Sheldon stared at Tyanna a moment before continuing. Her beautiful wide eyes flashed fire, and he knew she had agreed to his plea with total reluctance.
He swallowed, regret passing over him. Regret for a wasted year of time without her.
She was so damn beautiful, even with her full lips curled in a frown. Every time he looked at her, something pulled at his gut. He wanted to pull her ebony hair from its ponytail and tangle his fingers in the silky strands. He wanted to stroke her honey-colored skin the way he had so many times before. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
“I’m waiting,” she said.
Right. It took Sheldon a moment to get started. “About that other woman.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Let me set this straight. There was no other woman. I had to make you believe certain things—my mother too.’’
“Maybe you shouldn’t have come back to Miami. Maybe you should have moved to Hollywood.”
Sheldon flashed her a mock scowl. “I thought you said you’d listen.’’
Tyanna blew out a weary breath. Although she wished she wasn’t, she was intrigued. “I don’t see what difference it will make.’’
“Just…listen.’’
His eyes met hers, and she saw almost a desperate quality in them. “You’re down to two and a half minutes.’’
Sheldon finally released her arm. “You remember Dino Benedetto from Ultimate Fitness?’’
Of course she remembered Dino. She had worked at Ultimate Fitness for nine months, and Dino had been the juice bar’s owner. “Yes.’’
“You may not have known, but Dino was into shady business. Illegal steroids…everything you can imagine. Sustanon, HGH, Winstrol…He used to deal all kinds of stuff right from the club.’’
“That’s absurd,” Tyanna blurted out. “Dino worked out, drank those protein shakes…”
“And that’s how you think he built all his muscle?’’
“Don’t patronize me. I know people use steroids. Mostly when competing. Dino’s just a guy who likes to work out. He has no reason to use them.’’
“Really?”
“Yes, really.’’
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, but he was using them. The big issue, however, is that he was dealing them.’’
Tyanna shrugged, a look of doubt on her face.
“Why would I lie about that?” Sheldon asked.
“I don’t know. Why would you send me some stupid letter to break up with me?’’
“That’s what I’m trying to explain.’’
“Really? It sounds to me like all you’re doing is smearing Dino’s name. He sold health products, for goodness sakes. Nutrition bars and fruit smoothies—”
“And Testrivol and HGH.’’
“Human growth hormone?’’
“Yes.”
Tyanna gave Sheldon a sour look. “How could he deal steroids and growth hormone at the gym—do that every day—without anyone knowing? People talk. I would have heard something.”
“He was doing it for years. He was smart.’’
Tyanna shook her head slowly. The attractive, dark-haired man she had always considered a big teddy bear? The one who was always cracking jokes? She couldn’t imagine it. “Surely there’s some mistake.’’
“There is no mistake.” Sheldon had known Tyanna would be upset with his sudden reappearance, but he hadn’t figured she’d defend Dino so fiercely. He knew Dino had been a smooth talker—it was something he had learned while working with the man, but he didn’t think
Tyanna had known him well enough to vouch for his character. “Are you going to listen, or what?’’
Tyanna gave Sheldon a plastic grin and rested her butt against her car. “Fine.’’
“You’re a fitness trainer. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that dealing anabolic steroids is just as bad as dealing heroin or cocaine in the eyes of the law.’’
“No.”
“Well, the juice bar was merely a cover for Dino’s truly profitable activities. My brother—’’
“Wait a second,” Tyanna interrupted. “Your brother? What brother?’’
“I’m getting to that. I had a brother. You never knew him, because he died before you started working at the gym. Before I started working there. Anyway, he used to work at the juice bar, and he helped Dino out, selling his
products
. I didn’t find out what he was up to until it was too late. My brother was one of those guys who was basically good, but he was always running with the wrong crowd. He needed to please, and people took advantage of him. He got stopped one night with Dino’s latest shipment, was arrested, and the steroids were confiscated. Dino was pissed because the goods were worth over two hundred thousand, and a short time later my brother was murdered. To this day, the murder remains unsolved.
“I started working at the gym—then hanging at the juice bar—to try and get evidence on Dino. I
needed to gain his trust so he would open up to me about what he was selling. And everything was going smoothly—until one day, he found me going through his personal files. He’d made me, and I knew I had to get out of town, Tyanna. Fast. Because Dino was going to kill me. I couldn’t even head back to my apartment. Dino knew where I lived; he’d been to my place a few times as we were getting to know each other. Going back there would have been suicide. All I could do was take off.” Sheldon inhaled deeply. “And now I’m back.’’
“Figured a year would do it?” Tyanna’s tone said she was doubtful.
“No. I found out that Dino was killed by police in a shootout. That’s how I knew it was safe to return.’’
Sheldon stopped talking and stared at Tyanna. She stared back in disbelief.
After a moment, she said, “That’s it?’’
