Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(14)

She flinched with the thunder that seemed to punctuate his ire.

Declan couldn’t help it that time. His hand reached for hers as he drew his other knee up and pulled her to lean toward him. “Tell me the storm is making you shake,” he said quietly once the rumble had lessened.

No. It was him, all but pulling her into his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her gaze moved from their hands that were laced together, up his chest, past his broad shoulders, then somehow made it to the storm clouds of his eyes. “Yes.” But it was the storm of him, not the one outside, or the one waiting on her at home.





Four


She’d dropped her gaze again and relaxed against him, which was a lot easier than she’d assumed it would be. Touching him made it easier to talk to him, to absorb him. He felt right against her. Always had.

“I’m not leaving Bradyville,” she said to answer his question that was still lingering in the air.

“Ever?”

She breathed a grin. “You make it sound horrible. It’s my home. I’m the last Everly.”

“You’re a Rose.”

“Well, I’m the last of my grandfather’s blood and he loved this town and his land, the people.”

Declan remembered the back-story now. Her mother went off to school and came back with Brent Rose. The * had no roots here, yet he had managed to get his hands in everything.

Justice was already in Declan’s head—a worry he didn’t want. He wasn’t thrilled to know for sure there were issues with her dad, and she wasn’t bailing. And he’d be too far away to do anything about it if it ever got really bad.

His mind started flipping through people he could ask on the sly to watch her. It would have to be Atticus. He was just as stout as the other Rawlings’ boys, and he knew how to be cunning.

“Might be good to get some space between you and your dad for a little bit, though.” What he wanted to say was if it gets bad you go to my brother, he’ll get you to my dad, my grandparents.

She squeezed his hand. If she left, gave up, her grandfather’s land would turn into booze. She’d never go far until it was hers and protected.

“What about you? Is it the Marines forever?”

Way to deflect that there, Justice, he thought. His thumb grazed over her hand. “I signed for four. We’ll see where we are then.”

“We?” she asked, feeling sick all at once when the idea of him planning a future with someone registered in her imagination.

“I don’t know who I’m going to be then. Dad said after four I’d know more.”

“I thought you said you’d never come back here?”

Again, not being able to help it, he pulled her a bit closer. Now her shoulder was leaned against his chest. “You remember that?” he asked, his words whispered down her neck.

Years back, when they ended up close and personal around a campfire the conversation started a lot like this, them wishing on a star, saying where they’d go.

“At fifteen, you were sure you’d never come back. You were going to circle the globe, save the world.”

“Well,” he said at length, “for all I know that will not take a lifetime to do. Dad’s got the bar. Gramps has the garage. Tobias wants to come up with something on his own or take over one of the two. There’s no telling...” He tightened his hold on her hand.

Two hours ago when he was mulching flower beds he would have told anyone he’d never be back besides for a Rally. Right then the idea of him saying never cut into his chest. “In four years, I’ll figure it out.”

“How’s Tobias doing now that he’s home?” she asked. She was sure the reason Declan was not quick to say never now was because of him.

Tobias had been ready to never come back to Bradyville. One fall and his whole life changed.

“Good.”

“You’re lying.”

Declan bit his lip as he lifted both his brows. “Different. I don’t know how to explain it. He’s the same but different. Just working through it, focusing on us.”

Whatever comfort they found was lost. The truth of what was to come was lingering in the air and both their minds were rushing in opposite directions.

Oddly enough it was the sound of weather radio’s emergency broadcast that broke the tension.

Declan had moved away from her and turned it down only to pull it to his ear.

“Is it bad?” she asked when he pulled the flashlight a bit closer.

“We’re good,” he said, even though a pretty harsh line was bearing down on them.

He didn’t pull her against him again. Not touching her was somewhat helping him clear his head. He was having a hard time understanding how an hour with her had flipped his whole mind; then again he wasn’t.

This girl could not talk to him for months at a time, not utter one word, just shoot him long glances, and yet when she did open her mouth it was like they’d always been close.

She’d put on spell on him tonight. He knew this was bad. His own personal code and loyalty kept telling him Nolan had a ‘take’ on this girl. And even if Nolan didn’t like her that way, he still had his reason for keeping it in place. And more than likely it was because Nolan knew she was too good for any Rawlings, least of all Declan.