Jayde was so shocked by his question that she couldn’t answer. Tyson clearly misunderstood her hesita-tion. “Well, I’m afraid I am going to have to insist you stop seeing him.”
She shook her head. “I am not seeing anyone. I just…I just…I…I just need some time.” Her hands ran over her face. “This is not Belize, Tyson, my family is…well…they just are. I don’t know if I—”
“Have you stopped loving me?”
“No.” Jayde surprised herself with the quickness of her answer.
Before Tyson could say anything to that they heard a loud beeping. “Shit,” he swore as he looked down to his right side. His pager was going off. He read what it said and his face immediately became serious.
“Look Jayde—”
“I know. You have to go. So go.” Jayde didn’t want to be this hurt by his sudden appearance and then disappearance.
“We still need to talk about the fact we are married,” Tyson said even as he headed to the door.
Jayde followed him. “No, we don’t. I will start on the paperwork. I hope I didn’t keep you from marry-ing Carrie. I really just thought it was a ruse.” She held the door open and waited for him to leave.
Tyson spun around so fast she stumbled back a step. “No!” His hand grabbed hers with the ring. “I don’t want a divorce. I want to give this a chance, Jayde. Please. Just give it…give us a chance. I will come here when we get back.”
“Don’t you mean ‘if’ you get back?” Jayde snapped, defiantly.
“No, my little rose, I mean when.” He kissed her ringed finger, his eyes never leaving hers. “Don’t give up on us when we haven’t even had a chance yet.” Tyson let go of her hand only to haul her paint-smelling body up to his and plant a kiss on her so intense it made her toes curl and her eyes roll back into her head.
When Tyson removed his mouth from hers, she was putty in his arms. “I love you, Jayde Kincade.” One more kiss and he was gone, leaving her alone in her doorway with swollen lips, a wedding ring, and a hell of a lot to think about.
To her combined pleasure and dismay, Jayde spent the next hour daydreaming about really being Mrs. Tyson Kincade. She’d just hit their silver anniversary when her phone rang. On the other end was her eldest brother.
“What do you want, Ron?” For once in her life, Jayde just didn’t feel up to playing her family’s games. Her mind and body were exhausted from seeing Tyson again.
“You need to come home.”
“Why?” Jayde even turned up her music.
“Turn that stuff down!” her brother ordered.
“No. I like it and its mine,” she snapped. “Why do I need to come home?”
“Kinden’s ill,” Ron said.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jayde put the right amount of concern in her voice. Her eldest sister, Kinden Alice Porter-Grant, and she had never gotten along. Their relationship had consisted of Kinden ordering and Jayde doing. Regardless, Jayde did love her sister, just didn’t like her. Kinden was a drama queen; if she had the sniffles, she wouldn’t go outside for ‘fear she’d get worse’. Kinden being ill could mean a migraine.
“She had an accident and now needs in-home care until she gets back on her feet,” Ron paused, as if waiting to hear Jayde say she was on the first flight out.
“Okay.” Jayde said, immediately sorry for what had happened to her sister, not knowing what kind of accident since her brother seemed disinclined to tell her, “But I don’t understand why I have to come home.”
He scoffed as if he couldn’t believe she was that stupid. “To take care of her.”
“What about her husband? Or her children? Or y’all? You live in the same town; I am across the coun-try,” Jayde snapped, losing her patience.
“We have jobs. Look, Mama told me to call you and tell you to come home.” His voice had become condescending.
Jayde sat down on the chair. “When did you become such an ass, Ron? You know as well as everyone else that I do have a job. And while I am sorry for what happened to Kinden, I can’t see any reason why I should be the one to quit my job when anyone of the rest of you could easily take shifts and rotate to take care of her. I will come for a visit when I can that would be for Grandma and Grandpa’s anniversary, but I am not a nurse. Her husband is rich; hire one. Goodbye, Ron.” She quietly set the receiver back down and just began to cry.
For the next two weeks, Jayde painted and sold more of her works. The paintings she’d done of jungle scenes had gone really fast; people said they could feel their wild beat when they looked at them. When she wasn’t busy working her mind was on Tyson—where he was and if he were safe.
Her new friends from the gallery had all teased her about her ring, saying it was a good ploy for keeping the men at bay. Jayde just smiled and went about her business.
Friday morning, a friend dropped Jayde off at the SeaTac Airprort so she could catch her flight to Sa-vannah, Georgia. The flight was smooth enough and uneventful.
When the plane landed, Jayde disembarked and headed for the rental car counter. Jayde hadn’t told her family she was coming a day early and had booked a nearby hotel room for her stay. So intent she was on getting to the counter on time that she ran into someone.
“Ah, hell,” she mumbled as the bag she’d been carrying dropped to the floor.
The resulting grip on her arm that kept her from falling as well was strong and familiar. So was the chuckle she heard. “I believe, little rose, those are the same words you said the day we met.”
Jayde couldn’t believe it. Tyson stood directly in front of her looking just as handsome as he had the day he walked into her life. “Tyson,” she breathed. He was also uninjured. Squealing like a small child, she jumped into his arms. “You’re okay!”
“Jayde, I told you I would be back. I’m fine, better now, but fine.” His strong arms secured her body against his. “Glad this is the reception I am getting from you.” He kissed her, totally oblivious to the looks they were receiving—some amused and some downright disgusted.
