by Dee Burks
Shadow let out a whine that quickly turned into a tiny howl. Serena flicked the button off and glared at the dog in the dark. “Shhhh.” After a minute, Shadow settled back onto the rug. Serena tried again, and the dog went into an allout howl.
A knock sounded at the door.
Serena jammed the device under her pillow, trying to locate the off button as her heart pounded. “Come in.”
Tyler poked his head in. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, fine. Why?”
“What was she howling at?” The light in the hallway illuminated Tyler’s silhouette. He was wearing boxer shorts and no shirt.
“Who?”
“Shadow. You know, the dog.” He spoke to her like she was slow-witted, which was true right now. Nothing could make a woman sound more foolish than sex on the brain.
“She’s fine. I’m fine. No problem here.” Serena knew she babbled.
He stood for a minute, looking at her. “Okay, if you say so.”
He started to pull the door closed, leaving only a sliver of light and then turned around. “Um. Do you have a cat?”
“No, why?”
“Your pillow is purring.”
As soon as Tyler was out of sight, Serena slammed a hand down on the quaking pillow next to her. Oh, heaven forbid that she be purring tonight, but the pillow? Why not? She grabbed the now silent vibrator and tossed it into the drawer. So much for getting any relief. What kind of dog howls at a vibrator? She glared at Shadow. “How cruel can you be? Are you trying to push me over the edge?”
The door popped open again. “Talking to yourself?”
She heard the smile in Tyler’s voice. “I was talking to Shadow for your information.”
“Oh, that’s so much better.”
She started to argue as he held up his hands. “Just trying to figure out what kind of woman I’m living with.”
What kind of woman? If he had any idea he’d probably take his garbage bags, ratty recliner, and vibrator-hating dog and run for the hills.
Tyler pulled the door. “Goodnight, Mary Ellen.”
She smiled at him, “Goodni-”
“Goodnight already, John Boy.” Justin’s voice boomed down the hall. “Don’t you people sleep?”
Serena stared at the sliver of light, where Tyler had stood a moment earlier and felt a small ache. No, at least for her anyway, there’d be no sleep tonight.
Chapter 19
“Do you think it’s too much?” Serena gazed at the morning paper, her eyes scanning the newest installment of “Lone Star Love Affair” for the 10th time. The newsroom buzzed in the background, but she forced herself to focus.
“Absolutely not. It’s like we talked about, going through the perfect relationship step by step.” Nolea held a copy, rereading as she talked. “This part about the deepening respect and friendship is great. Just the kind of drivel our advertisers love.” She tossed her paper on the desk. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were really in love with the guy.” She raised a questioning brow at Serena. “So? Are you?”
“It’s like I said, we’re just friends.”
“I’m not so sure. I think the less you see of him the better, this is no time for things to get sticky.”
“Well, ” Serena hesitated. “There has been a development.”
“A development? I knew it!” Nolea’s voice climbed an octave. “You slept with him!”
“No, I did not sleep with him.”
Nolea leaned back, relieved. “Then what?”
“He kind of moved in last night.”
“Moved in? As in made a move, made a pass, put the make on you, right?”
Serena cringed, anticipating Nolea’s reaction. “As in moved into the spare room with his dog, a recliner, and two garbage bags of dirty clothes.”
“What in the hell are you thinking?” Nolea stood up, disgusted. “How are you going to walk away from this when you leave? The more you let this guy worm his way into your life, the harder it will be.”
“Now, think about it a minute.” Serena held up her hands hoping to minimize the lecture. “I need someone to rent the spare room, and he needs a place to stay.”
“Are there no homeless shelters? No more YMCA? They take bums from all walks, even penniless restaurant owners. He can go there.” She plopped down in the chair. “You said yourself he’s not the kind of guy you would ever have dated for real. Why expose yourself to getting hurt by a man who’s totally not worth it?”
