Chapter 5 #2
and picked Jenna up from softball practice when Mom worked second shift at the clinic. That led to suppers at their house
most nights. They made Jenna feel like part of their family.
Alex, Seth, and Tyson were the siblings she’d always wanted and never had. Okay, she’d always wanted sisters, but she learned
boys could also be fun. They knew how to play football and basketball, and over the years their size and strength made her
a tougher competitor.
A truck rumbled down the road, slowing when it neared. As she recognized Ty’s Silverado, relief swept over her. Finally someone
she could talk to about this situation with her mom.
After parking at the house he crossed the street, heading toward her. His long legs ate up the distance between them, and
by the time he was loping up the porch steps, she was on her feet, ready with a hug.
Ty’s arms swallowed her up and that feeling of relief swelled.
She’d somehow forgotten the comfort of his embrace.
He was so big and strong. Felt so different in her arms than Jason with his lean five-foot-ten frame.
Ty smelled pleasantly of sunshine and the outdoors.
She hung on an extra beat as he set his head on top of hers.
“Don’t wait so long next time,” he said softly.
“I won’t.”
They parted and settled on the swing. His shoulders were so wide, their arms were flush. He looked every inch the firefighter
with his muscular build and stoic expression. The porch light did nice things for his patrician nose and high cheekbones.
Its golden light shimmered in his dark hair.
“What’s that mess on your jaw?” she asked.
A smile played around his mouth as he stroked the stubbly growth. “A beard in the making.”
“You’ve always been an optimist.”
“It’s only been a week.” Growing facial hair was the one thing Ty couldn’t do as well as his brothers—and they loved giving
him a hard time about it. He lowered his voice, his green eyes almost black in the shadows. “So what’s the deal with this
guy and your mom?”
She shrugged. “According to her they spent a lot of time together on the cruise. She feels like she’s known him all her life,
and now he’s staying with her indefinitely.”
His head jerked back. “Indefinitely?”
“That’s what she says. He’s up in the garage apartment. I guess we can be thankful for that much. For the record, I don’t
trust him. He’s too nicey-nice. Acted like he was so happy to have me here, carried my bag to my room, couldn’t unload the
groceries for me fast enough. And he’s in there right now slicing vegetables for supper.”
“Sounds like a real jerk.”
She elbowed him in the stomach. But the flesh didn’t give so much as an inch. “Nobody’s that nice.”
“Doesn’t he have a home to get back to?”
“All I could get out of her is that he’s retired and apparently doesn’t have any pressing obligations.”
“I hope that’s not because he’s a con artist who makes his living off lonely widows.”
Lonely widow. Guilt gave a good, hard jab. Was Mom lonely? Jenna used to visit every month or two. But the past couple of years she’d slacked
off with her visits and phone calls. Work kept her busy and she used weekends to decompress. And now that she thought about it, Jason was never eager
to make the trip. He didn’t mind Jenna going home without him, but she didn’t want to leave him. After they broke up she should’ve
come for a visit right away—without an ulterior motive.
“She say anything else?”
“Not really. And I had to be careful. Ever since the Douglas Debacle she’s been pretty adamant that I butt out of her love
life.” Mom had met Douglas online and, despite Jenna’s advice, allowed him to pick her up at her house. The date didn’t go
well, but that didn’t stop Douglas from stopping by and making a regular nuisance of himself.
“It doesn’t matter that you were right?” Ty said.
“Nope.”
“So you’re just supposed to be okay with some strange guy living on your mom’s property?”
“Apparently. But obviously I can’t leave her here alone with him.”
“You said he was staying indefinitely.”
“I suspect this will end, probably in disaster, sooner rather than later. I mean, she’s known him one week. Eventually he’ll
show his true colors. I’ll just have to stick around until that happens.”
He tilted a smile at her. “I don’t hate the sound of that.”
She bumped his shoulder. “Aw, you’ve gone soft on me, Parker.”
“Nah. Just a little more in touch with my feelings these days.”
Jenna sobered at the reminder of his broken heart. Britt had left Ty suddenly last year, and it took a while for him to discover
she’d been cheating on him for months. Understandably, he took it pretty hard. “Have you seen her yet?”
“Not this year.” Her family was from Annapolis and owned a summer home on the island, which Britt visited sometimes.
“She was never good enough for you, you know.”
“I could say the same about what’s his name.”
“You wouldn’t be the first. Know what? We should set each other up. I’ll bet I could find a woman worthy of you.”
“You’ll have to put that on hold as I’ve sworn off women altogether for the time being.”
Jenna gave a mock startled look. “What? I think I heard wrong. Did the new poster boy for ‘dating around’ just say he’s sworn
off women?”
“I need a break, that’s all.”
“But will the women of Chincoteague Island survive now that Tyson Parker is out of play?”
“They’ll survive just fine.” His expression sobered. “I was out of control, Jen. I never should have asked Marissa out. That
was stupid.”
“She’s the paramedic?” He’d brushed over the situation on the phone.
“Yeah. It’s still pretty uncomfortable at the station. A few of the guys have taken her side and the rest are upset that I
brought all that tension into the house. They’re not wrong.”
“Have you apologized to them?”
“Of course. And I’ve tried to rectify things with Marissa, but she’s still angry. One of the guys said she’d had a crush on me since she was hired. If I’d known that, I never would’ve gone down that path.”
“So you made it clear you weren’t looking for a relationship, but she hoped to change your mind, then got mad when you didn’t?”
“That’s how it seems. I never meant to hurt her.”
“Things will settle down. You’ll see. Broken hearts take time to mend.”
His gaze darted her way. “Speaking of which, how’s yours doing? It’s only been a few months.”
“I’m doing surprisingly well.” She frowned thoughtfully. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about all that. I thought I was
in love with Jason—and maybe I was a little. Can you be a little in love with someone? I do miss him sometimes. Or maybe I
just miss having weekend plans, having the closeness of a relationship. Yeah, I don’t think I miss him any more than I miss
that stupid job.”
“I thought you liked your job.”
“Ty, if I ever have to smell eugenol again, it’ll be too soon. And the sound of a drill grinding away at teeth? Never again.
Also, paperwork? So not my thing. I’m starting to wonder why I stayed so long doing something I didn’t enjoy.” Jason. Jason
was why. But if she wasn’t head over heels for him, why had she stuck around?
“You used to prefer working outdoors. A park ranger, wasn’t it?”
“I was fourteen. I also wanted to be an Olympian and an astronaut. But you’re right—I do like working outdoors. If there’s
anything I’ve learned, it’s that I don’t want to ride a desk forty hours a week.”
“That’s good information to know. You don’t have to rush into anything. Be picky. Look for the position that excites you.
You deserve that.”
“Thanks. I’ll rev up my job search online and look for opportunities more suitable to my actual desires, though that’s not necessarily where my experience lies.”
“I mean, you have a degree from Georgetown—and in business, that’s pretty versatile.”
“It is.” She turned a grateful smile his way. He’d always been a good sounding board. “Thanks, Ty.”
“What for?”
“For helping me sort out what I really want.” She glanced at the house. “And also for alerting me to what’s going on here.”
Whatever that was.
“That’ll work itself out too.”
She sure hoped so. And she hoped her mom wouldn’t get hurt in the process.