Unbroken (14 page)

“Well here’s to hoping that McNealy gets his wish,” Tyler said, raising his glass.

Britney raised her glass.  “Here’s to hoping.”

Turning onto the gravel
drive, Jake immediately spotted the black sedan with Idaho plates and a rental company sticker on the back bumper parked in front of the cabin.  Apparently Britney’s
friend
was still there he noted as he drove forward and pulled into the garage.

Hefting his golf clubs out of the back of his pickup, he set them
up against the wall and then went inside.  As he walked through the house he could hear the distinct sound of voices coming from the direction of the kitchen.  Moving forward, he headed toward the sound and then stopped, hesitating for a moment as he reached the kitchen’s wide open entrance.

Jake could see that Britney
was seated at the island directly across from a broad-shouldered, blond-haired man whose back was to him.  Her hair was down and she wasn’t wearing her glasses, he noted, feeling an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach.  Clearly this was someone she was extremely comfortable with. 
Her boyfriend?

“Oh man, this is delicious,” Tyler said, just before he placed another forkful of Rosemary’s peach cobbler into his mouth.

“It is isn’t it
,” Britney replied, as she too took another bite of the scrumptious dessert.  “I know I’ve gained at least five pounds since I got here.”

“Who could blame you,” Tyler grinned. 

Just then Britney caught a movement from the corner of her eye.  “Oh, hi Jake,” she said, spotting him beneath the rounded archway.  “We didn’t hear you come in.”  She set her fork down and stood up, walking around to the other side of the island. 

Wow, he’d never se
en Britney in a dress before, Jake realized, momentarily distracted as his appreciative gaze swept her from top to bottom.  She looked terrific.

“Come over and meet my friend
, Tyler,” Britney continued as she walked toward him, motioning him forward.

Hmm
. Jake noted that she hadn’t said come over and meet my
boyfriend,
Tyler.  Stepping forward, he watched as Tyler rose to his feet behind Britney and then turned toward him. 
Holy shit!
Tyler
Riggins
was Britney’s friend?  Damn, he sure as hell hadn’t seen that coming, and for a moment he was rendered speechless.  Standing in front of him was one of the most talked about men in professional sports, the Virginia Viper’s young, all-star quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP.

“
Hey, Jake, it’s great to meet you,” Tyler said, extending his hand.  “I’m a big fan.”

Jake stuck out his hand automatically.  “Uh, hey, Tyler. 
Likewise.  And it’s great to meet you too,” he managed, despite his shock.

Watching as they sho
ok hands, Britney could see the astonishment on Jake’s face. Oops, she probably should have mentioned Tyler’s last name in her email.  “I hope you’ve already eaten, because Tyler and I just ate all the leftover casserole,” Britney confessed with a guilty smile, diverting his attention.  “And we’re making quick work of the peach cobbler too.”

“What, oh, uh, yeah
,” he half stammered, as he continued to try and wrap his brain around the fact that Britney’s
Tyler
was an NFL superstar.  “Bruce and I had dinner in Sun Valley.”

“Oh good.
  I was hoping that would be the case.”

“Britney mentioned that your aunt was quite a cook,” Tyler said
, stepping back.  “And man oh man, she wasn’t kidding.”

“Oh
yeah, she’s the best,” Jake said.  “Please, sit back down.  Don’t let me keep you guys from finishing your meal.”

“Why don’t you join us,” Britney suggested.  “There’s still some cobbler left
and Tyler’s already had two helpings.”

“Yeah,
join us, please,” Tyler seconded.

“Uh, sure.  I think I can still make room for
a little dessert.”

Once they were all seated
and Jake had placed a small serving of cobbler on the plate Britney handed him, he looked back and forth between her and Tyler, his expression curious.  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how do you two know each other?”

“Ty and I grew up together,” Britne
y explained.  “Our parents lived next door to each other for more than twenty years.  And believe it or not, the two of us were born just three weeks apart.”

“Yep.  W
e’ve been friends since before either of us could even walk or talk,” Tyler added.

F
riends
, he’d said.  Not boyfriend and girlfriend, Jake noted, feeling an odd sense of relief.  “No kidding.”

Tyler nodded and then stuck his fork back into the peach cobbler on his plate.  “Brit, you’ve got to get this
recipe for my mom.”

“Ty’s mom still sends him care
packages full of homemade goodies,” Britney said to Jake in a teasing tone.

“She sure does,” Tyler admitted
with a cheery, unabashed expression.  “You should see the guys fight over her chocolate chip cookies when I take them into the locker room.” 

“Well don’t count on getting Rosemary’s cobbler recipe
,” Britney responded with a laugh.  “I already tried to get her lasagna recipe with no success.”

Jake laughed too.  “Yeah, she keeps that recipe book of hers under lock and key.”

“Seriously?”

Both Jake and Britney nodded.

Tyler’s face fell.  “Dang, that’s too bad.  But it’s probably for the best,” he acknowledged. “Training camp is just around the corner and if I’m packing too much extra weight coach will have my hide,” he continued, patting his stomach.

“
Tell me about it,” Jake said with a grimace. “Thanks to Aunt Rose I have to double my workouts whenever I’m here.”

“No kidding?”

“Yep, it’s brutal.”

While
Britney listened in amused silence, Jake and Tyler began an animated discussion on their individual workout routines.

