Texas Wildfire (Texas Heroes Book 1) (19 page)

There was no trace of Damien, either. It looked like Titan had been right. There was no telling where he was by now. She tried to stay calm, tried to keep her focus. The pregnancy test was still in her purse, she hadn’t found the courage to take the test yet. She wanted Titan and she wanted his child, but the turmoil of the last few days made her doubt everything.

“You can’t let this bother you.” Titan tried to comfort her. “People love to talk. It doesn’t mean anything. All of this will blow over soon.” He rubbed her arms, trying to instill confidence. “In the meantime, come out to my shop. I finished your knife.”

“You did?” She was thrilled Titan had created something just for her. “I wish I was talented enough to make you something besides brownies.”

“You don’t have a clue. You do make me something.” He insisted with a smile.

“What?”

“You make me happy.”

Makenna didn’t walk to the shop, she floated.

Once inside, he told her to close her eyes and he guided her right to the place he wanted her to stand. “Now, hold out your hands.”

Obediently, she did and she felt an object being placed in her palm. Her fingers closed around it and she felt it smooth, solid and heavy in her hand. Rubbing her thumb across the handle, she felt an unevenness. “Did you carve something on it?”

“Look at it.”

Her eyes sprang open and she found an elegant silver knife with beautiful ivy scrollwork etched on the side
.
Makenn
a
was engraved on the handle. “It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed.

“Open it.” He showed her the little release and the blade opened slowly but fully.

“It looks sharp,” she said, wanting to test it on something. “What can I cut?”

“You’re going to be dangerous. Here.” He pointed her to a thin piece of plywood he’d hung on the wall. “Carve something.”

Smiling, she walked over and held the knife carefully, drawing an M, a T and an F. “There!”

“What does that stand for?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Makenna’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “Well, technically it’s my initials, or at least that’s what I told Damien. Makenna Tess Flynn. My maiden name.” Giving him a shy smile, she licked her lips, buying time. “When a girl likes a guy, sometimes they write their name over and over, like if I wrote Mrs. Titan Sloan or Mrs. Makenna Sloan.”

If she’d been looking at Titan, she would have seen his breathing quicken.

“I couldn’t do that,” she continued to explain, “so I wrote my initials, MTF. Only it didn’t stand for just my name, it stood for Makenna and Titan forever.”

Titan didn’t say a word. He just pulled her close and kissed her until she sighed with contentment.

“I’m nervous, I can’t believe I’m meeting your family.” Makenna squirmed in her seat, staring out at the Texas countryside as the miles flew by.

“They’re going to love you.”

He said it as if their approval was a foregone conclusion. She waited for him to add, ‘just like I do’—but he didn’t. Although she’d waited, he hadn’t told her he loved her again, not since that time in the restaurant. All Makenna could conclude was that it had just been something to say, he hadn’t meant it for real. “I hope so,” she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. This didn’t seem like the right time to meet his family. Makenna still wasn’t sure what their relationship entailed. Her divorce had been granted, all that was lacking was Damien’s signature and if he couldn’t be located, the lawyer said a special hearing would be held to deal with it. But the cloud of her soon-to-be-ex still hung over her head. If she wasn’t right with Titan, she spent her time looking over her shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

There was also the question of her missing period. Makenna had set herself a deadline. She planned on taking the test in the coming week. And if she was pregnant…well, she didn’t know what she was going to do. Telling Titan was inevitable, as was keeping the baby—but there were a whole lot of what ifs in the mix.

“Are you sure the dress I’m wearing is okay?” She couldn’t help but worry as she fingered the black material of her faithful dress. He’d said this was an awards dinner at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in downtown Austin. The Rodeo Austin Association was dolling out scholarships to worthy students. It seemed like a highbrow affair to her.

“You’re absolutely beautiful,” Titan said, meaning every word. She’d refused to let him buy her a dress and her friend Allie had been called away on a family emergency. The dress she wore might not be new, but she was perfection as far as he was concerned.

“So, what are we going to do?” she asked nervously. “Prepare me.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about. We’re going to meet my family at the ceremony, then we’ll have dinner with my parents.”

“Do they live in Austin?” Makenna realized she didn’t know that much about him, which would never do.

“They do, on the west side off Capital of Texas Highway.”

The address didn’t mean much to Makenna, she didn’t know the state capital that well. “Are we staying in a motel?” A tinge of panic made her stomach queasy. She hoped they weren’t staying with his parents.

“There’s a guest house at my folks’ place. I lived there while I was in college. It’s completely separate and…” he winked at her, “we’ll be completely alone.”

She let out a nervous breath. “That’s good.”

