Author: Jaci Burton

“You’re afraid to take this step, just like you’re afraid to sing in front of your family.”

She glanced down the hall to make sure no one had heard. “I’m tired of having the same conversations with you. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

But Ty obviously wasn’t going to let this go. “At first I thought it was a fear of failure. Now I think you’re afraid to succeed.”

“That’s ridiculous. I just don’t think a second bar is a good idea.”

“Which has nothing to do with singing in front of your family. You’re afraid you’re going to be so good they’re going to want to hear you again. Or maybe they’ll get the idea you should do something with that spectacular voice of yours. And then you’ll be forced to step outside your comfort zone—this cocoon you’ve so carefully wrapped yourself in—and do something about being so unhappy.”

“What? Where is this coming from? I’m not unhappy.”

He stepped in closer. “Yeah, you are.”

She moved back. “No, I’m not, and you have a hell of a lot of nerve presuming to know how I feel. I’m perfectly content with the way things are. I was content before you came into it and I’ll be content after you’re gone.”

He arched a brow. “You trying to get rid of me, Jenna?”

“No. I don’t know. Stop pushing me. I don’t like it.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“You’re not helping me. This isn’t what I want. And if you think it is, then you haven’t been listening all the times I’ve told you.”

He took a step back and raised his hands. “If that’s what you think, then I’ll back off.”

She nodded, but felt miserable, like an invisible wall had just been raised between them.

“I’m going into the living room so they don’t wonder what we’re talking about in here.”

“Fine.”

She walked out, leaving Ty alone in the kitchen.

Well, that went well.

TYLER GRABBED A SODA FROM THE REFRIGERATOR, needing a few minutes to cool down and collect his thoughts. He took a step outside in the backyard.

It was cold out. He should have grabbed his coat. Ah, fuck it. He’d survive. He lived on the ice, anyway. The cold might clear out his brain cells, give him some clarity where Jenna was concerned.

“You training for some iron man endurance contest?”

He looked up to find Mick standing on the steps. Mick closed the door behind him.

“Uh, no. Are you?”

Mick laughed. “Hell no. It’s bad enough I have to play football in the cold. Not a big fan of it.”

“And here I thought you were the tough, macho quarterback.”

“Hey, I like dome stadiums. Comfortable seventy-two degrees. Don’t ruin my rep by leaking that one to the media, though.”

“Now I have ammunition to use against you. Bad move on your part.”

“Come on.” Mick moved off the steps and led Tyler to the garage. They went in through the side door. It wasn’t heated, but it was a damn sight warmer than standing outside with the bitter wind biting through their clothes.

Mick leaned against one of the two cars that sat covered in the garage. “So what’s going on with you and my sister?”

Tyler arched a brow. “In what way?”

“In the I-heard-you-arguing-in-the-kitchen way.”

“None of your business.”

Mick’s lips lifted and he scratched the side of his nose. “Probably what I would have said to someone who tried to interfere in my relationship with Tara.”

“There’s nothing going on. I care about Jenna. We just don’t always see eye to eye on things.”

“My parents like you, and so does Jenna. I can tell.”

“Then that should be good enough for you.”

“It should be.”

“But?”

“You know, as the oldest, and especially having a little sister, it’s always going to be my job to look out for her.”

“Of course.”

“But I also know she’s stubborn as hell. She doesn’t make it easy for guys.”

Ty decided to listen and see where Mick was going to go with this.

“She can be…difficult.”

“Understatement,” Ty said.

Mick laughed. “She’s independent, tough as any man, and she’ll dig in her heels if you try to change her.”

“I wouldn’t want to change her. I like who she is.”

“But she’s also fiercely loyal to the people she loves. And she’s never brought a guy around before, so she thinks you’re something special.”

Ty looked down at the ground, then gave Mick a sidelong look. “Well, thanks for that. I think she’s pretty special, too. I just don’t know how to give her what I think she really wants.”

“What do you think she really wants?”

“That’s not for me to say.”

Mick crossed his arms. “Okay, now I’m confused.”

“Sorry, man. There’s only so much I can say without betraying a confidence.”

Mick pushed off the car and slapped Ty on the shoulder. “That’s okay. She trusts you with her secrets, and you keep them. That’s good. And I don’t know how to talk about something I don’t have all the facts about, but if you think there’s something she wants and she isn’t going after it, push her.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

“She’ll hate that.”

Mick laughed and nodded. “Yeah, she will. But do you think she’ll ever be really be happy if she doesn’t get what she wants?”

TWENTY-TWO

JENNA WAITED FOR A WHILE, CHEWING ON A HANGNAIL while Ty cooled his heels in the kitchen. Mick had gone in there, so she figured he was shooting the breeze with her brother.

