CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

Three hours later, JJ looked over at April and smiled. He couldn’t keep his gaze from her for more than a few minutes at a time. When they’d first arrived at Jack’s Lumber, he’d been worried seeing the office would somehow cause something to click in her brain and cause her pain. But she’d looked around without any kind of recognition and shrugged at him while saying, “It’s nice.”

He’d been both relieved and disappointed she hadn’t immediately remembered everything, but he kept his emotions to himself as he’d shown her around.

The office wasn’t fancy. There was a small reception area up front, then an interior door led to a larger space where JJ and the guys spent quite a bit of time and which, more recently, the girls had largely taken over for themselves. They’d made it more comfortable and homey with a couple of couches and some feminine touches, like pictures on the walls and pillows on the sofa, and every now and then, a bouquet of fresh flowers would appear. There was a full kitchen, and April had partitioned off a small portion of the room with curtains, to hide the boxes of supplies that had previously just been stacked in a corner.

Looking around, JJ realized he saw April in every nook and cranny of the place . . . which wasn’t surprising, since she spent the most time here. He recognized her influence in the dishes in the kitchen, the flooring she’d picked out, even the way the boxes were stacked in the storage area behind the curtain.

She’d made Jack’s Lumber her own, and no one would ever be able to fill her shoes if she decided not to stay. Even if she never regained her memory, he had no doubt she’d be able to find her place here again . . . if she wanted to. There was a possibility she might not take to Maine as quickly as she had the first time.

“Dude, you look like you just smelled Chappy’s feet after he takes off his boots. What’s up?” Bob asked as he nudged JJ with his shoulder.

“Hey! My feet aren’t that bad,” Chappy protested.

They were standing near the back door to the office, discussing the job that Bob and Chappy had just finished. Cal was across the room, making June more comfortable on the couch. The further along she got in her pregnancy, the more protective their friend became . . . not that anyone could blame him.

“I don’t want April to leave,” JJ blurted.

Chappy looked shocked. “Wait, she’s leaving?”

“I don’t know. It’s possible. I mean, she could literally go anywhere and be an asset. Why would she stay here?” JJ asked. He was talking fast, and he realized he was starting to panic a bit, but couldn’t make himself stop.

“Why wouldn’t she stay?” Bob countered. “Did you say something boneheaded to her? Has she regained her memory and realized you refused to ask her out?”

“No, no, and no,” JJ grumbled. “Being here, seeing how she’s made this place hers . . . I just . . . I don’t want her to leave.”

“Sounds like someone’s finally gotten their head out of their ass,” Chappy said with a grin, lessening the harshness of his words.

JJ took a deep breath and turned to his friend. “I have. I love her. I don’t know what I’d do if she left.”

“She’s not going to leave,” Bob told him. “Look at her. She might not remember Carlise, June, or Marlowe, but she’s already clicking with them again.”

JJ looked back to the women and saw the smile on April’s face. She was leaning toward Marlowe as if hanging on every word the other woman was saying.

He took a deep breath. The feeling of relief that swept through him was almost painful.

“You guys were stuck,” Chappy said. “Stuck in a rut, in a routine. I think you were both scared to do or say anything that might change the status quo between the two of you. She probably worried because you’re her boss, and she’s older than you, and she didn’t want to make the first move. And you—I’m not sure what your deal was, but I’m guessing maybe a fear that if things didn’t go as you hoped, it would ruin your friendship.”

JJ nodded, then mumbled, “It was stupid.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Bob said with a small shake of his head. “Maybe overly cautious.”

Cal headed their way and, when he got close enough, asked, “What are we talking about so intently? World peace? The FBI’s top ten wanted fugitives? Old man Smith?”

JJ’s lips twitched.

“JJ’s freaking out because he just realized he loves April, and he’s afraid she’s gonna leave when she gets her memory back.”

“She won’t,” Cal said calmly, as if he could see into the future and knew without a doubt what he was saying was true.

“Still, I’m thinking it can’t hurt to give her an incentive,” Chappy added. “We all know she keeps this place running. That without her, Jack’s Lumber probably would’ve folded long before now. Any objections to bringing her in as a partner?”

JJ’s mouth fell open. He’d been thinking that exact thing. Had decided just yesterday to talk to the guys about making it happen. It was just another reminder of how he and his best friends were on the same wavelength.

