Vegas Vacation (10 page)

Tamlyn sighed as Martin swept stuff off the couch to the floor and sat down. “
Excuse me
?”

“Why, what have you done?”

She put her hands on her hips and looked him square in the eyes as he pushed back into the sofa. “Are you gonna sit there and watch me clean?”

“Yeah, pretty much. I mean, you did say
you
wanted to clean. The word
we
wasn't mentioned at all.” He put his booted feet on the table and smirked as he folded his arms.

“Fine—I see how it is.” She turned away so he wouldn't see her smile, and turned to the task in hand. She was half tempted to ask for rubber gloves, but honestly doubted he owned a pair. She didn't even want to contemplate what state the bathroom would be in. Reaching down, she grabbed a pile of rubbish and dropped it into the sack. Something ran over her sleeve and she screamed in panic, shaking her arm. “Get it off me!”

Martin sat up straight, swinging his feet onto the floor. “Tam?”

Tamlyn backed away, shaking in terror. “S...spider...”

He got up. “It's only a little one, but I'll get rid of it.”

She backed away to the sideboard as he picked up a glass and piece of paper and removed the offending creature. “Maybe if this place were a little tidier...”

He nodded. “I'll help clean. To be honest, I don't spend that much time here, not now, and I got out of the habit of cleaning.”

“Would have thought you'd have been obsessive about it, with the burns and all...”

“Yeah, well.” He sighed. “Things aren't always what they seem. After Laura left, I...”

“Laura was your girlfriend?”

Martin nodded. “We weren't living together or anything, but she'd clean up after me. She said it was her mission in life to house train me.”

“You don't need house training.” Tamlyn winked. “You managed perfectly well in the hotel.”

“True. Thing is, when Laura left me, I gave up. I didn't see the point anymore. She was gone, my career was over, and I was a wreck of a man.”

“No, you're not. She's an idiot for leaving you, I told you that.”

Martin moved over to her. His fingers brushed down her arm. “You think so?”

“I know so.” Her gaze held Martin's and his face inched closer to hers.
Was he going to kiss her?
His cologne filled her senses and she could even smell his shampoo. Her whole body tingled with his nearness.

Disappointment flooded her as the phone rang and he pulled away. Her gaze followed him as he answered it.

“Ames. Hello, Sir. I've not long got in myself. Vance said he'd fill you in.” He listened. “Sounds like the best thing under the circumstances.” He shot her a smile. “I'm fine. The doc said to take it easy for the rest of the week. Of course, I will. OK.”

Tamlyn tilted her head as he hung up. “Well?”

“Your father has reported you missing. The captain knows you're here. He asked me to keep you with me.”

“Thank you.”

Martin nodded. “We can't keep you hidden for long, but at least until we know whether you were drugged or not. I'll call the court house in a bit and check to see if you or someone else filled out a marriage license in your name.”

“Then what?”

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, his soft touch sending ripples of warmth through her. “One step at a time.”

“OK.”

He smiled. “Let me help with the cleaning and then we'll have that conversation you wanted.”

Tamlyn nodded. “OK.” She had no idea how to phrase what she wanted to know, but hoped he'd be able to help.

Finally, the small apartment was gleaming, even the bathroom, and Martin carried two coffees into the lounge.

She smiled as he sat down. “You haven't used your cane once since we've been here. Why do you only use it outside?”

“Honestly? Fear, mainly. I got hurt on the job.”

She sipped the coffee. “But you're good at what you do. You don't have to go back into protective services; you could work traffic. It's not actually medical retirement at all, is it?”

He shrugged. “I handed in my resignation, but then I failed the PT.”

“Deliberately?” She held his gaze, noting the small nod with satisfaction. “Martin, you can't spend the rest of your life hiding because one numpty bested you.”

“Is that all you wanted to talk about?” His eyes flashed ice then fire.

She'd gotten to him. “No…I wanted to ask about your faith.”

Martin sat stiffly on the sofa, his hands frozen around the cup. “Go on. But I warn you; if you're just gonna nag me to death…” He left the sentence hanging.

Tamlyn shook her head. “No, I'm not. You've got something I haven't. Your faith is real to you. More so than mine ever was to me. But I don't know why. I'm missing something important and I have no idea what it is.”

He looked at her. “Did you ever accept Jesus as your Savior as a conscious decision?”

“Religion is just something I've always done. When I was a kid, Mum took me to church. When she died and I moved in with Dad, church was a way to escape on a Sunday morning—even if Raleigh did have to come with me. It got me out of the house, and away from Garth for a couple of hours. I know Jesus died for our sins, and I believe in God, and I pray sometimes. I'm just not sure…”

Martin put his cup down. “Tam, religion and faith are very different things. Faith has to come from here.” He gently touched her heart and then her head. “Not here. Faith is taking what the Bible tells you and believing it. Let me get my Bible and show you.”

Tamlyn leaned back on the couch and watched him cross to the book case. “You keep your Bible in here?”

“I have another one by my bed—though that's still in your hotel suite.” He sat, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “So, growing up in a church, you know we're all sinners and that Jesus was born and died to take the punishment for our sin. And that sin is everything we do wrong, not just the big things like murder and assault. Its little things like lying, cheating at cards, not being honest on your tax return, speeding—”

“Deliberately failing a PT test,” she said quickly.

“OK, yeah, that, too.” He held her gaze for a moment. “But all we have to do is ask and believe and we're forgiven.”

“It's really that simple?”

“Yes, Tam, it is.” He opened his Bible and read. “In First John it says ‘
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness'
. Again in Romans ten ‘
if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
'. Finally in John ten, ‘
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand'
.”

She looked at him and took a deep breath. “I want…”

Martin covered her hands with his. “Don't tell me, Tam. Tell God.”

