by Hadley Quinn
“Fine. I’ll give Gramps a call in the morning and you guys can have a really special family reunion.”
Jay was being an ass and he knew it, but Tyse didn’t seem put off by it. It was like he totally expected it from him, but not only that, Jay got the distinct impression that the guy was absolutely out of his comfort zone. That gave Jay an advantage.
“So what do you do?” Jay asked him. “You work?”
“You mean did I come this way to freeload off the McCallans?”
“However you want to take the question, pal. Just asking what it is you fucking do with your life.”
Tyse slowly shrugged. “Yeah I have a job. Went to school for business and I do a few things with that. Also ventured into physical therapy for a couple of years. I like it. Sports rehabilitation, mainly.”
“Wow, sounds exciting,” Jay replied dryly.
Tyse smiled at him. “It is, actually. I really like it, but there are also some other avenues I’m interested in. I guess I kind of have a mind that doesn’t stop working. Or maybe I just can’t stick with one thing for too long because there are too many other things I want to try. Either way… Yeah, I’m always employed. I look forward to whatever it is I decide to go with over here.”
“Uh, wait a minute,” Jay studied him closely. “If you’re actually gonna look for a job over here, that means you plan on staying for a while?”
Tyse didn’t respond at first. He was obviously weighing the answer he was going to give. “I did plan on spending some time getting to know you and Kellie. Possibly I’ve assumed too much on that one?”
“Jesus Christ,” Jay sighed, running a hand over his face.
But what was he supposed to say? There was no way he had time for this shit and if the guy needed to search for a job, that probably meant he needed a place to stay as well.
“Well take the couch tonight,” was all Jay told him. He headed for his own room because he couldn’t even comprehend what was going to come from all of this. But he was fucking beat and just needed to crash. He’d deal with it all in the morning.
Whatever the hell it was he’d be dealing with…
***
Melanie sat in her car and let out a lengthy breath of air. When she was ready, she started the ignition and pulled onto the street. Part time as a receptionist wasn’t hard at all, but the day had been especially trying because of Jordan’s phone calls. He just wouldn’t let up when it came to hounding her about her love life. He was constantly asking if she was dating Jack, and whenever she actually did give him an answer, he never believed her. Jack’s friendship was important to her, which meant she kept all her problems with Jordan to herself, but sooner or later Jack was going to catch on that Jordan kept blowing up her phone with texts and voicemails.
And don’t even mention Jay. If there was anything that made Jordan flip out, it was Jay McCallan. But in a way it was also Melanie’s safety net. Jordan had a special aversion to Jay and it was sometimes a relief. She knew Jordan wouldn’t try to come around her if Jay was close. The only thing she did have to worry about, however, was Jay’s intolerance to douchebags and his incessant need to put people in their place. Those two coming face-to-face again was something she desperately needed to prevent.
As she pulled up in front of Jay’s house, her thoughts began to wander again. Lyrics were forming on their own, and when she put her car in park, she grabbed her notebook to jot them down. Writing was such an easy way to understand her own thoughts. Sometimes all it took was to write a song and she had a better grasp on whatever problem needed a solution. It didn’t always solve everything, but it at least gave her clearer perspective.
After she tucked the songbook back in her purse, she retrieved the bag of groceries from the back seat and headed for the front door. She still had the key Teague had given her and she let herself right in since Jay was at work. When she shut the door behind her and headed for the kitchen, the body on the couch scared the shit out of her and she screamed, dropping the bag of food on the floor.
“Whoa,” the guy said. He stood and set Jay’s guitar against the couch. Then he held his hands up to show he wasn’t coming closer.
“Who the hell are you?” Melanie asked cautiously.
She’d never seen this guy before, but damn he was gorgeous. He was about Jay’s height with short dark hair and inquisitive eyes. The stubble across his face was sexy and it set off his eyes just right. His ears were pierced and she could see tattoos peeking out from the sleeve of his t-shirt, and the way he was glancing her over was both thrilling and intimidating at the same time.
She hoped to God he was a friend of Jay’s; otherwise she was going to make a beeline for the front door.
Finally he answered, “I’m Tyse. Who are you?”
He took a step toward her and Melanie took a step back. But all he did was kneel down to pick up the grocery items that she’d dropped on the floor. When he stood again, he walked the bag straight to the kitchen.
“So? Do you have a name?” he asked, looking across the room at her with a smile. Good lord he had a beautiful smile, too. It wasn’t a full one, just a little smirk, but it was sexy and somewhat reserved, causing her to take a few steps toward the kitchen.
“Melanie,” was all she replied as she watched him unload the bag of groceries.
“Nice to meet you, Melanie,” he replied, glancing up at her again. “Are you…? Well I’m assuming you belong to Jay? He never mentioned a girlfriend, unless you’re…? Uh, you deliver him food?”
He motioned to the items on the counter and Melanie pulled herself out of the stupor she was in. She started grabbing items to put them away, and she could feel Tyse watching her the entire time. Well duh, he was waiting for an answer.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” she finally said.
