“Before you answer that, Willis… It’s been thirteen years since we all played together and back then, I thought he had to be at least ninety years old. No way he’s still around,” Reed Prescott said.
“And he still looks exactly that old,” Cole commented, popping the top on his can as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “Mom says he’s barely in his eighties. I couldn’t believe it, made her prove it to me. He’s in a wheelchair now. Always sittin’ on his porch when I go to town. He lives in that old, run-down house right on the edge of town. You know which one I’m talking about? The one that looks like it should be fallin’ in on him. He sits out there every night, yellin’ at the cars or whoever walks by. He’s an ornery old coot.”
“I saw him when I came home for y’alls family reunion. I stopped by and talked to him for a couple of hours before headin’ out to the Willises’. He remembered us all by name,” Connor said, still taking special care with the meat. The marinade was his award-winning secret blend—at least award-winning in the special-teams annual cook-off—and they’d all been schooled on the importance of the steaks being at room temperature before hitting the hot grill.
“He went to State with us. Even when we made it all the way, he still kept yelling we were gettin’ the plays wrong. I’ll never forget hearing his booming voice all the way down on the field,” Braden said.
“I know, right! His voice is still just like that. In my truck, I swear I can hear that man yelling at me when I drive by. Did you hear that Carolyn finally got married?” Cole added, more to Braden than anyone else. They’d been high school sweethearts up until the very day he’d come out gay.
“Yeah, Mom told me. I figured she would’ve done that a long time ago. She was always talking about marriage,” Braden said, not taking his eyes off the meat. Connor began to shake the dry rub like maracas with the spices going everywhere. “Dude, more’s on the counter than the meat.”
“He’s making a fuckin’ mess is what he’s doin’,” Cole added.
“I gotta get it all over the meat,” Connor said, never slowing the shake of his hand.
“Okay, so what about this baby, Prescott? You really gonna be a father?” Ty asked. He’d not been present for that particular bombshell of an announcement.
“Yep,” Reed said, lifting his beer can for a drink, probably to hide the smile shoving at the corners of his lips.
“What about marriage?” Cole blurted out.
“She wants to wait.” Reed’s smile turned to a scowl.
“Really? She wants to wait? That’s remarkable. I never saw that coming,” Connor said and paused in the application of the dry rub as every eye in the room focused on Reed. He was considered a prize catch in just about every circle known to man and his woman wanted to wait for him to put a ring on it?
“Me either.” Reed gave a cold little chuckle. “She blindsided me with that. Won’t even consider marriage right now.”
“When’s she due?” Connor asked, slowly moving the shaker again.
“February fifth’s the official date.”
“Where’s she at now?” Ty asked.
“With her roommate.” When he didn’t say old roommate, Ty’s brow furrowed. They weren’t living together? He wasn’t sure how far to probe that piece of information. Everyone seemed to love Lara, and Reed wasn’t someone to be put off by anything in life. All this didn’t really make a lot of sense.
“He’s gay, right? I think I saw his picture. He’s the officer?” Braden asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against a counter.
“Yeah, and you stay away from him,” Reed shot straight out to Bray.
“What?” he asked innocently while holding up his hands in a placating gesture.
“No, really, I don’t need the chaos that hookup would bring to my life. No matter what he says, Kade’s not in it just to hit it. He’s got real issues. Stay away from him.” Reed pointed a finger straight at Bray, using his most stern voice guaranteed to send senior executives running in fear.
Honestly, outside of all the questions forming, that whole exchange was kind of funny, especially as serious as Reed was about the idea of Bray hooking up with anyone. Braden was the biggest player out of all of them, and when he looked so offended, Ty busted out with laughter until the doorbell rang. His brow immediately furrowed. Everyone that was coming was already there and no one else but his assistant knew the address of this home. Ty bent his head to look out the uncovered window along the front door at the same moment Cole darted up from his chair.
“She came!”
