by Mandy Morgan
I couldn’t blame her for that one. I’d just thrown a lot at her and she’d already been having a hell of a time before we came along.
“I’m a good guy, I promise,” I continued. “I’m out here doing it all alone because Noah’s mom decided she wanted a different life and left us, not because I ran her off in some way. I’ve lived here since I was born and I have real roots in this community. I think we can help each other, don’t you?”
“Yeah, we’re good guys,” Noah piped up with a look of hope shining through his tears. “And our house is really cool, you should see it!”
Jenna looked from my son’s face to mine. I could see she was battling with herself and I didn’t blame her for a single second. For all she knew, I was a total nut.
She’d just freed herself from one horrible situation and didn’t want to throw herself into another before she’d even had a shot at a good life on her own. All I could do was hold my breath and hope for the best.
What she said next made me smile and Noah shout for joy. “Alright, boys. How about we start with sharing a pepperoni pizza? And then you can tell me all about this job opportunity of yours…”
Chapter Seven
Jenna
It’s just dinner for right now, I told myself as I headed back to my car in the grocery store parking lot. And it will make that little boy so happy…
I’d agreed to follow Tyler back to his place, and Noah was over the moon about me seeing their house, especially his bedroom. I could only imagine him chattering away in the backseat as his father navigated their SUV home.
I kept my eyes on the taillights in front of me and did my best to quiet my mind. Even so, there were butterflies in my stomach and a knot in my chest.
Was I doing the right thing or taking my situation from bad to worse by trusting my gut and the kindness I saw in Tyler’s eyes? I couldn’t be sure, but I knew it would be nice to eat a meal somewhere other than in a motel room or my car.
Just as I’d convinced myself that everything was going to be alright, possibly crazy leap of faith or not, I saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye that caused my heart to catch in my throat.
It was a massive F150 pulling into traffic about three car lengths up, and it looked exactly like the truck Ray drove. That truck was his pride and joy.
He’d won it in a poker game last fall, which was the only reason he had a vehicle at all, let alone a fancy one like the candy apple red Ford.
He spent hours out in the driveway of our trailer washing and waxing that truck, with the sun glinting off it, blaring Mötley Crüe and spitting streams of Copenhagen-laced saliva onto the cracked pavement.
I hated that damn truck. It represented everything that was wrong with the world, in my opinion. It was wife-beater undershirt wearing men that made their women go out and work to pay the bills while they played poker and sauntered around hitching up their Wranglers.
It was violence and contempt for women. It was angry words and heavy fists. It was the crushing poverty I’d known all my life. It was the stranglehold that Ray had on me. It was Ray himself.
I gripped the steering wheel and squeezed until my knuckles went white. And then I got close enough to see that it wasn’t Ray’s truck, after all. There were no rock band bumper stickers on the back and the driver was an older black man.
I took several deep, cleansing breaths to slow my hammering heart. If I was being honest with myself, it wasn’t just pent-up rage at the relationship I’d allowed to go on for too long I was feeling when I saw that truck.
It was also pure, unadulterated fear. I didn’t know exactly what had gone through Ray’s mind when he figured out I wasn’t coming home last week, but I could imagine some of it—he’d always viewed me as a position and not a partner.
I was a toy to him, and even though he didn’t much like to play with me anymore, he damn sure didn’t want someone else to have me either.
He could be out on the roads looking for me right now. I’d blocked his phone number, so he couldn’t continue to blow my phone up the way he had that afternoon in the school library.
I knew I should have gotten rid of it altogether, but I didn’t have the money to replace it, and I knew that having a cell phone was crucial to being able to make a new life for myself in this day and age.
I’d consoled myself with the fact that Ray was far from a detective or an IT genius. Chances were pretty good that he wouldn’t know how to find me with whatever digital trail my phone left behind.
And for right now, that was going to have to be good enough. I’d driven as hard and as fast I could that first night on the road. I’d wanted to put as much distance between me and the trailer park that had become my prison as possible.
My plan was to start over fresh somewhere and hope that Ray gave up on me sooner rather than later. I’d done the best that I could on that account, but now I’d gone and added a new complication in the form of Noah and his dad.
It’s just dinner and it’s just for that little boy, I told myself again. But when I pulled up behind the 4Runner at a stoplight and looked up, I could see Tyler’s deep blue eyes watching me in the rearview mirror.
That started my heart racing for a whole different reason than anger or fear, and I vowed right then and there not to get involved with the handsome single dad.
After all, I couldn’t afford any more mistakes when it came to men. And Tyler had the potential to be a very big one—if I let him slip through the defenses I’d built up around my heart.
I shook my head to clear it and turned my thoughts to nothing more than a hot meal and Noah’s sweet smile…
Chapter Eight
Tyler
What the hell were we doing, inviting a stranger home for dinner? That was the thought that kept echoing through my head as I made my way toward Pine Crest Drive. She could be a serial killer, for God’s sake!
