Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

For a few moments their eyes locked and Hallie felt herself weaken. Even as she knew she shouldn’t, she leaned toward him, her eyes beginning to close.

But abruptly, Jamie sat up, causing Hallie to nearly slide off the couch. His strong arm caught her as he moved out from behind her. She fell back against the couch and watched him walk across the room in all his naked glory. So there were a few indentations, she thought. Well, maybe more than a few, but they didn’t take away from his beauty.

He wrapped the towel around his waist, then turned back to hand her her garments.

Hallie still hadn’t moved. What just happened didn’t seem to have affected him at all but it certainly had her. But then hadn’t she always thought he was just a playboy who jetted around the world? Maybe he was used to this kind of thing. But today she’d found out he’d been a man who’d served his country and had nearly died from it. The two images didn’t seem to go together. Who was the real Jamie Taggert?

“I’m going upstairs to put on some clothes,” he said. “I don’t like the kids to see me like this. You still want to work on me on your table?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I’ll meet you at the gym in an hour.”

Before Hallie could reply, he went through the door to the kitchen and closed it behind him.

After she was dressed, she looked about the empty tea room. What an understanding man Jamie was! she thought. They’d been caught up in the moment and had sex. It was, of course, understandable, born out of a combination of emotions. For one thing, she’d just discovered what he’d kept secret, then she’d seen the evidence of his severe injuries, and they’d had an argument. Anger always got the blood flowing, didn’t it?

All in all, it made sense.

Any two healthy young people, with him wearing only a towel—which had slipped to the floor, no less—would have done what they did. It was natural. If it had been Jamie’s cousin Raine, it would probably have happened.

Even as she thought that, she knew it wasn’t true. She’d wanted Jamie from the day she’d looked out a window and seen him.

So it had happened and now it was done with. And as Jamie had said, Braden was coming in a few days, then they would…Who knew?

But if everything was all right, why did she feel like she wanted to yell at James Michael Taggert? Bawl him out? How could he just leave that way? He’d acted as though nothing had happened. He’d even spoken of turning her over to Braden.

Didn’t their making love mean anything to him?! “Men!” she said aloud, then went into the kitchen. She closed the door behind her just a little bit too hard. No windows broke, but they certainly did rattle.

Upstairs, Jamie felt as well as heard the door slam with the force of a storm, and for the first time since he got out of the hospital, he didn’t jump. Instead, he smiled. His worry had been her reaction to his body, but now that that was settled, there were no more obstacles. At least none that mattered. A blond Montgomery lookalike didn’t even count.

Still smiling, he got into the shower. He wanted to be very clean for the coming massage.

Chapter Twelve

When Hallie got to the gym, Jamie was already on the massage table, face down, only a skimpy towel covering part of him. The sight of him put her mind back on her work and she was once again a professional. She began to run her hands over his back, assessing the scars and thinking how she was going to work on him.

“How did this…?” She didn’t complete her question.

But he knew what she was asking. “Humvee exploded. One leg and my head and shoulders fell under my buddy’s body or they would have been sliced and diced too.”

“And your friend?”

“Didn’t make it.”

“Is Valery…?”

“The best of us. I couldn’t go to her funeral, but later I talked to her husband and—”

“Shhhh,” Hallie said. His body had begun to tighten, the muscles pulling into themselves. “No more talking. Breathe like I showed you and try to clear your mind. Think of a happy place.”

“That tea room comes to mind.”

She was glad he couldn’t see her smile. “Think of something more peaceful. Maybe a childhood place with grass and sunshine.”

When he started to relax, she knew he was falling into someplace far away. “There’s a house with a porch,” he whispered.

She began to work on him. “Just be calm.”