Lion Eyes Read online

  “Congrats, hubby,” she says and I never knew how good that would sound. “So, wanna drive me home?” she questions as she dangles the keys in front of me. Hell yeah I do, but I’m almost terrified. I haven’t really driven in over two years and that car is worth more than my dead body. “Nothing to worry about; you got this,” she says, reassuring me.

  Taking the keys from her, I walk to the passenger side, open her door and kiss her briefly before she slides into the seat. As I close the door, I know this is how it’s supposed to be. Walking around, I open the driver’s side door and take a deep breath as I get settled adjusting the seat, mirrors, and steering wheel.

  “You ready?” I ask her.

  “You know it,” she says as she kicks off her shoes and slides one leg under the other. I put the car in reverse and head home. As we enter the interstate I realize I probably should have called my mom before we left. Rilla hits a button and I quickly tell the system the number and it begins to ring through the speakers.

  “Hey, Tyke. How’d it go?” she questions.

  “Passed with flying colors and you’ll never guess what I’m driving.” Of course she has no idea! When I tell her about Rilla’s car, she’s still clueless. She gets BMW, but that’s about it. As I look over at Rilla, I can see she’s itching for me to tell Mom.

  “Hey Mom, I’ve got another surprise but you have to promise not to tell a soul, especially not Dad.”

  “You know how I feel about that, but you know I can keep a secret. Please tell me I’m not a grandma. I’m too young for that.”

  We both laugh at her reaction. “No, but you do have a daughter now.” There’s silence on the other end.

  “Does that… I mean… did you… are y’all married?” she questions.

  “Yes, Mom, we are.”

  “Oh my. I didn’t expect that today. I mean… I knew it was going to happen, but oh me oh my. Congrats, you two. Whew, y’all know how to tear someone’s nerves up,” she says with a laugh. “No worries, we can keep this to ourselves until you’re ready to tell your dad.”

  “Thanks, Mom. We want him to know, but I’d rather tell him in person.”

  “I understand. Rilla, welcome to the family.” We disconnect and as I look at Rilla there are tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask her.

  “Are you scared to tell him? Like, do you not want people to know?” she questions and it breaks my heart.

  “No, I want to tell the world but we both know how he is and he’s going to use that against me somehow.”

  She sits there silently for a few minutes and finally looks up at me. I see an exit for a rest stop ahead and take it. Putting the car in park, I look at her as I take her hands in mine. “Rilla, I love you more than life itself and if you want me to tell him, I will. You are what matters most. I’ll shout it from the rooftop if you want me to. The ball is on your one-yard line. You make the call.”

  “I want to tell my daddy.”

  “We can go see him as soon as we get back. I want to do what makes you happy. You understand that, right? You don’t think we made a mistake, do you?” I need to know she’s in this for the long haul.

  She smiles sweetly at me. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life but right now we’re not in our perfect little mountain world. We have to go back to school, life, and people that may not understand us. We’ve only known each other three months and we ran off and got married. They are going to think that I’m pregnant or something.”

  I laugh at her comment. “We can tell the world when the time is right, but all you need to know is that I love you and you are the perfect girl for me. You’re the half I’ve been missing.”

  “Same goes for me. I didn’t know I was making myself sit on the sidelines until I found you. Even if I fought us tooth and nail,” she says with a laugh.

  “Come here,” I say as she leans in and our lips meet sweetly. This is one of those moments I wish I could freeze time.

  Rilla

  Pulling onto the gravel road, I look at Tyke and I can see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. I start to giggle uncontrollably.

  “What’s so funny?” he questions.

  “You! You better take a few deep breaths or something. I like you all hot and sweaty right off the field, but this…this is more like the I-think-I’m-going-to-die and freaking out kind of sweat. It’s not so hot.”

  He pushes the brake and turns to me. “Not hot, huh? Well, I am about to get my ass kicked by your dad. I’m trying to prepare myself for the green mile.”

