Ever After (45 page)

“What did Hallie's father say when he saw it?”

Braden shook his head. “Talk about a coward! Mom called him The Runner because he fled from all confrontation. He stayed away for six weeks. Mom said that the Hartley household was a war zone. In the end, they all agreed that they could no longer live in one house. The grandparents decided to move to Florida. They just wanted the dad's permission for Hallie to go with them. But Ruby said no, so Hallie had to stay.” Braden was quiet for a moment, then he looked at Jamie. “Can I give you some advice?”

Jamie hesitated, but considering what this man was willing to do for Hallie, yes, he'd accept advice. He nodded.

“Tell her you're a doctor.”

“Hallie knows that.”

“I don't think she does. When she called my mother and raved about you, she didn't mention it. If Hallie'd told her you were a doctor, Mom would have hit me over the head with it. She thinks doctors are above lawyers on the ladder of helping humanity.”

“We are,” Jamie said, “but you guys rescue us from the predators.”

Smiling, they looked out at the garden.

After Braden left, Jamie stretched out on the old couch in Hallie's living room and tried to keep his mind on the latest issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association
that his mother had brought for him. She was adamant that he keep up with his training as she hoped that he'd soon go back to his profession. She and his dad had offered to build him a clinic near their
house in Colorado. “Or in Maine,” they'd said. The idea was that he'd feel more secure if he treated only people who were related to him.

Until now—until he'd met Hallie—he'd turned down their offers without a second thought. But now he was thinking about it.

His mother called him as they were leaving Nantucket.

“Hallie is here and everyone is kissing her goodbye,” Cale said from the airport. “Everyone likes her so very much.”

“You can stop hinting,” Jamie said. “I like her too.”

“How much?” Cale asked quickly.

Jamie started to make a quick retort about that being his own business, but instead, he smiled. He knew everyone had seen how much better he was doing since he'd met Hallie and they wanted the best for him. “I like her the ultimate amount. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Yes,” Cale whispered. Jamie knew his mother was fighting tears and he gave her time to calm herself. “So when are you going to let her know this?”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Leave something to me, will you?”

“I know, sweetheart,” Cale said, “but I'm a mother so I worry. I'm afraid Hallie might decide she's in love with that man Braden. She doesn't seem to see what he's really like! Your dad was furious for half of Jilly's wedding. I almost couldn't get him to calm down. Braden said—”

“Mom!” Jamie said loudly. “It's okay. Hallie isn't going to run off with Braden. When I get back I'll tell you about him. He's a really good guy and you're going to love his story.”

“I doubt that,” Cale said. “I think he—Oh, no. Your dad's about to throw me in the back of a truck.”

It was a running joke in their family that when their dad wanted his wife to hurry up he said he was going to toss her into a truck, something he'd done long ago.

“I love you,” Cale said. “And
talk
to Hallie!”

“I will,” Jamie said, “and I love you both.”

He clicked off the phone and tried to go back to his magazine, but he kept listening for Hallie's return. He was dreading telling her that Shelly was on her way to Nantucket. If there was anything Jamie knew about, it was irrational fear. In theory, he knew that a room with lots of doors in it wasn't something to fear, but that didn't stop him from standing against a wall and watching. Who knew what was going to run through a door at any second?

Logically, Hallie had no reason to fear her stepsister, but that wouldn't keep her from doing so. Someday maybe Hallie could feel secure enough to stand up to Shelly, but for now Jamie was going to do what Braden had done for so many years and protect Hallie. He was going to put himself between the two women and do whatever was necessary to make Hallie feel safe.

When Jamie heard a car door slam, he was on his feet in seconds and at the front door before it opened.

Hallie threw it open. She was drenched! “The sky opened up just as I got out of the car.”

Jamie dropped his crutches onto the stairs and held out his arms to her.

“I'll get you wet.”

He didn't lower his arms and she went to him, the two of them holding each other close. Her head was on his chest and she could hear his heart beating.

“I went to the airport with them to say goodbye. Uncle Kit left with your parents, and Leland caught a flight to Boston.”

He kissed the top of her wet hair, then began leading her up the stairs as she kept talking.

“I hardly know Lee, but we had so many things in common. He's an only child like I am. I'm going to meet the family at Christmas, but Lee and I made plans to spend Thanksgiving together.”

Jamie led her to the bathroom door, got a towel, and began drying her hair.

“Uncle Kit said he'll join us. I think the huge celebrations of your big family are too much for him. He said he's going to make the pies. And Lee is going to make the dressing.”

Jamie unbuttoned her wet shirt and pulled it off her.

“That leaves me with the turkey and vegetables and bread to do.” She looked at Jamie. “Unless you want to help.”

“I get dibs on yams and green beans,” he said as he unfastened her trousers and helped her step out of them.

“So I get the turkey.” Hallie's teeth were beginning to chatter. “What's your favorite bread?”

“Brioche,” he said as he led her to the bed and pulled back the covers.

“Mine too.” She started to get into the warmth of the bed, but Jamie stopped her as he removed her two pieces of underwear.

