Acting Happy (Texas Desires #2) (35 page)

Freshly showered, Kenzie stood in the bathroom mirror blow-drying her hair, her perspective on life made a million times better after the hours and hours of sleep she’d gotten. Kade was sweet to let her stay. When he returned from work, she’d need to thank him for his generosity, and also let him know she was working on an exit plan. His little speech this morning about calling Ty showed he wasn’t entirely comfortable with her sticking around. And maybe he had a point. Perhaps she had handled this all wrong. Ty had always been a real decent guy. Even with him so clearly wanting her gone, he’d be worried about her safety. She should have at least left him a note or sent him a text that she’d arrived safely. Her heart had just been too broken to think properly.

Even on firmer ground, pain still spiked inside her heart. No telling how long it would take for that to go away.

Turning off the dryer, Kenzie hooked it back in its place on the wall and ran the brush over her hair. Her hand stilled for a moment when she heard a knock, and then she kept working the small knots in her hair free as she headed for the door. From the living room windows, she could see it was already dark outside. She’d slept close to twelve hours, something she’d never thought possible, and wondered who’d be stopping by so late in the evening.

At the front door, Kenzie lifted on her tiptoes to look out the peephole while she placed a hand on the doorknob and started to turn. She stopped in mid-motion, and based on the violent reaction going on inside her body, she was surprised she was still on her feet. She didn’t move except to close her eyes and slowly lower to her feet. What was he doing here?

“Open the door.” Ty’s voice instructed softly, but sternly, and Kenzie lifted, looking back through the hole.

“Why?” she finally asked so quietly that she wasn’t sure she’d said the word out loud.

“Please. Let’s not do this out here. Please.”

Kenzie didn’t say a word because he was right. The chance of someone sneaking around, following him, and hiding to record everything was a real threat, but she absolutely wasn’t ready to see him. She loved him so much it physically hurt her to see his face through the hole. If she opened the door, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to stay strong and not beg him to let her try to make him happy—if that was even the reason he’d come.

Okay, that was a good point. Maybe he didn’t want her back. She’d just decided he was a stand-up guy. He’d want to make sure she was safe, taken care of, and surely she could give him that.

Making her face passive, Kenzie pulled up the mask she’d lived behind for most of her life as she reached to turn the lock before stepping away from the door.

Ty didn’t immediately come inside. She had time to walk to the other side of the room, putting the furniture between them. She crossed her arms over her chest and bit at the inside of her cheek while controlling her facial features as best as she could.

Whatever he had to say, he could say and then leave.

Her eyes darted to the door handle as it started to turn. Seconds later, the door opened and Ty’s handsome face came into view. He looked around before pushing the door open all the way, scanning the room again before coming inside.

“Are we alone?” he asked.

“Yes. What’re you doing here?”

Ty came fully inside and shut the door behind him. His gaze stayed trained on her. It was hard to do anything other than keep herself together. Everything inside her wanted this man. He looked so tired, maybe a little beaten down, but utterly gorgeous. He had dressed up, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, the collar left open at the neck. His hair was styled, he’d shaved, and the dark tan from all the time spent in the pool made his amber eyes sparkle. She could feel her resolve slipping and bit harder on the inside of her mouth to help keep her focused on the situation.

“You’re so beautiful to me, Kenzie. Just like that first day I saw you, I want you so much,” Ty said and started toward her, walking between the sofa and the coffee table in her direction. She moved in the other direction. The room was small, not a lot of options for her to keep distance between them, and he looked intent on getting to her. She couldn’t have that and tossed out a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice sounding desperate even to her. Having him so close was almost her undoing.

“Why did you leave me?” he countered, and she rolled her eyes.

“That could have been said over the phone—” she started with a hard edge, but he cut her off.

“You wouldn’t answer your phone. You didn’t leave a note. I had no idea if you were safe. What the hell was going on?” he pleaded.

“Ty, it was obvious you didn’t want me th—”

He cut her off again.

