Losing to Win (Clearwater) (4 page)

He noticed sadness in her
eyes, but thankfully no pity. Rebecca treated him like a person and not a
former shell of who he once was. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about
options. Mom and the kids need to get out of where they’re living. The
apartment is too small, and Mom needs more help. Lee and Laya, the next oldest,
can only do so much. Laya is like a second mother to the younger siblings and
Lee has stepped into my shoes since I left. He has a chance to make something
of himself, to go to college on a full football scholarship if he can keep his
grades up. He only has a year left.” JC glanced over the lake. “I want them to
come here. Clearwater would be good for my family, but I’m not sure I can convince
my mother. I’ve been putting together a plan, to convince her.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m
sure your mother misses you. If anyone can find a way to bring them here, I
know you can. Finding a place big enough might be a challenge, but I can help.”

“Thank you. I have money put
aside to do this and it doesn’t have to be a huge place. They live in a small
four bedroom apartment now. I hope I can find something better.” The loneliness
of not having his family close by stung. “I just want them here. They deserve
better than what they have now.”

She ran her thumb over his
knuckles. “I’m off tomorrow, why don’t you come by my place and we’ll put
together a plan to convince your family to move here.”

“Only if you promise you’ll
let me take you out to dinner afterward?” He hoped she’d say yes because he was
growing short on alone time with her. It wouldn’t be long before her father
returned, or Cameron and Jordan wondered where he had taken off.

“Okay. How about one o’clock?”

“Give me your address, and
I’ll be there. It looks like your father is done with his calls.” He nodded
toward Robert approaching.

“I rent the apartment above
Express-Ohh’s, park around back and you’ll see the door.” She smiled and turned
to her father. “Hey, Dad.”

Robert stood behind them. “I
hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Of course not. I should be
going. Cameron and Tessa will be wondering where I disappeared. Enjoy your
visit, Robert.” JC rose from the bench, careful to not raise his leg too high
so his pant leg didn’t show his
prosthesis.
Cameron, Jordan, and their wives knew, and now Rebecca, but he didn’t want
everyone in town to know. He couldn’t face a repeat of pity on people’s faces
here too.

“I will, and I hope to see you
again when I visit.” Robert stuck out his hand, smiling, and nodding as if
giving JC permission to date his daughter.

JC returned the handshake and
smiled. He then grazed his fingers along Rebecca’s arm. “Thank you for
listening and understanding.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She
grinned.

For the first time since JC
woke up in the hospital bed, he truly felt alive. Life was no longer passing
him by.

Chapter Six

Rebecca stretched her legs on
the sofa, a bowl of ice cream in her hand. She was still adjusting to the
information that her parents were divorcing. “Dad, I know Clearwater doesn’t
have an airport like Denver, but have you thought about staying here? Between
jobs?”

He sat catty-corner across
from her in the black recliner. He laughed. “You don’t want me around cramping
your style with a new gentleman friend.”

She shoved a spoon full of
chocolate ice cream into her mouth. “Seriously? You were gone a lot when I was
growing up, but now we can make up for lost time. There’s no reason for us to
be miles apart. Would you at least give it some thought?”

“You didn’t deny my
gentleman
friend
comment.” His eyebrow rose. “I’m not your only family. You still
have your mother. Maybe with this new guy she’s dating, she’ll get her life
turned around.”

Years ago, Rebecca gave up
hope that her mother would pull her life together and give up the bottle, so
she chose to ignore her father’s comment about her mother. However, his comment
on JC couldn’t be avoided. Her father wouldn’t give up until he knew what was
going on between her and JC. She’d always be daddy’s little girl, no matter how
old she was. “I just met JC. He’s a super nice guy and we’re going to dinner
tomorrow night. I don’t know if it will turn into a relationship.”

“Why not? You’re an
attractive, smart girl.”

“Thanks, Dad. JC’s got his own
issues he needs to work out.”

He sat his glass of sweet tea
on the coffee table. “Issues?”

