Healing Hearts 12: Road to Happiness Read online

  “If you need anything, you just call. In fact, you can ask for me, and I can personally make sure that you’re doing okay,” she said and winked.

  “Thanks, honey,” Cliff replied smoothly, and Cindy’s face went flush. He knew he and his brothers were good-looking guys. Plus add in the muscles and their military capabilities, and women threw themselves at them. However, it seemed the only one Cliff now had on his radar was Amber, and the woman wasn’t interested at all. Maybe she thought she was too good for men like them. She didn’t hang out much at all. As they drove back to the house, he closed his eyes and immediately thought of Amber. That long blond hair she had pulled back in a low bun against her sexy neck. Those stunning baby blue eyes, and her full lips, thick eyelashes, and petite body. She was stronger than she looked as she held him up and walked him into the room. How many men had she done that for? How many men took advantage of her kindness and great bedside manner and leaned against that body? Sniffed that hair? Enjoyed the sexy nurse by their side, hell, holding their hands? Fuck, he was jealous. And that doctor? He definitely had the hots for Amber, too. He exhaled in annoyance.

  “What’s wrong? You in pain?”

  “What was up with that doctor, touching her and winking?”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. Not sure if that was a normal occurrence or was done on purpose for us,” Ace said.

  “I didn’t like it.”

  “I didn’t either, but what the fuck, Cliff? She isn’t our woman.”

  “Could be if we wanted her to be.”

  “What?” Ace asked, sounding shocked.

  “She’s different.”

  “She’s young, and Jo’s friend.”

  “And your point is what?”

  “We can’t even think about making a move on her or doing whatever. She’s a commitment type of woman. Stick to women like Cindy, out for a good time, no strings attached, and that can ease your aches. Anything else just wouldn’t be smart. At least not now when we’re busy with work.”

  “I’m going to need some time to heal.”

  “Well, heal with some other women, not Amber. Jo will be pissed off if you do.”

  “You couldn’t resist touching Amber either. I felt the connection when she was between us.”

  Ace exhaled.

  “You felt it, too,” he pushed.

  “It’s been months since I sank my cock into a woman,” he snapped, and Cliff squinted.

  “This is different.”

  “Leave it alone, Cliff. Keep your distance. We aren’t the kind of men a woman as sweet, young, and shy like her needs in her life. We’ll hurt her when we leave. When we move on. You know this.”

  “I don’t know what I know anymore. It’s been months for me, too. Got no interest, but today. Fuck, today, seeing Amber, being that close to her, inhaling her scent, and holy fuck, my dick was hard.”

  “Don’t start thinking she’s the one to scratch that itch. Get her out of your head. We’re in no position to start something we aren’t capable of or willing to finish. Give Missy a call. She’s no strings attached and can help ease that ache with no headache or commitment.”

  Cliff mumbled a curse. Missy didn’t compare to Amber. He liked Amber. He was attracted to her, but Ace was right. She came with commitment and a dedication he never gave any woman in his life. Amber was better off with a man like Dr. Ford. He thought, and then anger and jealousy pooled in his belly and hit his chest. Fucking doctors. They get all the good-looking sweet women. Amber wouldn’t want a man like me. I got nothing to offer her. Nothing. I’m hard-core. Can be mean and demanding and never was in a committed relationship. There was never time. Never desire. Jesus, she has my head all fucked up. Maybe I should call Missy? Fuck.

  Chapter 3

  Amber walked through the festival with London. The gathering of friends came into sight quickly as they approached a large tent that was right alongside a set of BBQs and the truck and beer stand. A perfect spot to hang out for the festival. Before they even reached the tent of friends, she spotted Corona and Briar talking with Vetter and Blade and then Ace laughing as Cliff leaned back in a chair sipping a beer. She swallowed hard, getting that uneasy feeling in her gut again. She couldn’t get them off her mind, and especially Cliff and Ace as they flirted with her at urgent care.