  I unbuckle my seat belt and confusion covers his face as I cross over the console and onto his lap. I graze his cheek with my hand. “He loves me, and he loves you. It will be fine. I promise.” I lean in and gently kiss his lips before moving back to my seat and fastening my seat belt. Maybe that will help ease his mind.

  As we park the car in the garage, I see that Daddy’s truck is in the driveway. I pop the trunk and Tyke grabs my bag and leaves his in the trunk, unsure of what to do. “Bring it in.”

  Walking into the house, I holler for Daddy. I hear him in the living room. As we enter the living room, we find him sitting in his recliner watching the hunting channel and eating a bowl of ice cream.

  “Hey guys. How was it?” he questions.

  “It was so much fun. Wasn’t it, Tyke?” I say, nudging him. I can see the sweat beads beginning to shine once more. “You got a minute before Tyke has to go to practice?” I question.

  “Sure,” he says as he kicks down the foot of the recliner and stands to take the empty bowl to the kitchen. “Give me a sec,” he says as he walks into the kitchen and we follow him.

  “So, we’ve got something to tell ya.” Daddy stands there listening as he rinses the bowl.

  “Well… what’d y’all do, get married?” he says with a laugh and we don’t say a word. “Awe shit. You’re kidding me?” he says as he looks between the two of us. I start to open my mouth but Daddy shakes his head as he walks toward us. I can see the fear rising on Tyke’s face. When he is within a foot or two of Tyke, he stands there almost invading Tyke’s personal space. Daddy crosses his arms before leaning on the island in the middle of the room. “Whose bright idea was this?” he says, looking between the two of us.

  “Mine, sir,” Tyke answers.

  “I see. Did it ever cross your mind that you might need to do something before this happened?”

  “Sir, I know I should have asked your permission, but the time was right. I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life being the best man I can be for her.”

  Daddy doesn’t say a word, he just keeps looking at the two of us. “So now what? Y’all moving in? Going to buy a house? Live in your dorms? What now?” Oh gosh, I hadn’t even thought of all of that.

  “We haven’t really thought that far,” I state. That’s when Tyke speaks up.

  “We are going to keep this between ourselves and our families right now. There are a lot of things that will happen over the next few months and I wanted Rilla to know that I’m in it for the long haul no matter where life takes us. I plan on taking online classes next semester so that if I make the draft, I can still finish my degree.”

  “Are you still going to live on campus?” Daddy questions.

  “I had planned on it until I know what’s going to happen. With the draft in April, the semester will almost be over by then.”

  “Yes, but you’ve got the combine and all that other stuff before the actual draft. That’s a waste of money on a dorm room.” Daddy gets quiet, then looks between us. “Why don’t you go and stay at the cabin, Tyke. Rilla, I prefer you keep your dorm room but I won’t keep you apart. Tyke is going to be gone a lot once this season is over. You need to get a feel for it before it becomes a reality.”

  I take a step toward my daddy and hug him. “Thank you, Daddy, for understanding.”

  “Well, there’s not much I can do about it now, can I?” he says with a little chuckle and Tyke look
s relieved. “Welcome to the family, son,” he says as he shakes Tyke’s hand. I walk Tyke outside as I get ready to take him back to campus.

  “You want to drive her?” I ask, motioning toward the garage.

  “Nah, but I’ll drive the truck if you want me to.”

  “I don’t know, I’m kinda partial to her,” I say with a laugh before I toss him the keys. He walks over to me and scoops me into his arms.

  “I love you, Rilla Jamison. So damn much,” he says before his lips crash into mine.

  Chapter 29

  Tyke

  As I pull out of the driveway, I know that I’ve got to focus on football even though I’d rather spend the rest of the day with Rilla. Pulling into the stadium, I notice that several players look shocked to see me behind the wheel.

  “When did that happen?” John asks.

  “This morning,” I say as we walk in and get ready for film and workouts.

