Relentless (18 page)
“Don’t be silly. It won’t take me five minutes to put these in the dishwasher.” She waved her hand. “You two go. I insist.”
J.T. stood, bracing his hands on the back of the wood chair. “You heard the lady. Let’s go.” He held his hand out, longing for the inevitable rush of awareness that passed between them whenever they touched. He needed to feel that now. Even more, he needed to know that she was feeling it too.
She sighed, setting Anna on the floor as she got to her feet. “If you don’t need my help, maybe I should just hit the road, Avery. We’ve got an early rehearsal in the morning, and I’m performing at Jimmy’s tomorrow night.”
“I didn’t think you were still working the bar scene?” He didn’t like the idea of her performing for a bunch of star-struck cowboys, too drunk to remember their manners. Perhaps he’d have to be there to make sure they didn’t forget that Nikki was a lady, not some trophy to be fought over.
“I don’t usually, but Jim’s planning a special benefit tomorrow night, and he asked me to be a part of it.”
“What about you?” he asked Ty. “You gonna be there, too?”
“Nah, I wanted to, but Luc had somethin’ else lined up for me.”
“Maybe I’ll come with,” he said to Nikki. “That is, if you don’t mind?”
She looked wary when she shrugged her shoulders. “Suit yourself.”
J.T. knew she wasn’t ready to trust him, not that he could blame her, given his track record with women. His first instinct was to bust through her barriers like a bull charging out of the gate, but he knew he had to go slow if he didn’t want to spook her. “Let’s go on outside for a few minutes, sugar.”
She glared at him before forcing a smile for the benefit of the others at the table. “Sure, why not? I guess I could use the exercise since I missed my session with Jake today.”
Anna grinned, bouncing up and down on the spot. “Is he yur boyfrien?”
J.T. clenched his fists at his sides. He didn’t even want to think about what that guy meant to Nikki. He still couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t regret her decision to cut him out of her life. Maybe she’d decide to let him back in, and if she did, where did that leave J.T.? He sure as hell wasn’t going to share her with another man, but she and Jake had history. How could he compete with that?
Ty laughed, leaning in to scoop his daughter up. “You ask too many questions, little miss. Give Nikki and your Uncle J.T. a good night kiss, and we’ll tuck you in, okay?”
She reached her arms up to Nikki, who bent to give her a hug and kiss. “I’m gonna come back and see you before we hit the road okay?”
“Promise?” she asked.
Nikki held her hand up, extending her baby finger. “I pinky swear.”
Anna laughed, locking her finger with Nikki’s. “Kay.”
J.T. grabbed Anna from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek before handing her off to her daddy. He blew her a kiss as he grabbed Nikki’s hand and led her out the back door. “Sleep tight, angel.”
She kissed her hand and blew it back to him, giggling. “Love you, Ukle J.T.”
“Love you too, baby,” he said, smiling.
Nikki squeezed his hand as they stepped out into the fresh night air. She turned into his arms, stopping him in his tracks.
When she held him around the waist, resting her head on his shoulder, he asked, “Not that I’m complaining, but what’d I do to deserve this?”
She looked up at him, a smile on her lips. “You’re a good uncle, J.T., and in my mind, that says a lot about the kind of man you are.”
J.T. would never consider using his relationship with his niece to make inroads with Nikki, but if his love for Anna elevated her low opinion of him, he wasn’t about to argue. He only had two weeks and a lot of ground to cover. He could use all the help he could get. “Thanks, sugar.”
She tipped her head back to look at him, her bright eyes dimmer than usual. “If you ever call me that again, I’ll have no choice but to kick your ass, cowboy.”
Frowning, he said, “But I call everyone that. What’s the problem?”
She stepped back, putting some distance between them. “That’s the problem. You call all of your women ‘sugar.’” She held her fingers up, emphasizing the word. “Every time I hear you say that, it grates on my nerves.”
He smirked, knowing the answer to the question before he asked. “Why’s that?”
“If you think I’m gonna boost your inflated ego, you’re crazier than I thought.”
He chuckled, reaching out to pull her into his arms. “You gotta know I’m crazy about you, darlin’. It doesn’t matter how many women I call
sugar
. None of them are you.”
She pressed her palms into his chest, refusing to look him in the eye. “I meant what I said about a relationship, J.T. I don’t like where this is going.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand, aching to kiss her, but he knew it wouldn’t be well received. He had never been unsure of himself with a woman, but he’d never felt he had something worth losing until now. “We can take this as slow as you need to, Nik.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter how slow we take it. We’re gonna end up in the same place.”
He didn’t like where this was going, but like a runaway train, he felt helpless to stop it. “What do you mean by that?” Like he didn’t know. It meant she was about to shoot him down before he even had his chance to prove to her that he was the real deal, the man she’d been waiting for. He wasn’t used to letting someone else call the shots. He was used to being in control, but he knew in this situation, he’d revealed his hand too soon and that gave her all the power.
“It means relationships take time, something I don’t have.”
He tried to rein in his frustration as he dropped his hand to his side. “You made time for Jake. Why not me?”
She reached up to stroke his cheek, smiling. “The thing with Jake would have fizzled out whether you were in the picture or not. There was no way I could’ve managed a relationship, even a casual one, while I was out on the road.”
