Tyler seemed to know the best place to park because it wasn’t long before they were climbing out of the car. Since it was fall already, the days were starting to shorten, so it was nearly dark as they joined the streams of people heading into the Target Center. Unlike last time, Tyler didn’t offer her his arm. Instead, he reached out and grabbed her hand.
Melanie had never really thought about holding hands with someone, but as soon as her smaller softer hand was engulfed in his larger calloused one, the connection sent a shot of warmth up her arm. He didn’t release her hand at all as they went through the process of showing their tickets and then making their way to the seats. They once again had the two at the end of the row. Tyler let go of her hand, and she went ahead of him into the row.
Melanie looked down at the court, watching the activity there as the minutes ticked down on the big screen. “Are these your usual seats?”
“Yep. So unless they’ve given their tickets away for the game, you shouldn’t have to worry about the other people in this row. They’ve been cool so far this year.”
Melanie settled into her seat, a sense of rightness filling her as Tyler sat down beside her. “Was Ryan disappointed he couldn’t come tonight?”
“Not really. We’ll be going to a hockey game next week so he’s happy about that.”
“Do you have season tickets for that too?”
Tyler looked over at her, a flush rising in his cheeks. “Yeah. Hank buys me two season tickets for hockey, basketball, and football.”
“Really? That’s so nice of him.”
“I try to tell them that the tickets can be my birthday and Christmas presents, but Momma still insists on getting me something practical, too.”
Melanie laughed at that because she could totally see Shauna doing that. “Did you play sports in high school? Is that why you’re such a fan now?”
“Yeah. I played basketball all through my high school years, but I enjoyed dabbling in all sports. Anything active, actually. Rock climbing. Skydiving. White water rafting. Hiking. Skiing. I enjoyed all of that.”
Melanie didn’t miss his use of the past tense. “Do you not do any of those now?”
Tyler leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and stared down at the court, but before he could reply, the noise amped up considerably as the team introductions began.
Melanie felt bad for introducing a sensitive subject. There were times she didn’t even remember he had prosthetic legs. And part of that was because of how active he still was. She knew he played basketball at least once a week and that he hung out with the youth of his church on Friday nights. Plus, she’d seen the workout equipment in the basement of the house that he shared with Ryan. He was far from being inactive.
He sat back in his seat and leaned toward her. “Do you need me to refresh you on anything about the game?”
Melanie shook her head and grinned. “I think I remember the important parts.”
The tension she’d sensed a few minutes earlier seemed to melt from Tyler as he smiled back. “Well, if you have any questions…”
The game quickly got underway, and Melanie found she enjoyed watching Tyler more than the action on the court. He got so into the plays, jumping to his feet to cheer when the Timberwolves scored. And he even had a few words for the refs on a couple of different calls.
When half-time rolled around, he stood up. “Want to come with me to get something to eat?”
She was hungry since her last meal had been almost eight hours earlier, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find any healthy food at the concession stands. However, she wasn’t going to sit by herself waiting for him to come back, so she got to her feet and took the hand he held out to her.
Once again, he kept a tight grip on her hand as they moved around the concourse area looking at the concessions. Deciding she’d splurge this one time and pay the price later, Melanie let Tyler talk her into trying some of his decidedly unhealthy favorites. She did hold off on the sugary drinks and stuck with water as her beverage. Food wasn’t something she usually ate for pleasure. Sure, she appreciated food that tasted good, but she’d long thought of it as a way to fuel her body.
When they got back to their seats, Tyler offered to finish off anything she didn’t want, so Melanie didn’t feel bad taking just a few bites of the items that didn’t really appeal to her. It seemed strangely intimate to share food with someone. And surprisingly, she found that she liked it.
After what had happened to her, she’d wondered if she’d ever find herself wanting that type of physical closeness with a man. Something told her it was the fact that she was with Tyler that made it something she not only tolerated but actually enjoyed. Believing he was who he said he was wasn’t an issue since she’d known him for so long, had been there through the ups and downs of his life. Now she just had to work up the nerve to tell him that the story she’d shared about Jenni was also her story. And then she had to hope he wouldn’t back off after hearing that.
~*~*~
Tyler could honestly say he’d never enjoyed a basketball with Ryan as much as he had with Melanie. He was glad she seemed to be enjoying the game as well. Next date they’d have to do something that she wanted. He couldn’t expect her to be as avid a sports fan as he was, but he did hope she’d come with him every once in a while.
She shouted as loud as he did when they all stood up to cheer the Timberwolves through the last minutes of the game that they ended up winning. After the game was over, he took her hand again and walked with her out of the arena. Once they were free of the press of the crowds, he didn’t rush to get to his car. He wanted to make the evening last longer, but they both had work the next day and even if it had to end right then, it had been a great first date. At least he thought so.
He opened the passenger door for her before going around to the driver’s side. As soon as he’d settled behind the wheel and started the slow process of leaving the parking lot, Melanie said, “Thank you so much for taking me to the game, Tyler. I never realized that I was a sport’s fan. Alex played football in high school, but I was five years younger than him so not that interested in watching him play.”
