It wasn’t as simple as ‘you want it, you buy it’ – it was purchasing a leased building, acquiring the branding, the name, the commodities inside and then licensure. His mind was blown away by how involved everything was. Numbers whirled in his head, along with doubt and fear. He knew he was doing the right thing. He was establishing himself as a businessman, securing a future income and goals for him, his mother and hopefully-his future wife.
Tyler stared down at the delicate ring he’d bought. He loved Rachel more than life itself and it consoled him at night thinking of how she’d teased him about having sons or daughters in the future. He wanted that life, he wanted that dream … he wanted her.
Today Tyler was meeting with his newly acquired team, his staff. That was something he’d never dreamt of saying before in his life. He’d felt such regret giving his notice at the body shop but he couldn’t weld and run a company at the same time. He wanted to do something that would be profitable, that would provide for them- to have a secure future.
Walking in the automatic sliding glass doors, he felt like a ten-year-old boy that had stolen a pack of gum instead of a thirty-year-old man dressed in the nicest suit he owned. He’d ripped the tags off of it this morning before putting it on. The people at the registers just looked at him with open curiosity and fear. He knew that silent fear and felt guilty. They probably all thought they were going to lose their jobs since he’d been fired a year ago from this very location.
Mr. Singleton came forward from the group of employees and outstretched his hand. Inside his palm were keys to the building. Tyler knew the man expected to be laid off and understood why. Instead, Tyler reached out silently and closed the older man’s fingers over the keys. Mr. Singleton grasped the keys and glanced up at Tyler curiously.
“I’d have done the exact same thing,” Tyler told him firmly, reminding him of that day his life changed. He’d been fired, won the lottery and eventually met the woman of his dreams -and to Tyler, he felt like his future started on that date. He’d felt stagnant before and felt alive now. “Which is why I need you leading this store- just like before.”
“You aren’t firing me?”
“No, in fact, I’d like you to be the general manager – not just the night shift manager. You know what this store needs and have always had some good ideas. I want you working with me to make sure we have jobs for everyone for a very long time.”
“Sir,” Mr. Singleton said proudly, dubbing him with a title of respect instead of calling him son, like he always had when he worked there. “It would be my greatest pleasure to work for you.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Tyler told him with a smile and shook his hand. “Now, we have some new faces for me to meet and then we need to get to work. Together.”
16
Rachel smoothed back her hair and frowned as her cellphone rang annoyingly from across the room. She didn’t have time for this. The painter had called in sick and she’d been inspired to have delicate blossoms painted along the walls of Clara’s room. Since the painter had called in, she had taken it upon herself to try her hand at the flowers.
Painting was not her forte, however she’d found a video on YouTube that quickly showed how you could use a two-liter bottle to make blossoms. She didn’t want the flowers that big, instead using a small plastic Dr. Pepper bottle. The points on the bottom of the plastic bottle made a delicate flower that she could touch up and highlight, trace a few faint vines, etc. If she used a pale enough shade of pink, it would barely show on the walls, just enough for a faint shadow and that was all she was really looking for anyhow.
Delicate.
Feminine.
Ladylike.
Just like Clara, she thought. Rachel ignored the beep of a text message and frowned at the paint covering her hands. She’d never dreamt that it would be so very messy and she had to admit that the painter, Julio, made it look incredibly easy. He’d done the hand painted scroll work she’d requested along the kitchen cabinets. She wanted leaves to match the mantle, using it for a centerpiece and focus point.
She’d been very direct with several of the employees causing the foreman to discuss complaints with her. Rachel knew she was working them hard, but frankly, she had a job to do. She’d had them frame in the walkway leading from Clara’s mother-in-law suite to the house. She also had them dig up the stones they’d laid to pour a concrete path instead. She wouldn’t have the older woman slipping on a moss-covered stone, no matter how pretty it was. She also refused to have her walking between the house and her suite in the rain, sleet or snow. It needed to be enclosed and safe. She’d had them install hand rails along the glass walkway and included an entrance to a new greenhouse just off to the side. Clara loved her garden, so she’d bring the garden to her too.
Hearing her phone beep again, she threw the brush down into the bucket and frowned as the splash of pink touched the wall. Darn! She’d be painting another flower now obviously where that blob of paint landed, she thought irately. Washing her hands, she dried them on her clothes as to not disturb anything that had been set up in the house. The towels were folded into flowers and she’d come unhinged at the person that used one before Clara saw it.
Grabbing her phone, she nearly dropped it as she saw Tyler had texted several times as well as called four times. Opening her text messages, she smiled sadly.
Miss you.
You miss me?
You’re fired, come back.
I’m kidding- you are rehired. Still want you back.
<3
Hello? I was teasing about the firing.
I’m available tonight if you want to ask me out.
Okay, now I’m worried.
Are you available if I ask you out?
Rachel – it’s Tyler, just in case you didn’t know it was me…
I really miss you.
I’m sorry I was a twerp
Shucky-darn, you are really mad at me, aren’t you?
Your mama called: she said to tell you the 12-gauge is ready.
I miss your smile.