Serena frowned, fighting the urge to defend Tyler. He wasn’t worthless. Not in the ways that really mattered. Granted, he didn’t have much in the way of material assets. And Nolea was all about guys with assets. “This is only temporary. Besides, that snotty reporter keeps turning up, trying to prove we’re faking “Lone Star Love Affair.” As soon as she finds out Tyler and I are living together, she’ll have no story, and we can move on.”
“If that’s all it is.”
“That’s all it is.”
A few seconds of silence passed.
“So did you tell Frank about the job offer?”
Serena sighed. “No.”
“Chicken.”
“It’s not that.” Serena lowered her voice. “Macy has cancer.”
“Oh my god!” Nolea leaned forward in her chair, her mouth open.
“Yeah. So before I could even talk to him about the job, he drops the news on me and then asks me to stand in for him as editor-in-chief.”
“What did you say?”
Serena closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with two fingers. “What could I say?”
“You could’ve said no.”
“I could not. I owe them everything. It’s a job interview, not a job. I’ll get my chance later.”
“Later?” Nolea stood and started pacing. “Like I have? You want to look back in ten years and still be sitting right here out of some sense of obligation, family honor or martyrdom? If you had told Frank about the offer before he asked you to stand in for him, he would have worked out something else, and you know it.”
Serena gave her an exasperated wave.
“You know I’m right. There are plenty of people here to pick up right where Frank left off. If either Frank or Macy knew you were putting aside the biggest opportunity you ever got to babysit the paper, they’d go ballistic.”
Serena pointed a finger at Nolea. “I want your promise that you won’t breathe a word of this to them.”
Both women glared, neither blinking. A silent war of wills. Nolea flinched first. “Fine. I won’t say a word to them, but you know what I really think?”
“Would it matter if I said no?”
Nolea paced around the office, her cheeks glowing red. “I think this had nothing to do with Frank or Macy or this paper. This has to with the fact that you are in love with some fantasy man you keep writing about who doesn’t exist.”
“That’s not true.”
“Is too. And you know what else?”
Serena clamped her lips shut not even bothering to try to stop the tirade.
“I think you’re scared of going to New York. This gave you a chance to wimp out, and you took it.” Nolea started toward the door. “I’m not letting this happen.”
“You promised.” Serena’s face radiated heat. Nolea knew her so well. She had been scared. Scared she’d get all excited, and then the magazine wouldn’t want her. Scared she wouldn’t be able to produce the level of work they were used to. Scared of leaving the security of her boring life.
Nolea paused, her hand on the knob. “Well, congratulations. Now you can always say you got the chance of a lifetime, but didn’t have the balls to take it.” Nolea yanked open the office door and stormed out. The door slammed against the wall, then vibrated away leaving a noticeable divot.
Will stopped short in the doorway, watching Nolea march down the hall. “What did you do to piss her off?”
“What makes you think it was me?” Serena growled.
“She’s jealous
‘cause you have a hot lover boy and she doesn’t.” He grinned. “Not that I haven’t offered.”
“No, I don’t have a hot lover boy.” Why did everyone keep saying that?
“Do too.”
“Don’t.” Serena grabbed several paperclips and flung them at him.
Will ducked as the tiny metal objects bounced harmlessly off the door jam. “Well, somebody’s lying and it ain’t me.”
Serena dropped her head in her hands. “Shut up, Skippy.”
Chapter 20
Tyler rolled the Jeep to a stop in front of Serena’s house. The sun had barely set, and he could see the lights on, though Serena’s car was gone. He’d left money for his part of the groceries this morning. With any luck she’d remember laundry soap. He’d had to hunt for something clean to wear before work, and the socks he’d found were definitely in the questionable category.
Grabbing the sack of barbecue sandwiches from the restaurant, he hurried up the walk and unlocked the door with the shiny new key Serena had given him. Tyler walked through the house straight to the kitchen. Shadow’s high-pitched yelps greeted his arrival. He set the sack on the table and let her in, grinning as she rubbed his legs and tried to force his hand along her head. He bent down and rubbed her ears. “Miss me, girl?” She wagged her body playfully, and she ran off down the hall.
