The Time of Her Life by Jeanie London

Author:Jeanie London [London, Jeanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-01-04T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

JAY HADN’T BEEN HOME for ten minutes when his phone rang. No one called at 4:00 a.m. unless they needed something, but when he glanced at the display, Jay found the name of the one person in the world who might not need anything from him, after all.

“Drew. Hey, man, what’s up?” Not even at this hour because for all Jay knew it was morning wherever in the world his brother was. Major Drew Canady, USMC, called when he got a chance. Period.

“Change of plans, little brother. Can’t make leave on Thanksgiving.”

Drew had never been big on small talk. Jay wasn’t sure if the ability to zero straight in on the point was inherent in Drew’s personality—it wasn’t genetic—or a result of a dozen years in Special Forces.

“Sorry to hear that.” He reached down and scrubbed Butters’s head. It was the least he could do since the dog had made the effort to scramble off the couch where he’d been sleeping to greet Jay.

Gatsby only lifted his head, eyed Jay as if he’d been rude to make noise at this ungodly hour then promptly shut his eyes again. “Think you’ll be able to make it back to the States before I sign the papers? Would hate to turn over your key without giving you a chance to say your goodbyes.”

Not that his brother cared. Jay imposed his own sense of nostalgia on a sibling who’d long ago proved he was all about looking ahead to the next challenge rather than behind him.

A trait that Jay admired—mostly. All that running had some downsides, too.

“You want me home to clean out my old room so you don’t have to.”

“You remembered. I’m shocked.”

“You threatened to call Goodwill and have them pick up all my past history. Come on, Jay. Like I want my high school football and track trophies to wind up in someone else’s trophy case.” There was a laugh in there. The trophies in question were in a milk crate in the attic. No one but their mother had been interested in saving them, and she wasn’t around anymore.

“You never took me seriously before,” Jay said. “Didn’t occur to me you’d start now.”

The sharp silence on the line came as a surprise. Then Drew said, “Never thought I had to, but that was before Mom died and you started getting real about unloading our legacy.”

Our legacy.

As Drew barely managed to make it home a few times a year. And then only if he wasn’t currently involved with a woman in his various ports of call. Involved, he didn’t come home. Single, he made an appearance.

Jay was glad someone was enjoying life.

But Drew never stayed for more than a week at a time. He seemed hardwired to spontaneously combust when he got too close to day seven of a visit.

No, the legacy was all Jay’s. Drew’s name just happened to be on the deed. A formality.

“Yeah, well. It’s time. I offered you the once-in-a-lifetime chance to take my place. You weren’t interested.

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