Ticket To Love Read online

  Damn it! Brad was angry to the point he wanted to punch a hole in the wall. Outside, the fence was being constructed. The stupid fence. Each time he looked at it, it reminded him of the lie. That he’d asked Eve several times about the money and she’d lied.

  Sure, he understood why. Winning three hundred and eighty-five million was a lot. You don’t just tell anyone, but he wasn’t just anyone to her anymore. Or at least, for him, she was someone. Maybe there was more to this than just the money. He still couldn’t get a good grasp on how she felt about him.

  She hadn’t said she loved him. Only he’d said it.

  Near the front of the house, Bo barked loudly.

  “What do you want now?” Brad was frustrated beyond relief. The dog had been going insane all morning as the guys pounded away at the posts. He hooked the leash on the dog. A walk might help both of them.

  As he went down the front porch, a landscaping truck pulled into Eve’s driveway. Squinting his eyes, he noticed it was Rick. Rick. Why is he here? Hadn’t she said she wasn’t interested in him? Had she lied about that, too?

  No, no. Brad was not going to start second-guessing everything. There was no way she actually liked that creepy guy.

  Eve came out of her house and walked toward Rick’s truck. Like a stalker, Brad ducked down in the bushes with Bo, hoping they were concealed enough so Eve and Rick couldn’t see them.

  Rick climbed out of the truck and sauntered up to her, but Eve kept her hands on her waist. Brad could only faintly make out what she said. Something about seeing someone else—him hopefully. And Rick not being her type.

  Take that, Rick!

  Rick pulled the clipboard from his truck and pointed at something, and she shook her head. After a moment, Rick appeared defeated and stomped to his truck. Eve turned and went back into her home. Then Rick drove off.

  Once the coast was clear, Brad crawled out from the bushes and got back to the walk he’d planned with Bo—in the opposite direction of Eve’s house. He needed to clear his mind, and walking was one of the best things to clear one’s mind.

  In his back pocket, his cell phone vibrated. After pulling it out, he saw a text from Eve.

  It’s not nice to hide in the bushes and watch people.

  Brad smirked and put the phone back in his pocket. He hadn’t been nearly as hidden as he’d like to think, but at least she’d noticed him. Taking a deep breath, he started to jog. It was time to tackle his feelings once and for all. He could either forgive her and move forward, or find a way to start a future without her.

  ***

  Eve knocked on her grandmother’s door at the nursing home. She tapped her toes as she waited, hoping Grams was just resting and nothing worse. She’d been home for a few days, and aside from calls, this was Eve’s first time checking in on her in person. Finally, the sound of light footsteps came through and the door opened.

  “Jeez, Grams. I was getting worried.” Eve entered the small apartment.

  “I was napping.”

  Grams was napping a lot more these days, and that scared Eve. Her grandmother couldn’t be here forever and the day could come at any time. Hopefully Eve had more years with her, though.

  “So, I told Brad about the money.” Eve plopped down on the suede couch she’d helped picked out.

  “And…?” Grams sat in the rocking chair and picked up a blanket she’d been knitting.

  “I don’t know. He was mad.” Hurt.

  Grams pulled some yarn free from the colorful ball and started to knit. Eve still couldn’t figure out how she did it, though she had tried to crochet a time or two. “He’s a man. He’ll get over it.”

  “It’s more than that. He wants to marry me, I think. He said he loved me.” And I didn’t tell him I loved him back. She placed her face in her hand.

  Grams smiled and glanced up from the blanket. “Oh, that warms my heart so much. You have no idea. Well, I guess one day you will, when you have kids of your own.”

  Eve shook her head. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself.” Her smile fell. “He said all that before I told him about the money.”

  “So? If he loves you, he’ll forgive you.”

  Hopefully he would. “It’s complicated.”

  Grams rolled her eyes and returned to her project. “Only as much as you make it.”

