Tangling With Ty

12

HE COULDN’T REALLY be gone. Nicole cocked her head and listened, thinking he’d gotten in the shower, or was in the kitchen, though God knew, the fridge was so empty she couldn’t imagine what was keeping him.

But, she heard nothing, and the truth hit her. Ty was gone and she was alone. No problem, really, as she was used to that, and she lay back in a relaxed pose to prove it.

But then she heard a sound in the hallway, and before she could think about it, she’d leapt from the bed so fast her head spun. Maybe he’d just gone for donuts and coffee.

If that was the case, she’d love him forever.

Hand on the front door, she realized she was still entirely naked so she went racing back into the bedroom, grabbed the blanket they’d tossed to the floor sometime in the deep, dark of the night when they hadn’t needed anything but the heat they’d generated while making love.

Back at the front door, wrapped in the blanket now, she hauled the door open.

Nothing.

But since she still heard sounds, she tiptoed down a few stairs, thinking any moment now he’d pop into view with his grin, holding donuts and coffee, and she would offer to be his sex slave forever.

“Nicole? Is that you?”

Shit. Suzanne. Nicole whipped around and lifted a foot to race back up the stairs, only she tripped on an edge of the blanket and ended up facedown on the stairs.

“Honey, you okay?” Suzanne came into view holding some sort of brass frame. At the sight of Nicole sprawled in her blanket, with her naked arms and shoulders peeking out, she stopped short.

“Don’t ask.” Nicole managed to sit up.

Holding the back end of the frame, Taylor came up behind Suzanne. “Rough night?”

Nicole tugged her blanket closer and remained silent.

“Hmm.” From Taylor, that was a loaded hmm.

“Tell you what, let’s skip you for a moment and get right to me. I’m selling this antique brass quilt holder today, and I can’t be here. Neither can Suzanne. I was hoping you’d be in bed with Ty all day and could handle the transaction for me.”

“Ty is gone.”

“He’s gone out to get you caffeine?”

“He’s gone out, all right. Slunk out.” Nicole scrubbed her face with her hands. “Happy now?”

“Ah. We’re back to this being about you.”

Nicole dropped her hands and glowered at Taylor. “I’m the one sitting bare-ass naked here.”

Taylor sat on the step next to her. “You and Ty do it last night?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Did you?”

“Yes! Okay? Three times! Now is my humiliation complete?”

“Did you happen to mention you love him during any of those three times?” Suzanne asked.

Nicole resisted the urge to strangle her. “Why would I do that?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

Nicole glared at Suzanne, who continued just to look at her serenely. Confidently. Smugly.

“Did you?” Taylor pressed. “Did you tell him?”

“No.” Nicole thought about how perfect the night had been, how many times they’d turned to one another, how she’d wondered how that much happiness could fit into her chest. “He didn’t say it either.”

“Maybe he’s just as scared as you,” Taylor said very gently, and put her arm around her shoulders. “Love is fairly terrifying.”

Nicole looked deep into Taylor’s eyes and saw a haunting pain. “You know this for a fact, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes.”

Suzanne sat on Nicole’s other side. “Tell him. See what happens.”

Nicole drew a deep breath, but never having been a coward, she stood up. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Great, but…honey?” Taylor tugged a little on the blanket. “Much as I think Ty would appreciate what you’re not wearing, I think you should get dressed first.”

NICOLE DID get dressed first, and then drove straight to Ty’s house. There was a car parked next to his, and boxes in the driveway.

He was already leaving.

Well, she thought with a deep breath, he’d be taking her heart with him. Chin high, heart hammering, she knocked on his front door. Tell him, she coaxed herself. Just tell him.

The moment he opened it, she swallowed hard and said, “I love you.”

For the longest heartbeat in history, he just stared at her. Then from behind him came a voice. “Ty?” A woman came up behind him, tall and beautiful, with bright blue eyes.

Since no big hole had opened up and swallowed her, Nicole took a step backwards. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” said the woman. “I’m sorry.” She turned to Ty and smacked him on his arm. “You big lug, why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?”

That was it for Nicole, she whirled and ran toward her car, fumbled for her keys, and had just opened the driver’s door when she was whipped around.

Ty stood there, his piercing blue eyes narrowed against the sun. He put his big hands on her arms and held her against the car, and when she would have wriggled free, he simply pressed his body in close.

As if he hadn’t done the same thing all night long.

She closed her eyes and fought for control. “Please,” she whispered, out of breath from the adrenaline and emotions running through her body. “It’s been a long, humiliating morning. Just…just let me go.”

He was out of breath, too. “Not until you repeat what you just said.”

She opened her eyes, but kept her mouth stubbornly shut.

Ty sighed and gentled his hold, sliding his hands up to cup her jaw. “Nicole-”

“I’m late for work.”

