Full Potential

by L. J. Kentowski

  Jena’s eyes went wide as she put a hand to her heart. While it wasn’t a complete surprise, hearing the words when she wasn’t expecting it made her heart swell.

  Riley rolled her eyes. “You being the godmother was a given, Jena. And I’m not done.” She snatched Jena’s hand back. “We’ve decided you can work at the bar any time you need money. You’ve got waitressing experience, and we can always use one on the weekends.”

  It was killing Jena not to jump in and argue. While she was grateful to her friend and Dax, she also didn’t want it to seem like she was taking advantage of them. The words were right there to spew out, but with the way Riley was narrowing her eyes, threatening Jena not to speak, she kept her mouth shut.

  “Lastly,” Riley went on. “I know the way you think, Jena Morgan, and you’re not going to willingly accept everything I’ve laid out to you, so I came up with a way you can repay us, even though, in my mind, that’s completely ridiculous. What do you think of giving us free daycare services whenever we need it?”

  Jena tilted her head as she gazed at the best friend she loved like a sister. Placing a hand on Riley’s flat stomach, one she knew wouldn’t be flat much longer, she smiled. “Do you know how much of an honor it would be to spend time with my godchild? I honestly can’t wait, Riles. You’d be doing me a favor. Hell, it’s going to be hard for you to get that baby back from me.”

  “Okay, it’s all settled then. Most of your details are taken care of. You can tell Lynn today.”

  “Wait a minute,” Jena said with a chuckle. “I didn’t agree to all of that. You laid it out there without—”

  Riley stuck a palm up again and closed her eyes. “I was serious about these hormones, lady. You don’t want to argue with me right now. Or ever. I’ve got another seven months of raging bitch moods you do not want to mess with.”

  Jena put her hands up in surrender. The woman looked downright scary. Those hormones were serious business, and she wasn’t about to push buttons to shake up any more. “Okay, okay. I surrender. You win. I’ll take you up on the apartment, and the job at the bar. But the minute I start making a profit, if I make a profit, I’m finding my own place.”

  “You will make a profit, Jena. I’m more sure of that than I was about settling down in Seeton. And who knows, when that happens, you may already be living with Tyler.” She winked.

  “Okay, your pregnant hormones really are messing with your head. We’re not there yet, Riles. There are no cohabitating plans in the near future. Hell, two weeks ago, I was still going home after the wedding to start my career and find a man to settle down with.”

  Riley gave a nod. One that said she wasn’t convinced by her little speech.

  “What?”

  “I was just going to say and look at you now.”

  Jena couldn’t deny it. She was excited as all hell about where she was today, both with the potential daycare and with Tyler. But it still scared the living shit out of her.

  ***

  Later at Beckett’s, Jena was working on her second beer of the night after spending the day with Ethan and Hannah. Ethan was a handful, all on his own, and trying to get the two of them to play together, or at least, agree on doing the same thing, was exhausting. They were two different kids with contrasting interests.

  They spent hours in the park, Jena dividing her time between impersonating Darth Vader one minute and Queen Elsa the next. At some point, she might have told Luke Skywalker he was her princess, but she quickly righted the wrong when both kids came together and laughed at her. They picked apples in an orchard, ate ice cream sundaes at the diner, and visited a small petting farm on the outskirts of town. It was her first full day job, along with the first time she had more than one child to watch. There may have been a time or two she wondered if the daycare business was the right choice, like when Ethan ate a handful of goat pellets, but then the kids asked their parents if they could play with Jena every day. That, on top of the fact she had a purse full of hard-earned cash, confirmed she was exactly where she wanted to be.

  “So, how’d it go?” Riley asked from behind the bar.

  “It was crazy but good. Really good. Got me thinking, though. I want to continue having outings with the kids when I open the actual business. It won’t be a problem with one or two children, but it’ll be tough if I have more than that. It’s a detail I’ll need to figure out.”

  “Well, if you start getting more and more kids, you’ll have the money to hire help.”

  “True.”

  “So, have you decided when you’re going to talk with Lynn, then? The sooner you get in there, the better.”

  “Actually, I’ve been invited to their barbecue on Sunday. I was thinking of letting her know then.”

  “Oh, cool. I was going to invite you anyway if Tyler hadn’t already asked. Is he working, by the way?”

  “Yeah. He’s done at six and meeting me here.”

  Dax marched up next to Riley, his features distraught. “Um…baby, we need to get over to Wade’s right away. Tanner is going to man the bar.”

  Her face fell. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to him?”

  “No, he’s fine. Well…he’s frustrated. Seems your sister is in town, and she’s creating havoc down at the station.”

  “What?” Both Jena and Riley cried out in sync.

  “Evie’s here?” Riley asked. “But she wasn’t supposed to be in town until tomorrow. What the hell did she do?”

  Dax shook his head. “Not sure. Wade only said to come and take your crazy-ass sister out of there before he locks her up in one of the cells and buries the key. His words, not mine.”

  Jena giggled. “What has that girl done now?”

  “It’s Evie,” Riley said. “The devil has come to town. I’d better go grab her by the horns and save everyone. I’ll call you and let you know what’s up.”