“We’ll go out on the town after we spend a little while with them. I want to show you my old stomping ground.” Titan knew his parents would love her. How could they not? He was a bit concerned about Tara. She tended to be a bit overprotective where he was concerned. He certainly didn’t want his sister interrogating Makenna.

“All right.” As they came nearer, she could see the Austin skyline. The pink granite state capitol building she could recognize. “What’s the tall thin building to the north?”

“That’s the tower on the UT campus. When the Longhorns win a ball game, it’s lit up with burnt orange lights.”

“Austin is growing, isn’t it?” As they neared the downtown area, she could see a lot of new constructions. Makenna realized she was probably asking a lot of questions. She was trying to take her mind off meeting Titan’s family. “Do they know about Damien?” The question came out of nowhere.

Titan placed his hand on her knee. “Yes, they know. They are very supportive,” he reassured her. “And yes, Austin is growing by leaps and bounds. I think the population is over eight hundred thousand now.” Once they were downtown, Titan slowed down and they started looking for a parking spot. “I probably should go to a parking garage. Do you want me to let you out?”

“No, I’d rather stay with you.” As soon as he found a spot, they began walking through the concrete garage toward the street. On the way, they passed several groups of people. Some were couples, some appeared to be college kids. It didn’t matter what age the women they met were, Makenna noticed they couldn’t take their eyes off of Titan. To give him credit, he didn’t seem to notice. His focus was entirely on her. “You look really nice tonight.” The black western suit fit him like it had been made just for him. His shoulders were a yard wide, and the cut was impeccable.

“Why, thank you, beautiful. Walking next to you would make any man look good.”

When they stepped out on the street, Makenna could see the huge Texas star sculpture that sat out in front of the building. She could also see people arriving. Some of the women were dressed to the nines and she suddenly felt self-conscious. “I’m not sure I’m going to fit in.”

Titan tightened his arm around her waist. “Anywhere you are, you will be the prettiest woman there. Besides, you’re with me. You never have to clear a path, I’ll clear it for you.”

The difference between Titan and Damien was never more pronounced than at this moment. Damien would have walked off and left her to fend for herself and Titan wouldn’t leave her side. It was with pride she held his arm as he led her into the beautiful building.

The awards ceremony was being held in the Grand Lobby, which had a sweeping two-story vista with a majestic staircase. The lighting was low, but the decorations were breathtaking. Everything spoke of Texas, but not just its wide-open spaces, the wealth of Texas was on predominant display. “I’m still not sure what’s going on. Your family takes part in Rodeo Austin?” It was apparent a thought just came to mind. “Did you ride rodeo?”

Titan escorted her deeper in the room, stopping a waiter to grab two glasses of champagne. A country-western band was playing, but the dress was not western by any means. These women knew how to dress. Makenna tried to make herself appear smaller so as not to draw too much attention. Maybe everyone would be looking at Titan and just ignore her.

“I did some calf roping, but it was my father and my sister who were the winners. My dad was a legendary bronc rider and Tara won the world championship barrel racing title twice.” He raised his glass at people who recognized him, calling him by name. Makenna carried her glass until she found an empty table to place it on. Titan continued to explain. “The Sloans sponsor Rodeo Austin and help pick the recipients of the scholarship.” With that fairly vague explanation, they turned at the sound of a woman’s voice.

“Titan!”

“Mother!”

Oh Lord,
Makenna thought,
this is it.
They were greeted by a tall elegant woman wearing a chic evening gown and enough diamonds to blind someone.

There was no doubt she loved her son, her hug was warm and her eyes lit up with excitement. “I’m so glad you could come. I don’t see you nearly enough.” Facing Makenna, her smile didn’t change. “Makenna, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Call me Louisa. You all must sit with us.” She hastily kissed Makenna on the cheek. A cloud of Chanel No. 5 hovered around her. The only way Makenna recognized the scent was because it was Allie’s favorite. Louisa stood on tiptoe and glanced around. “Titan, do you see your daddy?”

“I do.” Titan stepped out to shake a man’s hand, a giant of a man formed from the same mold as his son. It fascinated Makenna to see what Titan would look like in thirty years. He would still be a handsome man. His father’s face was lined, but when he smiled a genuine kindness shone through. “Dad, this is my girlfriend, Makenna Flynn. Makenna, this is Ross Sloan.”

She noticed he used her maiden name, and that made her happy. “Hello, Mr. Sloan.”

He took her hand and gave her a gallant bow. “I’m delighted to meet you, Makenna. You’re a little too pretty for this big old brute, aren’t you?”

Makenna smiled, but she was so insecure, she didn’t know if he really thought she was pretty or if he was gently warning her off his son. “Thank you. He’s the most wonderful man in the world and I’m lucky to be with him.”

