“PBR business,” Dirk answered.
“Here? In Hamilton? Is someone wanting Brock to come back for something?” I asked with a sarcastic laugh.
“No, it’s you I need to talk to.”
My beer paused at my lips before I turned and looked at him. “Me?”
He grinned. “CBS wants you for a broadcasting position.”
I drew in my brows. “You shitting me?”
“I am not shitting you.” He took out a piece of paper and put it on the table, then slid it over to me. “This is what they’re offering you for a three-year deal.”
“Three years?” Even I could hear the surprise in my voice.
“Yep. Open it.”
I did as he said and was dumbfounded as I stared at the six-figure number written down.
“That’s per year.”
For a moment, I stopped breathing and almost asked him for the contract to sign. Then a memory of Kaylee popped into my mind. Her under me, calling out my name as we both came at the same time.
Fuck. If this were any other time, I’d have signed it with no questions asked.
“Listen, I know it’s a lot to take in, and I told the network you’d need a few days to think about it.”
Turning, I stared at him in disbelief. “That’s a lot of fucking money.”
Dirk laughed. “Yeah, well, they want you on their team, and they’re willing to pay you for it.”
I glanced back down at the paper and was about to push it away when I saw Kaylee from the corner of my eye. I looked up to see her talking to Channing, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my body and break into a million pieces right there on the spot.
She fucking came with Channing.
Then, as if she could feel me staring at her, she turned and met my gaze. Her smile faded, but when she looked next to me and saw Dirk, it returned. She faced Channing and said something to him, then headed our way. It didn’t surprise me that she’d want to come over and say hi to Dirk. The two of them had become good friends, and I knew she still kept in touch with him.
Dirk and I both stood when she approached. She went to Dirk and smiled. “Well, looks like I have the most handsome date in the room.”
My mouth nearly dropped open. She sure as hell wasn’t talking about me, which meant . . .
“Dirk is your date?” I asked, not even trying to hide the shock and anger in my voice.
Kaylee shot me a look that should have had me sitting my ass right back down in the chair. “No one else asked, so I was obviously available.” She turned back to Dirk. “Shall we take a spin on the dance floor before everyone else shows up?”
Dirk smirked at me. If that asshole thought for one minute he was going to—
My thoughts stopped as I watched Kaylee take Dirk’s hand and lead him to the dance floor. I sat back down and looked at the piece of paper on the table.
When I glanced back out to the dance floor and saw Kaylee laughing at something Dirk had said, I tried to ignore the burning feeling in my chest. Before I could even process things, Brock, Lincoln, and the kids had come over and sat down.
“You two want to go dance? I can hold Morgan for you, and Blayze can help.” I winked at Blayze when he looked up at me.
“Yeah, I can help Uncle Ty if he don’t know what to do when Morgan goes poo.”
My eyes widened as Brock handed me his daughter. “Wait, no one said anything about her pooing.”
Lincoln laughed. “She’s already done that, in the truck on the way over. You’re golden.”
The two of them quickly headed out to the dance floor. When I looked down at my niece, I couldn’t help but smile. I leaned down to whisper, “I don’t think anyone can argue that you are the most beautiful girl in the room.”
Blayze knelt on the chair next to me. “You really think so, Uncle Ty?”
I nodded. “I do. You don’t think so?”
With a half shrug, he looked out at the dance floor. “My mama is pretty.”
Smiling, I looked at Lincoln. “She’s very pretty.”
“And Aunt Kaylee is pretty too.”
My gaze found Kaylee.
“I kind of have a crush on Aunt Kaylee. She’s real pretty.”
Looking back at my nephew, I couldn’t help but let my smile grow bigger. “Can you keep a secret between me and you, buddy?”
Blayze looked at me and crossed his heart with his finger. “I promise I can, Uncle Ty.”
In the last few months, Blayze had stopped pronouncing his r’s like w’s. It sort of made me a little sad that he was growing up so fast.
