Free The Fall (ATCOM Book 2) by Jennifer Lowery Page B

ran
in the opposite direction at the mention of a family and settling down. That
life wasn’t for him. He couldn’t give up the things he loved. And a woman like
Mia deserved someone who would be home every night and not worry her like her
ex had. He couldn’t ask her to accept his lifestyle. Even if the extreme sports
he sought out suddenly didn’t hold that much appeal when it meant losing Mia.
    Could they find common ground? Was he ready to slow
down? Settle down. Expecting the usual restless energy to zing through him, he
zipped his pack closed. Only, it didn’t come. The urge to jump off a cliff or
climb Everest wasn’t there.
    What the hell had happened to him?
    Grabbing his pack, he exited the room, stopping
short when he saw Jason waiting for him by the door, running clothes on. When
the kid saw his bag and regular clothes he frowned. “What’s going on?”
    “Time for me to go. Your mom’s problem has been
taken care of.”
    Hurt flashed in the kids eyes. “You’re leaving?”
    Feeling like a bastard, Brendan nodded.
    “But I thought you and my mom had something. Now
you’re running out on her?”
    “It’s complicated.”
    “Do you love her?”
    Caught off guard by the question, he clenched his
jaw. How to answer that? His insides were twisted up like downed wire; he
couldn’t get Mia out of his head. If he were completely honest he’d admit he
didn’t want to leave. Ever. And that the thought of coming home to Mia after a
mission instead of burying himself in some stranger sounded better than
anything had in a long time. His sister and Noah were making it work. Why
couldn’t he? Attie had told him someday he would meet the right woman and
everything would change in a heartbeat. He’d laughed it off, saying not him.
    “Look, kid, I gotta go. Take care of your mom.”
    He didn’t expect the right hook that caught him on
the cheek.
    “You bastard,” Jason railed. “You’re a coward, just
like my dad. You both take, take, take but when it comes to taking
responsibility you run away.”
    Stunned, Brendan touched his sore cheek. He wasn’t
Ray. He’d been good to this kid. Taught him his workout routine, gave him
something to focus on besides trouble. Hell, he’d been a better father than his
actual father.
    The thought brought him up short. He stared at the
kid with the wounded eyes and saw himself at that age. And he’d had Uncle Jed
to help him through the tough times. Suddenly everything fell into place. He
loved this kid. Wanted to be a father figure to him. Put him on the right path
of life like Uncle Jed had done for him.
    “I love her,” he said in shock. He met Jason’s
equally stunned gaze. “I love your mom.”
    Jason stepped closer, eyes narrowed. “Did you hear
what you just said?”
    He nodded, dazed. “I want to be your father.”
    Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “You did it,
dude. You admitted you love my mom. And I’d be okay with you teaching me more
workouts.”
    Knowing that was the kid’s way of saying he
approved, Brendan could only nod.
    A sound near the doorway made them both turn to
look. Mia stood there, a befuddled look on her face. Her hair fell over her
shoulders in sexy waves, tousled from sleep, her pajamas hugging her curves and
making him want to tear them off her. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight in
his life.
    “I’ll let you two talk,” Jason said, bouncing out
of the room.
    Brendan set his bag down. “How much of that did you
hear?”
    “All of it.”
    Damn.
    “Did you mean it?”
    He met her gaze. “Yes.”
    She took slow steps toward him. “I don’t know if I
can go through another thrill-seeking marriage.”
    “I can’t give up my hobbies, but I can promise to
scale them back to where you’re comfortable.”
    Her eyes lit up. “And your job?”
    “Nothing I can do there, but I’ll do everything in
my power to make it home to you.”
    “Promise?”
    “Yes.”
    She had reached him and now stood in front of him.
It was