Without going into many
details, she explained what JC had told her at the lake. “His family means a
lot to him. I don’t know if he’ll stay in Clearwater if his mother and family
refuse to move here too.”

“So make it so they can’t
refuse?”

“What do you mean?” She placed
her bowl of ice cream on the end table and tucked her legs under her.

“Let’s build them a house,
give them a true home they can’t say no to. JC served his country, it’s time his
country gave back to him.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, and then
glanced at her. “The project in Denver is done in three weeks and I don’t have
anything lined up after that. Do you have Cameron’s number?”

“You know Cameron?” She slid
her phone from the pocket of her sweats and tossed it to him. “It’s under
Tessa.”

“Yes, we met several years
ago. If anyone can help, it’s him. Let me call him before it’s too late. Maybe
I can get the ball rolling, and you can tell JC the plan tomorrow.” He rose
from the chair and headed down the hallway to the spare room.

* * *

With her father on his way
back to Denver, and his promise to consider settling down in Clearwater part
time, Rebecca was hopeful. If JC gave the go-ahead to build his family a home
here, she’d be seeing a lot of her father in the near future.

Glancing over the quick plans
her father was able to draw up over breakfast, a sliver of nervousness passed
through her. If only her dad could have stayed to go over things with JC.
Housing plans and land space was not her thing. She was a business major and
knew next to nothing about building houses.

A knock on the door made heart
flutter. With a quick glance at the clock, seeing he was a few minutes early,
her nervousness quickly changed to excitement as she went to open the door. She
hoped he would be as excited about the building plan as she was. When he spoke
of his family the longing was clear in his eyes. He could never truly be happy
without them nearby.

Opening the door, her breath
caught in her throat. The faded blue jeans and grey T-shirt he wore did little
to hide his toned body. She took a step back. Why would he think a woman
wouldn’t be interested in him because of his injury? He was one fine specimen
of pure hunk. Regaining her breath, she invited him in. “Come in.”

“There’s this girl that works
at Express-Ohh’s that got me hooked on their coffee.” He laughed and handed her
one of the to-go coffee cups in his hand. “Jennifer fixed your regular.”

“Thank you.” She brought the
cup to her lips and sipped. She loved French vanilla cappuccino. “This girl at
the coffee shop, is she pretty? Should I be concerned she’ll steal away your
attention?” she teased.

“She’s beautiful and had the
focus of my attention since I walked into the shop.” She shut the door behind
him and waved a hand toward the dining room. “I grabbed today’s edition of the
Clearwater News, to check the rental ads.”

“Actually, I have an idea
about that. Please, sit down.” Butterflies danced in her stomach as she
strolled toward the dining room table. Setting her coffee cup down on the
table, she waited for him to sit across from her. She then took a deep breath
and told him about the new plan. “I was talking to my dad about your family’s
situation and he mentioned another option.”

“What option?”

She pushed her cup aside,
leaning forward to wrap her hands around his. “Let’s build a home for your
family.”

He sat straight, but didn’t
pull his hands away. “I have some money saved, but not enough. I don’t know if
I could get a loan to buy land and build, especially since I just started
working for Cameron.”

“I wish my father was here to
explain this to you because I knew I wouldn’t do it right.” She bit her lip,
taking a moment to consider her words so he’d understand. “I meant building with
my father. You’re an injured vet, trying to put your life back together.” She
smiled. “Dad did some research last night. There’s a strip of land just outside
of town, big enough for building.” She reluctantly let go of his hand and
grabbed a green folder. Pulling out the sketches her father worked on that
morning, she handed them to JC. “It’s a rough design of what he could build and
you can change anything you want. The idea of a duplex allows you a place of
your own and your family next door. Normally with a duplex you have equal
sides, but with eight children still living at home, Dad changed the design a
little. Your mother’s house would have six bedrooms, as well as a nice size
playroom while the kids are younger and can be turned into a family room as
they grow up, while your house would have four bedrooms.” She gave him some
time to review the floor plan.

“It’s a great idea, but I
wouldn’t qualify for your father’s organization. It’s for injured vets and
their families—spouse and children, not mother and siblings.” He slid the paper
across the table as if he couldn’t stand to think about something so far out of
reach.

