Thankfully, they didn’t linger on that subject too long. Tyler really disliked being jealous of his best friend for any reason. He could sense his mother watching him and knew he’d have some questions to answer later.
They were discussing the merits of dessert when Tyler’s phone vibrated. He slid it free of its holder on his belt so he could see the display. Marcus.
“Surely you don’t have to take a call in the middle of your birthday dinner,” his mom said with a frown.
“Sorry, Momma. He wouldn’t call if it weren't important. I’ll be right back.” Tyler pushed back from the table as he tapped the screen to accept the call.
He walked towards the entrance of the restaurant, weaving among the tables as he went. “Hello, Marcus.”
“Tyler. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“It’s fine. What can I do for you?”
“I stopped by your office earlier, but they said you were off today.”
Though it wasn’t a question, Tyler felt obliged to give a reason for his absence. “Yes. My mom and her husband are here for a few days, so I took today off to spend with them.”
There was silence then Marcus said, “I’ll make this quick so you can get back to them. I’ve sent you two more names to add to the list you’ve been cross referencing telephone numbers for. And in addition to the names, I’ve included a number that I want you to watch for as you go through the phone records. If any of the numbers have called or received a call from that number, I want to know right away.”
“Certainly. I’ll get that started tonight.”
“Thank you, Tyler, and I apologize for interrupting your time with your parents.”
“It’s not a problem. Have a good weekend.”
After ending the call, Tyler checked his email for the names Marcus wanted added to his project. He didn’t recognize them, but soon he’d know quite a bit about them…or at least their calling patterns. It didn’t thrill him that he’d have to work on the weekend his mom and Hank were in town, but he knew this project was important to Marcus.
As he walked back to the table, his gaze lingered on Melanie as she sat perched on the edge of her chair, leaning forward slightly. He frowned as he recognized a telltale bulge right around her waist. Normally, he wouldn’t have noticed it, but her position pulled her sweater more tightly across her back. She probably didn’t even realize that her concealed weapon wasn’t quite concealed.
What on earth was she doing wearing a weapon while out for a birthday dinner? Was she always armed? As he thought back over the outfits he’d seen her in, he realized that any of them could have concealed a weapon or two. He knew that BlackThorpe encouraged its employees to take weapons and self-defense training. He was fairly proficient with most weapons given his time in the military, and he spent time every couple of weeks at the BlackThorpe training compound, but he’d never seen Melanie there.
Melanie looked up at him as he approached the table. “Anything serious?”
Tyler shook his head as he sank into his seat next to her. “No. Marcus just wanted to let me know he’d added something to a project I’m working on. He hadn’t realized I was off today.”
“He expects you to work on the weekend?” his mom asked.
“Not normally, but this is a special project. I won’t spend too much time on it, just need to work up some data for him by Monday.”
Melanie leaned back in her chair. “I should ask Alex if Marcus ever stops working.”
“You don’t know Marcus very well?” Ryan asked.
“Not really, no. He’s Alex’s friend and well, he’s not terribly social.” Melanie lifted her glass and took a sip. “Although I’ve seen him at more social functions the past year or so with the all the weddings and engagement parties going on.”
Tyler and Ryan laughed then Tyler said, “Yeah, there’s been a slew of them recently.”
“Seeing two confirmed bachelors bite the dust in quick order means that just about anyone is fair game,” Ryan said. “They’re taking bets on our floor on who’ll be next.”
“What?” Melanie’s eyes were wide as she stared at Ryan. “Bets on who’ll get married next?”
Ryan shook his head. “Nope. Bets on who’ll fall in love next.”
“Who are people betting on?”
“Well, since there are only four of you left…” Ryan grinned at her.
“Seriously?” Melanie’s brows drew together. “You guys are betting on whether Marcus, Alex, Adrianne or I will be the next one to fall in love?”
Tyler held up his hands. “I’m not part of that.”
Melanie stared at him for a moment then looked back at Ryan. “Do I even want to know who the odds-on favorite is?”
Ryan chuckled. “Probably not.”
With a groan, Melanie sank into her seat. “Well, here’s an insider tip for you. Of the three of us—I haven’t a clue about Marcus—Adrianne is the only one who is actively dating.”
“Nice try, Melanie,” Ryan said, “but Justin is proof that even someone who has no interest in a relationship can succumb. People think you’re next in line.”
Melanie frowned. “The joke will be on them when Adrianne’s the one who falls first.”
Tyler listened to the conversation with interest. Likely more interest than he should have. He shouldn’t care about Melanie’s outlook on relationships and falling in love. Six months ago, he wouldn’t have cared. Three months ago, he wouldn’t have cared. What was happening to him?
He let out a sigh, hoping this conversation would end quickly. The last thing he needed was for his mother to hear anything more about Melanie. She was already getting ideas that he really wasn’t sure he wanted her to have. It was one thing for her to ask if he’d met a “nice young lady,” quite another for her to ask specifically about Melanie in their weekly conversations.
~*~*~
Melanie found herself relaxing as the evening wore on. She’d been surprised to see Ryan at the table when she’d arrived, but realistically she shouldn’t have been. It was no secret that Ryan and Tyler were great friends.