He wanted to believe he was the reason she’d ended things with Jake, because she saw a future with him. He grabbed her wrist, dragging her hand from his face. “You sure know how to kick a guy when he’s down, Nik.”
“Please, don’t take this personally. I think you’re a great guy, and you know I’m attracted to you, but it would never work. The timing’s all wrong. Maybe if we’d met ten years from now, when I’ve already made a name for myself…”
He hated that she was using logic to state her case. If he sensed she was making excuses, he could argue, but he knew she was being sincere. Her career meant everything to her, and she had already sacrificed so much to realize her dream. Who was he to walk into her life at this stage of the game and start making demands on her time? Just because he was about to have more time then he knew what to do with didn’t mean everyone was in the same position.
He sighed. “I get it, I do. But that sure as hell doesn’t make it any easier.”
She reached up to press a kiss to his lips. “Thank you for understanding,” she whispered.
He drew a deep breath as he watched her walk away. As hard as it was to watch her leave, it would be even harder months down the line now that he was already in love with her.
As her car pulled away, the screen door slammed and his brother stepped outside.
“You okay, man?” Ty asked.
J.T. cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. “Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I get the feeling you’re really into her. I can’t say I’ve ever seen you like this over a girl.”
He sank into a nearby chair, trying to sort his thoughts. Tipping his head back, he scrubbed his face with his hands as he stared at the emerging stars in the night sky. “Man, this sucks. You know this is why I don’t get involved with women, don’t you?”
Ty chuckled as he sat down beside him. “Yeah, that’s the reason. It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’re a selfish S.O.B., right?”
He tipped his head to the side, smirking. His brother was right. He thought of himself, first and foremost, but since last night, Nikki had been creeping into his thoughts more and more. Hell, who was he kidding? She’d been occupying space in his mind for months, maybe even years.
“How do you and Avery make it work, man? You’ve both got demanding careers and a little girl to raise, another one on the way. Hell, I get tired just thinking about it.”
“I’ve always wanted a family, you know that. For me, it was just a matter of finding the right woman. I knew once I did, I’d be ready to make that commitment. But you…” He laughed. “You’ve never had a real relationship in your life.”
“Yeah, so why the hell has that sweet little thang got me thinkin’ all kinds of crazy thoughts?”
Ty laughed. “That’s what happens when they get inside your head, bro. You have a bitch of a time rememberin’ why the single life sounded so good.”
Being single had defined J.T. for so long he couldn’t imagine the alternative. “I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do,” he muttered. “She just shot me down. Told me she doesn’t have time for a relationship right now. But I’ll be damned if that’s not what I want.”
Ty choked on a laugh, coughing and sputtering. “You? A relationship? Come on, seriously?”
Leaning forward, J.T. dropped his head, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Maybe it’s time I thought about settling down, ya know? Lord knows I’ve played the field more than the average guy.”
“You can say that again.”
“So, maybe it’s time to take the plunge. I’m not sayin’ I’ll be ready for that long walk down the aisle any time soon, but I’m thinkin’ it might be time to grow up.”
“I never thought I’d see the day.” Ty laughed when his brother delivered a solid shot to his arm. “Seriously, I think it’s about time. Is this about your career ending, or is it about Nikki?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, a bit of both maybe.” Sighing, he said, “Retiring has forced me to face the fact that I’m not a kid anymore, and I don’t think I want to be alone for the rest of my life.”
Ty slapped him on the back. “Fortunately, there’s never been a shortage of pretty ladies lining up to keep you company. If it’s not Nikki, it’ll be someone else.”
Leaning back in the chair and folding his arms over his chest, J.T. asked, “What if I don’t want it to be someone else?”
Ty raised an eyebrow. “Then I’d say you’ve got your work cut out for you, bro. ‘Cause that little lady’s gonna be one tough sell.”
After a fitful night’s sleep, Nikki made her way to the kitchen, hoping a strong cup of brew would give her the kick-start she needed today. Her stepmother, Marisa, was already sitting at the breakfast bar, thumbing through the newspaper.
“Hey, sleepyhead, I was wondering when you were gonna get up.” She smiled over the rim of her coffee cup. “You and Jake have a hot date last night?”
Unlike her father, Marisa knew that her relationship with Jake was not platonic. Marisa had become more of a friend than a stepmother to her over the years. When Nikki moved in with them, she made it clear that she had no interest in acting as a mother figure. She would much rather serve as confidante when the need arose. Given their age difference, the bond had forged quickly, becoming more solid as the years went on. Nikki often missed her mother and was grateful to have Marisa. Today was one of those days when she needed a voice of reason to help her find clarity.
She sighed, taking a stool at the breakfast bar in favor of a cup of coffee. Propping her elbows on the granite countertop, she rested her chin in her palms. “Jake and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”
“Uh-oh.” Marisa set her newspaper aside and slid off her stool. She reached for a basket of fresh blueberry muffins on the counter by the stove, setting them beside Nikki with a stack of napkins. “Do you want to talk about it, honey?”
Nikki dropped her face in her palms, trying to decide where to start. It seemed like her well-ordered life had been turned upside down with the force of a hurricane since a certain cowboy set his sights on her. “Before I get into this, where’s Dad?” The last thing she needed was for her father to overhear their conversation and start questioning her about her relationship with J.T.