Since she looked to be on the verge of tears--and Tyree really couldn't handle any tears today--he put his hand firmly on her shoulder. "It's okay. You just take care of those customers and let me worry about it, okay?"

She nodded, drew in a breath, and started for the main room.

"And Tiffany?"

She looked back over her shoulder.

"You did right letting me know."

He saw the relief wash over her face, and felt a bit relieved himself. That was one good deed he'd done today. If he killed Kane, would that erase all his good karma? He scowled, considering. Probably better to let the little prick keep breathing. But it was a damn close call.

As he headed back into the main bar area, he found himself casting his gaze around in search of the woman who looked so much like Eva. She wasn't there, and as he continued toward his office, he couldn't shake the lingering disappointment.

Back at his desk, he tried to concentrate on all the mundane tasks that needed attention, but he couldn't focus. Instead, all his attention was taken by the framed photo on his desk. A silly shot of a nine-year-old Elijah goofing around with Teiko in the backyard.

Tyree had been on the back patio fighting with the camera, and when he'd finally gotten the settings right, he'd called her name. She'd looked over at him, her arms around the squirming boy and her eyes filled with so much love he'd almost frozen instead of clicking the shutter.

It was one of the last photos he'd taken of her.

His chest tightened as the memory crashed hard over him. Christ, he loved her.

Gently, he brushed a fingertip over the image of her face. "I miss you, babe," he murmured, then pushed away from the desk and stood.

According to the clock in the shape of a beer bottle that was mounted on the office wall, it was earlier than he'd planned to leave. But Tyree had a good team. A loyal staff. And the pull of home was overwhelming. He needed his son beside him. A few quiet hours.

And then tomorrow...

Well, tomorrow would come like it always did.

This time when Tyree stepped out of the employees-only area and into the large main room, Reece was behind the bar, relieving Eric. He nodded in acknowledgement, his expression sober and a just a little sympathetic, as Tyree headed toward the front.

He was almost to the door when Megan hurried up. "Hey," she said. "I don't want to hold you up, but could I grab you for a couple of minutes tomorrow before opening? I just want to go over some--"

"Sorry, sugar. I won't be back until Wednesday."

"Oh." He understood the surprise on her face. Tyree hardly ever took an entire day off. "Where are you--"

"Wednesday," he repeated, then walked away. And as he did, he heard Megan ask, "Where's he going? Out of town?"

And in the moment before the door to The Fix closed behind him, Tyree heard Reece's gentle reply. "He's going to go see his wife."

Chapter Two

Tyree woke to the sound of rain clattering on the metal roof of his Wilshire Wood house. He laid there, soaking up the sound and the memories. These were Teiko's favorite mornings, when the world seemed to close in around them, and they could stay warm and cozy in bed. She'd curl against him, her warm body convincing him that she was absolutely right about the magic of a rain-soaked dawn. They'd make love slowly, almost lazily, until a rising passion brought them both awake and to climax.

Yeah, definitely the best mornings. Hell, Eli had been conceived on just such a morning. And though Tyree felt the pang of loss--especially today of all days--he couldn't deny that the memory was sweet.

They hadn't had these kind of mornings in San Diego, but they'd moved to Texas in the summer and had both b

een charmed by the thunderstorms that so frequently filled the summer sky, cooling the wicked hot air to something bearable.

He stayed in bed a few moments longer, the thoughts of San Diego bringing up memories he hadn't expected today. Memories of Eva and the way they'd walked in the sun and splashed in the surf. He'd loved her, too, though their time together had been different. Shorter.

And though nothing could compare to the torment of losing Teiko to a slow, painful death from complications after a car accident, there was no denying that the break with Eva had been confusing and painful and so goddamn harsh. He hadn't understood it then, and he didn't understand it now.

All he knew was that Teiko had been the balm that healed those wounds. And he wished that he'd never seen that lithe young woman in The Fix. Because she'd put Eva in his head. And today of all days, Tyree didn't want to think of the first woman he'd loved.

Deliberately, he cast his thoughts back to when Eli was a toddler, and the way Tyree and Teiko would hold their son close between them during stormy weather, assuring him that everything would be fine. And then how they'd open the windows in the aftermath and let the cool air into the house, filling it with the scent of wet leaves and damp earth.

Tags: J. Kenner Man of the Month Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net