She hadn’t spent much time with Ryan but found him easy to talk to. She could see why he and Tyler got along so well together even though there was a bit of an age gap between them. It had been a bit unsettling to hear about the bets going on, and that she was the odds-on favorite for the next person to fall in love.
Not long ago she would have laughed about it, confident in her ability to protect her heart. Lately, though, she wasn’t as sure. She just needed to stay strong, reminding herself that even though her heart might want to love, it couldn’t be trusted.
If she was honest with herself, she really was too messed up for any sort of relationship. She watched Shauna and Hank, seeing the love and affection between the two of them. Melanie had no doubt that Hank would do everything within his power to protect Shauna, to give her anything her heart would desire. And when she saw the way Tyler looked at his mom, she knew that Shauna was blessed with the love of two men.
She wondered what that would be like. Even her own mom and dad didn’t seem to have that type of relationship. Oh, she was sure they loved each other, but it seemed that they kind of lived their own lives. Her mom had her interests and her dad had his. It seemed that what brought them together most of the time was the three of them.
Though her heart longed for what Shauna had with Hank, she knew that it wasn’t meant for her. She had too many secrets. Too many things she couldn’t share with anyone. Too many pieces of herself that she needed to guard.
“So your big party is tomorrow night?” Tyler asked.
It took a moment for Melanie to realize that Tyler was asking her that question. “It won’t be a big party. Just my family. At least that better be all that’s planned.”
She waited for someone to ask why, if it was just family, they hadn’t been able to gather on the day of her actual birthday. Thankfully, no one posed the question. In reality, she had no idea why
they hadn’t planned something for tonight. Her mom had just said that it would be more convenient if they did it on a Saturday night, and given that she had no interest in celebrating at all, Melanie had gone along with it.
And honestly, spending the evening with Ryan, Tyler, and his parents was a lot more fun. Given Adrianne’s latest upset with their mother, the dinner party would no doubt have its tense moments.
“Well, I’m glad you were free to join us this evening,” Shauna said with a smile.
“Me too,” Melanie said, her words full of sincerity. It had been awhile since she’d last enjoyed an evening like this.
Shauna’s brows drew together. “I wish I’d had the time to get you a gift.”
“Oh, I’m glad you didn’t go to any trouble,” Melanie told her. “There’s really nothing I need.”
“Birthdays aren’t about getting things you need, sweetheart. They should be about being indulged with the things you want.” Shauna looked at Tyler. “I think Tyler has a gift for you, though.”
“Momma,” Tyler said, a slight reproof in his voice, but his mom just smiled.
Melanie turned to look at him. “You bought me a gift?”
“Uh…yes.” He reached down beside his chair and lifted a gift-wrapped box. “Here you go.”
Melanie stared at the box for a moment, uncertain what to make of it. She scooted her chair back a bit so she could set the box on her lap. “Thank you.”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who carefully removes each strip of tape,” Ryan said with a groan as she slid a finger under the paper. “That’s no fun.”
“Well, it seems a shame to just rip right into it.”
“I give you permission,” Tyler said with a grin.
When her stomach lurched at the twinkle in his eyes, Melanie swallowed and said, “Well, if you insist.”
It was a lot more fun to rip the paper, just as Ryan had said. She smiled as the contents of the box was revealed. She looked up at Tyler. “You remembered?”
Tyler shrugged. “You did mention it more than once.”
She lifted one of the delicately formed candles out of the box and sniffed it. “And it smells like my perfume. Did you have these specially made?”
“Well, maybe?” He ducked his head. “It’s not like I’d ever forget your birthday, and I knew you were a year younger than me so this was a big one for you.”
“Thank you, Tyler.” Melanie was touched and a little worried, but she shoved those thoughts aside for the moment. She was going to enjoy the evening without trying to dissect it. “I actually have a gift for you too.”
Tyler straightened and his eyebrows rose. “Really?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out the card she’d gotten for him earlier. “Sorry, you don’t get to madly rip into a wrapped present.”
As he took it from her, he grinned. “Well, we can’t all have that fun.”
He opened the flap and pulled out the card. Melanie had agonized over it, trying to find one that was masculine and friendly without being flirty or romantic. Hopefully, the gift inside would distract from the card itself.
Tyler looked up at her when he realized what she’d gotten him. “Tickets to a Timberwolves game? And what are these? Almost courtside?”
“Almost,” Melanie said. “I figured that since you were a basketball fan…”
“I can’t accept these. That’s too much, Melanie,” Tyler said as he stared down at the tickets.
“You will accept them,” she insisted. “Just like I’m accepting this gift that you probably paid far too much for.”
Tyler was quiet for a moment, and Melanie wondered if he was going to continue to protest. Finally, he looked up and their gazes met. The determination in his caused butterflies to come to life in her stomach.
“Okay. I’ll accept these under one condition.”
Melanie didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s the condition?”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “You come with me.”
“You want me to go to the game with you?” Melanie stared at him. “I’m not really a basketball fan myself.”
“Then it’s about time you went to a game to see what it’s all about.”
“I thought maybe you could take Ryan or Simon.”
