Love Me (Coopers Creek #1)

by Bronwen Evans

Tyler let out a nasty laugh. “I fucking doubt that. People like Simon just don’t change.”

  “He went to rehab and got clean. He’s in the Navy now and he’s doing really well,” Emily said.

  Tyler ignored this information. “Is he going to try to get custody of Hayley? If he does, I’ll bury him. I can afford the best family lawyers in the country. He’ll never get her back.”

  Emily held up a hand. “He doesn’t want that. He’s shipping out in January again and he won’t be home enough to take her on. He just wants to be in her life. She deserves to know her father, Ty.”

  He wanted to scream that he was Hayley’s father now. Simon had given up that right and privilege when he’d slunk away like a yellow dog in the night. He’d also been found unconscious after the accident but had survived. A bitter pill to swallow given it was his driving that caused the bike to crash. However, doing that would only alarm Hayley. “That’s not your decision to make. You had no business letting him in here. Did he upset Hayley?”

  Emily’s eyes turned green with anger. “I had no business letting him in here? Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m not some employee of yours. I’m the woman who shares your house and bed every night and who loves that little girl. I thought we were a team? Isn’t that what you keep telling me?”

  Tyler pinched the bridge of his nose to rein in his emotions. “Yes, we are, but—”

  “Except where stuff like this is concerned, right? I’m good enough to take care of Hayley and the house. Good enough to screw every night and sit at the hospital and support you, but not good enough to make decisions concerning her. Right?”

  “That’s not what—”

  “I thought we were building a future!” Emily opened the oven and took the chicken and scalloped potatoes out. “Once again things don’t go as you planned and suddenly I’m not allowed to help with decisions.” She quietly turned to him. “I’m not a live-in caretaker and someone to keep you happy in the sack. I’m a woman who thought we had something more. But it appears I’m wrong.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “You are important.”

  She rounded on him. “I don’t believe you. How can you think that I would do anything to hurt her? I was with them the whole time.”

  “He shouldn’t have been in here at all! I can’t believe that you were stupid enough to fall for whatever act he was putting on. Lizzie fell for it now it looks like you are too. Simon was always good at playing the sympathy card. Guess he still is.”

  Her face tightened. “Well, I guess I know where I stand with you. He’s coming back the day after tomorrow to see Hayley.”

  “Like hell he is,” Tyler said. “You better not let him.”

  She walked over and looked up to him and damn it, her anger turned him on. The way her eyes glittered mesmerized him and the way her chest rose and fell drew his attention to her breasts.

  “Oh, yes, I will, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  He smiled coldly at her. “Isn’t there? Don’t push me, Emily.”

  “Don’t push you or what?” she challenged him.

  With feigned nonchalance, Tyler leaned a hip against the counter. “You’re not her legal guardian. I am, and I say what goes. He’s not to step foot in my house.”

  She stepped back in shock and pain leapt into her eyes. “Your house. Not our house?”

  He raised a brow. “Where the welfare of Hayley is concerned I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Her hands clenched as her eyes filled with tears. “You are the biggest goddamn asshole that has ever drawn breath.” She drew herself proudly even as a tear spilled down her cheek. “Well, you can stay home, in your house, on Friday and tell Simon to his face that he can’t see his daughter. Then you can explain why to Hayley. Enjoy your supper.”

  As she stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Tyler drank his beer and told himself that he was doing what was best for his niece. That he was justified in his actions. It was his responsibility to make sure that Hayley came to no harm, whether it be physical or emotional.

  It would be a cold day in hell before he let Simon back into Hayley’s life. But as he went to get Hayley to come eat supper, he felt a coldness in his soul because he knew that he’d just hurt Emily again.

  He struggled to keep his composure when Hayley told him about Simon’s visit. It was only his powerful ability to keep cool under intense pressure that prevented him from throwing something at the wall.

