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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “It’s just so hard to be the only one of my group of friends who’s not married or having kids. It’s like I don’t have anything in common with them anymore.” Adrianne sighed again. “Any decent single man I come in contact with probably senses the air of desperation I no doubt wear, and runs for the hills.”

  “You do not act desperate,” Melanie told her. “Believe me, if I thought you were, I would be giving you a swift kick in the butt.”

  Melanie was glad when Adrianne laughed at her comment.

  “What about you and Tyler?” Adrianne asked.

  “What about us?” Melanie really didn’t want to get into this discussion.

  “Didn’t you go out with Tyler on Friday?”

  “Yeah, but it was actually Tyler, Ryan and his brother, Gabe. We just went for dinner and then to the Timberwolves’ game.”

  “Seriously? I can hardly get a date with one man and you went out with three?”

  “Well, it certainly wasn’t a date which is probably why the three of them agreed to it.”

  “Was he cute?” Adrianne asked.

  “Who?”

  “Ryan’s brother.”

  “Oh, don’t make me kick your butt. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s not what you’re looking for, plus he’s too young for you.” As the doors slid open on Adrianne’s floor, Melanie gave her a quick hug. “Have patience. I’m sure there’s someone out there who’s perfect for you.”

  Adrianne flashed her a smile. “From your lips to God’s ears.”

  With that, her sister turned and disappeared down the hall. As the elevator doors slid closed again, Melanie’s finger hovered over the buttons. Part of her wanted to see Tyler, but maybe it was too soon for her to just drop in to chat. Ignoring the disappointment in the pit of her stomach, she pressed the button for the parking garage, leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She’d just wait and see him when he came out to the Center to see Simon.

  Except he came the next day while she was in a meeting and all she got was a text. Sorry to have missed seeing you. They said you were in a meeting and I need to get back to the office. Chat later!

  They exchanged a few texts over the course of the week, but between meetings to set up the new security protocols and Tyler’s own work, there was no time for anything more. The one good thing that came as a result of the distance was that Melanie felt more in control of her emotions again. Eric’s baby news had stirred something in her the way the engagements of Than and Justin had. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—allow herself to pine for a relationship the way Adrianne did.

  But in spite of not having seen Tyler, he managed to occupy her thoughts most nights as she made her way through her workout. Sunday night was no different and she had the same old arguments with herself.

  She needed to trust someone completely in order to consider being with them, and the only man in her life that met that requirement was Tyler. Yet still, she knew a relationship wouldn’t work. The issues in her life that she kept carefully hidden from everyone would also keep her from being with Tyler. And who knew if he even wanted to be with her? Nothing he’d said or done had led her to believe that he wanted her as anything more than a friend.

  A text flashed across the screen where she’d propped her phone while she ran on the treadmill. Someone here to see you.

  It was from Adrianne, and Melanie figured it was a just a joke of some kind. She wasn’t expecting company. But as punishment for interrupting her workout, she had half a mind to drag Adrianne back up to her room to join her. She hit the button to slow the machine so she could step off. Grabbing her phone and a towel to wipe the sweat, Melanie left her room.

  The house was quiet as she made her way downstairs to the main living area. There was a murmur of voices coming from the kitchen so she headed that way, figuring she’d find Alex and Adrianne there. As she rounded the corner, she froze in shock.

  “Ryan?” Melanie was instantly aware of her attire and how she must look with her hair plastered to her head and sweat dripping down her neck to soak into the tank top she wore.

  “Hey, Melanie. Sorry for stopping by unexpectedly.” Ryan gave her a quick smile. “Looks like I interrupted something.”

  “Just my workout.” Melanie dragged the towel across her face then looped it around her neck. “What’s up?”

  Ryan shifted his weight, uncertainty crossing his face. “I need to ask you a favor.”

  Melanie looked at Adrianne, who shrugged, then back at Ryan. “What kind of favor?”

