| |
On my walk over to see Sarah, I had a moment to think. My heart felt broken. Tyler brushed off my question like it was nothing. Like what I thought didn’t matter. Well, it did. Maybe independence was what I should be working on. I needed to do what I need to do to get myself on my feet. I could take the job that Mr. White offered, and I could try to get the one also at the antique store. If need be, I could use the bus system to get to those places and not have to rely on anyone.
Even with my feelings still fresh, I had to admit, I may have overreacted a tad. I was jealous, and I had a right to be. Or I hoped so.
When I got to the AV office, Sarah smiled when she noticed me. “Faith! I was just thinking about you!”
“You were, huh?” I sat down in the chair that faced her desk as she tapped a few more times on her keyboard before sliding it up under her monitor to be put away. The computer dinged that it was being shut down, and Sarah stood up.
“I was just going to head off to lunch and then head home. Today's a short day for me,” she explained, shouldering her purse and pushing her chair in. “Do you want to go to lunch with me?”
“Yes. Please.”
We ended up going to a bistro that catered to a more ‘healthy side’ of eating. It was in the same shopping center as the diner and antique store. The two of us ordered, and then sat down with our salads at a table. The window next to us conveniently faced the diner, and I could see Tyler's Jeep parked in the parking lot.
As we both ate, Sarah gave into small talk, and I listened. Well, I tried to keep up, but my attention and thoughts were elsewhere as I studied the diner, willing for one of the guys to come out.
Tyler was keeping secrets. Lincoln had a new number and Kayden... Kayden hadn’t struck out yet—wait. My mind halted. Was I waiting for that? Was I actively looking for problems that weren’t there? I couldn’t deny the first issue, but Lincoln’s? I shouldn’t read too much into that. People get new—
“Faith?” Sarah’s voice questioned, gaining my attention.
I glanced over to her, giving an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I said that Brady agreed to you working at the Antique store.”
That did catch my attention and was good news! My face lit up, “Really?”
She grinned at me. “Really.”
“That’s great!” I exclaimed, excited about the opportunity. Then I remembered the talk I’d had with Mr. White and sobered. “Sarah, I want to work at the Antique store, but I also have another chance to make some money as well...”
Sarah’s brows rose with surprise. “Oh?”
“It’s for extra credit.” Then I started to explain all about SSK and what I’d be doing there. “... and it would only be in the evenings on the weekdays.”
“What about rides, Faith? You’d have to get there and back somehow, and when would you work at the Antique store?”
I grinned, knowing I had her almost sold on the idea and explained. “For SSK, I have a ride. Antique store on the weekends, and SSK during the week. If it gets to be too much...” I shrugged. “I’ll drop one of them.”
Sarah looked apprehensive, but she sighed. “Okay, but in your off time, I think it’s time to start those driving lessons. If you’re going to be working this much, maybe it would be a good thing to get started on that. Maybe Tyler could even teach you a thing or two.”
Speaking of him, I glanced out the window, and I felt my heart leap. Tyler and his brothers were right outside by his Jeep, all seemingly in a heated discussion. I should go out there. I should... No. I needed some time to cool off before that.
I turned back to Sarah. She had been watching the same thing I had, and she frowned. “You have to pick, Faith. Look,” she gestured to the guys out the window, “there’s already a fight.”
“It’s not what you think,” I told her as I kept my gaze on the guys. The three of them did look furious. The two of us stood and got ready to go. “I’ll go out there and see what I can do.” I sighed, glancing at her. “But afterward, can we get an application from the Antique place?”
“Sure, but see what you can do with those three first,” she said, pointing at the angry brothers.
“Kay,’’ I said and marched myself out the door of the bistro and over their way. I could hear them as I walked, and I could tell the argument was about me.
“We need to talk to her,” Lincoln stressed then turned to Kayden. “And what’s this about not going to college?”
Oh boy.
