A Matter of Trust: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 3)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “I happened to see it the night of our birthday dinner. I know that BlackThorpe likes its management team to be armed, but the security at the Target Center will likely not let you in if you’ve got any type of weapon on you.” He paused. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “No, Tyler. It’s fine. I actually checked their website to see what their security measures were and left my weapons at home. I think I’ll be okay without them tonight. I’m with three big strong guys, right?”

  Weapons? She had more than one that she wore concealed? “Sure. Well, I haven’t met Ryan’s brother yet so it might just be two big strong guys.”

  She laughed at that. “Actually, I’m pretty adept at taking care of myself. With or without weapons.”

  Tyler could only imagine. He was making a few discoveries about Melanie that made him wonder exactly how well he actually knew the woman. “Well, let’s hope no fights break out at the basketball game. We’ll leave that to the hockey fans.”

  “Sounds good. I’m already on my way, so I’ll be at your place in a little bit.”

  After she hung up, Tyler went into the bathroom to check his appearance one last time. It might not be a date, but he didn’t want her to be embarrassed to be seen with him. He probably should have gotten his hair trimmed since it was almost long enough for him to pull back with an elastic band.

  “Yo, Harris!” Ryan’s shout drifted down the hallway to his room.

  Tyler grabbed his wallet, phone and the tickets from his dresser and walked out to the living room. Ryan stood talking with a man who was a couple of inches taller than him and just as broad.

  “Hey, Ryan,” Tyler said as he joined them.

  Ryan swung around. “Hey, Tyler. This is my brother, Gabe Callaghan. Gabe, this is Tyler Harris.”

  Tyler took the hand Gabe held out and gave it a firm shake. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  Since he knew they weren’t biological brothers, he wasn’t surprised at the differences in their appearances. While Ryan had brown hair and dark blue eyes, Gabe had blond hair not much lighter than his own and his eyes were a lighter shade of blue. The man was tanned like Ryan though and looked like he enjoyed working out as much as his brother.

  He also had an easy grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes as he said, “Nice to meet you too. I’m glad to see Ryan has someone close by to keep him in line.”

  “I’m not the one that needs to be kept in line,” Ryan scoffed as he dug an elbow into Gabe’s side. “This guy is an adrenalin junkie. Out of the ten of us, he is single handedly responsible for every gray hair our parents have on their heads.”

  “Hey, what’s life without a little adventure?”

  “Melanie’s not here yet?” Ryan asked.

  “She said she was on her way when I talked to her a few minutes ago.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Though he would have preferred to pick Melanie up for the evening, keeping in mind that she didn’t view this as a date, he didn’t protest when she turned down his offer.

  This isn’t a date.

  He had to remind himself of that when he set eyes on the woman standing on his porch. She wore a pair of fitted blue jeans tucked into knee high boots he’d seen her wear before. The cropped jean jacket she wore covered the top part of a light green T-shirt that lay loosely across her hips.

  “C’mon in,” Tyler said, hoping she hadn’t noticed him staring. They might not be on a date tonight, but anyone looking at them together was going to think he was one lucky dude.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  MELANIE’S SMILE as she stepped passed him into the house warmed Tyler. This is not a date. Trying to keep the reminder front and center in his head, Tyler shut the door then followed her as she walked to where Ryan and Gabe stood.

  “Well, Ryan, you didn’t tell me we were going to have the pleasure of the company of such a beautiful woman,” Gabe said, a wide grin on his face. He stuck his hand out as Melanie neared them. “Gabe Callaghan. Ryan’s brother.”

  “Melanie Thorpe. Nice to meet you.” Melanie took his hand but didn’t hold it longer than a quick shake.

  “We ready to go?” Tyler asked, suddenly eager to be on their way. The quicker they got through the part of the evening when they were all together, the quicker they got to the part where it was just the two of them at the game.

  “Are we taking one vehicle?” Ryan asked. “We could save on parking if we did. Just meet up back there after the game.”

