Ryan McFadden arched a dark brow over the mug he held. “I think she’s just using that as an excuse to talk to you.”
“Get real.” Tyler let out a huff at his friend’s observation. “She doesn’t need an excuse to talk to me. We’re friends.”
“Maybe you should consider becoming more,” Ryan said as he tilted his mug to his lips, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth. This wasn’t the first time he’d offered this particular piece of advice, but Tyler wasn’t any more inclined to take it this time than he had been on previous occasions.
“Not a chance.” Tyler stretched out his legs, glad for the break from his computer. “Just following your lead, my friend. You seem to have no interest in taking any of your female friendships to the next level.”
Tyler still hadn’t figured out why the man didn’t date. It certainly had nothing to do with his looks since Tyler had inside knowledge that the ladies found Ryan attractive. He got asked on a regular basis if his friend was available. Even after leaving the military, Ryan had kept up his exercise regime and that combined with his black hair and green eyes apparently kept the women interested.
“We still on for Friday night?”
Tyler nodded, grateful for the change of subject. “Have to be at the church by six. We’ll have pizza and then chaperone for the night.”
“Can’t believe I’m a chaperone.” Ryan scowled. “Guess I really have to accept that I’ve grown up.”
“Nah. We just have to make other people think that.”
“Max came to talk to me last week about how to approach a girl he liked.” Ryan shook his head. “It made me feel old…like I was his dad or something.”
“Well, better he went to you than me. I’m obviously a fail in that department.” He bent his head and stared at the liquid in his mug, thoughts of the divorce he’d never wanted churning through his mind. He would have stuck by Kelly if their roles had been reversed. But clearly, she’d viewed him as less of a man because he’d lost the lower portion of both his legs.
“Tyler?”
“Hmmm?” He looked up and saw a big grin had replaced the scowl on Ryan’s face just before the guy turned to face the window. Slowly, Tyler swung around to see Melanie standing a few feet from the table. When he made a move to get to his feet, she motioned for him to stay seated.
He had to tilt his head back to meet her gaze. “What’s up?”
“I just remembered that Simon has a doctor’s appointment in the morning, so the afternoon would be better if you planned to come out tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze flicked to Ryan and a smile curved her lips. “Good to see you again, Ryan.”
“You too, Melanie.”
Tyler looked at his friend and then to Melanie. Was she interested in him? He watched her leave the room then turned to Ryan.
“Maybe there’s something between you two?” The idea felt all kinds of wrong to him, but he wouldn’t begrudge his friends any happiness they might find together.
“No.” Ryan frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I would never do that to you, man. Besides, I have no interest in her.”
Do what to him? “Why not? She’s beautiful, smart and has a great sense of humor.”
“Sorry. Not interested,” Ryan said again. “Still think maybe you should be the one.”
Tyler rolled his eyes and shook his head again. They were quite a pair, the two of them. They were neighbors, sharing a side-by-side duplex that his stepfather had bought to give him a place to stay once he’d left the Center. He’d managed the rental on the other side for several years, but when his previous neighbors had left earlier in the year, he’d offered the place to Ryan, who’d moved to the Twin Cities and started working at BlackThorpe.
They’d quickly become best friends as they bonded over their jobs, sports, video games and their involvement at the church they both attended. The only disagreement they’d ever really had was over Ryan’s insistence that he should ask Melanie out on a date. Unfortunately, it was an ongoing one.
~*~*~
Melanie sighed as she walked down the hallway to the elevators. It was time to leave the fortress—as she liked to call the BlackThorpe compound in the Twin Cities—and return to the place she loved. If it weren’t for the Tuesday morning meetings, she’d never come to the company headquarters. She’d tried to get out of the meetings, but it never worked.
Today’s meeting had included a little bit of fun news. Justin had announced that he and Alana had gotten engaged. Though she was happy for them, Melanie had felt a pang of…something at the joy on Justin’s face when he’d shared the announcement.
She punched the button on the elevator with a little more force than necessary. If only her mom would just back off and leave well enough alone. It was the constant pressure on the three of them to get married that had begun to put unwanted thoughts in her mind. Relationships made one vulnerable, and she wasn’t going to be that way ever again.
The doors of the elevator slid open, and Melanie was relieved to see it was empty. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the basement parking garage. She relaxed against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes.
There was just too much love-induced happiness floating around lately. And she should be happy for them. She was happy for them. It was just that never had her decision to not trust love been so tested.
Melanie thought of what she knew about Alana, the abusive background she’d come from, and yet she was choosing to trust Justin’s love for her. Lindsay chose to trust the love Than said he had for her even though up until that point he’d been more interested in serial dating than a serious committed relationship.
She wanted so badly to believe it would be okay for her too. That if she took a chance on loving someone, they wouldn’t betray her.
“You’re beautiful, Lanie.” The emotion in his dark chocolate brown eyes pulled her in. “You take my breath away.”
Melanie ducked her head, her cheeks heating beneath the warmth of his gaze. She’d just turned sixteen and was falling in love for the first time. It was so wonderful. Everything she’d ever dreamed it would be. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
She wanted to smack herself in the head. That wasn’t what she should have said.
