Arrogant Neighbor: A Navy SEAL Romance (19 page)
Read Arrogant Neighbor: A Navy SEAL Romance Online
Authors: Kira Ward
I
t was
hours before Josh finally settled into a restless sleep. Rachel watched over him, too exhausted to sleep more than a light doze. That’s why she was the one who heard the soft knock at their door and why she climbed out of bed and pulled on the complimentary robe that hung on the bathroom door before answering.
And it was she who stood face to face with Sam in the middle of a West Texas hotel corridor.
“Rachel!” she said, surprise making her pretty dark eyes rounder than they normally were.
Rachel glanced behind her, almost expecting Josh to jump naked from the bed at the sound of his sister’s voice. But he was a heavy sleeper; he didn’t even flinch. “I’m sorry, Sam,” she said, not sure if she was talking about the death of her father or her best friend’s betrayal.
Sam’s eyes flicked from Rachel’s face to the sleeping form of her brother in the room behind her. She stepped back slightly, her eyes dropping to the diamond pattern on the corridor’s carpeted floor.
“Were you with him?” she finally asked. “When it happened?”
“We were both with your father when he died.”
She nodded. “Good,” she said softly.
“Sam—“
“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for Josh. I’m glad he didn’t have to face it alone.”
“He wasn’t alone.”
Sam looked up. Tears flowed in a slow river down both her cheeks. Rachel held out her hand and Sam immediately took it. Then she smiled.
“He’s loved you for so long,” she said through her tears. “I’m glad you finally figured it out.”
“You knew?”
“I’ve always known.” Sam threw her arms around Rachel’s shoulders, giving her a quick hug. “And I couldn’t be happier.”
* * *
T
he funeral was
two days later, a quiet affair that only a few loyal friends from their small town community attended. Rachel’s parents were there along with the postmaster and the local librarian—a high school friend of Jack’s. It was a solemn affair that ended with drinks and laughter at a local bar.
“You look happy,” Rachel’s mother said to her in a moment of solitude.
“As strange as it seems to say at a funeral, I am.”
Her mother squeezed her hand and nodded. “Good.”
“Here’s to a life well lived,” the librarian said, raising his glass of bourbon high in the air.
“To Jack and his eternal soul,” the postmaster said, raising his beer bottle.
“Here’s to true love and the grace of God for allowing them to find it,” Josh said, raising his own glass—a tumbler filled with water.
“Salud,” Franco said.
“Salud.”
The same toast went around the cabin as Rachel, Josh, Franco, and Sam flew back to New York together. But it went a little differently this time.
“When are you two going to take that short walk down the aisle?” Sam demanded as she paused in drinking to the toast.
Rachel blushed. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“We should, though,” Josh said, leaning close to her so that he could press his lips to her temple. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“I know this perfect villa in Tuscany where you could do it,” Sam offered. “I hear the owner is pretty generous with his very expensive toys.”
* * *
T
hey didn’t spend
Christmas in Texas that year.
But Tuscany was just as beautiful in December as it was in September…
Kira Ward is an steamy romance author. To receive her unreleased books and updates free, join her mailing list here:
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