Naked, she looked at him and he pulled her into his big, warm arms.

“Did you miss me?” he whispered.

“Yes. Every minute. I think I talked about you a bit too much.”

Jamie stepped away from her long enough to remove his own clothing, then slid into bed. “What makes you think that?”

“Adam said he hadn't noticed that you'd grown seven feet tall and made Superman look like a wimp.”

Smiling, Jamie opened his arms to her and as their bodies clung to each other, they began kissing.

It was Hallie who pulled away and pushed him onto his back. Her lips began to trace the scars on his body, kissing them, caressing them. Today his mother had told her how Jamie's former girlfriend Alicia had been sickened at the sight of Jamie's damaged body. She was repulsed by the scars and grafts, the
indentations where parts of skin and muscle had been sliced away by flying pieces of metal.

But Hallie thought Jamie was beautiful. Her lips moved over him, across his chest, his arms, then lower and lower until she reached the center of him. Undamaged and perfect, she thought, but then she was beginning to see all of him that way.

When she took him in her mouth, he gasped, his head back, his eyes closed.

Minutes later she moved back up to his neck, to his mouth.

He moved her onto her back and began to make love to her, taking his time with her body as he slowly took her to new peaks of pleasure. When he entered her, she was more than ready for his long, slow, deep thrusts.

When he collapsed against her, Hallie held him, his head against her breasts, and stroked his hair as she thought about the day. Her morning had been great and she'd loved laughing with Jamie's cousins. At the airport she'd been teary as she said goodbye to people who'd become her friends. Jamie's mother had hugged her hard and his father's hug had lifted her off the ground. “Thank you,” he said, then he'd abruptly set her down and run up the stairs to the plane.

Uncle Kit had kissed her hand. “We shall meet again soon,” he said.

It had been hardest saying goodbye to Leland. “Thanksgiving!” he'd called to her as he got on the plane.

She stood there with Jamie's cousins and watched the jet take off, then they turned to Hallie. She knew what they were asking. What did she want to do now? “Home,” she said simply. She wanted to see Jamie. They drove her back to Kingsley Lane and she was so anxious to see Jamie that she opened the car door while the vehicle was still rolling. Then, just as she got to the door, a quick summer storm nearly drowned her.

“Warm now?” Jamie asked, their bodies wrapped around each other.

“Yes,” she said.

He lifted onto one arm to look at her. “Something's bothering you.”

“Nothing is.”

“You can tell me,” he said.

She took a breath. “Please don't be jealous, but I just thought of Braden.”

He kissed her sweetly. “I'm not jealous of him anymore. Tell me what you're thinking.”

“Of this. Of you and me. I'm going to have to break Braden's heart. It's just that he isn't who I thought he was.”

Jamie turned onto his back and put her head on his shoulder. “Tell me,” he said.

“I guess I've always seen Braden through a child's eyes,” Hallie said. “But then he's always been so very good to me. Even when he was a teenager and a big shot at our school, he always had time for the little kid that I was. Sometimes the other football boys would laugh at him for giving me a ride home or asking me about my homework or fixing a toy for me. But Braden was
always
glad to see me.”

“And now?”

“Now I'm going to have to tell him that yet another female is turning down his marriage proposal. Oh, Jamie! He was so awful at the wedding! It was embarrassing to see him with your dad and your uncle Mike. I was so annoyed by him that when Leland showed up, I had him sit between Braden and me. I tried to be nice, but at the reception, all Braden could talk about was how glad he was that I was bringing the connection of your family to him. He said it was like my dowry.”

“He was obnoxious, wasn't he?”

“Yes!” Hallie said. “That's the perfect word. Why didn't I see this when I was growing up?” She put her hand over her eyes. “The
worst
thing is going to be trying to explain to his mother. She and I…This sounds ridiculous, but we used to
talk about how I'd grow up and marry Braden and she'd be my mother for real.”

Hallie looked up at Jamie. “What am I going to tell her?”

“Tell her that she has raised a son who is a man of honor. That he is willing to sacrifice what he wants in life so he doesn't hurt other people. Tell her that she should be very, very proud of him.”

“Wow!” Hallie said. “What in the world did you two talk about this morning?”

“Just guy stuff.” He wasn't going to answer that question and betray Braden's trust. He started kissing her neck as his hand moved downward.

But Hallie moved away from him. “We have to get up because I need to work on your knee.” She got out of bed, picked up his T-shirt off the floor, put it on, and went into the bathroom.

“You seem to like wearing my clothes,” he said as he piled up pillows behind his head.

“And you seem to like going without them.”

“Beauty such as this shouldn't be covered.”

She looked at him in the mirror. When she'd first met him he'd been so embarrassed by his scars that he didn't want anyone to see them. But now he often pulled off his shirt—and every time he did, Hallie felt like melting. She no longer saw the scars, just the beauty of the man underneath them. “I agree completely,” she said, smiling at him.

“I think my leg is fine for today. You should come back to bed.”

“Absolutely not. The only thing your brother likes about me is that I'm good at my job. I don't want to lose that accolade.”