“Are those for the first pre-season game?” Ryan asked. When Tyler nodded, he said, “I’ve got tickets to that already. My brother is coming to town for that game, so don’t worry about me.”
“See?” Tyler said as he turned back to her. “Ryan’s already going. So…?”
Spend an evening with Tyler? At least it wouldn’t be a romantic thing. She couldn’t think of anything less romantic than watching a basketball game. It wouldn’t be fair to give Tyler the wrong idea. Although, considering the gift he’d given her, it was possible he had different ideas about their friendship than she did.
“Are you sure that Simon wouldn’t want to go with you?”
“It would be difficult at this point for him to go. We’d need to be able to get a wheelchair to the seats. So unless you bought a ticket for some sort of handicap seating, I don’t think it would work for him.”
“Well, if you’re absolutely positive there’s no one else to go with you…”
“I’m positive.”
Melanie knew the date for the game was a couple of weeks away, so there was always the possibility that she could weasel her way out of it. Even if her heart was telling her to grab hold of the chance.
When the evening finally drew to a close, Melanie found she was disappointed. It had been a long time since she’d been able to just relax and enjoy time with friends.
“I’ll be right with you,” Tyler said to his mom and Hank as they left the restaurant. He pointed his keys at his car and the lights flashed. “It’s unlocked.”
“No rush, sweetheart,” Shauna said as she leaned her head against Hank’s shoulder.
“See you at home, Ty,” Ryan called out.
Tyler lifted a hand in acknowledgment then turned to Melanie. “Can I walk you to your car?”
Melanie thought about pointing out that her car wasn’t that far away—and she was armed—but instead, she just nodded. Tyler didn’t say anything as they walked the short distance to her car. She pressed the button on her fob to unlock her door then automatically rearranged the keys in her hand so that she gripped the small canister of pepper spray attached to her keychain.
When they reached her car, Tyler rested his hand on the handle of the door. “Listen, Melanie, if you really don’t want to go to the basketball game, just say the word. I really didn’t mean to pressure you into it.”
Melanie looked up at Tyler. The streetlight was behind him, casting him in shadows so she couldn’t read the expression on his face. She should be grateful for the ‘out’ he was giving her and definitely should take it, but instead Melanie said, “You didn’t pressure me. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t someone else that you might want to take. I hope you didn’t feel obliged to ask me because I’d given you the tickets.”
“Nope. I asked because I wanted you to go. I think you’d enjoy it.” Tyler paused and his head dipped toward her. “But…”
“But?” Melanie prompted when he didn’t continue.
“If something like this is going to make you uncomfortable, I’d rather not do that. So if the flipside to you going to the game is going to be you stepping back from our friendship then tell me now, and I’ll find someone else to go with me.”
Melanie’s heart clenched at his words. Did their friendship really mean that much to him? “That’s not what will happen. I’ll be happy to go to the game as long as you’re willing to explain it all to me. I haven’t paid much attention to the game or the teams.”
Tyler straightened as he chuckled. “No worries. I’ll make sure you get the drift of what’s happening.” He opened her door then and held it as she got behind the wheel. “Thanks so much for joining us tonight. It was fun to have some
one else to celebrate with.”
“Yes, it was. I’m the one who should be thanking you for sharing your evening with me. It was great to get to know your mom and Hank.”
“Well, I think the feeling was mutual.” He eased the door forward a few inches. “Drive safe. See you next week.”
At her nod, he shut the door completely then turned to walk to where his car sat. Though Melanie was tempted to sit for a few minutes to process the events of the evening, she started up her car and headed for home. She still had to do her workouts for the day and that would give her plenty of time to think over it all.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHE’S A LOVELY GIRL,” his mom said as Tyler drove back to his place. She sat on the seat beside him while Hank was in the back. His step-father’s down-to-earth attitude was something else Tyler really appreciated about the man.
He’d thought that they would want to stay in a hotel since Hank could, realistically, afford to buy most of the ones in the city. Instead, when his mom had asked to stay with him, he’d been more than happy to accommodate them.
“Yes, she’s been a good friend.” He was glad that in at least that regard, he didn’t have to lie to his mother.
“Any chance she might be more than a friend? She did say she wasn’t dating anyone.”
Tyler wasn’t too surprised at his mom’s question given her not-so-subtle queries over the past few months regarding his dating life. He supposed he should be grateful that it took her as long as it had to start to focus on that part of his life following his divorce.
He didn’t disagree with her on the surface, but it would take a special woman to take him on considering he was a double amputee. While he didn’t view himself as disabled, his need for prosthetics for both legs made certain adjustments necessary. He still used a wheelchair at home sometimes since once he took off his prosthetics at night, he wouldn’t put them on just to go to the bathroom or get a drink during the night.
A woman would have to accept all of that. And being honest with himself, Tyler had to admit that part of what drew him to Melanie was her devotion to helping people like him. She understood the challenges that came with living with prosthetics, and she also knew just how far he’d come since that day six years ago when he’d first arrived at the Center. He wouldn’t need to explain anything to her and, whether it should be or not, that was a definite positive.
A Matter of Trust: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 3) Page 8