But every fiber of my being was telling me that not only was Jenna not a murderer, she was also a damn good woman. A smart and sweet woman. And don’t forget sexy as all get out…
Alright, fine. She was all those things. But what about Noah? I was putting him in danger by bringing her back to our place, wasn’t I?
I shifted my eyes up to check on him in the rearview mirror and saw that he was still playing his game on my phone and happily humming to himself.
He didn’t seem to be bothered at all, which meant I had to admit any reservations I was having about Jenna were mine alone. And Noah might be a kid, but he’d always been a good judge of character.
Truth be told, I was still hurting over what Natalie had done to me and our son. We’d been high school sweethearts and I’d been totally blindsided when she’d left without a word or a trace.
I realized that I wasn’t worried about bringing a psychotic stranger into the house. It was my heart and not my home that was truly in jeopardy.
I’d been cautious when it came to women ever since I’d been left in the lurch. I’d enjoyed a fling or two over the last few years, but I’d never invited any of them into my home or allowed them to meet my son.
So, Jenna was special in that regard. But so was the situation. I needed to be careful and not make this about more than it was—helping out a young woman in need.
That’s it, that’s all. This was real life, after all, not some sappy love story with a happy ending waiting for me, all tied up in a neat little bow.
Just then, my thoughts were cut short by a red light, and as I brought the 4Runner to a stop, my eyes drifted back up to the rearview mirror.
Only this time, it wasn’t Noah I was checking on. I had eyes only for Jenna, and when I caught a glimpse of her gorgeous face, my heart rate went into overdrive.
Knock it off! You’ve got enough on your plate, I cautioned myself as I forced my eyes away from the curvy cutie in the crappy car behind me. You need to keep your eyes on the road and your heart securely locked down.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, took a deep
breath, and put my focus back on the road. I knew that helping Jenna was the right thing to do, but I still needed to set boundaries, especially when it came to my heart.
After all, the last time I’d put it in the hands of a woman, she’d crushed it to smithereens, and left me to raise a little boy all by myself.
It suddenly dawned on me that Jenna could end up being just as cold and cruel as Natalie. That made me strengthen my resolve and batten down the hatches big time.
I may have a new employee, but I won’t put my walls down and let another woman all the way inside, I told myself. Not now, not ever, and not for anyone...
Chapter Nine
Jenna
I followed Tyler onto a lovely tree-lined street. All of the houses looked like they belonged in a photo spread in Better Homes and Gardens, and it hit me that the single dad I’d met at the grocery store was much better off than I’d realized.
Of course, Noah had mentioned their house had a ton of rooms, but when Tyler pulled into the driveway of a gorgeous Tudor style home with perfectly manicured landscaping, I was struck by what he’d meant was that they lived in a freaking mansion.
As I parked my car off to the side of the large circular drive, the back door of Tyler’s SUV popped open and Noah came charging over to greet me. He was wearing a big grin and practically dancing with excitement.
“Yay, you’re here! You gotta see my room,” he said and grabbed my hand before I could even get both feet out of my car. “It’s so cool, Jenna, you have to see it!”
I laughed and squeezed his little fingers before letting them go. “Okay, you got it. Just let me get my purse and lock my car. And we should help your dad with the groceries, shouldn’t we?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.” His face wrinkled up for a moment before that sweet smile came back with a force. “I bet we can get it done super-fast!”
Noah turned and raced over to the 4Runner. He screeched to a halt before running into Tyler, who had opened the back hatch of the SUV and was about to start pulling out bags.
“Woah there, buddy,” he said with a laugh. “You almost took your old man out.”
“Sorry, Dad, but Jenna thinks we should help. And I told her we could do it super-duper fast, like a race!”
“That does sound like fun,” Tyler said. “But how about I handle the groceries, and you give our guest a tour of the house?”
Noah turned to me with a grin and eyes that had gone wide with surprised pleasure. “Sweet! Come on, Jenna! I’m gonna show you my room first.”
Tyler gave me a wink before tossing Noah his house keys and then turning back to pulling out the grocery bags. As much as I didn’t like to admit it, that simple wink gave me a serious thrill.
I followed Noah up the steps and through the front door. He was babbling on about his toys and video games, but I only heard about half what he said.
My mind was still focused on that wink and what it had meant. It had probably just been a friendly gesture, and nothing more, and I was making way too much of things, as usual. But then again, there was the chance that I wasn’t.
I gave my head a shake as I climbed up the beautiful stairway after Noah. It didn’t matter what Tyler had meant by that wink.
I was just here for dinner and possibly a job opportunity. That was it, and that was all…
Wasn’t it?
∞∞∞
After Noah had shown me every corner of his room, but not much else of the house, we headed back downstairs and into the kitchen, where Tyler was working on dinner.
Seeing a man doing anything other than grabbing a beer from the fridge in a kitchen was foreign to me. But I had to admit that Tyler made it look natural, not to mention damn good, thanks to all of those muscles.
“There they are,” he said with a smile. “How did the tour go? My guess is that most of the house is still a mystery to you, Jenna.”