  “It’s about Tyler.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Uh, not so much.” Ryan paused. “He’s caught some kind of bug, and it’s really kicking his butt.”

  “A bug?”

  “There were a couple of kids at the youth meeting on Friday night who got sick while they were there. We figured it was food poisoning or something. Tyler took care of them and then drove them home. Unfortunately, it seems that whatever they had, he now has.”

  “So it’s a stomach bug?”

  “Yeah. He called his doctor today, and he said that it’s likely some gastrointestinal thing.” He shifted his weight again, looking down as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Tyler will probably kill me for this, but I don’t know what else to do. I’m leaving tomorrow with Eric for meetings in London, so I can’t keep an eye on him. The biggest problem with this is dehydration. I’m just worried he won’t be able to help himself since…you know…he uses a wheelchair when he’s not wearing his prosthetics, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to maneuver well enough. He’s been running a high fever and vomiting.” He lifted his head, his gaze meeting hers. “If I give you a key to my place, would you be willing to stop in and check on him tomorrow?”

  Melanie’s stomach clenched at the thought of Tyler suffering on his own with no one to take care of him. “Yes. Sure. I can do that.”

  Relief spread across Ryan’s face. “I hope he doesn’t give you any hassles. You know how independent he can be, but I’m just worried about leaving him on his own when he’s this sick.”

  “Yeah, I know he likes to take care of himself,” Melanie said.

  Ryan held out his hand, keys dangling from a finger. “Here are the keys to my place. I’ll text you the alarm code and then you can go through the basement and up to Tyler’s side.”

  Melanie took the keys, wrapping her fingers around them so tightly that the edges bit into her palm. “Do I need Tyler’s alarm code as well?”

  “Only if you want to go in and out of his door. I’ll text you that as well.”

  Melanie gave him her number since he didn’t have it, hoping she could be the help Tyler needed. Or rather, she hoped he’d accept the help she offered. During her early years at the Center, she had helped with the physical care of residents which had included everything from changing dressings to cleaning up bodily fluids when necessary.

  “Eric is picking me up at six, so I’ll make sure he has water with him before I go, but if you could check on him in the afternoon, that would be great.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”

  “Thanks so much, Melanie. I know he considers you a close friend which is why I’m hoping he won’t object to your help. My other option was to call Shauna, and I figured he would get mad at me for sure about that one.”

  “Yeah, no doubt,” Melanie said with a laugh as she walked with him to the door. “Thanks for letting me know, Ryan. I’ll text you to let you know how he’s doing.”

  “Thanks.” He seemed to be about to say something more but then just nodded.

  CHAPTER TEN

  IT WAS CLOSE to noon before Melanie was able to make it over to Tyler’s, but at least she didn’t have to return to the office if she needed to stay with him for any length of time.

  She used the key to get into Ryan’s front door and then used the code he’d sent to turn off the buzzing alarm. It didn’t take her long to find the stairs to the basement. She
wasn’t too surprised to see it set up as a gym with a massive television on one wall.

  As she climbed the stairs to Tyler’s side, Melanie pressed a hand to her stomach. She really hoped Tyler wasn’t going to be upset that Ryan had asked her to check on him.

  When she stepped into the kitchen on Tyler’s side, Melanie wrinkled her nose as the smell of sickness assailed her senses. She set her purse on the counter along with a bag of supplies she’d picked up on her way over.

  “Tyler?” she called out softly as she moved further into the house.

  She had to poke her head into a couple of rooms to find the one that was his. It was dark with only a single shaft of light spilling from another door, and the smell was even stronger here. “Tyler?”

  Bracing herself, Melanie walked into the room and saw right away that the bed was empty. She turned to where the light shone through an open doorway and saw his wheelchair there.

  “Ty?”

  She heard a moan then and approached slowly, looking around for something to cover him if necessary. She hadn’t really thought this part through since she’d helped care for men before, but suddenly it was different now that it was Tyler.