Ty instinctively reached out for Cole, grabbing him by the back of the T-shirt as he stared at the unexpected profile of his angel from the grocery store. She hadn’t been too far from his thoughts since he’d left the store that morning. The impact of their brief meeting was substantial, and just like in the store, when he saw her, he got immediately territorial. With a brute strength he didn’t quite know he possessed, he gripped the shirt tighter and jerked Cole backward several steps. That apparently became game-on as Cole laughed out loud right in his face. Ty anchored his body in front of Cole, getting all in his personal space.
“I said she’s mine,” he growled.
“But she could’ve come to see me,” Cole challenged mockingly, bumping his chest against Ty’s.
“And if she did, you’re gonna talk up the benefits of your buddy Ty, got it?” Ty placed both palms on Cole’s chest and shoved him backward again. This time, he reached for the butcher knife on the center island and held it to Cole’s face. Of course he’d never stab Cole. At least, in theory, he wouldn’t.
“Shouldn’t someone get the door?” Connor asked from somewhere behind Ty.
“Fifty down there’s not a slice,” he heard Reed wager.
“He draws blood. I’m in,” Braden seconded.
“Dude, okay,” Cole teased, lifting both hands. Ty maintained the stance a moment or two longer until his buddy took a voluntary step backward. A cold draft swept across him and Ty looked over his shoulder to see Connor standing in the foyer, door wide open, wiping his hands with a dish towel. Kenzie stood with her mom and who he assumed to be her father. They were staring in at him as he held that knife, their eyes big, and both Reed’s and Braden’s heads were cocked to the side, bent over, looking at the door. Dammit, he didn’t even have to glance back to see Cole was loving this moment.
Probably not the best first impression. Ty tossed the knife on the counter, glared back at Cole to give him the stink eye, and lifted a finger in warning, resisting the urge to punch that huge smile off his friend’s face. Ty turned back as Connor ushered the family inside the front door. All that adrenaline from seconds ago vanished as he got a good look at Kenzie. She was still wearing those cut off blue jean shorts that made her tanned legs look a mile long, but everything else was different.
Her thick blonde hair was down, not quite as long as he’d originally thought. Her hair was parted on the side with long bangs curled in a style with the rest of her hair, all framing her sweet angel’s face. Tonight she wore fresh makeup if the lip gloss was an indicator. The hoodie was from the University of Tennessee and looked well-worn, so maybe her alma mater?
As he walked forward, those stunning, big blue eyes lifted to him. His dick plumped, his gait faltered, and he stumbled over his own feet as he went to greet them.
It was shocking to discover he wanted her like he’d never wanted anything in his life.
“Mr. Bateman, we wanted to bring you the chairs you so generously bought today. I hope we’re not interrupting too much.”
Ty was forced to move his gaze to her mother. He stuck out a hand when his words didn’t come easily. He was too tongue-tied. The words scattered in his head, so he forced the fake smile he’d been told was a crowd favorite and shook the woman’s hand.
“Please, come in,” he said, ignoring Kenzie for a second more while he gathered himself and turned to the man beside her.
“Well, Mama, this is a surprise.
We’ve been watchin’ Titan’s Fall for years. Who knew Poseidon himself bought this house. Nice to meet you.” So much for the beard theory. Ty shook the man’s hand, and before he had a chance to speak, Mama spoke up.
“I’m Emma Stanton. This is Rocket, my husband, and this is our daughter, Kenzie. You met her earlier today,” she explained, introducing everyone.
“It’s nice to meet you all.” Once they put him back in acting mode, Ty found himself on more stable ground. He understood how to hide behind those celebrity niceties until he turned back to Kenzie, those captivating eyes larger than before, staring straight at him, again stealing his words. His hand reached out to clasp hers. She was slower to respond, but when she did, he wouldn’t let go.
“You’re beautiful,” he finally said, the only thought dominating his mind. A faint blush tinted her cheeks, and he tilted his head as she bent hers. How long had it been since a woman blushed over a simple, obvious statement? She tried to remove her hand from his, but he held tight.
