Hot SEAL, April's Fool Becca Jameson (philippa perry book txt) 📖

April tried to recall Cole’s financial situation in high school. True, he’d never had designer clothes or the newest shoes, but she’d just assumed his family was on a tight budget. His stepmom didn’t work outside the home and she’d never been certain how lucrative the mechanic shop had been.

By the time she’d started dating Cole, though, he’d already been working nights and weekends for his dad. So, he’d had money of his own. At least he hadn’t been slave labor.

She scooted closer, glad that she’d chosen to sit on the sofa. When she could reach him, she took his hand and held it against her cheek. “I’m sorry your life was such a mess. I’m equally sorry you didn’t think you could talk to me about it.”

He flipped his hand over and stroked her cheek. “Everything about you was good and pure, ladybug. I didn’t want to sully that.”

She pursed her lips and glanced down, not wanting to cry. He always sounded so tender when he called her ladybug. Finally, she took a deep breath and met his gaze. “Well, you won’t be alone tomorrow. I’ll be with you the entire day for the funeral. If anyone wants to treat you like shit, they’ll have to do so through me.”

He smiled wryly. “You’re so ferocious,” he joked.

“I know there’s a lot of weird shit between us, and I don’t even want to begin to dissect it today, but I also know you’re a good person who doesn’t deserve to be shit on. You didn’t when you were six and you don’t now. So, yes, I’ll stand by your side tomorrow and be the best friend you need.”

“Friend, huh?” He chuckled. “I’ve never thought of you as a friend. Not even from the first day I set eyes on you.”

She frowned. “When was that? Don’t tell me you remember the day we met.”

He nodded. “Well, it wasn’t the day we met. It was the day I first saw you. You were practicing with the cheerleaders before my first JV game. You had on that fucking cute uniform that barely covered your sexy butt and your hair was in those cute pigtails that bounced when you jumped.”

She giggled as if she were still fifteen. “Oh, God. I looked ridiculous in that uniform.”

He shook his head. “Hell, no. You looked like an angel. I think I knew I wanted you from that first moment. I didn’t build up the courage to speak to you for another week, and then it happened more by accident.”

She sat up straighter. “You bumped into me in the cafeteria, making me spill my fries all over the floor.” She narrowed her gaze. “That seems to be a habit with you. You know, you could probably get my attention without making me spill shit.”

He laughed. “Neither time was intentional. I can assure you. But the spilled fries did help by becoming a conversation starter.”

“You bought me another bag of them.”

He grinned. “And you shared them with me.”

Her face flushed, not for the first time today. She remembered that day clearly. The day Cole stole her heart. He never gave it back either. He may have left town and broken something inside her, but he took her heart with him.

After a few minutes of silence, Cole leaned in and kissed her sweetly. “Thanks for offering to come tomorrow. It means a lot to me.”

She was too choked up to respond. All she knew for now was that he needed her tomorrow. Any weird blood between them would have to wait until after the funeral.

Chapter 5

Cole was running a few minutes late the next morning. He was supposed to meet Amanda and Jacob at the funeral home in the family room before the service. He was still a half-hour early, but he knew the two of them would be pissed and make it known.

As he approached the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. Raised voices caught his attention. Angry voices that were hissing loudly. He recognized Amanda’s and Jacob’s voices, but not the third one. A chill ran up his spine as he listened to what the man was saying though.

He spoke through obviously gritted teeth. “I don’t give a fuck that your husband died of a heart attack, Ms. Landry. All I care about is that he owed me money, and now you do. I expect you to get it to me by Friday morning. Is that understood?”

Amanda’s voice was shrill. “You don’t understand. We don’t have that kind of money.”

“Of course you do. You always have the option of signing the shop over to me. That would cover the debt sufficiently.”

Amanda gasped. “That’s all we have. It’s my husband’s business. It’s our family legacy. I’m not signing it over to you.”

Jacob chimed in with a lame, “She’s right, man. Not gonna happen.”

The unknown voice chuckled in a tone that made Cole’s blood boil. “You don’t have a choice. Trust me. You don’t want to risk denying me what’s mine. Your husband was in over his head. Now it’s your problem.”

Fuck. This could not be happening. Cole rubbed his forehead as he backed up several paces. He didn’t want to be seen by whoever this man was when the asshole finally left. Cole glanced right and left. He reached for the first door he spotted and eased it open, thankful it wasn’t locked. It turned out to be a supply closet, and that was fine because two minutes later, heavy footsteps stomped down the hallway, disappearing.

Cole waited a few minutes before exiting the closet and entering the family room.

“Where the hell have you been?” Amanda asked the moment he stepped inside.

“I was running late. Who was that man I saw leaving on my way in? He looked fit to kill.”

Jacob gritted his teeth and glared at Cole. “That was Mayor Chamberlain.”

Cole stumbled back a step. The mayor? Surely there was a mistake.

“Apparently Dad owed him some money.”

“Yeah, and we need you to