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Jamie

You know your love life is lacking when the characters in your latest romance novel are getting more action than you.

I mean, damn! It’s just been chapter after chapter of nonstop smut, plot simmering on the back burner while the leads resolve their sexual tension.

Meanwhile, I, Jamie Sullivan, can’t even stick around until the end of one of the rare dates I go on.

But hopefully, that will all change tonight.

My good friend and coworker Jess set me up with a vet tech who is a friend of a friend.

She had nothing but good things to say about this guy, and I hope he lives up to his reputation.

I want the kind of love I read about in books, but at this rate, I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s just not going to happen.

For a while, I settled for one-night stands, but I want the real deal.

I’m twenty-two. It’s time I stopped thinking about meeting Mr. Right and got around to actually finding the guy.

For my little brother’s sake, I need to take my future seriously.

Jace deserves stability, a family. I can’t give him any of that on my own.

Setting down my e-reader on my lap, I check the time. This guy, Matt, should be here at any minute, and then we can head to the restaurant. It’s a cute place on a boat moored along the harbor with fairy lights strung up and twinkling.

Matt. I wonder what he’s like. He has to be a nice person if he’s a vet technician.

Anybody who cares about animals must have a heart of gold.

From the pics Jess has shown me, he’s super handsome.

I exhale some of the nerves from my belly.

I’m hoping we’ll hit it off. Although being fifteen minutes late isn’t the best first impression…

While I wait, I check my phone. No texts from Kate or Jace. Must be a good sign, right? My little brother is having a sleepover with Kate’s daughter since I said I’d be out late. Hopefully, all is well—unless something has happened. My nerves return full force.

I shoot my little brother a quick text.

Hey. Everything good?

He doesn’t reply right away. Biting my lip, I try and get back into my book, but now my mind keeps tugging me toward my phone. When it buzzes in my pocket, I snatch it up.

Jace: No! The house is on fire and everyone’s dead!! lol yeah everything’s fine jeez

When did my little bro become such a sassafras? I’m impressed.

“Jamie! Hi, I’m so sorry I’m late!” A gorgeous man, tall and dark-haired with neat stubble, rushes up to me.

“Matt, hey!” My heart skips as I jump up to greet him, giving his hand a shake. “Nice to meet you. Jess has told me so much about you.”

“Same, same!” He’s panting, like he ran all the way over here. It’s sweet that he was in such a rush. “Want to go grab a table?” He points at the boat.

My growling stomach says yes, please, so we make our way there. The heaters keep the cold away as the host seats us at our table. “Have you been here before?” I ask as I pick up a menu.

Matt thanks the server when she delivers our water. “No. It’s really cute, though. Love the vibes.”

When the server returns, we give her our order, and I buy a bottle of wine for the table. As we drink, we get to talking. Matt asks me all sorts of questions when I tell him I own my late grandma’s bookstore, and he tells me about some of the cute, furry patients he’s met at the vet’s office.

My stomach flips when our eyes meet, and already, I’m imagining a future between us.

He’s sweet and handsome, easy to talk to, and a great listener.

From his scent, I can tell he’s genuinely enjoying himself.

A few years back, I somehow gained the ability to…

sense people’s emotions through their scent.

It’s super strange, and no amount of googling has produced any answers.

Emotions have a scent to them. Anger is spicy.

Shame is sour. Happiness is sweet, while sadness is heavy and dark.

Weird, I know, but it can be helpful in figuring out people’s genuine feelings.

I have a good feeling about Matt. Maybe, just maybe, he and I will really connect. I can see it now: we’ll go on a few more dates, I’ll introduce him to Jace and they’ll hit it off, maybe in a few months, I’ll ask him to be my boyfriend, and then—

My phone rings in my pocket just as our food arrives. When Kate’s name flashes on my screen, my heart lurches. “I’m so sorry. I need to take this.”

Matt shrugs. “Sure.” He tucks into his spaghetti and meatballs.

Rising, I pace across the deck. “Kate? Is everything okay?”

When my brother’s distressed sobs reach my ears, I have my answer. “Hi, Jamie, I am so sorry, but Jace had a really bad nightmare, and I can’t calm him down. He really needs you.”

Glancing at Matt, I fight back a sigh. I’m only conflicted for a second before I know who I’ll choose. Jace. Always my little brother. “Can I talk to him?”

“Of course! Jace, sweetie, it’s Jamie. Do you want to say hello?”

For a moment, there’s silence. “J-Jamie?” My brother’s breathless, shaking voice breaks my heart.

“Hey, bud. Kate says you’re having a rough night. What happened?”

But he blurts out, “Can you come home? Please? Right now. Please.” His hysterical sobs make my chest tighten with guilt. If I’d known he’d get so upset, I’d never have come on this date.

I’m being selfish, putting myself and my wants before his. “Yeah, buddy. I’ll be right there. Promise. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”

He sniffles. “Y-yeah.”

“Okay. I can do that. Just a second, okay?” Lowering my phone, I march to the host stand, explain that I’d like to pay and leave, and he prints my receipt. After swiping my card and signing, I jog back to our table. Shit. He’s going to be upset. Hopefully, he’ll understand.

“Hey, so, I am so sorry, but something’s come up.”

Matt’s smile falls off his face. “Oh no. What happened?”

Dragging a hand through my hair, I say, “My little brother’s having a tough time. I’m sorry, but I need to go make sure he’s okay. I’ve paid for dinner, and I’d love to go out with you again another time.”