  “They got a whole tent to themselves. God, Amber, is it me, or do all those men look so intimidating?” London asked. They both slowed down.

  “Definitely intimidating.”

  At that moment, Corona caught her gaze and then Ace, too. They squinted and looked her over, and she had to turn away. Hell, she wanted to turn around and get out of here. Go home, where she was safe and didn’t have to worry about her fears so much. As she turned and London said hello to some of the ladies, Amber spotted Danny, and holy shit, his face was a mess. She felt her jaw drop as he stopped short, carrying a beer, and gazed over her body in the pale pink sundress she wore, and she gulped.

  “Danny, what in the world happened to you? Are you okay?” she asked, stepping closer, feeling concerned for him. He was a federal agent, and apparently, he was into crazy things like his brothers. They were all Special Forces soldiers, so it was understandable. They seemed like good soldiers though. Not ones like her brother and his team, who did things for the money and didn’t care who they did them for.

  He looked embarrassed but then gave her a smile.

  “How are you, Amber?”

  “Good,” she said, and he stared at her. She took in the sight of his muscular arms, the biceps about to rip through his T-shirt. He wore camo shorts, like his brothers. It was very warm out today. That was why she wore the slim-fitting sundress and sandals. He towered over her, and she had to cover her eyes to look up at him as the sun glared from behind him.

  “Better questions is, how are you? What happened? Those look nasty,” she said.

  “Got into a bit of a struggle with some criminals. I’ll be fine.”

  “Hmm, are you and your brothers always getting so roughed up with injuries?” she asked.

  “I guess it comes with the territory.” He gave her a wink.

  “You look beautiful, as always,” he said, and she just stared at him.

  She didn’t know how to react. She didn’t want to come across as flirty. She couldn’t entertain an attraction even if these men were commitment types, which they weren’t. Even Jo had made references during the past year that Amber had known her, that they were noncommitment types and tend to stick to one-night stands, no strings attached.

  “Thank you. It’s so warm out. Anyway, looks like they were able to grab a great spot,” she said and started walking toward everyone. She felt his hand at her waist as he followed, and she greeted her friends. Jo’s eyes widened as she saw Danny next to her and then his brothers Ace and Briar approached.

  “Hey, it’s my favorite nurse,” Ace said and bent down to kiss her cheek, shocking her. Briar followed, and she had to look away as the men ate her up with their eyes.

  “How is Cliff doing? Still in pain?” she asked.

  “He’ll be fine,” Briar said, his eyes never moving off her.

  “I heard you took care of him at urgent care. I can’t believe he did that,” Jo said, and Amber excused herself to go hug Jo hello. Then she said hello to Melina and her men.

  “Come sit here,” Jo said to her, and it was right next to Cliff and Corona.

  “Want a beer?” Vetter asked her.

  “Sure,” she said and took the seat between the two men and crossed her legs.

  “How are you feeling, Cliff?” she asked him, trying to keep it business, but the man was eating her up with his eyes, and she felt it. Her body hummed with an awareness that made her hands shake. This wasn’t good. She didn’t flirt with men or even consider dating. She couldn’t. She was in control of her emotions now. The counseling helped her so much, and her therapist told her she should take a chance and just move slowly. These men weren’t slow movers. They were fast, seasoned, a
nd had a good twelve years or more on her. She swallowed hard and then felt Corona press against her as he shifted in his seat. The connections, the heat, brought a surge of cream to her pussy. She stood up.

  “I’ll go grab that beer myself,” she said and headed toward the beer truck. She didn’t look behind her as she walked. She basically just shot up out of her seat like some jumping bean. Holy God, those men made her nervous, and they scared her. Plain and simple. Why did she come here? Melina and Jo would have understood if she had declined.

  As she got her own beer, she debated about going to look around at the vendors instead of sitting between Corona and Cliff.