He finally surfaced and hung out with the family for a while, but it was obvious the dynamic had changed between them. Ty took a seat next to her dad and focused his attention on the race. Jenna sat with Liz and Tara, listening to wedding planning, but she didn’t give the conversation her full focus. She kept skirting glances across the room at Ty, who hadn’t looked at her at all.

He was mad. Or hurt. Or something

She couldn’t help that. She knew what she wanted, and what she didn’t want.

Another bar would be nice—one where there’d be music and singing instead of sports, but that was a fantasy that would never come true. Ty pushing her about it wasn’t going to make it happen.

She should have never sung for him, should have never allowed herself to even think it was a possibility. Then he’d never know, and they wouldn’t be having this ridiculous fight.

“Jenna, would you help me in the kitchen for a minute?”

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and stood. “Sure, Mom.”

Her mother had made two pies—a cherry and a coconut cream. She loved homemade pie and her mother made the best in town as far as Jenna was concerned.

“Get out the plates and the whipped cream from the refrigerator. I’ll get the forks.”

“Okay.”

Jenna busied herself with taking plates and utensils out to the dining room. When she came back into the kitchen, her mother was slicing the pie into serving pieces.

“Did you and Ty have a fight?”

Leave it to her mother to have superpower hearing. “No. We’re fine.”

The look she gave Jenna told her she wasn’t buying it. “Want to try that again?”

“Really, Mom. It’s not a big thing. We just don’t see eye to eye on a few matters.”

“Let me ask you a question.”

“All right.”

“Is he good to you?”

“Is he what?”

“Does he treat you well?”

“Of course he does. I wouldn’t be with him if he didn’t.”

“Is he respectful of you?”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel when you’re with him?”

“Mom, really.”

“Just answer the question.”

She sank onto the stool and swiped her finger through the whipped cream. “All twisted up inside. Gooey, like the inside of your cherry pie.”

Her mother nodded, her lips lifting in a knowing smile. “I see. And how do you feel when you’re not with him?”

Jenna sighed. “Again, all twisted up inside. I miss him.”

“Have you told him you’re in love with him?”

God, her mother was like a master interrogator. “I’m not in love with him.”

“Are you so certain of that?”

“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t know how I feel. I’ve never been in love before.”

“You always were the best at hiding your emotions, at never allowing yourself to get close to someone. Love is a scary thing, my darling daughter. But you’re a strong woman and I expect you to face your fears head on, like you’ve faced every adventure you’ve taken in your life. A Riley never backs down from something they’re afraid of.”

Well, hell. She wasn’t prepared for this, hadn’t expected this conversation to get so deep so fast. But now that it had, the floodgates had opened and it was all right there, spilling out.

“I don’t like to fail.”

“I know you don’t. But if you want something that’s really worthwhile, you have to be willing to take the risk.”

And there it was, the opening she needed.

“Mom, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Are you two going to serve the pie, or am I going to have to come in here and steal it?”

Dammit.

Her mom’s focus turned to her dad, who was followed by Nathan, then Mick.

“Yeah, where’s that pie?” Nathan asked, looking eager as he peered over his dad’s shoulder.

The moment was over.

“We’ll talk about this later,” her mother said to her with a pointed look.

But later never happened, because after they ate pie Tyler said he had to leave, and Jenna knew she had to talk to him before he left on his road trip, so she decided she wanted to go with him.

They said their good-byes. Tyler, always the perfect gentleman as he thanked her mother for dinner and shook her dad’s hand, promised to be back soon to watch some games and play hoops in the backyard once the weather warmed up.

She wondered if they’d still be a couple come spring.

Did she want that? He was already past her expiration date, and God, he pushed her way outside her comfort zone. Her life would be so much simpler without him in it.

Yet here she was, driving home with Tyler following her. If she was smart she’d kick him to the curb before he hurt her. Or she hurt him.

She pulled into her garage and got out, shut the garage door, and went inside to let Tyler in. The bite of impending snowfall blew a harsh, howling wind from the north.

He hurried to shut the door, rubbing his hands together as he stepped inside. “I saw a few flakes out there as we were driving. Snow might come in early tonight.”

“I saw them, too. I was listening to the weather on the way home. They’re expecting this to be a big storm. Hope it doesn’t derail your flight in the morning.”

He looked out the window, watched the limbs on the tree in front yard bend from the wind, then turned and looked at her fireplace.

“Do you have wood?”

“Out back.”

“How about a fire?”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll make us something to drink. What would you like?”

“Whiskey.” He started toward the kitchen.

“You’re going to stay tonight?”