“I’ll stay,” Tyler said, knowing he wouldn’t stop worrying just because he went home.
“I’ll stay with you,” Ella said, her tone indicating she wasn’t going to let him argue.
She’d be surprised to know he hadn’t planned on it. Not only did he not want to be alone, he wanted her by his side.
“Okay, then you call me no matter what time of night it is,” his mother said. “Good news, bad news, I want to be the first to know.”
“I promise,” Tyler told her.
As everyone gathered their things, the door to the waiting room opened once more.
Tyler glanced up, shocked to see his father walk in. Wearing his usual suit and tie, immaculately dressed, and not a hair out of place, he strode in like he owned the place.
Tyler made his way across the room in a heartbeat. “What are you doing here?” he asked, blocking his father from entering any farther.
He felt, rather than saw, Ian flank him on his left side. And though he appreciated his brother’s support, Tyler wanted, no, he needed to handle this on his own. After what he’d witnessed the other night and the way his father had treated him over the years, standing up for his sister, for his family, felt personal.
Robert narrowed his gaze. “My daughter’s here.”
Tyler ground his molars together in anger and frustration. The man’s gall knew no bounds. Each sibling had a reason for having pulled further and further away from their father in recent years, and no one wanted him around in a time of crisis.
“Who told you Olivia is here?” Ian asked.
“Excuse me?” Robert straightened his shoulders, his defenses up.
“Who told you Olivia is here?” Tyler repeated Ian’s question.
Because he knew for damned sure no one in this room had made that phone call. Robert Dare was the last thing his stressed-out family needed.
“Stuart Jameson called me.”
“A hospital trustee,” Ian muttered.
Robert rolled his shoulders back. “Word travels fast when a major beneficiary of the hospital has a relative admitted,” he said in an arrogant tone. “However, one of you should have informed me.”
“Why?” Tyler asked.
“Because I’m her father. I’m your father,” he said angrily.
“When it’s convenient,” Tyler spat. “Like when you needed bone marrow. Or you need to guilt one of us into doing your bidding.” He stepped closer and whispered so only his father heard, “Or you need us to keep your sordid secrets.”
“That’s uncalled for.” Robert raised his voice, causing Ian to place a hand on Tyler’s shoulder in a show of solidarity.
“I’m calling it like I see it, Dad. Without running down your sins against each of us individually, let’s focus on what’s important. Olivia is fighting to hold on to her baby. Olivia, whose last birthday party you didn’t bother showing up for. You couldn’t even be bothered to call. So if you’re here now, there’s a reason. One that benefits only you.”
“Tyler!” his mother said in a concerned voice from behind him.
She didn’t stand up for Robert, but she always expected her children to be civil. She couldn’t possibly understand why he was turning on his father now, after all this time.
Tyler shook his head, not wanting her to interrupt him until Robert was gone. Later, when Olivia and her baby were out of the woods, he’d explain why he was taking this stand now.
“I’ve got this, Mom. We’ll talk later,” he said without looking back at her, never tearing his gaze from his father’s angry one.
“You’re wrong,” Robert said stiffly.
“I doubt it.” Tyler paused in thought.
What reason could Robert be here, caring about Olivia’s welfare? Because Stuart Jameson knew Olivia was here. He’d check on her. And he’d hear if the great Robert Dare had been by. Or someone could tip off the media and Robert would need to be seen here. Those were the only scenarios that made sense.
Tyler glared at his old man. “I’m going to assume you’re here because you’re afraid someone on the board will find out you’re not the family man you claim to be. Or worse, the press gets wind of the fact that you’re a fraud. Well, newsflash, Dad. You aren’t wanted or needed here.”
His father’s complexion turned a ruddy color. “You’re being disrespectful and rude.”
“He’s just telling the truth,” Ian said. “Something we all should have done years ago instead of trying to give you chance after chance because the girls have soft hearts.”
Sweat broke out on the older man’s forehead, but Tyler couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for his father. He couldn’t bring himself to feel anything beyond disgust.
“Just go home,” he muttered.
And when no one else in the room disagreed with him, he let out a loud huff, turned, and strode out, slamming the door behind him.
Tyler released the breath he hadn’t been aware of holding. Ignoring Ian’s curious gaze, he spun toward Ella, who pulled him into her warm embrace.
She rose on her tiptoes. “I could kiss you right now,” she whispered.
His mouth twisted in a wry grin. “Are you telling me that seeing me tell him off was a turn-on?”
She burst out laughing, breaking the tension his father’s presence had caused.
“Tyler, what was that all about?” his mother asked, pulling his attention away from Ella and back to the unpleasantness that was Robert Dare. “I know there’s often no love lost, but none of you has ever been so outright … mean to him. At least, not recently.”
She was right. Over the years, after the initial hurt and anger, they’d made peace as best they could. He exhaled a harsh breath and headed to his mother.
He grasped her cold hands in his. “Look, I promise to tell you everything, when the time is right. But tonight, can we just focus on Olivia? She needs our prayers, and that’s all I want to deal with right now.”
