Out of Uniform (Wingmen Warriors 14)

Seeing the pain in her eyes made him want to gather her in his arms and take life’s blows for her. Jacob lifted his bottle. “Want some?”

“Yeah,” she said through a watery chuckle. “I think I do.”

Dee gripped the neck with her thumb and three fingers, pinky extended, and sipped.

She grimaced.

He allowed himself a rusty chuckle. “Guess we can surmise you’re not much of a beer drinker.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a nice bottle of Merlot on hand would you?”

“Fresh out.”

“Too bad.”

The curve of her grin enticed him to forget with an intoxication that beat anything waiting for him in a bottle.

Northern Lights continued to shoot their paths, silver and pink fingers of light surging across the sky. He had a beautiful woman beside him on Valentine’s Day. It was the perfect setting for seduction—any other night.

Dee scratched a fingernail along the beer label. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m making these memories up, creating a past that I want to have.”

“Do you really believe that?”

She glanced at him. “No. But it’s easier to accept than thinking about a child going to bed without his or her mother.” Her fists clenched. “Damn it, Jacob, why isn’t anyone looking for me?”

The frustration in her voice slayed him—and justified his near-savage need to touch her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

Her head fell to rest against his chest. “You would never do it, let someone you care about fade away.”

But he’d done just that with his sister.

Jacob shoved the thought aside for the moment and focused on Dee.

She relaxed against him. “When I have these flashes, I know how I felt. Even when I can’t see everything, the emotions are so clear.” She tilted her face up to his. “I love this child, so it must not be a stranger after all. How can I feel so much for a person I wouldn’t even recognize on the street? Is that crazy?”

“Not at all.” The warmth of her seared his side, firing a need to pull her closer. But first he had to know. “What about when you’re asking for the water-wings? How do you feel about the person you’re talking to? What do you hear in response?”

“Airplanes,” she blurted, then looked down at the beer bottle between them, still cradled in her hand. “Silly, and not at all helpful.”>Dee could sense more coming and held her silence while the teen pulled her thoughts together. Her computer search could wait. The baby swing clicked away in the silence.

Emily finally sighed. “I guess I’ll have to take my own advice and just go live with Jacob.” She glanced at Madison. “It’s not like I have a lot of choices.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I wish I had an answer for you.” Dee tugged on the hem of her latest charity gift.

Jacob took care of everyone, shoveling driveways, pulling cars out of ditches, even helping finance teenage dates. Three days of cleaning with Grace had clued Dee in that Jacob wasn’t paying for much. The woman had cataracts for crying out loud. She couldn’t see dust until it flew up her nose.

Emily pegged it, all right. Jacob suffered from a major case of protector syndrome.

Which meant she wasn’t anyone special to him, just another stray wandering into his life. She couldn’t shrug free of the feeling she wanted to be more.

Problem was, Jacob deserved to have someone who could take care of him, as well. He deserved an equal, not another charity case.

Why did that Jacob Stone have to screw up everything? The man was too damn possessive of her, a female who wanted to haul butt with her child.

His kid.

The Suburban cranked to life. He’d planned everything to a tee, how to shake free of her while keeping his kid close, but now Stone was helping her. Before long, she would be able to stand on her own and that would threaten all of his plans. He needed more time, something that bastard could ruin.

He backed the SUV out of the parking space before pulling onto the highway. Once he cruised to sixty miles per hour, he slid in a CD, cranking the volume so the kid in back would settle down. Shouldn’t take too long since he’d already figured out the tyke’s favorites.