  Eve groaned. “His ex-wife—”

  Her grandmother set her project firmly in her lap. Uh-oh. “Shouldn’t be in your relationship. If you or that man can’t stop bringing her up, it’ll never work.”

  “Yes, but—”

  Grams gave her a stern look. “Evelyn, what did I just say?”

  Nothing like a scolding from her grandmother. “Not to bring her up.”

  “Okay. Thank you. I was worried you couldn’t hear for a moment. He can’t compare you to her, and you can’t compare yourself to her. Got it?”

  Eve nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Now, why are you here and not apologizing to him?”

  She’d expected a little more insight or help, not a lecture. Though, she supposed that’s what she had been given. It just wasn’t the advice she’d hoped for. She’d wanted to hear he would come around and grovel at her feet. Not the other way around, even though Eve knew she was in the wrong. She’d withheld the truth from Brad when he’d asked her several times. She should be the one doing the groveling—she hated being wrong.

  “Are you feeling better?” It was best to change the subject now.

  Grams fidgeted with her hair bun. “Of course. I’m still on meds. But at my age, it’s taking longer to recoup.”

  “Is anyone checking on you?”

  “Carl next door.”

  The way her grandmother said Carl made Eve raise an eyebrow. “Carl?”

  A mischievous smiled spread across her wrinkled face. “Yes, he’s a younger man, but it seems I’ve caught his eye.”

  “Younger?” Grams was a cougar?

  “Yes, he’s in his mid-seventies.”

  Eve laughed. “Life is never boring with you. Are you two dating?”

  “If you want to call it that.”

  “Grams!” She couldn’t be talking about what Eve thought she was, was she?

  “What? I’m not dead. With medication nowadays, I can keep playing.”

  “Gross!”

  Grams giggled, and with her knitting needles, twirled up some yarn. “Life is short, dear. You’ve got to quit overthinking and just enjoy it. That’s always been your problem. You’re so hung up on finding the perfect man, having kids, getting the right job, life is passing you by. With all that money, you should be having fun now. You don’t have to work. Heck, if you marry that nice guy, you can stay home and raise the kids without the extra stress of one income.”

  Eve sighed. Grams was right. She’d spent all these years looking for Mr. Right and each time he was Mr. Wrong. And the guy she was so sure was Mr. Wrong looked like he was going to be Mr. Right, because she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Brad had come in and swept her off her feet without her even noticing. Her heart belonged to him. Now, to figure out how to trust him with it.

  “How do I fix this?” she asked.

  With a straight face, Grams said, “Two ways. Take your top off.”

  Eve gasped. Had her grandmother just said that?

  Grams shrugged and waved a frail hand. “Or talk to him. Though if the conversation goes downhill, just take your top off.”

  Eve laughed. She couldn’t help it. That woman was feisty. Apparently, when in doubt, a woman should just take her top off. All these years she’d thought she should just cry when things weren’t going her way.

  Her grandmother yawned. “I need to brew a pot of coffee or I’ll never make it through the day.”

  Concern washed over Eve. “When do you go back to the doctor?”

  “I have a checkup next week. Don’t worry.”

  “I’d like to take you.”

  Grams raised an eyebrow but nodded. “I figured as much.”


  Eve stood and straightened her shirt. “I’ll make the coffee. Then maybe we can watch a movie or something.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Just don’t think I’m bad company if I doze off.”

  She patted Grams on the shoulder. “Same to you. I didn’t sleep well last night. Maybe we should put on something we’ve seen before.”

  ***

  The floor creaking under his feet, Brad entered his parents’ home. The smell of fresh coffee welcomed him. “Mom,” he called.

  “Brad.” She came from the direction of the kitchen and embraced him. “What a surprise.”

  He hugged her back. “Is Dad here, too?”

  She tossed her brunette hair behind her shoulder. “Yup, he’s in the shop building something, like usual.”