  “Melina said you had work today. Were you busy?” Briar asked her, approaching from behind. She looked over her shoulder, hesitated, then turned to face him. Dark brown hair, blue eyes like his brothers, muscles, tattoos, and a sexy smile. He was sporting a tight navy-blue shirt that stretched across hard muscles.

  “I did. I’ve been working a lot, and I’m actually a little tired. I probably won’t stay too long today,” she said and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked away. She felt his hand on her waist. She turned to look at him.

  “Don’t leave early. It’s going to be a good time. Do you like country music?” he asked, and then pulled his hand back and took a sip of his beer. They started to walk away from the beer truck as more people were approaching.

  “I do.”

  “Good. There’s supposed to be some great bands playing today. There’s a spot in the shade by the water where you can sit back, relax, have a beer, and listen to the music, watch the people, and just breathe,” he told her.

  She was caught up in watching him, in his words, and she spoke without even thinking.

  “That sounds special. I could use some relaxing time to just breathe,” she said and looked toward the crowds of people, as the scent of BBQ filled her nostrils.

  “Come on, I’ll show you it.” He placed his hand at her lower back, and they began to walk. She glanced at her friends and saw his brothers staring at her and Briar. Would they be jealous? Did they think Briar had a chance with her? Did they think she was like other women? Easy? A one-night stand? She started to panic and stopped short.

  “You don’t need to show me. Save it for some other woman,” she said, and he squinted at her, gripped her hip, and stepped closer.

  “What?” he asked.

  She was embarrassed. Nervous. She exhaled.

  “Listen, you’re a nice guy and all, but I’m not interested.”

  “In seeing a place to relax? What are you talking about?”

  “Just this whole game you play. That your brothers play and flirt and stuff. I’m not into that. I do my own thing. I like doing things alone.”

  He held her gaze. “Is that what I’m doing? Flirting? Playing a game with you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, you’re assuming something that isn’t true.”

  “Forget it. Just let’s head back.”

  “No, let’s not. I think you need to relax, and showing you this spot will help maybe ease your mind and not be on the defensive,” he said and guided her further along.

  She swallowed hard and felt embarrassed. She was no good at this. She felt confused, shaky. God, he was gorgeous, and she was acting like some inexperienced high school girl. She needed to get a grip and fast.

  When they got to the lake, and the set of benches under trees a bit away from the crowds, she was impressed. “This one over here,” he said. “You get a surround sound effect in this spot,” he told her, and they both sat down. She leaned back like him, and he put his arms behind him so one was behind her side but not touching her shoulders. She wanted him to and then got angry with herself and exhaled.

  He didn’t say a word, and she focused on the band playing, the people enjoying the day, the kids running around in the distance, and she started to relax a little.

  “This is nice. It would be even better if there was a hammock or something to lie on and just drift into a relaxing nap,” she said and closed her eyes.

  “Hmmm, I like the sound of that,” he whispered, and then they were quiet again. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but then she felt his arm over her shoulder, then he used his fingers to stroke her arm, and she didn’t flinch. She didn’t tighten up. She just breathed and enjoyed feeling surprisingly comfortable and safe right here with Briar by her side. A man she hardly knew, but she did know his sister well.

  Briar was very attractive, just like his brothers. He seemed to have a little more of a relaxed personality than his brothers, but what did she know? Every time they went to talk to her, she freaked out and found an excuse to walk away. Because she was a victim, her mind always went fast-forward when a guy started talking or flirting with her.

  What if he asked her out? What if she went, and he wanted to kiss her? How would she react if he held her hand, touched her? Acted possessive of her? What if he kissed her and wouldn’t stop? She felt panicked again, and her breathing hitched. She opened her eyes and glanced at him, and he was smiling at some kids playing tag not too far in front of them. She eased her mind. He wasn’t going to try something. He would be a gentleman. She could handle this. She wasn’t twenty-two anymore. She wasn’t gullible and scared. She was tougher and stronger, and she even knew self-defense. She loved boxing. That was her favorite.

  “So what do you do when you aren’t working at the urgent care facility?” Briar asked her. She turned to the left to face him. “Not too much.”

