Everyone else had joined in laughing with Becky and Jenny.
“At least Kelly's not crazy like the rest of you,” Jenny said. “At least they won't be next to Julie and Ethan with their fifteen kids.”
“I will not reveal my sources,” Kyle answered Becky's question.
“Hey,” Julie snapped at Jenny. “We only have four and a half. Soon we'll have five.”
“You're having six,” Gavin said.
“Wait a minute,” Julie said, as she looked over at Ethan. “You blamed me for the twins. Kelly has them. Your niece has twins. It could have been your fault.”
“Keep trying, woman,” he said with a smile.
“I wasn't thinking about them being on both sides of your family,” Gavin said. “I will laugh so hard if you two have twins again. You gave me and Becky so much crap when we had the girls.”
“Enough about us,” Julie said. “It's Kelly's day. Get the attention back over there.”
Everyone was laughing and joking around. Kyle watched Jenny with his family and all of their friends. He pulled out his phone.
Kyle: Meet me at my house when we leave here. I missed our morning run.
Jenny: I did too.
Kyle: I'll put my key in your purse. I have to help my mom clean up a bit.
Jenny: I'm not going into your house without you there.
Kyle: Yes you are. Don't give me lip, woman. :-) You know where everything is. Turn on the stuff in basement if you want to play the games or sit and watch television. Whatever you want. There's soda in the fridge.
Kyle walked out of the room. He knew everyone was talking and wouldn't notice. Jenny's purse was right by the front door. He grabbed her keys and hooked his house key onto her ring. When he stood back up and turned around to go back to where they were all at, he jumped. John was standing in the doorway with a smile on his face.
“Not a word,” Kyle said. “Don't say anything to any of the guys or ladies, John.”
John just stood silent with a smirk on his face.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“I knew it,” John said.
“We're just friends. You knew nothing. If Gavin knew we were even friends, he'd be an ass about it. It didn't start until we were in Hawaii.”
“I won't say a word to anyone,” John said. “Wait a second. Was she the one your mom heard that day?”
Kyle let out a breath and nodded. John nodded before turning and walking back to join the others. He put his arm around Kyle's shoulder.
“Great job on the gift for your sister,” John said. “Is that all you have up your sleeve?”
Kyle laughed but didn't say a word, as he walked back into the room filled with laughing and chatter. His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Jenny: I forgot that I drove here with them. I'll leave as soon as I get home.
Kyle: Bring your swimsuit.
Jenny: What?
Kyle: We are getting in that hot tub. I need to relax. I'm not sure you really want to get in there naked. I wouldn't complain. I just wanted to give you the option.
Kyle heard her laugh from across the room.
“What was that about?” Becky asked.
“Sorry,” she said. “It was just a text from a friend of mine.”
“What's up with that?” Gavin asked. “You've been spending an awful lot of time away from the house lately. You've been laughing so damn loud at your desk too. I'm curious who these friends are.”
“How is that your business?” Ethan asked.
“I don't want anyone to hurt her,” Gavin said.
“That's not your place, brother,” Ethan said. “She's not your daughter. I feel so damn sorry for your kids when they grow up. Those poor girls are going to have to sneak around you.”
“Bullshit,” Gavin growled out. “I just care about her.”
“That's fine, but she's not your child. She's a friend and part of the family. I get that, but you need to back off a bit.”
Kyle wasn't sure if he should have appreciated that Ethan was sticking up for Jenny or if he should have been aggravated about it.
“I have to agree,” John said.
“Me too,” Becky said.
Kyle heard his phone buzz.
Jenny: These people are crazy.
He laughed as he typed another message. The guys were going back and forth with Gavin.
Kyle: You're right about that.
Kyle saw Becky looking at him. Then he saw Becky look over at Jenny as she checked her phone. He saw Becky's eyes go wide, as she turned to look back at him. He shook his head slightly and looked at her as if begging her to let it go. She had a smirk on her face. Then she stood up and looked at Gavin.
“I'm sure whoever her friend is, that she won't let them do anything to hurt her,” Becky said. “Come on, babe. We need to get the kids home. Are you ready, Jenny?”
“Yes,” she answered.
Before long, everyone was leaving. Kyle was still there helping his mom and John clean up. His sister pulled him aside and told him she appreciated the house but couldn't accept it. She knew she couldn't afford to pay for all of the utilities and someone to keep it up while she wasn't there. Kyle let her know again that she was to do nothing but enjoy it. He had it all taken care of. She would never have to pay a dime. He told her he'd even pay to fly her family there once a month. Kyle knew John offered Kelly money and everything she needed, but she wouldn't take it. She was just happy to have her father in her life. Kyle also knew that John would make sure she flew out as well.
John pulled Kyle outside to talk after Kelly and her family had left.
“Jenny,” John said.