  His dad did amazing woodwork. As a child, Brad enjoyed the time in the shop with him. He couldn’t wait until he had his own shop again. He’d always wanted children who might keep him company while he worked. It just hadn’t happened. Maybe with Eve.

  His mom called out the garage door to his dad, who entered the kitchen moments later. Dad seemed to have more gray hair than the last time he’d seen him. “Hey, son.”

  “I just brewed some coffee. Can I get you some?” his mom asked both of them.

  “Please,” they spoke in unison.

  After they all had a cup of coffee, they sat at the small table in the dated kitchen. The same table he’d sat at growing up. Nothing in this house had changed. He liked that. When he returned here, it was comforting. And right now, that was what he sought.

  “I assume you’ve heard about Uncle Scott.” Brad stared at his father, who nodded.

  “Yes, and I told him we would not be attending the wedding. That woman did enough damage. I don’t want any part of her.”

  “Well, she isn’t all to blame. But it’s certainly odd they asked me to come to the wedding or even to be a part of the wedding party. I declined.”

  “It was rude,” his mom said. She sipped from her mug. “But that’s not why you’re here.”

  He smiled. Mother’s intuition. “No. It’s not. I’ve met someone.”

  “Where is she?” She set her cup down with eagerness. “I want to meet her.”

  He wished he was bringing Eve home. They’d love her, and she’d fit in perfect with his mother. They were both kind of kooky. “It’s complicated.”

  His dad laughed. “It always is.”

  His parents made marriage appear easy. He couldn’t recall ever seeing them in a disagreement. “We fight all the time. But I can’t imagine her not in my life anymore.”

  “Has something happened?” Mom asked.

  Yeah, she lied to me. While he understood why, it was still something he was having a hard time getting past. If only she’d said she loved him, too. “A misunderstanding that I’m having a hard time with.” He cleared his throat. “It has to do with money. And I think after Charlotte, I’m obsessed with money.”

  “Is she like Charlotte and spends a lot?” his mom asked.

  “No. She seems to be pretty level-headed with it.” He leaned back in his chair. “I can’t really say what it is, because it’s her secret. Jeez, even that sounds weird. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “Secret? Does she have loads of money or something?” his dad asked with a chuckle.

  Brad nodded. That was the truth, without telling them she was the lottery winner—the woman he loved was a millionaire. Damn! The woman I love is a millionaire! What a change of events in his life.

  “If she did or didn’t have money, should it matter?” His dad stared at him, waiting for an answer.

  This was the million-dollar question. The one that went through his head over and over. “No. The money isn’t the problem. It’s that she kept it from me.”

  His mom sighed. “Honey, I don’t really have any advice for you, other than to make this about her and not Charlotte. This woman isn’t your ex. And you can’t react to problems as though she were. It’s not fair to her.”

  “Evelyn is her name.”

  “Beautiful name.” Her mom smiled. “You’ve got to forget the problems you and Charlotte had, or you’ll never move forward.”

  She was right. He was so hung up on the way Charlotte tossed money around, he was having a hard time seeing that Eve would never do that. Even if Eve had no money, he couldn’t see her wanting the extravagant things Charlotte did. Well, she had bought that car, but everything else had been small things. She wasn’t selling her house and buying a mansion. Though, there was the fence. However, that was to help Bo and him.

  He sipped the coffee from the mug he’d been cradling. “You guys always make me feel better.”

  “I’m glad. Now go make things better so we can meet her.” His mom stood, picking up his father’s mug, which she then refilled.

  Make things better. That didn’t seem too hard. He set his mug down and hoped things weren’t too far gone they couldn’t be fixed. “I think you’d like her.”

  “Anyone you like, I’m sure we will, too.” His dad stood. “I just made this beautiful cabinet. Want to come see it?”

  “Sure.”

