Truly Mine (29 page)

I stay until I’ve let out every last tear that I have. By the time I leave, I’m no longer at war with my mother or myself. I’m not weighed down by what either of us did in our pasts. I’m excited about the future. My future with Tyler.

I arrive back at Tyler’s at five, and I’m the only one there. I decide to make dinner for everyone. I scour Tyler’s cabinets, looking for anything that I can use to create a full meal. I settle for a basic lasagna and salad. I start boiling water for noodles and then begin browning the hamburger meat. As I’m pulling the cheese and a few veggies out of the refrigerator, Tyler walks through the front door.

“Mmm…I could get used to this.” His smile is blinding.

“Hi, babe. How was your day?” I’m playing along.

“Is this something I should get used to?” he asks.

“I don’t know. I can see myself preparing dinner for you every night after I get home from work,” I reply.

“You know, I’m glad you brought that up. I want you to know that you don’t have to work. I want to take care of you, Truly. Why don’t you take a break for a while?”

My heart swells at Tyler’s desire to take care of me. No one has ever offered to.

I walk around the bar to where he’s sitting and wrap my arms around him from behind. He smells like fall and country.

“You’re sweet, and I love you for that, but if I don’t keep busy, I’ll drive us both crazy.” I lay my head on his shoulder and kiss his sculpted jaw as I wait for his reaction to my next comment. “I was thinking about opening a bookstore.”

“Really?” he asks.

“Yes, with a coffee shop inside. And a photography studio upstairs.”

Tyler smiles and lays his head against mine. No doubt he knows my intention is to invest in Ali’s struggling business. “I think Lissa wants to stay in Fallport for a while. She’ll have her own place, of course, and she won’t be a bother to us. She has no family to speak of and—”

Tyler’s laugh cuts me off. He turns on his stool and pulls me between his legs. “You don’t have to justify anything. I’m glad she’ll be here, Truly. She is always welcome here. Always.”

“Thank you, Tyler. That means a lot to me. She’s important to me.”

He holds my face and looks deep in my eyes. “If she’s important to you, then she’s important to me.” He plants a soft kiss on my lips.

We both snap our heads in the direction of the stove where the pot of water I put on for the lasagna noodles is boiling over. Tyler smacks me on the bottom as I turn and rush across the kitchen.

“Maybe you shouldn’t get used to me cooking dinner for you. I can’t even boil water.”

Tyler offers me a dish towel and takes the paper towels that I’ve used to sop up the water that spilled out of the pot.

“That’s okay. I’ll do the cooking, babe.” He leans against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “So, what happens now? I know you go back to New York in a few days to talk to Marie. What then?”

I stir the meat that has been cooking in the skillet and then bend down to open the cabinet where I assume the casserole pans are.

Wrong.

Tyler slides his hand over my ass and squeezes. He’s totally an ass guy. “I like watching you cook. The view is amazing.”

I slide my hand over his cheek and gently kiss his lips. “Where can I find a casserole dish?”

He points to the cabinet on the opposite side of the stove. After retrieving a pan to prepare the lasagna in, I set up my area on the counter.

As I walk back and forth, gathering ingredients from the cabinet and fridge, I explain to Tyler what my plan is, “I’ll leave here on Friday morning. I’ll rest and catch up on things at home Saturday and Sunday. First thing Monday morning, I’ll talk to Marie. As soon as I find out her thoughts, I’ll call you. My plan is that I’ll be back in Fallport in a month, two at most.”

Tyler looks like he’s been kicked in the gut. “That’s a long time.”

“I’ll fly in for a long weekend halfway through. I’ll even bring some of my things and messy up your bathroom or something.”

“Our bathroom,” he responds softly, pouting.

This man.

“Oh, baby, don’t worry. It will all be worth it.” I hold my hands up, so I don’t get marinara sauce on his shirt as I wrap my arms around his neck. I kiss him, slow and deep. I want to reassure him that everything is going to go as planned this time. With our history, I know the thoughts going through his mind. Time apart has never been good for us. A little turns into a lot. “I’ll see what I can do about speeding the process up.”

I kiss his cheek and go back to my meal preparation. At this rate, we’ll be eating this as a midnight snack rather than dinner.

“I’m going to jump in the shower. Is there anything I can do to help you first?”

“No, babe. Go ahead. I’m just about done here.”

After putting the lasagna in the oven, I go about cleaning the mess I made. I’m startled when the front door flies open, and Lissa falls through it, laughing in hysterics. Rion is behind her, holding her by the waist, presumably trying to keep her from falling down.

My first thought is that she is piss drunk. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Lissa laugh so hard in all the years that I’ve known her. I stand there, staring at the pair of them as if they have two heads.

“Hey, Tru. What’s up?” Rion asks.

“Not much. What’s wrong with her?” I point at Lissa.

Rion lets go of Lissa, and she falls onto a chair.

