Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

JILL

" H EAVENS TO BETSY – WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?”

Jill didn’t mean to scream out those words, especially as her husband leaned on the door frame giving her a look. The look. Oh yes, she knew that expression from years of marriage despite the long distance they had dealt with that seemed to be never-ending. Her sweet ‘Babe’ as she called him, because he hated his first name with a passion, hadn’t changed much on the outside except for that beard – which was now shaved clean off his tanned face.

No, those changes went so much deeper, leaving scars no one would ever see but her. True love meant sacrifice, but her sweet Babe took it to an extreme – and she had told him that more than once, quite bluntly, too. He never minced words with her, and she was just as open with him… until now.

“You scared me,” she began… and that infernal eyebrow arched in slow motion as a smile touched his lips.

“What are you doing?”

“Brushing my teeth. Why are you creeping up behind me like some weirdo?”

“Because I am a weirdo, Jill,” he chuckled warmly, gazing at her with this look in his eyes. She knew that look and that single flicker of secrecy in his gaze, making her almost throw up in awareness.

“What are you up to?” she asked hoarsely, clutching the sink and looking at him. “And if you say that you are going back to Afghanistan – not only will they need your dental records to identify you… they’ll need Logan’s, too. If that man talks you into ‘ it’s just another year ,’ then as much as I love Juliet? Don’t test me, because I’ll make the woman a widow.”

“Ouch, Jill,” her husband flinched and let out a slow whistle. “You’ve gotten testy over the years.”

“You wouldn’t know because you haven't been here,” she snapped immediately and slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. “Babe, I’m sorry.”

“It’s true,” he said quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at her. “You’re right. I messed up leaving you alone out here for so long while I signed up for tour after tour in Afghanistan – but the pay was so good, and I wanted to give you your dream house.”

“I would have rather had my ‘dream husband,’” she said emotionally, moving to hug him. Taking a deep breath, she treasured the woodsy scent that was just him and adored the feeling of him being close. “I know you’ve been home eight months, but we’ve lost so much time that it’s going to take me a while to get used to not being alone anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Jill,” he whispered against her hair. “I can’t change the past, but I can make our future everything you’ve ever imagined. I promise you that you’ll never regret marrying me all those years ago.”

“Ya’ big lummox,” she chuckled tearfully, burying her face against his neck. “I told you then, and I’m telling you now – you are stuck with me.”

“How did I end up so lucky?”

“You showed me the real you,” she admitted, leaning back away from him and meeting his eyes. “You let me fall in love with the lonely man that just needed someone to talk to, the guy who was struggling to find his place in this world and the best person anyone could ever know.”

“How’d you figure all that out?” he laughed nervously, looking suddenly shy now that he wasn’t hiding behind some massive Grizzly Adams beard.

“Well, considering Dasher took me to my junior prom back in high school and the fact that we kept in touch as friends when he took off to join the Army – I felt like I could trust that friendship we had.”

“I still don’t like the idea that you two actually dated,” her sweet Babe grumbled in irritation, sounding overly protective.

“Babe, it was one time, and it would have never worked because he was more like my wimpy brother. I wanted a real man,” she smiled at him, touching his smooth cheek. “The Dasher Logan you know now was not the same person way back when and neither are you.”

“No, I’m not – and I know he isn’t. It’s just ironic how small the world can seem sometimes when you least expect it. I’ll never forget that first meeting between the three of us… me, Logan, and Griffin,” he chuckled, his eyes widening in disbelief and wonder as she thought back to that first letter her husband sent her. He was her pen pal, her friend, and the only man she would ever love in this life and the next. “Sometimes I think it’s a miracle that I’m standing here…”

“It is,” Jill retorted, laughing openly with her husband as he held her close in his arms. “It’s absolutely a miracle because three young nincompoops nearly got each other killed several times over – yet you made it. You matured together, grew together, and I think that is why you three still depend on each other. You’re brothers, in every sense of the word.”

“We are… they’re my family.”

“Which is why they call you when they need something – just like yesterday at dinner,” Jill reminded him tenderly, only to see her husband roll his eyes and hang his head.

“You know, I do love those dorks – but they really put a kink in things sometimes. I was kinda looking forward to having you all to myself for a bit.”

“You know Christina and Gideon are leaving to visit his family – oh, and I packed a baby afghan for Giselle as a baby gift.”

“Thank you. She’s a good penny.”

“I’m going to need to meet that woman someday because, in my mind, she’s competition,” Jill grumbled honestly, only to see her husband’s eyes widen in surprise as he burst out laughing wildly. “Hush. It’s not funny.”

“Honey, she’s like ten years younger than me – maybe more.”

“Age-gap romances are all the rage,” she said loftily and gave him a sideways look once more. “So she’s terribly ugly, and the only thing going for her is her brain?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” her husband began, and Jill’s mouth dropped open as she swatted him on the arm.

“You’re not funny!”

“I’m not interested either. Besides, I’m happy right where I am with the woman I love more than life itself.”

“Let’s not test that theory by bragging about all the hot, brilliant nurses and medics you’ve worked with over the years,” she replied as her sweet babe gave her ‘the look’ again and hesitated. That simple hesitation combined with the flare of jealousy that was nearly overwhelming, surged forth. Every time she thought of him on the other side of the world with a bunch of women, she tasted bile. Their marriage had lasted a long time because she never pushed him hard, but just hearing about how ‘wonderful Giselle was’ or ‘Gretchen is so smart and my perfect replacement’ – well, it ate at her soul something terrible. “Spit it out, Edwin Leslie Houghton. ”

And saw him flinch.

“Ouch?!” he hissed, yanking his arms away and glared at her. “I hate that name and you know it. I told you that there’s nothing there, so why can’t you believe me? There’s no reason to kick me in the mental cahones just because you can. Dang Jill… we’ve been married a long time, and I’ve only been faithful to you – and you know it!”

“Babe…”

“No,” he snapped. “We both obviously need to cool off and retreat to our corners. Besides, Griffin and Lily are coming up with the kids – and dropping off that girl that needs shelter here.”

“Great, just another couple of women to parade under my nose.” The words came flying out of her mouth as she slapped her hands over it in utter horror. What was wrong with her? She was so bitter, so prickly, and so emotional lately and saw her husband seize up like she’d slapped him. “Babe – I’m sorry.”

“No, if that’s how you feel, then we should talk, but not now while tempers are high. I’ve got to get Max and Daphne’s cabin ready, replenish the wood, and that other guy, Panic, hasn’t been much help.”

“Can we talk?” Jill wept openly and saw her husband’s own eyes shimmer with unshed tears. She’d hurt her sweet man, and that had never been her intention. In the years that she’d been married to him, she had only called him by that name once – and that was at their wedding. Even his parent’s had simply called him ‘the boy’ or Houghton, just like everyone else.

“Later,” he said hoarsely. “I know things are different with me being home, but I’m still a person. I don’t want to think that giving up all that time has driven a wedge between us… when I still love you, Jill. I’ve always loved you and would never look nor touch another woman.”

“Babe?” she sobbed, sitting down on the bed and putting her hands in her face – only to feel the bed sink beside her.

“Look, I’m sorry,” he whispered huskily. “If you only knew how many times I’ve been picked on and beat up over that name. It’s like an animal being conditioned – I snap and bite, but with you, I don’t want to continue the argument, which is why I try to back away.”

“I love you, and I know you hate it…”

“Then why goad me with it?”

“Babe, I’m just a little overwhelmed right now and,” she drew in a deep breath, looking at him. “I think I’m pregnant.”