“The important parts.’’
“Aren’t you forgetting a part of the story?” When Sheldon merely stared at her, Tyanna said, “The part where you tell me that Dino was connected to the mob?’’
“Actually…he was.’’
Tyanna burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Oh, Sheldon.” She covered her mouth while she got her laughter under control. “Forget Hollywood. You really should be a writer. The mob? Come on. Just because the guy’s Italian—’’
“Wait a second. You think I’m lying?’’
“I have to admit, I give you an A for effort with that one.” She chuckled again, but the laughter stopped abruptly, moments later. She gave him a cold stare. “Do you think I was born yesterday?”
“Hold up,” Sheldon said. He’d known this wasn’t going to be easy, but he was surprised at her reaction. Actually, he was a tad miffed. “I spill my guts to you about this, and you don’t believe me?’’
“Bingo.”
“You think I’d lie about this?’’
“I’ll admit to having zero clue what goes through your mind.” She threw her hands up. “Not a year ago when you left, and not today.’’
“I’m telling the truth.’’
“Sheldon, I know Dino.” She sounded exasperated. “Granted, we weren’t best buddies, but I saw him at work practically every day. He’s a sweetheart. There’s no way he would ever sell anything illegal, much less kill anyone. And this brother—
if
you had one, I’m sure you would have mentioned him during the seven months we were together. This is all too convenient now.’’
“Tyanna—”
Tyanna yanked her car door open. “Don’t bother, Sheldon. You may be able to sell this story to a publisher, but please, give me some credit. Your letter was pathetic enough. Save me the lame-ass stories.” She paused, but not long enough for him to start speaking. “I have no
clue why you left me, but you know what? You did me a favor. I’m stronger now, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Please stay away from me.’’
She slipped into her car and slammed the door shut. Though her hands were suddenly shaking, she managed to lock it before Sheldon could open it. A quick pause to pull herself together, then she stuck the key in the ignition and started the car.
Sheldon called her name, but she ignored him. Didn’t even look at him.
Then, as though he hadn’t shaken her world, Tyanna put the car into reverse and backed out of the parking spot, leaving Sheldon standing in the dust as she peeled out of the lot.
Damn Sheldon Ford!
Tyanna drove like a madwoman along the Palmetto Expressway, heading to Miami Lakes from her home in Aventura. She knew she was going to get the third degree from her sisters. It didn’t matter the occasion, she was always late.
But this time it wasn’t her fault. She would have been up early if she’d been able to get a decent night’s sleep. It was bad enough that she’d worked longer hours than normal, but Sheldon’s reappearance in her life had pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn’t sleep a wink. She’d been so wired that she hadn’t drifted off until the sun had started to rise over the Atlantic. She was now a good hour late heading to Charlene’s place, where her sisters were waiting on her to help make the plans for their parents’ anniversary party.
Peach-and tan-colored houses were visible behind the high walls that bordered the expressway,
as were beautiful palm trees. Normally Tyanna enjoyed driving. A drive never failed to clear her mind. She loved the always-lush scenery in South Florida, from the numerous palm trees to the vibrant green bushes with hibiscus flowers and the perfectly landscaped lawns. Everything was always so pretty. But today the scenic view didn’t help soothe her troubled mind.
After she’d left Sheldon standing in the gym’s parking lot, Tyanna had told herself to put him out of her mind. Oh, she had tried, but she hadn’t been able to do it. Even now she couldn’t help wondering why the hell he had decided to accost her outside her car. If he had wanted to let her know he was okay, he could have called her at the gym.
Or better still, he could have written her another pathetic letter.
Tyanna was bored with the Maxwell CD playing in her car, and she turned on the radio instead. She needed something upbeat and funky, something she could play at top volume and sing along to.
She heard Ja Rule’s throaty voice as she scanned the radio stations, and she stopped there. “Oh, yeah,” she said, turning up the volume. This was exactly what she needed: the kind of song that wouldn’t make her think about love.
About Sheldon.
For the next twenty minutes, Tyanna let the music take her mind from her troubles. She didn’t
even remember when she’d hit the curve on the Palmetto that took the expressway south, but as she glanced up, she saw that she was almost at her exit.
Tyanna took the exit and headed west. Office complexes lined the street for the first couple miles, but she was soon past that and into the residential area.
There were a lot of gorgeous new properties in Miami Lakes. Many of South Florida’s middle and upper-middle class enjoyed living here, and the low-rise apartment complexes boasted everything from saunas to tennis courts.
Tyanna slowed as she reached Charlene’s complex. A colorful array of flowers graced both sides of the entrance, behind which were rows of mature palm trees. At night, lights lit up the trees, and the view was inviting.
Charlene’s apartment was on the far right side of the lake—another attractive feature of the property. The lake divided the property in half, allowing many of the tenants a view of the water and the beautiful fountain in its middle. The tennis courts were on the left side of the property, and each half had a pool and saunas. It was resort living, right in her own home.