  It wasn’t Tyler’s first choice, but it did make sense. “Sure. We can take yours if you want.”

  Tyler set the alarm then waited for the other three to exit the house to lock the door. He had just shoved his keys into his pocket when he heard Gabe say, “I don’t know whose wheels those are, but that’s the one I want to go in.”

  “That’s mine.”

  Tyler turned to see Gabe staring at the sleek ivory colored truck parked in his driveway, his own eyes widening as he realized what Melanie had just said. The truck was hers? He was pretty sure she’d been driving a smaller SUV of some sort the night of the birthday dinner.

  Gabe sidled up to Melanie. “I don’t suppose you’d let me drive, would ya?”

  Melanie laughed. “Sorry. Not a chance.” Then she turned toward Tyler and held out her hand, a keychain dangling from her fingers. “You, however, I will let drive it.”

  Gabe groaned. “Really? Why him and not me?”

  Ryan grabbed Gabe by the arm and pulled him toward the truck. “Put a cork in it, buddy.”

  Tyler waited until they were a short distance away then asked in a low voice, “Are you sure?”

  Melanie’s brows drew together as she pointed the fob in her hand toward the truck and unlocked the doors. “Well, sure. You know how to drive, right?”

  “Of course, but that truck looks like it cost a fortune.” Tyler looked at the vehicle again, watching as Ryan and Gabe climbed in the back seat. “I’d hate to ding it up.”

  “Are you in the habit of dinging up cars?”

  “No—” Tyler turned back to Melanie as her hand gripped his to turn it over. She pressed the keys into his palm then curved his fingers around them.

  “I have no idea where we’re going,” she said, her expression serious. “If anyone were to ding it up, it would be me.”

  Tyler hesitated, but this time it was because he didn’t want to lose the warmth of her hand on his. “Okay. I’ll drive.”

  She smiled up at him then headed for the truck. As they neared it, Tyler reached out to open the door for her. Melanie grasped the handle above the door then stepped up on the running board to smoothly lift herself onto the seat. It was a lot of truck for someone like Melanie.

  When he opened the door to get behind the wheel, Melanie said, “You might want to adjust the seat back before you get in.”

  Chuckling, Tyler did as she suggested. “Only way I could drive with the seat this close up would be to take off my prostheses.”

  There was a fair bit of traffic as they headed downtown, but having attended a lot of games over the years, Tyler knew how best to get to where they were going and found parking easily. He and Ryan had settled on a restaurant not far from the Target Center. It was one they’d gone to in the past and enjoyed.

  “An Irish pub?” Gabe said as they approached the restaurant. “You’re gonna be making me feel right at home, boyo.”

  Ryan groaned. “Seriously? I’m beginning to regret inviting you along.”

  “Ah, you don’t mean that, Ry.” Gabe turned to walk backward in front of them, a big grin on his face. “Everything is better when I’m around.”

  “Not sure that’s entirely true,” Ryan said. “But it is usually more interesting.”

  When they reached the entrance, Gabe held the door for them. Because Tyler had made reservations, it wasn’t long until they were shown to a booth. Melanie slid in one side and Tyler joined her while Ryan and Gabe settled across from them.

  “I’ve never been here bef
ore,” Melanie said as she looked around then glanced down at the menu. “What do you recommend?”

  Tyler bent toward her and pointed to a spot on the menu. “I’m partial to the chicken pot pie or the shepherd’s pie. Both are delicious.”

  “Not the healthiest things around,” Melanie observed.

  “Well, you gotta splurge every once in a while,” Tyler said. “I won’t tell anyone.”

  “Honestly, I doubt anyone would care.” Melanie seemed to consider his suggestions. “I guess I’ll go with the chicken pot pie.”

  “Good choice. I think you’ll really like it.”

  By the time the waitress had brought them drinks and taken their order, the restaurant was pretty much full. Tyler was glad they’d decided to come a little early.

  “So, Gabe, what do you do for a living?” Melanie asked.

  Ryan dropped his head forward with another groan. “What doesn’t he do….”