Hi, it’s me – I hope you are getting these and not some other woman…
I’m kidding, there’s no one else – only you.
Rachel…call me.
Please, sweetheart – call me?
Rachel read the last one and could imagine the worry in his beautiful eyes. She was so close to being done that she really didn’t want to stop on the house. She wanted to finish it, impress him and knock his socks off. She pressed dial on her cell phone and Tyler picked it up on the first ring.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” The tone of his voice confirmed her suspicions. He was beside himself and afraid she was rejecting him. Part of her was concerned she was imagining that he was concerned or remorseful – and the better half of her realized that it didn’t matter, because she missed him terribly. Don’t sweat the small things, her mother used to tell her. Having a tiff between them was just that: small things.
“I’m fine, just busy finishing up the house. Do you want to do a walkthrough tomorrow?” she asked politely, feeling insecure and wanting to hide behind the professional façade.
“We could do it tonight,” he offered gently, his voice husky in the phone receiver. “I could bring a bottle of wine and some dinner over and-“
“Tyler, I want you to see it finished and be proud of what I have done for you,” Rachel realized that she needed him to be impressed with her since he’d shot down her suggestions before. She wanted him not only to want her, but to realize that she was a prize worth having in more ways than one.
“For us,” he corrected.
“I think we need to talk about the ‘us’ part of that statement.”
“I know we do. I was a…”
“Rude? A jerk? Mean to the woman who cares for you?”
“All of those combined plus you forgot to mention ‘arrogant twerp’,” he said softly. “Rachel I care about you so much and I’ve missed you. Can I see you tonight so we can tal
k?”
“No. I’m going to finish up my work, go home, shower and get some rest.”
“That’s what I like about you – you can tell me no when you want to say yes.”
“I meant ‘no’ too…but maybe a little bit of a ‘yes’ as well.”
“I know you did,” she heard his voice sigh. “I will see you tomorrow then.”
“I’d like that,” she admitted.
“Are things that broken with us that…” his voice trailed off. “Can you give me another chance?”
“I’m not turning you down, Tyler – I have work to do and I’m so close to being done that I need to finish for my sake so I can relax and quit worrying. We aren’t broken…we need to talk but nothing is ever really broken to where it can’t be remedied.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” he whispered. “Coffee in the morning?”
“Absolutely.”
“Can I pick you up at 8 AM?”
“Sure.”
17
Rachel was brushing her hair into a ponytail when there was a knock at her door. It was barely 7:45 AM and Tyler wasn’t due her for another fifteen minutes. She looked outside of the peephole and saw him standing there with two cups of coffee. Unlocking it, she opened the door.
“You’re early,” she commented and raised an eyebrow as he shivered.
“It’s freezing outside. I thought Texas never got a real winter? Sheesh, it’s bitterly cold right now!” she saw him shiver again and felt his forehead. His skin was very cool to the touch with a tinge of blue to his lips.
“How long were you out there?” she questioned curiously, a bit surprised at how frigid he seemed to be.
“About twenty minutes,” Tyler answered, his teeth clicking together. “You know there is a horrific cross-breeze between the two buildings? It’s like tornado alley in your breezeway.”
“Why would you stand out there so long? Why didn’t you knock?”
“I didn’t want to upset you anymore than I already had,” he admitted, handing her the coffee. “I’m really sorry I snapped at you Rachel.” She accepted the cup, walked into the kitchen and grabbed two coffee mugs. Pouring two large steaming cups, she added cream to one and cream with sugar to the other. Popping off the lid of the to-go cup, she poured it in the sink.
“It’s cold,” she explained handing him the warm, fresh cup of coffee. “Come sit down at the table. Tell me what’s been going on with you and let’s talk.”
Rachel listened as he poured out everything. He told her about the grocery store and how much work it’s been to learn the details of it, the lawyers, the sheer overwhelming feeling of inadequacy and aloneness he’d felt.
“I miss you,” Tyler admitted. “I wanted to tell you what was going on, to ask your thoughts or your opinion but I was scared. I know I hurt your feelings and I know I snapped at you. Part of me was afraid that you were using me like my friends had- and the idea of it hurt so badly.”
“I told you from the beginning I would never do that,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he agreed, grasping her hand in his. “That’s when I knew you were better than me. You knew it was a trust issue all along – but the funny thing was that it wasn’t a lack of trust with you, Rachel. I didn’t trust myself to make the right decisions all along, looking for someone to blame. I had to grow to trust myself; no one could ever do that for me.”
“I’ve always trusted you,” Tyler admitted, “That is why I was able to turn the house over to you, introduce you to my mother and give you all my private information, like my social security number and such, at the hospital. I trust you with my life – but I hadn’t learned to trust myself or my heart.”
Rachel caught her breath at the soft admission. She stared at their hands and felt the words on the tip of her tongue, desperately wanting to be said- yet she remained silent. Her pulse skittered nervously in her chest and it had nothing to do with the strong coffee. It was the man beside her that held her attention.
