. “Her father and I plan to pick her up.”
Jared pushed away from the truck. “Don’t bother. I’ll bring her.”
Catherine would have said more, but just then Cody and Jenny came out of the house carrying his backpack and small suitcase.
“All ready,” Cody said. “Bye, Aunt Jen. Bye, Jared.”
“Bye, kiddo,” Jared said. “Don’t forget this.” He grabbed the baseball bag out of the back of the pickup, waited for Catherine to pop her trunk, then placed the bag, backpack, and suitcase inside.
Cody opened the passenger door, then looked at Jared over the hood of the car. “Maybe . . . if you’re not busy, you’d like to come to my game Thursday.”
“I’ll do my best,” he hedged.
“Sweet.” Cody slid into the car and shut the door.
Catherine gave Jenny a hug then turned and stared at Jared for several moments. He easily read the warning in her gaze.
“I’m bushed,” Jenny said as her mom drove off. “Good night.” She didn’t wait for a response before hurrying into the house.
Jared watched her leave. He wanted to follow her inside. And not for the same reason he’d been staying close to her all week. This wasn’t about the business or about getting his money back. There was only one reason he wanted to follow her: to be near her, to see her smile, to hear her laugh.
More lights went on inside the house. A warm glow spilled outward from the mullioned windows. Upstairs, the light in Jenny’s bedroom came on.
Keep your eye on the prize,
he reminded himself, thinking of Mexico.
But what if he was after the wrong thing?
Swearing, he turned and went into the hangar. Thoughts like that could get him into a hell of a lot of trouble. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and a heavy flannel coat off the workbench. As he left the hangar, he made his way to the beach. He dragged one of the camp chairs over to the cold fire pit. Slouching in the seat, he propped his boots on the charred rocks surrounding the pit, crossed his feet at the ankles, and twisted the cap off the Bud.
Stars packed the inky sky, and an owl hooted behind him. As he took a long drink, he listened to the waves sloshing against the dock and the rustling of critters in the underbrush. On the far side of the lake, house lights flickered through the trees. He kept his gaze straight ahead, refusing to look at the house behind him. The house that glowed like a damn Christmas card, making him feel welcome when he knew he was not.
My nana always told me this lake was magical. This water could heal almost anything
.
Has it healed you?
Almost.
He might want Jenny with a passion that burned through him, but he knew he wasn’t what she wanted. Today as he’d tossed the ball back and forth with Cody and sat in the stands with Jenny, he let himself fall into a fantasy. One where he was more than just a stranger passing through. Where he was a part of something, part of a family. A part of Jenny’s life. He let himself wonder what it would be like to have her waiting for him when he came down from the sky. But he wouldn’t be coming down from the sky. Ever again. Jenny and his days as a top gun were as out of reach as the stars overhead.
He took another drink. Silhouetted in the moonlight, the seaplane rocked gently at the end of the dock. He waited to feel the same disgust he did every time he looked at the bulky, cumbersome plane, but tonight, looking at the plane bobbing in the water, he couldn’t make himself forget what it had meant to fly. He tried to push the memories away but found it impossible. With the wide-open sky overhead, he could almost hear the roar of the jet engines, smell the jet fuel. There had been a time when he’d been up in that endless sky going eight hundred miles an hour. He’d thought he could walk away, find a bit of peace on an isolated stretch of beach in Mexico. Now he wasn’t sure.
In one gulp, he drained almost half his beer and pulled the invitation out of the front pocket of his jacket. The heavy card stock was intricately engraved. He glanced at the date. Two weeks from today the event would take place. His thumb rubbed over the embossed words, and he wondered what had prompted him to say he would go. But he knew. Just like he knew that he needed to get out of here, as far away from Jenny as possible, and from everything that reminded him of what he could never have.
I have no intention of causing your daughter any harm, Mrs. Beckinsale. Jenny and I have a business relationship. That’s all
.
He’d meant what he’d said. Hurting Jenny was the last thing he intended. If he could just walk away, he would. But if he left, he’d leave with nothing, and, more importantly, Jenny and this damn business she was trying so hard to keep afloat would still go under. He’d heard the calls she’d been making all week. He also knew nothing would ever come of them. Twice now, he’d seen how much her family worried about her. It was obvious they would do anything for her—even bail her out. Just like Steven had said.
Jared looked at the invitation again. Maybe this event was just the ticket. Maybe, with her family’s help, she would finally accept the truth: there was no way she could save this business. The sooner she accepted that, the better off they’d both be. Then he could leave, get out of her life, and get her out of his mind.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number he thought he’d never call again.
“Hello?” The voice was raspy from sleep.
“Hart? Wake up.”
He could hear a female voice in the background: “Sugar, come back over here. I’ve got something special I want to give you.”
“Worth, is that you?” Kenny Hart asked, apparently ignoring his female companion. “Christ, man. I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks. Hang on.”
There was a rustling noise like Kenny had gotten out of bed and was pulling on some clothes. The woman whined some more as Kenny let her know she was free to leave.
Jared could only imagine the woman’s frustration. Lieutenant Commander Kenny Hart was a top-notch pilot and certified ladies’ man. For as long as Jared had known him, women had lapped up his good looks and open smile.
“Okay, Ghost. Talk.”
“Hope I didn’t take you away from someone important.”
“They’re all important,” Hart said with a chuckle.
“Does she have a name?”
“Same as all the others. Baby. Only with you gone, I get the pick of the litter.” Kenny paused. “Listen, Worth. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for weeks. Hell, the whole squadron has. The CO’s been looking for you. He wants to see you ASAP.”
“I’ve got nothing left to say. The CO saw my ass for the last time when I resigned my commission. Now drop it,” Jared said with a finality that left no room for further comment. “That’s not why I called. I need a favor.”