“It's really late,” he said.
“You didn't have to stay up to tell me that, Gavin,” she said. “I was at a friend's, and we lost track of time.”
“If you're seeing someone, I just want you to tell me. I'll try not to stick my nose in it. I just worry about you. There's no way I want you with a jerk like Jim again. I should have seen through his assholeness, and I didn't.”
“It was just a friend,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate that you care, but I had a great night. I'm fine, Gavin. I won't be that stupid twice.”
“Be careful,” he said. “When you do start dating again.”
“I will.”
Jenny turned to walk to her room.
“You seem really happy,” he said.
“I am,” she said with a smile before disappearing.
She changed quickly before falling into bed for the second night in a row. With a smile on her face, she opened a text.
Jenny: I'm home. Dad was waiting by the door. I'm not kidding. He scared the shit out of me.
Kyle: What did he say?
Jenny: He just asked where I was and told me to be careful. He said he feels bad for not knowing my ex was an ass.
Jenny noticed that Kyle didn't answer her right away, and she couldn't help but wonder why.
Kyle: Gavin was an ass when it came to you long before your ex.
Jenny: What?
Kyle: Nothing. Sorry. I'm just tired. I'll talk to you later. Have fun on your run.
Jenny: If I go, your ass is going with me.
Kyle: Is that an offer?
Jenny: No way. I'm too tired. Goodnight. Thank you so much for today. I don't remember the last time I had that much fun.
Kyle: Probably your wedding. Goodnight.
Jenny had a nervous feeling in her stomach when she read that last text. It wasn't the first time he'd brought up her marriage. She stayed in bed and looked up at the ceiling but couldn't fall asleep.
Her alarm went off not long after she finally fell asleep. She hurried through her morning routine and was on her way to work without any interruption. When she got to her desk, Gavin wasn't in his office yet. She hadn't even looked to see if he was home. He didn't have any meetings scheduled the first half of the day, and she felt relieved. She looked around and jotted down some of the places she wanted to look at apartments. Then she put her head down on her desk to relax for just a minute.
“Hey, beautiful,” she heard, and her head shot up from the desk.
In front of her stood Ethan and Kyle. Ethan had a huge smirk on his face.
“You look sleepy. Late night last night?” he asked.
“I was at a friend's house and didn't get as much sleep as I'm used to,” she said.
Jenny quickly moved her fingers through her hair to make sure she wasn't a total mess. She just hoped there weren't marks on her face from her arms or anything.
“What is it with you kids?” Ethan asked. “Kyle looked like shit this morning too. He was cooking last night. I'm thinking he had a sexy woman over, but he won't fess up. I just keep hearing it was a friend. I can't remember him ever cooking for a guy, so I can only assume his friend was a woman. What were you and your friend doing?”
“What is it with you guys?” she asked. “Gavin was waiting by the damn door when I got home. Don't you have a cranky pregnant wife to worry about?”
Kyle looked down at Jenny, but there was no smile on his face.
“Is Gavin here?” Kyle asked.
“No,” she said. “He doesn't have a meeting until after lunch. I'm assuming he isn't coming in until then.”
“Was he home when you left this morning?” he asked.
“I didn't look,” she said.
“Punk,” Ethan said. “I'll be back in a minute. I'm going to go talk to one of his guys.”
Ethan walked away, and Jenny looked up at Kyle.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Perfect,” he said. “I'll be outside. Can you please let him know if he comes looking for me.”
Kyle walked away, and Jenny was out of her chair in seconds. She grabbed his arm as he walked down the hallway. He turned quickly and looked at her.
“Yes,” he said.
“Does your attitude have something to do with my wedding?” she asked.
“No,” he said.
“Does it have something to do with Ethan?”
“No,” he said.
“What's with the stick up your ass then? You go from hot to cold with me in seconds. What's your deal?”
Kyle took a deep breath in and back out without a word. His hand went up and ran through his hair.
“It's nothing,” he said. “It is none of my business.”
“What is?” she asked.
Ethan walked up just as Kyle opened his mouth. Kyle looked her in the eye, shook his head, turned, and walked away.
Jenny went back to her desk and moved her phone nervously from one hand to the next.
“Was that Ethan and Kyle leaving?” she heard Gavin ask from around the corner.
Jenny quickly set her phone down to answer Gavin. She knew he'd want fresh coffee and to go over his schedule for the day.
“Yes,” she said. “I'm not sure what they wanted. He just said to tell you they were here.”
As soon as Gavin was set for the day, Jenny sat at her desk and her mind wondered on everything that had to do with Kyle. Hours had gone by and she hadn't heard from him. She didn't realize how much that vacation and the two days that followed had changed things for her. He was a great guy, and she found herself missing him. She couldn't help it. She had to text him.
Jenny: Busy day?
He never answered. She went home after work, ate dinner, and sat in her room reading. Becky had asked her questions when they were alone but let it drop when Jenny didn't say much. Just as Jenny felt her eyes closing, she heard the buzz of her phone and jumped.