Still breathing unevenly, he put his forehead to hers. “I shouldn’t have left this morning without a note. I realized that after I was halfway home. But I woke up early, and you looked so tired, and…and I needed to think. I went home and there was a message from my sister.”

This made her open her eyes. “Did you find her?”

Just like that, Ty’s heart tipped on its side. She was shaking, visibly upset, and yet she could put it all away to ask about his sister.

Because she loved him.

It made him start shaking. “She found me, that’s her in the house.”

Nicole looked over at the young woman standing in his doorway with his own see-through blue eyes, his own dark, do-as-it-pleased hair, his own cool, easygoing smile that told the world she was tough-as-hell while on the inside she was terrified.

“Have you talked?” Nicole asked quietly.

“We’ve started.”

“And I interrupted.” She winced. “God. I’m sorry, I-”

“My sister and I will have our time.” He cupped her face. “But right now it’s our time. Nicole-”

“The boxes. I…thought you were leaving.”

He gave her a half smile. “It sure as hell would be the easy way out, and I like that, believe me. Or I did, until last night.”

“What happened last night?”

“I realized I was an idiot.” He stroked his thumbs over her jaw. “An idiot who loves you right back, Nicole.”

“You…” A half laugh, half sob escaped her. “Really?”

“Oh, darlin’, if you only knew how much.” He pulled her close. “I thought I enjoyed the wandering, you know?” He buried his face in her hair. “It kept my past off my heels. Moving around, I wasn’t just a screw-up, a nobody from nowhere and no one. But then I ended up here, and suddenly there were these strings on my heart.” Pulling back, he smiled. “California for one. God, I love it here.” He ran a gentle finger down her earlobe. “And then I had a sister who wanted me in her life. That messed with my head for a while.”

Nicole smiled. “She’s stubborn. Like you.”

“Yeah.” He stroked a hand down her spine, keeping her tucked close because he couldn’t get enough of her. That had given him some bad moments last night, not being able to get enough, which had led to him stupidly getting out of her bed before dawn. He’d convinced himself he shouldn’t get used to having her around all the time, because she wouldn’t want that. But now he wasn’t ever letting go of her again. “And then there’s you,” he said, kissing her softly. “You, darlin’, were the strongest string of all. I’m never cutting you loose. Say that’s good for you.”

“That’s good for me. Really good.”

“I want to marry you, Nicole. Have babies with you. I want to start a family and do it right.”

She paled a bit, which made him laugh and hug her hard. God, he loved her. “We don’t have to start right now. We could just…be. If that’s what it takes to make you smile again. Just knowing you love me is good enough.”

Her breath caught, and looking uncertain, she bit her lower lip. “What if I never want to get married? What if I never want children…what then?”

“I just want you, Nicole. That’s all I need, the rest is a bonus, that’s all.”

Her smile was slow and brilliant and made his heart tip on its side. “You’re my miracle, Ty. Knowing you love me that much.”

“That I do, Nicole.”

“It’s…amazing.”

“You don’t think you’re that lovable?”

“I know I’m not,” she said with a laugh. “But I’m selfish enough to marry you anyway.” She laughed again, as if shocked by the admission. “I even want to have a little boy who looks just like you.”

“A little girl.” Ty kissed her, not quite as softly this time. “With eyes just like yours, and a smile that melts me.”

“We’ll negotiate. How about saying ‘I do’ on a beach in Mexico? In our bathing suits?”

He tightened his hands on her and put his forehead to hers, overwhelmed and humbled by what she’d given him. “You just don’t want to wear a dress.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You have a problem with that?”

He grinned and kissed her again. “Nope. But Suzanne and Taylor will. Want to meet my sister? Again?”

“I’d love to meet your sister.”

Ty had no more turned toward the front door and waved when Margaret Mary came bouncing out of the house with a hopeful smile on her face. “Is it okay? I didn’t mean to upset anyone-”

“You didn’t,” Ty said, melting Nicole’s heart when he reached out for his sister’s hand and pulled her closer. “Margaret Mary, this is Nicole. My best friend, my soul mate, my future wife.”

Margaret Mary’s smile widened in surprise. “Oh my God, really? A sister-in-law? Ty, you’re going to give me a sister?” Her eyes dampened and she gathered them both into a bear hug that threatened to choke the life right out of Nicole. “I’ve always wanted a brother and a sister,” she whispered in a voice that brought a lump to Nicole’s throat the size of a regulation football.

What could she do? She hugged her back. After a long moment, the three of them held hands and walked toward the house. “Ty?” Nicole asked, watching as he brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers.

“We’re not going to feel alone, ever again, are we?”

He smiled at her with so much love the lump doubled in size. “Never, darlin’. Never again.”