Can't Wait Read online

  Dedication

  For Lea Taddonio, my awesome critique and plotting partner and an even better friend. Thank you for everything.

  Snowball fight and sleigh rides just for you. Enjoy!

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  An Excerpt from At Wolf Ranch

  About the Author

  Also by Jennifer Ryan

  An Excerpt from Various States of Undress: Virginia by Laura Simcox

  An Excerpt from The Governess Club: Louisa by Ellie Macdonald

  An Excerpt from Good Guys Wear Black by Lizbeth Selvig

  An Excerpt from Sinful Rewards 1 by Cynthia Sax

  An Excerpt from Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Chapter One

  SUMMER TURNER STOOD between the two tall men and tried to ignore their impatient and sour expressions. Well, her brother Jack’s, anyway. No ignoring the other man on her left. Whenever he was near, all she wanted to do was throw herself on top of him and kiss him until he finally acknowledged her as something more than his best friend’s baby sister.

  Caleb wore his usual pasted-­on look of indifference, but behind his sable brown eyes she glimpsed fleeting moments of interest. Not in the brightly decorated Christmas parade floats, but in her. Sometimes she thought she caught him staring at her, but he’d look away or through her like she wasn’t even there. Maybe it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

  A shiver of need ran through her. How she wanted that man.

  One of these days, she’d stand on her tiptoes, wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss him until the iceman melted.

  The last parade float passed. Jolly Old St. Nick waved to the crowd with a hearty “Ho, ho, ho,” and tossed mini candy canes from his overstuffed sack. Kids scrambled free of parents to scoop up as much candy as possible.

  ­People stepped off the curb and followed Santa’s sleigh, making their way along the street toward the park for the tree-­lighting ceremony. Summer turned and stared at Jack and Caleb, standing with their arms behind their ramrod-­straight backs, eyes scanning the crowd and roofs for nonexistent snipers. Discharged from the military two months ago after a very dangerous and deadly tour in Iraq, neither of them spoke a word about their experiences, but their quiet intensity told her they’d seen and done things neither of them would ever forget.

  “I’d say at ease, soldiers, but you already are. Seriously, dial it down. Everyone stood crushed along the street for six blocks, except for the five-­foot restricted zone you two intimidated folks into keeping around us.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “What did we do now?”

  “Glared at everyone. Frowned at the cheerful floats. Grunted at the carolers. Sucked the fun out of yet another tradition.”

  “Another?”

  “Yes. Another. Remember Thanksgiving?”

  “Good food. Beer. Sam, Caleb, and I watched the game. The Broncos won.”

  “Had fun, did you?” she asked Jack, then turned to Caleb. “How about you?”

  “Yeah. You’re an amazing cook,” he said, not quite meeting her eyes.

  Secretly, she thrilled at the compliment.

  Outwardly, she threw her hands up and let them fall, slapping her thighs.

  “I set the table with Grandmother’s best dishes. Crystal wine glasses, candles, flowers. I spent hours making a perfect turkey and all the trimmings. You lug-­heads grabbed a plate, piled it high, and flopped back on the couch to watch the game. I sat in the dining room alone.”

  Caleb’s gaze fell away.

  “You should have joined us,” Jack said.

  “I wanted to have a family meal. Mom and Dad are away on their trip. Sam came home, you made it home safe from the war. I wanted to sit around the table together and share a meal and remember how grateful we are for all we have. You’re here, Jack. You and Caleb survived. Couldn’t you take an hour to appreciate all you have left, instead of holding on to your anger and hurt and resentments and whatever else it is you feel when you’re quietly moody.”

  “I’m not moody.”

  “When’s the last time either of you smiled?”

  “How did I get lumped into this family squabble?” Caleb asked when she shot him a disgruntled frown.

  “Come on, sis, I’ll buy you a hot chocolate and we’ll watch the tree lighting. Will that make you happy?”

  “I’m not ten.”

  “I know that.”

  “Do you? Ever since you got home, you’ve treated me like I’m a kid. You may run the ranch, but you don’t run me.”

  “You’re my sister. I’m trying to look out for you.”

  “I don’t need you to look out for me. I need you to find your way out of the dark. I’m trying to lead you there, both of you, but you refuse to follow. I can’t imagine the things you’ve seen, the things you’ve done to survive. But you’re alive.” She looked from Jack to Caleb and back again. “So live.” She turned to Caleb. “Find whatever it is that makes you happy, grab hold of it, and never let go.”

  Her stomach fluttered when Caleb instinctively leaned toward her, but caught himself and drew back into that tightly controlled rigid stance. After weeks of doing everything short of throwing herself at him, maybe she needed to face facts. He didn’t want her. Not really. Away from the States for over a year, maybe he just wanted a woman, but not her.

  “I don’t know why you’re so worked up over a parade.” Jack’s irritation showed in his voice and face.

  “Summer, come dance with me,” Charlie called from across the street.