“Absolutely.”

“We should’ve done it before now.”

His three friends looked at JJ.

“Well?” Chappy asked him.

“What if she thinks we’re trying to bribe her to stay?” JJ asked. “Maybe we should wait until she gets her memory back. I mean, she’s worked her ass off for this place. She might remember how much time she’s spent here and decide she doesn’t want to put in any more effort.”

Cal rolled his eyes. “I think if she knows how much of her blood, sweat, and tears she’s devoted to this place, she’ll want to stay even more. She’s stubborn like that.”

“Right? Remember when she heard the city council was considering going with an out-of-town company to take care of the trees in the park, and she took it upon herself to go down to the mayor’s office and give him a thirty-minute PowerPoint presentation on why Jack’s Lumber would be the better choice?” Chappy asked with a laugh.

“Or when she volunteered us to play Santa and his elves for the annual holiday party, when the guy who normally played the part got food poisoning?” Bob added.

“You know her best, JJ. Do you honestly believe she’ll think we’re trying to manipulate her in any way if we let her know what we’re planning? Or will she be flattered and appreciative that we’ve noticed how hard she’s worked?” Cal asked.

JJ didn’t even have to think about it. “She’d probably tell us that it’s about time we realized how important she is to this place.”

The guys all laughed.

“I’ll get with our lawyer and have him start to work on it. What should the split be?” Cal asked.

Before JJ could speak, Bob said, “We each give her five of our quarter percentage, so we each own twenty.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Chappy said with a nod.

“I agree,” Cal said.

“Me too,” JJ piped in. They should’ve done this way before now. April was literally the glue that held Jack’s Lumber together.

“I’m gonna go tell her now,” Cal said, turning toward the women.

“Wait!” JJ exclaimed, grabbing his friend by the arm.

“Why?”

JJ racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a reason that would sound rational.

“He’s worried she’s gonna think we’re trying to bribe her to stay,” Bob said with a smirk.

“We are!” Chappy said with a grin.

Cal turned to JJ. “Look, I get it. You’ve got all these emotions rolling around inside you about April. She was hurt. You’re still freaked about what could’ve happened. I felt the same about June. Still do. Seeing her lying on the floor with all that blood pouring out of her was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through. I still have nightmares about it. But she’s alive and pregnant with our son.

“Wasn’t it you who said we couldn’t live in the past after we were rescued? When we were trying to decide what to do with ourselves after we got out of the Army? The same thing applies here. What happened, happened. You have to look to the future. And from what I understand, you want April in your future. Right?”

JJ nodded.

“Then tie her to you, to us, to Newton, any way you can. It’s not manipulative; it’s going after what you want. And we all know you want April. Just as it’s obvious she wants you too. We’ve watched the two of you tiptoe around each other for way too long now.”

The other two men nodded their agreement.

JJ couldn’t help but grin at his friends. “You guys are all so damn sappy. It’s as if your wives’ pregnancy hormones have infected you too.”

“Damn straight,” Chappy said with a huge grin.

“I won’t deny it,” Bob said. “Besides, sex lately has been even more amazing than before, and that’s saying something.”

Cal simply smiled.

“Fine. Go tell her,” JJ told him.

“Was going to anyway,” he retorted.

“He just wants an excuse to hover over his wife,” Chappy said. “Which isn’t a bad plan.” He followed Cal toward the couches.

“Come on, time to join our women,” Bob told JJ.

JJ had no problem with that.

His friends had claimed the spots next to their wives by the time he got there, and the only spot left was next to April. He didn’t hesitate to sit next to her.

“You guys solving the world’s problems over there?” Carlise asked with a grin. “You looked pretty intense.”

“They always look that way,” June countered. “They could be talking about the weather and they’d look as if they were planning a mission against a terrorist stronghold.”

“Oh my God, you’re totally right,” Marlowe said with a giggle.

“Well, today we weren’t discussing terrorists or the world’s problems. Instead, we were talking about April,” Cal told them.

Almost comically, everyone’s gaze swung to the woman at JJ’s side. He felt her stiffen, and he knew without a doubt she wasn’t comfortable being the center of attention.