“I sorta have a crush on Kaylee too.”
His eyes got big and round. “Really?”
“It’s our secret, though, promise? That means no breaking out into a song and singing about it to anyone, especially to Kaylee.”
Blayze rolled his eyes. “Uncle Ty, I’m almost in first grade, and I’ll be six years old. I don’t sing anymore.”
Yep, I’d blinked and my nephew had grown up before my eyes.
Glancing back down to Morgan, I stilled when I saw those big blue eyes looking up at me. Then she smiled, and my heart melted, nearly leaving me breathless. “She smiled at me!”
Blayze leaned over and looked at his baby sister. “Nah, that’s just her farting face.”
Kaylee stood in the middle of the dance floor with a microphone in her hand as she spoke a few words about my folks and their anniversary. She’d asked if me, Brock, or Tanner wanted to say anything, and we’d all declined. Speaking in front of a crowd didn’t bother me, but speaking about my folks in front of a crowd—hell, I might start to get emotional, and I was not about to do that in front of friends and family. I knew that was why Brock and Tanner had said no as well.
Everyone laughed at something Kaylee had said, causing me to shake myself out of my own head. All eyes were on her, including Channing’s. Dirk, on the other hand, was flirting with the girl at the next table, who didn’t seem to mind that he was clearly there with another woman. Of course, Dirk and Kaylee were acting more like friends than an actual couple on a date, thank God.
“Stella and Ty Senior, would you do us the honor of starting off the next dance?” Kaylee asked. Everyone clapped, including me, as my parents walked onto the dance floor. I loved the way my father looked at my mother, like she was the most important thing in his world. Brock often gave Lincoln the same look. I couldn’t help but wonder if a love like that would ever be blessed upon me.
My gaze drifted to the side of the dance floor, back to where I’d seen Kaylee. She was watching Mom and Dad, a smile on her face. She reached up and quickly wiped a tear away. Then her eyes shifted and locked with mine.
That night we’d spent together a few weeks before came right back. The feel of her under me, her arms and legs wrapped around me, drawing me in closer to her. I’d never experienced such a connection with another person like I had that night. I couldn’t get deep enough inside her.
I could feel the corners of my mouth lift slightly into a smile. She gifted me with a small smile in return; then her attention was pulled from me when Channing asked her to dance. Anger quickly flooded in and replaced the warm feeling that had settled in my chest when she’d smiled.
Watching them made me feel sick to my stomach. His hand on her lower back, pulling her against his body.
“Who in the hell are you looking at, dude? If lasers were coming out of your eyes right now, they’d be dead.”
I let out a gruff laugh and faced Dirk. “If only.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Dude, go cut in.”
A part of me wanted to. An even bigger part of me needed to know if my carelessness that night had had long-term consequences that I wasn’t so sure I would be that upset with. I’d obviously not wanted to come right out and ask her if she was pregnant.
Then Channing leaned down and said something to Kaylee, causing her to laugh. It looked like Channing was about to kiss her when she pulled back fr
om him.
I narrowed my eye and watched them carefully.
“I don’t like him dancin’ with her either, Uncle Ty. He’s no good for her.”
My gaze dropped to Blayze, and I laughed. “Where in the world did you ever hear that?”
Blayze kept his eyes on Kaylee and Channing. “I heard Grams telling Granddaddy that Channing wasn’t nowhere near good enough for Kaylee.”
I looked back out onto the dance floor and found my folks. They were smiling at each other. “Your grams is right about that one.”
“I know! That’s why I said it. But you look mad, and if you wants your secret to stay a secret, you best pretend a little better that her dancing with another boy doesn’t make you angry, Uncle Ty.”
“Being schooled by a five-year-old—ain’t that some shit,” Dirk said, slapping me on the back as he walked away laughing.
“Hey! I’m almost six, Uncle Dirk!”
I stood and straightened my tuxedo jacket. “I’m going to go ask a pretty girl to dance.”