  “It’s more than that and you know it, even if you refuse to acknowledge you’re having a hard time adjusting back into normal life. Go home. Drink beer. Watch a game. I’ll find my own way home. I’m going to do something you two have forgotten how to do. Have fun.”

  CALEB OPENED HIS mouth to yell, Where the hell do you think you’re going?

  He snapped his jaw shut, thinking better of it. He couldn’t afford to let Jack see how much Summer meant to him. He’d thought he’d kept his need for her under wraps, but the too-­observant woman had his number. Over the last few months, the easy friendship they’d shared from the moment he stepped foot on Stargazer Ranch turned into a fun flirtation he secretly wished could turn into something more. The week leading up to Thanksgiving brought that flirtation dangerously close to crossing the line when he walked through the barn door and didn’t see her coming out due to the changing light. They crashed into each other. Her sweetly soft body slammed full-­length into his and everything in him went hot and hard. Their faces remained close when he grabbed her shoulders to steady her. For a moment, they stood plastered to each other, eyes locked. Her breath stopped along with his and he nearly kissed her strawberry-­colored lips to see if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.

  Instead of giving in to his baser need, he leashed the beast and gently set her away, walking away without even a single word. She’d called after him, but he never turned back.

  Thanksgiving nearly undid him. She’d sat alone in the dining room and all he’d wanted to do was be with her. But how could he? You do not date your best friend’s sister. Worse, you do not have dangerous thoughts of sleeping with her, let alone dreaming of a life with a woman kinder than anyone he’d ever met. Just being
around her made him feel lighter. She brightened the dark world he’d lived in for too long.

  He needed to stay firmly planted on this side of the line. Adhere to the best-­bro code. This thing went beyond friendship. Jack was his boss and had saved his life. He owed Jack more than he could ever repay.

  “Can you believe her?” Jack pulled him out of his thoughts. He dragged his gaze from Summer’s retreating sweet backside.

  “Who’s the guy?” He kept his tone casual.

  Jack glared. “Ex-­boyfriend from high school,” he said, irritated. “He’s home from grad school for the holiday.”

  “Probably looking for a good time.”

  Caleb tried not to smile when Jack growled, fisted his hands, and stepped off the curb, following after his sister. He’d counted on Jack’s protective streak to allow him to chase Summer himself. Caleb didn’t want anyone to hurt her. He sure as hell didn’t want her rekindling an old flame with some ex-­lover.

  He and Jack walked into the park square just as everyone counted down, three, two, one, and the multicolored lights blinked on, lighting the fourteen-­foot tree in the center of the huge gazebo, and sparking the carolers to sing “O Christmas Tree.”

  Tiny white lights circled up the posts and nearby trees, casting a glow over everything. The soft light made Summer’s golden hair shine. She smiled with her head tipped back, her bright blue eyes glowing as she stared at the tree.

  His temper flared when the guy hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her close, nearly spilling his beer down the front of her. She laughed and playfully shoved him away. The guy smiled and put his hand to her back, guiding her toward everyone’s favorite bar. Several other ­people joined their small group.

  Caleb tapped Jack’s shoulder and pointed to Summer’s back. Her long hair was bundled into a loose braid he wanted to unravel and then run his fingers through the silky strands.

  “There she goes.”

  “What the . . . Let’s go get her.”

  Caleb grabbed Jack’s shoulder. “If you go in there and demand she leaves, it’ll only embarrass her in front of all her friends. Let’s scout the situation. Lie low.”

  “You’re right. She’ll only fight harder if we demand she come home. Let’s get a beer.”

  Caleb grimaced. Hell yes, he wanted to drag Summer home, but fought the compulsion.

  He did not want to watch her with some other guy.

  Why did he torture himself like this?

  Chapter Two

  SUMMER LEANED OVER the pool table, sliding the cue back and forth without hitting the ball. Charlie hovered over her back. “Let me show you how to shoot.”

  She stood up, making him stumble. Not wanting to make a scene, or draw any more attention from her brother or Caleb, she laughed and said, “I took the last two games. I think I’ve got it.”

  He grabbed her waist with both hands and pulled her close, their middles bumping. “Come on, Summer. Remember how we used to have fun.”

  He swayed her back and forth, their hips locked together. She gave his cheek a friendly pat. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Let’s get out of here, for old times’ sake.”

  “Those times are dead and buried. No sense digging them up. Besides, if I sink two more balls, you owe me twenty bucks.”

  She stepped away and leaned over the table and took her shot, sinking the last striped ball.

  “Come on, honey, you know you’d rather play with my balls.”

  “Jeez, Charlie,” her friend Teri called from the table behind her. “No amount of beer will erase that image from my head.”

  Charlie’s laughter halted abruptly when she sank the eight ball. He dipped his hand down his Wrangler’s front pocket, pulled it free, and smacked the folded bill into her outstretched hand.

  “I shouldn’t play with you when I’m drunk.”

  “You’re not playing with me when you’re sober, either,” she teased, and pulled her hand free.

