Home Sweet Home: A Sweet, Texas Novella (11 page)

Back in the day, they’d been each other’s confidants. Then Jake had gone away to college and subsequently joined the Marines. And he’d forgotten about her. She couldn’t help feeling a little lost after he’d walked out of her life. Sure, she’d had her sister to talk to. But Jake had been closer to her own age—only two years older—and he’d become the objective voice she’d needed when her demons tried to drag her down. Her personal testosterone-packed voice of reason.

She’d trusted him.

Completely.

When he was no longer there, she found, once again, she’d been left behind. Forgotten as though she didn’t matter. Her response had been to make a string of really bad decisions.

Now it appeared Jake had forgotten—or dismissed—all those times they’d sat on a stack of hay bales in the barn, or ridden out over Wilder Ranch on horseback while they deliberated deep and sometimes dark matters of the heart. Now, it seemed like all he could remember about her was … well, nothing really. And that hurt. No matter how hard she tried not to let it.

Still, he was alive.

Thank God.

Beside her, the screen door creaked open, and a very pregnant Paige Marshall stepped out and joined her in the shade. For a moment, her friend and coworker said nothing, just rubbed her hands over her ever-increasing belly.

“Jake’s hurting,” Paige said with a little sigh. “I know because he’s got that same haunted look in his eye that Aiden had when he came back from the war.”

“Did he ever tell you what happened over there?”

“A little. Not all.” Paige held out her hand. “Got another Jolly Rancher you can spare? This baby craves sweets, and I left my cinnamon bears at home.”

Annie plopped an apple-flavored candy into Paige’s hand and watched as her friend unwrapped it and stuck it in her mouth.

“Aiden thinks he’s protecting me by not telling me,” Paige explained. “But all he’s really doing is trying to keep the pain from rising to the surface. Sometimes that makes things worse. But I guess until they’re ready to tell the story, they’ll continue to try to find a way to cope.”

“Or realize they can’t?” Annie asked.

“Yeah. But Jake has his brothers. They’ve all been in his shoes. They’ve all suffered in some way, shape, or form. They all lost their big brother. They know the pain. So, hopefully they’ll, be able to get him to talk.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

Paige turned her shoulder to the wall and looked into Annie’s face. “Then you’ll be there to catch him when he falls.”

“Me?” A cynical laugh pushed through Annie’s lips as her heart stumbled. “I’d never be the one Jake would turn to if he needed someone. Not as a friend or anything else.” At least not anymore.

“But you want to be?”

She blew out a sigh. “Guess there’s no denying I’ve always had a crazy thing for him.”

“Crazy as in he’s so gorgeous you want to jump his bones? Or crazy as in you could see yourself spending the rest of your life with him?”

“Both. But he never really noticed me.” In that way. Annie shook her head. “Still doesn’t.”

“Have you ever told him how you feel?”

Annie scoffed.

“That’s a lot of time to be thinking about a man and never letting him know.”

“Yep. A lonnnnng time.” Annie sighed and rested the back of her head against the side of the building. “But for some reason, whenever I get around him, my emotions tangle up my words, and we end up arguing. So I never opened that door. At first I didn’t because I didn’t want him to laugh at me. Then …” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t ever want to hear him verify that he’d never feel the same about me.”

“I totally get that. I told Aiden how I felt right after he came back, and he basically threw my words in my face.”

“And yet, now you’re married and have a baby on the way.”

“Which wouldn’t have happened if I’d let the stubborn and clueless man have his own way.”

“I think about that. Jake almost died, and I never told him how I feel. Not that he’d care.”

“Don’t try to second-guess a Wilder, Annie. You won’t win. And I’m willing to give Jake a lot more credit. He’s a smart man.”

“I know.”

“Then why waste any more time? Why tempt fate?” Paige rubbed her hand over her belly again. “And just in case you were wondering, there’s a remedy for that arguing thing you two frequently do.”

“What’s that? Duct-tape my mouth?”

After Paige quit laughing, she cupped her hands over Annie’s shoulders. “No need for that. You just play it straight. Give him the business side of that mouth.”

“Which is?”

“You just kiss the poor guy, Annie. If the words don’t come out right, you let him know how you feel in a different way.”