Blayze smiled. “I’m after you, Uncle Ty.”
Glancing down, I winked at him. “You got it, buddy.”
As I made my way closer to them, I watched Kaylee. The way she smiled at Channing. The way she looked at him. Was it different from the way she looked at me? Hell, my head was beginning to hurt. No woman had ever had me this fucking turned upside down before.
I tapped on Channing’s shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?”
Channing’s smile faded instantly, and he looked back at Kaylee. For the briefest of moments, I thought she was going to say she did mind. But she gave Channing a soft smile and took a step out of his arms.
I stepped into his vacated spot and looked at her. My heart sped up, and a nervous flutter hit the pit of my stomach. She really was the most beautiful woman in the room.
She stepped into my arms, and I pulled her close. Maybe a little too close, but I didn’t give a shit. I missed the feel of her. The smell of her vanilla soap. The way she held her breath when I was near her.
“I’ve been meaning to call you or stop by to . . .” My voice trailed off.
Her brows lifted. “To what?”
Clearing my throat, I replied, “Talk. To talk.”
“Oh, really? Seems to me you’ve been avoiding me, Ty.” She looked away for a moment, then back up at me. “What did you want to talk about?”
After glancing around the room, I let out an exasperated sigh. “Maybe now isn’t the time.”
“Considering you’re going out of your way to avoid me outside of this room, now seems like the perfect time.”
“I’m not going out of my way.”
Kaylee rolled her eyes and then looked away from me.
“It was irresponsible of me to have sex without a condom, and I wanted you to know if anything should come out of that . . .”
I cleared my throat again as she looked up at me. Her eyes were filled with something I couldn’t read. For the first time since I’d met this woman, I had no clue what was going on in her head. “If you end up being—”
“I’m not. I’ve had my period since that night, so you’re off the hook.”
The instant pain in my chest shouldn’t have been there. It should have been relief, I knew that, but that didn’t mean anything. A sense of loss washed over me. “I wasn’t going to ask to be let off of any hook, Kaylee.”
Her mouth opened to say something, but then she closed it. We danced a few minutes in silence, and as the song was ending, she pulled back and looked up at me. “Dirk said he told you about the job offer with CBS.”
I was positive I wore a shocked expression. “He told you about it?”
She nodded. “Yes. I think you should take it.”
The pain in my chest grew tenfold. “You . . . you do?”
“Yes, it might be a good thing for you. Besides, you have nothing here holding you back.”
My eyes searched her face, but it was completely void of any emotion. Nothing. “But I do. My family, and Blayze and Morgan. And who’s going to make sure you don’t set anything on fire?” I smiled, hoping it would also make her smile.
“I’m sure Channing could handle that just fine.”
I took a step back. The feel of a knife being pushed into the middle of my heart nearly took my breath away. Kaylee stood there, not an ounce of regret on her face for the words she had just said.
So that was it. I had successfully pushed her away for good. The only thing I could do was nod, force another smile, then say, “Thanks for the dance, Kaylee. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Before she could say anything else, I’d turned and headed off the dance floor. I pulled the paper Dirk had given me out of my pocket and dialed the number as I made my way toward the exit.
A male voice came on the line. “This is Sam James.”
“Sam, it’s Ty Shaw.”
“Ty! Man, it’s great to hear from you. I take it Dirk’s spoken to you.”
I didn’t bother to look back into the ballroom. I wasn’t sure if I could stand the sight of Kaylee in Channing’s arms again. “He did.”
“And?”
“I’m interested in talking.”
“This is amazing news. How soon can you come to New York?”
“How soon can you have a private plane here?”
Sam laughed. “Pack a bag. You’ll leave in the morning.”
Chapter Eighteen
KAYLEE
The moment the words were out of my mouth, I wanted to tell him I was sorry. Instant regret pulsed through my body. The look of devastation on his face would haunt me the rest of my life, I was sure of it.
