Hero of Mine (5 page)

Her hand gripped her coffee cup so hard she felt it start to give. “My son is more than a responsibility. He's my light, my joy, and my world.” Taking a drink of her coffee to hide her anger, she added, “Any man who looked at Noah as a chore he didn't think he could handle wouldn't be worth my time anyway.”

Tyler stared at her so hard and long that she started to squirm. What was he thinking? That she had a big mouth? Or that she was just being defensive again?

“You're right. That's exactly how my mom felt before she married my stepdad.”

He'd been raised by a single mom? Interesting.

“How old were you?” she asked.

“About eight. I was lucky, though; my dad always treated me the same as my half brother and sister. Some kids aren't so fortunate.”

That was her constant fear. That she'd let someone in their lives who wouldn't love Noah as his own. She'd rather be alone forever than have her son hurt by another man's rejection.

“That's exactly why I don't date,” she said.

Uncomfortable silence stretched between them, and finally she broke it by asking, “How's the dog? Did you ever rename him?”

“I'm calling him Duke.”

“Duke. It's a good name.”

“I just picked him up from the vet a couple of hours ago, so I need to get back soon.”

“Oh, of course.”

He seemed to hesitate before asking, “Okay, I know you barely know me, and I promise, I have no nefarious plans afoot, but if you want to see him, you're more than welcome to come over. I'm just in Natomas, about ten minutes up the freeway.”

Going back to the house of a man she barely knew? What a ludicrous idea.

“Sure. I'd like to see him.”

You are an idiot.

“Great, just follow me.” He stood up and held the door for her as they left Starbucks with their drinks.

As she climbed into her car, the voice in her head silently scolded her.

We need to talk about your decision-making skills.

T
YLER STILL COULDN
'
T
believe he'd invited her to his place, but it wasn't as if he could change his mind. Not when she was standing on his doorstep with him, waiting as he unlocked the door. She was so close, he could feel her body radiating heat amid the cool autumn breeze, and it was so distracting, he'd almost dropped his keys twice.

Get a grip, man; it's not as if you've never brought a woman home before.

Not that it was like that; he really had just invited her over to see the dog. Although, he had to admit, when he'd walked through the door and seen her sitting there, even if she hadn't been Kline's mystery date, he would have sat down anyway. There was something about her that intrigued him, and damned if he could figure out what it was.

“Do you need some help?”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, taking in her amusement. “I can get it.”

“Before I'm thirty?” she asked.

“How long before you're thirty?” he asked, just as the lock turned.

“Six years.”

Opening the door wide to let her in, he winked. “I think we're safe, then.”

She chuckled as she passed by, and he shut the door, watching her glance around his bare house.

“Did you just move in?” she asked.

“A few months ago.”

She shot him a look of disbelief, and he tried to see what had her so surprised. So the only furniture in the living room and kitchen were his couch and entertainment center. He didn't need much.

“Not a big nester, huh?” she said.

“What the hell is a nester?”

“Someone who settles in, decorates. Makes his place homey.”

He had never been big for posters and stuff on his wall, and all his pictures could fit in his wallet. “Yeah, sorry, I flunked out of ‘nester' school.”

“That's okay. I forgive your lack of style.”

He snorted, trying to bite back a smile. He liked her sass. “Duke is over there behind the couch.”

“Did you name him after Duke Orsino?”

“Who?” Tyler squatted down in front of Duke's cage, ignoring Apollo and Zeus's whimpers. The big dog tried to stand up, but Dani crooned for him to stay down as she opened the cage.

“Duke Orsino from
She's the Man
.”

“Is that a chick flick?” he asked.

“I guess so.” She rubbed Duke's ears lovingly, and the dog gave a happy groan.

“Then, no. I named him after the
G.I. Joe
character.”

“Well, you should watch it. It is hilarious,” she said.

“I don't watch chick flicks.”

Her mouth dropped. “You've never seen one . . . ever?”

“Why would I?”
I have a penis.
He didn't say that, though; he had some tact.

“Maybe with your mom or a sister or a girlfriend—”

“My mom and I watched Disney movies together when I was little, my sister is twelve years younger than me, and I've never had a girlfriend.”

Why was she staring at him like he was an alien? “Not even in high school?”

“I dated. We hung out.”
We fucked.
“But no, I've never had someone I'd willingly watch crap for.”

“They aren't crap. They are funny, entertaining awesomeness, and you are missing out.” She scooted in closer to him, and their thighs touched, sending a jolt of awareness through him. “How are you feeling, buddy?” she asked Duke. “You don't think that rom-coms are crap, do you?”

Duke made some kind of whimpering growl, and Tyler could have sworn the dog glared at him, clearly choosing sides.