  *****

  I’ve seen Rilla every free moment I’ve had but let’s face it, football is my life right now. We’ve got a great shot at winning this bowl game, and all eyes are on me to do that. I’ve stayed in my dorm, but Rilla has been by every time I’ve had a free moment. It’s been crazy trying to keep our marriage a secret and honestly, I’m ready to tell everyone. I think John knows something is up but he hasn’t said anything.

  I drive to her house on Christmas morning. As I put the truck in park, I grab the wrapped presents from the passenger seat. I knock on the door and when she opens it, she looks at me like I’m crazy for not walking in. I feel strange doing that. She greets me with a kiss, and I can’t help but think this is the first of many more to come.

  “Merry Christmas,” she says as I walk in and place the presents under the tree. Then we take seats at the kitchen table and eat breakfast.

  Once breakfast is over, we go into the living room and open the presents. Mr. Jamison has outdone himself when I open a box filled with everything I’ll need for combine, along with a letter that he tells me to read later. I nod and Rilla is next. He got her the new coat she wanted and a gift card to go shopping. He laughs and says that he can’t buy for her anymore.

  As the gifts get fewer and fewer under the tree, she hands me a package. When I peel the paper back, I’m speechless. Glancing down at the wooden frame, it’s a photo of our wedding day. It’s a candid picture that the lady at the river caught and it shows exactly how we feel about each other.

  “I thought we could hang it in the cabin,” she says. “And there’s a little one for your wallet too.” She’s thought of it all. This way we’ll always be close.

  “It’s perfect,” I say as I hand her a small square box. She takes her time unwrapping it, and when she opens it she gasps at the ring in the box. It’s not a wedding band, but a morganite stone that sits high on a rose gold band that is filled with a row of smoky topaz on each side. It’s my way to remind her of our weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains.

  She glances my way. “Smoky topaz, huh?” I shrug my shoulders.

  “I thought it was perfect for now,” I say as she leans in and kisses my lips and we hear her dad clear his throat.

  “Hey, I know y’all are married, but I don’t want to see that mess.”

  “Sorry,” she says, then looks my way. “It’s perfect; will you put it on me?” Taking the ring from the box, I slide it onto her ring finger and it looks better than I could have dreamed.

  Once the gifts are all opened, we relax before I have to go back to campus and attend the team supper. It’s something Coach has put in place so that we can bond and not all sit in our rooms alone. I hate to have to leave her, but it’s part of the deal.

  After supper is finished, I text Rilla that I’m headed to the cabin tonight so she can meet me there. I know that she’s leaving for New York tomorrow afternoon, and I honestly can’t stand spending another night without her.

  Rilla

  When Tyke texted me to meet him at the cabin, I didn’t wait two seconds before throwing some clothes in a bag and letting Daddy know what was going on. When we get back from the game, I’m going to make sure it’s set up for the two of us. I’m keeping my room on campus for show, but let’s face it, I’m not staying there. Looking at the picture I gave Tyke this morning, I grab it to take with me. We’re hanging that up tonight.

  During the short ride to the cabin, I think about the whirlwind of events that has happened in the past few months, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow I fly to New York and Tyke is getting ready for one of the biggest games of his career thus far.

  As I reach the cabin, I see he’s already here. I turn off my engine and grab my things as arms sneak up behind me and scare me to death.

  “Jeez!” I yell as he begins laughing behind me. “You scared me to death. Don’t sneak up on someone like that out here in the middle of nowhere.”

  “No worries, I’ll protect you from the big bad wolf,” he says as he kisses my cheek then takes the bag from me. I grab the picture and we walk to the front porch. As we reach the top, he drops the bag and I’m confused, then he scoops me into his arms as he carries me across the threshold of the cabin.

  He smiles down at me. “Figured we better start the first night in our place out right,” he says with a wink before he kisses me gently and places me on the ground.

