Chapter 7 #2
Jane had always felt lost in the shuffle, fourth out of five, the second girl and never a troublemaker. Mac had been the precious baby, Mindy had been the favored, dependable child. Patrick the responsible older brother and Cameron, her other brother, was the maverick.
And then there was Jane. Poor plain Jane. That’s what they’d called her in elementary school.
“How about now? Would you want to get rid of them?” Chris asked.
“No.” Jane shook her head, thinking of how they’d supported her right after the accident, when she’d been in the medical-induced coma and unable to take care of her children, take care of anything.
They’d been there for her every step of the way, helping her parents, helping her, giving her so much.
“I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
“I envy you that,” Chris admitted quietly, and she wanted to ask him more questions.
Why was his mother too busy to see him? When did his dad die and how?
Was his relationship with his mother rocky?
She couldn’t imagine having a bad relationship with her parents.
Her mother drove her crazy, yes, but she loved her. She loved her father, too.
“It looks like Mac has adopted you,” she said, wanting to avoid the heavy stuff. All of that would only make her fall for him even more, and she didn’t want to do that.
She couldn’t.
Chris smiled. “Your brother is a good guy, a good friend.”
“He is a good guy,” Jane agreed. And he’d always been one to take in strays. As a child, he’d brought home endless injured animals or lost pets, begging their parents to allow them to stay. It looked as if Mac had carried the habit into adulthood.
“Jane.” Christian took a step closer and she couldn’t move, nerves making her stomach flutter, her legs waver.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable by being here.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe we should—forget what happened between us before and move forward.
Consider each other a friend and that’s it. ”
She blinked, her eyes actually watery, and she turned away, afraid she might start to cry.
“You’re right. It’s probably best.” She leaned over the table and brushed a few stray crumbs into her palm, then walked over to the makeshift garbage can Mindy had set up and dumped them into it.
“I’m sure I’m not ready for something like this. ”
“Right. Something like this.” His echo of her words sounded hollow, empty.
She ignored it. Putting on a brave face instead, she turned to find him standing directly in front of her, his expression…lost. As if he couldn’t quite comprehend what just happened.
Her heart cracked and she wanted to reach for him, offer him comfort, but she held back. Rubbed her hands in front of her instead, hoping to calm her nerves, stop the shaking that seemed to come every time he came close.
He watched her, his gaze dropping to her clutched hands, and he grabbed her right one, held it in his own. Turned it this way and that as if he admired it. A million tingles broke out across her skin and she bit her lip to keep from saying anything.
Friends don’t react to each other like this. Never like this.
“You have the tiniest hands I’ve ever seen.” His voice was soft, his touch gentle, and she watched, held her breath as he brought her hand up to study it close. Too close to his mouth. That sensual, beautiful mouth that knew exactly how to kiss her.
He lifted his lids, his golden brown eyes meeting hers, and she was lost, caught in his spell, everything she’d said only moments ago forgotten. She wanted him to kiss her again. Would give thanks on the most thankful of days if he pressed that delicious mouth on hers right at this very moment…
“Touch football game in ten!” Mac yelled from the doorway.
Jane jerked away from Chris and he dropped her hand. She turned, saw her brother standing there with a confused expression on his face, and she flashed him a smile.
“Have fun. I don’t do touch football.” She started to move past him but Mac stopped her with a hand on her forearm.
“Are you sure, Janey? You used to play every Thanksgiving.”
“I used to do a lot of things,” she told him, her voice a little too fierce, causing Mac to take a step back.
She left the room, unsure of where to go.
She didn’t want to be outside with the rest and watch them play, and she didn’t want to go back into the kitchen because even as busy as Mindy was, she’d notice Jane was upset.
So she hid in the bathroom like some sort of forlorn pre-teen.
Slammed the toilet lid shut and sat, burying her face in her hands.
And proceeded to cry her eyes out.
“What’s going on with you and my sister?”
Chris tensed, staring straight ahead. Mindy’s husband was sacking the kids before the game even started, tossing the football to Mac’s older brother Patrick. The children ran around the yard like squealing, whirling dervishes, bouncing off one another, giggling and shouting their demands.
It was loud. It was chaos. It was nothing like he’d experienced at any family get-together in his life.
He loved every blessed second of it.
“There’s nothing going on,” Chris finally answered.
And it was the truth. Yes, his reaction to her, their reaction to each other, confused the hell out of him.