“We're friends. She's been coming over on the weekends. Nothing has gone on between us. I've liked her since the day I met her. I'm not going to lie. Gavin's made sure to tell me over and over that I needed to stay away from her. She's never liked me like that. She got married and everything. It's been nice having someone to spend time with. We run together almost every morning. She meets me somewhere between Gavin's house and mine. She plays my games for hours at a time. I've even sat down and taught her some stuff. She likes to cook too. We've come up with some good shit together. It's nice to have a friend. She doesn't care about what I have or what we do. We haven't done one thing outside of my house. Don't say anything to my mom. She'll say something in front of her or Gavin that will ruin it. Jenny's an amazing woman, John. I care about her a lot. She'll never know that.”
“Maybe she will,” John said. “I think she's liked you as long as you've liked her.”
“She married another man,” Kyle said.
“That doesn't mean anything, Kyle. You're mom married another man too. Was she happy? I know that man is your dad. I'm not saying anything bad about him. I'm just saying that I loved her the entire time. Even when I didn't know where she was or who she was with. You can't help who you fall for, son. Don't judge her just because of that. I've seen that girl look at you with that look in her eyes.”
Kyle thought about what John said his entire drive home. It was pretty late by the time he finished helping his mom. When he walked in the door, he couldn't see Jenny, but he heard the television. He walked into the living room, and his heart melted when he looked down at the couch. She had a blanket on and had fallen asleep leaning on her hand. He knew she was beautiful, but seeing her like that made him see it even more. Kyle scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs to the guest room. He covered her up and looked down at her, as he thought about what it would be like for her to snuggle up in his bed instead of the guest bed.
He turned everything off and went to his room. Kyle showered and changed into a pair of sweats. He'd just gotten under the covers and was sitting against the headboard when he heard a soft knock on his door. She opened the door and looked in with sleepy eyes.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said.
Kyle pulled back the covers, and she crawled in beside him.
“I've been home long enough to shower. I didn't mean to be gone so long. My mom had a ton of things she wanted me to do. You know how it is. I carried you up to bed.”
“I don't know how it is,” she said in a sad tone.
“Shit! I didn't mean that,” he said nervously.
“I know,” she said.
Kyle put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. He could feel her breath on his chest and his cock instantly twitched. There was no way he wanted her to notice.
“It's really late. Why don't you just stay here tonight? You can call Becky if you want. I don't want you driving home this late.”
“Are you sure it's okay?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. “I like spending time with you. I don't want you to leave.”
Jenny got out of bed and came back a few minutes later.
“I sent her a text. She answered okay and never asked anything. That seems strange,” she said.
Kyle was pretty sure Becky knew where Jenny was but he didn't say anything. She scooted right back in where she was before. Her cheek was against his chest.
“Thank you for being my friend, Kyle. I've really enjoyed spending time with you. You have no idea how much it means to me.”
Kyle was shocked by her words.
“What happened with your husband?” he asked.
He couldn't keep thinking about it. He had to ask.
“You don't have to tell me. I was just wondering,” he said when he felt her body tense.
“He was a jerk. We never belonged together. I went out with him to make one of my friends happy. Then we all went out as a group. I guess I didn't want to be left out, so I continued to go when he would ask me. After some time, I just got used to being around him. I like to stay home. He liked to go out. I never said anything when he went out with his friends. It never really bothered me that he wasn't with me. I knew deep down that we didn't belong together, but I was comfortable. I can't explain it. He never wanted to talk about my day and never really showed me much affection. We just kind of were. Anyway, when he asked me to marry him, I accepted. I'm not really sure why honestly. After we said I do, he started being an ass. It was different than before. He would say things that weren't nice. He'd point out each of my flaws. If something wasn't the way he wanted, he'd bitch and then leave. I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't happy. I was never really happy. I didn't have anywhere to go. We were living in my house. I put up with his shit because I wasn't sure what to do. When I walked in on him fucking someone else, I lost it. Gavin found out I filed for divorce, and Becky asked me to move in with them. He went with me to get my things. He paid for my divorce. I am paying him back though. He gets mad each time I give him money, but he gets that I need to do it.”
“Why would you give the guy your house?” Kyle asked.
“I'd been in the house for only a few months before we met. The most I was out was the initial chunk of money and the payments I had made. He planned to fight for it, and I wanted rid of him and the reminder of us as soon as I could. I gave him the house in exchange for an instant divorce. We didn't have to go to court and drag it out for months. Gavin was pissed that I'd done it, but I didn't care. There was no way I wanted to live there once he was gone anyway. It was the biggest mistake of my life. You said you were shocked that I got married. What did you mean by that?”
“I was just surprised. It was no big deal really,” Kyle answered.
“Oh,” she said, as she pulled away a bit.
“Why did you marry him?” Kyle asked.
“I thought I could learn to love him,” she said. “My friends were getting married, and there wasn't anyone else that even seemed interested in me. Part of me felt pressured. It's hard to explain.”
Kyle kept his arm around her and turned on the television. He put on a movie and kept her close. There was no way he wanted her to move from his arms.