“Of course, I wanted you there.”

“You were angry all the time,” she said, more for herself than for him. The anger had driven her away. Jason. She had to remember what happened when anger was left unresolved. Her breath hitched in her throat as the tears began to form.

Damn, she was going to cry, and she bit harder on the inside of her cheek.

“Not at you. Never at you. I feel like I ruined your life. I was mad at me.” His thumb jerked, poking himself in the chest. There was vehemence in his tone, and all she could do was stare. Could that be true? Her eyes narrowed as she quickly tried to catch up. Never once had she considered that as an option. She had always thought the anger was directed at her. She had ruined his life. When he started back around the table, she threw out her hand again, stopping him.

“You’ve been out every single night since I left. I know that because the whole world’s so excited you and Julia are spending time together. The gold digger’s gone.” Her eyes grew wide, and she stopped speaking as he moved again. Alarm had her dodging in a clear countermove. She had to think and there was no way she could with him in her personal space. Ty’s brows snapped together as his gaze followed her evasive maneuvers. He looked frustrated. With his eyes blazing, Ty took one giant step over the barrier of the coffee table that kept her from him.

“Stop, Ty,” she said, a little panicky.

“I haven’t been out at all. I’ve made every person in my life miserable. I’ve been such a dick that the show agreed to let me go. I’ve canceled every movie contract I’m a part of for the next year, and I’ll… We’ll… I mean we—you and I—will decide what jobs I take in the future, if you’ll just take me back,” he pleaded, ignoring her outstretched hand, coming to stand so close that he firmly gripped her upper arms in both his hands.

“Ty…” she started, but couldn’t hold his stare. It was too much. He was too much. “I know you said it wasn’t me that you were mad at, but it was. I can’t be in a relationship like that ever again. I can’t go back to that life.”

“I’ve loved you since the first minute I saw you. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable, but on my soul, I was disgusted with me for hurting you and that will never happen again… The anger or disappointing you.” She desperately wanted those words to be true and her body involuntarily moved forward into his. Ty immediately wrapped his arms around her, drawing her tightly in the circle of his embrace. “Please give us another try. I come with a lot of baggage. I think it’s gonna take lots of time to get past the frenzy of bullshit surrounding my life, but I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make it stop.”

She rested her forehead on his chest and begged her brain to think rationally. It was so hard. His body felt like home. When she didn’t answer, he pulled back and looked at her face. Whatever he saw made him lift a hand to cup her neck as his thumb caressed across her cheek.

“I bought some land in the town I grew up in. It’s country, but we could build there. Nobody’ll even want to come bother us out there. And if you agree, we’ll start building right away. I want to marry you, Kenzie. I want to be the man you build a life with, have babies with. I want a house full of them. I want you to feel loved and secure. I wanna be your everything. Please say you want that too.”

She had officially reached her mental overload. Her head was having a hard time processing, and she just stared up at him, completely blown away as she whispered, “We barely know each other.”

“That’s not true. We’ve spent too much time together. You know me, Kenzie. You know everything about me. I don’t deserve you, but damn it if I don’t love you like I’ve never loved another. Be with me. Be mine. Let’s say one year from the day we met, if everything holds true, you’ll become my wife. We’ll start making our family then.” She gripped his dress shirt at the same time he tightened his arm around her back, holding her snugly in place.

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” she whispered on a hopeful breath, her gaze lifting to his. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They gathered and sprang free, immediately trailing down her cheeks. He had laid out her dreams on a silver platter and placed himself dead center.

“Then let me be the one to give it to you.”

Ty moved his hand to the back of her head, tucking her against his chest. Her cheek rested close to his heart, and she closed her eyes, listening to the erratic beat that seemed to match her own.

“Kenzie! Get up! He’s coming,” Lara shouted through the front door before it opened and she headed straight back to her bedroom. Reed was on her heels, but stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted them standing in the living room. “Reed didn’t mind his own business!” she yelled with venom in her voice. Reed smiled.