Turning so the bulk of his body blocked out the others, he took one of April’s hands in his own. Cal would just blurt out that they were giving her part ownership of the company without any explanation, which would probably make April decline, because she’d feel as if they were pitying her or something.

“Breathe, hon,” he said quietly when it looked as if April was thinking the worst. “We were just talking about something we should’ve done long before now. The timing for this might not seem right, but then again, maybe it’s perfect.”

“Spit it out, JJ!” Carlise said impatiently from the opposite couch.

His lips twitched, but he didn’t take his gaze from April. “Do you like the office?” he asked.

Her brows furrowed, and she nodded.

“I’m not surprised, considering you picked out every piece of furniture in here and designed the space,” JJ told her. “You’ve made Jack’s Lumber your own. You brought life to what started out as a cold, empty room. You’ve brought in half the clients we’ve ever had, and you make them feel as if they’re part of a family when they choose us. Some of them are experiencing the worst days of their lives when trees fall on their houses or cars. You calm them down and go above and beyond simply arranging for us to remove the tree. You walk them through filing insurance claims, and you’ve even arranged for the community to help with food, money, transportation, and childcare, when needed. You are the heart and soul of Jack’s Lumber, and you might not remember right now how integral you are to the success of this place . . . but we do.”

“Please tell me you’re changing the name to April’s Lumber,” Carlise teased.

Everyone laughed, and JJ saw April blush.

He smiled at Carlise. “No, but that’s a thought.” He turned back to April. “The guys and I are making you a partner. We’re giving you an even stake in the ownership of Jack’s Lumber. Twenty percent. Same as what we’ll have. You’ve more than earned it. It’s not a bribe to get you to stay. I mean, we hope you do—I want you to stay—but even if you don’t, your stake in the company remains.”

The other women clapped and gleefully congratulated April, saying how happy they were for her, but JJ only had eyes for the woman in front of him. He couldn’t read the emotions flitting across her face.

“That’s . . . I . . . I don’t know what to say,” she finally stammered.

“Say ‘It’s about time!’” Carlise said with a laugh. “JJ’s not wrong. You work your butt off for this place. We’ve had to drag you out of here a time or two just to get you to come hang with us, and you definitely spend more than your fair share of overtime here.”

“Carlise is right,” Marlowe agreed. “I haven’t been here as long as the others, but it’s easy to see how much you love this place. And everyone around Newton loves you right back.”

“I feel weird accepting this when I don’t remember anything about the business,” April said.

“Well, the good news is that you don’t have to accept anything,” Chappy told her. “It’s happening no matter what.”

“And you’ll be back to bossing everyone around in no time,” June said. “And I mean that in a good way,” she tacked on in a rush.

The phone started ringing out in the front room, diverting attention away from April. Chappy stood to go answer it, then returned a minute later. “Looks like we have a job. Tree fell across the highway. The police chief asked if we could go out and assist the firefighters because of the size of the thing.”

“I’m in,” Cal said, then turned to JJ. “Can you get June home?”

“Of course,” he told him.

“You should go too,” Marlowe told Bob. “I’ll hang out at June’s until you guys get back.”

“And I have a manuscript I need to work on,” Carlise added. “Congrats, April, seriously. You deserve to own part of this business for sure.”

The guys kissed their wives and headed out the back door. JJ knew they’d make quick work of the tree. “You want to stay here while I run everyone else home?” JJ asked April when the guys had left.

“Is that okay?” she asked tentatively.

“Of course. This is practically your second home. And before you feel weird about anything, feel free to snoop. Check out where everything is. Turn on the computer if you’d like. The password is on a piece of paper taped on the underside of the desk, inside the front drawer.” He chuckled at the look on her face. “You insisted on keeping it there because you change it every three months and none of us can ever remember the new one.”

As the other women collected their stuff and used the restroom, JJ leaned into April. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but for the record, I didn’t bring up the ownership thing. I mean, I had planned on it, but the guys beat me to it. You’re important to us, sweetheart. And while I truly believe it’s just a matter of time before your memory returns, if—and that’s a big if—it never does, you’ll figure out your place here again without any issue. And if Maine isn’t where you want to stay, you’ll always have the proceeds from this place to fall back on.”

“That’s too generous, Jack,” she told him with a concerned look on her face.