  “Sure you don’t want me to come help?”

  “No, I’ll handle this. The fewer people within the blast radius, the better. Call you later.”

  Jena glanced at the clock on the wall behind the bar after Dax and Riley left. Tyler would be getting off work soon. They had plans to have a drink, and then he’d mentioned taking her somewhere, but it was a surprise. Honestly, if they went anywhere with a pillow and blanket, she’d be a happy camper. She was too exhausted for much else.

  “Hey, beautiful.” The whispered words came close to her ear as Tyler squeezed her shoulders from behind, and then planted a kiss on her cheek. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  Jena peered over her shoulder at the sexy man behind her. The gorgeous smile lifting his lips melted any hint of exhaustion away. In fact, the only thoughts left in her head were how many people were in the bar, and could they get away with sex against the wall in the bathroom. Or, maybe on the pool table if the few people in the place were drunk enough not to remember anything. “That depends. Do I have to put out after?”

  Tyler plopped down on the stool next to her, a sexy smirk playing on his lips. “If I say yes?” He rubbed a hand up her thigh, and her entire body lit up from the heat of it.

  After a flick of tongue across her lips, she said, “Line ’em up.”

  His lips widened. “Tanner,” he called out. “Two beers, please.” Tyler leaned in to her. “I’d tell him to keep ’em coming, but I don’t know if I can wait that long to have you to myself.”

  Jena laughed. “Do we have a change in plans then? No more surprise date?”

  “Oh, it’s still on. And so is having you to myself. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

  Now, she was really intrigued. She figured he’d take her someplace in Seeton she hadn’t been to yet, but she also assumed there’d be people around.

  Tanner set two beers down in front of them and gave Tyler a nod. “Ty.”

  He nodded back. “Tanner.”

  After that compelling conversation, Tanner made his way down to the end of the bar.

  “This date sounds very mysterious, Ty,” s
he whispered. “Should I be worried you’re kidnapping me, tying me up somewhere, never to be seen again? Tanner has seen you with me now. Riley knows you’re meeting me here too. You’d be the first person the cops come looking for.”

  Tyler crooked his finger, motioning for Jena to come closer. When she did, he wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, holding her in place and put his lips to her ear. “The cops are family, sweetheart, so I can get away with anything I want. And now that I know you’re into bondage, we just moved this game up to a whole new level.” He bit her earlobe, and she gasped.

  When she tried to pull back, he held her in place and nibbled down her neck. The initial reaction to his words was shock, but with his teeth and tongue on her skin, she was suddenly eager to find some rope. They lived in the country, surely there was a rope around somewhere, right?

  “Hey, Kaysee, get your phone out and start recording. You can get some tips to show Tom when you get home.”

  Jena heard the loud whisper and opened her eyes to find the three women from the other night staring at her and Tyler as if they were a pornographic peep show. Well, two were staring, the other was stabbing a finger at the screen of the phone she held in her hand.

  “Christ,” Jena whispered. “Tyler, stop.” She pushed at his chest, and he fell away from her neck.

  “Those two words should never be in the same breath, Red.”

  “We’re being watched again.”

  “What? Mr. Johnson?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, it’s the Cat Pack. Yeah, they’re bold but harmless.”

  “The Cat Pack?”

  The women were now pretending they hadn’t been just ogling her and Tyler, but the one with the phone kept a hand near it on the bar, and they all stole glances toward the couple.

  “That’s what they call themselves,” he said. “Not cougars, because they aren’t looking for younger men, but they’re definitely on the prowl. Their words, not mine.”

  Jena’s eyes widened. “They actually say that about themselves?”

  Tyler chuckled. “Yep. No shame.”

  “Seeton is so weird.”

  “Nah, we simply have fewer people, so the crazies stick out more.”

  “True.”

  “Ready to get out of here?” he asked, his hand on her thigh.

  Her eyes sparked with renewed interest in their mystery date. “Absolutely.”

  They gulped the rest of their beers down and left the bar, hopefully with all the crazies inside.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Tyler had taken her to Pike Lake, which was one of the smaller lakes in the area approximately twenty minutes outside of town. Hardly anyone ever used the lake since thick woods surrounded it, but he’d been frequenting the spot for years, aware of a small clearing near the water. It was where he went to think, a place he’d visited many times after Jena left Seeton the first time.

  At first, she was leery about trekking through the forest, but once he convinced her they weren’t going far, she agreed. Tyler grabbed the blankets, beer, and snacks he’d packed, and they made it through the trees in time to witness the amazing sunset he’d brought her to see. Her reaction was everything he’d expected it would be.

  Lying on a blanket on their backs, fingers entwined between them, they gazed up and waited for the stars to gain traction in the sky as it darkened to black. The moon lit a faint path across the still water and the occasional hoot of an owl sounded like a serenade in the peaceful night. A slight breeze whistled in the trees around them, but it was comfortable enough in the mild night air.

  “Have you ever thought about leaving Seeton?” Jena asked.

