Full Potential

by L. J. Kentowski

  Tyler snapped his head to the side and stared at his brother.

  Wade’s lips split into a knowing grin. “Yeah, Jena said she knew you too. And by your reaction, I guess you know each other on a horizontal level.”

  Picking up his coffee, Tyler did his best to appear unaffected, which was far from an honest reaction. The news of Jena Morgan returning had played a different tune on his mind and body. “What? We met when Riley first came to town. She was here two days and left. That’s it. Haven’t seen her since.” He raised the mug to his lips, realized it was empty, faked a drink anyway, and set it back on the counter. Showing any indication of distress was considered a weakness.

  “Mmm hmm,” Wade said scrutinizing his brother’s movements. “You know avoiding my question is a sign of guilt, right?”

  “You didn’t ask me a question. You attempted to bait me, and I didn’t bite, Officer Dick. Maybe you should save your rat trap skills for criminals instead of trying to stir up town gossip. But if that’s what you’re into, I’m sure Mrs. Nagel could come up with something juicy for you.”

  Wade laughed. “You know, I would, if I wanted to find out who wore jeans to church last Sunday. I’m much more intrigued by this Jena Morgan phenomenon that seems to be having some kind of effect on my laid-back bro. And, how do I not know about this thing you had with her?”

  Aunt Terry appeared at the counter with Tyler’s food. She had impeccable timing as far as he was concerned.

  “Jena’s here?” she asked, setting the plate down.

  Wade nodded. “Should be by now.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Oh, thank goodness. Riley has been beside herself with all the wedding plans. We’ve been doing what we can to help but having her best friend around should ease the load. I wonder what kept her away so long.”

  A long silence caused Tyler to blink up from the food he was shoveling in his mouth. The pointed glare Aunt Terry was shooting his way made him flinch.

  “What?”

  She answered with a chiding shake of her head. “You want some coffee or something, hon?” she asked Wade, apparently dismissing Tyler.

  “That would be fantastic. Could you put it in a to-go cup? I gotta get back to work.”

  “Sure thing.” She filled a cup and set the covered brew in front of him. “Stay safe out there.”

  “Always.”

  As soon as Aunt Terry walked away, Wade spun on his stool, kneeing Tyler in the thigh. There was nothing accidental about the hit, but Tyler didn’t react, keeping his gaze directed at the food he was eating. Wade’s stare burned the side of his brother’s face. After a minute, the asshole geared his knees back and jammed them even harder into Tyler’s leg.

  “What the fuck, bro?” Tyler glared.

  “Are you going to tell me?”

  “Tell you what?”

  Head tilted, eyes narrowed, Wade tried his proven intimidation technique. The notorious expression had gotten many people in his life—criminals, friends, family—to confess the deepest of secrets. Apparently, Tyler was immune to it this time.

  Realizing it wasn’t working, Wade let out a loud sigh. “All right, you stubborn ass, give it up.” His fingers waved in a come hither motion. “Did you do something nasty to this Jena chick?”

  “What? Hell, no. I barely know her.”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  Since his brother wasn’t one to give up once he had a bone to play with, Tyler relented. “Okay, maybe we spent some time together, but I don’t know her, know her. I have no idea why she hasn’t been back.”

  “Spent some time doing what?”

  “Jesus, dude. Get off my ass. Do I ask you about the chicks you bone?”

  “So, you did bone her.” He waited for confirmation, but the nosey dickhead hadn’t posed it as a question, so Tyler didn’t bother to comment. “Yeah, you did.” Grabbing his coffee, he stood.

  Tyler continued to ignore him.

  Wade put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and bent down until he was close to his ear. “Way to scare another one away with your teeny weenie, bro. This wedding should be fun.”

  “Fuck off, dick.”

  Bubbling with laughter, Wade left the diner.

  Tyler pushed his plate away. As ravenous as he’d appeared while Wade was around, he’d lost his appetite at the mention of Jena. Or maybe his appetite had simply shifted.