JJ shook his head. “It’s really not. And when you regain your memory, you’ll probably demand more than twenty percent because of all you do around here.” Not able to help himself, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes or less. Look around, refamiliarize yourself with the place. But don’t overdo it. If your head starts to hurt, lie down and take a nap.”

He knew she’d never do that, but he had to say it anyway.

“I think I can survive twenty minutes without you, Jack,” she said.

He loved the sass she threw his way. She almost sounded like the April he knew before her accident.

“I know. You can survive anything.” He forced himself to stand and turn to the others. Of course, they were all waiting by the door with huge smiles on their faces. They’d been not-so-covertly listening to his conversation with April.

They all called out their goodbyes and promised to be in touch soon. Jack took one last look behind him before he walked out the door, and saw April staring at him with a look he couldn’t interpret. He lifted his chin at her, then made sure the door was locked before forcing himself to leave.

April let out the breath she’d been holding when the door shut behind Jack and the other women. She liked being around everyone. It truly felt as if she was part of a huge, happy family. But she couldn’t deny the sound of silence was comforting. Her head was throbbing, even though she’d never admit it to Jack or anyone else, and the quiet felt amazing.

She remained on the couch for a few more minutes and looked around the space. To her surprise, she realized it did feel somewhat familiar. She wasn’t sure if that was because some of her memory was returning or simply because it was a cozy room.

The couch she was sitting on was extremely comfortable, and she loved the suede material. She liked the color scheme of the space; it was calming but not boring. And the way the storage was set apart from the rest of the room felt natural.

She let out a small chuckle and shook her head. It probably wasn’t surprising that she liked the room so much, if what the others said was true . . . that she’d picked out everything, from the paint to the flooring to the furniture. It was such a weird feeling to see firsthand things she’d supposedly done and not have any memory of doing them.

April couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed with the guys’ plan to make her part owner of Jack’s Lumber. It was a little uncomfortable because she didn’t feel as if she deserved it. How could she, when she didn’t remember anything about the business? But she couldn’t deny that, deep down, she also felt pride. Even if she couldn’t remember her impact on the business, she’d been here for years. Why shouldn’t she reap the rewards of her alleged hard work?

A determination rose within her. She had no idea if she’d regain the memories that had been lost in her accident, but even if she didn’t, she wanted to stay. She really liked the men and women she was getting to know, and from what she’d seen of Newton, it was an adorable little town.

Then there was Jack. She’d never felt such a deep connection with a man, and she wanted to explore that further.

Excited to get to know Jack’s Lumber again, April stood. She rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, then wandered over to the storage area. She looked into the various boxes and saw office supplies along with what had to be extra parts for chain saws and other mechanical materials that she wasn’t sure about. When she’d looked over everything in the back room, she moved to the front reception area.

Glancing through the window, she saw the weather was overcast . . .

She had a sudden flash of Carlise complaining about the rain, and April remembered telling her friend that if she didn’t like the weather, just wait five minutes and it’d change.

The memory startled April so much, she stopped in her tracks and stared into space. Had she really just remembered something, or was it just wishful thinking?

Taking a deep breath, April moved toward the desk. She sat in the chair, which was super comfortable. It was the perfect height for her, which wasn’t surprising, considering how much time she supposedly spent here. She rolled up to the desk and automatically reached for the mouse to the right of the keyboard. She wiggled it, and the screen came to life. Then she giggled at the message that appeared on the screen saver.

Do NOT mess with my files. Don’t delete anything, don’t move anything. Do so at your own risk!

It seemed that she was a little—okay, a lot—paranoid about anyone screwing up her organization. And definitely as bossy as Jack claimed.

Curious now, she opened the desk drawer and felt around for the paper Jack said would be taped inside. She found it and pulled it free and stared at the password she’d written. She recognized her writing, but it was bizarre that she had no memory of writing the word down. The password was fourteen letters long, both upper- and lowercase, with a few special characters and numbers mixed in.

April wasn’t surprised she was vigilant about passwords. She remembered an office she’d worked in while she was married, where the computer system had been hacked because someone had a password that was easy to guess. She’d apparently learned her lesson.

She carefully typed in the password and held her breath as the operating system came to life. There were at least thirty different files on the desktop itself, and she read through the titles of each. Vendors, clients, donors, volunteers . . . the file names were all concise and clear.