  Tyler inhaled a breath of pine and slowly let it pass through his lips. He wasn’t sure if she meant for good, but he guessed it was where she was leading. His mind went to the letter in the drawer at home. “Yeah, I did. But it was a long time ago.” Okay, so it was more recent, but now wasn’t the time to talk about it. He’d brought Jena to the lake to romance her, show her there was more to him than the cocky fireman who always wanted to get in her pants. He wanted to prove to her he could be the other kind of gentleman she’d alluded to requiring in her life weeks ago. He…needed to be everything for her.

  “Probably growing up, hey?” she pushed. “I’ve heard of small-town teenagers wanting to break away to the big city. Hell, I met plenty of them in college. They were so excited to be free of the dull, everyone knows everyone, life. I always sympathized with them, never having experienced life in a small town.”

  “And now?” he asked, turning his head to look at her.

  She did the same, meeting his gaze. “Now, I think they didn’t realize how good they had it.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because in the city, you’re a no one. You blend in with everyone around, become invisible. You have a name, but only in a small circle. To everyone else, you’re simply a means to an end, if even that important. People can walk down the street, see the same person every single day, and never once say hi or raise a hand to wave. It’s completely impersonal. Here, people make a difference. Even if you don’t know a person, they still make it seem like you matter. And the coolest thing is, they want to see you happy.”

  Tyler turned onto his side and inched closer to her. Placing a hand on her face, he followed the planes of her cheekbone with his thumb. “I want to see you happy, Jena.”

  She smiled up at him. “Don’t I look happy?”

  His lips edged up and returned the sentiment. “Yes, but I want more. I want all your dreams to come true and be standing next to you when they do. I want to see more than this beautiful smile on your face. I want to see you glowing because there isn’t anything left you wish for that you don’t already have. Maybe this is all too fast, and I’m coming on too strong, but I want to be the one to give it all to you.”

  Jena sucked in a breath and slowly exhaled. “Be careful, Tyler. That sounds an awful lot like a commitment.”

  He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “That’s because it is. I’m committed to you, Jena. For the long haul, if you’ll have me.”

  She pulled back, eyes wide. “You’re not…”

  “Proposing to you?” he chuckled. “No, not yet.”

  He could tell she got the meaning of what that meant. Not yet, but it was there, not even as far away as conventional ways would have it be.

  “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Tyler Cole?” she asked with a sexy smirk.

  “No. You’re already my girlfriend, Jena, whether you admit it or not. I’m saying I want to move toward a future together, knowing damned well where it’s headed. No more wondering when this might end and what we’d do after. I’m saying I don’t want it to end. And I want you to tell me that too. Right here, right now.”

  Holy shit, where was all this coming from? He hadn’t planned on spewing all of his emotions. Hell, he didn’t even know he’d been harboring such deep sentiments until they were out of his mouth. Maybe it was his own sense of insecurity of a future that had him laying it all on the line. Maybe it was the need to know he’d made the right decision about burying the opportunity of a lifetime for him in a drawer.

  She was staring back at him. Obviously, surprised by his profession of love without actually saying the words.

  “So, what do you say, Red? Can I call you mine?”

  She reached up and caressed his cheek, much in the same way he was doing with her. “Yes, Tyler. It’s what I want too. It’s what I’ve wanted since the first time I woke up in your arms.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  He closed his eyes and let out a breath. “Oh, thank Christ. Your top button has been open this whole time, and I’ve been getting a glimpse of the red lace of your bra. It’s driving me insane not to rip off that shirt and see it fully. And everything else, of course. If you weren’t on board with all of this, that would be awkward. Probably borderline creepy.” Okay, now he was ram
bling, but he was behaving as sappy as Dax, and that was not cool.

  “What?” Her chin snapped down to check her chest. “Tyler, why didn’t you tell me? How long has it been like this?”

  She moved her hand to close the shirt, and he slapped it away.

  “Are you kidding me? No way in hell was I going to chance you covering up. It’s been like that since you got out of the truck. Now, let’s fix this situation.” He reached over, unbuttoned the rest of the shirt, and opened it wide, exposing her beautiful breasts covered in red lace. His dick saluted the view and asked for more.

  Her chest rose and fell in rapid pants as he skimmed fingers along the edges of the material. “Tyler,” she whispered.

  “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” He had no idea if she answered him, too busy watching his fingers brush over her body, tracing between the valley of her breasts, down to her belly button, where he made a circle and continued lower until he was grazing the skin above her jeans. Her hips drew up as if asking his fingers to do more, which he had every intention of doing.

  She was fixated on him, watching his gaze pore over her, no doubt seeing the complete and utter fascination he had with her body. Her lids were heavy, half closed over lust-filled eyes. He could gaze upon her that way all night long, not only her half-clad body but her beautiful, delicately carved, exquisite features. So full of desire, so desperate for him. He had half a mind to keep her in this anticipatory state simply to continue observing her need for him.

  But he also wanted to hear her scream his name into the night, so he reached down and unzipped her jeans before sliding them down her legs. She twisted and shimmied on the blanket to help him. When he’d thrown them aside, he sat up on his knees and took in the full length of her while drawing in a deep breath. “Fucking gorgeous,” he said. Her panties matched the bra, and he made a vow, right then and there, to leave them on while he had his way with her the first time around.