Choosing Happiness Read online

  Choosing Happiness

  By Melissa Stevens

  Copyright© 2015 Melissa Stevens

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Choosing Happiness

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  EPILOGUE

  Change

  About the Author

  Other works by Melissa Stevens

  Kitsune Series

  Change

  Fight

  Hunt

  Live

  WMC Series

  Escape

  Jade’s Peace

  Novels

  Robin’s Nest

  Dedication

  To all of you who think you can’t...

  With dedication and effort, you can do anything you set your mind to.

  I’m living proof.

  Special Thanks

  To Wilmer Stephens for weapons details, I know I can always go to you for all kinds of info.

  PROLOGUE

  Jake’s heart thundered in his ears, but he didn’t let it show. He was about to meet his best friend's family and he was nervous. In Jake’s experience family was two or three people living together, fighting more often than not. Ben said his family wasn’t liked that. Jake hoped that was true. He almost regretted letting his buddy talk him into accompanying him home on leave. It was too late to change his mind now. They’d just landed in Phoenix and were headed down the gate toward baggage claim to get their duffels before Ben’s mom picked them up.

  They arrived as the carousel started moving and stood watching it carry bags around the large oval, waiting for theirs to show up. Theirs were the only military issue bags on the flight, but habit made them check the bottoms for their last names before taking them off the carousel and lifting them onto their shoulders. They carried the familiar weight with the ease of practice. Jake and Ben made their way out of the crowd still surrounding the carousel and stopped for a moment. Jake watched his friend look around as if trying to figure out where to go next.

  Waiting for his friend to move, Jake took in the unfamiliar surroundings. He spotted a red headed beauty, probably not more than twenty one or two, walking through the crowded baggage claim area. Something about her made him look twice. He had the sudden, unexplainable desire to approach her, ask her out and maybe even go home with her. Ben elbowed him in the ribs.

  "Look, there’s Andy," he said before taking off through the crowd. Jake knew Andy was Ben's sister. He'd seen her picture often enough he should be able to recognize her, but he couldn’t find the girl in the photo his friend carried anywhere in the large crowd.

  The photo was a group shot, taken at Ben's high school graduation. Ben, his parents, Sophia and Charles and his little sister, Andy. Ben kept the photo with him everywhere he went. Jake scanned the crowd as he followed Ben, still not spotting her. It wasn’t until the red head he'd been watching when Ben elbowed him, threw herself against his friend that Jake realized he’d been looking for the gawky teenager in an old photograph. She’d done one hell of a job of growing up.

  "BEN!" she squealed in delight. Ben dropped his duffel so he could catch the girl.

  "Geez, Andy, when did you start throwing yourself at men?" he teased.

  She gave Ben a playful slap on the shoulder. "I don't throw myself at men. You’re my brother." She grinned. "You've been gone forever. I'm so glad you're home." She stopped for a breath as she hugged him again. "I was excited. I’m so happy to have you back, even for just a little while, safe and sound."

  "I'm glad to see you too, Andy." Ben tousled her already messy hair. "I thought Mom was picking us up?"

  "She was going to, but I was headed back this afternoon anyway so

  I told her I'd pick you up and save her the trip." She grinned up at him.

  "All right," he gave her an indulgent smile. "What do you want this time?" He lifted one brow as if he knew something more was coming.

  "Just to spend some time with my brother.” Her voice was sweet and mostly innocent.

  Jake saw the mischief in her eyes. She knew what she was doing. He bent and picked up Ben's bag, slinging it over his other shoulder. The movement seemed to remind Ben of his presence.

  "Andy, this is Jake. Jake, my sister Andy."

