Broken Surrender (6 page)

“Looking for a piece of paper. I’m going to
give you my cell number in case you need something and can’t reach
Si,” he explained. He found a notepad on the kitchen counter.

“That’s not necessary. Guys I’ve been on my
own for a while now. I can handle it.”

Jeremy just scribbled his number and left it
on the pad where it could be easily found. It was Silas who
answered. “Never doubted it, but sometimes it’s nice to know you
can call someone. Besides, if you don’t call, then we’ll just have
to drop by unexpectedly to check up on you.”

Sarah felt her mouth fall open. “Why would
you do that?”

Silas took a step closer and pushed her chin
with his finger until she snapped her lips closed. The timing was
perfect because he brushed a very brief kiss across her mouth that
started butterflies stirring in her belly and made her knees weak.
His light blue eyes were dark with an emotion she hadn’t
experienced in years, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to think
about it yet.

“Because we care, Sarah,” he murmured, and
then stepped away, heading for the door.

Jeremy was right on his heels, but he paused
long enough to wrap her in a tight hug. “You know he’ll do it. He’s
a pain in the ass some days.”

The words jerked her out of her lusty haze,
and she let out a sharp laugh instead of scolding them like her
brain wanted her to.

“We’ll see you soon, sugar,” Jeremy said,
kissing the top of her head and following Silas out the door.

When it clicked closed, she hurried over and
threw the deadbolt, leaning her forehead against it for a moment
and taking a deep breath. She heard the truck engine start, and she
pulled the curtain aside to peek out, surprised when Silas gave her
a wave. He’d been watching for her, and now he knew he’d affected
her. Why else would she have rushed to see them leave?

Damn it all to hell, how did she end up in
this situation? She had no interest in a love life. It was all she
could do to get herself out of bed each morning, much less have
someone else depending on her for something like emotional
support.

Thinking back over the evening, she realized
that the guys had been putting off vibes all night. They were
interested, and apparently they weren’t about to fight for the
right to ask her out. It seemed they were following in their
friends’ footsteps and courting her together. She laughed quietly
at the old-fashioned term, but it certainly fit the bill. They
hadn’t been inappropriate, even when she’d grown a bit tipsy from
alcohol and then fell asleep on them. They hadn’t asked to sleep
over or taken her to their home. In fact, they’d been complete
gentleman.

What she couldn’t understand was why they’d
be interested in her. Silas knew she wasn’t as good as she used to
be. With scars on the outside that were prettier than the ones she
carried inside, she was pretty much a jacked up mess. The idea of
someone wanting to build a bond with her was absolutely insane.

The last time she’d attempted a real
relationship, it ended on a sour note right before she shipped out
for Afghanistan. In all fairness, it hadn’t been going well for a
few months, but her focus on her career was too all-consuming to
realize it until it was too late. They’d parted ways and she hadn’t
spoken to him since. At the time, she’d figured he was doing her a
favor, but then when she’d returned from overseas and found herself
alone in the hospital with only her parents to worry for her she’d
realized how lonely the life she’d chosen was.

When she made the choice, she’d planned on
it being for the rest of her working years, but ever since that one
stupid little two-inch piece of metal hit her, she’d been picking
up the pieces of her shattered life and nursing a broken body. Damn
the luck. Three tours in six years and not even so much as a paper
cut during the first two. How the hell she’d managed to step into
that line of fire only someone with higher powers could know. She
knew there was no going back, but she had no idea how to go forward
with the hand she’d been dealt.

Perhaps the new job opportunity would give
her some time to find herself. She was tired of sitting around
waiting to heal so that she could get on with her life, but she
wasn’t comfortable as a civilian anymore, either. It was like she
was caught between two worlds, and she had no way out. Some days
the darkness seemed to overwhelm her, and all she could do was
mourn the plans she’d so carefully laid and easily lost. While
other days she felt like screaming to the heavens, “Fuck you!”

In the beginning, the military doctors had
pushed her into seeing a therapist who specialized in PTSD. She’d
had multiple visits, but she never really felt like she’d made any
progress. The doc couldn’t give her her life back; all he could do
was be a sympathetic ear, and the last thing she wanted was
pity.