Tyler stood and breathed deeply, reveling in the quiet after the chaos of the restaurant. It was great to be home. And oddly enough, even after only a few weeks, this felt more like home than anyplace he’d been the past several years. His gaze fell on the beatup cardboard box next to the back door. He’d pointedly ignored it lately, but papers and invoices poked out the top demanding for his attention. Jeff would be asking about it soon.
He’d come home early to try and get a start on the mountainous mess of paperwork, and while not looking forward to it, he was more determined than ever to get rid of Krista. Especially after today. She’d hung around talking to customers and telling everyone she owned the place. Like she actually belonged there and had any kind of hand in making it run. Every time he’d turned around today, there she’d been with that plastic smile and fake “help me help you” attitude. The only person she’d ever wanted to help was herself and she’d helped herself to every dime he’d had a year ago. It now gave him the motivation to dig through the financial hell of his business no matter how bad it might be. And this had to be the only time he hoped it was bad. Really bad. Once she realized how broke he really was, maybe she’d give up this stupidity and move on.
Shadow streaked through the kitchen and into the living room, hopping up onto the sofa. Tyler caught a flash of blue and pink shiny material in the dog’s mouth as she ran. He frowned. He needed Serena in a good enough mood to help him with the bookwork, and he’d bet a chewed up night gown would not help matters. He walked up and leaned over the back of the couch, snatching the piece of fabric from Shadow’s mouth.
He held it up and grimaced. The garment looked like something his grandmother used to wear. Long, shapeless, and covered with some kind of tiny pink flowers, it was definitely not what he’d pictured Serena wearing to bed—ever. He glanced at the dog. “Where’d you get this?” Shadow took off down the hall and disappeared into Tyler’s room. The light was on. Tyler followed and stopped short in the doorway. A suitcase full of clothes lay open on the bed. Shadow scratched at the closed bathroom door. Tyler crept across the floor straining to hear any noise.
Just as he leaned an ear to the wood, the toilet flushed and the door swung open. Tyler stood face to face with a woman in her 60s. They stared for a moment, and then the woman screamed. Tyler flinched from the sound, then ducked as the woman threw an extra roll of toilet tissue at him.
“I’m calling the police right now, so don’t you try anything.”
Tyler looked back to see the woman brandishing a plunger like a Samurai warrior. She walked toward him as he backed up.
“I’ve heard of sickos like you that think they can take advantage of single women. Give me that.” She snatched the nightgown from his grasp.
He held up his hands. “Hey, lady, I live here.”
“You get out of my daughter’s house right now, mister.” Arlene chased him to the living room then swung and missed, though he knew it wouldn’t have hurt even if she’d connected. When she tried again, he caught the wood handle and they struggled back and forth a few minutes. Shadow barked and circled the pair, jumping on and off the couch. The dog tipped over a large vase of flowers on the coffee table, spilling water all over the couch.
“Now see what you’ve done!” Arlene struggled harder apparently determined to bash his skull in.
The front door opened, and Serena stared at the two of them caught in a tug of war over the plunger.
“What is going on in here?”
“Call the police, honey, this man is some kind of sex pervert.”
Tyler saw a twitch of a smile at the corner of Serena’s mouth.
The woman kept talking. “I caught him going through my unmentionables.”
Serena couldn’t hide her smile anymore as she raised a brow at Tyler. “A sex fiend? Wow. I might have to let her plunge you to death.”
They all stood in silence a minute, and finally Serena set the bag down. “Arlene, this is Tyler.”
Arlene relaxed her grip, and Tyler twisted the offending weapon from her hands.
“Oh. So you know each other?”
The woman’s gaze assessed him up and down as only a mother can. “He said he lives here. Is that true?”
