Jenny (Beach Brides Book 5) Read online

  “Are you going to tell me what happened?” he finally asked.

  The same goes for you.

  She’d asked him to talk to her. It was her turn. “Yes, I probably should.”

  “Not probably.”

  He was correct. Jenny looked away.

  “My parents and my brother are dead.” There was no way to sugarcoat what needed to be said. “My parents were killed in a head-on collision. Rob, my little brother and Missy’s husband, was a marine. He was killed in Afghanistan six years ago. IED.”

  Dare wrapped his arm around her, blanketing her in his warmth. “Oh, babe.”

  “My mom was in the ICU, so I split time between her and my dad’s room. One afternoon, I went to see him and his room was empty like yours. There’d been some mix-up, but he was dead and had been moved out without anyone telling me. I had nightmares about it for a long time, but they stopped. After Rob’s death, they started up again. Anxiety attacks followed. Not many, but a few, and a couple of them happened in not the best places. I’ve been fine for over four years, but I freaked when you weren’t there this morning. Logically, I knew you were fine, but… I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Fear isn’t logical. And based on what happened to your family…” Dare held her tight, providing a comfort and security she’d only dreamed of feeling someday. “I’m here, and I plan to be here. With you. If the grim reaper has other ideas, I won’t go without a fight. I’ll do my best to show him not to mess with a ranger.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You’d better.”

  He gazed into her eyes. “Anything for you.”

  Forget having a little crush on this man. She had a big one. She was falling hard for Dare.

  He slipped his hand around her and pulled her closer. His mouth met hers in the gentlest of kisses. The tender touch made Jenny feel so special, and she leaned into him and his kiss.

  “You mean so much to me.” He showered kisses up her jawline until he reached her earlobe. “I don’t want you to feel that kind of panic or anxiety. I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe, Jenny. Make you feel safe. I promise, but I am in the military, and I get deployed. A lot. Is that going to be a problem for you?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.” She wasn’t sure how to answer. “Everything has been happening in real time, but I have thought about the future. What you do worries me, and it might be easier if you had some other kind of job, but my parents are proof that you can just be going about your day and have something awful happen.”

  “So being in the military isn’t a deal breaker like not believing in aliens and Bigfoot?” he joked.

  “Well, when you put it that way…”

  He kissed her again. “You need time to think about it. Not be pushed into a decision, okay?”

  “Okay.” Jenny smiled at him. “But I’m pretty sure the military isn’t going to be a problem.”

  Her affection for this man kept growing. Jenny couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without him. She didn’t want to. She’d rather talk about their future together, even if that was only visiting their hometowns right now. For the first time in a long time, she wanted a relationship.

  She wanted Dare.

  She just hoped he wanted Jenny.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Dare’s new room came with a great view and a roommate. Vince Antonello was a private who’d been wounded. He’d been at the hospital for a few months. The guy was healing so slowly it didn’t seem like he would ever recover, but Vince didn’t seem to mind. He read books during the day when he wasn’t off for treatments and talked in his sleep at night. All in all, not bad for a roomie.

  His parents had needed to return to their jobs in Erie, Pennsylvania. The past two days, Dare’s mom had stepped up and treated Vince like a long-lost son, and the kid was eating up the attention. She’d also baked cookies for Carlos with extra for Vince and Dare.

  He’d had Jenny go with him to deliver the cookies to Carlos. The visit had been brief but proved to Dare she could handle being a military wife. Seeing the two interact—telling funny stories about him—was the proof he needed that Jenny would fit into his world just fine. He hoped she saw that, too. Only…

  Vince’s parents as well as Carlos’ fiancée returning home had Dare thinking about Jenny. When did she need to leave? Part of him didn’t want to ask the question, but he couldn’t pretend she didn’t have a life in Berry Lake. One that didn’t include him.

  He didn’t even know what she did for a living. She had been here, and that was all that mattered, but now he needed to know more about her life at home.