Emma eyed him with her sternest mom glare. “Tyler, you try my patience. You always have. But yes, I want to focus on Olivia too.” She patted his cheek. “Don’t think I’m going to forget or let you blow me off though.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, grateful for the reprieve.
Because worrying about Olivia was taking all of his strength, what was left anyway, after that confrontation. But for the first time since walking in on his father with his mistress, Tyler felt … empowered. Not burdened by Robert Dare’s expectations or secret. He was his own man, at last.
Chapter Ten
Ella woke up on the hospital waiting room couch, stretched out beside Tyler. Every muscle in her body cramped from the uncomfortable sofa and the unnatural position in which they’d slept. She wondered what had woken her, then she heard the distinctive sound of throat clearing. She opened her eyes to Dylan holding out a cigar for Tyler, a big grin on his weary face.
Tyler pushed himself to sit, and Ella followed, easing herself into an upright position, stretching as she moved.
“It’s a girl,” Dylan said. “And mother and baby are doing fine.”
“That’s great news!” Tyler said, the relief in his voice unmistakable. It had been a long night of worrying and very little sleep.
“Congratulations!” she said to Dylan. Two babies in this family in such a short amount of time. So much joy, she thought, happy for them.
“Thanks. They’ve got the baby in the NICU, but her lungs are formed, and everything else looks good,” he said, sounding thankful. “Considering she’s early, I am so damned relieved.”
Tyler nodded in agreement, the taut muscles in his face gone in favor of a huge smile. “I’ll call the rest of the family.”
“Or at least get the phone chain started,” Dylan said with a laugh. “Ask everyone but Emma to hold off visiting until tonight, okay? Olivia is wiped out and slightly anemic from loss of blood.”
“I will. I’m so fucking relieved and happy for you.” Tyler extended his hand for Dylan to shake. “Give my sister a ki
ss for me.”
Dylan grinned. “Will do. I can’t thank you enough for staying the night, but you two should go home and get some sleep.”
Tyler rose, helping Ella to her feet. “Can’t argue with that idea.” He patted Dylan on the back before the other man left, heading back to his wife.
Tyler, looking adorably disheveled in a pair of jeans and an old tee shirt he’d changed into before they left for the hospital yesterday, turned to Ella.
She’d changed too, but she had a hunch adorable wasn’t a word she’d use to describe what she looked like this morning.
“What do you say we get some breakfast before heading home?” he asked.
The word home took her off guard. His house wasn’t her home. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble, loudly. “Umm, sure. Breakfast sounds good,” she said, grateful for the distraction.
“Okay, let me make a few phone calls, and we’re good to go.”
After the family had been notified, they headed over to a Waffle House near the hospital. Starving, Ella shamelessly ordered a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and a steaming cup of coffee, hoping to jump-start herself for the day.
Their orders arrived quickly, and Ella didn’t hesitate or take time for small talk. She dug into the delicious-smelling meal and didn’t come up for air until she heard Tyler laughing.
She glanced at him over her coffee cup, then slowly lowered it to the table. “What?” she asked.
“A girl after my own heart. I love your appetite.”
Her cheeks burned hot. “We missed dinner,” she muttered.
“I know.” He waved his hand over his empty plate, his Spanish omelet, home fries, and fruit all gone too. “I was just enjoying watching you.” He studied her with amusement in his navy eyes.
“Well, it was good. And now I’m full.” Because there was nothing left on her plate, not that she’d admit as much.
“Then my mission is accomplished.” He winked at her and took a sip of his coffee.
She sighed. “Well, the one good thing about that meal is that I got my second wind.”
“Me too. Did you want to go home and get lucky?” he asked, those sexy eyes staring into hers.
She wished that was what she had in mind. “Much as I’d love to, I had something much more serious I wanted to talk to you about.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”
She swallowed hard. Ever since watching him take on his father on behalf of his sister and the rest of the family, her mind hadn’t stopped spinning with thoughts of her dad and her own family. Or lack thereof.
“Last night, when you confronted Robert Dare, I was—”
“Turned on by my inner alpha?”
She shook her head and laughed. “Yes to that. But I was also inspired by the closeness you share with your family and the passionate way you stood up for yourself at last.”
He leaned in close. “Not that I’m not flattered, but I sense you have a bigger point to make than complimenting me?”
She shrugged. “Caught me. Actually you got me thinking about all the unresolved issues in my own life.”
He reached across the table and clasped her hand in his warm, bigger one. “You’re talking about the letter from your father, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“Have you read it?”
“No.” She curled her hand around his, drawing strength from his support, his presence, his touch. “I’ve been afraid.”
“I’m proud of you and I’m here for you, whatever you need,” he promised.
She smiled at that. “Thank you. It’s already because of you that I’m ready to read it. You gave me courage.”
“I’ll give you a lot more than that if you give me the chance,” he said in a low, husky rumble.
She squirmed in her seat at his sex-infused tone of voice. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to head home and climb into bed with Tyler, making the most of whatever time they had together. She meant what she’d said. She absolutely intended to deal with her father’s letter. After she let Tyler have his way with her.
