Tyler's Undoing (Gloves Off Book 3)

by Dover, L. P.

  The letter. I’d almost completely forgotten about it.

  Pulling it out of my back pocket, I slid my finger underneath the flap and tore it across. My heart thumped harder and louder as I reached in and lifted out the piece of paper containing my grandmother’s last words. Swallowing hard, I unfolded the letter.

  My lovely Kacey,

  There is so much I want to say to you, but sometimes I feel as if my mind has already left me and I can never remember what I wanted to say. Thankfully, God has helped me today. In fact, I feel like I’m twenty-four again, just not with the long blonde hair and the perfect body. If I could choose any one thing I want you to know, it’s that I have never been more proud of anyone, as I am of you.

  The day I visited you in the hospital after you were born, I knew you were special. I could see it in those precious eyes of yours. Please remember this, Kacey. You’re strong and you’re genuinely kind. You left your entire life behind, just so you could take care of me. This is just one of the many reasons why I’ve left you something (not even your grandfather knew I had). I was always told to make sure I had a plan for a rainy day, and I know you’re about to have plenty of them.

  In the spare bedroom, underneath the third floorboard to the left, there will be a notch to where you can slip your finger under it. Once you lift it up a little ways, you can pull the whole board up. Inside you’ll find a box that will help you through the hard times. Follow your dreams, sweetheart.

  If there’s one thing I ask of you it’s to live your life to the fullest. Your grandfather told me last night that your new beau will take care of you. I believe him, which is why it’s easier to finally let go . . . but I’m also a firm believer on taking care of yourself. Spend your nights doing things that young kids do, instead of slaving away to earn your keep. You don’t need to do that anymore. You took care of me, now I’m going to take care of you. I love you, Kacey.

  Love always,

  Nana

  “Kacey, are you okay?” Tyler asked, kneeling in front of me.

  I hadn’t even realized he was standing there. Wiping away my tears, I quickly nodded and jumped off the couch, heading straight for the spare bedroom. “Come with me,” I offered.

  When I got into the spare room, I looked down at the third floorboard to the left and got down on my knees. The notch she spoke of was tiny, so I stuck my pinky inside and lifted as hard as I could—the board moved. Once I had it in my grasp, I moved it to the side and took a deep breath . . . she was right, there was a box. It was a golden encrusted jewelry box that looked to be older than my grandmother and her mother before that.

  “What are you doing?” Tyler asked softly.

  “Here,” I said, passing him the letter. “My grandmother wrote it today. She told me she left me something here, and I came to check it out. Her mind had started to get worse these past few weeks so I didn’t know if it was true or not.”

  Furrowing his brows, he took the letter and peered down into the hole. “What’s in it?”

  Gently, I lifted the jewelry box out of the hole and set it on the floor. It was dusty from years of not being moved.

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “I guess it’s time I found out.”

  My fingers shook as I lifted the top of the jewelry box, revealing its many contents inside. Eyes wide, I shut it back and peered up at Tyler, completely in shock.

  “Holy hell,” was all I could say.

  One Week Later

  NOW THAT HER grandmother’s affairs had been settled, things had finally started to calm down. She quit her job at the bar, much to Bree’s dislike, but she was determined to live her life according to her grandmother’s wishes. Besides, what she left in the box helped ease Kacey’s worries and put her ten steps closer to reaching her goal. She was so close.

  Kacey was completely different from any of the girls I’d met. She let me see her pain and wasn’t ashamed, she owned it and fought when it threatened to drag her down. That was the kind of person I needed in my life. Kacey was a born fighter, strong-willed and genuine. If only I could get her to stop being so stubborn and let me help her. It was infuriating how hard-headed she was, but then my father said I was the same way.

  Today, however, I showed up at Kacey’s house and told her to get in the car, along with her grandmother’s ashes. There was something she wanted to do and I was going to make sure it happened for her.

  “Did you know she had that much money saved up?” I asked as I drove down the deserted, dusty road.

  Dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a small green T-shirt, she was so fucking beautiful with her blonde hair thrown up in a ponytail and no makeup on. I wouldn’t say she was completely innocent, but she was close. She was also way out of my league. I had never attracted girls like her, and for the first time in my life, I couldn’t treat her like I did with every other female I’d been with—nor did I want to.

  This whole week I’d spent every free moment with her, helping her sort through her grandmother’s things. Never in a million years would I have imagined ever doing that for a female. Even at night when we were alone in her room sleeping together, I kept my distance and held her, trying so fucking hard to keep my dick from poking her in the back. I wanted her . . . but it wasn’t the right time.

  “I had no idea. If she hadn’t said anything, it would’ve stayed under the floor, untouched.”

  In the box, there wasn’t just an insane amount of cash, but also some jewelry, including the antique sapphire ring she currently had on her ring finger. There were also some old photos of her grandparents, as well as pictures dating back hundreds of years. Apparently, the ring she wore was not just antique, but ancient. It was passed down from mother to daughter for centuries.