A dramatic clearing of the throat had Ty turning his head to see all his buddies now in the living room watching him closely. Cole and Braden were grinning annoyingly. Reed and Connor seemed to not understand the moment, and Ty finally let go of her hand as he hooked a thumb toward the couple.
“Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, these are friends of mine from high school. We take a trip every year to help stay in touch. Cole and Connor you met earlier, and Reed and Braden are on the end.”
“It’s a pleasure. Nice to see you again, Kenzie,” Cole said immediately. Ty wanted to punch him for that overly bright smile, especially after Kenzie responded with one with her own.
“We have the chairs in the truck. We don’t want to disturb you more than we have.” Like before, Kenzie’s voice was light and soothing. Those same tingles of goose bumps sprang up across his arms and skated over his skin. The only problem with this moment was that she was looking at Cole and not at him.
“I can get them for you.” Cole started forward, and she turned toward the door as if to go with him, but Ty stuck out an arm, reaching for an elbow, stopping her from going. The look he gave Cole had Braden laughing as he passed by.
“I win,” Bray said over his shoulder to the guys. “That would’ve drawn blood.”
“No. We need physical evidence of actual blood,” Reed countered, following behind.
“Our host is having boundary issues. I’m Braden Bryant. This is my brother Reed. We’ll grab the chairs. Are they out here?”
“Right outside. They’re tied down,” Mr. Stanton said, turning to go outside with the guys.
“It’s getting’ cold out,” Mrs. Stanton said, trailing at a slower pace. When Kenzie followed, Ty turned back to Cole who lifted both his hands in the air.
“Off limits. I’m there— Swear.”
Ty nodded and gave his most menacing scowl one last time before heading out to help.
~~~
Completely out of her element, Kenzie found it hard to even look in Ty Bateman’s direction. How in the heck had she not figured out who he was before her father said his name? He’d played Poseidon in the number one rated television show for the last seven years. Besides that, he was in the blockbuster superhero movie this summer. He had starred in a hugely successful romantic comedy over Valentine’s Day, and at Christmas, played the weeping father in the number one movie that opened on Christmas Day. Ty Bateman was the movie star to end all movie stars. He dated actresses and supermodels. He was photographed with royalty—heck, he’d even attended Kate and William’s wedding with a Julia Holly on his arm. She let out a small groan and looked up at the night sky, thinking about that one. Julia Holly was Miss Universe who was now a major motion picture starlet.
Of course she’d thought about him all day—what a fool she’d been. Every woman on the planet thought about him all day long. He was one of the best-looking men on the planet—tall, dark, and gorgeous, yet somehow, in person he was even better-looking. She said a small thank-you to the stars above that darkness had fallen outside as heat flooded her face with embarrassment. She watched one of the men climb in the truck bed and hand one of the chairs down. To think she actually thought Ty Bateman was interested in her and she’d been so bold as to blow him off. Lord, no wonder he could spend so much money on her chairs, his last movie grossed about a billion dollars worldwide.
She’d even fixed her hair to come over there tonight. Kenzie looked down at her feet, rolling her eyes solidly now. Mascara and lip gloss…really?
“They’re beautiful chairs. Do you really make them yourself?” His voice startled her so badly she jumped, spinning around. Such an overreaction as she lifted her shaky hand to her thumping heart.
“You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, so close to her that she took another step backward and stumbled, grabbing his forearm to help keep her on her feet. God, she was a silly fool for being so awkward.
“I’m sorry,” she said, ducking her head. Kenzie closed her eyes and lectured herself to calm down. After a second more, she forced the fake smile she used around the house and pasted it on her face.
“Want these on the porch, Bateman?” Connor called out. She lifted her head to see all eyes focused on them. But what caught her attention was the sweet, knowing smile on her mother’s face. Oh God, it was worse than she’d thought. Her mom had planned this encounter. Mortified, Kenzie moved several steps away toward the cab of the truck.