“See, Duke gets it.”

“Only because he's had his balls snipped.”

Tyler expected her to act like a typical woman and call him sexist or whatever, but she just laughed. “Maybe, or maybe he just likes getting rubs and scratches.”

Unfortunately, her words didn't play as innocently in his mind as she'd probably meant them, and he imagined letting Dani give him all kinds of rubs and scratches. Just the flash of Dani in his head, her mouth open in a little
O
as her nails raked down his back, his dick buried inside her warmth, left him with a semi pressing against the front of his jeans.

“How long will his recovery be?” she asked.

Trying to think of anything besides his dirty thoughts, he stood up and took a few steps away from her. “About six to eight weeks.”

“Poor guy. That's a long time to chill out in a cage.”

“He won't be stuck in there all the time. He has a cast on, so he should be able to get around okay once the leg heals a bit.”

Dani closed the door and stood up. The way she was looking at him with those deep green eyes made him feel taller, stronger. No one had ever looked at him like that.

“Thank you for what you're doing for him.”

“It was just a broken leg. He deserved better than to be put down for something that wasn't his fault.”

Before he knew it, she'd stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “You can shrug it off, but it proves there's more to you than you let on.”

She rocked back on her heels, and the heat of her mouth on his skin lingered. His gaze was fastened to those pink, plump lips, and if she had been any other woman, he'd be taking the invitation those parted lips offered.

But nothing had changed. He was the guy with nothing to lose, and she was a mom. Nothing was simple or easy, not where them hooking up was concerned.

“Well, um . . . I should get home. I have work tonight,” she said.

The moment over, Tyler didn't know whether to feel relieved or to curse.

“How is Noah feeling?”

“Good, actually. No further complications.”

“That's great. He's a cute kid.”

“Thanks. It's hard, with it just being the two of us. My parents help out, but for the most part . . . ” She trailed off, and her face flamed. “I have to go. Take care of Duke.”

She just about raced for the door, and he caught up before she could fully close it, pausing in the open doorway, flummoxed. He'd never been so confused by a woman, but there he stood, puzzling and puzzling until his puzzler was sore.

What are you, the Grinch? Just be thankful your stupidity didn't get the best of you. The last thing you want to do is lead that poor woman on.

Still, her reaction to his comment was interesting. Almost as if she was afraid of telling him too much.

It was getting harder and harder to remember why he didn't want to get involved with her. Why couldn't he remember she was off limits?

D
ANI WANTED TO
curse her own stupidity. The poor guy was just trying to be nice, and she'd started off on a
woe-is-me
speech. He was so sweet with her that sometimes she forgot he walked into a room and women fell at his feet.

Not that it was his fault he was handsome and charming, but that didn't mean she needed to be one of the simpering masses. Just thinking about the number on his coffee cup from that girl, how he'd tossed it in the trash like it wasn't a big deal . . . It made her want to hate him. How easy it was for him to get and discard attention.

She didn't, though. She might be jealous of how easy it was for him to pick up women, but she definitely didn't hate him.

No, for a split second before she'd kissed his slightly roughened cheek, she'd thought about kissing him on the lips. A simple peck of thanks.

Or so she told herself.

She'd chickened out, though, and after running out of there as if she'd had hellhounds on her heels, she was glad she hadn't gone there. It would have been a big slipup, and starting something up with a guy who was obviously a lady's man would have just been her making the same mistakes over again.

She needed someone who would not only accept Noah as his own, but also care for her. Be her partner in life.

If only she actually believed a man like that existed.

T
HE NEXT DAY
at Alpha Dog, Tyler stood frustrated in front of his group of teenagers, who hadn't been listening to him since they'd assembled for training.

“What in the hell is wrong with you this morning? Fall in!”

His loud boom sent most of them scattering back into formation, save one. Carlos Mendez had been pushing back against their authority since he arrived at Alpha Dog a week ago, and nothing Tyler did, from making him do burpees to extra work, had seemed to curb his attitude.

“Mendez, get up here.”

Carlos and his dog, Lucky, walked toward Tyler, with Lucky leading Mendez. Tyler nearly started yelling again about letting the dog lead, but he held his tongue. When the sullen kid finally stood before him, his dark hooded eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a stubborn line, Tyler rolled his shoulders and decided to try something a little different.

“Who's the boss, you or him?”

“Shit, I'm the boss.”

Tyler nearly rolled his eyes at the kid's bravado. “You think so, huh? Fine.” Waving his hand out, he said, “Then I want you to teach the rest of us how to train a dog.”

Mendez's hard expression slipped a bit, but Tyler just took Apollo and went to stand next to Hank Osbourne, one of the youngest kids at Alpha Dog. The teenager was staring at Mendez with what appeared to be exasperation.

