And he accused her of being impatient.
When their eyes met across the room, a rush of blood pooled through his body settling below his waist. Not good timing.
Shuffling his feet, he fluffed up the salad, wiped up a spot of dressing on the table, and handed the rag to Michael. “I’ll be right back.”
He crossed the room and introduced himself to Gary and Nate. “Thank you for your service.”
“Thank you for your food. Hell, Nate’s been yapping his gums for the past four hours; there’s probably nothing left by now. He’s always been a yacker when a pretty girl is in the room.”
“There’s plenty of food. Would you like some help?”
“That’s why I’m here.” Jenna rubbed Gary’s back. “Dad said they could use some help since a buffet is kind of hard for some.”
Tristan scratched the back of his neck. He wished they would have said something to him about it. He could have made a plated lunch for the same price.
“I can help as well. Let’s get in line before Frank takes the last of the shrimp.”
“It pays to be friendly with the chef, huh, Jenna?” Nate asked from his wheelchair.
Tristan liked this, liked this too much, everyone knowing Jenna was his. Or rather that he was hers. All she had to do was snap her fingers, and he’d come running. He’d cater to her every need.
They went about the room asking the more disabled veterans if they needed help. When everyone was served, Tristan pulled Jenna aside, wishing he had a private corner to talk to her.
To kiss her.
“So this is a nice surprise.” He looped his hand around her braid and draped it over her shoulder.
“I thought I’d visit my dad.” She didn’t do coy well. That was fine with him.
“I thought you had to work.”
Her green eyes darkened, turning a shade darker matching her shirt. She toyed with the button on his collared shirt. “Honey said it would be slow and sent me home.”
“Just like that?”
“I may have mentioned a lunch appointment.”
“Appointment?”
“It’s not exactly a date.”
“It can be.”
“Don’t you have an early brunch tomorrow?”
Tristan sighed and lowered his forehead to hers, not caring about the hundred pair of eyes that could be on them. He wanted everyone to know he and Jenna were back together again.
“I do. Which means no late night shenanigans for us.”
“I could always help.”
“I hardly think seeing you in my kitchen working by my side is going to help.”
“You’re saying I can’t cook?”
“I’m saying I can’t cook if you’re too close to me.”
Jenna lifted her head, and another mischievous smile sparkled in her eyes. “Breakfast was good.”
“Breakfast could have been better if I had more time.”
“Is this about me being impatient again?”
He chuckled. “No. It’s about me being distracted.”
“You weren’t distracted this morning.”
He raised a brow. “I was.”
“So tell me how breakfast could have been better. Minus the real maple syrup.”
Tristan grabbed her hand and drew her further away from the table, closer to the back door.
“First, I would have fresh strawberries.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “And whipped cream.”
“You know how much I love whipped cream.” Her voice, deep and husky, stirred another reaction in him.
“I would have taken those strawberries and—”
“Excuse me. Do you have any more corn chowder left?”
They jumped apart, and Tristan turned to assist the man. By the time he returned from the kitchen, Jenna had left to sit with her father.
He didn’t have another chance to talk with her until he’d cleaned up and packed away the dishes.
“So I was thinking,” he said, nibbling her lips as they stood by his van.
“Oh? What were you thinking?” She leaned into him, and he forced his hands to stay at her waist instead of sliding under her coat to grab her butt. She had no idea what those yoga pant things did to him.
“I was thinking, or rather, hoping, you could give me a ride back to my place. Maybe see how it goes with you helping me out in the kitchen.”
She tucked her hands in his back pockets and rocked her hips forward. “That sounds lovely, but what are you going to do with your vehicle?”
“Michael and I drove up together. He could get a head start. Maybe by the time we get there, he’ll have all the dishes done.”
“Why is it going to take us so long to get back?” She squeezed his ass, and he took a deep breath to calm himself so he wouldn’t attack her in the parking lot. Michael would be coming out of the building any minute. The last thing Tristan needed was to explain to his employee why he had a beautiful woman pinned underneath him in the back of the work van.
“I figured we’d take the scenic route.”
“Uh huh.” She laughed.
“And stop here and there to make out.”
She laughed again, the sound working its way into his heart. Hell. Who was he kidding? Her laugh, her smile, her touch didn’t need to work a way to his heart. Every little piece of her had ingrained itself into him. She owned him. She was in him. Forever.
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Let me tell Michael, then we can go.” He kissed her before jogging back inside. He found Michael talking with a group of vets and asked him if he minded driving.
“Not at all.” Michael took the keys and shook a few hands before leaving.
Tristan thanked the men for their service and hoped he wouldn’t get caught in a long conversation with them.
His ringing cell phone saved him. Excusing himself from the group, he stepped aside to take the call.
His mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Were you hoping I wouldn’t hear you were in town?”
Yes, yes he was. It was terrible of him, but he didn’t have much time between jobs and wanted to spend the few minutes he had with Jenna. Telling his mother that would go over as well as a celiac dining on a plate of whole wheat spaghetti.