He slid his hand over hers, entwining their fingers. “Want to go somewhere special tonight?”
She glanced at him through her lashes. “Special?”
He’d been the ultimate gentleman. They’d shared kisses, but he’d never pressured for anything more. Was that about to change?
“Yes. I’d like to take you for a nice dinner.”
A meal together? Something besides McDonalds after youth group or hot dogs at a football game? “That would be lovely.”
There had been just one dinner before things had gone horribly wrong. What followed that dinner had been two weeks of unending horror. All because she’d believed a guy when he’d said he loved her.
The elevator stopped with a bounce and jarred her from the past. Melanie took a deep breath and let it out, willing the images to fade from her memory.
She was safe.
But if she wanted to stay that way, she could never trust herself to love again.
CHAPTER TWO
IT ENDED UP being Thursday before Tyler was able to make it to the Center. Marcus had wanted to meet with him Wednesday afternoon and by the time they were done, it was too late to head out.
As he pulled through the security gate of the Center, Tyler had to admit he was looking forward to a change of scenery for a couple of hours. The latest project Marcus had given him required a lot of computer time, and his body was starting to rebel. It was normal for him to spend a lot of time at the computer, but this was on top of his normal workload.
Once he found a parking spot, he got out of his SUV and made his way through the parking lot to the front doors of the large BlackThorpe Wellness Center. They had
expanded it a lot since he’d been there to try to regain his life after his injury. He knew that while BlackThorpe financially supported the Center, it was also sustained by the contributions of many families and other corporations. It was through those donations that BlackThorpe had been able to bring the place to its present level.
Two sets of large glass doors slid open as Tyler approached them, and he stepped into the foyer of the building. A curved desk sat directly in front of the door, and he lifted a hand in greeting to the woman who sat behind it.
“Afternoon, Molly,” he said as he neared the desk. “How are you doing?”
The middle age woman smiled. “I’m doing great, Tyler. And you?”
“Can’t complain.” He waved his hand to the second floor. “I’m here to see Melanie.”
Molly nodded. “She’s in her office. You can go on up.”
“Thanks,” Tyler said as he turned and headed for the stairs that would take him to the floor where Melanie had her office.
The staircase curved slightly, and as he climbed, Tyler could look out the floor to ceiling windows that ran the whole front of the building. Though part of the view was of the parking lot, the rest of it was of the acreage that lay beyond the building. Trees and grass created a park-like setting that had paths and trails for residents and their visitors to use.
When he reached the second floor, Tyler walked to the railing that ran around the edge of part of the second floor. To his right were the offices of the people who worked at the Center and to the left were some of the rooms used by the people who were there for long-term rehabilitation.
Gripping the metal rail, he leaned forward and looked down. The space was all open from the main floor up to the third floor. The roof was all glass so that natural light spilled over the space below. There were lots of plants and flowers and places for people to sit and relax. Even in the dead of winter, they could enjoy the beauty of nature and sunlight. Soothing instrumental music played softly in the background, adding to the ambiance along with gentle sounds from a waterfall that stood in the middle of the room.
Pushing back from the railing, Tyler turned and headed down the hallway. Just briefly observing the area below had been soothing for him. Hopefully, his meeting with Melanie and the vet didn’t disrupt that too much.
“Hey, Tyler.”
Tyler smiled at Heather, Melanie’s assistant, where she sat at a desk just outside Melanie’s office. “Is Melanie available? She asked me to come talk with one of the vets.”
Heather nodded. “She said you might be stopping by. Go on in.”
Tyler approached the door that was open a couple of inches and grasped the handle. As he pushed it open, he spotted Melanie behind her desk, phone receiver pressed to her ear. When she saw him, she waved for him to come in.
As usual, she looked striking with her short dark hair artfully styled—short in some places, long in others—and makeup accenting her dark eyes. As he watched her, Tyler had to admit she was something of an enigma to him. At first glance, one would assume she was dainty and delicate given her slender build and lack of height, but there was an air of strength that surrounded her. She was definitely capable and confident, but it was more than that.
“I’ll give you a call back once I have more information,” Melanie said to whoever was on the other end. “Talk to you soon.”
Tyler wasn’t sure if he should sit, but as soon as she hung up the phone, Melanie got up. “Thanks for coming, Tyler. Simon is in physical therapy right now, so why don’t we head over there.”
“Sounds good,” Tyler said as he stepped back so she could precede him from the office. He noticed she wore her usual work attire which consisted of a pantsuit and high heels that brought the top of her head an inch or so above his shoulder.
“I’m just taking Tyler to meet Simon,” Melanie told Heather. “I have my phone if anyone is looking for me.”
Once out of the office, Tyler fell into step with Melanie as they headed further down the hallway. They passed several offices before reaching a set of large doors. Tyler pushed one of them open and held it for Melanie, catching a whiff of her familiar perfume as she walked by him.