  Dare would ask what her plans were today.

  Jenny entered the room with two shopping bags. She handed one to Vince and the other to Dare. “These are for you.”

  Dare glanced into his bag to see puzzle books, a deck of cards, and candy. “Thanks so much.”

  “This is great, Jenny.” Vince removed a handheld electronic game. “The game will keep me busy until I get more books to read.”

  Dare kissed her forehead. “You shouldn’t have.”

  “Yes, she should have,” Vince countered. “I love presents.”

  Jenny laughed.

  Dare shook his head. “I wasn’t talking to you, Vince.”

  Vince raised a hand. “Sorry, dude. Talk away. I’m going to play my game.”

  Dare waited to see if Vince said anything else. He didn’t.

  “I’m going to have Jenny pull the curtain,” Dare said. “Sorry, but I want some privacy with my girl.”

  “Just don’t be too loud.” Vince laughed.

  Jenny closed the curtain that separated the two halves of the room. “Privacy, huh?”

  Dare shrugged. “Do you want an audience?”

  “Depends on what you have in mind.”

  Oh, he had lots in mind, but not now. “You’re tempting me to go rogue and forget what I had planned.”

  “What did you have planned?”

  “It’s boring.”

  “Boring is my middle name.”

  Dare didn’t buy that for a second. “Well, I wanted to ask about your schedule.”

  Her nose crinkled. “Schedule?”

  He nodded. “How long are you planning to stay? It’s crazy, but I’ve never asked when you needed to go home or about your job.”

  “You’ve had a lot going on.”

  She hadn’t answered him. “So…”

  “I’m self-employed,” she said without missing a beat. “I set my own schedule and can stay as long as you need me. Missy is doing better than either of us thought she would on her own.”

  Okay, but Jenny hadn’t completely answered his question. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a writer.”

  That was…unexpected. “What do you write?”

  She wiped her palms on her jeans. “Books.”

  “Would I have read any?” Vince shouted.

  So much for the curtain, but Dare was glad his roommate asked the question so he didn’t have to.

  “Have you read Expecting the Sasquatch’s Baby? Wanted: Sasquatch Lover? The Sasquatch’s Runaway Bride?”

  “Can’t say I’ve read any Bigfoot romances,” Vince said. “But I may have to check one out if you wrote it.”

  Heat rushed up Dare’s cheeks. He didn’t know if Jenny was serious, but that would explain her Bigfoot fascination. “I haven’t read those, but they sound…um…interesting.”

  Jenny burst out laughing. “I’m kidding.”

  “She got you good, dude.” Vince laughed, too.

  “You should have seen the expression on your face,” she joked. “You’re totally blushing. It’s adorable.”

  Adorable wasn’t the adjective Dare wanted her to use to describe him. “What do you really write?”

  “Thrillers. I have a series called the Thorpe Files.”

  Vince swore. The curtain opened.

  “I don’t believe this,” he said. “You’
re Jenna Ford?”

  It was Jenny’s turn to blush. “Jenna Ford is my pseudonym.”

  Dare looked at Vince. “You’ve read Jenny’s books?”

  “Who hasn’t?” Vince appeared starstruck. “Ashton Thorpe is the man. They’re making a movie from the first book. Can’t wait to see who they pick to play Ash.”

  “Let’s hope whoever it is does Ash proud,” Jenny said.

  The name of the character sounded familiar, more so than her author name. Ashton Thorpe. Where did Dare know that name?

  “You have to read Assassin Down, dude.” The excitement in Vince’s voice matched the look in his eyes. “It’s the first book in the series. I’ve read it five times. Gets better each time.”

  Assassin Down. Realization dawned. Dare knew that book. Carlos had loaned it to him during a deployment last year. “Is that the one where they use submarines to smuggle drugs?”

  “That’s it. You have to read the rest of the series,” Vince added.

  Dare smiled at Jenny, who seemed embarrassed. “Looks like I’ve read one of your books after all.”