Taking a deep breath, April clicked on the email icon.

Her mouth dropped open when she saw nearly two hundred unread messages. Hadn’t anyone monitored the email while she’d been in the hospital? Leaning forward, she was surprised to see the dates on the unopened messages were all from the last two days! So it seemed someone was reading the messages; they just hadn’t gotten to them in the last couple of days.

She couldn’t resist clicking on the most recent email and reading it with a small smile on her face. It was from a customer, saying he’d just learned about her accident and he hoped she was feeling better soon.

The next email was from someone in Bangor—a vendor, from what April could tell—and she was sending get-well wishes too.

As she continued reading the emails, she was flabbergasted to learn the majority were to her specifically, wishing her a speedy recovery. There were a few requests for service and a couple of bills that needed to be paid, but for the most part, the messages were personal and heartfelt.

April sat back and stared at the screen in disbelief. For what felt like most of her life, she’d faded into the background. She’d done her job but never felt as if she was seen. Her husband certainly hadn’t appreciated what she did for him, for their household, or for her job. But clearly, she wasn’t just a secretary for Jack’s Lumber.

Everything Jack had told her was true. She was valued here. A vital part of the business.

It felt good. Really good.

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door, scaring the crap out of April. She looked up from the desk to see a man standing there, smiling at her through the door’s window.

She stood and walked toward the door, feeling nervous—before common sense dawned. This was a business. She had no reason to feel trepidatious, and the last thing she wanted was to turn away a paying customer. She unlocked the door and opened it, giving the man a polite smile. She didn’t recognize him, which was expected, since she currently didn’t know anyone from her life here in Maine.

He smiled back politely, and April relaxed a fraction. “Hi,” she said. “Welcome to Jack’s Lumber.”

“Thanks.”

When he didn’t say anything else, just continued to simply stare, April invited him inside and walked back to the desk, feeling a little more comfortable with the piece of furniture between her and the stranger. As she sat, she asked, “Can I help you?”

“Maybe,” he said. “I bought a piece of property near here, and I’ve been trying to get some estimates on how much it’ll cost to clear the trees so I can build a house.”

“We can do that,” April said without thought. She felt a pang of guilt because she had no idea if Jack and the others actually did do that, but the words had fallen so easily from her tongue, she figured she’d probably said that exact thing many times. “How about if you write down your address and your name and number, and I’ll have someone get back to you as soon as possible.”

The man stared at her for longer than what felt polite, and April forced herself not to squirm.

“Are you all right?” he finally asked, without reaching for the pen or paper April had pushed across the desk.

“Of course. Why?” she asked a little defensively.

“I heard there’d been an accident,” he said with a small shrug.

“Oh.” Of course he’d heard. Newton was a small town, and by the number of emails in the inbox, everyone within a hundred square miles had heard about her accident. “I’m okay, thanks for asking.”

“I’ve almost hit a moose myself. I mean, you’d think with them being so big, they’d be easy to see, but they appear out of nowhere. You’re very lucky to not have been hurt worse.”

For some reason, his words made April uneasy. Despite that, she nodded politely. “Yeah, I am.” There wasn’t anything about the man that should’ve made her feel unsafe. He was young and clean cut, with short, well-groomed black hair and an easy smile, and he wore an expensive-looking pressed shirt and tie. Even his slacks had creases down the front.

Nothing about him screamed danger . . . and yet she couldn’t help but tense up as she waited for him to say or do something else.

“You look kind of pale,” he said with a small tilt of his head. “And you’re squinting. I bet your head hurts, doesn’t it? How about I just come back later? I don’t want to cause you any pain, April.”

“It’s okay,” she said, but the man had already turned and was heading for the door. He opened it slowly, so as not to make the bell over the doorframe tinkle, looked back to wink at her, then walked outside, closing the door just as carefully.

April watched from behind the desk as he made his way toward a black pickup truck and climbed in. Without another glance, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned left onto Main Street and disappeared from view.

“That was weird,” she said out loud. She’d just relocked the front door when she heard a noise from the back room and tensed up all over again. By the time she’d taken a few steps toward the other room, the door opened and Jack reappeared.

She was so relieved to see him, she almost crumpled where she stood.

“Hey, how are—what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. You just scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I parked in the back and used my key to come in that way. I see you’ve gotten into your computer.”