“That’s what worked for Aiden?”

“That and a little moonlight.”

“What if Jake’s really not interested?”

“Then you get him to change his mind.” Paige grinned. “You want proof that technique works? Look no further than your own sister. Abby was in love with Jackson forever. For years, he refused to move her out of the friend zone. And even though for a while they went their own ways, she finally found a way to sneak past that stubborn, locked-down heart of his.” The hard candy clacked against Paige’s teeth.

“And look at Charli,” she continued. “Reno put up every barrier he could invent and then some to keep her away. But she still managed to get him to see reason. Although I suppose mentioning to him that she’d forgotten to put on panties while they were at the Wilder Barbecue Blowout might have helped a little.”

They both giggled at that.

“And if you want to talk about accomplishing the impossible, look at Allison. She had the challenge of turning Sweet’s most infamous playboy into a happily married man.”

“I think it was the other way around with Allison and Jesse. Seems to me he was the one who had to do all the sweet-talking.”

“An even better example of the endless possibilities.” Paige gave Annie’s shoulder a sympathetic pat. “Jake is a Wilder brother, Annie. He’s not going to make it easy. But if you really do have strong feelings for him, I guarantee he’ll be worth the trouble.”

There had been a time in Annie’s life when she’d have jumped through hoops, stuffed her bra with tissue, or learned the Victoria’s Secret angels slinky walk to get Jake’s attention. The fear of rejection and humiliation had always stopped her from going after what she’d wanted. Back in the day, he hadn’t even put her in the friend zone, at least not when they’d been out in public. In private, he treated her completely different than he did in front of his family and friends. Those private moments they shared were few and far between. But they were precious. And she was pretty sure they meant a whole lot more to her than they ever did him.

Once he’d enlisted in the Marines, she knew he’d never come back and see her any different. He’d be too worldly. To him, she’d always be Annie Morgan, royal pain in the backside. She’d never be, Annie, the love of his life. So she’d moved on and away—almost two thousand miles—to try to find a life that would fill her soul with all the love and emotion she craved. Unfortunately, all she’d found was a low-paying job, loneliness, and heartache.

So much for grand ideas.

In Seattle, she thought she’d found love—her very own Prince Charming. Doug had been a hot musician with plenty of edge to keep him interesting. His music had been reflective and romantic. He’d had dark curly hair and seductive eyes like Jim Morrison from The Doors.

It had taken her almost two long years after Doug had moved into her apartment to realize he’d been too focused on his career to pay her much mind. On the other hand, for him she’d been a passionate supporter of his music. A financial support so he could focus on his career. And doormat for him to wipe his feet on when he learned she was pregnant with his child.

Beneath Doug’s stimulating rock-and-roll exterior, he hadn’t been charming at all. What she’d really found beneath all that hair and songwriting genius was a toad who proved there was no room in his life for her or their child.

As Paige opened the screen door for them to go back inside the diner, Annie admitted she’d made plenty of mistakes in her life. Having her little boy wasn’t one of them. But never letting Jake Wilder know how much she really cared might have been her most monumental.

Times had changed.

She was older, wiser, and she’d learned to never back down from what meant the most.

Jake meant something to her.

He always had.

He was far from perfect although he was perfect to look at. But she knew that deep down, beneath the shell of that gorgeous exterior; he was a man with heart, honor, and loyalty. He’d been raised to respect family and community. And she knew that just like his brothers, when he fell in love, he’d be a forever kind of guy.

The question now was … could he ever fall in love with her?

Maybe Paige was right. Maybe it was time to step up and find out. Wondering wouldn’t ever give her an answer.

Determined, she smoothed her hands over her hair and down her skirt. At the window, she grabbed up Jake’s order and headed toward his booth. As professionally as possible, she set his Diablo burger, fries, and milk shake in front of him. He looked up at her, eyes dark, blue, and intense.

“If there’s anything else you want, anything at all, just let me know,” she said. Then she gave him a “Brace yourself, cowboy” smile and walked away.

When she glanced back, he was still looking.

Indulge in the all of Candis Terry’s Sweet, Texas books!

Enter the World of Sweet, Texas!