I couldn’t move, though. The urge to tell him I hadn’t meant it was so strong, but I was also so angry he had avoided me for weeks, then tried to tell me he would have been there if I had ended up being pregnant. All the emotions seemed to hit me at once, and I had no idea how to react or what to say. So I had purposely hurt him and then saw the pain in his eyes, and I hated myself for it. Then he simply walked away.
The moment I saw him pulling out his phone, I knew what he was doing. Nausea rolled through my stomach, and I almost went after him.
I waited for Ty to turn around, to give me one last look, but he didn’t. He pushed the door open and walked out.
My hand instinctively went to my mouth in an attempt not to call out his name.
What if that had been Ty’s attempt at telling me he wanted something more, and I had let my pride and anger push him away?
Oh God, what did I do?
“Kaylee, you shouldn’t be standing on the dance floor all alone. Where did Ty go?”
The sound of Channing’s voice only added to the guilt I was already feeling. I forced a smile before turning and facing him. “He got a phone call and needed to leave.”
“Dance with me again?”
“I’m sorry, Channing. I need to check on the food and then hunt down Dirk, my date.”
It looked like he winced, maybe at the reminder that I had actually come with another man and that he had come with a date of his own. The girl who’d been flirting with Dirk. What were the odds of that?
“Enjoy yourself, though!” I said, keeping my voice light and airy. The moment I spotted Dirk, I made a beeline for him.
He was at the table with Brock and Lincoln, holding Morgan. Even she was taken with him. Just like she had been with Ty. She was a smart girl and loved her uncles so. When I’d looked over earlier and saw Ty holding Morgan, I’d nearly fallen into a fit of tears.
I had no idea what in the world was going on with me; my emotions were all over the place. Case in point: the closer I got to the table, the angrier I got.
No. I knew exactly why my emotions were zipping along on the roller-coaster ride of emotion.
Ty. Shaw.
“Dirk, I need to talk to you.”
Brock’s phone beeped, and he looked down at it. Then his face turned white as a ghost. “Holy shit.”
“
What’s wrong?” Lincoln and Dirk asked.
I, on the other hand, felt like there was a lump in my throat.
Brock looked over at Dirk. “Did you know about the job offer from CBS?”
Dirk nodded. “I was the one who presented it to him earlier this evening. Why?”
Brock looked back down at his phone, then scrubbed his hand over his face. “Ty just texted me he’s leaving for New York City in the morning to meet with CBS about a possible commentary job on the Unleash the Beast Tour.”
“What? Ty’s leaving Hamilton? The ranch?” Lincoln’s gaze snapped over to me.
“I can’t believe it,” Brock said, utter disbelief in his voice.
Dirk set his beer down. “Looks like he’s ready for a change.”
I shot a look in his direction, but he chose to ignore it.
“My dad’s going to be fucking heartbroken. I mean, he’ll be happy for Ty. Both Mom and Dad will, of course.”
“Maybe this will be a good thing for him?” Lincoln offered.
Right at that moment, Tanner walked up. “Dude, did you get a text from Ty?”
Brock nodded his head. “Yeah, looks like he’s going to entertain it this time.”
“This time?” Lincoln asked, a confused expression on her face.
“Yeah, CBS approached him before about it, but Ty turned them down,” Brock answered.
A million things raced through my mind. Would this mean Tanner would have to stay and help on the ranch? Surely not. They could hire someone like they had before, when Ty was on the PBR tour. How long would Ty be gone? Days? Weeks?
More importantly, how many women would be throwing themselves at him?
My hand went to my stomach, and I fought to hold down the urge to puke at that last thought.
Then I felt all eyes on me. I swallowed hard and met Dirk’s gaze.
“Excuse me.” I was barely able to get the words out without my voice cracking. I quickly turned and walked as fast as I could in my Louis Vuitton pumps.
The moment I walked out onto the patio, I dragged in a deep breath. Seconds later, I felt someone standing behind me.
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