  I was pretty sure if she sold that ring, she would get the last amount of money she needed to open her restaurant and then some. It was important to her—as it should be—so it didn’t surprise me when she said she wanted to work for the rest of the money. She was looking for a day job and it just so happened I had the perfect one for her. I just needed to wait for the right time to ask her.

  It wasn’t long before the air field came into view and I turned into the parking lot, passing dozens of commercial planes, gliders, and helicopters, until we reached the one we were going to be flying in.

  “What are we doing here?” Kacey asked, clutching the black and silver urn in her lap.

  “We don’t have to go if you’re not ready to, but I know you said that your grandmother wanted her ashes to be spread across the Grand Canyon.”

  Gazing down at the urn, she nodded and smiled. “I’m surprised you remember that. I didn’t think you were paying attention.” She talked a lot in the past week and I made sure to listen to every detail.

  “So what, us fighters don’t have compassion now?” I asked, opening the car door. “Don’t you think it’s time you put those preconceived notions out of your head? I’m not completely worthless you know.” I winked at her to let her know I was kidding, but she’d been around me enough this week to start feeling more comfortable.

  “Oh, I know you’re not worthless,” she teased. “I think it’s a good idea to go ahead and get this over with. It’ll finally be the end. She would want me to move on and concentrate on myself.”

  “And by concentrating on yourself, I hope you mean to let me take you out on a real date. I’m still waiting for that third date.”

  Elbowing me in the side, she chuckled. “Yes, I promise. I know you’ve been patient with me on all fronts, but after today it’ll all be different. You’ll see.”

  I couldn’t wait.

  While Kacey scattered her grandmother’s ashes through the Grand Canyon, we all sat in silence until every last trace of her grandmother fluttered out into the wind. I honestly thought she would break down and cry, but she never did. In fact, she surprised me when she wanted to see more of the canyons. For over an hour, Larry flew us around in his helicopter.

  “That was so amazing,�
� Kacey exclaimed, jumping up and down on the tarmac. “Not exactly the part about spreading my grandmother’s ashes, but the rest was simply breathtaking. Can we go up again sometime?”

  Larry smiled at her and then to me. “Certainly, I’d be happy to take you both up again. Just let me know when.”

  Larry Briggs was a retired military general and also a good friend of my father. His white hair was shaved down close to his scalp, but he made sure to keep a scruffy white beard on his face. When I was younger I used to think he was Santa Claus, just a skinny one.

  “Will do,” I replied, shaking his outstretched hand.

  Instead of shaking his hand, Kacey wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for doing this for me. I really appreciate it and I know my grandmother would too. She loved the Grand Canyon.”

  Larry’s face was red when Kacey let him go. “It was my pleasure, darling. Don’t be a stranger now, okay?”

  “I won’t.”

  Kacey started toward the truck while I stayed behind with Larry. As soon as she was out of earshot, he whistled and slapped me on the shoulder. “How in the hell did you manage to get that one?”

  I turned to look at her as she got in my truck. “Lucky, I guess. I don’t deserve her at all.”

  “That’s not true, Tyler. You’re a good guy. You’ve just let success go to your head a little bit. I know your father’s been worried about you.”

  “More like pissed,” I grumbled. “The man doesn’t know how to give me a break. Everything I do isn’t good enough.”

  “He only wants the best for you, son. Since he never won a title in his boxing days, I think he has a lot of regret weighing him down. Take it easy on the old man.”

  “I have to keep him on his toes,” I chuckled, heading back to Kacey. “He wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t.” I waved over my head and got in the truck.

  Larry waved at us as I slowly backed us out of the parking space.

  “I take it you and your dad have a couple issues?” Kacey asked.

  I turned to look at her with my eyebrows raised.

  Sheepishly, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I heard. The window was down—it was kind of hard not to.”

  “It’s not that we have issues per se, it’s just that he likes to ride me hard. Nothing I do is ever good enough. I could win a fight and all he’d do is bitch about what I did wrong.”

  “He’s your coach,” she murmured. “I’m sure he only wants the best for you, especially if he never won a title himself. Imagine how he must feel after fighting for so long and never making it to the top? You are so close to winning the Heavyweight title, and if you win it’ll make your father’s dreams come true, for him and you. My father was the same way.”

  “What could he have possibly gotten on you about?” I asked curiously. She was smart and a hard worker. There was nothing for her parents to be disappointed about.

  Turning her head, she gazed out the window. “It wasn’t me. Unfortunately, I have a brother who is very good at disappointing people.”

  “I didn’t know you had a brother. Why didn’t you mention it when I asked about your family?”

  She shrugged and looked down at her hands fiddling in her lap. I could tell she was uncomfortable talking about it. “I guess because I don’t consider him family anymore. The same goes for my mom. I try not to talk about them.”

  “Do they know about your grandmother?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I haven’t called them. It’s not like they care anyway. They wanted to put her in a nursing home and leave her there. My father wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.”

  “I’m sorry, Kacey. Here I am, complaining about my dad, when I know you miss your father.” Other than her grandmother, her father was the only other person she talked highly about.

  “More than anything,” she murmured, smiling off in the distance. “But at least I have Bree. She’s been the only thing holding me together.”

