“Beautiful, it’s just that stuff I told you would happen. Everyone wants to know who I’m dating now. We talked about that, remember?” Instead of backing away, he stepped into her personal space and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her against his chest. He was too much to process all close up like that—and he knew it, no doubt. When she tried to step back, his arm became a vise, holding her in place.
Tactically speaking, he was clearly very good at getting out of trouble. His cologne and breath and eyes and lips were far too distracting, making it incredibly difficult to think.
“And you’re good with everything happening?” she finally asked. It was the only way she could come up with to ask that question. If he knew what was going on and seemed to be managing everything, surely things weren’t too terrible.
“Of course not, but it’s the normal crap. My team’s handling it,” he said, ducking his head into her hair, close to the ear not pressed against the phone. “You’re sexy when you’re all dominant like that,” he whispered, causing goose bumps down her arms at the feel of his breath on her neck. Okay, that was totally a diversionary tactic if there ever was one.
“Lara, we’re good with you coming anytime. Right, Ty?”
Ty began nibbling at her earlobe before whispering a croaked, “Of course.”
“He’s good with it. I’d like to get started as soon as possible. Ty starts back to work next week,” she said and let out a yelp when he hoisted her up in his arms. “Send me the details. Maybe Ty can send someone to pick you up. I gotta go.”
She ended the call as Ty carried her from the office. Designed to distract, he clearly didn’t want to talk about whatever gossip was going around, and while she should have stopped him, made him talk, like normal, she caved to whatever this man wanted. Besides, it could wait. If he were intent on taking her mind off things, he’d be very attentive. She couldn’t wait to see and enjoy the lengths he’d go to in hopes of distracting her.
~~~
Their time in California cemented all these crazy feelings, making him know without question that Kenzie was everything and he wanted it all with her—the white picket fence, mini-van in the driveway with children running all around, and a golden retriever or two in the backyard. Okay, scratch that. Make it a black Lab. And scratch the kids. The children would be at Grandma Stanton’s house, allowing Kenzie to greet him at the door wearing nothing but an apron after a long, hard day at the office.
Every other morning he woke and desperately wanted to make love to her. Not today. What he wanted more than that was for her to open her eyes and decide this was the day that she confessed her love. Those complicated three little words were all his aching heart wanted most in the world.
The faint sounds of the doorbell caught his attention. He looked over at the alarm clock to see it wasn’t much past eight in the morning. The serene calm faded as he realized nothing good could come from an eight o’clock in the morning visitor.
Betting it was Anthony, Ty reluctantly untangled from Kenzie and moved off the bed. He tugged on the walking shorts that still lay on the floor and ran his fingers through his hair as he left the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. To his surprise he found Lara in the living room, staring out the windows into the backyard with a coffee tray just being brought inside the room.
“You came early,” he said, his voice still gravelly from sleep.
“You know how Reed is. Once he found out I was coming, he scheduled everything at the crack of dawn,” she said, walking to the coffee tray, fixing herself a cup. “Don’t tell Reed. He monitors my caffeine now because he read it was bad.”
“You feeling okay?” he asked.
“Are you asking for Reed?” she asked suspiciously, furrowing her brow, and he laughed at such an immediate assumption. Prescott must really be bad if that was how her gut chose to answer that question.
“So papa bear’s mothering too hard?” he asked, going for the coffee.
“He’s impossible. Worried all the time,” Lara said, moving closer to him. He poured himself a cup before lifting his head. He stopped in mid-action and eyed her closer. The concern on her face was more than just Reed-related.
“I really came to help, Ty. I don’t know how I can, but I thought if I could keep her busy, everything being said about her would be easier to take. I know it sounds dumb, but it’s all I could come up with,” she said then took a tentative sip, probably testing the warmth.
“It’s not getting any better, is it?” he asked, losing his taste for the coffee. He left the mug on the cart and stood facing her and crossed his arms over his chest. The last time he’d checked on things, he’d had a hard time stomaching the viciousness created on a bed full of lies.