It was more an accusation than a statement of fact. Tyler frowned. Living together wasn’t a crime the last time he checked, and that’s all they were doing. Living together.
Serena paused, pressing her lips together. “Yes, he does.”
“Oh.”
The air crackled with the electricity of unspoken thoughts. Like the dead calm before a tornado. Tyler didn’t move and almost didn’t breathe. He’d been caught in the crossfire between a woman and her mother several years ago and barely survived it. In the end, they’d both turned on him. He couldn’t afford that here. Not that he had any fear of Arlene, but Serena had the power to make him and Shadow homeless in a heartbeat.
Arlene held up her gown. “Why is this wet?”
Both women looked at Tyler. So much for laying low. “Uh, Shadow brought it to me.”
Arlene wrinkled her nose at the garment. “This is dog slobber?” She slid a relieved glance toward Tyler’s zipper. “I’ll be washing this.”
As soon as the woman disappeared down the hall, Serena blew out a long breath. She looked tired. “I’d hope to be here when you got home.”
“I wish you had been. I don’t think I’ve ever had my life threatened with a plunger before.”
“Sorry about that. We need to talk a minute.” She nodded her head toward the door. “Can you help me with the rest of these groceries?”
Tyler followed her to the car and took the bags she handed out of the back seat.
“I really didn’t expect her to stay here. She usually stays with Frank and Macy, but with Macy’s surgery scheduled for this week, she asked if she could stay with me.” Serena grabbed the last of the bags and led the way back to the house.
So where am I sleeping? Tyler set the bags on the kitchen counter and sorted through the purchases, placing the canned goods on the shelf in the pantry. “Do you need me to stay at a hotel for a while?”
“No.” Serena leaned around him and rotated the cans he’d put away so the labels faced forward. He squinted at the vegetables, trying to determine if they were alphabetized, too. “I already decided that I am not shuffling my life, or yours, to suit my mother. She will have to deal with things the way they are.”
“And how are they?” Arlene stood in the doorway.
I was wondering that myself. Tyler waited for Serena to respond, but she continued putting groceries away and ignored the question.
The silence grew loude
r by the second until Arlene finally broke it.
“Would you like me to make a good dinner for you, dear?” Arlene emptied several grocery bags on the table.
“No we’ve existed on my bad cooking for years now.” Serena’s tone suggested irritation, covered by the thinnest veil of politeness.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Silence descended again. Tyler’s attention darted from one woman to the other. If this tension kept up, it could be a long night.
“I brought home some sandwiches,” he offered.
“That sounds great.” Arlene’s smile seemed a bit too bright.
“Tyler owns a restaurant,” Serena said, putting away the last of the groceries.
“Really?” Arlene looked at him with renewed interest. “You own your own business?”
He nodded. And I’m damn broke. He would have to seriously consider getting a T-shirt with that phrase. It was automatic woman repellant.
Opening the sack from JT’s, Serena placed the sandwiches on a plate to heat them up. “Justin works for him,” she explained. As far as this conversation went, she did the least that she could do not to leave them gawking at each other in awkward silence. Tyler had to wonder what kind of history had caused this kind of rift between the women. And when would be a good time to bring up the sleeping arrangements?
Serena looked at him as the microwave hummed. “So why are you home so early?”
“I hoped to get started on the financials that Jeff needs.” He watched her gaze dart to the box and then to her mother.
“Can I help with anything?” Serena asked.
Obviously she needed something to do other than deal with Arlene tonight, which worked out perfectly for him.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
He got plates for each of them while Arlene filled glasses with water. They sat and ate around the small kitchen table. Arlene made polite conversation covering the safe topics. Weather, stuff in the news, the TV programs they’d seen lately. Anyone listening would think they were strangers chatting in a doctor’s office. Serena and Arlene shared nothing of a personal nature at all, which seemed completely bizarre compared to his family. Afterward, they cleaned the table and Serena dragged the box of papers out.
