Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) (16 page)

“That was really sweet of you,” she said, fearing her voice would crack. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He watched her eat for a few seconds before he said, “Ten, you lose your sight with these headaches? I don’t have to tell you that could be a real problem.”

Tenley knew it made her vulnerable, but since it was a condition she couldn’t control, she tried not to dwell on it. “I don’t get them all that often anymore, and I don’t always lose my sight. Just sometimes.” She wasn’t sure that made him feel any better, but she hoped so. She knew her headaches just gave him another reason to worry about her, which was the last thing she wanted.

“What does your doctor say?” he asked, handing her back the coffee he’d set on her nightstand when he gave her the breakfast tray. “Can’t he give you something stronger, or do something to prevent the goddamn vision loss? I’m not gonna lie, that’s scary as hell.”

“Imagine how I feel,” she joked, hoping to ease his fears. When he didn’t even crack a smile, she curled her hand around his. “Hey, millions of people suffer from migraines. I’m not the only one.”

“Have you ever had one come on while you were teaching a class? Or how about driving? Is it even safe for you to be doing that?”

“Of course it is.” She toned down the bite in her response, reminding herself he was asking because he cared. “And to answer your question, it’s only happened once. Most of my students have been with me for a while, so they know I suffer from migraines and understand if I have to excuse myself or cut a class short.”

He closed his eyes, tipping his head back. “Jesus, woman. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone stronger or more fearless than you, and I hang out with professional athletes who routinely get hit by ninety-seven mile-an-hour fastballs.”

Tenley loved that he thought of her that way, but if she was being completely honest with him and herself, she’d admit she walked around wearing a mask most of the time. She tried to be fearless. Every day she got up, looked herself in the mirror, and told herself she wouldn’t let that bastard win. He wouldn’t rob her of her freedom or the chance to live a normal life, but that was exactly what he was doing because as much as she’d grown to care for Rowan, she was still trying to keep him at arm’s length. That wasn’t fair to either of them.

“I hated feeling weak and scared,” she admitted, forcing herself to take another bite of the breakfast he’d so thoughtfully prepared. “And that’s exactly how I felt for a year after it happened. I was afraid of my own shadow. I looked around every corner, slept with the light on, and…” She reached for the small glass of orange juice and took a sip to coat her dry throat. “My gun under my pillow.”

“I don’t blame you for feeling that way,” he said quietly. “Anyone would.”

She loved that he didn’t judge her or try to take away her pain. He seemed to understand that he couldn’t, but he could help her just by listening when she needed to talk. “So one day I woke up and decided enough was enough. I wasn’t going to live that way anymore. He’d wasted too much of my life already. He wasn’t getting any more.”

“I admire that,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “And I understand it. I know that you don’t want to live the rest of your life worrying about what this guy may or may not do to you now that he’s a free man again. In fact, I spent most of the night thinking about just that.”

“Really?” To her surprise, she’d cleaned her plate by the time he took the tray from her with a satisfied smile. “And? Did you come to any conclusions?”

“Yeah, I did.” He set the tray on the floor before reaching for her hand. “I decided that I need to trust you. I need to trust your judgment and intuition. I need to believe that you’ll call me if you need me…” He frowned. “You will, won’t you?”

She framed his handsome face with her hands, knowing he needed the reassurance. “You’ll be the first one I call. I promise.”

“Okay,” he said, releasing a shaky breath. “Then I’m going to try to let this go. It won’t be easy because it scares the shit out of me when I think of something happening to you, but I’ll try to respect your boundaries.”

“My boundaries?” She thought that was a strange way of putting it, though she appreciated the sentiment.

“Yeah, whether you realize it or not, you’re not prepared to let anyone get too close. And I understand that now. I thought my ex did a number on me, but that was nothing compared to what yours did to you. It makes sense that you’d be a little gun-shy.” He grimaced when he realized what he’d said, swiping a hand over his face. “Poor choice of words, sorry.”