And then there was that awkward moment when she turned just right and Tyse’s gaze went straight to her baby bump. She waited for some kind of embarrassed reaction because she’d caught him staring, but all he asked was, “Boy or girl?”
She shoved the deli meat into a drawer in the fridge. “I don’t know yet. I want it to be a surprise.”
“How come? I thought moms-to-be liked to know these things. Doesn’t it give you some sense of knowing something while already swimming in the sea of the unexpected?”
He gave her a playful smile that made her relax a little. How he would understand something like that was beyond her comprehension unless he’d actually been there with someone before.
“Do you have kids?” she asked.
“Me? No. But one of my friends just had a baby and I remember her saying something like that. She had to know the sex of the baby. The surprise would have driven her crazy.”
Melanie could totally agree. She was dying to know what she was having but decided to hold off because of Jordan. It was way easier to answer honestly that she didn’t know the gender, but Jordan still offered his biased opinions that it better be a boy. She didn’t care either way but she almost hoped it was a girl just to spite him, and that made her feel guilty.
“Well it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a boy or girl,” Melanie replied truthfully. “Yeah, some days I think it would be nice to know, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter.”
“Well I’m sure the dad is pretty stoked either way,” Tyse said.
Melanie could tell he was fishing for information. She figured she should find out who this guy was before she opened up her book of life for him, but decided to just lay it all out there.
“The baby’s father is an asshole and I don’t want anything to do with him,” she explained matter-of-factly. “I’ll be a single mom because it’s the better choice for my child. I’ve already put myself first for most of my life, but despite my lack of judgment in the men department, I actually think this was the best thing for me. It’s scary, yeah. But the bottom line is that I’m learning as I go and I’m ready for some major changes. Whatever they may be,” she added with a shrug.
“So who are you and why are you in Jay’s house?” she asked. “You’ve got to be a family member—a cousin?—because you look so much like a McCallan it’s not even funny. And that,” she pointed at his mouth, “that cocky smile…is telltale.”
He actually laughed at that, and Melanie had no doubt in her mind that he was related to Jay in some way. Problem was, she couldn’t remember any of his cousins being named Tyse…
“Yeah, we’re related,” he answered. “When are you due?”
“Are you changing the subject?”
“No, you changed the subject. We were originally talking about that,” he swirled a finger in the air toward her belly.
Melanie rolled her eyes but answered, “September 8th.”
“Do you have names picked out?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
Melanie glanced at his smug smile again but couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah I have names picked out, but I haven’t even told my own sister yet.”
“Well hell, I can’t step to the front of the line then,” he said lightly.
Melanie was about to respond, but she heard the back door open and Jay stepped through it. She hadn’t even heard him pull into the driveway, and even though it was after six and she expected him to be tired and hungry, he looked pissed instead.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?” he asked as soon as he laid eyes on her.
His anger took her by surprise and she had no response at first. But when he entered the kitchen and glared at Tyse next, Melanie stepped between them and answered, “I was only dropping off food for you. I don’t require your time and attention, so don’t worry. I’ll be leaving, I guess. I bought some fried chicken, it’s in the fridge along with some other stuff.”
“Stop bringing me food,” Jay told her, still with an annoyed scowl on his face. “I can feed myself, you know.”
“Oh can you?” Melanie retorted sarcastically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize sharing food with someone was considered offensive. My bad, Jay. You’re right on my way home from work and it’s just nice to see you once in a while. I guess that’s a one-way street,” she muttered.
She turned for the exit but he took her wrist to stop her. “Wait, don’t leave,” he sighed. Then he looked at Tyse, who was still standing in the kitchen just watching the scene in front of him. “Do you fucking mind?” Jay asked.
“Where do you want me to go?” Tyse laughed, holding his arms out. “I’m only allowed to touch the couch, toilet, and kitchen, so where would you prefer me to be so I can pretend I can’t hear what a dick you’re being.”
Melanie couldn’t help it. She laughed. And ohhhh that was not the right thing to do around Jay, but it was too funny. Whoever this guy was, he was obviously not afraid to stand up to Jay.
But…that was also grounds to cause her to worry.
“Jay,” she grabbed his shoulder and shoved him as hard as she could toward the hall for his bedroom. She could tell the alpha in him was about to resist, but Jay went along with her for some reason, only glancing back to the kitchen once with a not-so-subtle glare. But Melanie moved him along until she shut the bedroom door behind them.
“You listen to me,” she growled at him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He was obviously surprised, but she didn’t care. “I’m here because I want to be here, got it? If I want to bring you food, then I’m going to do it. And if you don’t want it, then throw it in the damn garbage. And by the way, you had no right to put money in my bank account,” she shoved him in the chest with both hands for good measure.
“You sure as fuck will not buy furniture for my house and not expect me to pay for it,” he growled back. He invaded her space and walked her backward until she bumped into the wall, and then he placed his hands against it on both sides of her head. “And the next time you refuse money when I try to pay you back, I will spank you, Melanie Jacobs.”