She had him tied up in knots. He wanted to make her smile, make her laugh, talk to her, learn her dreams, her hopes, her likes and dislikes.
He wanted to hold her, kiss her, undress her. He wanted to take her to his bed.
He wanted a lot with Jane. Sometimes, he also wanted to run like hell. And apparently, so did she.
Chris blinked, shook his head once. His thoughts…were serious.
Like, whoa serious.
“You looked like you were about to kiss her.”
“We went to the movies once, a couple weeks ago. No big deal. We’re just friends.” He was amazed he could say all that with a straight face.
Mac stared at him, his gaze unwavering, and Chris gave as good as he got. Finally Mac looked away, watching the scramble of adults and children in the giant backyard.
“If you wanna date my sister, I’m not going to stop you,” Mac said. “But it can’t be like it usually is.”
“What do you mean by that?” Chris’s feathers were ruffled. His shoulders went tense, and his voice was rough with irritation.
“I’ve known you since you moved here and I’ve never seen you get serious about a woman—ever. But hanging out with my sister, or whatever you want to call it? Come on, dude. You told me so yourself you don’t do commitment.”
“I don’t.” He didn’t. He never had. His parents’ terrible marriage had cured him of ever wanting that. So why, when he looked at Jane, did she make him think of forever? He barely knew her.
But he wanted to know her better. Of course, he’d been the one to insert his foot in his mouth and remind her of the just friends bit. Forget about what had happened between them before and call it good.
Was he some sort of idiot or what?
“And Jane is too fragile to go out with someone like you and then get dumped. She’s suffered enough,” Mac added.
“I told you, there’s nothing going on between Jane and me.” It was a lie, but he had to say it. Had to convince himself it was the truth.
“She’s my sister and she’s had a tough time of it.” Mac sent him a measured look. “You break her heart and I’ll hunt you down, tear you apart.” His friend smiled, but Chris knew he was being serious. The entire family was protective of Jane.
“I won’t break her heart. I promise,” Chris vowed solemnly. But could he back up such a promise?
“You better not. I don’t want to send you to the hospital.” Mac chuckled.
Chris rolled his eyes. “Like you could.”
“Whatever, man. You gonna play some ball or what?”
“Yeah, I’m in. Are the kids playing?”
Mac snorted. “Of course. I’ll have you know if you don’t watch it, one of those punks will take you down. Mindy’s kids are wild, and Jane’s boy is picking up pointers from them.”
“He’s six.” Chris shook his head in disbelief.
“And he’s tough. He’ll take you down at the knees.”
Chris and Mac both laughed.
“I’m serious. Watch your back—or your knees. Those kids might bite,” Mac joked.
Chris figured they probably did bite, and he rubbed his hands together, ready to get the game going. His thoughts wandered yet again to Jane, to everything she’d said earlier. The expression on her pretty face when she’d looked up at him, when he’d been so tempted to kiss her.
If Mac hadn’t interrupted when he did, he would have kissed her. Thrown everything he’d just said out the window and kissed her for so long they both would’ve been left dizzy and gasping for more.
Yeah, he did not need to think about this right now. He shouldn’t want her. He didn’t do commitment. She was too vulnerable and she’d want more. They always wanted more.
But maybe, just once, he wanted more, too.
“Who’s the guy?” Cameron whispered close to Jane’s ear, nodding toward Christian.
“Mac’s friend,” she whispered back, smiling at her big brother.
They sat beside each other at Mindy’s endless dining room table, the Thanksgiving meal almost wrapped up.
Everyone was too full to move, so they sat and chatted.
Reaching out, she grabbed his forearm and squeezed. “It’s so good to see you.”
She meant it. She hadn’t seen Cam in a few years, not since before the fire, though she’d learned he’d been there for Stephen’s funeral, and he’d come to the hospital after the fire.
But she was also trying to distract him.
Cameron was perceptive, quiet, the one who could always figure out who lied, who broke something, who told on someone.
The dark and moody one, who left home the minute he graduated high school and very rarely came back.
No way did she want him to figure out that she and Chris had a…thing going on.
“It’s good to see you, too, Janey.” He smiled at her, a rare sight. “But I want to know why Mac’s friend is staring at you.”
She kept her gaze trained on Cam’s face, her voice light. “He’s not staring at me.”
