Empty Net (39 page)

“It is not your place to say that now. She is taken,” Tate said, wrapping his arm tighter around Audrey.

“Yeah, for now,” Levi said. Before either Tate or Audrey could respond, he Levi walked away in the direction Janet had gone. Audrey watched him, feeling nothing. She looked up to see Tate watching her.

“Do you want to run after him?” he asked.

She laughed. “Hell no, why would I?”

He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “I was worried for a minute there.”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist before puckering up her lips at him. Obliging, Tate leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Audrey pulled back first, and smiled. “No need to worry, Mr. Oooooder, I’m yours.”

Tate smiled, nodded, and said, “Good.” He moved his hand to behind her neck, cupping it
as he looked deep into her eyes. “Question.”

Audrey grinned. “Yes?”

“After we eat, would you like to dance with me?”

She smiled. “Yes, but I have a more pressing question,” she said as they walked back to their table.

“What is that?”

“When do we get to go home?”

Tate chuckled. “I was only asking for one dance,” he said, insinuating that they wouldn’t be there long. At their table, he pulled out her chair as Audrey flashed him a knowing smile.

Lucas, who had overheard, said, “Make sure it is a salsa dance. That Facebook video was too blurry. Anderson was laughing too hard!”

It had been a week since the Assassins Christmas party. Tate and Audrey had burned up the floor with their mad dance moves before going home and tearing up her bed. It was amazing. She had never felt so close to anyone before. He believed in her, listened when she talked about her dream of opening her cupcakery. He was there for her, and she didn’t think twice that he wasn’t.

He was her everything.

Tate left on a three-day road trip with the team, but it passed quickly and Audrey was glad he wasn’t missing Christmas. The bad thing was, the team was leaving on a four-day trip afterward, which meant he would miss New Year’s, which was probably worse than missing Christmas. Total bummer.

After the Christmas dinner, Audrey’s mother kissed her temple before helping with the dishes, then Fallon, Audrey, and Nora worked in silence cleaning up the kitchen. Christmas was a respected tradition in their family. Everyone looked forward to the holiday dinner, and especially the table setting that displayed all of her mom’s Spode china. The delicate pieces were beautiful, and Audrey always took great care washing and rinsing the holiday dinnerware.

Her father walked in carrying the last of the plates from the table. William had been hard on Tate during dinner, asking question after question. Tate sat confident through it, one hand in Audrey’s as he responded to her father’s interrogation. Her dad seemed to be satisfied with Tate’s answers as the questioning turned into general conversation while they ate dessert.

After setting down the dishes on the counter, William watched the women work, and when Audrey looked up at him, he smiled.

“Well, Audrey, I can’t believe it, but your mother and I both like your new guy.”

“Fantastic, Daddy, he’s great and makes me very happy.” She beamed as she wiped her hands on a towel. William nodded once, and Audrey knew that was the end of the conversation about Tate.

“I also like these cupcakes, they are wonderful,” he said, picking up a reindeer cupcake that she had spent all night making. They were a white cake dyed red with a green mint icing, topped with little reindeer she had made out of pretzels and chocolate. She knew Tate and Aiden would devour them, but what surprised her was that her father also enjoyed them. He was not a big sweets eater.

“Thanks, Daddy,” she said, pride filling her from the inside out. It wasn’t every day that her father complimented her, or Fallon for that matter. When he did, they savored it like the finest Rocky Top wine.

“Shouldn’t she open a cupcake shop, Dad? I think she would be fantastic at it,” Fallon said.

Audrey quickly looked over at her sister, an uneasy feeling creeping over her. What was she doing? Was she nuts? She looked over at her father, saw him give Fallon a confused look.

“Why would she do that?” William said. “The economy is crap right now, and she already has a career.” Audrey’s heart sank. She believed that he would have said more too, if asked; that he didn’t think she could do it, that she couldn’t succeed.

Both Fallon’s and Tate’s comments from previous conversations came to mind
You’ll never make things happen for yourself
.

The hell she wouldn’t! It was time to make her move.

“But everyone is looking for a little piece of happiness,” she found herself saying. Her
heart was pounding against her chest, but she didn’t care. Everyone looked at her as she went on. “If their happiness is in a three-dollar cupcake, people will buy it.”

William’s gaze was questioning, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Fallon with a bright smile as her mom stood with her lips parted in shock.

“Have you thought about this?” William asked.

Audrey shrugged a shoulder. “I have. It is a dream of mine.”

“Really?” Nora asked. “I always thought it was a little hobby.”

“No,” Audrey said, shaking her head. “I would like to make it a business, but I don’t know if I can be successful.” She glanced at her father.

“You’d want to leave Rocky Top for a cupcake shop?” William asked in bewilderment.

“Yes.”

The patio door opened and Tate, Lucas, and Aiden came running in. The cooler weather combined with tossing around a football and running around the yard had turned Aiden’s nose red, and Lucas and Tate were flushed too. Audrey turned from greeting Tate to see Fallon trying to catch Tate’s eye, so Audrey knew something was up.

“So Tate,” Fallon said, “we were just talking about Audrey opening a cupcake shop. What do you think?”

Tate smiled. “I think it is a great idea. Audrey makes wonderful cupcakes.”

Everyone nodded, but William. Audrey looked over at her father as he took a deep breath, and she knew this conversation would not go well.

“Yes, but, Tate,” William said, “don’t you think this economy is crap and new businesses are not doing well?”