  She gave him a closemouthed smile.

  “I’ve gotta ask. I read an interview where you called Ash your perfect man,” Vince said. “How does Dare stack up?”

  Dare shifted uncomfortably in his bed.

  “Ash is the perfect fictional guy.” She leaned over and kissed Dare. “I prefer being with this real guy better.”

  Just great. Ash was perfect, and Dare was real. He grimaced.

  “Move over Ashton Thorpe, there’s a new hero in town. Lucky you, Dare.” Vince snickered. “You could wind up as Mr. Ford. Make that Sergeant Ford.”

  Dare stiffened. His roommate was turning into a real pain.

  Jenny bit her lip. “Ford isn’t my real name.”

  “But your readers think it is,” Vince countered.

  She shrugged.

  “So, Jenna,” Vince said. “What’s it like to be a rich and famous bestselling author?”

  “My name is Jenny.” She toyed with the edge of the blanket on Dare’s bed. “And it doesn’t suck.”

  She spoke in a lighthearted tone, but her smile looked fake. She scratched her neck.

  Dare stared at her, dumbfounded. He knew nothing about writing or authors, but the Jenny he knew wasn’t rich and famous. He thought she would deny both. But she hadn’t, and he couldn’t wrap his head around that.

  “Cool.” The way Vince nodded made him seem like he was party to a secret.

  Secret.

  The word echoed through Dare’s mind…as did his mother’s words.

  Your father was the master at keeping secrets. I had to drag everything out of him.

  Pressure built behind Dare’s temples, and his forehead throbbed. A heaviness pressed down on him. He felt as if he were being run over by a tank.

  Jenny had been keeping secrets from him since she’d arrived. Her parents. Her brother. Her job. Her…fame.

  Jenny had wanted him to open up to her. He had, but she hadn’t been willing to do the same. Not until he’d asked. Dare had needed to drag the words out of her tonight, just like his mom had tried to do with his father for years.

  That raised a huge red flag. One that totally eclipsed Jenny wanting to stay home when he loved traveling to new places, which was the only requirement on her list he didn’t meet. Roswell was something he could compromise on, as well as Bigfoot, even the traveling when he wasn’t being deployed. But if he couldn’t trust her to tell him things…

  “Were you going to tell me about this?” Dare gritted out the words.

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know.”

  His father had said something similar when questioned by his mom. The words “I don’t know” had been his dad’s catchphrase. His dad had never known anything. Dare’s muscles tensed into knots.

  Jenny touched his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’ve been keeping so many secrets from me.” His voice sounded hoarse. “Is there anything else I should know about you?”

  “I wasn’t keeping secrets. You’re injured. Knowing about my family or what I do wouldn’t have helped you right now.”

  “Those things are part of who you are. Stuff that will help me know you better.”

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  “That’s my job.” The words burst from his mouth so fast she flinched. “Or was my job. Now…”

  He stared at his arm in a cast and his leg in another cast.

  Worthless. That was what he was.

  Jenny was five years older than him. The age difference hadn’t mattered. But add in a successful career, one that earned her a lot of money, way more than he’d ever earn in the army, and where did that leave him?

  He’d never be the breadwinner. Never be able to take care of her. Not the way he wanted. Vince’s statement about Dare being Mr. Ford could be what everybody would think. Dare didn’t know if he could handle that.

  A coldness seeped through him. He wanted to bolt, but he was stuck in bed. A sad realization made him feel empty, almost numb.

  Did Jenny even need someone like him in her life?

  No. The word resonated through him. She didn’t need him.

  She clutched his arm. “Dare, please. I’m sorry—”

  “Go back to your hotel, Jenny or Jenna. Whoever you are. It’s over.” Dare shrugged off her touch. It was over. He’d tried to have another relationship and failed. He was finished trying. “I want to be alone.”

  Her lower lip quivered. “But—”

  “Go.”