“Yeah, Lincoln. Daniels said something about a college in Arizona? I thought we all agreed to stay—”
As I started to walk around to the Jeep where the guys were, I paused, wondering how to announce myself; I could see them through the Jeep opening. I didn’t have to worry about that, though. Almost as if he could sense me there, Kayden turned his head away from his brothers toward me.
“Daniels?”
He strode around his Jeep, coming toward me as the others did also. “Why aren’t you—” He went to lift me into a hug, but he didn’t get that far.
“Kayden!” Tyler growled out, “Weren’t we just talking about this?”
Kayden slowed to a stop in front of me, glancing at Tyler, hesitating before he turned back around and put a hand on my arm to give it a squeeze. “We were worried.”
What was that?
Lincoln put a hand on my hair, smoothing it down till it rested on my back. “Why didn’t you answer our calls?”
I turned to Lincoln, “Didn’t you get a new number?”
He grinned. “Oh yeah, give me your phone so I can put it in there.”
I reached into my pocket and drew out my phone, handing it over to him. He walked away with it as Kayden leaned in. “It’s his third number this year.”
“Kayden can you—” Tyler angled his head toward Lincoln then gestured toward me with his chin.
“Sure.” Then he whispered to me, “Go easy on him. He didn’t mean to break his promise.”
As Kayden stepped aside, Tyler step forward, and I felt sad all over again. He looked so torn and confused that I caved and took his hand in mine. I had to be missing something. I just had to be.
With that small action, Tyler tugged me into his arms, his chest expand in a sigh that I could both feel and hear. “I’m sorry, Baby. I don’t like fighting. Will you forgive me?”
“Maybe,” I mumbled into his shirt.
“Please? I should have come last night. I know that but... I had things to do. Work things.”
That answer bristled my nerves, and I tensed.
“I promise that’s all it was.” My heart lifted a little at how torn he sounded.
“Okay,” I gave in.
“And I’m worried about this Tucker thing.”
I pulled back to study him. “Have you seen him today?”
He pulled back. “Yes. Why?”
I let a grin slip. “How’s his nose looking?”
Tyler looked shocked. “You did that?”
I shrugged as if it was no big deal, He didn’t need to know that I had needed to ice my hand off and on last night. “I didn’t like what he said.”
Tyler chuckled and lifted my hand for inspection. It still looked a little swollen, but it was worth it. He turned my hand over and raised my palm to drop a kiss in the center. “Well, don’t do it again. Leave the fighting to us if it needs to happen. Can’t have you all bruised up or Brady might never let you out of the house.” I grunted in agreement.
“So what are we going to do, Faith?”
“Not sure, but you know how I want to work and have some of my own money, right?“
“Yeah...”
I leaned back to look at him and angled my head toward the Now Hiring sign still in the window of the antique store. “I’m going to apply there.”
“What? No. Can’t you find another place to work?”
“I want to work there, Tyler,” I told him firmly.
“You do know who owns that place, right?”
“Yes. Tucker’s Grandmother. But she owns it, not him. He probably never goes there anyway, and Brady said I could.”
Tucker's eyes narrowed as his hands tightened around my waist. “Fine. But I get to talk to Brady about Tucker and...And”—he spoke more firmly when he saw I was about to object—“you have to tell me if you run into him anymore, Faith. No games. This is serious.”
I nodded, relieved that he had agreed. “Okay. Fine.”
I looked at him, I mean really looked at him, and realized he wasn't just possessive, he was scared for me. He was afraid that Tucker would hurt me. Tyler dealt with my moods, my tendencies to shut others out and was by my side when it was most important. Both he and his brothers. He had faith in me. He’d given me his heart to hold, and I needed to put some trust in him. If he thought Tucker was bad, then I need to listen to him. Not to what Tucker has said.
I gazed at Tyler and saw worry in his eyes. He was pleading with me, I realized. I should trust him. I wanted to trust him because I—my brain froze as it dawned on me.
Because I loved him.
That thought had me scared. Was I ready?
“Daniels?”