As Tyanna whipped into a parking space near her sister’s building, she glanced at the clock radio and cringed. An hour and fifteen minutes late. Oh, well. What could she do?
She turned down the radio before shutting the
car off, then scrambled out of the car. Practically doing a hundred-meter dash, she was at Charlene’s door seconds later.
Tyanna tried the door first before knocking. Finding it open, she made her way inside the apartment.
“Finally,” Lecia said. Though her tone was light, she gave Tyanna a reproving look.
Charlene looked at the nearby clock, flicking her long braids over her shoulder as she did.
“Hello to you, too.” Tyanna approached the dining-room table, where her sisters sat. She dropped her purse onto the table, then bent to kiss her young niece on the forehead.
“Hi, Michelle,” she cooed. Six-and-a-half-month-old Michelle rewarded her with a big smile and waving arms.
Tyanna looked at her sisters. “I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t sleep well last night.” Which wasn’t a lie, though she didn’t expect Lecia or Charlene to believe her.
“Oh, when are you ever on time?” Charlene asked, smiling. With wide eyes and a round face, Charlene was the sister whom Tyanna most resembled. They were both the same height, five foot six. But Tyanna had cute dimples, like their mother, and Charlene did not.
“I had a long day at work yesterday. I don’t know. I guess I was too wound up to sleep.’’
“At least you didn’t keep us waiting three hours like that one time,” Lecia said.
“There were circumstances beyond my control that time,” Tyanna reminded Lecia, remembering the overturned truck on the highway that had kept her in traffic for hours.
“I guess everyone’s entitled to sleep in on Saturday morning,” Charlene said.
“And some people are lucky to have the day off. I still have to work this afternoon.” Tyanna slipped into a chair. There was no point in defending herself. Since her sisters weren’t going to believe a word she said, she may as well change the subject. “What have you and Lecia come up with so far?’’
“Other than bellies full of frozen yogurt?” Lecia leaned back and patted her stomach. It didn’t matter what day of the week it was, Lecia always dressed like she was heading into the office. Today, she wore black slacks and a white silk blouse. She was tall and graceful, with a slender face and short, relaxed hair. On rare occasions, Lecia curled her short coif in tiny curls, but for the most part, she wore it straight.
“I don’t know where she puts all that food she eats,” Charlene said, rolling her eyes playfully at Lecia. Then she looked at Tyanna. “We haven’t made any decisions. We were waiting on you. But we were thinking that with all the people we’re planning to invite, it seems like we might have to rent a hall.’’
Tyanna was the youngest of three children. But while she was the baby, she’d done more living
than either of her sisters had. She’d worked at almost every job out there—much to the dismay of her parents. Somewhere along the line she’d realized that, as much as she enjoyed fitness, she may as well try to work in that field. That’s when she’d started work as a personal trainer, a job she loved. It was the one job where her clients didn’t yell at her; they actually thanked her once they started to see the payoff from months of hard work.
The only reason she had quit her job at Ultimate Fitness was because she had needed to get away after Sheldon had ended their relationship. It had been way too difficult to go in there every day, hoping to see Sheldon but knowing she wouldn’t. Even driving by the nearby restaurants where they’d often dined had been difficult.
But the worst part had been her own apartment. After all the passionate times she and Sheldon had spent there, it was almost unbearable to stay there once he was gone. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that she needed a break from Miami, a break from all that reminded her of the man who had broken her heart.
The solution had come in the form of a job on a cruise ship. For six months, she had traveled the Caribbean, working as a bartender. It was a fun job, certainly different, but after a while, she had tired of it and was glad to return home. Tyanna had now been home for four months.
Her family hadn’t understood her impromptu decision to give up her job at the gym to work on
a ship. But then, they hadn’t understood many of the decisions she’d made during her adult years, starting with her decision to move north to go to college.
In the end, it didn’t matter. She knew she’d done the best thing for her. She didn’t regret the six months away. Once that job was over, she had returned to Miami with a fresh perspective, and with memories of Sheldon firmly behind her. Finally she was on the road to rebuilding her life, one she now knew wouldn’t include happily ever after with any man.
It wasn’t only her experience with Sheldon that had turned her off of love. Chad, her first love, had turned out to be a pathological liar. While she had trusted him completely, he had been creeping out on her with God only knew how many other women. Her heart hadn’t been completely on the line with Steven, whom she had dated after Chad, so when she had learned of his violent past with women, she had been able to dump him easily. But years earlier, there had been Ian, her first fairly serious relationship after high school. While he had seemed sweet and charming in the beginning, it soon became clear that he was only interested in her for her family’s money. “Can you just lend me five hundred?” Ian had asked her once. “As soon as I get a job, I’ll pay you back.” She had believed him—the first time. Foolishly, she had lent him the money. Then there had been more requests for “loans,” and on those oc
casions when Tyanna told him she didn’t have it, Ian had gotten irate. “You can always go to your parents for money,” he had told her snidely. “Why do you have to be so cheap?’’
