Mixing Business With Pleasure (Love Conquers All Book 2) (10 page)

“That was sweet.”

“What was?”

“The way you kissed your father.”

“I just hope he wakes up so that I can prove to him we’ll change together.”

“Don’t go changing too much.  I think you’re pretty special the way you are.”

“Why Tiffany Jenkins, if I didn’t know better, I would say you’re starting to crush on me.”

She knew she was probably turning red at that remark.  “Dream on Matt.  I’m just saying that I’m pretty lucky to have you in my life, as a friend.”

“I hear ya!  Well, friend…as soon as my grandma gets out here we can leave and get some sleep.”

“I’m ready.”  She paused for a moment and then turned to Matt.  “You both make a cute couple.”

Tiffany smiled and then looked at Matt.  “You know Grandma, I couldn’t agree more.”

Tiffany sighed as the breeze brushed over her.  She had a lot to think about, and walking was the best way to do that.  She reveled in the feel of the sand beneath her feet as she walked down the beach, being sure to remember which house was Matt’s
grandmas.  She knew that everything she was feeling was normal; she was there to comfort Matt and it was only likely that she would find herself having feelings for him.  There was no substantiating evidence that she was falling in love with him.  It just wasn’t probable; she was not the kind to fall for anyone and she wasn’t going to start now.  “May anyone walk on this beach?”  She jumped when she heard Matt behind her.

“Matt!”  She instantly felt the cold breeze on her arms.

“May I join you?”

“S…s…sure,” she stuttered.

“Are you chilly?  Wow; I sense dejavu.”  He giggled as he placed his jacket around her shoulders.  “There; is that better?”

“Uh, yeah…thank you!  How did you know I would be out here?”

“I didn’t, but I like to walk when I have things on my mind.  I figured this would clear my thoughts.”

“I feel the same.”

“Yet, another thing we have in common.”  The words were spoken soft, so she acted like she didn’t hear him.

“I was wondering, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Tiffany, what were you wondering?”

“Do you not drink because of your father?”

He didn’t speak for a minute, but in the darkness she saw his slight nod.  “I just figured that nothing good ever came from taking a drink, so why do it?”

“That’s a good observation Matt, but you’re not your dad.”

He snickered.  “Yeah, I’m well aware of that.  I would never leave my wife and young child alone.”

She could feel her palms sweating, just thinking about her being the woman in his life.  “Did your dad always drink?”

“No.  When I was a baby, until I was about 4, he was a pretty stand up guy.  Then he started to go through some sort of mid-life crisis and he turned away from us and went straight to drinking.  He would go out with the guys nearly every night.  Then he just left one night and never returned.”  He then stopped and turned to Tiffany, when he placed his hand in hers she nearly jumped.  “Don’t be nervous around me Tiff; it’s just me.”

“I know that.”

“Since we got here this afternoon, I almost feel a shift from you.  Am I wrong?”  Tiffany wanted to lie, tell him he was reading too much into her actions.  She told him that she would never love him and he needed to know that they were only portraying two people in love.  Yet, every time she looked at him, thought of him, she couldn’t stop wishing it was different.  “Why did you come out here tonight to think?”

“That’s a loaded question Matt
.”  She pulled her shaky hand from his grasp and looked out into the lake.

“I would like an answer.  You seem to pull away from me every time I want to have a serious conversation.  I know that you said you didn’t want a relationship and I have tried to move on, but I see it in your eyes.  You can’t deny that you don’t feel something.”

“You want know the truth?  I’ll tell you why I came out here tonight and why I even came on this trip in the first place.  I came here because I felt obligated.”  His expression turned cold as she continued to talk.  “I felt obligated to help you out.  You have been helpful with me, picked me up late at night, and hitting Bruce.  I felt like I owed you something.”

“Wow!  I guess I never…”

“Let me finish.”  She turned away from him; she could feel her heart beating faster.  “I needed to think, because everything I have tried so hard to instill in your brain is crumbling to the ground.  I don’t know how to stop it and I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

“Is that my fault?”