At least Tyler wasn't the only one fed up with the little punk.

“Okay, Mendez, show us something.”

The hotshot actually swaggered as he and Lucky got into position. Lucky, a muscular boxer mix, had a strong, dominant personality, but he was trainable. Tyler had high hopes for the dog, which was why he'd paired him with Mendez.

But if the kid didn't get his shit together, he was going to find himself back in juvie, serving out his sentence there for trying to steal a car.

“Lucky, sit,” Mendez said. There was no treat or ball in the hand he held above Lucky's head, not that the dog was watching him. He was actually looking at Tyler as if to say,
Is this kid for real?

Several snickers throughout the group of boys rose up, and Mendez jerked his head toward them, scowling.

“Sit, you stupid dog.”

Still, Lucky ignored him. As more murmurs and chuckles rose up from the other boys, Mendez turned an ugly shade of red. Then Tyler watched Mendez's body language change. Apprehension shot through Tyler, filling him with adrenaline. Without saying a word, he dropped Apollo's leash just as Mendez kicked out at Lucky, catching the dog in the chest.

The dog yelped at the same time Tyler yanked Mendez by the arm and pulled him away. “You're done here.”

“Motherfucking dog—”

Tyler grabbed the kid by the front of his shirt, his fist trembling with barely restrained rage. He wanted to pummel him to a bloody pulp, but he was a minor under Tyler's care. He could restrain him, but other than that, he'd have to rely on the system to do its job.

“We have a policy here to keep these animals, who have already been through more than they should, safe. You've had plenty of chances to change your behavior, but you've done nothing but show your disdain for what we do. All of that could be forgiven, but not this.”

Mendez spit in his face, the slimy ball oozing down Tyler's cheek. “Fuck you.”

Tyler shoved Mendez to the ground and took the cuffs from his belt, securing them on his wrists. When Tyler stood up, Mendez rolled over onto his side, a long string of curses exploding from his mouth. Tyler wiped his face with his shirt while the kid glared at him from the ground, but Tyler was done letting him be macho. “You really blew it; you know that, right?” Pulling out his walkie-talkie, he held the button down.

“Kline.”

“Sergeant Kline, Carlos Mendez will no longer be staying with us. Can you please come out and retrieve him? And let the judge know he's a violent little prick who likes to kick dogs.”

“Ten-four.”

While Mendez struggled to get to his feet, Tyler spoke to the rest of the teenagers. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. Any abuse allegations will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. If you do not report it, you will be removed from the program for being complicit. We are these animals' last hope, and they deserve to be treated with respect.” Staring directly at Mendez, Tyler added, “Lucky didn't respect you because he knew you were a coward, too scared to be his leader.”

Mendez cursed him, but Tyler ignored the little shit. Approaching Lucky slowly and calmly, he knelt down in from of the dog. He tried to shy away, and Tyler spoke softly. “It's okay, Lucky. You're safe.”

The dog's brindled head dipped as he approached. When he finally stopped and sat before Tyler, Tyler rubbed his ears and fed him a treat from his bag.

“Good boy.”

The dog reacted excitedly, practically crawling onto his lap. Laughing, Tyler started to stand up, and one of the guys shouted, “Look out!”

Pain exploded in the middle of his back, and he was propelled forward. Lucky moved out of the way swiftly as Tyler hit the ground with a heavy weight on his back.

“You still think I'm a coward,
puta
?”

Dazed and with the wind knocked clear the hell out of him, it took Tyler a second to throw his weight to the side and come out on top of Mendez. His back throbbed with the pain of where Mendez's head had hit his spine, and his knee protested as he dug it into Mendez's back, but he ignored it all.

“Somebody grab Lucky!” Tyler shouted. It wasn't as if the dog could go anywhere besides the fenced yard, but Tyler didn't want him thinking he could just take off.

Dwayne Harlow handed off his leash to Olsen Meyers and ran after the loose dog.

Mendez lay on the ground, still talking shit, and Tyler finally addressed him.

“You asked if I still thought you were a coward? The answer is yes. I think only a coward would attack someone when his back was turned.”

“Yo, everything okay out here?” Kline called from the fence.

Tyler stood up gingerly. “Yeah, just get him the fuck out of my sight.”

Kline grabbed Mendez and lifted him nearly off his feet. “No problem.”

Mendez kept shouting curses at him as Kline hauled him off, and Tyler grimaced. Turning back to face the rest of his guys, his tone was harsh. “Anyone else want to piss me off today?”

