“Daddy! I won’t be cranky, I promise.” She yawned, her eyelids lowering and lifting more slowly than they had a few minutes earlier.
“I believe you.” He kissed her forehead. It was difficult to fathom that he only had this night and two more to tuck in a six-year-old. The thought caused his chest to tighten. His little girl was getting big way too fast. “If you can get to sleep and up in time tomorrow, we’ll swing by and get pancakes before I take you to school. Does that sound good?”
Meg grinned and nodded. “Yay!”
“You ready to get some sleep?”
She pulled her giraffe to her and squeezed it tight. “Mr. Speckles and I are ready.”
“Sleep good, baby. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Daddy.”
Tyler turned off her bedroom light and pulled the door closed behind him.
He wanted his little girl’s birthday party to be perfect. If that meant going to Beth’s house on Thursday and asking her directly if she was still coming or not, then that’s exactly what he was going to do. He’d much rather Meg know ahead of time if one of her favorite people wasn’t going to make it.
~
Beth spent an hour Thursday morning at the store combing through the toy aisles. Being a little girl herself at one time, she thought it’d be easy to choose a gift for Meg. She’d finally resorted to calling Miriam and asking for her opinion on the best toy to buy for a seven-year-old. With her purchase in a bag along with some wrapping paper and a big, purple bow, Beth got into her car and headed for home again.
Since she’d been dodging Tyler’s call and texts, she probably wasn’t welcome at Meg’s birthday party, but she’d made a promise. At the very least, Beth wanted to buy the little girl a gift.
She parked in front of her apartment building and walked up the steps to her door. Tyler was the last person she expected to see standing against the brick wall, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. Beth stopped two steps away from the landing. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
She swallowed hard. How was it possible for him to look even more handsome with wind-tousled hair?
It’d only been a few days since they’d conversed regularly, and she’d missed him more than she’d thought possible. She’d missed looking forward to his random texts or listening to the sound of his voice. It’d been painful, but she’d been able to put up a wall—unstable though it may have been—while there’d been some distance between them. Could she maintain it now that he was standing right in front of her?
Tyler pushed away from the wall and took a step forward. “Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Beth ought to tell him no, make up an excuse for why she should run inside, or get back to her car again. The words wouldn’t come. She only gave him a small nod and went to unlock her front door. She moved over to let him pass and tried to ignore the way his arm brushing hers sent tingles up and down her spine. After closing the door, she took in a deep breath. What was she supposed to say? “I’ve got juice and water if you’d like something to drink.” Okay, well that could’ve been worse.
“Sure.” Tyler looked about as unsure as she felt. “You want me to follow you or wait out here?”
“You can come into the kitchen.”
Wordlessly, they headed that direction. She had a small island in the middle complete with two bar stools. She got a water out for herself and, after Tyler told her what he’d like, another for him. They sat down at the island. She’d never noticed how small the area was or how close the barstools were to each other until now. No matter where she put her legs, her knee kept brushing up against his.
Heat warmed her face. She cupped the ice-cold water bottle with both hands, desperately trying to absorb some of the coolness. “How are Meg and your dad doing?”
“They’re good.” He took a long drink of his water. “Meg was asking about you. She wondered if you were still coming to her birthday party, and I didn’t know what to tell her.” He pierced her with a guarded look that made it nearly impossible for Beth to figure out what he was thinking.
Beth nodded toward the bag she’d set down when they’d entered the kitchen. “I bought her birthday present.” She paused. How was she supposed to ask her question? In the end, she decided straight forward was probably the best way. “I promised her, and I don’t break my promises, but I wasn’t sure if I should still go.”
“Because of you, or because of me?”
She hadn’t expected that question. All she could give him was a lame shrug.
“I’m confused, Beth. I thought things were going well with us.” Tyler leaned forward with his elbow on the island. He ran his other hand through his hair. “I understand you were upset. What I don’t get is why you’re avoiding me.”
How could she possibly explain things to him without going into what Carl had done? “What happened at work…it reminded me...” She paused for a deep breath and tried again. “It reminded me of the reasons I’ve avoided a relationship up until now. Why I shouldn’t have let things between us go beyond friendship.” Yeah, that sounded lame even to her own ears. She flinched when she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes.
“So that’s it?” The hurt shifted to sadness and then anger. “Your ex. He hurt you, didn’t he?”
Beth pushed away from the island and jumped to her feet. “If you’d rather I not come to the party, I can drop this by your house that morning. I definitely want Meg to know I’m thinking about her.”
Tyler watched her for a few moments, clearly trying to decide whether to let her change the subject or bring their conversation back on track. “Meg would like you to be there, and so would I.”
Waves of relief and nerves battled each other for top billing. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He released a deep sigh. “I care about you, Beth, and I wish you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about what happened.” He took in her expression, and it looked like he was going to reach out to her. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I hope you know that I’d never hurt you.”
Beth nodded. She hated that she was making him worry about that. “I know.”
Tyler walked to the front door and pulled it open. He turned before stepping past the threshold, and Beth, who was on his heels, ran right into him. She braced her hands against his chest to keep herself from bouncing off his solid frame. The feel of his muscles beneath her palms combined with the way his breath fluttered the hair around her face made Beth’s heart race. “Sorry.”
He gathered her hands in his. “Don’t be. I like this. Us.”
Beth’s mouth went dry at the intensity in his dark eyes. Yeah, she liked this a whole lot, too. Way more than she should right now when she was trying to put a little space between them. She needed time to think; to get her tangled mess of emotions straightened out. His eyes lowered to her mouth, and she thought he was going to kiss her. Wanted him to. Or didn’t. Ugh!