The atmosphere beyond the doors was different from where they’d just left. This was the more practical area of the building. The main floor housed a couple of pools and a sauna, but on the floor they were on, there were several areas with machines to help people regain strength or to learn to walk again. Basically anything that was necessary to help a vet physically get to where they wanted to be was available here.
“How long has it been since Simon’s accident?” Tyler asked as they continued to walk along the hallway. This section didn’t have the openness of the previous one.
“Fifteen months.”
“That’s quite a while. Why is he here now?”
“His family brought him after he refused any further care at the military hospital and then went on to drink himself into oblivion and tried to numb his pain with addictive painkillers. They see this as a last resort. They know he needs the psychological help we offer as well as the physical.”
“The physical will never come until he gets the mental sorted out,” Tyler commented, remembering those early days after the incident when he’d lost his legs. Waking up in the hospital with no memory of what had happened had been hard enough, but then he’d looked down to see where the blankets had flattened just beyond his knees and knew his life had changed forever.
“Yes, you’re absolutely right. Some of the other guys who are here have tried to help Simon. You know we encourage them to be there for each other since they’re all at different places on a similar journey. It just hasn’t gotten through to him.”
Tyler laid a hand on Melanie’s arm, bringing her to a halt. When she turned to look at him, he said, “Why do you think I’ll be able to?”
She stared at him for a moment, her dark gaze unreadable. “You’ve gone on to lead a full life. You’re further along than the guys here so you can show him that life does go on, and it doesn’t end just because he’s missing part of his leg.”
Tyler nodded and let his hand slide from her arm. He wasn’t so sure he’d call his life full, but he was basically happy with it. “I’ll do my best.”
Melanie pushed open the door to a large room. In keeping with the natural light theme, this room also had floor to ceiling windows facing out the back of the building to the trees and grass that made up the view. She paused for a moment then headed in the direction of a man seated in a wheelchair looking out the window.
“Hi, Simon,” Melanie said as she came to stand beside the wheelchair. “How are you doing today?”
The man shot her a look and then turned his attention back to the view, though Tyler would bet his last buck that the guy wasn’t actually seeing it. If he had to guess, he’d say that Simon was seeing the sand of a desert on the other side of the globe.
“Same as yesterday.” The man’s voice was tight and low.
“I have someone I want you to meet.” Melanie waved for Tyler to move to her side. “This is Tyler Harris. He works for BlackThorpe.”
“Shrink or physio?” the man asked without even looking their way.
“Neither,” Tyler said. “I work in security intelligence for BlackThorpe.”
That got a look from Simon. “Intelligence? What do you want with me?”
Tyler looked at Melanie and gave her a nod as he snagged a nearby chair and swung it around. He straddled the seat and rested his hands on the back of it. “I’m not here because of my job.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melanie move a little ways away, but she didn’t leave the room.
“Then why are you here?”
“I’ve been where you are.”
The man looked at him then, skepticism written all over his face. He had light blue eyes and his blond hair had long since passed the nape of his neck. Despite the dark circles and the haunted look in the guy’s eyes, his youth was unmistakea
ble. “How’s that? If you were in intelligence?”
“I was LRS.” He didn’t bother to use the longer name of Long Range Surveillance, the guy would know what he had been. “We ran into a bad situation.”
Tyler really couldn’t give him many more details from his own memory. He just knew what he’d been told by the medical personnel who were obviously reporting what they’d heard from the other members of his team who did remember. He’d been hurt the worst when the mine had gone off.
Simon looked at Tyler starting from the top of his head to his feet. “You look like you came out unscathed.”
Tyler returned the favor, taking in the left leg where it ended just above the guy’s knee. “Looks can be deceiving.” He lowered his arms and hitched up his pant legs so Simon could see his two prosthetic limbs.
Simon’s gaze met his briefly before sliding away. “You lost both?”
Tyler nodded. “Double amputation below the knee.”
“So, I suppose you’re here to show me that life goes on.”
Tyler released his pant legs and rested his arms on the back of the chair again. “Actually, I’m not. You already know that life goes on. You even know that life can be better. Maybe not what you’d thought it would be, but still good. I’m sure the guys here have already shown and told you that. I’m here to try to help you decide that you’re worth having that life.”
When Simon’s shoulders stiffened and his head bent forward, Tyler had a pretty good idea what the guy’s mindset was. Simon didn’t say anything and in the silence, Tyler prayed that God would give him the words to reach this man.
~*~*~
Melanie stood several feet away, arms crossed, observing Tyler with Simon. She had no idea how Simon would react to his presence and didn’t want to leave them alone until she was sure he didn’t outright reject Tyler.
Though there had been other people she could have asked to meet with Simon, for some reason she’d known that Tyler would be the best person for the job. And watching them together so far, it seemed she was right.
He sat there so casually, his tanned arms resting on the back of the chair and his white dress shirt—with sleeves haphazardly rolled up to his elbows—stretched across his shoulders. Given his curly somewhat out-of-control hair, Tyler wasn’t a conventionally handsome man when compared to someone like Than Miller or Justin Morrell, but the compassionate way he dealt with people was something that Melanie admired.
A Matter of Trust: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 3) Page 2