  Taking her hand, I brought it up to my lips and kissed her palm. “Well, now you have me . . . that is, if you want me.”

  “I’m still deciding on that one,” she teased. “But I’ll let you know.”

  Little did she know, but her smile gave me the answer I needed. She was mine.

  “WHAT ARE WE doing at your gym?” I asked curiously.

  Tyler parked his truck and turned to me, chuckling. “You weren’t really being serious last week, when you told me you weren’t coming back, right?”

  “Kind of,” I confessed. “Especially now that I know Liam is part of the fighting crowd. He and his clients don’t come into your gym do they? They are the last people I want to be around.”

  It was an underhanded question, but at least it would give me peace of mind about hanging out in his gym. If I knew Kyle’s friends wouldn’t be there, I’d be safe. Immediately, he growled low, “They know not to step foot in my gym, unless I’ve given specific permission. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Then I’ll go in there,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief. “Is there a reason we’re stopping here?”

  Tyler grinned sheepishly and opened his door. “Actually there is. I need help with something and I was wondering if you’d be able to do it.”

  “Do what?”

  He winked and slid out of his truck. “Come and find out.”

  After everything he’d done for me, I’d be more than happy to help him out. His smile, on the other hand, had me suspicious. He was clearly up to something.

  Once inside, it was like every person in the room instinctively turned their heads toward him, especially the women. I waited for his eyes to linger . . . but they never did. He kept them solely on me.

  “Okay, so what do you need help with?” I asked.

  Taking my hand, he pulled me over to the front desk and pointed to the seat. “I need you to sit right there for a minute.”

  “O-kay,” I muttered, sitting down in the chair. “What now?”

  “Just wait there. I need to check on something.”

  What the hell was he doing? Even some of the patrons in the gym were wondering, as their looks bounced between the two of us. Tyler hopped up into the practice ring where his father stood coaching two teenage boys. Words were exchanged between them, ending with his father glancing up my way and waving with a grin on his face. Unsure of what was going on, I smiled and waved back.

  Before Tyler could get back up to the desk, his mom, Mary, beat him to it. Her sandy-colored hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she looked to be in her sixties. Although, her body was well-toned, with defined muscles. That didn’t surprise me, considering she owned a gym.

  “Kacey, right?”

  Quickly, I stood and moved away from her seat and around to the front of the desk. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied, holding out my hand.

  Instead of taking my hand, she laughed and pulled me into a hug. It was awkward for me, so I just stood there until the next words came out of her mouth. “Dear girl, there’s no need for such formalities. Tyler told me about your grandmother. I can’t begin to express how sorry I am for your loss. I’m glad he was able to stay with you and help you through the worst of it.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured softly, returning her embrace. “It would have been unbearable without him.”

  Letting me go, she smiled and stepped back. “So did Tyler ask you yet?”

  Furrowing my brows, I didn’t even get a chance to reply before Tyler interjected, grinning mischievously.

  “Not yet, but I was about to,” he said to his mother, coming to my side. “I wanted to make sure she was comfortable coming back here, before I threw the question at her.”

  “Well, then I’ll excuse myself so you two can get down to business.” His mother winked at him and then smiled at me one more time. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around, Kacey.”

  I nodded. “I’m sure you will, Mrs. Rushing.”

  “Mary,” she corrected. “I want you to call
me, Mary.”

  “Okay . . . Mary. It was good to see you again.”

  Once she walked away, I watched her walk out the door and disappear around the corner. I wish my mother could be more like her—heartwarming and loving.

  “Kacey? Are you okay?” Tyler asked, bumping me in the shoulder.

  “Yes,” I answered hastily, glancing up. “Sorry, I was just thinking. Your mother is pretty awesome. I’ve never met anyone so genuine and approachable.” I looked away and smirked to myself. “Too bad you didn’t take after her.”

  “What?” he asked incredulously, head whipping around.

  Turning to him, I shrugged. “I’m just sayin’ . . .”

  His eyes bulged, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

  Breaking into a laugh, I pinched his side. “Yes, yes. You’re the same way, dear. I’m positive you got it from her. So what is it that you needed to ask me?”

  Pushing me away and then immediately taking my hand and pulling me back, he chuckled. “You’re the devil.” Kissing just above my ear, he pulled me behind the desk and pointed to the chair. Once I sat down, he locked me in with a hand on each arm rest and sank down to his knees, caging me in.

  “You’re looking for a job, right?”

  Pursing my lips, I crossed my arms at the chest. “Yeah, why?”

  “What would you say about working for me?”

  “For you?” I gasped. “Doing what? And please don’t tell me it’s to be your maid.”

  “No,” he chuckled. “Although I have to say that thought is very tempting. You in a maid’s uniform would be fucking hot. I’d never let you leave my house.”

  Just the thought made my temperature rise. We’d basically been together non-stop for the past week and a half, with zero physical contact other than a few kisses here and there. Each day was obviously more difficult than the last for him to keep his distance, but he did it without getting frustrated—it was a test many men had failed. Out of my twenty-five years of existence, I’d only slept with two men, both of whom I was in love with. One was my high school sweetheart, and the other was a guy I met in college.