Anything But Sweet

A Sweet, Texas Novel, Book 1

A man who doesn’t like change …

For years, ex-Marine Reno Wilder managed to uphold his end of the Wilder boys’ wild reputation. But the scars of war and the deaths of those he loved have flipped the switch on his point of view. Now, to keep tradition and memories alive, he’ll settle for a staid life of wash, rinse, repeat.

When the senior citizens of Sweet, Texas, believe it’s time for their little town to become a destination for tourists, they contact a new TV makeover show. Their community is chosen to participate and everyone is pleased—except Reno.

A woman who wants to change everything …

Beneath her headstrong desire to upend Reno’s peace and quiet, makeover show host and designer Charlotte Brooks has something to offer that has nothing to do with changing drapes and everything to do with showing him that change can be sexy, hot, and very, very sweet.

Faceoff for a happily-ever-after …

Neither of them saw coming. Who will stand their ground? Who will find common ground? And who will let go of their past and grab hold of a future full of promise?

Sweetest Mistake

A Sweet, Texas Novel, Book 2

From the moment he became her toddler-sized sandbox-knight-in-shining-armor to the day he went off to war, Jackson Wilder has secretly been in love with Abigail Morgan. She’s his best friend and the first girl he ever made love to. With the sands of war at the bottom of his hourglass, he heads home to surprise Abby and finally profess his love. But as everyone knows, surprises can backfire, and upon his return, Jackson discovers that his news comes way too late.

Abby has made some mistakes in her life but none as monumental as marrying a man she barely knew and sinking into a loveless marriage. When she hits the age of thirty, her job as a trophy wife comes to an abrupt end, and there’s no place for her to go but home. Abby thinks she’s learned her lesson the hard way until she returns to Sweet. And a homecoming just wouldn’t be complete without coming face-to-face with her biggest—and sexiest—mistake.

Home Sweet Home

A Sweet, Texas Novella

Before Candis Terry’s wild Wilder brothers met their matches, a soldier gets a homecoming in Sweet, Texas

HE’S GIVEN UP …

Army Ranger, Lieutenant Aiden Marshall, fought in some of the most hellish corners on earth and survived. Those closest to him, did not. When he returns home to Sweet, Texas, he believes he’s broken and has lost everything—including his soul. The only fair thing he can do is tell the woman who’s patiently waited for him to come home—to move on with her life—without him.

… BUT SHE NEVER WILL

Sassy waitress Paige Walker has no intention of walking away from the man of her dreams. He gave his all for his country and served with honor. Now it’s time to pull him from the darkness and give him hope. With a heap of love, the help of the entire town, and a tail-wagging companion, Paige makes sure her hero knows there’s no place like home sweet home.

Something Sweeter

A Sweet, Texas Novel, Book 3

A dream come true …

To the single women of Sweet, Texas, former Marine, Jesse Wilder, is hot, hunky perfection with six-pack abs and a heart of gold. He’s a veterinarian who loves animals, kids, is devoted to his family, and is financially stable.

The best part? No woman has yet snagged him or put a ring on his finger.

The problem? Jesse’s been down a long, bumpy road and isn’t the least bit interested in setting his boots on the path to matrimony.

Comes heart to heart with a wedding planner and her big secret …

Sure, Allison Lane makes a living helping others plan their big day, but that doesn’t mean she has to actually believe in matrimonial bliss. Her family’s broken track record proves she just doesn’t have the settle-down gene swimming in her DNA. And though she finds Jesse fantasy material, why should she take the word of this confirmed playboy that all roads lead to “I do?”

In their battle for a happily-ever-after.

Sweet Fortune

A Sweet, Texas Novella

Sarah Randall has lost her job, her apartment, and her patience hoping for her own Mr. Right. Tired of being invisible to the opposite sex, a leap of faith sends her straight to Sweet, Texas. There she encounters sexy Deputy Brady Bennett. To catch his eye, Sarah needs to face her fears and become a woman interesting enough to pique his curiosity.

Deputy Brady Bennett thought he had his life all tied up in a pretty package, but she married someone else. Determined not to suffer another heartbreak, he finds he can’t resist the fascination attached to the gifts that mysteriously turn up in his mailbox. Will his secret admirer ever reveal herself? And if she does, will he be ready to let love in?