head, amazed. “How did you know? About my feelings for her?” He’d never said a word to Jack. For everything else they’d shared—and they’d shared a lot—his love for Jack’s sister was not one of them. Had Jenna even once given him a sign that she was open to his love, Garreth would have told him.
The first time Jenna had given him that sign was in the mountains, and Garreth had blown that opportunity before it had a chance to amount to anything.
“Rachel told me.”
Of course she did. Rachel had figured it out in the mountains. Realized that the woman Garreth loved, the one he’d spoken to Rachel about — without mentioning names — was Jenna. It stood to reason she’d have told Jackson.
Jack looked back down at the newspaper in front of him, but Garreth wasn’t fooled for a second. Garreth had his friend’s complete attention.
“And you approve?”
Jack turned a page. “You thought I wouldn’t?”
“You kidding me? You made a pact with your sister that lasted twelve years. Damn straight I thought you wouldn’t approve.”
Jackson frowned. “Yeah, well, I just wish I’d had the guts to end that pact a long time ago. For all of our sakes.”
Garreth let the silence settle peacefully between them. He had Jack’s approval, and that meant a whole heck of a lot to Garreth.
“I love her, Jack. Have for a long time.”
Jack nodded. “So I heard.”
“I’ll treat her good. I promise.”
“I have no doubt. But…”
Garreth raised a brow. “But what?”
“You’re leaving, mate. Going back to Toronto. Soon. How does that fit—” His question was cut off by a high-pitched shriek.
Garreth’s heart lurched. He charged from the kitchen—with Jackson less than a step behind him—sprinted through the dining room and screeched to a halt in the lounge room, gaping at the scene that greeted him.
Rachel faced them, her mouth widened in a scream, her eyes reflecting her shock. Water dripped down her cheeks.
Jenna stood with her back to Garreth. Her blond hair hung in a sheet down her back, over his sweater. His sweater. Christ, she looked good in it! She wore nothing beneath it. But then she had no need. The top was so big it swallowed her whole. All Garreth could see were her bare calves.
“Jenna,” Rachel said softly, reasonably. “You have to—”
Splat.
A stream of water hit her smack on the forehead.
Rachel yelped and wiped her face.
The second she dropped her hand, another stream of water hit her—much to Garreth’s amusement.
“Jenna!” Rachel yelled.
“You kidnapped me,” Jenna yelled back. “At gunpoint. You freaking held a gun to my head, blindfolded me, tied me up and kidnapped me.” Splat. A wet mark spread over Rachel’s shirt. “And you shot me. Repeatedly.”
Rachel’s mouth twitched and broke into a smile. “From the lovesick look on your face, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who shot you repeatedly last night.”
Jenna’s appalled gasp made Garreth grin. What a paradox his woman was. A prudish, prim soul on the outside, horrified by Rachel’s less than subtle jabs at how many times Garreth had come last night, and a wild, uninhibited vixen on the inside. Deep, deep down on the inside. Where no one could see. Well, almost no one. Just him.
“Rach!” Jackson’s reaction mirrored Jenna’s. He slapped his hands over his ears. “That’s my sister. You can’t say things like that in front of me.”
More water hit Rachel, making her gasp and chuckle at the same time.
“Your sister should be thanking me, not shooting me,” she told Jackson. “She looks like a woman who’s been well f— er, well loved. Because of us.”
Jenna gave an indignant shout and launched a vicious attack. She shot Rachel repeatedly with what Garreth could now see was a water pistol. When Rachel tried twisting out of the way, Jenna twisted with her. When Rachel ran, Jenna followed. And when Rachel ducked behind Jackson, laughing, Jenna shot her brother
The first time Jenna had given him that sign was in the mountains, and Garreth had blown that opportunity before it had a chance to amount to anything.
“Rachel told me.”
Of course she did. Rachel had figured it out in the mountains. Realized that the woman Garreth loved, the one he’d spoken to Rachel about — without mentioning names — was Jenna. It stood to reason she’d have told Jackson.
Jack looked back down at the newspaper in front of him, but Garreth wasn’t fooled for a second. Garreth had his friend’s complete attention.
“And you approve?”
Jack turned a page. “You thought I wouldn’t?”
“You kidding me? You made a pact with your sister that lasted twelve years. Damn straight I thought you wouldn’t approve.”
Jackson frowned. “Yeah, well, I just wish I’d had the guts to end that pact a long time ago. For all of our sakes.”
Garreth let the silence settle peacefully between them. He had Jack’s approval, and that meant a whole heck of a lot to Garreth.
“I love her, Jack. Have for a long time.”
Jack nodded. “So I heard.”
“I’ll treat her good. I promise.”
“I have no doubt. But…”
Garreth raised a brow. “But what?”
“You’re leaving, mate. Going back to Toronto. Soon. How does that fit—” His question was cut off by a high-pitched shriek.
Garreth’s heart lurched. He charged from the kitchen—with Jackson less than a step behind him—sprinted through the dining room and screeched to a halt in the lounge room, gaping at the scene that greeted him.
Rachel faced them, her mouth widened in a scream, her eyes reflecting her shock. Water dripped down her cheeks.
Jenna stood with her back to Garreth. Her blond hair hung in a sheet down her back, over his sweater. His sweater. Christ, she looked good in it! She wore nothing beneath it. But then she had no need. The top was so big it swallowed her whole. All Garreth could see were her bare calves.
“Jenna,” Rachel said softly, reasonably. “You have to—”
Splat.
A stream of water hit her smack on the forehead.
Rachel yelped and wiped her face.
The second she dropped her hand, another stream of water hit her—much to Garreth’s amusement.
“Jenna!” Rachel yelled.
“You kidnapped me,” Jenna yelled back. “At gunpoint. You freaking held a gun to my head, blindfolded me, tied me up and kidnapped me.” Splat. A wet mark spread over Rachel’s shirt. “And you shot me. Repeatedly.”
Rachel’s mouth twitched and broke into a smile. “From the lovesick look on your face, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who shot you repeatedly last night.”
Jenna’s appalled gasp made Garreth grin. What a paradox his woman was. A prudish, prim soul on the outside, horrified by Rachel’s less than subtle jabs at how many times Garreth had come last night, and a wild, uninhibited vixen on the inside. Deep, deep down on the inside. Where no one could see. Well, almost no one. Just him.
“Rach!” Jackson’s reaction mirrored Jenna’s. He slapped his hands over his ears. “That’s my sister. You can’t say things like that in front of me.”
More water hit Rachel, making her gasp and chuckle at the same time.
“Your sister should be thanking me, not shooting me,” she told Jackson. “She looks like a woman who’s been well f— er, well loved. Because of us.”
Jenna gave an indignant shout and launched a vicious attack. She shot Rachel repeatedly with what Garreth could now see was a water pistol. When Rachel tried twisting out of the way, Jenna twisted with her. When Rachel ran, Jenna followed. And when Rachel ducked behind Jackson, laughing, Jenna shot her brother
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