Old Trouble in the New Year - Part 1

     Her New Year's Resolutions could win an award for the longest list ever. She’d planned to stop at ten, which became fifty, then one-hundred and now number 103, the last and most important resolution for 2010. She spoke the words as they filled the line. A masculine chuckle from behind made her hair stand on end and her face heat.

     Jocelynn Palmer couldn’t believe she forgot she wasn’t alone in her condo this week. Her older brother Sydney was staying with her for a week. Here on business, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. They hadn’t seen one another since Sydney walked in on her and his best friend, Gerard Knight, making out and engaging in heavy groping in her bedroom at her parents’ ranch house in Dallas, Texas several years ago. It was the most embarrassing moment in her life besides that one time she walked in on her parents having sex on the kitchen table when she was 12 years old.

     Gerard had always been trouble with a capital T. Even as a young boy, he loved to lead her brother astray with rough play instead of seeing to their chores on the ranch. Gerard’s parents lived in town but would send him to the Palmer ranch to help out during the afternoons when school was out so that he couldn’t get into any trouble while the both of them were at work.

     Sydney walked into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee and joined her at the table. “Hey Joss! I see you’re writing up a New Year’s resolution list again, and it looks like it’s longer than your original 10.”

      Jocelynn blushed and knew he was right; no doubt he was referring to the list she made last year. She hoped this year she’d actually accomplish the things on her list instead of only wishing she’d done them.

     Jocelynn finally bucked up the courage to look at her brother. “So what are you doing here tonight? I thought you were going to be partying at Times Square all night with some friends to celebrate the New Year?” She studied him and realized she missed spending time with him after she’d moved from Dallas to the big city that never sleeps.

     Sydney plopped four sugar cubes into his coffee before taking a sip. “Since I came to spend as much time with my baby sister as possible, I thought we’d celebrate the New Year together. Mom and pop wouldn’t like it if I left you here all alone while I partied with my friends.” Intense, light blue eyes watched her from beneath bushy, black eyebrows—brows that reminded her of their father’s when he was serious.

       “I also invited Gerard to stop by the condo.” Sydney looked away and averted her gaze. “He moved to Manhattan last week....”

Jocelynn rose up from her chair, her list all but forgotten. Leaning over the table, her face inches from his; she forced him to look at her. “What aren’t you telling me Syd?”

      “Okay, Joss, please don’t lose it, but Gerard has moved into the apartment across the hall from you.” He rushed the words, coming to his feet at the same time. Then he walked to the other side of the kitchen to what he thought would be a safe distance away from her.

Jocelyn would have none of that. She followed him and backed him up against the wall with a lethal stare, despite the fact his six foot frame towered over her by several inches. “What did you say? I don’t think I heard you right because it sounded like you said Gerard just moved across the hall way from my condo.” She narrowed her eyes and drilled a finger into his chest, her voice rising with each punctuated word.

      “That can’t possibly be true. Surely you’d have told your sister that the man who caused her so much grief and heartache now lived within feet of her doorstep.”

      “I...I know you and Gerard had a falling out, but he’s still my best friend and told me that he wanted to surprise you. I didn’t want to get in the middle of this but he made me swear I wouldn’t tell you until after he’d moved in.” He waited, warily, and saw her blue-green eyes flash anger. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to slap him or knee him in the family jewels like he taught her to do when she was a teenager going out on her first date. “I should have told you when I first arrived. Sorry,” he said lamely.

       A string of muttered oaths fell from her lips before she finally shouted. “I can’t believe this!” Turning on her heels, she grabbed her list of resolutions from the table and stormed from the kitchen. Right now, she couldn’t look at her traitorous brother.

      She stormed down the hallway to her bedroom aware of the doorbell ringing. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sidney slink toward the front door of her apartment. So, he’d told her just in the nick of time...before her new neighbor showed up. A series of flashbacks hit her full force. She didn’t want to see Gerard, not now, not ever. 

     Still...one little peek wouldn’t hurt.

     Sydney opened the door only part way and she couldn’t see who he was having a heated conversation with. Yet, the voice was achingly familiar and reminded her that she had always felt hypnotized when they would stay up all night to just talk about nothing and everything. Her palm stung and when she looked down, she realized she’d been crumpling her list in her hand so hard she’d acquired a paper cut. It was then she realized she’d have to face the demon in her life—the demon being Gerard—if she wanted to love again.

      How hard it would be to see him again after the way things ended between them four years ago. A moan fell from her lips. She might as well get it over with now instead of hiding like a coward in the hallway.

      Someone pushed the door open. “Hey Joss, long time no see.”

      Her heart sank. Gerard.

      He pushed past her brother and walked toward her with a look from those beautiful gray-green eyes that melted her like candle wax. The same look that always made her knees go weak even when she was spitting angry at him.

      Lord help me.

Read Part 2