  Thankfully, when she reached his side, she saw that he wore a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt. She laid a hand on his shoulder and could feel right away that his fever was raging. He was just sitting slumped there so she squeezed past the chair and dropped to her knees. An empty water bottle lay on the floor.

  Melanie reached out to touch his cheek and when she did, his head lifted. His blue eyes were glassy as he stared at her.

  “Melanie?”

  “Yeah. Hi. Ryan asked me to stop by and check on you.”

  “He shouldn’t have done that,” Tyler said as he lowered his head again. “I’m fine.”

  Melanie gave a huff of laughter as she pushed to her feet. “Yeah. I can see that.”

  “I’m not helpless, you know,” Tyler said, his tone defensive.

  Melanie looked around the bathroom and found a stack of washcloths. She picked one up and ran it under the water. “I know that. But you are alone. No one should have to be sick by themselves.”

  When she turned back to him, she saw that he’d grabbed a towel and draped it over his legs. The thought that he felt he had to hide his stumps from her hurt a little bit. She handed the cloth to him. “Here. Wipe your face.”

  He hesitated a moment before taking the cool cloth from her hand. His hand shook a bit as he wiped it over his face. Melanie would have happily done it for him, but something told her that right then, he wouldn’t have appreciated the gesture.

  “Can you open that drawer there and grab an elastic for me?” Tyler asked.

  Melanie pulled out the drawer and saw a package of hair elastics. She took one out and handed it to him.

  “Thanks. My hair keeps getting in the way when I’m sick.” He lifted his hands to gather his hair back, but Melanie could see his arms shaking with the effort.

  “Can I do that for you?” she asked.

  It hurt her to see him struggling when she knew what a strong man he really was. When Ryan had said this bug had brought him down, he’d meant it.

  “Let me help you, Ty. I know you can do this for yourself, but I’m here. Let me help. That’s what friends do.”

  Without looking at her, he held out his hand and let her take the elastic from his fingers. Melanie squeezed back around to the other side of the wheelchair and with quick movements, pulled his curls back into a short ponytail.

  Then, leaving him in the bathroom, she went back to the kitchen and pulled another bottle of water from the fridge. She could tell that he’d been sweating at one point and given that he was sitting in the bathroom, she’d assume that he’d been sick to his stomach as well.

  When she got back to the bathroom, she loosened the cap on the bottle and handed it to him. “Drink up. Ryan said the doctor told you that dehydration was something you needed to avoid.”

  “Yeah.” He took the bottle but didn’t drink any of it. “The problem is, every time I drink something, it comes right back up.”

  Melanie could hear the weariness in his words. She sat on the edge of the tub next to the wheelchair. The bathroom was a little on the small side for her and the wheelchair to both fit comfortably. “You still need to drink. Do you want some crackers so you have something more solid in your stomach? Might make it a little less sloshy.”

  “I’m not sure if I have any.”

  “No worries. I made a stop on the way here and picked up a few things.”

  “You shouldn’t be here.” His voice stopped her as she got to her feet.

  “We’ve been over that already, Tyler. You need help. I’m here to help. It’s what friends do. It was what Ryan was doing before he had to leave.”

  When he didn’t say anything right away, Melanie turned to leave the bathroom, thinking she’d gotten her point across.

  “I don’t want you to get sick.” His voice was so low she almost didn’t hear the words he spoke.

  “I won’t. I’ve read up on the precautions I need to take. And if I do, well, my mother’s close enough to take care of me.”

  Again he was silent but then said, “If you could just get me my pills and put some more water in here and by the bed, I should be fine. You don’t need to stay.”

  Melanie glared at his bent head. She’d expected that he wouldn’t be entirely happy with her being there, but dealing with it directly was difficult. She just wanted to help.

  Before she said anything to upset him more, she left the bathroom and went back to the kitchen to get the crackers she’d bought. She took them into the bedroom, frowning when she saw that the door to the bathroom was now shut. With a sigh, she set the crackers on the bedside table and then snapped on the lamp.