Chapter 22
Jenny
When Jenny opened her eyes, she felt something hard behind her back. She looked down to see Kyle's arm around her. Slowly, she slipped out of his hold and looked at him. He was so handsome and sexy. The stubble on his face looked like it was three days old, but she knew it wasn't. They were watching a movie and must have fallen asleep. It was the best sleep she'd had in at least a year. She opened a drawer quietly and grabbed a t-shirt. Then she opened the next one and pulled out a pair of running shorts that had a string so she could tighten them. She walked quietly into his bathroom and changed out of her clothes from the day before and into his.
She was making breakfast with the radio on low and was dancing around the kitchen. The bacon was on, and she was deep in thought as she looked out the window. Being around Kyle made her happy. It was the happiest she'd ever been. They were getting along better than she thought they could. Jenny thought about telling him how she felt and that she had been attracted to him for so long, but she didn't want to risk scaring him off and losing his friendship.
“It smells amazing in here.”
Jenny jumped with a yelp and turned.
“Shit!” he whispered.
She noticed his eyes move down and back up her body at the same time hers did on him. He had on sweats. That was all. His bare chest was on display. It was hard being around him sometimes, she thought. She quickly turned back to the stove.
“We fell asleep watching that movie. I didn't want to wake you up. I hope you don't mind, but I grabbed some of your clothes.”
“That's fine,” he said. “What can I help with?”
“Coffee,” she said.
He made them each coffee while she finished breakfast. Their morning picked up like the rest of that month. Everything seemed perfect.
They spent the entire day at his house. The best part for her was his hot tub. It felt so good on her skin, and she loved looking out at his yard. At one point, he was leaning over the side, and she swam up behind him, put her arms around him, and pointed to the woods. There was a baby deer standing there. It looked like it was staring right at them.
Jenny had opened up to him about her ex and about her family. She hadn't done that with anyone else. Something about him was so safe and comforting to her. It felt good to have someone to talk to. She noticed Kyle telling her little pieces of his life as well.
Before she knew it, she needed to go home and get sleep for work the next day. Days with him seemed to fly by. They never ran out of things to talk about or things to do. She really could imagine being friends with him for a very long time. A huge part of her wanted to take the leap and tell him how she felt, but she couldn't do it.
Jenny wore his shorts and t-shirt home that night. She thought for sure everyone at Gavin and Becky's would be asleep. Her intention was to go straight to her room and catch up on sleep. As soon as she opened the front door, she heard the television. She was on her way by the living room when he called out.
“Jenny,” Gavin called.
“Yes,” she said.
“Come watch this show with us. You'll be laughing so hard.”
Jenny walked into the room. As soon as Becky and Gavin looked up at her, the television went quiet.
“I take it that your friend is definitely a guy or a girl that dresses in guys clothes,” he said.
“Listen, Gavin,” she said. “I know that you care. I appreciate that. My friend is a guy. We are just friends. We've been hanging out for the last month. I promise you that he has all good intentions. Believe me, I know. I've given him every opportunity there is to make a move, and he hasn't done it. He doesn't like me like that. I will be honest with you. I would love to be more than friends with him. He's a great guy, but it's not like that. Please know that I am safe and careful.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“If he's an ass, I'll hurt him.”
“I know,” she said. “Thank you for that.”
“Are you sure he doesn't want more?” Becky asked.
“Yes,” Jenny answered. “I've known the guy for years. He's not interested.”
Becky shook her head and smiled.
“What?” Jenny asked.
“Nothing,” Becky said. “Get some sleep. You running in the morning?”
“Of course,” Jenny answered.
She saw the look in Becky's eyes and wasn't giving her another second to question her.
“I'm going to bed,” she said before hurrying off.
Becky was too smart sometimes, Jenny thought. She wasn't giving her the opportunity to figure out who exactly she was talking to.
Chapter 23
Kyle
The next month went by quickly. Ethan was staying away from the office more and more and Kyle was completely in charge. He found himself busier than ever. Between meetings in the office and flying out to see clients, he felt like he was barely around. He also flew to Hawaii for three days, but everyone thought he was at a business meeting in Florida. He needed a minute to breathe and wanted to check on a few things.
Jenny was over every weekend. She had taken the guest room next to his room over. He'd walk into the room and look around when she wasn't there. She had a toothbrush, some brushes, some clothes, and even some shoes there. On the weekends, she'd come over on Friday night and leave on Sunday. During the week, they would meet up each morning that he was in town and run. He worried about her the mornings he wasn't there. When he asked her not to run without him, she laughed.
“I've been running alone since I was fifteen. I'm not about to stop now. With you around, I don't do it often, but I'm still going to do it. I'm a big girl, Kyle.”
He couldn't help but worry about her. Kyle worried about something happening to her when he wasn't there. She didn't understand, and she never would. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, but he didn't want to lose her.
The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) Page 10