“He so is,” Cam growled. “Do you need me to do anything? Tell him to lay off? Break his jaw with my fist?”
Jane laughed. “Stop it. You’re way too overprotective.”
“Break it up, you two,” Mac said from across the table. Chris sat at his left, directly across from Cameron. Looked a little overwhelmed by the bustling activity and nonstop chatter that came with a McKenzie Thanksgiving dinner. “What are you guys whispering about?”
“How great it was when I kicked your ass at football.” Cam’s smile was smug. “You’ve been trying to beat me for years, little brother, and you still can’t do it.”
“Just wait, old man,” Mac grumbled. “I’ll get you next year.” He jostled Chris in the ribs with his elbow. “I told you to watch out for the biting six-year-old.”
“How was I supposed to know he’d really bite me? I thought you were exaggerating.” Chris nodded at Jane. “You’re raising a wild man. That kid is crazy on the football field.”
“Are you talking about Logan?” He’d picked up a few habits from his cousins lately. Sounded like they were bad ones. “He bit you?”
“I put him up to it,” Cam muttered, earning a slap on the shoulder from Jane. “Mindy’s boys were trying to get him to do it, but he refused!” he said with a laugh. “I finally paid him a buck to bite his uncle Mac. Two bucks if he got anyone else. Kid earned five dollars for his efforts.”
“Don’t you dare teach my son all of your old bad habits.” Jane slapped her brother again. “Cam, you can’t do that. He could really hurt someone.”
“Through their jeans? I doubt it. Gotta teach that kid to be a fighter. He needs a better male influence than that guy.” Cam jerked his thumb in Mac’s direction.
Her brothers loved to argue and she was always caught in the middle, considering she was literally in between them, birth order–wise. The constant insults and bashing felt familiar, comfortable. She liked it, despite Cameron teaching her son some horrible habits.
But Cam had a point. Logan could use a strong male role model in his life now that he’d lost his dad, and he didn’t see his uncles enough to get the constant attention he needed.
Her father worked a lot as well, and spent as much time with his grandkids as he could, but it wasn’t the same.
Logan was constantly surrounded by females.
Mac gave Cameron the finger, which Cam returned with gusto before he flicked his chin in Chris’s direction. “And this joker can’t be much better.”
Jane shook her head, shot a pleading look at Chris. God, her brother could be so rude.
“Stop being such an ass.” Mac nodded toward Cam. “Chris is a good guy. Better than you, that’s for sure.”
“Whatever.” Cam scowled. The air grew thick with tension and she wondered what Cam’s problem was. She knew he was intuitive down to a fault, but he couldn’t have figured out there was anything going on between her and Chris.
Could he?
“Break it up, all of you,” their mother said, her hands on her hips. She stood at the other end of the table, watching them. “Be nice to our guest, Cameron.”
“Yeah, be nice,” Mac mimicked, earning a death stare from his brother.
Jane wanted to die. Could her family be any more embarrassing? And why was Cam so wary of Chris?
After dinner, Chris cornered her in the garage as she was putting away leftovers in the second fridge and was just about to go back inside. “I think your brother hates me.”
Jane leaned against the refrigerator. “Cameron hates everyone when he first meets them. He takes some getting used to.” She waved a hand. “Don’t worry about him.”
“If you say so.” He ran a hand through his hair, blew out a harsh breath before he rested his hands on his hips. “I want to apologize for what happened earlier, when Mac interrupted us. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine. Really. No big deal.” She smiled, refusing to feel bad about anything today. “I hope you had fun.”
“I did. Your family is crazy. In a good way.” He smiled.
“Yes, they are. We are,” she corrected, though really, she hadn’t been crazy in a long while.
All of a sudden, she felt like she needed to break it up. Get a little crazy for once. Prove to Cam she could take care of herself. What’s the worst that could happen?
And Chris might be the perfect candidate for her to get a little crazy with.
“Mindy’s about to serve the pumpkin pie,” she said. “We should go back inside.”
“I hear her pie is amazing.”
“It is,” Jane agreed as she started for the door. “She’s the baker of the family. Sadly, I lack those skills.”
“I’m sure you have others to make up for it.” He smiled, his tone flirtatious.
“Oh, I do,” she tossed over her shoulder, feeling light. Happy. Grasping hold of the door handle, she paused. “And if you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get to know just how skilled I am.”
“In what?” He sounded intrigued.
“You’ll just have to wait and find out.”