Chapter 11 #3
“Your dog is gorgeous,” Eden enthuses. She leans in to give me a quick hug, then offers her hand to Oscar for a sniff. But he bypasses the getting to know you stage and licks her hand instead. Eden giggles. “And very friendly.”
“He is,” I agree. “Sometimes too friendly.”
“No such thing,” she replies easily. “So. I’m Eden, and this little one—” she angles her head at the baby in the sling— “is Amanda. She’s just two months old, so she’s still in her sleeping a lot stage.”
Rafe gives a wry chuckle. “During the day is what Eden means. At night, it’s a different story.”
“She’s adorable,” I say, peeking at the sweet face tucked against Rafe’s chest.
“She is,” Rafe agrees as he gazes at his daughter adoringly. “Takes after her mom, fortunately.”
“Melissa!” another voice calls out from behind me.
Turning, I find Bea and Noelle coming towards me, both of them smiling, as well.
“Sorry I didn’t say hi right away,” Bea adds apologetically.
As soon as she reaches me, she pulls me into a hug.
“I got distracted by Indy. But I’m so glad to meet you. ”
“Me too,” Noelle says. “Webb’s told me so much about you.” Her attention shifts to Oscar, who’s gazing up at Noelle with his best pay attention to me expression. “And this guy. You’re a handsome man, aren’t you?”
“Are we the last to the party?” a vaguely familiar voice asks. As soon as I find its owner, I recognize him as Ace, who I met briefly during one of the team’s conference calls. He’s joined by a tall brunette with a friendly smile, who I immediately identify as his fiancée, Yara.
“Hey, Melissa,” Yara says as they draw near. She doesn’t hug me, but instead extends her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Ace—who’s easily a foot taller than me, and probably twice my weight—takes my hand and gives it a gentle shake. “Hi. I’m Ace.”
“I know,” I say, immediately feeling foolish about it. “I mean, from the meeting…”
“Of course,” Ace agrees. “How was the trip?”
Tyler puts his arm around my waist and draws me to his side. “It was long,” he answers for me. “Even with the direct flight, it was still over six hours. I’m thinking I’ll take Mel for a quick tour, just so she feels comfortable here, and then we’ll head back to my place to rest for a while.”
There’s a silent moment after he finishes talking.
Eden and Rafe exchange a quick glance before turning back to us, both of them looking inordinately pleased.
Yara and Ace smile at Tyler like two proud parents.
Noelle and Bea beam.
“Why is everyone looking at me like that?” Tyler asks, slightly pink-cheeked. “You asked.”
“No reason,” Rafe replies with a smirk. “You sure you’re not imagining things?”
There’s a second when I think Tyler might be embarrassed to be seen touching me.
A second when I brace myself for the disappointment of him letting me go.
But he doesn’t. He just tugs me closer to him. His hand slides to my hip, the heat of his touch searing through my clothes and into my skin. Looking down at me, his gaze softens. “How are you doing, Mel? If you’re tired—”
“I’m okay.” In truth, I’m a little tired. But there’s no way I’m cutting short this time with his friends.
“We can take Melissa on a tour of the house,” Eden offers.
Tyler frowns. “I thought I’d take her.”
“But we want to get to know Melissa,” Eden persists. “You can bring her stuff to your house, get Oscar all settled—” She stops and turns to me. “Sorry. It’s fine if you want to go with Tyler instead.”
“We’re just excited to have you here,” Bea explains. “Tyler’s never brought a woman home before, and—” Her mouth snaps shut, and her face reddens.
Noelle jabs Bea with her elbow and hisses, “Bea.”
Ace looks like he’s about to burst out laughing. Rafe’s lips are twitching. Yara’s watching the whole conversation with a wide grin.
Even though I knew Tyler hadn’t dated anyone since Kaia, seeing his friends’ reactions makes me feel warm and squishy inside. Because I’ve been around guys like this long enough to know what’s really going on.
They’re happy for him.
They want him to find the same thing that they have.
And maybe, just maybe, they think I could be it.
Which is why I tell Tyler, “I’d like to go with Eden on a tour.
If you don’t mind.” Because while I do want to get to know his friends better, even more so, I want them to get to know me.
I want them to know I’m a good person, and they don’t have to be scared of me.
I want them to know I care about Tyler, and they can trust me with him.
“Are you sure?” Tyler asks.
Leaning close to him, I reply, “I think it would be nice to get to know your friends better.”
After a beat, understanding fills Tyler’s eyes. “Okay. But if you start to get tired, just call and I’ll come get you. You have your phone, right?”
I pat my back pocket. “Yup.”
Tyler levels a serious look at Eden. “Mel’s still recovering. So she should be taking it easy.”
Eden’s smile couldn’t get any wider. “Of course, Ty. We’ll take good care of her.”
“Do you want to bring Oscar?” he asks me. “Or do you want me to take him outside, let him run a bit? Everything’s fenced in, so he can’t get lost.”
“Maybe you could take him,” I reply. “I’m sure he’d like to stretch his legs.”
“We can play fetch,” Webb adds as he comes through the door, both arms weighed down with luggage. “Help him get some of his pent-up energy out.” Webb pauses before adding with a wry grin, “I’m talking about Oscar. Not Tyler.”
Everyone chuckles.
My nerves settle even more.
Tyler turns me to face him. His gaze searches mine. “If you need me,” he says quietly, “just call. I’ll come right away. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Tyler stares at me a second longer, emotion working in his eyes. Then he cups my cheek and leans down to kiss me. He doesn’t end the kiss right away; rather, he takes his time with it. When he finally pulls away, he brushes his thumb across my lips. “I’m glad you’re here, Mel. Really glad.”
It’s not a mistake, I decide. Not at all.
Meeting his gaze, I swallow back the sudden happy tears threatening. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”