Kyle: I had a few meetings. How was yours?
Jenny: Are you mad at me?
Kyle: Why would you ask that?
Jenny: You seemed like it when you were at the office today.
Kyle: I just have a lot of my mind. I'm sorry about that.
Jenny: Like what? Maybe I can help.
Kyle: I doubt it. Did you miss me tonight? Nobody to keep you out late?
Jenny: I did actually. I'm already in bed. The last two days were really nice. Thank you for letting me see your house and for showing me just a tiny bit of what you do. I really had a great time. It made me realize that I need to get out more.
Kyle: You can come over anytime you want. Who knows, maybe you can learn what we do, and we can steal you away from the competition. Can I ask you something? It's not really any of my business. I was just curious.
Jenny: Be careful what you offer. I'm not sure you'd want me at your house every day playing your games. What did you want to ask?
Kyle: Have you and Ethan ever dated or anything?
Jenny: No way. Why would you ask that?
Kyle: Nevermind.
Jenny: I know why you're asking. Years ago, before you even moved here, Becky and Julie came to the office to see Gavin. He was in the conference room with Ethan. I joked with Becky and said something about Ethan being cute. I didn't know he was with Julie. She was pissed. It became a joke between the three of us. He knows about it. Julie jokes about giving him to me when she's mad at him. There was never anything between us. I love watching him and Julie together. They're so happy.
Kyle: I shouldn't have asked. I just thought it was strange that she was saying stuff in Hawaii and you were laughing about it.
Jenny: You can ask anything you want. I have nothing to hide. My life is pretty quiet and boring. I made a stupid mistake once, and now I'm trying to get it back on track. Other than that, I work, run, read, and relax. I have to run triple tomorrow morning. Do you have plans?
Kyle: Before work?
Jenny: Yes.
Kyle: You sure you want to r
un with me again?
Jenny: Of course.
Kyle: Since you've driven here twice, I'll meet you where you run over there.
They went on to make plans to meet in the morning at a park not too far away from Gavin and Becky's and the subject of Ethan was dropped. Jenny couldn't wait to go to sleep so she could see him.
She was up and ready early the next morning. Kyle was already at the park waiting when she pulled up. They talked and walked for a bit before setting off on their run. She liked having someone next to her, even if they both had their music on. It was nice not being there alone.
By the time they finished, they were both sweating and in need of showers. She could not stop checking him out and hoped he hadn't noticed. There was no way she wanted to chase him away. It was the best run she'd had in a long time.
Jenny went to work with the biggest smile. She could feel it stretch across her face. Gavin was already there when she got there. She knew he was gone when she'd gone home to shower after her run. They went over his schedule for the day, and he gave her a list of things he needed her to do. She was on her way out of his office when he called her back in.
“Yes,” she said.
“You seem different. I don't remember ever seeing you this happy. What's with the change?” he asked.
“I'm just happy,” she said. “I'm ready to move on am looking forward to the future. I want to make some new friends and have fun for a bit.”
“Tell me if you ever need anything,” he said.
“I will,” she answered.
“It's nice to see you happy.”
She walked out to her desk and sat down. Kyle was the reason she was so happy. She looked down at her phone and smiled seeing a new text from him.
Chapter 21
Kyle
The next three weeks were busy for Kyle. He was working on getting his sister's birthday gift situated in time. He'd also had some meetings with new clients. He was taking on more and more each week and was happy Ethan was finally pulling back.
Jenny had met him every morning, and they had gotten into a running routine. Some days they met closer to his house and others closer to hers. He really liked that he had someone to run with. There were still times he wanted to run alone, but they were happening less and less.
She'd come over to his house on the weekends to hang out. They spent a lot of time in the basement playing the games, and she'd asked several times if he'd show her more. He was surprised that she was still picking things up quickly and had actually finished a very small, simple game. She sat in front of the laptop for hours without mentioning getting up. He never pressured her and even suggested taking breaks. She seemed to really like what he was showing her.
His kitchen was stocked with food, so they either ordered food or cooked. She'd offered to cook for him, but he didn't let that happen. Kyle liked when they cooked together. They took turns choosing what they would make. Kyle knew they'd both learned a few new things. The food was delicious every time. They sat and talked while they ate in the dining room and would move into the living room to watch movies. They took turns choosing those as well.
By the third weekend, she was at his house the entire time. She'd go home to sleep, but they'd meet up again in the morning for their run. She'd even showered at his house a time or two. They were really building a great friendship. He was happy to see her getting comfortable enough around him to get a drink or grab food without asking. She thought nothing of grabbing a blanket and pillow to relax during a movie. He could tell she was relaxing more and more, and he was the same way with her. Kyle enjoyed having someone around to spend time with. He looked forward to seeing her and made sure to get as much as he could done at work during the week so he could spend time with her on the weekends. He'd even stopped thinking about the fact that he liked her before. Any awkward feelings he had about the past were gone. He was enjoying his time with her as friends.