  Caleb’s eyes blazed from across the room. She ignored him. If he wanted her, all he had to do was come over here and claim his place beside her. She’d made it clear without saying the words outright that she wanted to take their friendship to the next level. He was the one who backed off. Not her.

  Teri bumped a shoulder into hers. “That is one gorgeous man.” She cocked her head in Caleb’s direction.

  “Ew, that’s my brother.”

  “I’m not talking about Jack,” she said on a laugh. “He doesn’t smile much anymore, does he? His friend, either.”

  Summer frowned and let her gaze rest on Caleb. He ended whatever he said to Jack and looked up. Gazes locked, he raised his beer in a kind of salute. She mimicked him and gave a smile. He didn’t return the grin, but his eyes took on an intensity that both drew her in and made her pause.

  “That man is hot for you.”

  With a heavy sigh, she turned away from Caleb. “He’s a stubborn one.”

  “The war took both their smiles, huh?” Teri read her mind.

  “Yes. And their sense of humor. It’s like living with two bears fresh out of hibernation. They’re pissed off and hungry.”

  “He certainly looks hungry for you.”

  “They’re hungry for normal and the way life used to be, but it will never be that way again. Not after what they’ve seen and done. Look at them, a room full of women, all of them interested in those two guys, and yet no one approaches them. Everyone can see the minefield around them, keeping everyone away.”

  “Come on,” Teri said, slipping off her stool.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get those two hot and sexy guys to play pool with us.”

  “Okay, but you’re partnering with Jack.”

  Teri laughed. “No doubt. Caleb is all yours. The way he looks at you. You’re the light to his dark.” She tugged Summer’s hand and drew her through the crowd. They stepped up to the table, and Caleb and Jack stared up at them.

  “Finally ready to go?” Jack asked.

  “No,” she shot back. “I’m ready to play another round of pool. Come on, Caleb.”

  “Let’s go, Jack,” Teri coaxed.

  Caleb remained quietly passive, but Jack spoke up for them both. As usual.

  “We didn’t come to play pool. We came to keep an eye on you and that yahoo you used to date.”

  She spoke directly to Caleb. “Charlie is an old friend. Nothing more.”

  “You used to sleep with him,” Jack blurted out, making her jaw drop.

  She snapped her mouth closed and glared at her brother.”Are we listing all the ­people we’ve slept with, because if we are, I can count the long-­term relationships I’ve had on two fingers, while I’m sure we’ll need all our fingers and toes to count up the numerous women you’ve slept with and left in your dust.” She planted her hands on the table and leaned forward, right in her brother’s face. “Who I sleep with is none of your business.”

  “It is when he’s a drunken jerk.”

  “I am not interested in Charlie. The man I want is good and kind and makes me laugh when he puts his mind to it. He’s strong and resilient. Although he’s been through a rough ­couple of years, he wants the same thing I want for his future. A simple ranch life, living as husband and wife with our children, making a good life and growing old together, happy and in love.”

  She felt the tension roll off Caleb beside her. Gaze on the beer bottle in his hand on the table, he gripped it so tightly his knuckles went white. Maybe she’d gone too far, pushed too hard for what she wanted, and he resisted. Usually she was not this bold, but he had to know how much she wanted him and the picture she’d painted for Jack. If he knew for sure that’s what she wanted with him, maybe he’d stop fighting against her and fight for her.

  “Are you seeing someone?” Jack asked.

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nbsp; “I see him for the man he used to be, the man he is now, and the man he wants to be for me.”

  “Who is this guy?” Jack asked.

  “He’s honorable and loyal to a fault.”

  “Why haven’t I met him?”

  “If he sat beside you, you wouldn’t see him, you’re so wrapped up in your own warped world.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Oblivious as usual; it made her sad. “Jack, I wish you could open yourself to the ­people around you again.”

  “I’m fine,” he grumbled, taking a deep swallow of his beer.

  Time to retreat. He didn’t want to open up to her. For reasons she didn’t fully understand, he needed to defend himself against everything in order to cope with the dark world in his mind.

  The tension in Caleb eased when she didn’t out their non-­relationship to Jack.

  “Let’s play.” She held out her hand to Caleb. He stared at it like some rattlesnake about to strike. Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” played on the jukebox. Everyone formed lines and danced, smiling and laughing. Just what these two needed.

  “Come on, cowboy,” Teri coaxed Jack.

  Neither of them moved. Frustrated, Summer spun and fell onto Caleb’s thigh, straddling it. She leaned back against his chest and crossed her arms.

  “Summer,” Caleb croaked, surprised by her daring action.

  “I’m not moving until you say you’ll play with me.” The innuendo wasn’t intentional, but made her smile all the same.

  Caleb grunted. His hand clamped on to the side of her thigh and he turned his head, his lips to her ear. “Get off me.”

  She turned and glared, their faces an inch apart, his breath hot on her face as he breathed hard. He smelled of beer and peanuts, horses and leather and him. God, she could get used to being this close to him. Close enough to smell and touch and fall into his hungry gaze and arms.