  Jena Morgan. The fiery vixen had come to Seeton months ago with her friend Riley. True to his fireman ways, he was instantly drawn to her flames. Goddamn, those flames were hot. She’d flirted with him relentlessly the day she was in town, letting him know the attraction went both ways. Before he knew it, they were back at the firehouse, stoking those embers of desire until they were in a full-blown five alarm that burned until the wee hours of the morning.

  He’d known from the beginning their time together was nothing more than a one-night stand. Hell, she’d flat out said it after waking up the next day on the cot in his office. Tyler had agreed wholeheartedly. How could he not? She was only in town to help Riley sign off on the inheritance she’d received from Shelton Beckett, and then it was back home to her life in the city, hundreds of miles away.

  As mind-numbing as their night had been, he didn’t do long distance relationships, and apparently, neither did she. Which would have been all well and good if he could have stopped thinking about her. Jena must have burned some kind of scar deep inside him because for months he was like a kid eager for Christmas, anticipating the day she’d be back in Seeton. Several times, his heart had skipped a beat when hearing she was coming back. Then he was disappointed when she never showed.

  Eventually, he stopped hoping and told himself he was better off without her. Getting attached to an elusive dream was a complication he didn’t need in his life, and frankly, he was embarrassed Jena hadn’t been hung up on him too. Not that he’d ever pined over a woman, but he sure as hell never had a problem with one wanting to come back for more.

  Jena Morgan was a blow to his ego. With her in town, he’d be forced to get over the violation of his man card, especially since the two of them were being paired up for Dax and Riley’s wedding. He’d known the day would come when he’d have to see her again, but now it was here, he had no idea how to react.

  Maybe he’d get lucky, and his interactions with her would be limited before the big day. How much would a best man need to be involved? He knew nothing about flowers, invitations, or anything else related to a wedding. Well, except bachelor parties. Those he could handle well. But what if Dax and Riley wanted one of those damned co-ed bachelor/bachelorette parties? The last and only time he and Jena partied together, he’d wound up with her legs wrapped around his waist, pressed against the side of a fire truck. Jesus, the way she’d cried out his name…

  Nope, not going there.

  Tyler Cole knew how to play it cool, and he would prove she didn’t have an effect on him.

  Standing, he reached into a pocket for his wallet. Ideas of getting his man card laminated sprouted while he fished money out to leave for the meal.

  “You want a to-go cup of coffee too?” Aunt Terry’s words invaded his thoughts.

  “That would be great, thanks.”

  When she turned to go to the coffee machine, Tyler shot an arm across the counter and stopped her with a hand at her elbow. “You know, I had nothing to do with Jena staying away, right?” Apparently, what she’d implied earlier was eating away at him enough to want to set her straight. “I mean, she obviously has a life.”

  The critical squint of her eyes made him feel like a five-year-old caught in a lie. “Are you denying you had sex with her?”

  “Christ, does everyone know?”

  “This is Seeton, honey. People know what color underwear their neighbors wear on a daily basis.”

  “For the record, I have no idea what color you’re wearing, Aunt Terry.”

  “That’s because I’m not, dear.”

  TMI. He did not need that tidbit of info.
r />   “Now, are you trying to tell me you didn’t say or do anything to that girl to make her stay away? Because a little birdie told me she might be avoiding you.”

  Tyler wondered where this birdie got its information, but he knew she’d never give up her sources. “No, I swear. Jena was the one who made it clear it was a one-time thing.” Why am I admitting this?

  Terry’s eyes skirted to the side of Tyler’s head for a moment and returned. “So, you’re saying you would have wanted to date her?”

  Staring back, he pondered whether to answer the woman truthfully or not. What the hell. He’d opened up this far already. “I don’t know. Probably. I mean, I liked her. Maybe if she had stayed in Seeton.”

  The sly woman’s gaze wandered to the right again, but this time she added a wink in that direction before scrambling away.