By the time Jayde touched the floor again, her body quivered like jelly. Then as she realized what she’d just done, she began to blush. “I’m glad you are all right,” she said trying to reclaim some dignity.
Tyson leaned in and whispered in her ear as he nipped it. “I’m glad you are still wearing your ring.” He picked up her bag and slung it on his shoulder with ease. “Well, let’s get going.”
Without thinking, Jayde fell into step beside him. It took her a few feet before she stopped and stared at him, contemplating something before she spoke. “Tyson?”
“Yes, Jayde?” His tall body stopped as well and faced her, directly laying those hazel eyes on her.
“What are you doing here? I thought you lived in Georgetown,” she said.
One side of his tremendously kissable mouth quirked. “I do. But you are here.” He touched the end of her nose gently. “So I came.”
“How did you know where I was?” At his incredulous look, she just shook her head. “Never mind.” Of course he’d know where she was. “But why are you here? I know you said we needed to talk, but why come here?”
“I think it’s time I meet my in-laws…don’t you?” Tyson asked, holding her gaze.
“No.” She began walking again. As she found her rental place and began to approach the counter he stopped her.
“Why don’t you think it’s time for that?” he demanded.
“Can we discuss this later? I need to get my car.” She shook him off and took care of the paperwork, receiving her keys.
As she exited the place, he picked up right where he left off. “Why don’t you think it’s time?”
Jayde stopped and placed her hand on his arm. “Tyson, this is new to me. All of it. Can we just go somewhere and talk first? I have to deal with my family tomorrow, but tonight, I am all yours.”
His eyes grew dark gold at her words. “I’ll hold you to that. That’s a promise.”
Her entire body was on alert as she realized what she’d said and how he’d taken it. God, she had missed everything about this man. Everything. Unable to say a word, Jayde kept walking, trying hard to ignore his arrogant smirk.
As if it were so natural for him to do so, Tyson walked her all the way to the rental car. He nodded at her choice, a two-door green Mercedes convertible. “Nice ride, Jayde.” Waiting until she unlocked it, he put her bag in the trunk and took the one she carried and added it also.
“I decided to spoil myself since Lord knows the rest of this is going to be hell,” she said smiling as her hands moved over the sleek car.
“Why are you down here?” he asked as he climbed into the passenger side, as if he had every right to do just that.
“My grandparents are celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary.” She smiled softly thinking about them. “Their anniversaries are a huge thing; we pretty much fill the whole park. Lots of music, games, laughter, and drinking. But the down side is my family is there.” With a sideways glance at him, Jayde didn’t ask why he was in her car; she just started the engine and drove to her hotel. Even despite his calming presence, the closer they arrived to her hotel, the tenser she became.
“So, how are your grandparents?” Tyson questioned.
She chuckled, relieved for the reprieve he granted her, and looked over to him with a smile in her eyes, “Sometimes I think they are even more energetic than I am! I love them very much and they are the only reason I am coming back down here.” Jayde turned her attention back to the road. “My sister had an accident a while ago and my brother called to tell me that I needed to come home and take care of her.” Her voice grew heavy with disgust. “Me…the one who lives across the flippin’ country…as opposed to the rest of the family who lives here in town. Not to mention they are wealthy and could easily hire in-home care if they so desired.” She shook her head and changed lanes with ease.
“If I didn’t know how much my grandparents were looking forward to seeing me, I wouldn’t have come down. I can’t handle the drama. That and I don’t even want to be around them. I have finally reached the limit with my family,” Jayde declared.
“Good. You deserve so much better. They should treat you like a member of the family as opposed to the hired help.”
Jayde heard the threat in his voice. “No, Tyson. I don’t need you to save me.” She pulled into the hotel parking lot and shut off her car after putting up the top. Her brown eyes turned to him and she reiterated, “I mean it.”
He remained silent as he turned away and got out of the car. Her eyes were still direct as she got out and glanced at him over the black top of the car.
“Let’s get to our room and we can discuss this more,” he finally said.
Our room? Jayde took her bags and entered the hotel after reluctantly relinquishing one of them to Ty-son. At the front desk, the woman smiled provocatively at Tyson while she typed in Jayde’s information. The woman was a tall brunette with vivid green eyes. “Good afternoon, Mr. Kincade,” she said. Her round eyes grew larger as she noticed something on the screen. They briefly narrowed as she looked at Jayde before regaining her professionalism. “Is something wrong with my room?” Jayde asked the woman who seemed to have suddenly obtained a coldly hostile attitude towards her.
“No,” she mumbled. “I just didn’t realize that he was sharing it with you.” Her emerald gaze flickered to Tyson and back to Jayde’s brown face.
Sharing my room with me? Jayde snuck a peek at Tyson and saw that same arrogant smirk on his hand-some face. “Is there a problem with that?” Jayde suddenly found her own attitude.
“N-no,” the woman stammered.
“Good, ’cause last time I checked, a husband and wife were allowed to share a room.” Jayde felt Tyson move behind her and slide one tanned arm around her waist. That simple action made Jayde feel like she could take on the world. It seemed that with Tyson beside her, nothing was impossible.
The woman slid the key across the mahogany counter without another word. Jayde took it and picked up her bag, heading for the elevator with Tyson right behind her.