“I don’t disagree with you, William, but this is about Audrey living her dream. I bet
people told Patrick Roy that he would never have a shutout game, and he did it twenty-three times in one season.” Tate smiled, glancing at Audrey before he looked back at William and continued. “Why should we tell Audrey all the things that could cause her to fail when there are so many things that could cause her to succeed?”

“Like what, Tate?” William asked, crossing his arms. “What makes you believe she would succeed?”

Tate looked down at Audrey and winked. “She can do anything she sets her mind to, and I for one will be behind her a hundred percent. I believe in her. I am surprised you don’t.”

Audrey saw her father’s shocked expression. She was pretty sure no one but Fallon ever stood up to him. Knowing that Tate had only been ready to go to bat for her made her love him even more.

“I do believe in my daughter, Tate,” William said with narrowed eyes. “I am having a hard time seeing how she thinks starting a cupcakery is a better career choice than working in a company that has been around for decades.”

“Because it doesn’t make her happy,” Tate said, moving away from Audrey. “Shouldn’t she do something that makes her happy, that gives her a reason to go to work?”

William glanced at Audrey. “You don’t love Rocky Top?”

She felt her father’s cold hard stare, but even with fear settling in her bones, she didn’t have to think before answering. “No, Daddy, I hate it. I’ve always hated it.”

Nora took in a sharp breath as William shook his head.

“I don’t believe it,” he said. “This conversation is over.”

Audrey wasn’t sure where her courage came from, but she knew if she didn’t pursue this now, she probably never would. Having Tate there to support her probably made all the
difference. If he believed in her, how could she not believe in herself?

Taking a step toward her father, she said, “No, it’s not. I have more to say. I love you, Daddy. I do. But I hate Rocky Top. I’m not Fallon. I don’t breathe wine. I breathe cupcakes. I want my own place. I want to make people happy with my little creations, and I want to be happy too.”

William looked away and inhaled a lung-filling breath, letting it out in a whoosh.

“Don’t you want me to be happy, Daddy?”

“Of course I do, Audrey Jane, but I want you to succeed, and I don’t feel this is a successful business venture.”

Audrey stood tall, shaking her head. “That may be your opinion, but I’ll show you. I will succeed.”

William met her rebellious stare and shook his head. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? Against my wishes, and against my business knowledge and experience. You’re still going to pursue this insane idea.”

She nodded, a grin pulling at her lips. She had never been so sure of anything in her life. Everything was falling in place. She had the guy, the home, the closet, and now all she needed was the career. She had worked so hard for her father over the years, and even though she hated Rocky Top, she didn’t regret those years. They would only help when she did what she had always dreamed of, but she was done with Rocky Top. She’d always stood back, let things happen, like Fallon said. Well, not today. Today she was going to do something to better herself.

Glancing up at Tate, who smiled and nodded as he squeezed her hand, Audrey smiled back. Then she looked at each of her family members, seeing their supportive faces before meeting her father’s angry glare. Even if there was a chance he might be right, she knew she was
doing the right thing.

“Yup, I quit, Daddy. I’m gonna follow my dreams.”

Audrey lay on her stomach, naked and spent, cuddling into her pillow as Tate crawled back into bed. He lay across her back, moving one arm around her waist and his other beneath her head as she smiled. He was heavy, but she didn’t care. She loved the way he wanted to be near her, as close as he could. When he moved his legs with hers, tangling them as he pressed himself into her bottom, she let out a sigh.

She could lay like this forever with him.

She felt great, amazing, loved, and never before had she felt so free. She didn’t know when she woke up that morning, she would be quitting her job, but man, she was happy she did. Her father on the other hand was another story. But Audrey was happy and that was all that mattered! Tate moved his nose along her temple, dusting kisses as he held her tight.

“I am so proud of you, love.”

Audrey smiled. “Thank you, I’m proud of myself.”

Tate nodded, placing more kisses down her cheek. “Fallon told me I’d better watch out; she was going to steal me and keep me for herself.”

Audrey giggled. “I’ll cut that bitch.” Tate’s laughter shook her body as she laughed along with him. When her laughter subsided, she said, “No, really, she can’t have you. You’re all mine.”

“Am I now?”

“Yup, sorry buddy, my heart’s invested here.”

Tate nodded, kissing her shoulder before his lips rested against her ear. Whispering, he said, “I’ll keep your heart safe, love, don’t worry about that.”

“Will you?” she asked, her heart skipping a beat. Even if it was a tender moment, she couldn’t help but think of what Fallon had said, about saying that she loved Tate first. Why wait was what Fallon was saying, but Audrey couldn’t do it. She felt comfortable saying those little things that made him think. To assure him that she wanted him, and that she could possibly love him. She wouldn’t hide her feelings, but she wouldn’t put herself out there, either. She just needed him to say it first, then it would be easy after that.

Tate bit her ear lobe, bringing her mind back to the bed they were in and the hard body she loved. He moved off her to beside her, where he wrapped her up in his strong arms and kissed her fully on the mouth. She moaned into his mouth, hooking her leg over his hip, to bring herself closer to him. Parting, she nipped at his lip as he smiled down at her. His eyes were bright and happy, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that he did love her. He had such passion and admiration in his eyes for only her. He made her feel like she was the only girl in the world who mattered and how many times had she wanted that. Maybe Fallon was right, but instead of saying the words she yearned for, he said, “I will, because mine is just as invested as yours is.”

It wasn’t what she wanted, but damn did it make her swoon.