  Then it dawned on him. He closed his eyes and lowered his chin. Aunt Terry had been feeding information to someone behind him with her probing questions, and he had a sick feeling he knew who it was.

  He turned around. Nice and cool.

  “Hi, Tyler.”

  God, his memory of Jena Morgan hadn’t glorified the extent of her beauty. He half-hoped he’d only imagined the way smooth, pale skin both complemented and contrasted her long, thick, vivid red hair. Or the way her light green eyes held some kind of magnetic power over him. And those lips…the bottom one, especially. He could never forget how succulent it felt to sink his teeth in, then suck it into his mouth while using his tongue to soothe away the bite.

  Speaking of sucking…

  “Really?”

  He realized his gaze had been lingering on a certain part of Jena’s body, south of where it should be. The situation couldn’t have been more awkward. Had she heard his confession to Aunt Terry?

  Yanking his eyes up, he said, “Hey, Jena. Long time no see. How’ve you been?”

  “I’ve been busy…at home…back in the city…”

  “Obviously.” Shit, he hadn’t meant to sound so bitter.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Oh?”

  “Just that you must have been busy at home, or you would have been here helping Riley.”

  “Oh, that.” Jena cast her eyes to the floor.

  Without thinking, Tyler reached between them and lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “Did you think I meant something else?”

  She inhaled a deep breath, her body straightening in the process, leaving his hand out of reach of her chin. “I had no idea what you meant. It was nice to see you, Tyler. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. You know…because of the wedding and everything.”

  Was she seriously blowing him off? Damn, she’d only been there for all of five minutes, and already he felt burned.

  His right eye twitched. “Yeah. See you around then, Jena. I’m sure Riley will be happy you’re here.”

  Without another glance, he stepped around her and stomped out of the diner.

  So, she was going to act as if nothing had ever happened between them. That was fine by him. He could play the game.

  Maybe.

  If he could quit dropping his man card every time she was around…along with his balls.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jena stood in the middle of the diner trying to catch her breath. She’d come in to grab lunch as a surprise peace offering to Riley, never expecting to run into the one person she’d hoped to avoid for as long as possible. Recognizing Tyler as soon as he got up from the stool—and yes, his behind was undoubtedly identifiable—her first reaction was to turn around and hightail it out of there. Instead, when she overheard the conversation between him and Aunt Terry, she froze.

  Tyler’s confession, if true, definitely did not do her any favors. In fact, it only complicated the situation more. In her mind, even the possibility of a relationship with him couldn’t exist. If it did, she would always wonder what if, and she was way too susceptible to what ifs. The new plan for her life had no room for sneaky little what ifs. All she needed to do was make it through the wedding without any extracurricular activities with Tyler, and then she could go back home and start her new life.

  “Jena.” Aunt Terry pranced around the counter and wrapped her in a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve missed you.”

  She still couldn’t believe how friendly the people of Seeton were. During her first time in town with Riley, everyone welcomed them with open arms, extending every variation of personal assistance. Shit like that didn’t happen at home in the city. People only helped if they were family or it served their own purpose.

  “Awww. That’s so sweet, Aunt Terry. I missed all of you too. Riley has been telling me how good you’ve all been to her.”

  “She’s family.” Terry clasped Jena’s hands. “As are you. So, tell me, what have you been up to? What’s kept you away so long? Riley said your cousin had a baby, but that was months ago.”

  “Well, that’s true, and then…um…well, um—”

  “He was lying, wasn’t he?”

  “Wait, what? Who was lying?”

  “Tyler. Before at the counter. He said he didn’t do anything, but he did, didn’t he? I know how those wild young men are nowadays. Not much different from back in my time, to be honest, but definitely less discreet about their philandering. What’d he do? I can still take that boy over my knee if I have to. His mama and daddy gave the whole town permission when he and Dax were little ones creating all kinds of havoc.”