  Once supper was over, he left Hayley watching cartoons while he cleaned up the kitchen. As he worked, he thought that just when things were going well for him, once again, life had thrown him another curve ball. Just when the brass ring had been within his grasp, it had been cruelly yanked out of reach. He kicked himself for believing that he’d ever had a shot at having it all in the first place.

  With a heavy heart, he finished up and got Hayley ready for bed. He read her a story, during which she fell asleep. She looked so sweet and fragile and his protective streak grew even stronger. Whatever it took, he’d keep her safe. Even if that meant denying his own happiness.

  Chapter Eighteen

  That night, Emily ignored calls from Ric and Brooke. She needed time to gather her composure and they knew her so well that they’d pick up on her emotional state. While she’d been upstairs alone, she’d come to some decisions and she was waiting for Tyler to come to bed so they could discuss them.

  She and Tyler had moved into Maggie’s room and she loved the cozy space they’d created. He’d said that it should be their room together, so they’d picked out new furniture. The handsome walnut dresser, bureau, bed, and nightstands added an understated elegance to the room. French vanilla walls, teal scalloped drapes, and a Persian rug in greens and golds added to the romantic ambiance.

  Sitting on her side of the bed, with her back up against the headboard, Emily had been attempting to work, but not getting much done due the turmoil in her heart. Finally, around eleven, Tyler came into the room.

  As she met his eyes, the man she’d encountered in New York back at the end of July had returned. She saw it in the sarcastic curve of his lips and the way he moved. How had she been so wrong about him? How could she have let him fool her into thinking that he actually cared about her?

  Her traitorous body reacted as he took off his shirt, baring his magnificent chest and ridged abdomen to her sight. His knowing look irritated her, but she didn’t bother trying to hide her attraction to him. There was no sense in it because he’d see right through it.

  “We need to talk,” she said.

  “Do we? I think we did quite enough talking earlier, don’t you? We know where each other stands,” he said, taking off his jeans.

  Her stomach clenched, but she fought off his effect on her and her anxiety. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Turnabout is fair play. You will not kick me out and Simon will be allowed to see Hayley because it’s the right thing to do for several reasons.”

  His face hardened into a mask of anger. “Like hell he will.”

  “Shut up and listen to me. He told me today that if we—you—try to keep him away from her, that he’ll go to court. You might have millions of dollars, but he’s Hayley’s biological father, and in these kinds of cases, the courts prefer to place the kids with the natural parents as much as possible. So he’s got that in his favor.

  “Not only is it smart to let Simon see her for that reason, but also because it’s the right thing to do. If he comes here to see her, we can make sure he really has changed and make a determination after that as to whether he’s fit to see her,” Emily said.

  He got in bed and also sat up against the headboard. “I see what you’re saying.”

  “The other reason it’s the right thing to do is that, if Simon really has changed, that little girl in the other room can use all of the positive adults in her life she can get. Her childhood so far has been too full of heartache. Which is another reason that I’m not going anywhere. I’m the mother figure
in her life now and she needs me.”

  Emily took a deep breath. “That’s the only reason I’m not moving out of this bedroom. If she knows that you and I are through, she’ll worry that it means that one of us is leaving or that Simon is going to take her.”

  Tyler hardened his heart against the pain that sliced through his heart at her saying that they were over—again. “He’s a goddamn liar. He probably wants to be paid to go away.”

  “Actually, he said that he wants to start paying child support,” Emily informed him. “Now, back to my terms and conditions. To everyone else, we will appear to be happy, like nothing unusual is going on. This is in your best interests.”

  “My best interests? How so?”

  Emily didn’t flinch as their gazes locked. “Imagine how Ric would react if I told him the things you said to me? How would you react if some other man had treated me the way you did earlier?”

  Satisfaction stole through her as Tyler’s eyes widened in an incredulous expression. “You’re going to tattle on me to your brother?”

  She smirked at him a little. “Unlike the last time you stomped on my heart, I won’t keep my mouth shut about the real reason we broke up. I never told him that you dumped me because you falsely blamed me for Lizzie’s death. But I will spill the beans this time if you don’t agree to these terms.