She laughed to let him know that he didn’t have to walk on eggshells around her. “You’re right.” She fisted her hand in his black T-shirt so she could pull him closer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she just held him for a minute, letting his strength reinforce hers. “I guess I didn’t realize I was so guarded until I met you. The other guys I’ve dated since Justin didn’t really matter, so I never questioned whether I was willing to let them in. I mean, sure, my last boyfriend—if you can call him that—cheated on me, but I honestly didn’t give a shit.”

Rowan chuckled, making her smile as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

“But with you, I want to let my guard down. I want to let you in. It may take a little time though. Are you okay with that?”

“Hell, I don’t care how much time it takes.” He outlined her heart with his fingertip, his head bowed as he watched his hand. “Just so long as you understand this is what I’m aiming for. Not part of it. All of it.”

Tenley feared he could see her heart pounding as his meaning settled in. He wanted her all in. Ready and willing to fall in love with him. Maybe not today or tomorrow. But eventually.

“Okay,” she whispered, sinking her hands into his hair as she drew him in for a kiss. “Understood.”

Since Tenley had a rare day off, she decided to tag along with Rowan and Ace to train. But she was shocked to see her brother walk in shortly after Rowan’s trainer started putting them through their paces.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, crossing her arms as Brant approached. “How did you even know I’d be here?” If he told her he was having her followed by one of his well-meaning cop friends, she was going to slap him upside the head.

“I texted Rowan earlier to ask if you guys wanted to meet for coffee, and he said you two were headed here.”

“So what? You’re friends with my boyfriend now?”

Brant grinned, nudging her shoulder with his as he watched two of his favorite ball players trying to outdo each other on the indoor track. “Is that what he is, sis? Your boyfriend?”

“Shut up. I don’t know what he is. Exactly.”

“But you want him to be your boyfriend?” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, shaking his head in disgust when her only response was a shrug. “It’s okay to admit it, you know. I’m pretty sure he wants the same thing.”

“I don’t like you meeting up with him and texting him behind my back. It makes me feel like you guys are conspiring to keep me under lock and key.”

“If only I could,” Brant muttered.

Something about the way he said that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “Have you heard anything?”

“No, and that’s what bothers me.” Brant said. “He’s been laying low ever since he got out. I can’t help but think that’s because he’s planning his next move and wants to catch us off guard.”

Her stomach roiled in protest as she considered the possibility that her brother might be right. “He’s been away a long time. Maybe he’s decided his freedom is more important than getting even with me.”

Because getting even with her was exactly what he’d promised to do as they led him out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Even if it was the last thing he ever did. Which meant he was willing to trade his life for the chance to make her pay. Or at least he had been back then. Maybe he’d changed. If she were the type to pray, she would have prayed for that.

“We can only hope,” Brant said, watching Rowan and Ace through the tempered glass as their trainer stood on the sidelines with a stopwatch. “But I want to hear more about you and Rowan. How’d you guys meet?”

“You mean he didn’t tell you?” She thought her brother would have fired questions like missiles when he and Rowan met.

“Rowan led with the most important business we had to discuss—your piece-of-shit ex. After that, he talked about his work and we watched a hockey game.”

“So a little male bonding, huh?”

Tenley wasn’t sure how she felt about Rowan getting so friendly with her brothers. She understood that they had a lot in common—namely their compulsive need to protect her—but if things went south with Rowan, could she trust her brothers to take her side? She knew when it really mattered, they’d always have her back, but they subscribed to this stupid “bro code” when it came to their buddies, and she could easily see Rowan becoming a part of their inner circle. Which would leave her out in the cold.

“Something like that.” His mouth tipped up in a half-smile. “I gotta say, the guy seems perfect for you. I don’t have to tell you that you have a hell of a lot in common.”

“I know.”

As she watched Rowan, the man who’d been the object of her fantasies more than a time or two before they met, she realized fate was either a cruel bitch for introducing her to a man she could never have or
she
had decided to make up for the unfortunate hand she’d been dealt in the parent department.