Tyler was frowning. I was sure he wanted reassurance that the two of us were okay. That I wasn’t going to run. I had put that fear there and needed to replace it with love. If I was only that brave. Love comes softly, but this time, it crept up and stung. I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I thought. And what was the deal earlier with his brothers?
“Yeah?” I replied softly, unsure of how to process my new feelings.
“So... am I out of the doghouse now?” His eyes were hopeful as his mouth tilted upward into a smidgen of a smile, and I gave out a relieved chuckle. “For now, but what was that earlier with Kayden? Is there some kind of no hug and kiss rule now?”
Tyler leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “No, it was because Sarah was watching, and I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.”
“Too late for that.”
“What does that mean?”
“She already thinks I’m playing you three against each other. How are we going to tell them, Tyler? To explain?”
“When it’s time, we’ll talk about it, but Brady went to school with my dad. He should have some idea if he ever got to know my uncles.”
“Oh. I didn’t think about that.”
Tyler then looked thoughtful before asking, “I do have a question, though.”
“Hm?”
“If Sarah thinks we’re fighting over you, which one is she rooting for?”
“What!” I exclaimed as I playfully pushed against his chest, and he laughed.
“Just kidding. But no, seriously, which one?”
I shook my head, leaving his arms and heading over to the other two were sitting, waiting on Tyler's bumper.
Tyler followed, concerned. “Baby? Is it Lincoln?” I snorted. “Is it me?” he asked, liking that idea. “It’s me, isn’t it? Daniels? Faith?!”
I was chuckling in my head as I rounded the Jeep. I’d just let him stew on that for a while, I thought as I plucked my phone from Lincoln's fingers then leaned over to give him a kiss before dropping myself into his lap.
“Well, hello.”
I leaned in again as his arms encircled me and gave him a heated kiss as my hello. I could feel a bulge beneath my butt as he groaned when our tongues met.
“Hey, if you’re giving out kisses, my Queen, send some my way.”
I lifted my lips from Lincoln’s and glanced over to Kayden. Tyler stood with his arms folded, trying to figure out what I was doing.
“Queen?” Lincoln asked. His arms tightened when I went to move. I leaned in and gave him another peck before his arms loosened so I could stand.
“Jealous?” Kayden questioned Lincoln as I moved over to him.
“No. It’s fitting,” Lincoln mused watching Kayden tug me into his arms and dip me before delivering a sweet kiss. I gripped his arms, pulling away laughing as he brought me back up providing one last kiss before pushing me toward Tyler.
“Because she’ll be the one ruling our house,” Tyler joined as he caught me.
He looked annoyed, so I shoved my hands deep into his back pockets and pulled him in close “You got that right.”
He snorted, and I felt his hands as they wrapped around my hips to the rise of my butt then slid into my own pockets and gave my cheeks a squeeze.
My heart leaped in my chest when he did that, distracting me from my intentions. I leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “I guess now Sarah will have it figured out, huh?” I then gave his ear a playful nip before stating, “No picking. No favorites.”
He shuddered, and I was happy that I affected him that way. I drew back and gave him a quick peck before walking off toward Sarah, who looked very confused with what had just happened. I hid a blush that crept up on my cheeks. I didn't care that she had seen. In fact, I wanted her to. Maybe she would come up with her own conclusion, and I wouldn't have to explain. Either way, I felt loved and more in control with where I stood with my guys.
The guys behind me were laughing and teasing each other as brothers should, and I was glad that some things were resolved. I’d meet Roxie eventually, but right now I knew that she wasn’t the one dating any of them. I had staked my claim, and I let everyone in that parking lot know it.
When I reach Sarah, she gestured to the guys. “What was that all about?”
“They’re not fighting are they?”
“No, but—”
“Then I think that's progress.”
“I going to need to make that appointment sooner than I thought,” she muttered as we made our way to fill out the application, but I was so excited I was bouncing in my sandals. I was going to earn money, and Tyler and I kinda fixed things. Sorta.