When a scowl creases Matt’s face, I lose hope in an understanding response. “Are you serious?” Before I can respond, he chucks his napkin on the table. “I came all the way from Jersey to meet you, and you can’t stick around for dinner?”

Heat flames my cheeks. “I’m sorry, but—”

“Your brother’s what, ten, right? Tell him to man up.”

Anger burns in my veins. “You don’t get it!” I snap. Fuck being polite. Nobody gets to talk about my little brother like that. “I’m all he has left of our family. He needs me.”

Screw this guy. I can understand being disappointed, but insulting a traumatized ten-year-old is a low blow. If this is how Matt reacts before he’s even met Jace, that’s already a red flag.

“Forget it,” I snap. “Don’t call me again.”

Turning away, I march from the boat and back toward Kate’s house near Hudson River Park.

I need someone who will prioritize my brother like I do. If I can’t find that person, then I’d rather be alone the rest of my life.

Jace is in the middle of a panic attack when I arrive at Kate’s. “Oh, Jace.” I throw myself onto the bed and hold him tight as he sobs, his little body shaking against mine.

Kate gives me a sad smile, holding her own concerned daughter close.

“Did you have the dream again?”

Gasping, he nods frantically against my chest. He grips at my shirt, nails biting into my skin. God, poor kiddo. I hate this for him.

“D-don’t leave me all alone,” he whimpers. “Please, Jamie.”

Like our parents did.

Even though it’s been four years, tears sting my eyes, and a lump aches in my throat. “It’s okay, bud. I promise.” I rub his heaving back as he sobs into my shirt, soaking it with his tears. “I’m here. I’m alive. I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

God, I am so stupid. While I was out on some stupid date, my brother was suffering.

Can’t I do anything right? If our parents were still here, they’d know what to do.

Mouthing a silent thank-you to Kate and her kiddo for being there for him, I lift my brother and carry him downstairs. When Jace starts squirming, I set him down. He wipes his face dry.

“Feeling better?” I ask.

Jace shrugs and doesn’t look at me, cheeks red from crying or embarrassment or both.

“Want to take a walk over to the river before we go home? The water always calms me down.”

I don’t get a reply, but Jace doesn’t resist as we walk away from the car and toward the river. The water sloshes peacefully, and gulls cry in the night. Turning my face to the sky, I count the few stars I can see and try to calm myself down. I need to be strong for Jace.

“I still miss Mom and Dad,” Jace says.

I take in a deep breath that hitches around a sudden sob. “Me too.”

I miss our parents. I wish they were here to tell me what to do. To help me raise my brother and protect him. I can’t do this alone. “But it’s going to be okay.” Kneeling down, I squeeze his shoulders. “I’m here. We’ve got each other.”

Jace nods, sniffling.

I pull him in for a tight hug, and he tenses in my arms. “What’s that?”

I look back into the murky depths of the river. There’s something shimmering within the water. It almost looks like… some kind of light? The longer I stare, the brighter the light becomes until it’s almost painful to look at. What the hell’s going on?

Bubbles form on the river’s surface. My lizard brain screams to run, but I’m frozen in place. Something’s happening. Something big. There’s a tugging in my chest, like a hook’s fastened in my skin, urging me closer, forcing me to watch and wait.

An explosion of water showers up into the air and sprays me right in the face. Shrieking, I wipe water out of my eyes just in time to see a shape soar in front of the full moon. It looks like a… a rowboat. And it’s flying straight at me!

“Holy shit!” I hurl myself and Jace out of the way just as the boat crashes down on the pavement where I was standing. Chunks of wood fly everywhere, bouncing off my body. Shaking, I lower my hands away from my face.

“Are you okay?” I ask Jace.

He looks shaken but unharmed. “What was that?”

The scattered remains of the boat are everywhere.

And lying atop the remains is a man.

He’s huge, even lying down, or maybe the bizarre armor he wears makes him look bigger. His long black hair is plastered to his face, and water glistens in his thick bushy beard. Little beads are woven into his hair and beard, parts of which have been braided.

“H-hello?” I squeak, then clear my throat.

“Is he dead?” Jace asks, peering closer.

“No! I’m sure he’s fine.” To myself, I mutter, “Please be fine…” I inch close enough to tap him with my foot. He groans, and I exhale in relief. Okay, he’s not dead. What the hell do I do? I should probably call an ambulance, right? Oh god…

I drop my phone with a panicked curse as the massive man slowly sits up. He tosses back his head, his hair flying out of his face. The greenest eyes I’ve ever seen pin me in place and steal the breath from my lungs.

I position Jace behind me just in case.

Parting his lips, he speaks in a low rumble like thunder. “Where am I?”

I open my mouth, but no words come out.

His nostrils flare, his eyes shining in the dark as he takes me in.

“Who are you? What is that…” He draws in a deep breath through his nose, and his eyes fucking glow like an animal’s under a flashlight. “That scent. What is that?”

My legs quiver as he rises and comes toward me, his armor rattling with every slow step.

The winds change, and there’s a smell unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before.

It’s like… I don’t know how to describe it.

Like all of my favorite smells rolled into one.

Coffee and cinnamon. The whiff of parchment when you open a well-loved book, the spine cracked and the pages slightly yellowed from age.

“It’s…” He comes toward me, sniffing frantically.

“You,” I say, breathless as he stops mere inches from me.

Bushy brows furrow as those green eyes hold my gaze.

The hook in my chest tugs and burns, urging me toward him.

And somehow, I know nothing will ever be the same again.