Her parents pitied her. They hated seeing
her shaken to the core and unable to find her balance again.
Lately, she hadn’t even been answering their phone calls because
she just didn’t know what to say anymore. Maybe now with a new job,
and a few potential friends she could answer their calls with a
more positive attitude. Something that would shut their pity off,
and make them stop worrying so much.

Yeah. That was it. She was going to answer
the phone when they called this weekend, and make sure they knew
that she felt better about the direction things were going. She had
a feeling that Silas and Jeremy weren’t about to let her hide away
in her apartment alone anymore. As much as the female warrior
inside of her wanted to stomp her foot and argue, there was a
sweetly feminine side that wanted to smile and let them wrap her
back up in their arms. She’d felt safer there than anywhere else in
the last two years, and that was unsettling as hell. It stirred up
feelings, and feelings were trouble.

~ ~ ~ ~

Monday morning dawned foggy and humid. Sarah
stepped outside into the thick cloud of mist and cursed the weather
gods for making her styled, wavy hair instantly curly and
unmanageable. By the time she reached the Thompson’s house, she was
digging for a hair-tie in her purse and feeling like she needed a
shower to wash away the sweat sticking to her skin.

The door swung open as she was dragging her
long hair up into a bun, her purse dangling from her clenched teeth
by its strap. Ryker Thompson grinned at her and cocked his eyebrow.
“Rough morning?”

She quickly gathered her purse and nodded,
forcing a smile to her face. “Yep, how’d ya guess?”

He didn’t answer as he stepped back and let
her inside. Claudia was steps behind him with Denver in her arms,
and the baby chose that precise moment to let out an ear-shattering
belch followed by a spew of something disgusting from his tiny
mouth. Standing there in shock, Sarah wasn’t sure if she should
assist in the clean up, or run for the hills. Ryker didn’t waste
any time in collecting his son from his wife who was lamenting the
clean shirt that now carried a yellowish stain down the front.

“Damn it! I swear I’m going to start wearing
vinyl and latex just so that it’s easy to wash.” Claudia cursed as
she whipped her shirt off right there in the middle of the living
room. The curvy woman had a beautiful shape, but Sarah couldn’t
help but feel like she was invading their privacy standing there
gawking. “Sarah, would you be a doll and grab my laptop from the
coffee table? We’ll set up in the dining room once I get Denver
into his bouncy seat. I just need to grab a clean shirt.”

Claudia’s blonde head disappeared up the
stairs, and Sarah stared after her for almost a solid minute before
she realized she was alone in the living room. She had no idea
where Ryker had wandered off to with the baby, and she was
second-guessing her quick acceptance of the job now.

With a sigh of resignation, she headed for
the coffee table to collect the gray laptop sitting there. She
smiled at the eclectic design choices as she glanced around to get
her bearings. A large, purple sofa dominated the living room
flanked by a playpen on one side and a baby swing on the other.
Toys and baby paraphernalia littered every surface except the
coffee table, which held the computer. It looked like a children’s
store had exploded. Did babies really need all this stuff?

“Oh yeah, this and much, much more.”

Mack’s deep voice startled her, and she spun
around with a squeak to face the big, blond man. His smile revealed
his dimples and she couldn’t resist smiling back.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out
loud.”

He laughed, “No problem. I take it you’re
not familiar with babies?”

“Uh, no. Not at all,” she responded.

“Stick around here and you’ll get a crash
course. Where’s everyone else?”

“Um, there was a bit of a baby malfunction.
Claudia went to change, and Ryker…” She paused and just shrugged
her shoulders since she had no idea where the other man had
gone.

“Gotcha. Denver strikes again. I’m telling
you I’ve never seen a baby with such a spit-up reach. Every time we
try to feed him formula, he turns into a mini-Mount Vesuvius,” Mack
said shaking his head.

“Is that normal? I mean for babies to throw
up like that? Is he sick?” she asked, feeling a surge of concern
for the small baby. He wasn’t very old. Illness would surely be
serious in a child his size.