It was Friday night, and she'd just left his house. His sister's birthday party was the next day, and he was hoping she'd be so happy when she got his present. All he could think about was Hawaii and how much he enjoyed being there. He'd worked hard to have everything in order to give her his present on time. Kelly was an amazing sister, and she deserved so much happiness. He was waiting for Jenny to text him to let him know she was home and was a little concerned that it was taking longer than normal. Kyle was worried he'd fall asleep before hearing from her, so he picked up the phone and called her.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Hey,” he said. “You're usually home by now. I was worried, so I thought I'd call. I hope you don't mind.”
“Hold on one second,” she said.
He heard her talking away from the phone but wasn't sure what she was saying.
“Okay,” she finally said. “Sorry about that. Guess where I've been invited?”
“Where?” he asked.
“To your parents' house tomorrow,” she said. “I tried to say no, but Becky and Gavin kept insisting that I go. I hope you don't mind.”
“Why would I mind?” he asked. “It's my sister's birthday.”
“Maybe I can get out of it in the morning.”
“Go,” he said. “They all love you. You'll have fun. I'm sure my mom and John will cook something good.”
“You sure you don't mind?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “Of course not.”
They hung up the phone. Kyle wasn't going running in the morning. They'd already talked about that. He was supposed to go over his mom and John's to help her with whatever she needed for the party.
Kyle had everything he needed as he headed out the following morning. He helped his mom before sitting down with John to watch a game on television.
“So,” John said. “You've been pretty busy lately.”
“I have,” was all Kyle said.
“Anything new?” John asked.
“Nope,” Kyle answered. “Just hanging out with friends.”
“Your mom said you had a girl over a few weeks ago.”
“I did,” Kyle said. “She's a friend of mine.”
Sandy yelled out for Kyle to come and help her with something. He was happy to get out of his conversation with John. He helped her until the first family arrived. Sandy had it set up so that Kelly and her family would arrive last. It was kind of a surprise, except they knew she wouldn't miss all the cars in the driveway.
Ethan and his crew were the first to arrive. Kyle went out to help bring the kids in. He knew Julie was still feeling kind of rough. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Then he grabbed their little girl and carried her into the house. Sandy had toys all around the living room for the younger kids to play with and a television with a game system in the other room for the older ones. Josh and Lisa arrived with their kids at the same time as Heath and Tara with theirs. Gavin and Becky showed up with their kids last. Jenny was with them.
As soon as she walked into the house, she looked over at Kyle and smiled. He nodded to her before showing the kids where they could play. There was definitely a slight tension in the air. It seemed like each time he even looked in her direction, Gavin was watching him.
Becky quickly pulled Jenny with her to go talk to all of the ladies. Kyle offered them all drinks and laughed when they joked about him being their waiter. He let them know quickly that they could get their own if they wanted.
Kelly finally showed up with her husband and kids. She seemed genuinely surprised and happy about the party. Dinner went perfectly. There was so many people that they were eating everywhere. Kyle made sure to check on Jenny a few times without anyone noticing. They had cake and ice cream and sang to his sister. He loved seeing her happy. Her life really had gotten so much better when the truth was revealed about her dad. She'd finally gotten the life she'd deserved that his father hadn't even attempted to give her. John brought her presents out and her kids helped her open them. She'd gotten a ton of clothes and jewelry and
loved all of it.
Once all of the ladies were done talking about her gifts, Kyle handed her a card. She opened it and the room went quiet while she read it. When she looked up at Kyle, she had a picture in her hand that she'd gotten from inside the card and a confused look on her face.
“I don't understand,” she said.
Kyle took a step toward her, reached into the pocket of his jeans, and pulled out a set of keys. Then he reached over and handed them to her.
“How?” she asked.
“You needed your own,” he said. “You're making me nervous. Please tell me you're happy.”
“I can't,” she said.
“You can,” he said. “I have someone taking care of it when you're not there. I'm taking care of everything. All you have to do is enjoy it.”
“Really?” she asked with tears streaming down her face.
Kyle nodded. She jumped from her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Happy Birthday, sis,” he said. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Kyle.”
“I'm going to watch the kids for a weekend so you and Eric can go alone.”
“What are the keys for?” Sandy asked.
Kelly handed the picture over to Sandy.
“Seriously?” Sandy asked.
Becky took the picture from Sandy's hand and looked down at it. Then she burst into laughter and looked up at Jenny. She handed it to Jenny, and she burst out in laughter as well.
“What's so funny?” Kyle asked.
“You tell him,” Becky said.
“When we were in Hawaii, I was talking to Becky about the house that was for sale. We were joking that the poor people who moved in would only have one house between them and all of you crazies.”
Jenny was trying her best to talk through her giggles.
“You know what this means?” Becky asked Kyle.
He shook his head.
“There's no buffer between all of us and the poor, unsuspecting people that buy that huge house. They won't know what hit them when we all show up at once. The house you bought Kelly wasn't for sale when we were there. How did you get it?”
The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) Page 9