  Once again, Gabe grinned. “Yep. I do a little bit of everything. My passion is living life to its fullest which means I don’t generally tie myself to a desk unless absolutely necessary.”

  “What do you mean?” Melanie asked.

  Tyler was curious himself. Ryan had talked about Gabe at different times, enough for him to know that the two were close, but he hadn’t really given specifics about the man.

  “Some say I’m an adrenalin addict.”

  Tyler felt his stomach clench. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

  Melanie tilted her head. “You like to do risky things?”

  “Yep. The riskier, the better. And that’s not just in terms of activities, but I also like to help businesses take risks to grow.”

  “He also helps failing businesses,” Ryan said. “Usually using unconventional methods to turn them around.”

  “What’s life without taking a few risks?”

  “A few?” Ryan’s tone was incredulous as he turned to Gabe. “That’s just a bit of an understatement.”

  “Well, I’m afraid I’m not much of a risk taker,” Melanie said. “Probably the most risk I take is going to the shooting range or taking a self-defense class.”

  “You haven’t lived until you’ve felt the surge of adrenalin as you face death and win.”

  Melanie seemed to consider that for a moment before she said, “Sometimes facing death and winning is overrated. It can leave a person with scars that never completely heal.

  Tyler’s brows drew together at her words. Was she talking about him? He was certainly glad he’d faced death and won, even with the scars his body still carried.

  “Maybe it’s different for me because I’m the one choosing when and where I’m facing death.” Gabe paused. “Sometimes, if a person has had to face death in a way not of their choosing, they can take back that control by taking a risk that they do choose.”

  “I’m sure your family must worry about you.”

  “We do, Melanie,” Ryan said. “But that doesn’t stop him from jumping off cliffs, out of airplanes or climbing mountains.”

  Before the conversation could continue, the waitress appeared at their table with the appetizers they’d ordered. Gabe offered to say grace and then, thankfully, the topic of discussion changed. However, Tyler couldn’t keep from wondering exactly what Melanie had been referring to with her comments.

  ~*~*~

  Melanie wasn’t sure how she felt about the way the evening had gone so far. Part of her wished it had just been her and Tyler for dinner. Not that she necessarily wanted to be alone with him—this wasn’t a date, after all—but at least with just the two of them, the meal would have been more enjoyable.

  Gabe wasn’t anything like she’d expected, not that she’d put a lot of thought into it, but after meeting Ryan, she’d just thought he’d be like him. Of course, they weren’t biological brothers, but Gabe’s outlook on life had taken her by surprise. Maybe it was his cavalier approach to death. As someone who had at one time prayed for death only to stare it right in the face and ultimately escape with her life, she just couldn’t fathom Gabe’s attitude.

  “Looks like it’s time to head over to the arena,” Tyler said as he lifted his hand to get their waitress’s attention.

  “Too bad we don’t have seats closer together,” Gabe said as they walked out of the restaurant.

  “Oh, I think Melanie and Ty are probably grateful we don’t.” Melanie shot Ryan a look as he hooked his brother around the neck with one arm. Hadn’t Tyler told him that this wasn’t a date? “I’m sure they’re thinking that if you’re this hyper over dinner, you’re going to be out of control during the game.”

  “What’s the fun of going to a game if you can’t yell at the refs or the players?” Gabe hip-checked Ryan, sending him stumbling toward Melanie.

  Tyler quickly stepped between them so Ryan bumped into him instead. “Did you say there’s ten of you? I can only feel deep sympathy for your parents.”

  They stood at a light, waiting for the signal to change for them to cross.

  “Most of us are fairly calm. It’s only when we’re all together that things kind of get out of hand. And even then, it’s usually Gabe and Kenton who are the instigators.”

  “Kenton?”

  The light changed, and Melanie stepped off the curb with the other people who had been waiting. She glanced back to see Tyler still standing there. He suddenly moved forward and jogged a couple steps to catch up with them.

  “Kenton Callaghan?”

