Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) Read online

  She laughed and shoved his shoulder, which was like ramming her hand into a brick wall. “I don’t watch girly movies, smartass. Give me an action flick where they blow shit up any day.”

  “Okay, is it too soon to tell you I’m in love with you?” Rowan asked, half-laughing.

  Their eyes met, and she knew he realized he’d caught her off guard. He’s only joking. Or at least she thought he was. He couldn’t possibly love her so soon. Could he?

  “I, uh, just meant that you and I are perfect for each other,” he said, reaching for her hands as though he were afraid she might bolt. “I was just telling my old man that earlier today, that I’ve never met someone so right for me.”

  Tenley couldn’t deny she and Rowan seemed to have a lot in common. Her brothers liked him, and even though she claimed other people’s opinions didn’t matter to her, theirs did.

  “I just don’t want to rush into anything,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t be offended. “I love hanging out with you, but I went from being dead-set against relationships to being in one. And it seemed to happen before I even realized I’d changed my mind about wanting it to happen.”

  She didn’t know if she was making any sense, but his indulgent smile told Tenley he got her. That was the thing about Rowan. She didn’t have to tell him what she was thinking or feeling. He just seemed to know. And that was scary and comforting at the same time.

  “I get that,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips. “No pressure. Really. I can take this as slow as you want to as long as I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction.”

  Before she could respond, his cell phone, which was sitting on the table, buzzed. A picture of a stunning redhead with bright green eyes flashed across the screen. He quickly hit the ignore button but couldn’t ignore the question lingering in Tenley’s eyes as easily. Who the hell was that?

  He chuckled as he sat back, releasing her hand. “Okay, that was awkward.”

  “Was it?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’ll only be awkward if you don’t tell me who she is.”

  He rubbed his forehead, though nothing could erase the worry lines that call had etched there. “She’s, uh, the girl I was with the night I called you by mistake.”

  Tenley thought of the things he’d said to her when he thought she was that girl, and it wasn’t hard to imagine the things he’d done to her that night. Jealousy was foreign to her. She usually didn’t care what the guys she dated did, or who they did, for that matter. But this was different. Rowan was different.

  “You’re still seeing her?” she asked, trying to keep the bite out of her voice so he wouldn’t know how jealous she was of a woman she’d never met.

  “No, of course not,” he said, looking affronted. “Jesus, Ten, how can you even ask me that? She was a hook-up, nothing more.”

  “And she called you because she wanted to hook up again?” Why else would she have called?

  “I don’t know why the hell she called,” he said, shrugging. “What difference does it make?”

  It made a huge difference to her, but she couldn’t tell him that without seeming insecure and pathetic. She was always lecturing Stacey about playing it off like she didn’t care, yet she was having a hard time taking her own advice when she really did care about the guy in question. She suddenly had a better understanding of how Stacey had gotten herself tied up in knots over Walker. Feelings were a tricky bitch to control.

  “Did she leave you a message?” When the screen indicated she had, Tenley asked, “Aren’t you going to check it?”

  He slid the phone across the table. “Why don’t you check it since you seem so concerned about it?”

  He was testing her, but she wasn’t sure if he was trying to decide whether she trusted him or whether she cared enough to be jealous, which made deciding how to respond difficult.

  “That would be an invasion of your privacy,” she said, trying to sound reasonable, though she was sorely tempted to grab the damn phone and find out what the green-eyed monster wanted with her man.

  “Only if you did it behind my back,” he said, his eyes darting from her to the phone. “You’re doing it in front of my face. Because I told you to.” He pushed the phone closer. “I have no secrets from you. Go ahead, find out what she wants.”

  Tenley debated with herself for a full three seconds before she picked up the phone and read the voice mail message. She could almost hear her sultry voice as she read, “Hey, Rowan. It’s Sharyl. I had an amazing time the other night. I was hoping you’d be free again tonight? Call me when you get a chance.”

  Rowan raised an eyebrow as she slid the phone back to him. “Now you know. Feel better?”

  “No.” She bit back an angry retort, reminding herself she had no reason to be pissed off. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Nor had the other woman. As far as Sharyl was concerned, Rowan was a free agent, and maybe in his mind, he still was.

  He smiled as he reached for his phone and typed a quick text. She was dying to ask whether he’d responded to her invite, but she had too much pride to ask. Thankfully she didn’t have to because when it became obvious she’d taken a vow of silence, he sighed and flashed her the phone.

  His text read, Thanks for the invite but I have a girlfriend now.

  “You do, huh?” she asked, feeling as though she could finally breathe.

  “Don’t I?” he asked, looking only mildly concerned.

  “Yeah, I guess you do.” She rolled her shoulders back. Even though she didn’t have a class today, she considered passing by the studio to work off some of the tension. “I just hope I don’t scare you off with all this crazy.”

  He laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about that. In case you’ve forgotten, I can get a little crazy too.”

  She smiled as she remembered his reaction in the park. “Yeah, I guess you can.”

  “So why don’t I drop you at your building so you can pick up the car?” he asked, tossing a few bills on the table before reaching for her hand to pull Tenley to her feet. His hands circled her waist, his lips meeting hers. “Go see your friend Corrie. But don’t forget to pack an overnight bag while you’re at home. I want you in my bed tonight.”