As her thoughts drifted to Mommie Dearest, she asked, “Have you heard from Mom lately?” That was code for “Has she hit you up for money this month?”

“No.” Brant folded his arms, scowling. “And I told her until she gets rid of that loser she’s dating, I don’t want to see or hear from her.”

The loser of the day was a registered sex offender who liked to hang around high schools and ogle the freshmen.
Mom sure knew how to pick them.
“How long do you think that’ll last?”

“Until she needs something.”

They all knew the drill. When their mom was down and out, which was usually the end of every month when the utility companies threatened to cut her off again, she called one of them, begging for mercy. She was smart though. She usually took turns so they couldn’t claim she was playing favorites.
Ha!

“I hear that,” Tenley said, her exhaustion with her routine bleeding through into her tone.

Brant put his arm around her neck and pulled her close as he kissed the top of her head. “Hey, so we got shitty parents. But at least we have each other, right?”

And she was beyond grateful for that. She didn’t know what the hell she’d do without her brothers.

“Yeah,” she said, tweaking his stomach before she pushed him away. Tenley loved to tease Brant about getting soft, especially since he worked out like a maniac and had that coveted eight-pack most men only dreamed about. “Now that you know all about my love life, what’s new with yours?”

Brant used his job as an excuse to keep women at a safe distance, claiming he couldn’t afford that kind of liability. If the motorcycles gangs he infiltrated or dealers he busted knew he had a pretty little wife or girlfriend waiting at home, she’d be a target. Anything to get even with him. But Tenley didn’t buy it. He had people in his life he loved, herself included, and no one had ever come after them to get even with Brant, so she assumed he was just full of it and didn’t want to be bothered putting time and energy into a relationship.

“Corrie is back in town,” he said.

She stared at him, trying to get a read on his emotions. Corrie was the girl he fell in love with in high school, but she’d gone away to college and left him reeling. Tenley wasn’t sure he’d ever really recovered from his one and only heartbreak.

“How do you know that? She called you?”

“Hell no.” His jaw was tight when he said, “I ran into her at the store. Apparently, she’s staying with her parents until she finds a place of her own.”

“So she’s back for good?” Corrie had been the big sister Tenley had always wanted, and she couldn’t deny she was excited about the prospect of her and Brant reconnecting.

“Yeah, apparently her marriage didn’t work out.” A ghost of a smile played across his lips before he said, “Isn’t that a shame?”

“I didn’t even know she was married.” She slapped his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Not something I like to talk about,” he said, staring ahead. “Or think about.”

“How did you find out?” She didn’t think her brother was the type of guy who kept tabs on his ex.

“Her parents told me.”

“You still keep in touch with her parents?” Tenley thought she knew everything there was to know about Brant and Walker, but they’d both been keeping secrets: Walker with his feelings for Stacey, and Brant with his connection to his ex’s family. What else were they hiding?

“Yeah, sure.” He shrugged. “They were like family when Corrie and I were dating. Why would I cut ties with them just ’cause she was stupid enough to marry some dirtbag who could never love her the way I did?”

Brant seemed as shocked by his claim as Tenley was because he muttered, “Gotta hit the john,” and walked away, leaving her staring after him wondering why she hadn’t realized before that her brother was still in love with his ex.

***

After a quick coffee at a local café, Brant bailed on them, claiming he had an errand to take care of before work.

“What’s wrong?” Rowan asked as Tenley watched her brother leave.

“He just told me his ex is back in town.”

“And?” Rowan asked, reaching for his water bottle. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Tenley thought about the girl she’d known. Corrie had loved Brant with all her heart, claimed she’d do anything for him. But that was a long time ago, and unlike Brant, she’d moved on with her life and presumably forgotten all about him.

“Corrie and Brant dated all through high school,” she explained. “She was a real sweetheart, and her parents loved Brant like he was their own son. He really needed that strong male influence in his life. Corrie’s dad was a cop, and I think that’s what made Brant decide to join the force.”