  He followed his dad into the garage, hoping one day he’d have a shop again where he could bring his children. He’d make this right with Eve and give them both the life they craved.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eve sat on Brad’s porch, waiting for him. She didn’t care how long she had to sit here. She wasn’t leaving this spot until she told Brad how she felt. Now if only he’d hurry up and get home. She had an appointment she really didn’t want to reschedule. However, she would if she had to. Earlier, she’d called the gym he worked at and they said he’d left for the day. So, where was he?

  Inside, Bo barked loudly. He probably thought she was teasing him or something. She could hear the dog sniffing at the door. Then he’d bark again.

  Ten minutes later, the familiar sight of Brad’s truck drove up the driveway and her heart raced. God, telling the man about the money was easier than telling him she loved him.

  “Eve,” he said as he climbed out. “You okay? Locked out?”

  “I’m fine.” She smiled. Could she tell him she just needed ice? That had worked the last time, and she’d ended up in bed with him. Maybe they could skip over the hard stuff. She could do this—this talking thing. She wanted a future with him and this was the first step.

  He stepped up on the porch, still in his work attire. Gym shorts and a tight sleeveless shirt that let her see his bulging muscles and the tribal tattoo. Wow.

  “What did you need?” He paused. “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”

  She stood and went to him. After taking in a deep breath and letting it out, she said, “I love you.”

  He stared at her a moment, hopefully letting the words she’d said sink in. The sweet, flirty grin she’d grown to adore appeared. “I love you, too.”

  “I’m sorry I lied to you. You asked me several times, and that day on the beach I should’ve been honest. I knew then I’d fallen for you. It was then I should’ve been honest with you and not lied. I’m sorry.”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “I’ve had time to think.” Bo barked from the house. “Let’s go inside.”

  She followed him as he let Bo out the back door into the fenced yard.

  Brad smirked. “You know, I really like the fence.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough. Bo really does love it. He can go out there by himself. Now to get him a dog house.” He paused. “Don’t get any ideas. I plan to build it.”

  She snickered. “I’m glad you’re both enjoying it.”

  Brad sat in his recliner then held his hand out. She took it and he pulled her into his lap. “I’ve had time to think. It does hurt that you didn’t tell me about the money, but it isn’t like I made you comfortable, either. I demanded constantly to know where you got it from. I treated you the same way I w
ould Charlotte whenever she came home with a new pair of shoes. You aren’t her. I owe you an apology.”

  Eve was happy that he was finally seeing her for her. “I’ll never lie to you again about money or anything.”

  “You better not.” He pinched her sides playfully, making her giggle.

  Taking a deep breath, Eve asked, “Do you think things will ever be normal between us?”

  “Did I not tell you that normal was not what I wanted? I happen to like what you and I have.”

  She smiled. “So, do you want it all? Wife, kids, dogs?”

  “Only if it’s with you.”

  Her heart expanded. She’d found a man to let into her heart, and she’d found love. It had taken thirty-five years, and it had just happened, the way her friends had said it would. It was finally her turn to be happy with this stubborn man who’d been living next door to her for a few years. “I love you.”

  “I love hearing you say that.” He kissed her. “How about I show you just how much?”

  She shook her head. “As much as I’d love to, I have an appointment.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “And here I thought you were camped out on my front porch for the long haul, rain or shine, until I got home.”

  She giggled and held out her hand. “Come with me.”

  He scrunched his nose. “I hate doctors.”

  “Lucky for you that isn’t where we’re going.” She stood and pulled him up.

  Brad grunted and went over to let Bo in. “Okay, but I hope I like it.”

  She clapped her hands. “You will.”

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her close. “We’re not going, though, until you tell me where.”

  Unable to contain her excitement, she blurted out, “We’re going to get me a puppy!”

  His eyes went wide. “A puppy?”

  “Yup. Figured I’d start with one of those before we have any babies.” She winked.

  “How about a senior dog? They don’t require as much time. Puppies need constant care. You’re going to have to be up during the night to take it outside, watching it to make sure it’s not eating your favorite shoes. The list goes on.”