  Any other guy, and she would have objected to being told what to do instead of asked, but she was quickly learning that fighting her feelings for Rowan was a waste of time and energy. She was going to try going with it instead and see where that led her. Hopefully it wouldn’t lead to the one thing she’d been trying to avoid—trouble.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tenley was nervous when she showed up on Corrie’s parents’ doorstep later that afternoon, but when she saw her old friend’s face light up at the sight of her, all of her reservations melted away.

  “Oh my God,” Corrie said, throwing her arms around Tenley. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

  “How’ve you been?” Tenley asked, hugging her back with equal enthusiasm. She prided herself on not being a girly-girl, but seeing Corrie again made her want to jump up and down and squeal a little. Okay, a lot.

  She picked up a strand of Corrie’s long, silky hair. It was still natural brown with gold highlights and a wave most women relied on irons to perfect. “You’re even more gorgeous than I remember.”

  “Same goes,” Corrie said, her eyes filling with tears as she gripped Tenley’s hands. “Look at you. All grown up. God, you were what, sixteen when I left? I can’t believe I even recognized you.” She laughed, stepping back so Tenley could enter. “Get in here. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to.”

  “Are your parent’s home?” It suddenly occurred to Tenley she should have picked up some pastries from the café as a peace offering for barging in with no warning.

  “They’re playing golf,” Corrie said, waving dismissively. “They won’t be back for hours.”

  As Corrie led her through the main floor, passing the parlor and formal dining room before they arrived at the kitchen, Tenley realized the house had been ren
ovated in recent years. But they’d maintained all of the character and charm, making it feel as welcoming as she remembered.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Corrie asked, gesturing to a stainless steel machine sitting on the counter that looked as if it could do everything except wash dishes. “It also makes iced coffee, iced tea, hot chocolate, tea—”

  “A water would be great, thanks. I just came from the café.” Wanting to get a feel for how Corrie was feeling about her brother these days, Tenley added, “I was there with Brant and my…” She was still getting used to the idea of calling Rowan her boyfriend, but at Corrie’s questioning look, she blurted, “Boyfriend. I was there with Brant and my boyfriend.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Corrie said, looking slightly perplexed by her hesitation.

  Tenley watched her pull two bottles of water from the fridge before she piled some homemade cookies on a plate. One thing she remembered about Corrie’s parents’ house was there was always a well-stocked cookie jar because her mother loved to bake.

  “Thanks,” she said, when Corrie passed her the water. “So, um, Brant told me he ran into you at the store. Was that weird?” She was dying to know everything: why Corrie and her brother broke up, what she’d been doing since she last saw her, what she did for a living, why her marriage ended, but most importantly, whether she still had feelings for Brant.

  “I don’t know if I’d call it weird exactly,” Corrie said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I knew there was a good chance I’d run into him now that I’m back. I guess I just expected a little more time to prepare for it.”

  Tenley knew how she’d react if she ran into her ex in the grocery store—she’d drop him like a sack of potatoes, then run like hell. But Brant wasn’t a beast who’d tried to take Corrie’s life.

  “So how was it?” Tenley asked, wondering if she was pushing too hard.

  “It was nice,” Corrie said, closing her eyes briefly. “He’s not the boy I left, that’s for sure. He’s all man now.”

  Brant was big and burly with tats and piercings. Most would say he was scary looking, but that was just part of his professional persona.

  “Do you ever think about him?” Tenley asked, reaching for a cookie and hoping she wasn’t coming off as nosy.

  “Of course I’ve thought about him.” She took a sip of water. “How could I not? He was a big part of my life for a long time. And since he’s remained close with my family, I’ve heard about him over the years.”

  “He told me you got married.” Tenley wanted to hear all about the man who could have made Corrie forget about what she’d had with Brant, but she wasn’t sure she had the right to ask.

  “And divorced,” she confirmed with a rueful shake of her head. “That’s why I’ve come back here. To start over.”

  “I’m sorry.” When Corrie looked at her, Tenley said, “Not that you’re back. I’m thrilled about that. I’m just sorry about the divorce.”

  “Thanks.” She covered Tenley’s hand with hers. “It wasn’t easy, but it was time for both of us to move on before we ended up resenting each other.”

  “So what do you do now?” she asked, feeling she’d poked around in her love life enough for one day.

  “I’m a therapist,” she said with a smile. “Marriage and family counseling. Which I guess is kind of ironic, since I couldn’t make my own marriage work.”

  “You’re doing what you always wanted to do.” She was proud of her friend even though she’d had nothing to do with her accomplishment.

  “I am.” She smiled. “I love my work. It’s really the only thing that’s gotten me through these past couple of years.”

  Tenley wanted to ask what that meant, but she assumed Corrie would open up when she was ready. This visit was about reconnecting with an old friend, not interrogating her or making Corrie question her motive for visiting.

  “Are you starting your own practice here?”

  “Actually I’ll be joining an existing practice. There’s only one other therapist, and he plans to retire in the next couple of years. If all goes well, I can take over for him.”