“The porch is fine,” he called back, moving along with her. Kenzie shoved her hair behind her ears and tucked her hands in the front pockets of her hoodie.
“Did you really make these?” Braden asked, carrying the second chair to the porch.
“She does. She’s always been really good with her hands. For as long as I can remember, she’s enjoyed building things,” her father said proudly.
“I bet my mom would like a set of these. Do they ship well?” Braden asked.
“I don’t know. I never have,” she answered honestly. She’d never really sold any of her furniture before. If friends or family didn’t take them, she usually donated her things to the Salvation Army. This whole experience treaded all new ground.
“We need to talk about that before I leave. If I could get two to my mom before Christmas, I might win the best gift this year,” he said, and she watched his delight as he looked over at Reed.
“I’ll give you double whatever he plans to pay to make the card read, ‘with love, Reed and Lara,’” he called out from the front porch.
“This is just wonderful! She donates all the money,” her mother exclaimed proudly, and every eye turned again Kenzie’s way. Why did her mother keep making her the center of attention?
“We should go, Mom. They’re having dinner.”
“Why don’t you guys stick around for dinner? We have more than enough,” Ty asked immediately. The way all the heads kept swiftly moving from one direction to the other made the air seem to move with them. By the looks of astonishment, none of the guys were prepared for Ty to offer that.
“Oh, we can’t. It’s late for us, but, Kenzie, you should stay. You never get out.” Had her father really just offered her up like a lamb to slaughter?
“Dad, I can’t stay,” she responded right away as she walked toward the truck.
“No, stay. I can get you home,” Ty offered, and again all the heads turned his way.
“What? No, I don’t wanna intrude. We’ve already been here too long,” she said, reaching for the truck door handle. If she got inside the cab, surely this line of thinking would have to come to an end.
“You aren’t at all. I think you should stay,” Reed said from the porch, and all the heads except Emma's and Rocket Stanton’s shifted in his direction. They seemed just as determined to leave her there as she was to go home.
“Stay, honey. If you can get her home, she could use a night out,” her dad added, taking the door handle from her and opening the door wide. “Come on, Mama. It’s getting la
te.”
“I go to bed early. We get up early,” she said lamely, watching her mother climb into the truck before her father.
“Have dinner then I’ll get you home and it’ll still be early,” Ty said from directly behind her. This time she was prepared, having kept track of his proximity because of the weird little butterflies he caused to stir inside her stomach. When her dad hoisted himself behind the wheel and slammed the door shut, she realized her lifelines were fading fast. She was out of options and her heart tripped at the real threat that they were leaving her there.
Chapter 4
Ty didn’t miss the astonished then slightly angry look Kenzie gave her parents as they loaded inside the truck or the confusion his buddies were having over what the hell was actually happening in front of their eyes, but that didn’t alter the plan that seemed to be forming by the second. Nor did he take the minute to find out what was driving him to invite this woman into the first night of his vacation with his buddies, breaking well-established rules of no females allowed. Instead, he lifted a hand as her parents began to back out of the driveway and waited about a foot away from her until she turned back to the house, and that wasn’t until the headlights of her parents’ truck disappeared.
“I’m gonna start the grill,” Connor called out. He was the only one who wasn’t still standing on the porch, watching this whole scene play out.
“You know, this is how it starts,” Prescott called out. Ty let that comment go.
She started moving toward the porch, not saying a word, but the worry in her eyes spoke volumes.
“We don’t bite. I promise. Reed has a baby on the way. Connor’s career military. Bray, well…” Ty caught up and leaned in to say quietly, “He probably does bite, but he’s gay.”
“You know I can hear you,” Braden said sarcastically, and that finally had her smiling, even if she still wouldn’t look in his direction.
They took the porch steps up. Cole still wore that good-natured grin—torment clearly his objective—but he did keep his distance.
Acting Happy (Texas Desires #2) Page 5