She looked back into his eyes and shook her head.  “I wish I could blame this on you; I wish I could blame this on anyone, but the truth is it’s my fault.  I have set up these walls, hoping I could keep my feelings out of the mix.  I didn’t want a relationship and yet when I see you, I begin to wonder if I was being crazy.”

A smile
slowly grazed his face.  “So, what do you want to do about it?”

Tiffany laughed.  “If only I knew.  I keep telling you, I’m damaged…” before she could get the words out he moved closer and his mouth touched hers.  She slowly pulled away.  “I don’t know if we…”

“Tiffany, you think too much.”  He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer; their mouths connected and as it deepened she felt his tongue slide across hers and she smiled.  She didn’t know what their future would hold, but she knew in that moment she was right where she wanted to be.

___________________

Tiffany looked over at the man sleeping soundly next to her.  She smiled to herself, just thinking about the night.  It would go down in history as the first time she ever spent the night with a guy, and they only talked.  His eyes opened and he grinned.  “Last night was a lot of fun.”  She had to laugh, she didn’t think any guy would ever be saying that when he didn’t get action.  He pulled himself up and kissed her tenderly on the lips.  “I could get used to this.”

She rolled out of bed and didn’t reply to his assumption.  She didn
’t want him to get his hopes up; she was still confused as to what would lie in their future.  “I smell bacon.”

“If I know my grandma, she has a four course meal going on downstairs.”

“She didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“In her eyes, I’m sure it was no bother.”

She closed her eyes when she caught his expression in the mirror.  It was one of satisfaction and it pained her that last night could have been a fleeting moment.  “Matt, about last night…” her voice was broken off when she heard a knock on the door.

“Knock knock.”  His grandma opened the door and her eyes went straight to Matt who was still lying in bed, his lounge pants the only thing he was wearing.  “I’m sorry; did I interrupt?”  She giggled and then shook her head.  “I am so happy to see you forfeited your individual rooms.  I’m not a prude, I know…”

“Grandma, what were you saying?”  Tiffany was relieved when she was cut off.

“Oh yeah; I made eggs, waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and potatoes.  That should give you plenty of choices.”

Tiffany shot a look at Matt and he smiled.  “See, I told you.”

“Gee Mrs.
Oswalt; you shouldn’t have gone through all the trouble.”

“Oh nonsense; it was no bother.  I was glad to do it.  Come downstairs before it gets too cold.  The lord above and I don’t care what you look like at breakfast.”  She winked as she walked out of the room.

“Your grandma is a hoot.  I can’t believe she made so much.”

“I told you; she was probably just happy that we stayed and didn’t go to the hotel.  Besides, what were you going to say before she got
here?”

Tiffany shook her head; “It can wait.”

“If you’re sure it can wait; you heard her, let’s go.”  He jumped out of bed and she led the way downstairs.  She didn’t want to spoil the morning with her foul attitude.

“Hm…it smells great Mrs. Oswalt.”

“You know I was thinking; you don’t have to call me that.”

Tiffany stood back; “Okay; what should I call you?

“I was thinking you could call me grandma.  It’s only a matter of time.”  Tiffany nearly spit out her juice at her implication.

“Grandma; you’re making her uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry dear; it’s just I can sense these things.  Are you guys going to the dance tonight?”

“What dance?”  Tiffany asked inquisitively.

“Is tonight the dance?”

“You know it’s the last Sunday in March.”

He nodded.  “So, it is.”

“What dance?”  Tiffany asked, trying to hold the conversation.

“Every March the town has a dance.  It’s sort of a low down for the hoe down.  However, I don’t think it would be the best idea if we went.  After all, dad’s still not awake and I really don’t want to be too long away from his side.  It’s held on the beach, pretty much in grandma’s backyard.”

“Yes it is and I don’t see any reason why you two can’t go and have fun.  I mean, your dad wouldn’t want you forfeit a good time.”