“It’s not through the
organization. We’re going to do it. Dad called Cameron last night and got
things moving. Cameron, Jordan, and some of the other residents are going to do
the work. Dad will oversee the operation, and the materials are being provided
by Kelly’s Hardware.” She pulled her laptop closer, opened the top, and turned
it toward JC. “Here’s the land information. It’s a foreclosure and a good
price. Before he left, Dad and I drove by the area this morning to make sure it
would fit your needs.” She sat back, giving him time to adjust the information.

“I don’t know, I can’t allow
people to do this for me. I don’t deserve it.”

“But you do. You served your
country for three years before your medical discharge. The Clearwater residents
want to give back. These are times when small towns like Clearwater pull
together to help someone that’s done so much for them. You can set roots here,
and your family can finally have a real home. Your mother can stop working two
jobs and actually watch her children grow.” She closed the computer screen.
“Why don’t we go look at the property and you can think about it? If you’re
interested in putting an offer in we’ll meet with the realtor, Allison. Then
you can make a decision with the rest of the paperwork. What do you say?” She
rose from the table, holding out her hand. “Come on, looking won’t hurt.”

He stood and raised his hand
to cup her cheek. He lowered his head to hover his lips just above hers. His
breath was warm against her skin. “Thank you,” he whispered, and then without
hesitation he pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was sweet and timid,
and completely caught her off guard. With her slight hesitation, he started to
move away, but she placed her hand on the back of his head, drawing him in for
a deeper kiss. Adrenaline flooded her veins, as she opened her lips, allowing
him entry to her mouth. His tongue slipped between her lips, and she explored
the spicy taste of coffee, devouring it until it slid away. He placed one final
kiss on her lips before stepping aside, leaving her longing for his touch.

* * *

Returning to her apartment
after their tour of the land, JC sat on the sofa with the plans for the house
spread on the coffee table. The town’s help with construction as well as the
supplies, had him thinking he could swing the costs as well as have enough
savings to cover any bills that would occur, at least until his mother found a
job.

Rebecca plopped down next to
him. “Allison is drawing up the paperwork for your offer, and she’ll meet us
downstairs in an hour. Do you want to call your mother before you sign the
paperwork?”

He leaned back, turning to
her. “While you were on the phone, I made a call to Cameron. I need to do this
in person. The classes haven’t started yet, so I’m going to take a few days off
and fly back to North Carolina.” He met her gaze and took her hand in his.
“What are your plans for the next few days? Do you have to work? If not, I’d
like you to come with me.”

She shuddered, blinking
uncontrollably. Maybe she didn’t hear him? Or was she trying to find the words
to let him down easy. “Why?”

“This was your idea, and I
want you with me when I tell my family. What do you say?” His thumb glided over
her knuckles. She shuddered again. “What better time to meet my family?” He
teased.

She laughed. “I can think of
at least a dozen better times.”

“I’ve met your father and I’ll
be seeing him a lot in the coming months. It’s only fair that you meet my
family. How long did your father say the project would take?”

“Eight to ten weeks, for the
design in your hand. Minor changes wouldn’t change the date, but bigger
adjustments could extend another two to four weeks. You’d have to talk to my
dad if you want to change anything. He’d be able to give you a better length of
timing.”

“I’ll leave any changes up to
my mom.” JC glanced back to the plans on the table. He still couldn’t get over
the fact this might happen. He didn’t deserve it, but he couldn’t turn the
offer down. He’d have to find a way to repay the residents of Clearwater for
their kindness. “So are you coming with me? It will probably take the two of us
to convince her and the family to move.”

“How about we have that dinner
you promised before we go rushing off to meet your family?”

He smiled, satisfied that at
least her answer wasn’t
no
. “Okay, we’ll go see Allison and then have
dinner.” He rose from the sofa, snatched her hand and drew her to him. “You’re
beautiful, and amazing to boot.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her
closer to his body, before pressing his lips to hers.