I got married.”
He visibly winced, but remained across the room, keeping an appropriate amount of distance between them. “Chelsea’s mom died when she was barely two, so she doesn’t remember much about her, and lately she’s been asking for a mother. I suppose seeing your wedding dress and finding you in my bedroom led her to the wrong conclusion.”
“It was a very hopeful conclusion,” she said softly, understanding the little girl’s need to replace her missing parent. Jenna had grown up never knowing her father, and though her mother had been a good single parent despite their struggles, she’d never had a dependable male influence in her life, and that was a loss she still felt.
“Well, it’s best that she doesn’t entertain those kinds of thoughts, and I don’t encourage them, either,” he replied meaningfully. “How are you feeling?” he asked, smoothly and effectively changing the topic once again.
“A little fuzzy, but overall okay, all things considered.” She dragged her fingers through her tousled hair, feeling contrite for disrupting his life, even for one day. “Garrett…I’m very sorry about last night.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” He shrugged those broad shoulders of his. “You weren’t in any shape to go anywhere and I gave you a place to stay.”
“No doubt I ruined your evening. I intruded on your home life and family, and I even slept in your bed. And from the bits and pieces that I can remember, I know I made a fool of myself at the bar.”
She recalled babbling on about silly things like hating her curly hair and making wishes to marry her own prince charming and living happily ever after—not that Garrett would understand the hopes and dreams she’d carried with her since childhood.
She ducked her head, and absently toyed with the hem of the shirt she wore. “And contrary to my behavior last night, I’m not in the habit of kissing strangers.”
Except Garrett hadn’t felt like a stranger. He’d been warm and receptive, and no matter how wrong, she found it difficult to regret that sweet, tender kiss, which had made her feel so safe and secure. There had been no pretenses, no expectations, just the kind of acceptance she’d craved for so long.
And Garrett probably thought she was a brazen hussy for allowing such liberties just hours after leaving her groom at the altar.
Shaking her head of those thoughts, she lifted her gaze back to his. “I am sorry about that kiss,” she said softly.
“No, I’m the one who should apologize.” Though his tone held a gruff certainty, his irises had taken on a dark, sensual shade of blue that belied his attempt at disinterest. “It won’t happen again.”
He sounded so determined, Jenna couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, possibly, he’d been just as affected by that kiss as she’d been.
The moment was shattered by the front door slamming shut, and someone bounding up the stairs. “Honey, I’m home!” a deep, masculine voice called out, his tone laced with carefree humor.
Jenna’s gaze widened in surprise, and Garrett groaned, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. A good-looking man briefly glanced inside Garrett’s room as he passed, then the heavy steps came to an abrupt stop, and he backed up, filling the doorway with his presence.
The man, who looked like a slightly younger version of her prince—albeit more tousled—glanced from Jenna, to Garrett, and grinned. “Well, I’ll be damned, big brother. Looks like I wasn’t the only one who got lucky last night.”
Jenna’s face warmed at the insinuation, and Garrett grimaced. “This isn’t what you think, Rylan,” he quickly corrected.
Rylan’s dark brows rose incredulously. “You mean to tell me you had a beautiful woman in your bed and you didn’t—”
Garrett held up a hand, effectively cutting him off with the gesture and the warning look he shot his way. “No, we didn’t, and I’ll explain everything downstairs.”
The other man didn’t budge. “Don’t I even get an introduction?”
Garrett sighed, the sound rife with impatience. “Jenna, this is my younger brother, Rylan. Ry, Jenna Phillips.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, finding the other man amusing, and not nearly as serious as his older sibling.
“Likewise.” He scrutinized her face, making her feel self-conscious. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No, she’s from St. Louis,” Garrett replied before she could respond, then headed toward his brother to usher him out of the room. “And she won’t be around long enough for you to start flirting with.”
“To heck with flirting,” he said with a gregarious grin and a wink at Jenna. “I was going to jump right to asking her out on a date.”
Garrett’s expression turned surprisingly fierce. “Tired of Emma Gentry so soon?”
Rylan shrugged. “Emma and I aren’t exclusive.”
“And Jenna isn’t interested,” Garrett countered, pointing toward the door. “Out, Ry.”
Jenna bit back a chuckle at the good-natured bickering, and the fact that Garrett felt the need to protect her virtue from his fun-loving, but womanizing brother.
Once Rylan was out of the room, Garrett turned back to her and said wryly, “Welcome to the crazy Blackwell household. As you might have guessed, having a female guest in the house, and especially in my bedroom, is a novelty.”
Though he’d injected humor into his voice, his comment said a lot about Garrett, himself—that he was a man of integrity, which he’d proved by rescuing her last night and giving her a safe place to sleep, and he was very discreet when it came to his family and personal life. She appreciated those qualities, even as she realized just how much her indiscreet past would clash with his admirable values.
The thought of embroiling Garrett and his family in the scandal that would forever nip at her heels brought reality crashing down around her. Despite enjoying the Blackwells’s warmth and friendliness, the last thing she wanted to do was take advantage of their hospitality.
She drew a breath that did nothing to dispel the ache in her chest, and slid off the bed. “I’d like to take a shower and change, if that’s okay.” At his nod, she smiled and added, “I’ll be downstairs just as soon as I’m presentable.”
“Breakfast will be waiting.” He backed toward the bedroom door, but not before giving her bare legs one last warm lingering glance she felt as strongly as his touch last night.
Then he was gone.
CHAPTER THREE
BREAKFAST wasn’t the only thing waiting for Jenna downstairs in the kitchen. She came to an abrupt stop when she found herself alone with a pretty, but very pregnant woman who was in the process of clearing the table. One look at her striking blue eyes and straight, glossy black hair that brushed her shoulders, and she was fairly certain she’d just encountered another Blackwell.
The other woman wasn’t