No one said a word. Dwayne, who always seemed to be smiling and was one of Tyler's favorites, came back to the group with Lucky, as stone-faced as the rest of them. Tyler went to retrieve Lucky from him.

“Thanks for grabbing him, Harlow.”

Dwayne gave him that gamin grin. “You're welcome, boss.”

Walking the length of the group to grab Apollo, Tyler said, “Why don't you guys take the dogs for a run around the fence perimeter, and the fastest team without cutting corners”—Tyler gave Hank a warning look, as the kid liked to cheat if he got the chance—“gets an extra privilege.”

The group of teenagers and dogs took off like a flash, and Tyler finally gave into the groan of pain he'd been holding in. As soon as they went into class, he was going to take some Tylenol and ice his back.

Not exactly a stellar start to the day.

“Yo!” Sparks called from behind him, drawing him out of his pity party.

“What's up?”

“How come I saw Kline hauling Mendez out of here?”

“Because I kicked him out. The little prick attacked Lucky and me.” The kids were coming back at full speed with Dwayne in the front, a wide grin on his face. His dog Charlie's lips flapped up like a set of wings as he ran. The hound mix was all wrinkles and ears, but he was going to make a fantastic search-and-rescue dog.

Dwayne whipped past them, followed closely by Olsen and his Border collie mix, Rambo. The rest of the group stampeded past, and Tyler hollered, “Harlow wins. Now get your dogs some water and head inside. Go straight to study hall; I'll be there in a few minutes. If I arrive and any of you are not there, it's gonna be a bad day for you, too.”

Once the kids were out of earshot, Sparks gave him a raised eyebrow. “You okay?”

“I'm fine except I had a buck-fifty kid ram me right in the middle of my spine.”

“Didn't you cuff him after he attacked the dog?” Sparks asked.

“Yeah . . . He got back up and used his head.”

He could tell Sparks wanted to laugh; his mouth was doing that twitchy thing. “Well, the good news is he's gone, and the better news is we got a new transfer who can take over Lucky's training. I think he's going to work out.”

“It's my job to place the dogs with the kids.” Although, maybe if he'd done a better job reading Mendez, Lucky wouldn't have been kicked.

“Whoa, easy, I am not trying to take your job, but I think you're going to mesh well with this kid. Judge Haskins just faxed me his file, and I thought you might like to read it.”

Tyler took the file, holding the dogs' leashes in one hand so he could open it. Jeremiah Walton. Age: Fourteen. Charges: Vandalism and destruction of property.

Tyler turned over the page to read the crime report, his eyes narrowing. His mom's husband, Neil Kenetti, had been beating her, and when Jeremiah tried to step in, Neil knocked him around. Afraid he would kill them, Jeremiah ran outside and took a baseball bat to Neil's car and then several cars down the block, setting off alarms all over the neighborhood. Neil started to chase Jeremiah down the street, and when people came out asking what was going on, Neil took off.

“Why didn't the kid call the cops? Or go to a neighbor's house and have them call?”

“Check the address. It's one of those neighborhoods where people don't want to get involved . . . unless it somehow affects them. And he didn't have a cell phone.”

“Still, why the hell is he being charged with anything?”

“Because the mom wouldn't testify against her new husband, and several of the neighbors' cars had minor damage.”

Tyler's hands clenched around the file as he nodded. His mom had never been beaten, but she'd been taken advantage of before his dad had come into the picture. He'd been too young to help, to know what was going on, but if anyone had laid a hand on her . . .

For some reason, Dani's pretty face flashed through his mind. He could never imagine fierce, protective Dani letting anyone hurt her, let alone Noah.

“You're right. I want him.”

Sparks slapped him on the back. “I thought you might.”

Sparks started to turn away, but before he even knew what he wanted to ask, Tyler blurted, “Were you ever freaked about hooking up with Violet? I mean, once you found out she was raising her brother and sister?”

Sparks paused and seemed to consider his answer. “Yeah, I had reservations. I mean, Violet is essentially a single mom. It's a big commitment, because if things go south, it's not just the two of you, but also the kid you have to consider.”

Tyler nodded. It was exactly what he'd thought. There was no way around it; no matter how much he may be attracted to Dani, she was in the small percentage of women who were off limits.

“Why do you ask?”

Tyler just shrugged off Sparks's question. “You know, just curious is all.”

“You finally thinking of settling down or something?”

Tyler cracked up. “Me? Dude, you know me. I'm not ready to stop living yet.”

And then Sparks said something that was like a gut punch. “I thought the same thing, but honestly? I realized I wasn't really alive until I met Violet.”

As Tyler followed Sparks back inside, he thought about his life. About his bare house and his weekends filled with beer, women, and late nights, and he wondered for the first time if Sparks might be on to something.