  Realizing that the sheets on Tyler’s bed needed to be changed, she went in search of a linen closet. Thankfully, Tyler seemed to be a fairly tidy housekeeper. She found a set of fresh sheets in the closet and then went back into the kitchen to grab the gloves and mask she’d picked up. She washed her hands first with the antibacterial soap she’d purchased then pulled on the gloves and mask.

  Back in the bedroom, she made quick work of stripping the bed then took the dirty linens to the washing machine she’d seen in a closet in the hallway. After adding some bleach to the load, she set it for the hottest water, discarded the gloves and washed up again.

  When she returned to the bedroom, she could hear the sounds of retching from the bathroom. She wanted to burst through the door and demand he let her help him, but instead, she remade his bed then got the disinfectant spray she’d bought and began to use it liberally on all the appropriate surfaces. She also opened the window to let in a little fresh—albeit slightly cool—air.

  Though the bathroom door remained closed, she could hear movement so at least he was still alive. Frustrated that he wouldn’t let her help more, she went and grabbed her laptop bag and her phone. She owed Ryan an update and if Tyler was still holed up in the bathroom, she’d spend a little time checking her email to see if anything needed her attention.

  She did a little figuring in her head to determine how late it was in London. Realizing it was early evening, she tapped out a message to Ryan.

  It’s probably not a good sign when the nurse wants to strangle the patient, right?

  It wasn’t long before a message appeared. Not being the most cooperative patient, eh?

  Melanie huffed out a sigh as if Ryan could hear it. That’s putting it mildly. He’s locked himself in the bathroom and won’t let me help him.

  Even as she hit send, Melanie realized she didn’t know for sure that the bathroom door was locked. She’d just assumed it was. Hopefully, he’d just closed it for effect but not locked it. If she had to get to him in a hurry, a locked door wouldn’t be a good thing.

  Are you really upset with him? Should I be apologizing for asking you to check in on him?

  No. Well, yes, I am u
pset, but only because he needs help and won’t let me do anything for him.

  There was a bit of a delay before his reply showed up. I’m sure he doesn’t like to be seen as weak in front of you. It’s a man thing.

  No. It’s a dumb thing. He’s the least weak person I know. Being sick doesn’t make a person wea—Melanie looked up from her phone as she heard water begin to run in the bathroom. She really hoped he wasn’t taking a shower. If something happened while he was in there, she would be calling Alex to help him out. She was pretty sure that their friendship wouldn’t survive her stepping in to help him in a situation like that.

  She finished her message and hit send before setting the phone on the dresser. Moving as quietly as she could, she made her way to the bathroom door and bent her head close to it. She breathed a sigh of relief when the water shut off. Hopefully, he’d just been washing his hands.

  Not wanting to be caught lingering outside the door if he came out, Melanie grabbed her phone and tapped out another message to Ryan.

  What’s your guys’ wireless information here? I brought my laptop to do a little work.

  Tyler still hadn’t opened the door, so Melanie settled down on the floor with her laptop and using the information Ryan had given her, she logged into their network.

  Mr. Tyler Harris was about to find out just how stubborn she could be.

  ~*~*~

  Tyler looked longingly at the shower, but he knew better than to press his luck. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so weak. The effort to simply lift his arms just about did him in.

  He took another small sip of water from the bottle Melanie had brought him. He supposed it was too much to hope that he was hallucinating her presence in his house. No doubt he had Ryan to thank for her arrival, which had shocked him once he’d realized it was really her.

  The lack of movement on the other side of the door had him thinking she’d taken him up on his request that she leave. He took another sip of water and waited to see if his stomach was going to reject it once again.

  After repeating the sip and wait routine over the next several minutes with no negative results, Tyler decided that he’d make an attempt to get back to his bed. He really was exhausted and his body ached, but he didn’t dare fall asleep in his chair. The last thing he needed was to fall out of it and add a broken bone to the mess he was in.