  “We may share this room, but do not touch me. I can’t keep being your punching bag. Your words in the kitchen this evening hurt me so much. I love Hayley and you’ve let me build that kind of relationship with her, then you threaten to take her and everyone I love away from me because of your own insecurities. I refuse to love a man who can be that cruel.” She let him see her pain. She was past trying to hide it. “Because you don’t treat someone you love like that. What if some man treated Hayley like that? Would that be okay with you?” Emily closed her laptop and got up. She put it on the small desk by the window and faced him again. “Think about that while I go brush my teeth. Let me know your answer when I get back.”

  *****

  Tyler sagged against the headboard as she left. “God fucking hell,” he muttered, putting his face in his hands.

  For someone who was so intelligent most of the time, he could be a major dumbass, he thought. She was absolutely right. If a man ever tried to back Hayley into a corner and be such a prick to her, he’d take the guy’s head off. Yet, he’d just hurt the woman he loved, the woman he wanted to marry, because he’d let his temper get the best of him.

  No, worse still, because he’d panicked. Simon might take Hayley from him. He’d hit out wildly at the wrong person. AGAIN.

  Had he grown so used to wielding power over other people, that he now used it in his personal life against the people he loved? Apparently so. Shame burned in his chest and he knew that his mother would’ve kicked his ass for hurting Emily that way—not once, but twice.

  Hadn’t he learned anything from the first time he’d fucked up with Emily? Now, he’d gone and done it again. She deserved better than that. Someone better than him, who would treat her right.

  Emily returned and both his body and heart yearned for her, missed her already. She looked so adorable and sexy in the pair of pink and white ladies’ boxers and a long sleeved, white T-shirt. He’d been with women who’d worn lacey creations meant to drive men wild, but no lingerie had ever gotten him as hot as the casual things Emily wore to bed.

  She got in bed and looked at him. “Well?”

  He admired her for her pluck and savvy maneuvering. Admired her for her courage and honesty. But most of all, he admired her for being decent towards others. When had he forgotten how to do that? Had college and the drive to make money, the drive to ensure his family was safe, dulled his sense of right and wrong in some cases? He was beginning to see that it had.

  He’d driven Lizzie away. Straight into the arms of a drug addict like Simon. Now he was about to lose Emily too.

  His conversation with Hayley about not giving up, that the best things in life were worth fighting for came back to him. Emily had forgiven him once, but the chances of her forgiving him this time were slim. He saw the wariness and hurt in her eyes and he felt like punching himself in the face for causing her such anguish.

  “I agree to your terms,” he said quietly.

  Her expression turned suspicious. “That was too easy. What are you up to?”

  He smiled sadly. “Nothing. The fact is that you called checkmate and I’m out of moves, Emily. For what it’s worth, you’re right about all of it and I’m a world class jerk. I’d kill any guy who did to Hayley what I did to you. I was completely in the wrong. I know you won’t believe me, but I’m really sorry. I know that doesn’t change things, but I owe you that much.”

  Her narrowed eyes said it all. “You’re right. I don’t believe you. I’m going to sleep.”

  She turned off her lamp and laid down with her back to him. Stifling a sigh, he did the same and for the first time in two months, they went to bed without kissing each other goodnight and snuggling together.

  Tyler knew that Emily wasn’t any sleepier than him, but he tried to put his hatred of the loss of her closeness to use. He channeled it into determination to figure out how to make things right again. Even though his chances at getting her back were miniscule, he wouldn’t admit defeat. It was time to do some serious soul-searching and figure out how to become the kind of man Emily deserved.

  *****

  Two nights later, Ric was surprised when Tyler showed up in New York. He opened the apartment door and stared at him like he was a flesh-eating alien.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  Tyler stepped past him with a wry smile. “I sort of decided to come at the last minute.”