* * *
Tyler lived up to his promise at the Waffle House, bringing Ella home and making sure she was well pleasured. They spent the day alternating making love and napping because they’d had very little sleep the night before. Dinner consisted of takeout pizza and binge-watching TV before they crashed early, knowing they had work the next day.
As he dropped her off at work, leaning across the car for a prolonged kiss, he realized how his life had changed in a short time. And how much he was grateful for the shift.
He’d never thought he’d become domesticated, despite buying a house. A part of him had thought he might finish the place and flip it, making money on the resale. But now, having had Ella here for the last week or so, he liked the routine they’d fallen into. He loved knowing he’d see her at the end of every day, listening to her animated stories of her workday on the ride home. He even enjoyed the bickering over what to eat for dinner, who’d cook and who would clean, and what to watch on TV.
He knew his feelings for her were deep, and growing every day. And when she’d curled up with him on the couch, staying with him at the hospital when she could have caught a ride home with Avery and Grey, he acknowledged what he’d already known deep down inside.
He was in love with her.
She was everything he’d never known he wanted or needed in his life. Someone who put up with his shit, who understood his past and hang-ups and current needs. She stuck by him during tough times, as last weekend and last night had proved. Now he needed to do the same for her, or when this mess with her being followed was over, he’d lose her for good.
According to Luke, he was on to something with her boss and was digging deeper. Tyler wasn’t surprised, considering everything had started in St. Lucia. But he didn’t share the information with Ella just yet. She wouldn’t be comfortable at work, and his gut told him the boss herself wasn’t the direct issue. Something else was going on. And until Luke figured it all out, Tyler intended to use his time with Ella to his advantage.
But right now, he had to head over to his mother’s. She’d visited with Olivia and her new granddaughter this morning, something Ella and Tyler planned to do after work today. He was meeting up with his mom at her house this afternoon.
He found her in the kitchen, an explosion of pots and pans around her.
“Testing recipes for an upcoming cooking class,” she explained, wiping her hand on her apron and rushing over to greet him. His mother had begun teaching cooking classes out of the house, feeding a passion she’d always had. They’d eaten well growing up, he recalled fondly.
His mother hugged him, and he grinned at the mixed scent of cinnamon and the perfume he always associated with his mother, a warm, familiar smell that reminded him of home. He squeezed her tight. “Hi, Grandma.”
She laughed with delight. “That never gets old. Did you hear? They named the baby Annie,” she said, smiling wide.
“I heard. Ella and I are going over to visit tonight.”
“That’s good. Now, let’s talk,” she said, getting right to the point of this visit. “Because what I witnessed last night was very unlike you.”
“How about I sit down?”
She waved him toward the barstools near where she was working, and he settled in.
“That bad?” his mother asked. She untied her apron and smoothed the wrinkles in her taupe slacks and white blouse. His mother was always dressed well, no matter what she chose to do.
He shrugged. “Well … yeah.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” she suggested, sitting down beside him.
“Okay. I went to a small out-of-the-way restaurant last weekend, and I ran into Dad.”
“He was out with Savannah?” his mother asked.
Over the years, they’d all come to terms with the facts of their lives. Robert had remarried and moved on. And finally Tyler’s mother was doi
ng the same.
His mother didn’t seem to hold a grudge … no more than she had to, anyway. Tyler always assumed that was what had allowed her to move on with another relationship, letting go of that part of her past. Children not included, of course. Nobody was more important to Emma than her kids.
“Actually, he was with another woman. And it wasn’t business.”
His mother’s head shot up, her eyes wide. “Business associate?”
He shook his head. “Definitely not. And Mom, look. It wasn’t the first time I walked in on Dad in a compromising position.” His stomach cramped at the admission he’d been holding in for so long.
His mother tucked her hair behind one ear and narrowed her gaze. “What do you mean?”
He swallowed hard. Now that the moment was here, he was nauseous and unsure he could go through with the telling. “You know what? It’s not important.”
He rose to his feet, but his mother grasped his hand. “Sit back down and talk to me.”
He lowered himself back into the chair, drew a deep breath, and just spit it out. “When I was fourteen, I walked in on Dad and Savannah … you know. At his office.”
“That bastard!” She slammed her hand against the granite, catching her mistake immediately as she grabbed her hurt fist.
“Are you okay?” Concerned, he lifted her hand, checked it over where she’d made contact.
“I’m fine. I’m just annoyed with that selfish SOB for putting you in that position. Anyone could have walked in on him, and I can’t believe it was one of his children.” She met his gaze with her own somber one.
“Mom, I don’t think you’ve done the math. It was a full year before we found out about his other family.” He paused to let his words sink in.
“Oh, Tyler. Why didn’t you ever say anything?” she asked, her hand over his.
“I was weak and it was wrong. I could have spared you hearing about it in Dad’s callous, demanding way.” His heart squeezed tight in his chest, guilt and loathing filling him, even as he hoped his mother could forgive him.
“What? No! That’s not at all what I’m saying. You’re my baby boy. I can’t believe you lived with that knowledge all this time. Did you tell your brothers? Share the burden with someone?” she asked.
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