“I’m glad you had fun. Anytime you want to come, let me know.”
“I don’t want to take Ryan’s ticket if he wants to go to the games.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Ryan is willing to make a sacrifice for the cause.”
“The cause?”
Tyler glanced over at Melanie but couldn’t see her well because of the darkened interior of the car. “Yeah. He’s been after me to ask you out.”
There was a beat of silence before Melanie spoke. “He has?”
“Yep. Since before our birthday dinner.”
“So why did you finally give in?”
Tyler wasn’t sure how honest he should be about that. “Well, I’m not one to rush into things, and I really didn’t want to lose your friendship if you decided you didn’t want to date. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable around me after turning me down.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, I heard that guy on the phone that day I called you when you were at the shooting range.”
“Ugh,” Melanie said, disgust clear in her tone. “That guy was not someone I was even remotely interested in going out with. He didn’t want to take no for an answer. I finally threatened him..sort of…with my gun.”
Tyler laughed before he could stop himself. “Seriously? Man, I wish I’d been there to see that.”
“Eli Bennett apparently thinks he’s God’s gift to women, but he’s nothing of the sort to this woman. However,” Melanie said with a teasing lilt, “if that’s what got you to ask me out, I’m not going to wish it hadn’t happened.”
Relief mixed with humor when Tyler realized she wasn’t going to get upset that hearing another guy ask her out had been what had spurred him on. “Eli Bennett though? Isn’t he one of our clients?”
“Yeah. Apparently an important one. Alex wasn’t thri
lled to hear about my encounter with him, but seriously, the guy needs sensitivity training. Some woman is going to knock him on his butt. I thought that was going to be me, but I managed to restrain myself.”
“Wow, he was really that bad?”
“Let’s just say that when I got done with…threatening him, the guy that was with him, gave me a thumbs up. I would guess he’s not a nice guy to more than just me.”
“Aren’t there cameras in the shooting range? I’d love to see the tape of that encounter.”
Melanie groaned. “I just want to forget all about it. If I never see him again, it will be too soon.”
“Were you really worried about your safety?” Tyler asked, suddenly realizing that perhaps under the joking, she really had been afraid of the guy.
Her pause told him enough and his gut clenched.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
MELANIE SHIFTED in her seat, her elbow rubbing against his. “If I had to, I could have taken him down. Even without a gun. And I knew that Justin was there. I had talked to him before I started shooting. If all else failed, I would have called him.”
“That’s good.” Tyler wondered how he felt about Melanie talking confidently about Justin helping her out in a situation like that. He knew the other man was all about working out, weapons training and self-defense. Would Melanie consider Tyler as someone who could protect her if she needed it? Even with two prosthetic legs?
“Justin is big on women learning self-defense. I have always been into working out and learning how to use my weapons, but after that first course Justin put on for self-defense I pursued it on my own. I have trained in martial arts along with more extensive self-defense.”
They’d touched on this before, but Tyler once again was getting the feeling that her fascination with weapons and self-defense went deeper than the average person. “That’s something you enjoy?”
“I guess you could say that. I like the idea of not being defenseless. I never wanted to have to rely on a man to keep me safe. And I wanted to make sure that if I ever had to defend myself against a bigger, stronger person, I could.”
“How often do you work out?”
“Every night. I usually run ten miles and then do weights.”
Okay…so she clearly took the working out more seriously than he did. “That’s great. I’m not into running as much as I used to be though I do have the prosthetics to do it. I spend more time with the weights than anything else.”
As they continued to discuss workouts and the practicing she did with her weapons, Tyler began to wonder if maybe it was more of an obsession than a fascination. He supposed everyone had to have a hobby and in this day and age, self-defense wasn’t a bad one to have.
Tyler hated to see the turn for the Thorpe mansion come into view. He wasn’t ready for their time together to end, but he didn’t have any choice.
“Ah man,” Melanie murmured as the gates began to swing open.
Tyler glanced over at her. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t open the gates, which means that Alex or Adrianne saw your car approaching and opened them for you.”
“Do they know you’re out with me?”
“Nope. Well, I suppose they do now. Or will know soon enough.”
As he pulled the car to a stop in front of the large house, Tyler asked, “Did you want to keep it a secret?”
“Not really, but they’re family and they are ecstatic over any excuse to tease me.” She paused. “Have you told your mom?”
“I see your point,” Tyler said with a chuckle. “Want me to come in with you?”
“I think I’ll be okay. Maybe next time.”
Tyler pulled on the handle on his door to open it then felt a light touch on his arm. He turned back to Melanie, the overhead light allowing him to see the expression on her face.
She left her hand on his arm as her brows drew together. “I was wondering…”
Tyler turned to face her, laying his hand over hers. The cool evening air was drifting in his open door, but he wanted to see her face so he didn’t shut it. He stayed quiet, just waited for her to finish her thought.