Lara beelined through the house, opened her bedroom door, then darted back out and flipped around to the bathroom. “Great, Reed! She’s gone! Why couldn’t you just—” She abruptly stopped speaking when she turned toward the living room and spotted them all staring at her.

“Excuse me. I missed that. What were you saying?’ Reed asked, a huge grin on his face.

“Hush,” she said, coming to stand a few feet from Kenzie with deep concern on her face. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” Kenzie lifted her face to Ty’s when he ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. He cupped his palm around her neck, drawing her head back to his chest. He held her as tightly as he could while she draped both her arms around his waist. Several seconds passed before she heard the front door close.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered into her hair with a haggard breath.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore,” she said, equally as distraught.

“That will never happen, Kenzie. Ever. I love you.” Those words were said with conviction and eased the last few traces of fear that she had managed to hang on to.

Kenzie jerked her head up as the front door opened. Ty did too, turning awkwardly to crane his neck and part of his body to see who’d entered. Kade came through the doorway carrying a grocery sack and stopped dead in his tracks, staring down at the both of them sprawled across his sofa. His smile spread as Kenzie started to rise, pushing against Ty’s chest for leverage.

“Good. You’re back together, right?” he asked, reaching behind him to the front door, pushing it to swing shut. There was an almost immediate banging coming from above as he moved toward the kitchen. “Ignore that. She’s lonely and waits for me to get home. Since Lara left, she’s been down here several times, worried about the lack of noise so I purposefully do things like that for her. So y’all are back together?”

“Yes, I think so,” Kenzie started.

“No thinking. We definitely are,” Ty added, coming to his feet right beside her. His firm words strengthened her fragile heart, and she laid her head against his arm.

“Good. I told you,” Kade said, looking directly at Kenzie as he set his bag on the kitchen counter.

“Told you what?” Ty asked, his hand reaching under her hair until he was able to palm her neck, his thumb caressing the skin as he drew her fully against his body. Since the room was technically a single space, she watched as Kade pulled food from the bag. He had a large rotisserie chicken and several smaller clear tubs of what looked like broccoli and sliced carrots.

“I let her stay because I didn’t want her out on the streets alone, but I told her when she got here that she needed to call you.”

“He did,” she nodded, looking up at a now grinning Ty.

“I like Kade. He’s right. You should’ve called me,” Ty said as if Kade was the smartest man alive. She rolled her eyes when he bent to kiss her upturned lips. “Thank you for letting her stay.”

“It’s not a problem at all. Better than her being in some stray hotel with all the press she’s been getting,” Kade said, and he pulled out the last container filled with fresh-cut fruit. The rumble from Kenzie’s stomach went wild, loud enough that all eyes turned her way.

“I haven’t eaten today.”

“Lara told me Ty arrived. I didn’t know if you planned on staying or going, so I got enough for everyone, but it’s my standard meal, chicken and vegetables.”

“We don’t want to intrude—” Ty started, but Kade cut him off.

“Stay. It’s not much, but probably better than a hotel with all the tabloid crap that follows you everywhere,” Kade said, pulling out three plates from a cabinet, silverware from a drawer, then water bottles from the refrigerator.

“He’s got a point,” Kenzie said, her eyes on the food as her mouth began watering at the delicious smells filling the room. They moved her in the direction of the plates. She hadn’t eaten since last night and the growl in her stomach double-timed in its urgency.

“It’s really not a problem if you stay. I work second shift and volunteer for a few hours before my shift starts. I won’t be around too much,” Kade answered as he popped lids off the containers. He handed Kenzie a serving spoon, and she scooped the seasoned steamed broccoli on her plate as he began carving at the chicken. The first piece he cut, he lifted toward her.

“Vegetarian.”

“I forgot that. How do you not eat meat?” he asked incredulously.

“She never does. Doesn’t let it touch her plate,” Ty said from behind, reaching for a plate of his own. “I think we should take Kade up on his offer until we get a game plan. I’m tired of hiding us, but we need to do it right this time.”