“No, it’s only getting worse. They even have a morning show planning an interview with her ex-husband.”
“What the fuck?”
“I know. It has to be hard for you, and you deal with this crap all the time. I can’t see how she’ll be anything but overwhelmed. I’m glad you’ve been keeping it from her.” Lara must have lost her taste for the coffee too. She discarded the cup on the cart next to his. “What can I do help?”
“It might’ve been a mistake to hide from it,” Ty finally said several long seconds later. “Let me make a phone call. I have an idea.”
“Absolutely.”
Ty started to leave the room but went back to the coffee cart to pour Kenzie a cup, adding the cream and sugar like she liked. “I’ll be back.”
This idea had come to him in the middle of night in a desperate attempt to try to do anything to stop this media frenzy before he had to start back to work. Managing the coffee cup, Ty opened the bedroom door. Kenzie was still sound asleep, and he placed her cup on the nightstand before going for his cell phone.
First, he sent a text to Julia, asking if she could squeak out a few hours today. When he got that confirmation, he texted Malea. While he waited for that return message, he sat on the side of the bed and began running a palm over Kenzie’s back. “Gorgeous, we gotta get up. We’ve got stuff we have to do today.”
~~~
Forty-five minutes later, Kenzie lifted a hand to hide the yawn as she sat in front of the bathroom mirror with both Malea and Lara and all of their cosmetics and hair products laid out in front of her. Lara worked on her hair, and Malea said she was doing her best to accentuate Kenzie’s natural beauty with the makeup.
“Julia’s here,” Ty said from the bathroom door.
“Bring her in. Let me see what’s she’s wearing,” Malea said, still all business as she concentrated on brushing eyeshadow on Kenzie’s eyelid.
“You know what they say about Julia and Ty isn’t true, right?” Malea said in her normal, direct way she had of speaking. She stayed all in Kenzie’s face, but the brush moved back. Malea just stared directly in her eyes.
“He told me, but thank you for reinforcing it. I’m nervous,” she said quietly. In her heart she knew Malea spoke the truth. She believed Ty completely, but surprisingly, her anxiety grew when she heard Ty’s voice growing stronger the closer he got to the bathroom. She watched Ty come into view and like his ingrained manners dictated, he stepped aside, letting Julia walk in before him. For just the briefest of seconds she got to see them both together, standing side by side. Ty was smiling his real smile, that special grin she loved so much, while looking over at the most beautiful woman Kenzie had ever seen.
Her heart dropped as she realized they truly did look like they were made for one another. Julia’s eyes were bright with amusement. She glanced in the bathroom and grinned at the three of them. While Kenzie was preoccupied with seeing how well the man she loved fit with another woman, Malea had moved to her lips, and slapped her leg when she made a move with her head. Kenzie sat still, letting her work as she lifted her eyes back to Julia.
“Thank you for coming,” Malea said, staring at Kenzie’s mouth.
Julia’s warm smile focused on Malea for a second before her eye
s lowered and settled on Kenzie. “I’m happy to be here. You must be Kenzie. I’ve been excited to meet the woman who’s caught Ty’s heart so completely. It’s been such a surprise to learn he actually does have one,” she teased, patting Ty on the chest before she came toward them in the bathroom. Malea stopped what she was doing, and Kenzie stood, extending a hand, but Julia bypassed that and went in for a giant hug. She wasn’t that much taller than Kenzie, and from over her shoulder, she saw Ty leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadably passive while watching them closely.
“I’m not a hundred percent sure what’s going on, but thank you for being a part of this today,” she said. Julia reached out to clasp and squeeze both of her hands.
“It’s not a problem at all. I’ve thought we needed a united front from the beginning, and I can already tell you and I will be great friends.” Julia’s words seemed genuine, and the gentle smile she gave eased her nervousness.
“This is Lara Hunter,” Kenzie said, turning her way.