Her gaze met his as she tilted her head. “I was wondering if you’d be okay with me coming to your church.”
Of all the thoughts that had gone through his mind while he waited, that hadn’t been one of them. “Well, sure. That would be great.”
A smile lit her eyes. “Really? I just don’t feel like my parents’ church has what I need right now. And I know I need some help in my growth so I thought maybe this way if I had questions about things, you could…I don’t know…help me to understand?”
“I would love to do that.” Tyler reached a hand out to cup her cheek. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”
Her cheek moved under his touch as she smiled. “Will you send me the address so I know where I’m going on Sunday?”
“Sure. I’d offer to pick you up, but I teach a teenage boys’ Sunday school class and you probably don’t want to be there that early. At least not yet. I’ll meet you after Sunday school is done so we can sit together.”
“That sounds great.”
Tyler was tempted…oh so tempted…to kiss her, but he didn’t. They’d been friends for so long it felt like they shouldn’t need to wait, but he knew in his heart that he did. With a smile, he pulled away from her and got out of the car. He came around and opened her door, taking her hand to help her out.
“Thanks again for a great night,” Melanie said as they stood holding hands. “Hope the rest of your week goes well.”
“Yours too.” Tyler glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he should walk her to the imposing front door.
The decision was taken from him when she squeezed his hand then let go. “I’ll see you on Sunday.”
Tyler closed the passenger door as he turned to watch as she climbed the steps and opened the massive front door. She waved to him and then stepped into the house. With a sigh, Tyler rounded the car and slid behind the wheel. He circled around the driveway and then headed through the still-open gates which started to close almost immediately after he was through them.
~*~*~
Melanie knew she shouldn’t march into the house with a big grin on her face, but she’d had such a good time with Tyler—better than she had even hoped—that it was hard to keep it from showing.
“You look like you enjoyed your evening,” Alex said when she walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a T-shirt and sweats so he’d probably been home for a little while.
“It was pretty good. I went to another basketball game with Tyler.” She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and went to the water dispenser to fill it. “How was your dinner with Mr. Bennett?”
Alex grimaced as he leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed. “He’s taken a liking to you.”
“Well, I hope you told him I wasn’t interested.”
“Like you said, the man doesn’t like to take no for an answer.”
“In that case, just tell him I’m now unavailable.” Melanie smiled when Alex lifted a brow at her comment.
“Something you want to share? Is the rumor floating around actually true?”
She took a sip of her water. “It is now. We went on our first date tonight, and I look forward to more.”
“Never thought I’d see the day,” Alex said, a corner of his mouth lifting. “And Tyler, eh? Guess we don’t really have a policy about employees dating as long as you’re not his supervisor.”
“Which I’m most definitely not.”
“He’s a good guy. I hope it works out for you.”
“Thanks.” Melanie looked at her brother, noticing the strain there for the first time. “Was the dinner with Eli that bad?”
“It was fine once I got him on track. He is a piece of work and I swear, if we didn’t need the contract, I would have punched him out for what he said to you.” Alex sighed. “Marcus is just getting more and more stressed out that we haven’t managed to figure
out who is targeting BlackThorpe. Every day that goes by without another assault puts him more on edge. Given the timing of the other attacks, it could be any day.”
“He doesn’t think the increased security will help to prevent something from happening?”
“From day one, he’s been convinced it’s someone inside the company. He’s been having Tyler look through phone records of anyone who started at BlackThorpe during the year before the first attack and everyone since.”
“That isn’t legal, is it?” Melanie frowned. “Tyler couldn’t get in trouble for working on them, could he?”
“Marcus is the one getting the data—I don’t ask him how—and then he gives it to Tyler. No doubt he’s putting the company at risk. He says that pulling their phone records falls under the background check they all agreed to when they were hired.”
“That’s weak.” Melanie’s experience wasn’t in legalities, but even she could see that Marcus was walking a fine line.
Alex shrugged. “I can’t talk him down from this. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
“I just hope that whoever he has getting the records is good enough they don’t get caught.”
“You and me both. All I can do is pray that the next attack doesn’t end with someone’s death.”
Melanie swallowed hard at the thought. She had sensed tension in Marcus the last couple of times they’d talked about his sister and her dog, but she hadn’t realized how far gone he was. And if even Alex couldn’t rein him in? Yeah, that wasn’t good.
“Well, I’m going to work out a bit then call it a night,” Melanie said. She gave Alex a quick hug and headed out of the kitchen but turned around before she got too far. “Where’s Adrianne?”
“Not sure. Probably out with one of her friends.”
Melanie nodded though she wasn’t as convinced as Alex appeared to be. Given the conversation they’d had regarding Adrianne’s friends rarely being available to go out anymore, she would be surprised if that was who she was with.
Upstairs, she changed into her workout clothes and started her run. Though music flowed from the speakers she’d attached to the phone, two words kept repeating in time with her steps.
A Matter of Trust: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 3) Page 19