  “That’s great.” Tenley looked around the cozy kitchen, smiling at the positive sayings posted on the stainless steel refrigerator. Life is Good. Count Your Blessings. Corrie’s mother had always been a glass half-full kind of person. While their mother had always been glass empty… because she drank everything in it. “It must be nice to be back home.”

  “It is,” Corrie said, smiling. “But I’m anxious to get my own place. It’s weird living with my parents after being on my own for so long.”

  “Have you got any places lined up?” she asked between bites of cookie.

  “Yeah, I’m just not sure if I want a house or condo.”

  Tenley thought about telling her about the condos available in Brant’s brand new building, but she didn’t want to push her luck. “How’s your family?”

  “They’re great. If you can believe it, my little sister’s married with a baby on the way. Jessica and her husband are living in Fresno.”

  “Good for her.” Corrie’s sister was Tenley’s age, but she’d gone to a fine arts high school, so they only knew each other casually through Corrie. “Is she still an amazing artist?”

  “She’s even better now,” Corrie said, beaming with pride. “She has paintings in galleries all over the country.”

  “That’s wonderful.” She was happy for Jessica, but they were the same age and Jess seemed to have her life all figured out while Tenley was still struggling to keep it all together. She was a little jealous.

  “But enough about me and my family,” Corrie said, tipping her head. “I want to hear about you. What about this boyfriend? Is it serious?”

  “We haven’t been dating long, but I like him. A lot.” Since she didn’t know if Corrie followed baseball, she didn’t bother to tell her about Rowan’s profession.

  “And how is Walker?” Corrie asked, her eyes brimming with tears. “God, I haven’t seen him in years. I’ve missed him almost as much as I’ve missed you.” She reached across the table to give Tenley a one armed-hug as she sniffled. “God, look at me. I’m such a mess. I’m sorry, honey.”

  “It’s okay.” She wanted to know why she got so emotional when she thought about the past, but if they could rekindle their friendship, Tenley was sure she’d tell her in due time. “Walker is Walker. You know him. Still a player.”

  “And…” She cleared her throat. “What about Brant? Is he still a player too?”

  Tenley don’t know how she knew her eldest brother had had more than his share of women since they split, but since Corrie had asked her a direct question, she couldn’t lie. “He hasn’t met anyone like you, that’s for sure.”

  “Is he happy?” she whispered, looking at Tenley through damp lashes. “Because I want him to be happy. He deserves that.”

  Was he happy? He loved his work. Had a great condo. A sweet ride. Great friends who were like his brothers. There was never a shortage of women in his life. But was he truly happy? Tenley didn’t know, which probably made her a lousy little sister.

  “He has a pretty full life,” she said, knowing that didn’t answer her question. “He rarely has any down time.”

  “His work must be dangerous.” At Tenley’s questioning look, Corrie said, “My dad filled me in. He retired almost four years ago, but he said Brant was one of the best undercover cops they had on the drug task force. He even got a job offer from the FBI, but turned it down, huh?”

  Tenley thought it was strange that Corrie’s father had been keeping her apprised of her ex-boyfriend’s career, especially since she’d been married at the time. “Um, yeah. His work is dangerous. Even more so now that he’s infiltrating biker clubs. But he knows what he’s doing. I have to trust that.” She smiled. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

  “And how’s your mother?” Corrie asked, giving her a sympathetic smile.

  “You know her,” T
enley said, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice. “She’ll never change.”

  “Never is a long time, hon. You never know.”

  Tenley knew. But she’d let Corrie hold on to her illusions that people like her mother could change. “I guess I should get going,” she said, glancing at her watch. “It’s getting late, and Rowan’s making me dinner tonight.”

  As they stood, Corrie asked, “Rowan? That’s the new boyfriend?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When I ran into Brant in the store, I asked about you,” Corrie said, putting her arm around Tenley. “He told me that you’re teaching kickboxing now. I’m so proud of you, sweetie.” She laughed. “If I’d kept up with it, who knows, maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid to jog after work.”

  She wanted to tell her friend that being a marital artist didn’t make you fearless, just better prepared. “You should pass by the studio where I work.” She turned to face Corrie when they reached the door. “I teach a beginner’s class. From what I remember, you were a natural.”

  “That might be fun,” she said, nodding. “I’ve been looking for a new hobby since I moved back to town.”

  “Here,” Tenley said, reaching into her purse for a card. “This is where I work. Stop by any time. The first class is free.”

  “Thanks,” she said, turning the card over in her hand.

  “Do you have a pen?” she asked, rummaging through her purse for one. That was how Corrie spotted the gun.

  “Oh my God! Why do you have a gun?”

  Since she didn’t want her to worry, Tenley tried laughing it off. “You know Brant. He thinks everyone should bear arms. It makes him feel better, so like my American Express card, I never leave home without it.”

  Corrie frowned as though she didn’t buy that story, but she reached into the hall console table to grab a pen without asking any more questions. “Here you go.” She handed it to Tenley along with the card.

  She jotted her cell number on the back and passed them back to Corrie. “Call me anytime. I’d love to get together for dinner if you’re not too busy with work and looking for a place.”