“Hi, Lara. I understand you and Reed are a couple.” Julia turned to Ty who confirmed with a silent nod. Julia turned back, reaching over the chair to extend a hand. “I’ve met him a couple of times over the years when he’s been with Ty.”
“It’s such a pleasure. I’m a huge fan,” Lara said, totally fangirling.
“Thank you! I need all of those I can get. How much longer do you have?” Julia nodded toward her baby bump.
“Due the last day of February, so we still have a few months to go,” Lara said, patting her rounded belly.
“Introductions over. Kenzie, here.” Malea shoved a tube of mascara in her hands. “Put this on, and we’re going to pick out some clothes.” Malea took Julia’s arm and did a once-over before pulling her toward the door. “We’ve been waiting to dress until we saw what you’re wearing. Ty, where’s the closet?” They disappeared, leaving Kenzie and Lara staring after them.
“She’s a little scary,” Lara whispered about Malea.
“Agreed. I better hurry. I don’t wanna be in trouble if I’m not done before she gets back,” she said, waving the mascara at Lara. She laughed, and Kenzie did too, but there was absolutely an element on seriousness to that concern, so she quickly turned to the mirror to get started.
~~~
Ty stood by the front door with his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his anxiety levels through the roof. He listened intently as Julia and Malea huddled together just a few feet away coordinating security with each other’s team. All this strategic preparation and planning was designed to accomplish a simple casual stroll down a populated street with his Kenzie and Julia walking side by side.
All he could think was the million different ways this could go wrong. His original plan had included him there with them. He wasn’t entirely sure when things had changed, but now all of a sudden, he was staying behind, letting Kenzie go out with the vultures all by herself. What the hell was he thinking?
“Handle anything that comes up,” Ty called out to Julia.
“Of course. Does she know to let that happen?” Julia asked, rising off the sofa to walk toward him.
“I’ll make sure she does,” he confirmed. Ty kept his head bent, lifting his eyes to watch her walk toward him. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing out there. I should go,” Ty started before Julia stopped him.
“It’s a better idea to have the two of us out alone. Hush, and let me handle this.” There was silence as Ty stared at her several long moments.
“Okay. I’ll give her some money, but anything she wants…” Ty started, and Julia cut him off again.
“Ty, stop. You’ve been very good to me. Let me do this for you, please, and trust me. I’ll get us seen and then get us out there, I promise.”
Lara’s high heels clicking on the titled floor drew both their attention to the hall. Ty’s eyes narrowed as Kenzie came into view. The jeans she wore were low-rise and loose, rolled just enough at the bottom to show the dark tan she’d developed over the last couple of weeks in California. Her white tank top exposed a bit of her suntanned belly when she moved. The sandals matched the dangle bracelets on her wrists that matched the purse on her shoulder, and her hair was clipped back at the nape, sunglasses in place.
“I’m not so much into this scarf. It feels off to me,” she said first to Lara, then turned her gaze to Malea.
“But very stylish,” Malea instructed, coming into the foyer. “Stop touching it. Let me show you how it works.”
Just like every time he didn’t want to do something, Malea took the scarf and artfully added it around her neck. She threw her hands out like she was magic, making it perfect and forgetting any previous complaint. “You don’t have to wear jewelry on your neck now. And this one is very light. It should be comfortable.”
He couldn’t gauge Kenzie’s response, the dark glasses covered her eyes, but when she went to the entryway mirror, he decided she might be okay with the insistence and didn’t get involved.
“Are we ready?” Julia asked.
“I think so. I’m nervous,” Kenzie said, her gaze bypassing his as she focused on Julia.
“Don’t be. I have a driver who’s also my bodyguard taking us just in case we need a fast getaway,” Julia said, going for her purse on the entryway table. He didn’t add that his team would silently follow behind at a distance. “You look great. Makes me want to go home and change.”
“Oh yeah, right.” Kenzie breathed a sigh of relief, making him feel a little better about the possibility of throwing his love to the wolves this way.