“It’s normal for him,” Claudia answered
appearing on the stairs. “He has a fussy tummy, and he prefers his
mama’s milk, but sometimes mama needs a break.”

Sarah nodded, even though she really had no
idea what she was agreeing with. It seemed safer to just agree.
Following Claudia into the dining room, she settled into a chair
and pulled out her own computer and a notepad while she waited on
instructions.

Claudia cleared away some clutter from the
table top and then offered her a drink. “We’ve got coffee, soda,
water, or I even have some sweet tea in the fridge.”

“Sweet tea would be lovely.” Sarah said
politely. “Thank you.”

When the Claudia stared at her for a moment,
she frowned back, “What?”

“You seem tense; are you nervous?” Claudia
tried to reassure her. “Don’t be nervous. Seriously, this job will
be the most laid back one you’ve ever had. I used to be a big time
professional when I worked for my father in Dallas, but now...ha...
Some days I’m lucky to get out of pajamas before dinner time. Be
right back with your drink. Make yourself at home here, Sarah.”

After several minutes, Claudia reappeared
followed by Ryker—who carried Denver—and Mack who carried a little
chair of some sort. He plopped it on the floor next to Sarah, and
Ryker quickly secured the sleeping infant in the seat. The two men
kissed their wife and disappeared with a quick wave goodbye to
Sarah. Feeling all the more frazzled by the intimacy of being in
their home while they shared in their personal morning routines,
Sarah tried not to think about the sleeping baby next to her as she
waited for Claudia to take her seat.

“Sorry, I’m just not the same person I used
to be. I swear I still have pregnancy brain three months after
delivery.” She took her seat and took a big drink of water from her
own glass before turning on her laptop. “Okay, let’s get
started.”

In the same efficient fashion that Claudia
handled her child and her husbands, Sarah was amazed how the woman
bustled through business. She was extremely knowledgeable, and she
had a very specific plan in place for the business. Unfortunately,
while she knew what she wanted to get done, she struggled with
being able to accomplish it all. Which is where Sarah would come
in.

“Basically, I need you to be my right hand.
I need someone to help keep track of the things I just don’t have
time for. You can work from home most days, but I’ll need you here
at least twice a week to touch base on what needs to be done.
Okay?”

Sarah felt breathless. This was a great
opportunity, but for some reason, she felt inept in the shadow of
the woman next to her. “I’m not sure I’m right for this.”

“What do you mean?” Claudia frowned, and
scooped up a gurgling Denver in her arms. Somehow she managed to
coo at the baby and hold a conversation simultaneously. It was
unnerving.

“I don’t have much experience in office
work, and honestly, I have a hard time sitting for very long.”

“Hyperactive?” Claudia asked.

“Um, no I have a bad back.” Sarah answered,
looking away. She was afraid of seeing pity on her new friend’s
face.

“I see; well then, pace yourself. Work when
you can. Since you can work from home, I don’t see why you’d need
to keep any regular sort of hours. Just do what feels right, and
rest when you need to,” Claudia said nonchalantly. “No big
deal.”

“But I don’t—”

“Sarah, stop. You’re not going to convince
me that you can’t handle this. You were a soldier and a damn good
one, according to Silas. Just based on his recommendation I know
you’re capable of logic and multi-tasking. Those are the things I
need right now. Everything else can be learned.”

The acceptance was complete and efficient,
and suddenly, Sarah felt like a shit for trying to push away a
great opportunity. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just nervous. The only
job I’ve held besides being a soldier was in high-school. I just
don’t want to disappoint you.”

Laughing, Claudia shook her head, “I’ll only
be disappointed if you keep being all tense and weird. Think of
this like a business partnership instead of a boss/employee
relationship. If the business grows, we all profit. If it fails,
well, I’ll expect you to hold my place in the unemployment line
while I breastfeed my son.”

It felt good to laugh with the Claudia, even
though her breast was once again bared to view, and her son was
desperately seeking her nipple. There was no way to put into words
how relieved Sarah felt about the whole situation, so she just
smiled and began listing things that would need to be done in the
next week. Even if Silas had helped her get the job, it was now up
to her to prove she deserved it.