Read Online Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis - Free Book Online Page A

right player the puppy dog eyes, he might find a good lap to cuddle in.
    No one had ever told him that he wasn’t a lap dog.
    Today when Jack arrived, Luke and Ben were already on the bench lacing up their cleats. The three of them went way back. Luke had spent summers in Lucky Harbor at his grandmother’s house. Ben had lived with Jack and his mom when his family had detonated early on. After Jack Senior’s death, Dee had raised both boys—and also Luke—as if they were brothers.
    And they were brothers, in all the ways that counted, which meant that they were a perpetual pain in each other’s ass.
    Ben looked up as Jack and Kevin walked toward them. He took in Jack’s obviously careful gait—his knee was hurting like a sonofabitch—but didn’t say a word.
    Luke was much more blunt. “You look like shit,” he said and held out a fist to Kevin.
    Kevin lifted a paw and bumped Luke’s hand. It was his one and only trick.
    “I’m not the one with the flu,” Jack said. “Sam’s out, which leaves us without a backup pitcher.”
    “And…,” Luke said.
    “And what?”
    “And you have something else to tell us,” Luke said.
    Jack looked at Ben, then back to Luke. “What else would there be?”
    “I don’t know, maybe the fact that you and Leah are getting hitched.”
    Jack, who’d just taken an unfortunate sip from his water bottle, choked.
    Ben patted him on the back. Actually, it was more like a pounding that sent Jack forward a few steps.
    “So, when’s the big day?” Luke asked.
    Jack swore, swiping a forearm over his chin to mop up the water he’d just spit out. “Ali tell you?”
    Luke grinned. “You mean it’s true?”
    “No, it’s not true. Jesus.”
    “There’s a whole Pinterest thing on you two,” Ben said, sitting on the bench. Kevin immediately leaped into Ben’s lap. For years, Ben had been closed off, not wanting to be close to anyone. He was gone for months at a time, and when he came back, he rarely talked about the things he’d seen and done. Jack and Luke had long ago given up revealing their worry to Ben; it just pissed him off.
    And no one wanted Ben pissed off.
    But they did worry. A lot.
    But Ben, who rarely let anyone touch him, simply wrapped his arms around the huge dog and kept talking. “Lucille’s been pinning ideas for your wedding and inviting others to do the same.”
    Jack stared at him. “What the hell is Pinterest?” he demanded.
    “Hell, I’ve been on the other side of the planet in a country without running water and even I know what Pinterest is,” Ben said. “What the hell’s going on with you and Leah?”
    Jack blew out a breath. “Leah told my mom we were a thing.”
    “Ah.” Ben nodded like this made perfect sense. Which was good. It should make perfect sense to someone.
    “I’m fucked,” Jack said.
    “Yes,” Ben said. “If you’re very, very lucky.”
    Jack gave him a level-eyed gaze.
    Ben shrugged. “She’s smart, funny, and wears really hot shoes that make her legs look a mile long. You should’ve done her a long time ago.”
    “It’s Leah ,” Jack said. What the hell was wrong with everyone? Ben had been there growing up. He knew what Leah had gone through; he’d heard the yelling every night. He knew Leah had sought comfort—platonic comfort—from Jack all through his high school years. He knew that they were just friends.
    Of course, what he didn’t know, couldn’t know, was how on so many of those nights that Leah had sobbed all over Jack, he’d done his best to give her what her parents wouldn’t. “Love you, Leah,” he’d whisper.
    She’d clutch at him tighter. “Forever?”
    “Forever,” he’d promised, always. But that had been a damn long time ago. Before she’d walked away and not looked back. “It’s not a real thing,” he said now.
    “Only because you’re stupid,” Ben said.
    Luke started laughing and couldn’t stop, so Jack shoved him and then sat down to exchange his running shoes for