Jake was itching to get on the road, but he didn’t want to rush his brothers, who were taking their sweet-ass time finishing their food. Besides, he was the one who’d invited them to breakfast, so he really had no right to complain.
He’d only hung out with Nate a couple of times since his big brother had returned to Paradise last week, and Owen had been busy with a construction job in the next town over, so Jake hadn’t seen much of his twin either. As for Austin, he hadn’t answered his cell when Jake called about breakfast, which meant the jerk was still sulking about that botched intervention and had decided to give Jake the silent treatment.
“I’m psyched you’re only going to be an hour away,” Owen said between mouthfuls of his turkey club. “We should drive out every Sunday and catch the games with you.” He glanced at Nate. “What do you think?”
“Sounds like a plan,” their older brother replied. “Charlotte hates football so she’s no fun on Sundays. Hey, are you all moved in yet?”
Jake nodded. “I bought a shit ton of stuff from IKEA and spent the whole day yesterday putting it all together. Military housing’s pretty sweet. I’ve got a yard and everything.” He shrugged. “I’m thinking of getting a dog.”
Man, he’d never thought he’d ever hear himself chatting about houses and furniture and dogs, but since the night Bree dumped him, he’d been doing a lot of soul-searching. Everything Bree said had been spot on. He was scared of responsibility. Enlisting in the army had been his way of avoiding college, or getting stuck in a boring nine-to-five job that would eventually suffocate him to death. And even though he’d had a successful military career, Bree had been right about something else—he didn’t take himself seriously.
He’d gotten so used to people comparing him to his father that he’d simply stopped trying. He hadn’t bothered making any friends, hadn’t tried to make a home for himself anywhere. He’d run away from Paradise, from his family, from the women he’d slept with over the years. He’d balked when anyone mentioned settling down, because deep down, he’d feared that he’d fail at the whole home and hearth thing, just like his father had.
“Jake? You gonna answer that or what?”
He glanced over at Owen. “What?”
“I wanted to know if you’re planning on seeing Austin before you go.”
“Oh. Yeah, I am. I don’t think he’ll be happy to see me, but I can’t leave without saying goodbye to the jerk.”
“Well, when you see him, tell him to start taking my damn calls,” Nate grumbled as he pushed his empty plate away.
As the waitress wandered over to drop off the bill, Jake took a last sip of his coffee, then slid out of the booth. “I should get going. I’ve still gotta see Austin, and then I’m making a pit stop in Denver before I head back.”
Owen raised a brow. “Planning on paying someone a visit?”
“Maybe.”
“Is that someone named Bree?”
Jake’s heart squeezed at the sound of her name. “Yeah,” he admitted.
Nate and Owen exchanged grins.
“Should we be wishing you good luck?” Owen asked.
“Definitely.” He sighed. “I’m gonna need it.”
“Good luck,” his brothers said in unison.
Jake glanced at the check, then pulled a few bills from his wallet and dropped them on the table. “Breakfast’s on me.”
Nate guffawed. “That’s a first.”
“Hey, I’ve got a real job now. I can afford it.”
He bid his brothers goodbye, then strode out of Betty’s and headed for his truck. As he drove away from the diner, he couldn’t help but wonder how Bree would react when she saw him. Hopefully she wouldn’t slam the door in his face, but he wasn’t ruling that out. He hadn’t contacted her in nearly a month. No phone calls, no texts, no email. She probably thought he’d written her off, just as she’d predicted he’d do during that eye-opening argument at her parents’ place.
She was wrong, though. Jake had no intention of letting Bree go again. These past three weeks, he’d done everything in his power to change his circumstances. To act like the man she’d always known he could be. He’d accepted the instructor job, got his own place. Hell, he’d even started shaving. He felt like a different person, a man Bree Lockhart would be proud to date.
Even the nightmares had ebbed. After Bree had accused him of using his last op as an excuse to avoid the responsibility of holding a real job, he’d realized he’d been doing exactly that. Losing Daniels had been a crushing blow, and although a part of him would always wonder if the rookie’s death could have been avoided if he’d just acted differently, he was determined to put it behind him. There was no point in dwelling on what-ifs, or letting the tragedy destroy his chances of success.