  "Nice to meet you," Jake said as Ben took his duffel back and hefted it onto his back. His arm free once more, Jake extended his hand to her. Andy gripped it firmly and gave it a brief shake. Her clear green eyes called to him.

  ~~~

  Andrea looked up at the tall, handsome man with her brother. "Nice to meet you, too." She smiled up at him. "I'm Andrea, only this oaf," she tipped her head in Ben's direction, "calls me Andy."

  "Let's get going. We’ve still got several hours on the road before we’re done." Ben glanced around. He seemed impatient to get out of the crowded airport.

  "I parked in the garage. This way." Andrea turned and headed back toward the elevator she’d come from less than a half hour earlier. Ben walked beside her. “How was the flight?” She glanced back at Jake where he trailed a little behind them. “You know, you’re welcome to walk with us. You don’t have to follow behind.” She flashed him a brief smile before turning back to find her way through the crowd.

  “I’m good,” Jake said.

  “Long and cramped.” Ben shifted the bag on his shoulder then hit the elevator call button. “What’re you driving these days?” He watched her while they waited for the elevator.

  Andrea smiled and couldn’t resist teasing her brother. “Didn’t Mom tell you? I got a Bug a few months ago.” She found herself glancing at Jake often. There was something about her brother's friend that intrigued her. She didn’t have time to get involved with a guy right now. She was too busy with school and work to think about adding a relationship, much less a long distance one, but something about him drew her.

  Ben groaned. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  She fought to keep her face blank as she shook her head and waited, hoping she could keep it up till they got to the car.

  They boarded the elevator and after only a minute or two the doors opened again, revealing long rows of parked vehicles. She led the way, glad they were behind her and couldn’t see her face as they approached her car, well, SUV actually. As they got close she couldn’t keep herself from grinning. There, parked right where it had been when she pulled in was a canary yellow second generation Volkswagen Beetle. She’d hoped it would still be there when she’d told him she drove a Bug.

  “Here we are.” She did her best to be cheery and bubbly and keep her deception off her face.

  Ben groaned again. “I was really hoping you were kidding. This will not be a pleasant ride, three of us plus our gear in that thing.”

  “We’ll make it work.” Jake moved to the back of the bug. “Unlock it and we’ll stow our gear.”

  She raised her brows. “I’m surprised. Most people assume the trunk’s in the front like in the original.”

  Jake glanced at her then looked back to the car, waiting for the trunk to open. “I knew someone who had one in high school.”

  She wondered how long he would stand there, waiting for her to pop the lock. She considered digging through her purse for a few minutes, pretending to search for her keys, but decided she’d had her fun and hit the unlock button on her key fob. Stepping past him, she lifted the rear gate on her Escape. “Why don’t you put your stuff in here instead, so we can hit the road?”

  Jake looked at her a moment, frowning.

  “You little shit.” Ben shook his head. “You did it just to make me dread the ride, didn’t you?”

  She grinned. “Would I do that?” She laid one hand against her chest and blinked in pretend innocence.

  “The day you’re as innocent as you pretend to be, is the day the sun doesn’t rise.” Ben tossed his duffel into the back of the vehicle. Jake put his in without throwing it. Ben shrugged off his camo back pack and put it back there too. “You want yours back here?” He looked at Jake.

  “No, I’ll keep it.”

  They loaded up, Ben taking shotgun while Jake stretched out in the back seat, and headed out. Andrea used traffic as an excuse to watch him as they made their way out of the airport.

  "So," she glance back at him again and pulled the car onto the inte
rstate. "Where are you from, Jake?"

  "Missouri, I grew up in St. Louis."

  "I've never been that far east. What's it like?" The deep rumble of his voice spoke to something deep inside her, lighting fires in her body she hadn't known existed. It made her want to keep him talking.

  "It's a city. Just like any city, there’s too many people and too much crime. I was happy to get out."

  "Don't you ever go back to see your family?"

  "The only person left is my mom. She's so high she has no clue if I'm there or not. I left for a reason. I don’t need to go back." His voice was firm, almost gruff.

  "That's sad. If my mom didn't know if I was around or not it would tear me up. It must be hard."

  "Not really. It's how she's always been."

  "How are Mom and Dad doing, Andy? Really doing, not the fine, no problems bullshit I get over the phone." Ben drew her attention away from Jake.

  "They do all right. You being over there has been hard on them, Mom especially. They worry about you, though they try to keep me from seeing it. Since I'm not in the house all the time anymore it's easier for them to hide things from me, but I see more than they realize. I know they've both quit watching the news. Dad reads the paper to keep on top of current events but he filters what he tells Mom."

  "I know it's hard on them. It's not easy being in the midst of it either, but we do what we have to." Ben looked out the window to avoid making eye contact.

  "I understand. We stand behind you one hundred percent. Mom and Dad just wish you hadn't felt like you had to be one of the men to stand up for our country." Andrea looked over at him a moment then back at the road. "Don't get me wrong, we're proud as hell that you did, but scared and worried too."

  "Don't worry, sis, I know what you mean. I know they wish I hadn't joined up, but they stood behind me when I told them I felt like I had to and they’ve supported me every step of the way." Ben stared out the window at the passing landscape, watching the plants and houses speed past them as they made their way past the last outskirts of the city.

  "Have you ever been to Arizona, Jake?" Andrea tried to draw him back into the conversation.

  “No, this is my first visit.” He turned back toward her. He’d been watching the city fade into desert then blend into the foothills of the Superstition Mountains as they approached.

  “I hope you have a good time.” She would only be spending the weekend at home. She had to be back for classes on Monday. It was probably for the best. Too much time around this man would make it hard for her to keep her resolve not to get into a relationship.

  CHAPTER ONE

  BOOM!

  "Shit!" Andrea grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and carefully eased the vehicle onto the shoulder. "Damn, damn, damn!" She punctuated each word with a one fisted blow to the wheel.

  Opening the door, she carefully stepped out of the car. The thin heels of her shoes sank into the gravel as she gingerly walked around the car to inspect the damage. Sure enough, she'd blown a tire.

  She bent, balancing carefully on the balls of her feet and looked into the wheel well around the damaged tire. There didn’t appear to be any body damage, but she’d have to get the tire off to be sure. She stood and cautiously stepped back to the open driver’s door, she’d pulled far enough off the road that passing traffic wouldn’t hit her door, but that meant the blown tire was on the soft shoulder.

  "Why now?" she asked the wind. "Why not when I'm wearing jeans and tennies? Or when I don't have somewhere I need to be?" She set the emergency break and had to turn back to flip the switch for the flashers before going to the back. Opening the back gate, she rolled up the carpet to get to where the jack was stored. After pulling it out she used the lug wrench to lower the spare from beneath the small SUV.

  "Damn it all," she muttered, wishing she hadn't taken her gym bag into the house that morning. At least she would have had some way to protect her dress, not to mention shoes that would be easier to work in.

  Freeing the spare, she grabbed the old blanket she kept in the back for emergencies and partially unfolded it before spreading it out next to the shredded tire. After retrieving the good tire and the jack, she kicked her heels off, preferring to work barefooted over trying to balance on the spikes.

  She struggled for several minutes but managed to loosen the lug nuts so the tire wouldn't spin in the air if she tried to do it later. Once she had all the nuts loose, she bent low so she could see under the tilted frame, and placed the jack in the right spot.

  Her head was still under the car when the pop of tires on gravel told her someone had pulled off the road behind her.

  "Need some help?" A deep masculine voice asked as she pushed herself to her feet. When she saw him she stopped short for just a moment. Something about this man niggled the back of her mind, told her she'd seen him before. He was tall but not bulky and the snug fit of his t-shirt and jeans told her he was all muscle. Something about him called to her and made her stomach flip-flop. She couldn't help but smile as he approached wearing a friendly smile under his baseball cap as he offered his assistance.

  "I'd appreciate it," she admitted. "Normally I'd have no trouble doing it myself but I'm not exactly dressed for the job." She spread her arms wide, showing off her turquoise dress. It was cut to flatter her thick frame, showing off all her curves well and stopping just above her knees.

  "At least you had the sense to lose the heels." He took her place beside the car and bent to check the placement of the jack before he started lifting the car. "You already break the nuts?" He stopped and looked at her for a moment before the tire cleared the ground.

  "Yes." She stepped back into her shoes and tried to stay out of the way as he finished changing her tire and put the blanket and damaged tire into the back of the vehicle. "Thanks so much." She extended one hand. "Can I get your name? I'd like to do something to thank you. This has been a huge help."