Her appetite, which had waned since leaving Ty, came back full force right at that moment. Kenzie took a quick bite of the broccoli, before taking her water bottle and going to one of the two chairs at the small table in the corner.

“I figured you hadn’t come up with a plan yet. When Lara called, I decided here would probably be the best bet for you guys,” Kade said. Ty began filling his plate as Kade quickly washed his hands, then headed toward his room. “Help yourself to anything. I gotta change.”

Ty finished making his plate and came to sit beside her. He sweetly moved his chair closer to hers before he sat down. “Is it good? All of a sudden I’m starving too.”

“Mmm,” she managed with her mouth full. Before Ty got too far into the meal, Kade was back, wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. The sheer width of his shoulders was something to stare at until Ty rose from his seat and lifted his plate, distracting her from any other sight.

“Sit.” Kade waved Ty back to his seat. “I got the chair over there, but I’m gonna work out before I eat.”

“I feel like we’re putting you—” Ty started as he retook his seat, but Kade cut him off.

“You guys need a break from everything. If you go out there, they’ll see you. Nobody’s been in Lara’s room for months. It’s not a problem. I just don’t really have a lot of company that sticks around for any length of time so I haven’t upgraded anything.” Kade crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest and looked directly at Kenzie. “Is there any chance you’re McKenzie Stanton from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin?”

Her eyes shot to his, and she paused with a bite of food going to her mouth. That was why he seemed so familiar!

“Kade Michaels? Officer Michaels. How did I not figure that out before now? It’s been a long time.” She finished the bite and took a long drink, unable to stop the grin.

“I’d wondered what happened to you,” he said. “I didn’t put it together before, but when you got here this morning, something just clicked.”

Kenzie looked over at Ty, quickly catching him up. “I used to volunteer at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Austin. I did that for years. If I remember correctly, Kade had just moved to Dallas, maybe a few months before I had to leave the organization. He did my same job for the Dallas office. We moved paperwork and information back and forth on the kiddos who moved from one city to another. I remember he transitioned his kids so well. All the information virtually came with them, I never had to wait or dig for it, which made it a better experience for everyone involved. I never dealt with anyone as good as him at making sure there was a smooth transition.”

“I still volunteer, doing about that same job when it’s needed. They’ve had about ten people in your spot since you left. No one handles all the stress as well as you.”

“I loved being there so much,” she said and crossed one leg over the other, getting lost in the memories of all the children and fun times they’d shared. She’d loved that time in her life. “It ended up being a part-time job for me. I couldn’t go back though until the case got dismissed. They couldn’t have me there with everything going on,” she explained, then finished off her water bottle.

“If you can, you should come by tomorrow, Ty. The staff and kids would love it,” Kade suggested.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Kenzie countered.

“To the club?” Ty asked when Kenzie looked over at him. “I think it’s a great idea. I love doing those things and chances are it won’t get leaked, but if it does, then the tabloids will see us together and that’s what we need. I’ll talk to Malea, but we need to be seen out together in good places. If nothing else, it’ll hit social media eventually and confirm we’re solid.”

“I’ll have to work,” Kenzie said. As much as she loved the idea and really wanted to get back into volunteering, Lara had already been way too considerate about her time off.

“I know, but this is what I was talking about right before Kade got home. I want us to be a regular couple like everyone else. We can’t hide and achieve that goal. I learned that lesson the hard way.” He removed his cell from his slacks pocket and sat with his elbows on his knees, his phone in his hands, looking over at Kade. “Can we go over there late tomorrow afternoon?”

“I’m sure I can hook it up.” He glanced toward Kenzie. “I could probably meet you there about four so you don’t miss too much work. I can let you know in the morning,” Kade offered.

