Brooks, page 1
BROOKS
BROTHERS IN ARMS IN ALASKA BOOK 5
KALI HART
Brooks is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Kali Hart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Brothers in Arms in Alaska Series
Sneak Peek JETT
1
CHARLOTTE
Never in my wildest dreams did I think that being a barista would feel so fulfilling. Knocking espresso grounds into the recycle bin for the hundredth time that day, I find myself humming along to the song on the radio.
The quaint coffee shop Moosely Coffee in Three Rivers is night and day from the corporate world I left behind in Anchorage. I love the excited chatter, the quirky Alaskan décor, and even the insane rushes of people—both local and tourists. It feeds my creative soul in a way I never thought possible.
“Can we get three caramel macchiatos?” a woman decked out in hiking gear asks.
“Absolutely. What size?”
She and her friends look up at the board and giggle over our unique size names. “Grizzly bear. All three.” Our largest and most popular cup size.
I ring them up and set to work. But I’m hardly finished with the first cup when Adalyn nudges me with her elbow.
“Don’t look now,” my best friend, the same one who came up with the plan to uproot our Anchorage lives and try out simpler small-town living, says. “But your beau has arrived.”
“Not my beau,” I mutter under my breath, never letting my smile falter. Nina, the owner, has one rule: always smile. Even when you’re irritated, or overwhelmed, or tempted to dump coffee on someone. A smile is job security, as Nina reminds us daily.
“But he wants to be.” At her over-the-top suggestive tone, I shoot her an eyeroll only she can see before I start on the second macchiato. Brooks Montgomery has already stopped by five times this week, laying the charm on thicker with each morning visit. He’s after a date with me. One he’s not going to get.
“Not interested.”
“Liar.” Adalyn flashes me a purposely cheesy grin before taking the next order, giving me a few undisturbed seconds to finish up mine. But even the polite chitchat with the three hikers as I hand over their drinks isn’t enough of a distraction. I can feel the Army veteran’s gaze burning into me.
To deny that he’s insanely attractive would be futile. The soldier is panty-melting hot.
But when I decided to leave behind the office job that ran me into the ground, I made myself a promise. I’d focus on myself for one year. No more late nights at the office preparing reports for a boss who never gave me credit. No more wasting time trying to impress first dates that never turned into a second. And no more men. Period.
We’ve been in Three Rivers for only half of the summer, and I’ve never been happier. Adding in a complication of the sinfully sexy male variety would jeopardize all the progress I’ve made since moving to town. I love having free time to paint, to hike, and to just sit on the porch and breathe. All things that I never got around to doing while living in the city.
“What’s the special today?” It’s not fair that even the sound of Brooks’ deep voice does things to mess up the steady rhythm of my heart.
I paste on my smile, promising to get even with Adalyn later for forcing me to take his order, and ignore the overwhelming reaction my body is having to this man. “S’mores mocha. Would you like to try one?”
“If I said yes, would you have dinner with me?” The corner of his mouth lifts, drawing my attention to his lips. Just staring at them for a single second reminds me it’s been way too long since a man has kissed me in a way that sets my body on fire. I bet Brooks could do some amazing things with those lips.
But I’m not going to find out. Down, girl. “No.”
“You know I’m just going to keep asking until you say yes.”
“Or until you find some other girl to torture,” I fire back with an extra cheeky grin.
Brooks leans both elbows on the counter, bringing those dangerous lips closer. A strong rush of his delicious, woodsy cologne hits me, causing tingling in places that tingling has no business for at least ten more months. “There is no other woman I want.”
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re just saying that because I’m not giving in.”
“I’m saying that because it’s true.” He pushes off the counter, standing back to his full height, which is at least six four, maybe six five. Dammit, I love a tall man. “Sooner or later you’ll realize we’re meant to be.”
I laugh long and hard at that, because now I know it’s just a line. I’ve been pursued like this before, which means I’m not completely clueless about how this works. I’ll stop being interesting the moment the man gets what he wants.
It’d just be easier if I didn’t secretly want it so badly myself. Dammit, I’m horny. At least I didn’t ban battery operated boyfriends for a year. “I’ll get that s’mores mocha for you.” When I’m able to turn around and focus on making his drink, I finally let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.
“You’re all flushed,” Adalyn says to me in a hushed tone that thankfully is drowned out by the ruckus around us.
“Am not.”
“Oh, you so are.” She laughs all the way to the counter to hand off her order.
I feel Brooks watching me, and it makes my hands shaky. The man makes me nervous in a way the most intimidating CEOs couldn’t manage. I was a force to be reckoned with in the corporate world. A tired, depleted force, but a force nonetheless. “Here you go,” I say, sliding the cup across the counter so I don’t accidentally brush his fingers like I did two days ago.