  She walked to the end of the bed and then turned. Her eyes were cold, and her skin flushed. “Before I leave, there is one more thing I haven’t told you.”

  Dare knew it. His jaw tensed. “What?”

  “I told you about my fiancé, but I left something out. He didn’t only want me to pay part of his debt. He wanted me to cover the entire balance. I asked him to sign a prenuptial agreement, so I wouldn’t have to pay anything. It would have also made him give up any rights to my books. He wouldn’t sign, and he told me that the only reason he—or any man—would want to be with me was because of Jenna Ford. But you proved him wrong. You don’t want Jenna or Jenny.”

  Before he could say anything, she hurried out of the room.

  “Dude.” Vince shook his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing, because she’s pissed. I have a feeling she’s not coming back.”

  “I told her to go. I meant it. I just want to be alone.”

  And Dare did.

  Except…he couldn’t explain why his stomach churned and he felt sick.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  In the hospital lobby, Jenny called Susan to tell her Dare was upset and she was going to her hotel. When Susan asked why, Jenny told her to talk with her son.

  The drive to the hotel seemed to take twice as long as usual. Jenny focused on the road. It was the only way to keep from falling apart. A burning charcoal briquette was lodged in her throat. A weight pressed against her chest.

  She parked the car and hurried inside. The first two times she inserted her key card into the lock, the door to her room wouldn’t open. She tried again. The green diode illuminated.

  Thank goodness.

  Her shoulders sagged. She was struggling to hold herself together, but she only needed a few seconds more…

  A push on the door handle, and she nearly fell into her room. Her bag slid off her shoulder. If not for her laptop inside, she would have let it fall to the carpet. Instead, she set her tote gently on the floor.

  The door closed and…

  Hot tears streamed down her face. All the hurt and confusion she was feeling poured out.

  She wasn’t sure what had happened, but things had gone downhill fast. The finality in Dare’s eyes and the harshness in his voice when he told her to leave had broken her heart. She’d never seen him like that. Not even after a bad therapy session.

  He hadn�
��t been asking her to leave his room.

  Dare wanted her out of his life.

  Go.

  With trembling hands, Jenny pulled out her phone and called Missy.

  No answer.

  That brought more tears.

  Between sobs, Jenny left a voice message. Most likely incoherent, but she’d tried.

  With her cell still in hand, she collapsed on the bed. Her heart felt as if it were splitting into pieces. Sharp, fragmented ones that were cutting her from the inside.

  Jenny’s phone rang. The ringtone belonged to Missy. “Hey.”

  That was what Jenny had intended to say, but she had a feeling it was more of a grunt.

  “What is going on?” Missy’s words tumbled out one on top of the other. “I couldn’t understand your message.”

  “I was crying.”

  “Because…”

  “Dare and I…” Tears stung Jenny’s eyes again. She stared up at the ceiling, but that didn’t help. “It’s over.”

  “What happened?”

  Jenny explained how Dare’s question about her schedule and job evolved into accusations of her keeping secrets and him telling her to leave.

  “Are you sure it’s over?” Missy asked. “I know what happened with Grant has kept you from getting serious about anybody, but I’ve never heard you talk about a man like you talk about Dare.”

  “I was ready to pursue something more with Dare. I…I love him.”

  “Oh, Jenny…”

  “Love is the only thing that explains why I’m falling apart right now, but I was falling for him before this happened. And everything since then confirms it.”

  Jenny hiccupped. Her breath stuttered, and she wiped her tears before continuing.

  “Dare took me to meet one of his guys earlier. Carlos. He’s a corporal. In his early twenties. Nice guy, who might be paralyzed, but as soon as Dare walked into the room, Carlos lit up. Watching Dare be there for and interact with Carlos showed me how special Dare is. I never thought about dating someone in the military after what happened with Rob, but that wouldn’t stop me from being with Dare. It’s part of who he is, and he gives so much of himself. Oh, Missy… I wanted some of that. I thought I had it.”