  ~~~

  "It's really no problem. My name's Jake, Jake Walters." He took her offered hand and shook it. "But you don't have to do anything, it's always a pleasure to help a pretty lady, especially one dressed so nicely." He looked her up and down again, from the top of her head where her hair was pulled back in some elaborate style, down her curvy body, and well-shaped legs. He liked what he saw. She hadn’t changed much in the years since he’d first met her.

  "Now I remember.” Her eyes widened and a smile bloomed across her face. "You're Ben’s friend. He brought you home with him on leave a few years ago."

  "I am."

  "You here for the wedding?"

  "Yes and no. I’ll be there, but I've recently moved to the area."

  "That's great.” A car blew past them on the road, barely slowing as it went by. “Look, I'm sorry to do this but I've got to go. I'm late already."

  "No problem. I'm sure I'll see you around."

  "You probably will. That tends to happen in a town this size."

  Unable to resist the urge, he stepped closer, reached out and lifted her chin with one finger as he bent closer.

  "I've wanted to do this for a long time.” He paused just a few seconds. “Say no if you don't want it, too." He whispered the words against her lips then slowly his mouth covered hers. Softly at first, because he expected her to stop him at any moment, but after a few seconds he poured more intensity into the kiss. Using his thumb on her jaw, he coaxed her mouth open and he swept his tongue inside, tasting her. After a few moments, and one thorough kiss, he broke away, looking down at her sweet face.

  "I...I've really got to go." She blinked, trying to regain her composure, though she seemed to want to stay instead.

  "Go, I'll see you again." He smiled again.

  She climbed back into the same little SUV she’d been driving when he first met her and pulled back on the road.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Several minutes later, still flustered from the unexpected kiss, Andrea rushed into the church hoping her tardiness wouldn't be noticed.

  "There you are!" Sophia spotted Andrea as soon as she stepped into the building. "You said you were going to be here twenty minutes ago. You're never late, I was worried."

  Andrea hugged her mom. "I blew a tire and had to take care of it. I'm fine"

  "Dressed like that?" Sophia frowned.

  "I didn't have anything else. But I didn't have to do it all, someone stopped and changed it for me." She struggled not to blush. "Otherwise I'm sure I would be later than I am now. What still needs to be done?" She tried to distract her mother.