  Ric shut the door and followed Tyler into the kitchen. “What gives? Is there some business emergency? Is it Hayley?”

  “No, no. It’s an emergency, but nothing to do with business, and Hayley is fine.” He opened up the fridge and got a beer. “You need one?”

  “No, I have scotch in the living room,” Ric said.

  Tyler put the beer back. “I’ll have some of that instead.”

  Ric took a tumbler from a cupboard and handed it to Tyler. Once in the living room, Ric sat down on the couch. His laptop and some papers were spread out on the coffee table, along with his own drink and a bottle of booze.

  Picking up the scotch, Tyler poured two fingers into his glass and tossed it back. He relished the burn as he poured two more. A smile curved his mouth at Ric’s raised eyebrow.

  He settled on one of the plush, black leather recliners. With distaste, he looked around at the room, finding that he much preferred their house in Cooper’s Creek to this austere environment. No wonder Hayley hated it here so much. It so cold and impersonal. Why didn’t I notice that before?

  “So, did you just come to drink, or are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Ric asked.

  Tyler looked into his glass for a moment before meeting Ric’s confused gaze. “Am I an asshole? I’m not talking about in business. I know I can be, but that’s usually for good reasons. But am I like that in my personal relationships? Do I treat you and Chase like that? Our employees? Have I changed so much since high school?”

  Ric shook his head. “You’re too young for a midlife crisis. Are you having a meltdown of some sort?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. More like growing pains, I think. But not exactly.”

  “Will you stop your goddamn rambling?” Ric demanded.

  Tyler sighed. “I’ve come here to come clean so that you can punch me in the mouth and throw me out on my ass.”

  “Come clean? What about?” Ric swung his feet up on the couch and leaned back against the arm.

  “It’s about me and Emily. When we broke up the first time, it wasn’t because we didn’t want a long-distance relationship,” Tyler said. “It was because I was a complete asswipe and blamed her for Lizzie’s death.”


  Ric choked a little on the sip of scotch he’d just taken. “You did what?”

  Tyler downed his drink as Ric sat up. Then he launched into his tale, telling Ric absolutely everything. His story started with the awful way he’d treated Emily when Lizzie had died, how cold he’d been to her at his mother’s funeral, and the way he’d gotten Emily to agree to move in with him and help with Hayley.

  His confession was honest and to the point. Tyler relayed to Ric everything that had happened since then, including Simon’s sudden reappearance and how terribly he’d hurt Emily the other night. Tyler bared his soul even though he knew that he might lose Ric, both as a friend and a business partner.

  He couldn’t live with the secrets he’d been hiding anymore. He couldn’t ask Emily to keep protecting him, either. It was time to stand up and be the kind of man his father had never been, instead of the cold, calculating person he’d become. A man he was ashamed of.

  The whole time he talked, Ric’s face grew red, and by the time that Tyler was done, he’d turned an alarming shade that was closer to purple.

  Tyler finished and sat back. “And that is the whole ugly truth.” Let the chips fall where they may.

  *****

  Ric could barely look at himself as he ran his split knuckles under the tap. Tyler had left five minutes ago but Ric’s heart was still hammering.

  He already felt like a complete asshole for the way he’d thumped Tyler, his best friend, his business partner and the man he blamed for Lizzie’s death. Ric knew that blame was unfair. Tyler tried with Lizzie, hell they all tried. Emily, him, Maggie, and still Lizzie had grown wilder. It was as if Tyler’s confession gave him the green light to take his long hidden anger out on the man he blamed, but in reality was blameless. He finally understood Lizzie was an accident waiting to happen.

  Her death was no one’s fault—well, perhaps Simon’s…

  Finally he looked at his reflection, then down at his knuckles. Lashing out at Tyler... his shoulders seemed less tense, he was no longer eaten up inside by grief about Lizzie’s senseless loss. He blinked and let the remnants of that night long ago, searching with Tyler and finding her lying blue and stiff in the snow…disappear down the drain with the last vestiges of blood.