Ty finally spoke, moving closer to Kenzie to lift an envelope off the table, letting the contents fall to his open palm. “Here’s an American Express in your name. Buy whatever you want, there’s no cap on this card. Got it?” he asked, but it wasn’t really a question. He picked that up and handed it to Kenzie.
“I don’t need that, Ty. You’ve already spent too much on me,” Kenzie said, rejecting the card with a lift of her hands.
“Stop. Just take it,” he said, shoving the card in the purse hanging from her shoulder. He went for the cash paper-clipped together and counted that out. “And here’s some cash.”
“Why do I need cash if I have the card?” This time she moved her purse out of the way as she spoke.
“Kenzie, take it. You might have to buy some coffee or something.” He handed the bills to Malea who stood behind Kenzie. She shoved them in her purse when Kenzie kept her focus on Ty. Lastly, he reached inside his pocket, pulling out a new iPhone. He lifted her hand, placing the device in her palm.
“It’s a new phone, new number. It has all the numbers to all my people for anything you need. The passcode is the address to your parents’ store. Feel free to change it, I just wanted it setup for you, so if you need anything today, you can call me immediately.”
“I have a phone,” she started.
“It’s an antique. You need a better one that will have reception anywhere you are,” he explained. After a second, she took the phone, not fighting him on this one. Ty guessed she may have agreed on that.
“Fifteen, fifteen?” she asked, saying the address of Stanton Station Depot.
“Yep. It was the first place I ever saw you,” he said and that earned him the brightest smile he’d seen from her all day.
“You look more like that man that came in the store that first day,” she said sweetly, taking a step toward him. He liked that move a lot.
“Oh God,” Julia said from behind him, and Malea busted out laughing.
“Ignore them.” Ty closed the small distance they had between them and placed both hands on her hips. “Kiss me before you go and promise you’ll do everything Julia says and you’ll watch yourself since I can’t be there. You have to know how bad I hate that.”
“I do and I promise,” she said, pushing up on her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips. Ty accepted the kiss, then when Kenzie started to lower, so did he, kissing her lightly again.
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“Lara, you have nothing to say about all this saccharine we’re witnessing?” Malea asked.
“No, not yet. Reed and I are still like that. Everyone makes fun of us, too.”
“I can’t see Reed Prescott being that sweet,” Julia said and immediately tossed out a heartfelt, “No offense. Please don’t take that wrong.”
“He does this same thing all the time. It’s kind of a problem because everyone’s totally shocked and they just stare at us,” she explained. Ty finally looked over at the other women when he lost Kenzie’s attention to them.
“Okay, let’s get going. We have some media to trick,” Julia said, lifting a hand to playfully push Ty away from Kenzie.
“Text me and keep me posted,” Ty instructed, walking them out the front door, all the way to the waiting car where the driver jumped out to open the door. Ty eyed the guy closely. He was beefed up and had a couple of inches on Ty. Now if only there were a team of this guy, it might relieve him some.
“Stay with them,” he said when he got to the car door.
“It’s why I’m here, sir,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. Once both women were seated, Ty bent down, sticking his head inside.
“Get out of there if anything goes down,” he said sternly, looking at Julia.
“We will, Ty. I promise. Now step away so we can go,” she added just as sternly.
“Listen to her, babe. Do what she says. I’m gonna hate not being there,” he said much more softly to Kenzie. He wished he could read those eyes behind the dark sunglasses to see what she was thinking. Right when he began to raise his hand in order to lift the frames off her face, Julia’s voice interrupted.
“Defeats the purpose. Walk away. Now,” Julia said even more sternly, pointing a finger at him. Instead of moving the sunglasses, his fingers grazed her soft cheek before he took that step back for the guy to shut the door. He stayed right there until they drove far enough down the drive that he could hear the gates opening. Kenzie hadn’t spoken since she got inside the car and that just occurred to him.
Acting Happy (Texas Desires #2) Page 30
