Seeking Love in Salvation (The American Soldier Collection 16)

“So I take it she didn’t inform you about her friend moving out here?”

“No, she didn’t, but then again, she did send Carlos this way six months ago when he was recovering from his injury on the job.”

“That’s Helena. She’s good people and a good friend. If you’re concerned about these friends of hers, I would ask her about it. Listen, I need to go. Gia needs help with the babies.”

“No problem. Thanks.”

Sparrow disconnected the call and looked at his brothers.

“Well?”

“Call Helena,” Beck said to him.

Sparrow thought about it a moment.

“No, if Helena sent them here to have a place to stay, then I’m sure they’re not in trouble. If they were, she would have told us before hand and asked if it would be okay.”

Ridge took a slug of beer. “I’m willing to wait and find out ourselves. They’ll be here moving in first thing tomorrow morning. I doubt they’ll be causing any trouble.”

Sparrow squinted his eyes at his brother and felt that uneasy sensation in his gut that always warned him of impeding trouble.

“We’ll see. If they are trouble, then we get them the hell out of here as fast as we can.”

Chapter 2

Valentina drove the rented U-Haul truck as Helena, Lois, and Kenny rode in the car. They had all their belongings packed in the vehicles and couldn’t wait to start settling into their new house. As they pulled up and began to unpack, Valentina saw Ridge and another man get into a pickup truck and head their way. The large black pickup truck was top of the line, with all the bells and whistles. It was sharp looking, and she was impressed the moment it got closer.

As the truck stopped, Valentina got out of the U-Haul. She saw Helena give a wave and then Ridge got out from the driver’s side and another guy, tall with crew-cut blond hair and muscles galore, got out of the passenger side. She felt that tiny sensation in her core at the sight of the two good-looking cowboys. It was so strange how good-looking men were around these parts.

She shouldn’t feel intimidated or uneasy about the men, considering that Helena told her last night that they were her cousins. Valentina had been shocked, but it put Lois at ease knowing they were Helena’s family. Men put Lois on edge. If Valentina was at all honest with herself she would admit the same thing, but being a cop for four years made her hardheaded. Plus, she was the breadwinner of this family, and had been prior to the attack in the apartment. She shivered from the thoughts and she felt on edge.

“Good morning, cuz,” Ridge said as he gave Helena a hug. Helena then hugged the other guy, who kept his eyes on Valentina and looked her over. Why she felt aroused slightly, she didn’t know, but she clearly wasn’t going to fall for the charms of sexy cowboys. She knew how to handle men, all types, and especially ones as good-looking as these guys.

Helena made the introductions.

“This is my other cousin, Beck. Beck, meet my good friend Valentina from New York and her family. This is Lois and Kenny,” Helena said to them.

Valentina caught Ridge staring at her along with his brother as Beck reached his hand out for her to shake. She gave him a firm shake and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Beck.”

Then she gasped as Kenny slammed into her, wrapping his body around her leg. She laughed and then lifted him up against her hip.

“Kenny, you remember Ridge from yesterday?” He nodded and squeezed her close, turning his face into her neck, tickling her. She could see the concerned expressions in the brothers’ eyes.

“He’s shy.”

“Kenny, he’s the landlord. The one I pay the rent to for living in your new house. And this is his brother, Beck. Can you say hello to them like a big boy with manners does?” she asked Kenny.

He lifted his face up and shyly looked from one man to the other.

“Nice to meet you,” he said in his little four-year-old voice. Then he slid down from her hip and ran to his mother. Lois avoided the two men completely and sat in the car. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“Do you have the key for them?” Helena asked after a few seconds of awkward silence as Beck and Ridge stared at Valentina.

“Oh, shoot, you need the down payment,” Valentina said and reached into her back pocket. She pulled out the cash and handed it to Ridge. When their fingers touched she felt a spark of something, and he must have felt it, too, because he gave her a wink. “Thanks, darling,” he said and Beck squinted at her and licked his lower lip. For crying out loud, they were sexy as sin.

She turned toward Hel

ena, who seemed to read her mind, and she chuckled.