“We don’t have to…” Tiffany started to argue.  She didn’t think she could spend an evening dancing with him and keep her facade.

“We’ll see how dad’s doing.  Then we’ll decide.”

Tiffany looked away.  “Thank you for saying I could call you grandma; I would love that.”

She saw the pleased look on Matt’s face as he grabbed his breakfast.  “Grandma; this looks great.  I am so thankful you felt the need to feed an army today.”

She laughed; “I suppose I did go a bit overboard, but I’m happy to not have to eat alone.”

Tiffany felt sorry for the elderly lady as she
grabbed some bacon.  She knew what it was like to feel like you didn’t have any family around.  Even when Matt’s dad wasn’t in the hospital, he didn’t live there.  So, she was not used to having someone to cook for.  Exactly the way Tiffany felt she was leading her life.  The only difference was she didn’t know she was missing out; until now.

___________________

Matt watched Tiffany intently as they chattered at the breakfast table.  He could imagine his life with her beside him, and a child across from them.  It was a dream, but one that he could hope and pray for.  When they finished their food they put the dishes in the sink; his grandma said she would do the dishes after they returned from church.  Matt’s hand brushed over Tiffany’s and she pulled it away, dropping the dish in the sink.  “Sorry.”  She mumbled as their eyes met.  “I…I…I have to go.” 

She ran away from him and he turned to his grandma, who was staring at him.  He shrugged and her smile turned into a frown.  “Matt Oswalt, run after her.”

“She obviously doesn’t want to talk to me.”  He gazed back in the direction she had taken off.

“You know, you can be pretty dumb sometimes.”

“Gee thanks.”

“You think you’re fooling me, but you’re not.”

“What?  I don’t know what you’re babbling about.”

“Matt, I know that she’s not your girlfriend.  I wasn’t born yesterda
y, but I know that you love her; there’s no denying that.”

“How did you know?”

“Call it intuition, but that’s not the point.  The point is that you both are two people in love.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.  She doesn’t love me; she may have had one moment of lapse, but it’s not love.”

“You are a foolish man.  I see the way she looks at you.  She may need a push, but once she gets a push she’ll fall.  The main fact is that you are in love with her and you just let her leave, when she’s clearly upset.  I’m leaving for church and I want you both there, in the pew beside me.”

He knew that she was right and he hated that.  “Fine; I’ll go talk to her.  Are you happy now?”

“I suppose so.”  He shook his head as he left the kitchen.  When he got upstairs, her door was closed. 

He took a deep breath before kno
cking.  “Tiffany, can I come in?”  He thought he heard a faint sniffle, but he hoped that he was mistaken.  “I’m not going anywhere, so you might want to just let me in.  It will be easier on both of us.”

He let out a sigh of relief when she opened the door.  “What do you want?”  He saw the red eyes and he pulled her to him.  “Leave me be!” 

She tried to pull away, but he continued to hold onto her.  “Why did you leave back there?  I thought we were having a good time?”

“We were and that’s the problem.”  She pushed him away and sat down on the bed.  “It feels nice to have a family, some people that love you and want nothing in return.  I never had that and being downstairs with you and your grandma, it made me miss something that I never had.  How is that possible?”

“It’s love Tiffany.  Everyone needs that.  You’re no exception.”

“I
didn’t use to.”

He nodded; “I know and that scares you, but it shouldn’t.  Look at me.”  When she didn’t face him, he lifted her chin so that she stared into his eyes.  “I love you Tiffany and I don’t want you to run from that.”  He leaned down and kissed her.  Her body softened against him as her hands ran through his hair.  She sighed slightly as the kiss slowly came to an end.  “Can we just relish in this fact?”  She smiled and he grabbed her hand.  “Now, we have a church service to attend and I don’t want to disappoint my grandma.  Do you?”

“I wouldn’t want to do that.”  He kissed her briefly and they left the room.  He was glad he finally said the words to her; he could wait until she felt the same.