“As much as I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation,” Britney broke in after a few minutes had passed, “it’s getting late, and if you don’t get on the road you’re going to miss your flight, Ty.”

Tyler immediately looked down at his watch.  “Yeah, I suppose you
’re right.  I better get going.”

Jake eyed him inquiringly.  “You
’re only here for the day?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid so.  I
’ve got a meeting in L.A. tomorrow morning.  I just flew in to surprise Britney for her birthday.”

Jake immediately turned his head back
toward Britney.  “Today’s your birthday?”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea.”  Jake felt terrible.  If he’d known he would have at least gotten her a cake. 

“It’s no big deal,
really
,” she said, making a dismissive gesture with her hand.

“You know women,” Tyler said, turning toward Jake with a meaningful look.  “They don’t like to mention their birthdays once they hit thirty.”

“I am
not
thirty, you miserable wretch,” Britney exclaimed, wadding up her napkin and throwing it at Tyler.

Tyler merely laughed as he swatted the crumpled napkin away.

“I’m twenty-six,” she said to Jake, as Tyler continued to laugh.

Britney stuck her tongue out at him.  “Honestly, Ty, sometimes you’re like the brother I never wanted.”

As Jake watched their spirited intera
ction, listening in amusement as they continued to spar, he saw a whole new side to Britney.  She was far more relaxed than he’d ever seen her and exhibited a playfulness that was entirely unexpected.  He liked this new Britney.  He liked her a lot.

“Well, much as I’d like to stay, I better get moving,” Tyler said a few minutes later, as he rose from his chair. “Jake, it was great meeting you.”

“You too, Tyler,” he said rising to his feet.

As Britney came up beside him, Tyler slung his arm around her shoulders.  “Come on, Brit, you can walk me to my car.”

“I like Jake,” Tyler said as they made their way down the porch steps.  “He seems like a nice guy.”

“He is.”

“I think he likes you.”

Britney crinkled her brow.  “What do you mean,
likes
me?”

They sto
pped walking as they reached Tyler’s rental car.  “You know.  I think he’s interested in you, in a
non-work-related
kind of way.”

“What makes you think that?” Britney asked skeptically.

“I don’t know.  The way he looked at you I guess.  I could just tell.”

As much as she was tempted to believe what Tyler said, she had her doubts.  He was probably just imagining things.  “Seriously, Ty.  Jake could have any woman he wanted.  Why on earth would he be interested in me?”

“Are you kidding me?
  What guy wouldn’t be interested in you?” Tyler’s expression was serious now.  “You’re an amazing person, Britney.  You’re smart, funny, attractive and one of the kindest people I have ever known.  Hell, if you weren’t like a sister to me, I’d get down on one knee and pop the question right now.”

“That’s sweet, Ty.  But even if Jake
was
interested in me, you know it would never work.”

“You like him
don’t you?”

“Of course I like him.  He’s a great guy.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Britney sighed.
  Tyler knew her too well.  “Fine, I admit it.  I’m attracted to him, but come on, what woman wouldn’t be?  It hardly matters, anyhow.”

“And w
hy’s that?”

“You know why
, Tyler.”

“Damn it, Britney,”
Tyler was frustrated now.  “You can’t let what that demented son of a bitch did ruin the rest of your life.”

She stiffened in response.  “
I’m trying, okay.”

“Then
maybe you need to try harder.”

She was getting frustrated now too.  “It’s not that easy, Ty.”
  She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes.  “Believe me, I wish that it was.”

Tyler sighed.  “Hey, I’m sorry,” he
said, pulling her into his arms.  “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying, you big jerk,” she replied with a tiny sniffle, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Tyler rested his chin atop her head.  “I mean it.  I am sorry.”

“I know.”

“I just want you to be happy, Brit.  That’s all.”

“I know you do, and it means the world to me. 
You
mean the world to me,” she continued, hugging him tightly.

“So
tell me,” Tyler said, his tone soothing now, “what am I going to do with you?”

“Just keep being my best friend.”

“I’ll always be that,” he assured her.

“And I
am
trying, Ty.  Honestly I am.”

Reentering the house, Britney found Jake standing at the kitchen sink, loading the dinner dishes into the dishwasher.  “Hey, you don’t need to do that,” she said walking toward him.

“It’s no problem.  Besides, it’s your birthday, remember,”
he said with an affable smile.  “It’s the least I can do.”

She smiled back.  “Alright then.  Thank you.”

“So, what did you and Tyler do today?  Hang out here?”

“No.  We went out actually.
  Ty’s never been to this area, so we drove over to the fish hatchery and then to Redfish Lake so that he could check out some of the local scenery.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We saw the cutest kids at the hatchery’s fishing pond.  They were reeling those fish in left and right,” she said with a laugh. 

Jake placed the last plate into the dishwasher and closed the door.  “I remember when Granddad used to take Rayanne and me over there when we were kids.”  He turned toward Britney
, smiling at the memory.  “It was a blast.  But it did set us up with some pretty unrealistic expectations.  Once he started taking us to the lake, we couldn’t understand why the fish weren’t biting every sixty seconds.”

“
I know, right.  Regular fishing is never quite that easy, is it.”

“
Nope.  It’s a great way to teach kids patience though.”

“It sure is.  My dad use
d to take Tyler and me deep-sea fishing when we were growing up and there were times when we’d be sitting out on the water for hours without even so much as a bite.”

“It’
s awesome that you two have been friends for so long.”