My nerves were on fire for the whole damn day after that.
“No phone number?” Brooks asks, a playful frown on his face as he twists the cup.
“I don’t even have a phone.”
“Really?” The intrigue in his gaze makes me immediately regret admitting that personal detail. I don’t have any family, and the few friends I left behind have my email address. Adalyn has been quite annoyed at my decision, but it’s been absolutely liberating.
“She’s all about simplifying,” Adalyn says to Brooks.
Brooks drags his gaze up and down my body, making me feel naked. My body shivers in that dangerous way that begs for a release I know only this man can give me. No, no, no. Get your horniness under control woman!
“There’s nothing I can say to make you change your mind?” Brooks asks, like he has every day this week.
“Nope.” In two minutes, I should be free of the man until my next shift. “Enjoy your coffee.” I pretend not to watch Brooks as he struts toward the door, but damn that man has an ass that could make a girl do very naughty, irrational things.
“You done drooling?” Adalyn teases.
“I was not drooling.”
“You kinda were,” a customer says, teaming up with Adalyn. Two more ladies nod in agreement.
“Your rule is dumb,” Adalyn says after she starts the next order.
“Taking care of myself is dumb?” I challenge, though my tone isn’t as tough as I intended. Probably because I’m starting to agree with my bestie.
“This year is all about you, right?”
“Right.”
“And so is that man. If you ask me, the two things go hand in hand. Let that man release some of your sexual frustration.”
“Good thing I didn’t ask you.” Tempting as hell or not, Brooks Montgomery has Caution! You may get burned really fucking bad! written all over him. If I really want this to be the fresh start I intended, I have to stick to my resolution.
2
BROOKS
“Fuck that bed frame is heavy as shit,” I say to my buddy Jett after I catch my breath. I’ve been helping him move into his cabin since I left the coffee shop. Manual labor always makes me feel better after rejection.
But I’m not giving up on Charlotte Monroe. Not by a long shot. Since the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I had to have her. It’s not just one thing about her that has me fixated. It’s everything. Her smile, her delicious curves, her sparkling eyes filled with both kindness and a hint of mischief, and the amazing way she treats customers.
“It’s never moving again,” Jett says, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with a ratty rag. “I’m done relocating for good. I’m going to die here.”
“I don’t care if you just move it downstairs. If you move it an inch, you’re asking Storm to help you. Fuck, he should be here helping us now.”
“He just got his pilot’s license,” Jett says. “No way in hell he was going to move furniture when he could
“He’s still an ass for bailing,” I say in jest. “What the hell you need a king-sized bed for anyway?” I ask as we head down two flights of stairs to the trailer in the driveway. The cedar log bedframe is a beauty, but fuck does it weigh as much as a small house.
“You act like it’s going to stay empty.”
“Something you’re not telling me?” Jett just arrived into town last night, and he came alone. Honestly, I’m relieved he ditched the drama queen. He deserves a good woman. Giving him shit about the bed is just a way to rile him up.
He shoots me a mischievous smirk. “When there’s something to tell, I’ll tell.”
We move the mattress next, a heavy ass dresser, and then a shit ton of boxes. But all that sweat doesn’t bring me any closer to a plan to win over the woman who is destined to be mine. I need to change my tactic, but getting her to reveal anything personal to help me out is tougher than a march up a mountain with a hundred-pound ruck on my back. “I’m hungry,” I say to Jett as I close the trailer door. “You need to feed your help.”
“Fair enough.”
Jett’s cabin is a ten-minute drive from town. Nice and secluded but minutes from small-town convenience, much like my own. We head to The East Fork and find a table on the patio. I’m slightly surprised that none of our Army buddies are here. There’s so many of us now that bumping into each other in this tiny town is unavoidable.
But there is one person I recognize picking up a to-go order just through the doorway inside the restaurant. Adalyn Jacobs; Charlotte’s best friend.
She catches sight of me and sends a little wave. She’s pretty, but in the same way I might say about my sister. Adalyn’s watched me get shot down every day this week, but her perk encourages me not to give up. I’d like to think she’s rooting for me to wear Charlotte down.
“Do you know her?” Jett asks, a hint of interest in his tone.
“She’s a barista,” I say, feeling him out. “Over at Moosely Coffee.”
“You two have a thing or something?”
After Isla, our waitress, drops off ice waters and takes our order, I add, “No. I’m going to marry her best friend.”