She paused as she took in his words, his closeness, and everything that was Jay McCallan. His presence was her strength and her weakness, and even though his lack of availability tortured her daily, she was grateful for anything and everything he was willing to give her. No, she didn’t put up with his shit. But there were things about Jay that Melanie understood when no one else did.
“I would love it if you spanked me,” she replied, not even caring that he was being a smartass.
He made her so breathless she wasn’t even sure she said the words out loud, but that damn cocked eyebrow of his told her otherwise. She wasn’t trying to be coy or flirtatious…it was just the truth. And she could tell that Jay knew it too. She had never forgotten the way he touched her that night and she never would. But it was bittersweet; like getting a taste of perfection, knowing you could never have it again.
She stared at his lips for a few seconds, and then made eye contact. It was all she could do to relay her desires, and even though her mind was chanting kiss me, kiss me, kiss me…it was something she would never say out loud. Not with Jay. She couldn’t risk it.
As expected, he pushed away from the wall abruptly and said, “I gotta deal with my brother. Please stay though because I need to talk to you about something.”
He was almost out the door when Melanie finally caught her breath. “Wait. Your brother?”
Jay glanced over his shoulder, looking less than pleased. “Yeah. Yay me, I have a secret half-brother. My fucking life just keeps getting better and better…”
Chapter Twelve
When Jay returned to the kitchen, Tyse was still in the same position. He most likely hadn’t been at his house for long, since as of an hour ago, Jay knew he’d still been at his grandpa’s house.
“So how was the family reunion and all that,” Jay stated dryly.
He found the chicken right at the front of the fridge. That girl was going to undo him one of these days with the things she did for him. He was undeserving of it and he knew it plain as day. He hadn’t meant to treat her like shit, but every time he was around her lately he lost his cool. He wished he could turn back the clock and been in his right mind the night they’d fooled around. Then things would be back to normal and he wouldn’t have to act like a fucking prick.
Scratch that. He’d be acting like one anyway…
“Do you really want to know or are you trying to ignore the fact that you just wiped the floor with your girlfriend,” Tyse retorted back.
Jay turned around and slammed the refrigerator door, practically throwing the food dish onto the counter. “Don’t go there, asshole. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well I don’t give a shit about the facts, but I know better than to treat a lady like garbage. That was ridiculous,” he pointed toward the hall. “She brings you dinner and you get pissed over it? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Stay out of my fucking business, Tyse,” Jay warned, stepping closer to him. Tyse didn’t budge, which Jay already predicted. All this damn McCallan testosterone was going to leave a room in ruins one of these days.
“I’m not in your business,” Tyse replied coolly. “I just don’t like seeing women get treated like doormats. I see shit like that, it is my business.”
Melanie entered the kitchen just then, shaking her head. “Oh my, I never thought I’d live to see the day where there were two of you in one room.”
Jay took a step back from Tyse, even though he wanted to lay him flat. “Two of what?” he tried to ask calmly. It was probably a good thing she was in the room because his patience was wearing thin.
“Two of you,” she pointed at him, shaking her head again. “Look at him, Jay,” she added, motioning to Tyse. “That is so you, standing up for people and not caring what trouble it gets you in.” She looked at Tyse and s
aid, “I appreciate your concern, but for the record, Jay doesn’t treat me like a doormat. He’s one of my best friends and we’re mean to each other in equal measure.”
“You don’t owe him an explanation,” Jay told her. “He spends one day in the family and thinks he has the right to offer opinions.”
“A day in the McCallan family?” Melanie raised her eyebrows, smiling at Tyse. “Ooh, do tell. This could be good.”
She literally pulled Tyse by the arm into the front room, leaving Jay in the kitchen to be tormented by their conversation. He tried to tune them out while he ate, but Melanie’s cheerful laughter and genuine intrigue was hard to ignore.
This was getting ridiculous.
Finally he headed for the shower after Teague and Camryn stopped by. Teague had been the first one Jay called to share the news with about Tyse and he knew he was coming over. But when Jay returned to the living room, he figured he wasn’t going out to work in his shop that night. Kellie was just entering the house, and she was speechless as she stared at Tyse sitting on the couch. When Tyse stood to face her, Kellie actually started to cry. Jay rarely ever saw his sister cry so he wasn’t sure what to do. It was Melanie that got up, took Kellie by the wrist, and pulled her Tyse’s direction.
“Kellie, Tyse; Tyse, Kellie.”
“He told me it was true, but…” Kellie paused and continued to examine Tyse’s face. “Wow, I didn’t doubt it coming from Jay, but to actually see you in person… Oh my God, this is so unreal right now…”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Tyse told her. “To be honest, when I heard I had a brother and a sister, I was more stoked to have a sister.”
Jay caught the smirk intended for him, but so did everyone else.
“Oh come on,” Teague joked. “Jay has always wanted a shitload of siblings to share his feelings with.”
“Jay wishes he had more sisters,” Kellie smiled. “He loves dealing with all those girly hormones and stuff.”
“And he’s super patient,” Melanie added, sliding her arm around Jay’s waist to give him a playful hug. “He likes to talk shopping, makeup and hairstyles, and most of all, how to look skinny in a swimsuit.”