  “Yep,” Gabe said with yet another grin. “The one and only.”

  “Seriously?” Tyler asked, grabbing Ryan by the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Tell you what?” Melanie stepped up on the curb, sticking close to Tyler so they didn’t get separated by the crowd of people all heading in the same direction as them. “Who is Kenton Callaghan?”

  “Only one of the best defensive hockey players in the NHL.”

  She didn’t know much more about hockey than she knew about basketball, but even Melanie was impressed. “Your older brother plays for the NHL?”

  Gabe fell into step beside her. “He plays for the Kings at the moment, though I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad are praying he gets traded to Winnipeg soon. And if Kenton is doing any praying these days, he’s likely praying that he’ll be traded anywhere but there. I might live my life on the edge, but Kenton is the party dude. He works hard and plays harder.”

  Before Melanie could ask anything more, they reached the doors of the arena. They followed Ryan and Gabe into the building then went their separate ways after agreeing to meet back at her truck.

  As Ryan and Gabe moved away, leaving her alone with Tyler, Melanie let out a long breath. When Tyler chuckled, she looked up at him.

  “Gabe’s a bit over the top, isn’t he?” Tyler asked as he laid a hand on her back to guide her to the doors that would take them to their seats.

  Trying to ignore his closeness, Melanie nodded. “Just a bit. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone so…alive? I’m not sure if that’s the right word, but he certainly does bring life to the party.”

  Tyler seemed to know exactly where they were going and led the way down the aisle to their seats. He stood at the end of the row and let her precede him. She’d gotten an aisle seat for him, not knowing how comfortable he’d be in the middle of the row. Once she’d settled into her seat, he sank down beside her.

  He turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling. “These are terrific seats. Thank you.”

  She couldn’t help but return his smile. “I did a little research and was able to see the view on some 3D viewer they had so that helped.”

  “Not sure you could have gotten any better seats than these.” Tyler looked out at the floor, his elbows resting on his thighs.

  “Where are Ryan and Gabe?”

  Tyler glanced over his shoulder at her then pointed across the arena. “They’re in seats that are about ten rows up from ours. The seats they have are good.” He looked at her again and smil
ed. “But ours are better.”

  Movement to her right drew Melanie’s attention. A large group was filing into the row from the other end, and the guy leading the way smiled broadly when he spotted her. As he settled into the seat next to her, Melanie could see the interest in his eyes as his gaze raked over her from the top of her head to the soles of her boots.

  Uneasy with the man’s attention, Melanie moved closer to Tyler, her shoulder bumping into his. He turned to look at her and then his gaze moved past her to the man on her other side. His eyes narrowed as he straightened and leaned back in his seat. Melanie turned toward him, crossing her legs and giving the man her shoulder.

  Tyler looked down at her. “You okay? Want to change seats?”

  “I’m fine.” Hopefully, the man would back off and stick to his own group. “How about you give me some idea of what the game’s all about.”

  “That I can do.” Tyler bent his head toward her as he pointed things out on the floor.

  Melanie tried to focus on his words, even as she thought about how she didn’t think they’d ever been this close before. Close enough that she could see the little lines that creased the skin by his eyes when he smiled. And the scent of his cologne was tantalizing.

  This is not a date. I’m not interested in dating.

  The noise around them grew as Tyler explained the scoring and talked about who they were playing. Clearly the man took his sports seriously. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and an announcer began to talk over the PA system.

  “Player introductions,” Tyler said, his breath warm across her ear.

  Shivers raced up and down her spine at his nearness. Melanie tried to keep her attention solidly on what was happening on the big Jumbotron and the floor below them. Flashing lights and pulse-pounding music helped keep her attention off Tyler for a bit. There was lots of excitement building as the announcer worked his way through the opposing team’s players.

  The Jumbotron above the court began to flash with the team’s trademark wolf. The announcer’s voice kicked up a notch as he introduced the first of the Timberwolves’ players. There were cheerleaders on the court now, shaking their pompoms along with their bodies as player after player ran out onto the court.