  He walks back out to get my bag and I walk around the cabin looking for the perfect spot. There are several places that stand out, but if Tyke has folks over, people might ask questions. Walking into the master bedroom, I see a picture of my grandparents. It’s one of my favorites. My grandmother is in a flannel shirt hugging my grandfather. Her smile radiates the entire picture. There is so much love in that picture that no words are needed. Beside it is a picture of Pap and me fishing at the river.

  As I walk around the room, I see a picture that I haven’t paid much attention to. I pause as I look at it and try to remember. It’s here at the cabin, and it’s my family: Mom, Daddy, and me. We seem to be happy, but I don’t remember. I must be four or so. As I try to remember, I feel arms wrap around my waist.

  “You okay?” he questions.

  “Yeah, I think I’ve got a better memory to replace this one,” I say as I take it from the wall and place our picture on the nail. I take the old photo and place it in the dresser drawer. When I turn around, I see that Tyke is staring at our photo.

  “Those two people sure are crazy in love,” I say as I walk to him and he slides his arm over my shoulder.

  “Hell yeah they are.” He pulls me in close as he kisses the top of my hair. He pushes me onto the bed and I look into those hazel eyes as he worships my body from head to toe as a husband should.

  Chapter 30

  Tyke

  Waking up knowing that Rilla is leaving today is tough. I want to hold her in my arms and never let her go, but Tiffany’s Tiaras is calling. Not to mention I have to be at practice in an hour. Mr. James is taking her to the airport because I can’t and it’s killing me. We spend a little extra time loving on each other before we force ourselves to get up and start the day. She makes me breakfast and even has microwave pancakes. She’s already starting to take care of me. Once we finish breakfast, we get ready to leave for the day, but I can’t seem to keep my eyes off of her.

  As she applies her makeup, I can’t stand it so I walk behind her and place her on the bathroom counter and devour her lips.

  “Tyke! I just put on lipstick,” she squeals, trying to resist me but knowing she can’t.

  When I pull away and look in the mirror, I have it on me as well. I kiss her once more before she grabs a washcloth and begins to wipe it from my face. After she’s gotten it all off, I help her down from the counter.

  I stand back in the doorway and watch her as she finishes. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

  Once she’s ready to go and I’m ready for practice, I walk her to her car and kiss her goodbye before I head to campus.

>   *****

  Practice was light today and we leave tomorrow morning for the bowl game in Charlotte. As we finish up, I debate on whether to go to my dorm or the cabin. I figure I might as well go to the dorm and hang out with the guys.

  As we get ready to leave the locker room, John and some of the other guys begin to talk about going out tonight. “TD, you in?” he asks.

  “Sure. Where we going?”

  “Blind Horse,” John says.

  My first thought goes to Rilla. I know she’s landed by now, and I feel weird not having her by my side. “Cool. Just let me give Rilla a call first.”

  “Please tell me you don’t have to ask permission? You didn’t put a ring on it, did you?” he says with a laugh, and I try to keep a straight face.

  “No, but she just landed in New York.”

  “I didn’t take her as a city slicker,” he states as I realize what I’ve said.

  “Yeah, she’s just going for fun and going to fly straight to the game. I want to make sure her flight was good.”

  “’Aight. Well, I’m getting ready. We’re rolling out in about an hour. Butler said something about grabbing some wings and a beer before we go.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be ready.”

  When he walks out the door, I take out my phone and call Rilla. When I think that it’s about to go to voicemail, she answers.

  “Hey, hubby,” she says. That will never get old.

  We talk a few minutes and she tells me about her flight, the hotel room that is massive and how crazy huge the city is for a small-town girl like herself. I can only imagine. She asks me about practice, when we leave, and all of those details.

  “The guys are headed to the Blind Horse for a bit,” I say, hoping she’s okay with me going. She doesn’t respond and I know I need to make sure she can trust me.

  “Rilla, we’re going out as a team. It’s not a big deal. I’m driving and not drinking a drop. There’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”

  “I know. It’s just strange…us not going out together. I mean, you are TD Jamison and I’m sure you’re like up there on the sexiest man alive list by one of those magazines.”