Her soft-spoken explanation caused both men to stare at one another and Titan pulled her even closer. “She’s something, isn’t she, Dad?”

“She sure is, she sure is.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, if you’ll take your seats, we’ll begin.” On the way to the table, Titan introduced her to a few more people, whose names she either wouldn’t remember or didn’t hear clearly. When they neared the front, a whirlwind in blue came out of nowhere.

“Titan! You’re here!”

When Titan picked up the pint size woman and hugged her, Makenna’s mouth dropped open. But when he set her down and held out his hand, she took it. “Tara, this is Makenna Flynn, my girlfriend. Makenna, this is Tara Sloan, my big sister.”

Tara and Makenna both laughed. Compared to Titan, Tara was just a smidge of a person. “Yes, I am, Titan Sloan, and don’t you forget it!” She wagged her finger in his face, then faced Makenna with a slightly different expression. It wasn’t unfriendly…it was just analytical. “So, this is Makenna.” It was obvious she was being sized up.

“Hello, Tara, I’m so glad to meet you.” She held out her hand.

Tara didn’t take it immediately. She looked up into her brother’s eyes, who met hers with a flinty concentration. Makenna almost let her arm drop, but at the last second, Tara clasped her hand and said, “I’m happy to meet you too, Makenna.”

“Titan, take your seat,” his mother hissed and to Makenna’s surprise, they were seated at the head table. Looking out at the lavish table displays and the obviously well-to-do attendees, Makenna began to get a different picture.

Titan Sloan wasn’t a country cowboy/firefighter. Titan Sloan was well-to-do.

Well, damn.

Rodeo Austin proved to be more than a rodeo, carnival and stock show association. The gathering reminded her of the night Titan had received his
Brother’s Keeper
Plaque. Before the evening was over, the association had distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarships to deserving students. Makenna discovered the Sloans were one of the main backers. She picked at her steak and dragged her fork through her potatoes. Her appetite had fled with the realization that she was way out of her league—both at the party and in Titan’s life.

“What’s wrong?” Titan found her hand under the table and took it in his, rubbing his thumb over the back. “You don’t like your food?”

“No, it’s good.” She smiled at him. For the rest of the meal, they managed to eat one-handed because he never let her go. The guest speaker turned out to be Titan’s father and he quickly had the room in stitches. But he also said some deep things. She could see where Titan got his engaging personality. “Rodeo is a lot like life, you don’t just have to learn how to ride, you have to learn how to fall.”

As Makenna listened, she understood how true his words were. Her life hadn’t been easy by any stretch of the imagination. She’d been a victim of one of the worst terrorist acts on U. S. soil, and her husband had abused Makenna’s body and her trust. With her father’s help, she had survived the bombing, coming to grips with her mother’s death and the knowledge that you were never really safe anywhere. Now, Titan was helping her rise from the ashes of her abuse. Learning how to live wasn’t just about when things went smoothly, you had to learn how to fail and learn how to get up when you do. When Ross Sloan was finished speaking, she rose with everyone else to give him a standing ovation.

Soon, the ceremony was over and Tara leaned over to speak to Titan. “Are you coming to the house? Mother wants us to come for drinks.” She spoke in a pointed tone, conveying the message that he should attend.

Makenna noticed Titan didn’t let Tara fluster him. “Yea, we were planning on it. Then we’re going out for a while.” He rubbed Makenna’s shoulder. “I want to take my girl dancing on 6
th
street.”

“You’d do well to spend some time with Dad. You know you’re going to have to take over the company soon.”

Company? Makenna could see this was an old argument between them. She wondered if Titan would get upset. Instead, he laughed. “Tara, you’re the perfect one to run the company and Dad and I both know it.”

The next few minutes were hectic as everyone was up and moving. They spoke to his mother for a moment and assured her they would be driving over to the west side of town. “Let’s get outta here, baby.” He wound an arm around her neck and pulled her close. “This monkey suit is making me itch.”

When they were back in the truck, Makenna let out a sigh of relief. “That was fun, but I don’t like crowds.”

“Me neither,” Titan agreed, backing out and heading down the spiral route to street level.

“Your family is very nice,” she offered, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Tara can be a bit much. She’s been trying to fight my battles since she walked me to school on my first day of kindergarten.”

Makenna rubbed her hand across his knee. “She loves you and that makes her all right in my book.”

As they hit the Interstate and went north, Makenna watched the city lights go by. “Here, Austin has a policy against cell phones. Read my texts.” Titan gave her his phone.

A man that would turn his phone over to his girlfriend is a man who can be trusted. “Okay.” She opened his messages. “Oh, no!”