Rion walks straight to the stereo. “Nothing that I’m aware of.” Music blares through the house, and he follows the smell of the lasagna into the kitchen. He opens the oven and looks in. “Oh my God, that smells good.”

I pay him no mind as I’m still gauging Lissa’s condition.

Lissa notices my observation and stands. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

She’s gone from can’t-stand-on-her-own hysterics to what’s-wrong-with-me calmness in just seconds.

How odd.

“I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you okay?”

She looks guilty as she toes her shoes off near the door. Of what, I’m not sure.

“I’m more than okay. I’ve had a great day. I saw a few places for rent. I’m going to call about them tomorrow.”

“Oh, I was going to offer my mom’s place to you. I’m not ready to sell it just yet,” I say.

“Really?” She walks toward me.

I nod my head.

She pulls me into a hug. “Thank you, Tru. I’ll take you up on that.”

She kisses my cheek. I don’t smell alcohol on her whatsoever.

“You’re awfully chipper today.” I continue to take in this carefree version of Lissa as I lean against the counter.

I watch as Rion pours Lissa a glass of wine. He’s like his father—very attentive.

“Truly?” He holds the bottle up toward me.

“Please.”

He takes a glass from the cabinet and dances his way across the kitchen. I can’t help but giggle. He hands me the glass and then pours it halfway with wine.

Just then, Tyler joins us. He takes Rion’s place in front of me and wraps his hands around my waist. I take a drink of my wine and then set the glass on the counter, so I can wrap my man in my arms. Tyler presses his cheek against mine and moves his hips to the music. He slides his hands onto my ass and moves my hips with his. I understand now why Lissa has been laughing all the time. Tyler has me laughing the same way right now as he shakes his hot ass. He’s wearing a black tee and soft worn jeans.

Rion and Lissa are dancing, too. Rion is against Lissa’s back, one hand resting low on her stomach and the other on her hip. I’m a bit surprised to see her being so flirtatious with Rion, considering our conversation the other day. She clearly said that she was not able to connect with a man. She appears to be connecting just fine with Rion. That might not concern me so much if she wasn’t seriously older than him. I’m not going to be a downer tonight, but tomorrow, I’ll certainly be talking with her about the extent of their relationship.

I’m not used to the energy in this house. It’s purely intoxicating. These men are the epitome of happiness. They’re country boys who care more about their women and trucks than they do about their portfolios and designer suits. I belong here. I always have.

The next two evenings come and go too quickly.

For our last evening in Fallport, Tyler invites Cory and Ali along with Lissa and his sisters over for a barbeque and bonfire. We eat, drink, and talk late into the evening.

I manage to drag Tyler into his room for a quickie once everyone has had enough drinks to not notice us missing. He’s so fucking hot when he’s dressed in a tee, jeans, and a ball cap. The smell from the bonfire on his skin takes me back to all those years ago. I still can’t help myself.

I would be perfectly happy to stay locked in his bedroom with him for the entire evening, but this dinner gives me a chance to tell Ali about my plans with the bookstore. She argues that she can’t accept such a generous offer, but I’ll leave her no option when I get back. No matter what she says, I know she’s as excited as I am about the whole idea.

At the end of the night, Lissa opts to stay the night at my mom’s house, so she can pack her bags first thing in the morning. Rion is staying with his buddy, so that leaves Tyler and me alone.

Tyler takes me to bed and makes damn sure I won’t forget what’s waiting for me when I come back. He’s sweet Tyler and then rough and dominating Tyler. I love them both equally, but I really love when I get them both in the same night.

Early this morning, Lissa and I left Fallport. The drive was quiet as we both had a lot on our minds.

At my apartment, I’ve never realized how quiet it is. Or maybe I just never realized how much I might like the commotion two men can make. Lissa, on the other hand, was amazed by the easy vibe in Fallport. It was good for her to get a taste of what real small-town living is like. She’s always been in the big city, born and raised.

I’m excited for her to be a part of the next chapter of my life.

I’m staying holed up in my place until Monday when I go to work.

“Good morning.” I peek into Marie’s office and catch her while she’s on the phone. I hold my hand up and whisper, “I’ll come back in a while.”

“No, stay. I’m almost finished.”

While she wraps up her conversation, I look through the books on her shelf. There’s such a wide range of genres—everything from new-adult romance to personal development to DIY home improvement.

When she finishes her call, I walk to her desk. She looks exhausted.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“Yes. What’s up with you? Sounds like your visit with Tyler went well.”

“Yes, it did. I need to talk to you about something.”
Here goes.

“Go ahead,” she says.

“I just want you to know ahead of time that nothing is set in stone.” I walk around her desk and sit on the edge. “Tyler and I are going to try our hand at a relationship. A full-on committed relationship.”

She looks up at me with a blank stare.

“I was thinking of moving to Fallport. Tyler’s family is there. And, to be honest, I really liked being in the small-town atmosphere this time. Like I said though, it’s not set in stone. We haven’t decided on anything, as far as a timeline. I want your thoughts on it all. I want to know what your plans are.”