“Good. We’ll stop hiding.” Ty turned to Kenzie, patting her thigh until she reached down to thread their fingers together. “The sooner we put all this behind us, the better off we’ll be.”

~~~

Sliding in the passenger side of Ty’s rented Prius, Kenzie maneuvered her heavy laptop bag filled with the foundation’s procedure manuals to the backseat. It was an awkward move, one that Ty had to help complete. Once done, she started to turn toward the front, reaching for her seatbelt, but Ty stopped her with a fist gripping the front of her jacket. He drew her back across the middle console, his lips already puckered, waiting for a kiss. She easily obliged. When done, she started to move away, but his firm grip held her in place which happened to be about six inches from his face.

“How did it go today?” he asked.

“It went really well. I have such a learning curve. I’ve got lots of homework. Next week I’m scheduled to sit in on a board meeting, even if I’m conferenced in, so I need to get all that read before then,” she said, hooking a thumb toward the case in the backseat.

Ty had been staring at her mouth and leaned in to kiss her lips again when she stopped talking.

“I’m glad you like it. We’ve gotta go back to California in the morning, but we can come back next week for the meeting,” he said, moving a piece of her hair out of her face, still holding on tight to her jacket, staying all in her personal space.

“Ty, you don’t have to babysit me…” She started to forcefully pull away, but he held on tight, drawing her closer for another quick kiss.

“We agreed to stick together for the foreseeable future. You promised. Stop trying to get out of it,” he teased and finally let her go. “Besides, that’s what commitment means. You have to be subject to all the hell involved in my life, just like me in yours, because that meeting sounds hellish.”

That was said with a waggle of his eyebrows and humor in his voice.

“I might need to rethink that agreement,” she replied cheekily. He had just started to pull away from the curb and quickly slammed on the brakes at her words, tossing her forward against the seatbelt.

“Your word is a binding contract in all fifty states,” he said, giving her a critical eye. He grew serious though. “Not enough time has passed that you can joke about leaving again. I was hurt bad when you left.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I told you it was all about me,” she said, but he didn’t let her continue.

“I know. I get it. I take responsibility for that. We just need to wait to laugh about that one. It’s still too raw.” There was a pause as Ty stared out the front window before he finally began to pull out of the parking garage. Once on the street, he clasped her hand with his, drawing her knuckles to his lips.

The Boys & Girls Clubs wasn’t more than a few miles away. Even in this heavier traffic, they arrived quickly. Ty followed the directions Kade sent and parked in the lot leading to a private entrance. Kade was already there, leaning against a police cruiser, waiting for them right outside the back door.

By the time they made it to Kade, he had his hand on the door handle as he said quietly, “Not everyone knows about this. You’ll be a surprise.”

Kade opened the door, and she watched Ty take a deep breath, close his eyes, and tighten the hand holding hers. When his eyes opened, his smile increased, and she figured that was probably his game face.

“These things always make me nervous. I’m afraid I’m not gonna meet whatever expectations they’ve built around me,” he said to Kenzie, loud enough that Kade heard him and turned a questioning gaze to her.

“He’s not good around a lot of people. Isn’t that kind of shocking? He’s reserved, very much an introvert,” she explained.

She watched Kade’s facial features morph into several different expressions. She understood those looks. It was how she’d felt when she’d first heard that odd statement about this charismatic man. Kade never said another word; instead, he turned and took them down a long hall that ended in a large, open gym.

The people that knew about Ty’s arrival must have staged this. They walked into a gymnasium full of adults and children playing various games. Kenzie looked over her shoulder. People were leaving their offices, huge smiles on their faces, walking behind them as Kade and Ty moved forward. He had placed Kenzie behind him, still holding her hand. It felt more a protectionary move than anything else, but she had to crane her neck to see the reaction. The noise level in the place slowly quieted to where only a whisper could be heard. Then chaos ensued. Balls were dropped, games abandoned as the kids swarmed Ty. He never let go of Kenzie’s hand, and for that she was glad. She got a front row view of the genuine awe the kids had for Ty, and in return, he had for them.

If there was any question left, it ended in that moment. He was truly everything she’d ever wanted in a man.