I laughed and tousled Noah’s soft hair. “You’d be right about that. But I know all there is to know about this one’s bedroom.”
“I’m happy to remedy that before dinner, if you’d like. Our pizza will be ready in about twenty minutes, by the way, and I put your bag of frozen dinners in the freezer for you.”
“Thanks for doing that, but I’m good for right now in the tour department,” I said with a smile. “What I’ve managed to see is absolutely gorgeous. And I’m honestly more interested in something to drink, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course! I’m an idiot for not offering.” Tyler made his way to the fridge. “What would you like? I have bottled water, juice, Coke or Sprite. Or maybe you’d like a glass of wine?”
“Just some cold water would be great.” I felt myself blushing a bit from all of the attention. Yet something else that I wasn’t used to from men.
“You’ve got it,” Tyler said and then turned to Noah, who was spinning lazily on a stool at the center island, obviously bored with the adults already. “How about you, Noah?”
“Juice, please and thank you,” he responded, quick as a flash. He was as sharp as he was adorable. “Are we going to watch a movie? Like you promised?”
Tyler lifted an eyebrow as he handed me a bottle of water. “I don’t remember promising anything, my man, but you’ve been a real champ, so I don’t see why not. Go pick something out, but remember that if it’s PG-13, you need to run it by me first, alright?”
Noah gave a cry of delight and launched himself off his stool. As he raced into the living room, he called his agreement back over one shoulder.
Tyler turned to me with a grin. “Remember when it was that easy to be so happy?”
“Not really,” I replied softly before taking a sip of my water and making an attempt to move the subject away from my sad childhood. “Thanks so much for your hospitality, by the way. You and Noah have been great about all of this.”
Tyler gave me an appraising look, and I had a feeling we’d be coming back to more about me, but he let his curiosity slide for now. “We’re happy to help, and grateful for such wonderful company.”
I felt a little flush of pleasure at his compliment, and moved over to take a seat at the stool Noah had vacated. “The pizza’s starting to smell good already. I hope that saying I’m excited about it doesn’t make me sound like too big of a nerd.”
“Not at all,” Tyler said and laughed. “I’m feeling the same way right now. I try to make sure Noah gets as balanced of a diet as he can, so dinners usually consist more of chicken and veggies, which makes this meal even more special.”
“Same here, although more because it’s better than vending machine snacks or microwave dinners,” I admitted. “Those lose their appeal pretty fast.”
“I can understand that, for sure,” Tyler replied and sat down on the stool next to mine. “So, did you want to hear more about the job offer I mentioned earlier while we wait for the oven timer to go off?”
“Yes, please,” I sat up a little straighter and put on my polite employment interview face. “Any work you could point me toward would be much appreciated.”
“Well, I was thinking that you could help out here and at the office, in exchange for a paycheck, plus room and board. I’m not looking for a maid or anything like that, but having a backup for school runs and other kid-related stuff would take quite a bit off my plate.”
“I’d be happy to lend a hand with Noah,” I said and meant it. “He’s an amazing little boy and seems like he wouldn’t be too much trouble, at all.”
“Oh, he’s a good egg, for sure,” Tyler said with a grin. “But don’t let him fool you totally. He can definitely have his moments.”
I waved off his warning with a smile. “I think we’ll get along just fine. What about the office stuff you mentioned?”
“It would just be filing and other basic admin work. I need someone to help me get and stay organized on my latest project out by the mall, which is turning into a whopper.”
I felt myself frown a bit. “I know computers, but I’ve never
done any real office work, Tyler. Won’t that be a problem?”
It was his turn to wave me off. “You seem like you’re very bright and I’ll show you the ropes, no worries.”
“As long as you’re sure,” I murmured as my eyes dropped to the floor. “I don’t want to cause you any more trouble than I already have.”
I felt Tyler’s hand take mine and my gaze flew up to meet his. There was so much kindness and warmth in his eyes, it almost took my breath away. And it sent a flash of longing coursing through me.
“Sweetheart, I’ve always loved a challenge. Besides, I could use some excitement in my life right now…”
Chapter Ten
Tyler
After a dinner filled with joking, laughter, and plenty of stuffing our faces with pizza, Noah led me and Jenna out into the living room to watch the movie he’d chosen, which turned out to not be rated PG-13, after all.
Noah plopped down in the middle of the leather sofa and patted the cushions on either side of him. I smiled at Jenna and we both took the seats my son had picked out for us.
I know the movie had penguins in it, but I honestly couldn’t have told someone anymore about it than that. I was too busy casting my gaze sideways and watching Jenna.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off the way her long, dark hair cascaded over her features when she leaned in to whisper something to Noah, or the curve of her lips when she smiled and laughed at some little joke between the two of them.
It was dark inside and out of the house, but there was enough of a glow from the TV to give me enticing peeks of our guest. I just hoped I wasn’t being too obvious with my admiring inspection.
Somewhere after the end of the first hour of the movie, I realized two things—Noah had fallen asleep with his head against Jenna’s shoulder, and I wanted her more than I had any other woman in a long time.