She didn’t miss the way he said it was her computer. “There were almost two hundred unread emails,” she said, almost accusatory.

But Jack simply smiled. “I know. The guys have been keeping up with them for the most part, but obviously got behind. I’ll get to them later.”

“I went through them and moved the ones that were service requests or bills to the appropriate folders,” she informed him.

Jack’s smile widened. “Knew you’d get the hang of things fast,” he said. “How many were from your fans, wishing you well?”

“Um . . . most of them?” she said uncertainly.

“Not surprised. The guys have been spending most of their time reassuring people that you’ll be back soon and that you’re on the mend. Come on, let’s get you home. I’m thinking you could use some peace and quiet for a while.”

April didn’t even protest the home thing. Jack’s house was the only home she currently knew. Her head did hurt, and she was weirdly tired even though she hadn’t done much of anything today.

Jack walked to the front door, flipped the sign there so it said CLOSED, then came back toward her. He leaned down and logged out of the computer before wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her toward the back room.

“I can walk,” April mumbled, even as she leaned into Jack.

“I know you can,” he said without removing his arm.

April wasn’t sure what was happening between her and Jack, but she liked it. A lot. As soon as she’d seen him, any fear she’d had about the man who’d stopped by had disappeared.

Her brow furrowed as Jack walked her to his Bronco. Something occurred to her suddenly—the man had used her name. How did he even know it?

Almost as soon as she had the thought, she dismissed it. Again, Newton was a small town, and she figured everyone knew everyone. Even newcomers like the potential customer had heard about her accident, how she’d swerved to miss hitting a moose—or whatever the animal was—and crashed.

“I was thinking chili for dinner. How’s that sound?”

“Delicious,” April told him as he held her elbow while she climbed into the passenger seat of his vehicle.

Instead of moving away from the door, he put a hand on her thigh and stood there staring at her.

“Jack?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

“No,” he said flatly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, alarmed.

“I was an idiot.”

April frowned. “What? When?”

“For the last five years. I was drawn to you from the moment we met, when you came into Jack’s Lumber and practically demanded we hire you. I loved your confidence and your determination to make our business as good as it could be. Yes, maybe you were desperate for a job, but that didn’t make me any less certain about your abilities to be exactly what we needed. And I wasn’t wrong. But I was an idiot for not letting you know for five long damn years how much I cared about you.”

“Jack,” April whispered, overwhelmed.

“It’s probably not fair of me to move so fast now, but I can’t help it. As I told you before, I’m an intense guy. And I want you, April. All of you. Your hopes, your dreams, your fantasies, your worries and fears, your snarkiness, your bossiness, and your heart. I’m going to mess up, but you need to know from this point on, my only goal in life is to make you happy.”

April’s heart felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest.

“You don’t have to say anything. I get it. I’m pushing. Probably too hard. But I want to make sure you know where I stand and that I’m not going to be that idiot anymore. When I want something, I go after it with everything I have. But I won’t be that guy. If you get to know me and you don’t like what you learn, I’m not going to be a stalker. I won’t make things weird between us. I’ll back off and let you live your life. But if you do decide you want to take a chance on me, I promise I won’t let you down. I’ll make it worth you putting up with my flaws and imperfections.”

Then he leaned forward, kissed her on the lips hard and fast, and said, “Watch your feet” before closing the door.

April brought a hand up to her lips and watched with wide eyes as Jack walked around the front of the vehicle. He got in, and as if he hadn’t just blown her mind, said, “We’ll be home in a jiffy, and I’ll get you settled so you can relax before dinner’s ready.” Then he turned the key in the ignition and headed down the road as if it was just an ordinary day.

But it was anything but ordinary for April. She was falling hard and fast for this guy . . . but she had a feeling she’d already been in love with him before her accident. How could she not? Even with him not making his intentions clear before, they were certainly clear now. Any girl would want to hear every single word he’d just said. She was no exception.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back on the seat behind her and smiled as Jack drove them back to his place.

Ryan Johnson watched from inside his pickup as Jackson Justice put April into his Bronco and drove out of the back parking lot of Jack’s Lumber. Of course, Ryan Johnson wasn’t the name he was given at birth, but at this point, names meant nothing. He’d picked the most mundane name he could think of. One that wouldn’t stand out.