“I don’t have time for a social visit. I catered a luncheon at the VA home and need to prep for an early brunch tomorrow.”
“Five minutes to check in on your single, disabled mother is too much to ask, I suppose.”
“I drove up with one of my employees.” It was the truth. Mostly.
“So you’re embarrassed to introduce him to your mother? You’d be more approachable to your staff if they saw you actually love your mother.”
Tristan scrubbed his free hand over his face. If she didn’t enjoy laying on the guilt he’d appreciate her more. “I promise a long visit soon, Mom. I really need to get back to the kitchen.”
A warm hand stroked his arm. “I wouldn’t mind stopping to see your mom. It’s been a long time.”
This was the reunion he was avoiding. He needed to have a long, long, loooong talk with his mother before bringing Jenna back into her life. There were secrets his mom kept for him and had threatened for years to leak.
To say his mother held animosity against Jenna was putting it mildly. She blamed her for all her problems.
There was some legitimacy to it, but casting blame and hate would not help heal his mother and would only set Jenna back. Back to a dark place he never wanted to see her again.
He caressed her cheek and shook his head. “We don’t need to,” he whispered to her.
“Who is that?” his mother whined from the other end of the line.
“No one.”
Jenna stepped back, her jaw dropping to the floor. Shit. She heard his mother’s question. When she turned to leave, he latched onto her wrist. She pulled hard, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Mom, I’m with Jenna.”
The silence on her end
said it all. He didn’t care as much about his mother’s reaction as he did Jenna’s to his comment about her being no one. Insecurity clouded her blue-green eyes, her frown etched in disappointment. Hurt.
“Why the hell would you be with the woman who—”
“Mom.” He cut her off, his gaze glued to Jenna. “We’ve been seeing each other again.” No. Not good enough. She lowered her eyes and relaxed her arm so she wasn’t pulling away from him, but the distance in her body language spoke loud enough. He’d hurt her by making their relationship sound insignificant.
“I love her, Mom.” Jenna’s head snapped up, her eyes big and round. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to win her back and show her how much she means to me.” He dropped her wrist and moved closer to her.
His mother’s gasp was followed by a muted curse. “You’re choosing her over me. Again.”
“I’m not choosing anyone over anyone. I love you both.” He reached out and stroked Jenna’s cheek and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “Like I said before, I have another job I have to prep for. I’ll make some time next week to come visit. I love you, Mom, but I gotta go.”
Tristan slid his phone in his pocket and cupped his hands behind Jenna’s neck. “I’m sorry about my mom.”
“She’s never liked me.”
“That’s not true.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Not entirely true,” he corrected.
“Mostly.”
“I’m never going to pick between you two.”
“I’ve never asked you to.”
Exactly. “You’re too good for me, Jenna.
She blinked rapidly, then the most gorgeous smile took over her face before she tugged at his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you too.”
Damn. The four most perfect words she could say. He’d let those words slip a few times, but this was the first time she said them back. Maybe they could have the happily ever after he’d been dreaming of for fifteen years.
“And family is important. We’re stopping in to see your mom on the way home.”
Tristan froze. Shit. Not now. Not yet. His mom was already upset about them being back together. It was too fresh. He couldn’t let her say anything to Jenna. If she did, he’d lose Jenna forever.
And he didn’t think he’d ever recover from losing her twice.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Tristan was unusually quiet as Jenna drove. Not five minutes ago he said he loved her. And a few seconds before that he’d told his mom she was no one. Why he wanted to hide their new relationship from his mother was odd. Granted, Arlene had always been an odd duck herself.
When Tristan first introduced Jenna to her back in high school, his mother had been kind, if not a braggart about her son. It was cute how much she doted on him. As a single mother, Tristan was her everything. Jenna could totally understand that.
As their relationship grew and they spent more and more time together, she could sense his mother’s resentment. His mother was lonely, and Jenna felt bad. Tristan had always wanted to hang at her house so they could have more privacy.
Not that there was much. Danny looked up to Tristan like he was some sort of god and hung around them all the time. Having alone time was a scarcity. Thinking back, she now understood why their parents were hesitant to let two teenagers alone for very long.
She passed the onramp for the turnpike and continued east.
“Where are you going?”
“You can give your mom five minutes. It’ll make her day. She sounded really upset on the phone.” She couldn’t make out every word, but her tone and volume were higher than normal.
Well, what was normal years and years ago. After the accident and when she’d returned from the hospital, Jenna had cut everyone out of her life. No visits from friends, no stopping by to see her mother-in-law, and eventually she even cut out Tristan.
Those weeks and months after losing Anna were a blur. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even spoken to Arlene. She was in the hospital as well, a victim from the same accident, with a broken hip and messed up knee and had needed months of physical therapy.
The only moments Jenna had alone were when Tristan brought his mother to her appointments, and she realized she liked being alone better than being with him, which was when she moved back into her parents’ home.