  The thought of seeing Aunt Terry take Tyler over her knee was tempting. Jena almost wanted to come up with some dastardly deed he’d committed against her, but she wouldn’t. Although, she’d tuck away that delicious piece of ammunition in case it became useful to her some other day.

  “No need for that. It was nothing he did.” That was a lie, but not in a way the older woman needed to know. “I was simply busy at home, taking care of my cousin’s kids, helping my mom and dad with their restaurant, and maybe a little bit of soul-searching. That kind of thing.” She hadn’t meant to let the last part slip, but apparently Aunt Terry’s presence made people want to confess their deepest thoughts.

  Maybe Tyler had been telling the truth.

  No. Tyler thoughts are off-limits.

  “Oh, yeah? Did you come up with anything?” She let go of Jena’s hands and moved toward the counter. “Come. Sit. Tell me.”

  Jena sat on the same stool where Tyler had been when she’d entered the diner. She quickly dismissed the ridiculous notion that sitting in the same place somehow connected her to his very fine ass.

  Not thinking about him…

  Terry went around to the other side of the counter and set a menu down. “You want something to eat while we talk, hon?”

  “Actually, I was going to grab some lunch for Riley and I. Do you have any idea what she likes here? A burger, maybe?”

  “Oh, no. She won’t touch anyone else’s burgers but Dax’s now.” Leaning over the counter, she whispered, “He makes the best in town, but you didn’t hear me say that.”

  Jena stifled a giggle and pretended to seal her lips with her fingers.

  “Riley usually orders the beer-battered cod sandwich when she has lunch here.”

  “Ooo…that sounds good. Why don’t you make that two? Does it come with fries or chips?”

  “Either. Riley gets the fries, extra crispy.”

  “Well, that hasn’t changed. I’ll have the same all around.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll go back and put your order in, and then we can talk about your soul, okay?”

  Jena nodded, but once Aunt Terry was gone, she got nervous. Confessing that a romp in the sack with Tyler had led to a reevaluation of her life and she’d ultimately come to a conclusion sounded completely idiotic. In essence, sex with Tyler had been life-altering. There was no way she was going to admit that to anyone. She barely wanted to accept it herself, which was why she usually skewed the recollections in her head.
r />   Maybe Aunt Terry would forget, and she could simply grab the food and go, avoiding the awkward conversation altogether.

  Deep in thought, shredding a napkin in her lap, Jena jumped when someone bumped her shoulder. She glanced up to find Aunt Terry sitting next to her.

  “Okay. The order is in. It’ll be ready in about ten minutes.” Placing an elbow on the counter, Terry rested her chin in a palm. “So, tell me about this soul-searching you’ve been doing.”

  “It’s nothing really.” Jena knew by the expression on the woman’s face, her lame attempt to avoid the conversation wasn’t going to fly.

  “The soul is everything, hon. Never downplay anything having to do with yours.”

  “Okay, well, it’s just that I’ve been doing some thinking about what I want to do with my life. Since graduating college, all I’ve done is help Riley with her business and my parents with their restaurant. That’s been by choice because I really didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do. I think I know now, but I need to come up with a plan of how to go about doing it.”

  “What is it you came up with?”

  “I want to open up a daycare or something having to do with children. I’ve always loved kids, being around them, playing, taking care of them, teaching them new and exciting things. I think spending so much time with my cousin’s kids confirmed it for me. I know there’s much more to it than all that, but I feel it’s what I was meant to do.”

  “Sounds like you’ve nailed down where your heart is. Now you just need to make it happen.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s the problem. Aside from the money, licensing, and all the business crap, there are a gazillion daycares in the city, many of which I’ve seen fail.”

  “Then you need to get creative. Think outside the box.” She said the words as if it was the most natural thing in the world to accomplish.

  “That’s my next hurdle.”

  Aunt Terry patted her hand. “You’ll figure it out. And if you want, one of these days when Riley doesn’t have you knee deep in wedding plans, give me a shout. I would love to help you brainstorm.”