Hammered (Blue Bay Crew #3)- Cathryn Fox Page 0,72

deeper, but I can’t help but want to know more, everything, about him.

“Ty.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever been serious with a woman?” His head lifts and eyes that carry a measure of hurt meet mine. Dammit, I must have hit a sore spot. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business. You don’t have to tell me.”

He climbs to his feet, and dumps the shells into the garbage. “No,” he says. “I’ve never been serious. I was always on the road, and fighting was my life. Hard to have a wife and family with that kind of lifestyle.”

“True. My brother is still living that kind of life.”

“You?” he asks and peels off more paper towel. “I mean, we can’t always believe what we read in the papers right?”

“I’ve been in relationships, and I thought things with my last boyfriend were serious.” I give a very unladylike snort. “Until I learned he was sleeping with a couple other women. I like that you’re a one-woman kind of guy.”

“I’m not a cheater.” He bends and wipes up the rest of the mess and I take that moment to admire his wide back and broad shoulders.

“That’s music to any woman’s ears.”

He stands and dumps the waste into the trash. “Was he your co-star?”

I cringe as he washes his hands. “I don’t just date co-stars you know.”

He turns back to me, “I know, you can’t believe everything. I mean, have you seen the shit written about me?”

“I have, and I might have believed it, until I met the real you. I like the real you, Ty.”

“I like the real you too, Haven.”

I smile at that. He’s been helping me discover the real me, and I think she’s a pretty great person.

“To answer your question, Brett was a co-star and one of the girls he was sleeping with had a hatred for me, and sold some very intimate pictures of Brett and me to the press.” I shake my head, disgusted at the level some people will stoop to. “Revenge and quick cash. I hope it was all worth it for her.”

His eyes narrow. “You don’t think she could be the one behind the letters?”

“My first reaction to that is no. She fell off the grid, and she got what she wanted, right? But I guess anything is possible.”

“Probably a long shot then.”

I measure the baking powder and dump a teaspoon into the bowl. “Now that you’re here in Blue Bay, do you think about that? I mean I saw you with Devon, and Jesse, and you were great. Summer said you didn’t want kids, but you’re so good with them.”

“I do like kids. I just don’t want to mess them up.”

“I don’t think you would.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, and for what it’s worth, I think you’d be a great mother. My nephews already love you. They’ll miss you when you leave, you know,” he says, and I turn when I hear something odd in his voice, something that sounds like he’s asking a question, rather than making a statement.

His eyes meet mine and my heart leaps in my chest. My God, is he feeling me out, trying to see if I’m leaving here? And when he says the kids will miss me, is it possible he really means he’ll miss me? Is there more going on here, or am I just being a stupid romantic again, seeing things that aren’t there and confusing sex with love?

18

Tyler

We pull up in front of Jamie and Kylee’s place, and Haven carefully reaches for the door with one hand as she balances the chocolate cake in the other. It might not look like the world’s prettiest chocolate cake, but I’m betting it tastes good, since Haven poured her heart and soul into it.

“You got it?” I ask.

“Got it,” she says, and beams at me, so proud of her accomplishments.

“Shit, stay put,” I say when I spot a news van pulling up behind us. Haven glances over her shoulder. I reach for the door handle and she stops me.

“I know you don’t like dealing with them anymore than I do. Let’s just go inside and ignore them. We’re supposed to be a couple anyway, right?” She offers me a smile but it’s a bit shaky.

“They’ll make shit up, Haven.” She goes quiet for a moment, thoughtful. “Give me a second, I’ll go talk to them,” I say.

“Okay,” she agrees, rather reluctantly.

I slide from the car and make my way to the news van. The driver rolls down his window. “Well,