Watch Me Take Your Girl (11 page)

“Seems we used so much from the icemaker, it needs a rest,” Beatrice told her.

“Okay...there’s a convenience store a few blocks away from here...it’ll only take me a few minutes to go get a bag.”

“A
ll right, hun.”

Gabrielle grabbed her purse and rushed out the door, out onto the deck where the guys had gathered.

“Where you going, baby?” Tyson asked her after seeing keys in her hand and a purse swinging from her shoulder.

“Just running down the street to get some ice. Seems the icemaker needs time to make more ice.”

“I’ll get, babe.”

“No, I got it
, Tyson. I’ll be right back. Okay?”

“Al
l right, sweetheart.”

Gabrielle
jumped in her jeep. She wanted to get to the store as quickly as possible so she could come back and get to know her in-laws, catch up with Beatrice and celebrate her marriage to the love of her life.

At the convenience store,
she hurried out of the car, ran in the store to pay for a jumbo size bag of ice, and when she opened the refrigerator that housed the ice supply, she heard a familiar voice say, “Let me get that for you.”

Shocked, she turned around and said,
“Dilvan? What are you doing here?”

Dilvan
grabbed a bag of ice for her and replied, “Was just in the area. I guess congratulations are an order for you and my cousin. Where’s your car?”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and began walking towards the car. Dilvan followed. She opened the back door and he set the bag of ice on the floor.

After closing the door, he said, “I didn’t get an invitation to your
reception
.”

“Were you expecting one?”

He smirked. “Nah. Not really. I just wished you would’ve given us a second chance. I may not be the
ideal
man for you, but at least I didn’t hide who I was.”

“Yeah, you sure didn’t. You showed me that you were a monster right out of the gate.”

He chuckled. “
I’m
a monster? Me? Sweetheart, I’m a saint compared to your husband.”

“Get away from me
with this nonsense, Dilvan. Tyson would’ve never hit you if you hadn’t provoked him.”

He chuckled again. “That’s what you think I’m talking about?”

Gabrielle stared into his gray eyes, hating that she did so. “What do you want, Dilvan?”

“Your perfect husband is not who you think he is.
Did you know he was in the Marines...probably still is as far as I know.”

What’s so wrong about being a M
arine?
“Yes, I know that. He told me. Goodbye.” Gabrielle opened the driver door and sat in the seat.

Dilvan held th
e door so she couldn’t close it. “Did you know he killed people?”

Agitated, she hissed,
“What are you talking about?”

“He
was a sniper...that was his job in the Marines...and guess what? His best friend Dennis, you know, the one that stole Desiree from him...I’m sure you heard the story...”

“Dilvan, get away from my door,” she said, trying to pull the door shut
again, but he wouldn’t allow her.

Continuing on as if he hadn’t heard her request, Dilvan said,
“Dennis supposedly died in a store robbery. The police thought it was suspicious since the store wasn’t robbed. The clerk wasn’t harmed and no other patrons in the store were harmed. The only person who took a bullet to the head was Dennis...just something for you to think about while you’re basking in the glory of your happy life.”

Dilvan closed the door and before Gabrielle drove away, he yelled, “Sleep with one eye open.”

Gabrielle shifted the car in gear and left the store quickly, riding down the road with the nonsense Dilvan planted in her mind. He was seriously trying to discredit Tyson – wanting to paint him in a bad light. Gabrielle, however, wasn’t interested in anything he had to say.

When she
arrived back at home, Tyson jogged down the stairs to get the bag of ice from the car, but before he could open the door, Gabrielle quickly emerged from the car and wrapped her arms around him.

“Where would I be without you?” she asked him.

She watched him smile. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Never been better.”

Tyson followed her up the stairs with the ice and set the bag in the kitchen sink. Before he could go back out on the deck, Gabrielle took a champagne flute and tapped against it with a fork, creating a ringing sound that demanded attention.

“Hello
everyone,” she said.

The men came inside from the patio
.

“Um...I’m usually not this open with people. I’ve always been somewhat of an introvert, but I just want to
say thank you all for coming. It means he world to Tyson and I to be surrounded by people who love us and want to celebrate our union.” She turned to Tyson and said, “I also want to say thanks to you, Tyson, for being the most loving husband I could ever hope for,” she said, her voice trailing off as tears rolled out of her eyes.

Tyson embrac
ed her. “See, this is why I married this woman, y’all.”

Gabrielle smiled at her knight in shining armor. He
was
everything she’d hoped for and so much more. It didn’t matter what Dilvan had to say, because she knew his only goal was to break up what she and Tyson shared. That wasn’t going to happen. Not now, not ever.

Tyson embraced her again and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to eat you up when they leave. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, and I can hardly wait.”

Tys
on leaned down to kiss her lips again, savoring them in front of a happy crowd of family and friends, looking forward to spending the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams.

~~~~~

Look for Book 3 in the Alexander series,
coming soon.

Also, check out these titles:

Accidental Deception, The Accidental Series, Book 1

Accidental Heartbreak, The Accidental Series, Book 2

Accidental Lovers, The Accidental Series, Book 3

What Donovan Wants, The Accidental Series, Book 4

Dying To Love Her

Dying To Love Her 2

The Millionaire’s Arranged Marriage (The Alexanders, Book 1)

Secrets On Lake Drive

Can’t Just Be His Friend

The Baby Daddy Interviews

Just Like New to the Next Man

Vacation Interrupted

The Crush

For more information about the author
and upcoming releases, visit her website at
www.tinamartin.net
.