“She’s having a rough time right now and has been ... moody. I don’t want her to ruin what we’ve got going on.”
“Yeah?” She flashed him a grin. “What exactly do we have going on?” She ran her hand up his thigh, chuckling when he growled.
“You can’t distract me with your hands.”
“No?” She slid her hand higher until she reached his crotch. “I beg to differ.”
“Jenna,” he growled again.
Laughing at how easy he was to get going, she returned her hand to the wheel. “If your mother is having a hard time, then you definitely need to visit her. You’re all she has.”
“I know.” Instead of sounding sympathetic, Tristan’s voice had an edge of worry.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s been living on disability since the accident.”
“Seriously? How didn’t I know this?” He didn’t need to answer her question. She didn’t know because she chose not to know about anything connected to Tristan. “Is she mobile?”
“Yes.” He shifted in his seat and ran his hands up and down his thighs in what seemed like a nervous gesture. “She’s a ... recluse. She’s gained a lot of weight and has used the accident as an excuse to be ... well, to be a victim.”
Another victim of Tristan’s carelessness. Between Jenna and Arlene’s guilty treatment they’d been laying on him for so many years, it was a wonder he turned out so ... wonderful. He lived with regret and sorrow for the accident, and now was time to forgive.
Jenna flicked on her blinker and turned on to Chestnut Road. Even though it had been a long time since she’d driven down it, the road was still familiar. Small one and two bedroom bungalows built closely together.
The front patch of lawn could be mowed with three or four passes. The backyards weren’t much bigger and looked into the neighbor’s yard. It was a section of affordable housing not much different from her neighborhood, only these homes were more rundown and not well cared for.
“She’s still holding it over your head? The accident? I can’t imagine it’s been good for your relationship.” She pulled into his driveway and shut off the engine.
Tristan turned away from her and stared out the window. “Maybe you should stay in the car.”
“Not a chance. You’ve been caring for her all alone and need support of your own.” Maybe if Arlene saw how Jenna had forgiven Tristan, she could too. She unbuckled and hopped out of her car before he could argue. She waited for him at the bottom of the rotting step to the front door.
“Jenna.” He placed his hands on her hips. “Please. Can you wait out here? I’ll check on her and make sure she’s okay.”
“Oh.” Realization set in. “Is it a pride thing? Does she not want me to see her this way? She should know I’m the least judgmental person there is. My father has worked for the sanitation department for over thirty years. My mother is a receptionist. I grew up poor as well. If either one of them went on disability—”
“Are you coming in sometime today?” Arlene’s voice bellowed from the open doorway.
Tristan closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. “Let’s keep this short.” He took her hand and helped her up the step, holding the front door open for her. “Hi, Mom.”
“No food for me today?” She huffed and with the help of a cane, waddled back to the couch.
Jenna tried to not make her sympathy—or was it pity—too obvious. Arlene had gained at least a hundred pounds and wore a ratty, stained t-shirt and black stretch pants. She’d bet her hair hadn’t seen a stylist in years. Gray, straggly, and greasy, it hung past her shoulders in tangled knots.
The living
room was barely big enough for the couch, coffee table, and a television that sat on a table in the corner. It was the same as she’d remembered it, only dirtier. And smelly. No wonder Tristan had been hesitant about her coming to see his mom. It was like she stopped caring.
While the house was the same, Arlene had always taken care of it and cleaned regularly enough for it to never look or smell like it did now. The living room bled into the kitchen and eating nook.
Those spaces weren’t much better. Even from the living room, Jenna could see the piles of dishes on the counter and the sink.
“Michael drove the van back, so I got a ride with Jenna.” Tristan picked up a pile of magazines and straightened them on the coffee table. He gathered the paper plates strewn across the couch and table and stacked six cups. “Have you been eating the meals I put in your freezer?”
Two empty pizza boxes sat on the floor by her feet.
“I ate the stew and the roast.”
“You need to eat the vegetables as well.” He dumped the garbage in the kitchen trash and filled up the sink with water. Tristan gave her a curt nod, telling her to join him at the sink.
Torn between going into the kitchen to help with the dishes and making conversation with Arlene, she chose the option a stranger would most likely take. Idle conversation.
“Do you still go to Bingo nights on Thursday?”
Arlene sneered at her. “And how do you suppose I get there with a broken hip?”
Jenna inwardly cringed. Tristan had said she’d turned into a recluse. Stupid question. Since her son had always been her pride and joy, maybe she’d respond better to conversations about him.
“Tristan’s new company is in high demand. It’s like his last name was made for the business.”
“Too bad his father never stuck around to actually earn having a son with his name.”
Yeah, she sucked at this. It was like meeting the boyfriend’s mom for the first time all over again. Only this time the mother was bitter and sour.
“I think I like his spinach ravioli the best. Granted, I haven’t sampled too many of his dishes, but pasta has always been my favorite.” There. She did it. She ignored the snide and continued with the Pollyanna attitude.
Finding Our Way Back (A Well Paired Novel) Page 25