“What do I say?” she asked, tears falling unrestrained. “Help me.”

Martin nodded. He began to pray and Tamlyn echoed every word from the depths of her heart. As she prayed, real peace filled her for the first time in years. No matter what happened over the next couple of days, God was on her side and in her corner.

As was Martin.

 

 

 

 

12

 

Tamlyn raised her face, tears still on her cheeks, and smiled. She felt so different, it was amazing. “Thank you.” She hugged him.

He hugged her back. “You're welcome.” His fingers gently wiped away her tears. “Now I'll go make those phone calls. And then see about some lunch.”

“You're going to mess up my tidy kitchen?” she teased.

“Whose kitchen is it, again?” He laughed as he reached for the phone.

“Tell you what; I'll go make coffee while you're on the phone. You can tell me what I need to know when you're done. And this way I get to mess up
your
kitchen.” She shot him a cheeky grin and headed from the room. As she made coffee, her mind wandered. How did he feel about her? Even if he did like her, he wouldn't make a move while he was protecting her. Which was a shame given the way he'd kissed her.

Martin leaned against the kitchen doorway and cleared his throat. “You don't have a marriage license issued in your name. Your father and Daniel Haynes tried to register the marriage without you, but without your agreement in person it's not valid.”

“Explains why they reported me missing.” Tamlyn took a deep breath.

“Yeah, it does.” He moved over to her. “And I got the tox report, too. Even if they had tried to get you to sign anything, the meds in your system would render it null and void.”

“You know it's a shame I can't marry someone else, scupper their plans for good.”

Martin raised an eyebrow. “Do you have someone in mind or are you going to pluck some random guy off the street?”

She reached out with a hand, running her fingertips down his face. His eyes darkened as she slid her fingers down his chest to his waist.

Martin's fingers closed over hers, his touch electrifying and his voice deep and smoldering. “What are you doing, Tam?”

Her cheeks burned. “Sorry.” She hurried to the door.

Martin moved fast and pushed the door shut as she opened it. His hands appeared on either side of her, trapping her against the door. “I asked you a question, Tam.”

Tamlyn turned towards him. “Let me go.”

“Not until you tell me what you want.” His intense gaze left her nowhere to hide.

“It...it was a stupid idea. I thought if you married me, then it solves the problem.” She turned away. “Maybe you're right. I should go back to the hotel, stand up to Dad and tell him no. I can't keep running away forever. Forget I said anything.”

“Tam.” Martin's voice sent shivers down her spine and his soft touch on her arm conducted heat through her body. Before she could answer, Martin's hand cupped her face as his lips sought hers with an urgency she didn't expect. His other hand curled around her waist, holding her firmly.

Tamlyn slid her arms down his back, holding him tight. She closed her eyes, letting him take total control as his kiss became deeper, more powerful, his lips threatening to devour her whole, and his light touch setting her whole body aflame.

Finally, he pulled back.

She held his gaze, trying to remember to breathe. “Am I right in guessing that's a no?”

His grin lit up his eyes. “No, I won't marry you, Tam, because I was brought up to believe a guy should do the asking. And only after at least one date.”

“Ohhh...” Tamlyn turned away. He'd been toying with her, playing her for a fool.

A soft hand on her cheek turned her face back towards his. Dark eyes filled with desire swallowed her whole. “I consider that picnic in the rain to be a date. Will you marry me?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Then we'll go to the courthouse and pick up a license. But we'll keep the marriage in name only.”

“Are you sure about this? You're not doing it because you're meant to be protecting me and this is the best way to do it?”

Martin rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm sure.” He paused. “Oh, wait a second.”

Tamlyn stood still as he disappeared into the bedroom for an instant, then reappeared, holding something out to her.

“This was my grandmother's engagement ring. She told me to keep it for someone special.” He slid it onto her finger.

It was beautiful, gold with three small diamonds. “I'll keep it safe.”

“You better.”

She nodded. “We'll need wedding rings.”

“There's a jeweler's on Seventh. We'll stop off there.”

Tamlyn glanced down at her jeans. “I have nothing to wear. All I have is what I am wearing right now. Everything else is in the hotel suite.”

“Hey, you're in Vegas.”

“What about my necklace?”

“I'll get my partner to look into it. That OK?”

Tamlyn nodded and hugged him. “Thank you.”

 

 

 

 

13

 

Having picked up the license and booked a wedding chapel for later that day, Martin kept hold of Tamlyn's hand as she tried to find a dress that she liked. He'd never known a woman to be so picky about her clothes, but then he hadn't been clothes shopping with a woman before. She'd picked up a lot of stuff, ranging from lingerie and shoes, to simple stuff like a hairbrush, toothpaste, and toothbrush. How much more did she need?

His soul flamed with passion and love for the woman next to him, but he kept reminding himself he was working. His head told him he should have contacted the captain about this marriage, but his heart insisted Tamlyn would be safe at his side.

I know that's what I'm doing, Lord. Protecting her from being forced into marriage against her will, but I can't deny how I really feel. I love her. That's why I'm marrying her properly. In Your sight. Given the chance, I would love her for as long as You give me the opportunity to. I'd love her, honor her, and remain faithful…but what can I offer her? I can't give her children.

He squeezed her hand. “At this rate you
will
be getting married in jeans.”

“It's just weird having the groom help pick the wedding dress.”

Martin winked. “There is nothing normal about our marriage. What about that one?”

Tamlyn turned in the direction he pointed. “It's lovely.” She ran her fingers over the fabric and glanced along the rail, picking out a couple to try in different colors. “Be right back. And no peeking. There has to be some surprise in this.”

Martin made a quick phone call as he waited outside the changing rooms.