His entire goal for the last five years had been to blend into the background. He didn’t want to be noticed. In order to get the revenge he longed for, he needed to be invisible. He’d kept his hair short, but not too short. He wore clothes that any other middle-class American male might wear. All while studying and honing his craft.

The craft that would help him take out Riggs “Chappy” Chapman, Callum “Cal” Redmon, Kendric “Bob” Evans, and Jackson “JJ” Justice.

He’d made it his mission in life to learn every little thing he could about the four men, including details about their families, who he’d always planned to use against them—until a different opportunity presented itself just in the last year. Namely, their women.

The fact that his enemies had each found women to love had changed his plan dramatically, but made it even more perfect.

Ryan wanted them to lose the most important people in their lives—just as they’d destroyed the one person Ryan loved the most.

His brother had been everything. Ryan idolized him. Yes, he’d gotten involved with a man in their hometown who was a bully . . . but he was a charismatic bully, able to convince a lot of young men to follow him and join his terrorist faction. And when he’d decided to kidnap some American soldiers—with no real idea of what to do with the men once they had them—Ryan’s brother had obediently supported that choice.

Ryan had already taken care of that man. The asshole who’d convinced his brother to take part in the kidnapping. Made him suffer dearly for Ryan’s loss.

Next, he would’ve gone after the men who rescued the prisoners—the men directly responsible for his brother’s death—but the truth of the matter was, he didn’t know who they were. He had no names for the Special Forces soldiers, no intel on how to find them.

But he did know the names of the four captives.

Ryan’s brother had told him all about them. Bragged about the things he’d done to the filthy American prisoners. But even if he hadn’t, there was plenty of video evidence available online, tapes the leader of the small faction had sent to the media.

Ryan might’ve been young, but he’d memorized his brother’s every word and watched the clips again and again.

When he’d learned about the raid, about his brother’s death, Ryan had been inconsolable—and furious. If it wasn’t for those soldiers allowing themselves to be captured in the first place, his brother would still be alive! They’d be together, still in their hometown.

Instead, his brother was dead. The four men may not have fired the bullet that tore through his brother’s heart, but Ryan still blamed them entirely. And he’d dedicated his life to making them pay for the death of the one person who’d actually given a shit about him.

Jackson Justice, the man who’d led the captured Delta Force team, had been the last to find a woman of his own—and she’d been right under Ryan’s nose for years. He hadn’t given their secretary, April Hoffman, a single thought . . . mostly because he’d seen no indication that Jackson himself cared about the woman.

Ryan hadn’t caused the accident that had taken April’s memories, but he’d been there when it happened. He’d seen it all go down. That moose coming out of nowhere—at that time, and in that place—was fate.

He’d been on the verge of rear-ending April’s car to force her off the road himself when she swerved to avoid hitting the moose. He didn’t have to do a thing. The animal was a sign from the universe that his plan was right and just.

He couldn’t set the rest of it in motion yet. He had some things to take care of out in Colorado . . . and he wanted to mess with the rest of Jackson’s team a little more. Wanted to scare them. Wanted them to face the obvious mortality of their loved ones before putting his final act of retribution into effect.

The fact that three of the women were pregnant was simply a bonus. Each of the men he hated more than anyone in the world wouldn’t lose just one person they loved—but two. It was too perfect.

While there was no doubt that Ryan hated the former Special Forces team, the truth was, he hated everyone and everything. Hated America. Hated the food here. The cars. The superior attitudes of Americans. Hated the racism that infiltrated every nook and cranny, from the beaches to the mountains.

The urge to indulge in some sort of mass killing of Americans was strong. He had no problem with dying himself if it meant taking as many of the damn people in this country as he could with him. But his hatred of the men he blamed for his brother’s death was stronger than the urge to kill a bunch of random strangers.

No, Ryan wasn’t afraid of death. He welcomed it. But before he met his maker, he had some unfinished business to take care of.

He reached for the key in the ignition and started his truck with a smile on his face. His brain was teeming with ideas, ways to mess with the other men and their women . . . and very soon, he’d head out West to finish setting up the finale on the last five years of blood, sweat, and tears. After that, he’d return to Newton to set his plan in motion. To avenge his brother . . . and make the men who’d killed him pay.