Of course, he hadn’t paid her back the five hundred dollars. Instead, he had stopped returning her calls.
After Sheldon, Tyanna had done some serious thinking. For whatever reason, she had horrible judgment when it came to men. Either that, or the worst luck. She had come to accept that fact while working on the cruise ship.
Her sisters’ heartbreaks had only solidified her decision to remain alone. Lecia, her oldest sister, had married a doctor, someone her parents had approved of wholeheartedly, and after two years their fairy-tale marriage had ended with her husband’s blatant infidelity. And Charlene, the middle sister, had experienced her own devastating heartbreak. Nine months ago, her husband of four years had been killed in a traffic accident on I-95. Charlene had been seven months pregnant with their first child at the time.
Tyanna had seen how long it had taken for her sisters to get over their broken hearts. It became quite clear to her that falling in love with someone wasn’t worth the pain of having your heart broken.
Tyanna brought her thoughts back to the situation at hand. She glanced down at the potential guest list lying on the table. It had grown since the last time she and her sisters had talked.
“I called around,” Tyanna announced. “If we’re going to rent a hall, we’ll probably be better off having the event on a Sunday. With so many weddings each week, Saturdays are pretty much booked from now until next year.’’
“That’s a good point,” Lecia admitted. “I hadn’t considered that.’’
The anniversary celebration was to be a surprise for their parents, who, come October, would be married for thirty-five years. It was a wonderful milestone, and they wanted to do something extra special.
Little Michelle reached for the scattered papers on the table. She gripped one in her tiny fist. Charlene gently unfolded her fingers and freed the paper.
A smile touched Tyanna’s lips as she looked at her sister and niece with adoration. So many days, she’d wondered how Charlene had gotten through the heartbreak of losing David.
Tyanna reached for Michelle, and her niece leaned toward her. Charlene slipped her child into Tyanna’s arms.
“Hey, there,” Tyanna said to Michelle. “Whatcha doin’? Whatcha doin’, huh?” Michelle giggled happily as she reached for Tyanna’s face with her tiny fingers. She was such a happy baby, and—all bias aside—one of the cutest little girls she had ever seen.
Michelle gave Tyanna a big open-mouthed grin, and Tyanna’s heart melted. It was time
spent with her niece that made her feel the strongest pull to have a family. Made her long to have her own children. Made her miss out on the dream she’d lost with Sheldon.
Before, she’d never even considered having children. In many ways she was still a child herself. She enjoyed her life’s spontaneity, traveling from place to place when she felt like it, keeping the hours she wanted. Having a child would change all that.
It’s not like her biological clock was about to sound an alarm. She was still young, only twenty-six. She had plenty of time to think of children.
But there was something about looking into little Michelle’s eyes that tugged at her heart….
Damn Sheldon. It was his sudden reappearance that had her mind wandering to the dream she’d once had.
But she had to forget those dreams, move on with the other plans in her life. Who knew? Maybe one day she would meet a man she could trust, but with her track record, she wasn’t banking on it. Besides, in her heart, she knew she would be a better aunt than mother anyway.
“Tyanna?”
Tyanna jerked her head up. “Huh?’’
“What’s the matter?” Charlene asked.
“Nothing.”
“You sure? You zoned out there for a minute.’’
For several seconds, Tyanna debated telling her sisters about Sheldon’s appearance at her car
last night. But she thought better of it. No one in her family had been particularly fond of Sheldon. Charlene had been nice to him, while Lecia had barely tolerated him. Her parents hadn’t even done that. He didn’t have a college degree, and was beneath Tyanna’s standards in their opinion.
But in addition to his lack of education, everyone in her family had wondered about his quiet nature, how he and Tyanna would truly get along. Tyanna was vivacious and outgoing. Sheldon was often as quiet as a wall. On more than one occasion her mother had hinted at the fact that Sheldon must be hiding some deep, dark secret because he didn’t have much to say.
Clearly, her mother had been right.
No one in her family—not even Charlene—had been surprised when Sheldon had ended their relationship without any warning. Tyanna hadn’t been able to stand all the I-told-you-sos.
No, she decided. Telling Lecia and Charlene about Sheldon would only make them concerned, and there was no reason to make them worry about a situation that wasn’t going to go anywhere.
So she said, “I’m just thinking…wondering…Do you guys want to go all out with a big shindig? Or have something smaller? Maybe at their place? Close family and friends.’’
Charlene answered, “I say we go big. Thirty-five years is a huge milestone. We could wait for
fifty, but there’s no guarantee of anything in life. I say we don’t wait.’’