Jett chokes on his water, damn near spitting it all over himself. “What the fuck man? You never said—”
“It’s not what you think.” I take a slow sip, loving how refreshing the water tastes after several long hours of moving heavy shit. But it’s not enough to quench my real thirst. A thirst so powerful only one woman could ever satisfy it. “Charlotte is—”
“Hey,” Adalyn says, dropping her hand on my shoulder and surprising me with her presence. I can practically feel the jealousy oozing off Jett. Holy fuck, it’s happening to him too. He’s falling just as fast as I did. “Want some advice?”
“You think I’m doing such a terrible job that I need help?”
She lets out a soft laugh. “Sugar, you’re drowning in a kiddie pool.”
“Wow, that bad.”
“Look, I like you. I think you might be what Charlotte doesn’t know she needs. But she’s doing this whole year off from dating thing to focus on herself. So, you’re not going to get her to give in easily.”
“I’m not afraid of a challenge.”
Adalyn pins me with a serious stare that sends shivers throughout me, and not the good kind. The warning kind. “If you hurt my best friend, I will castrate you in your sleep. Understood?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Good.” She pats my shoulder in more of a slap. “Hiking.”
“Hiking?”
Adalyn flashes a quick look at Jett. I can practically feel the crackle of electricity between them, but I pretend to ignore it. Whatever she has to say that might help me is much too important to let myself get distracted over my buddy who’s been in town less than twenty-four hours. “You keep asking her to dinner. She’s never going to say yes to that. Too many bad dates that started with dinner and ended with disappointment. But ask her to go hiking, and you might just wear her down. She’s working tomorrow, but only until nine.” She pats my shoulder, softer this time, but it’s Jett her gaze lingers on before she leaves without an introduction.
“Hiking,” I repeat, mostly to myself because I think Jett is in a trance now. Having an ally has certainly given me an advantage. My pulse doubles at the prospect of having Charlotte all to myself in the woods.
3
CHARLOTTE
A welcome quiet falls over the coffee shop as the morning rush finally subsides. I love the brief silences as much as the bustle. I never had a moment to breathe at my old job. There were always crucial deadlines and a mountain of never-ending work.
“What are you going to do with the rest of your day?” Nina asks as I wipe down the empty tables.
“I’m going to find a quiet spot to paint. Preferably somewhere along the water.” This morning, heavy cloud cover blocked the view of the mountains. But I’m hopeful the sun will shine over the mountain peaks and inspire me.
“You ever going to show me one of your paintings?” Nina asks, her question casual enough. But she’s asked me the same one for weeks now.
“I’m not that good.”
“The hell you aren’t,” Adalyn says from behind the counter. “She’s amazing, Nina. I don’t know why she’s afraid to share her talent with the world.”
“I’ll think about it after my year is up.” This year is all about me. About finding what brings me joy and inner peace. If I start showing my work to people, the enjoyment will be sucked right out and replaced with pressure.
“You hide behind that excuse for everything,” Adalyn accuses.
“Do not.”
The bells chime as the door opens and two customers step inside. One is a stranger to me. But the other is anything but. Brooks. My stupid pulse doubles as I hurry to finish wiping the last couple tables. Fifteen minutes more and I would’ve been off for the day.
“I was wondering if you were going to show up today,” Adalyn teases Brooks. “Thought you gave up.”
“Never.” The firm word sends shivers to all the places that have no business feeling them. My battery-operated boyfriend isn’t doing much to help anymore. Brooks’ presence is making it all worse.
I keep my head down, expecting Brooks and his buddy to head straight to the front counter to order. But I feel him approach before I see him beside me. Dammit, I hate that familiarity between us. I only met him a week ago. I shouldn’t feel like I’ve known him my whole life. It’s confusing as hell.
“If you’re going to ask me to dinner again, the answer is no.”
“I’m not.”
I stop wiping and look up at him in shock. It’s a mistake peering into those devilish eyes. I could get lost in them if only I let myself. The way my nipples are hardening to peaks makes me want very much to get lost in Brooks.
“Want to go for a hike?”
“A hike?” I look at Adalyn, wondering if she has something to do with this. But she’s chatting it up with the other guy who I’d bet is military too. “Just you and me?” He nods in response to my question, but I quickly shoot it down. “No way.”
“You don’t like hiking?” he asks, genuinely confused.
I could lie, but Adalyn would call me out in a heartbeat, the traitor. “I’m not going hiking in the woods alone with a man I barely know.” No matter how tempting it is. I’m not scared of Brooks. I’m scared of what I won’t be able to stop myself from doing should the two of us have no supervision.
“Jett, want to go hiking?”
“What are you—”
“Sure.”
“Adalyn?” Brooks adds.
“Charlotte and I are off in ten minutes. We’ll meet you at The East Fork in half an hour.”
“You don’t even like hiking,” I say to Adalyn, eyebrows drawn in suspicion. “You know, because bears.”