“I know that I don’t deserve you, but I wanted to make you so proud of me. Each time you showed me a design, I thought it was beautiful- even if it wasn’t for me. You put your heart into your work each time and I wanted something like that for myself. I wanted to feel like I could compete for you in the sea of other guys out there… because I’ve got nothing more to give other than myself – and I felt like it wasn’t enough.”
The silence between them screamed painfully. She wanted to tell him that she loved him for who he was, but she understood exactly what he was saying too. There was something so liberating in being able to take pride in yourself, in your work – and that was part of the reason she’d turned him down last night. It wasn’t because she was mad, but because she wanted to finish the house and show it off.
“I think we should go see the house now.”
“Rachel,” he said pleadingly, “Please sweetheart. Don’t shut me out. I don’t want the house if we are done… because every time I look at it- I will see us there lying under the stars in our patch of grass talking about our dreams.”
“We aren’t done, Tyler,” Rachel told him gently. “But I understand wanting to be proud of something. I am proud you bought the grocery and kept Mr. Singleton onboard. That shows what a good, kind, understanding man you are – and I like that in a man,” she told him, watching his face. His tortured eyes slowly closed and he let out his breath.
“Thank you, Jesus,” he whispered. “I heard being shot with a twelve gauge was extremely painful.” He cracked open an eye and she saw him watching her, causing her to laugh as she remembered the threat from her mother.
“Let me show you what I’ve done at the house and then we’ll talk some more.”
They rode over in the truck. He was pulling out all the stops too, because there was a bouquet of roses sitting on the passenger seat of the cab. As they pulled up, she began explaining some of the changes she’d made. The first change was extremely obvious: she had a large bench swing installed at the end of the porch.
“I thought maybe we could sit there together on summer nights,” she told him, looking over at him where his eyes were staring at her.
“I’d like that too,” he admitted gently. “Show me the rest of the house, please.”
They got out and walked up to the front door. It was the little touches that made a difference to her, the small things that made it homey. Handing him the key, she watched as he unlocked the door and slowly opened it. She’d turned off every light in order to let the stained-glass shine through from the transom windows in the house. That was one thing she loved about the place – there was light everywhere; even when it was dark out you could still see things in the shadows.
Flipping on the switch, the house came to life. Wood panels burnished and polished to a shine glistened along one wall as an accent. In the middle of the room stood the impressive stone fireplace with the mantle she adored. Each corner, every nook and cranny had some personal touch to it.
The glass tiles on the backsplash shimmered like little silver bars, a nod to Tyler winning the lottery. At the top of the cabinets were a collection of Dr. Pepper bottles illuminated from underneath with LED lights. Behind the lights were clusters of ivy and artificial bluebonnets – another nod to his home state. The dining room had a simple, functional yet breathtaking cedar table that had been shellacked to a high shine, reflecting the pendant lights made from whiskey barrel iron circles to form a sphere. Quilts were draped on a wooden ladder in the corner with a carved rocking chair.
“Show me the rest,” he said quietly. She was inordinately pleased at the look of awe on his face. She took his hand and led him to the first room, a simple study. It was basically a blank slate with a large desk and chair.
“This would be a great office for you to grow into for your new store,” she encouraged proudly. “I’m really glad you decided to invest in yourself and your future.”
“Our future,” Tyler amended, stressing the word, as he stepped
back into the hallway towards another door. “What’s in here?” Before she could answer, he’d opened the door on the master bedroom. She felt a hot flush run through her entire body as his mouth dropped open in shock. A massive carved bed was the centerpiece of the room. It was garish, masculine and horribly extravagant but when Rachel had seen it, she’d known immediately it was perfect. As he walked over to touch the carved posts, she saw him glance up and wished the floor would swallow her whole at that point.
“I sincerely love you, Rachel,” he told her happily with a laugh as he spotted the mirrored ceiling above the bed. “You are simply perfect for me in every way possible, aren’t you? Don’t you blush, sweetheart, although that pink is becoming on your cheeks.” Tyler walked over and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her tenderly.
“This is beyond perfect and I want to know your thoughts on each piece, every detail.”
“Stop, you are just teasing me now,” Rachel protested and turned around in his arms, mortified at the intimacy of the bedroom. She’d never had a problem picking out furniture before but then again, she’d never pictured a client in it either. When she had seen the huge bed, she’d walked past it until she saw a reflection above it. She’d looked at all the other beds but kept coming back to this particular one. She’d even left the store and returned thirty minutes later to order it.
“It’s perfect, just like you.”
“Hardly that,” she dismissed quickly. “Shall we continue on?”
“If that is what you did with the bedroom – what does the master bathroom look like? Is it all kinky with bubble maker- oh my gosh! Is that a horse trough?” he exclaimed in shock.
“Look, it’s not a horse trough. It’s a bathtub.”
“For who? A football team could fit in there. My goodness the water bill will be outrageous to fill it,” he protested and then stopped, getting a weird look on his face. Rachel would have laughed if she wasn’t so mortified right now. She was pretty sure her cheeks could not get any hotter without catching fire. He looked over his shoulder at her with an arched eyebrow.
Winning the Billionaire Page 13