  “No hobbies? No gyms?” he asked and looked at her body.

  “I take some classes at Donny’s.”

  “Martial arts?” he asked.

  “Some, but mostly boxing. It’s my favorite,” she said, and he smiled.

  “Seriously? That’s great exercise. Do you do it for cardio or what?”

  “Well, it’s a lot of cardio anyway, but I do the training classes, like for actual fighting.”

  “What?” He sat forward seemingly surprised.

  She chuckled. “I don’t want to be a fighter or anything like that. I want the capabilities as a form of self-defense,” she hurried to reply.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing, it’s just that you’re so sweet, soft-spoken and petite, as well. I can’t imagine you sparring in a ring with some chick twice your size.”

  “I usually spar with guys.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “Hmm,” he said and looked away.

  “What?” she asked.

  He turned back to face her. He stared into her eyes, his dark blue ones were so intense. “They flirt with you a lot?” he asked, surprising her.

  “No, they know I don’t date. When I’m in the ring, I’m serious and I’m training.”

  “But you don’t want to actually fight for competition?”

  “No way.” She looked at her hands.

  “I don’t like a lot of attention. I like to keep to myself and do my own thing,” she told him.

  He nodded. “I do, too. Usually we don’t even come to these things,” he told her.

  “So why did you?” she asked.

  “A few reasons.”

  “Like,” she pushed, and he looked back toward the tents where their friends were.

  “For Melina and Jo. To celebrate life. To enjoy everyone together, not apart. Especially with Danny getting hurt,” he added.

  She could tell Briar was affected by that.

  “It was something dangerous?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “You all like to do things that are dangerous, huh?”

  “Don’t know much else. Didn’t go to college, joined the military at eighteen, right out of high school. Life was tough growing up. Our parents tried their best.”

  “You all entered? All had an interest?” she asked and got more comfortable on the bench. He did, too.

  “At first, it was a means to get
an education. Learn a trade and stuff. Special Forces is an elite team of soldiers, and it was a tough haul getting through it.”

  She looked away. “I know it’s tough, and quite the accomplishment.”

  “You have family in the military?” he asked, and she gazed away, getting that bad feeling in her gut.

  Briar and his brothers were good soldiers. Good men. Her brother Rusty and his crew didn’t always follow the rules. Right now, they weren’t. She was worried about all of them.

  When she felt the hand on her knee, she jerked and sat forward. Briar pulled his hand back and squinted at her.

  “We should head back,” she said.

  “You don’t need to be scared around me, Amber.”

  She didn’t know how to respond. She just stared at him. At those dark blue eyes, the firm jaw, the muscles, and of course her nostrils took in the scent of his cologne. She wondered why she couldn’t just be normal and put the past behind her and move on with this new life. At least when it came to being touched. To being close to someone. She flinched no matter who hugged her, though she avoided it. She stood up and smoothed her hand along her dress. Her stomach rumbled. It was hot, too, and her beer got warm.

  “Hungry?” he asked her.

  “Thanks for the info on the spot. It was relaxing,” she said as they walked.

  “You didn’t seem relaxed at all.”

  She didn’t look at him. She was embarrassed. She couldn’t do this. Couldn’t talk to a man, to men alone. When they got to the tent, she went to walk toward London and her friends, but Briar took her hand. She froze and locked gazes with him.

  “Stay and have lunch at our table.”

  “No,” she replied as she peeked toward where he waved his other hand to and saw his brothers. All four of them were glued to her.

  “We don’t bite. Come on.” He walked with her to the food station, and somehow he started talking to her about macaroni and cheese and that there was a great place in Sussex that made the best ever. As he described the location and the setting on the water, she listened to him and couldn’t interrupt when they headed to the table. Not all of his brothers were there now as they went to get food and more beer. Danny was there, rubbing his head, and then he stretched out his arm. She took a seat next to him, and Briar sat next to her.