He must have sensed her uncertainty because he took a step back, her hands still in his. “I want you to take the time you need. The last thing I want to do is pressure you. But you should know I’m not going anywhere.” Like the gentleman he was, he lifted one hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss against her knuckles. “Call if you want to talk. For the record, I’m a good listener.” He gave her one last half-smile and slipped out of her place.
The galloping of her heart nearly drowned out the sound of the door closing behind him. She leaned against it and let the back of her head bang against the wood with a groan. “Why can’t I just be normal?”
Chapter Thirteen
Tyler shouldn’t be this relieved to see Beth walk through the door of the pizza place. Pressure lifted from his chest, and it felt like he could focus on making sure the rest of Meg’s party went off without a hitch.
There was no missing when Meg spotted her, either. His now-seven-year-old jumped up from her small group of friends and raced across the dining area with a loud, “Beth!” echoing off the walls. Tyler tried
not to flinch at her loud voice while simultaneously smiling at the way Meg threw herself at Beth. Beth didn’t miss a beat. She held the gift bag in one hand while crouching down and gathering Meg in a hug with the other arm. Her smile as she spoke to Meg was genuine.
Boy, he’d missed that gorgeous smile. He’d given her space since he spoke with her on Thursday, and he planned to continue to do so. At the same time, his cell phone never left his side. He wasn’t about to admit how often he glanced at it, hoping for a call or text from her.
For now, he’d enjoy being in the same room with her and hope she felt the same.
Beth and Meg walked back, hand-in-hand. Beth waved and said hello to Dad and then her gaze collided with Tyler’s. The corners of her mouth pulled up a little. “Hi.”
“Hi. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Oh, me, too!” Meg flopped down on the empty chair next to her friends. “This is my favorite place to eat in the whole wide world. It’s even better than ice cream. Or at least just as good as it.” She then proceeded to introduce her five friends to Beth. “She’s the one who came with the zoo animals? Do you remember?” There was no missing the pride on the girl’s face, and the other kids seemed appropriately impressed.
Meg turned back to Beth. “Do you know what kind of pizza I like best?”
“What kind?” Beth covered an amused laugh.
“I like double cheese with sausage. I could eat a whole pizza all by myself!”
Beth set the gift bag on the table next to the others. “Well, since you’re seven now, I bet you’ll be able to eat even more. Of course, I hear there’s going to be cake. You want to save room for that, right?”
Meg put both hands on her stomach and puffed it out. “I’ve always got room for cake.” She turned to Tyler. “Daddy, can we have the tokens for some games now? Please?”
Tyler reached for the cups of tokens he’d bought for tonight. It ought to keep the kids busy for at least fifteen minutes. He chuckled. “Sure, baby.” He handed a cup to each child. “Remember, that’s all there is. Use them wisely.”
“Yippee! Call us when the pizza gets here!”
Meg and her friends ran off, leaving the adults behind.
Dad leaned back in his chair. “That girl gives me a real run for my money.” He motioned to another chair. “Have a seat, Beth. Thanks for coming. As Meg kept telling us, the party couldn’t start until you got here.”
Beth sat down and continued to watch Meg laugh with a friend as she threw balls in the skeet game. “It’s nice the gaming area is open enough so you see almost everything from here.”
Tyler nodded. “Yep, one of my favorite things about this place.” He lowered his voice. “They don’t have the best pizza in town, but sometimes it’s not all about the food.”
“Very true.” She tucked some wayward strands of hair behind her ear. Her hair was weaved into a braid that hung down her back and reflected the light from the bulbs overhead.
He cleared his throat. “I ordered sausage and pepperoni. I hope that’s okay. If you prefer a different kind of pizza, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to add to the order.”
“No, that’s fine. The only pizza I can’t stand is macaroni and cheese.” She shuddered. “There are limits to what should be put on a pizza.” They all laughed. Beth looked around the dining area. “I take it this is a drop off party?”
“It didn’t begin that way, but apparently that’s becoming the norm. I’m glad I limited her to inviting five friends.” Tyler would have preferred a parent stay and decided to make that a note on the invitation next year. He made sure Meg was still where he could see her and sat down in the chair across the table from Dad and Beth. It’d be easier to hear them both that way. The fact that he could see Beth better, too, had little to do with it. He almost rolled his eyes at himself for his wayward train of thought.
“Five friends is nice. I never cared much for the big parties as a kid.” Beth looked thoughtful as she picked at the corner of one of her thumbs. “I had one with a number of classmates in kindergarten. It was completely overwhelming. After that, it was either family only, or I invited one friend to celebrate with me, and I was fine with that.”
Dad nodded. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Tyler listened to her voice as she and Dad visited until Dad pointed behind Tyler.
He turned and saw someone coming with a pizza balanced on each hand. They didn’t even have to call the kids because they’d come running back and were sitting in their chairs again before the pizzas were on the table. It didn’t escape his notice that Meg had chosen the chair next to Beth.
“Yay!” Meg smiled up at the guy who brought it. “Thank you.”
That brought a grin to his face. “You’re welcome. Happy birthday and enjoy the pizza.”
Beth nudged Meg. “So how many tickets did you get from the games?”
Meg dug into her little pockets and pulled out a wad of orange paper. “I might have enough to get one of the pink frogs. It even has a tiara.” She pointed to the pizza. “Can I have that piece with the extra sausage please?”
Tyler laughed. That was his daughter: Blink and you’ll miss the change in topic. “Yes, baby. You sure can.” He served the kids, amazed at how quickly they could devour their food considering they were talking half the time. He couldn’t take his eyes off how Meg and Beth were interacting.
Meg grinned, a string of cheese hanging out the corner of her mouth, as she leaned into Beth. In turn, Beth gave the girl a big hug, said something in a whisper, and had Meg giggling.
Dad gave Tyler a knowing look, and his heart squeezed. God, please keep Beth in our lives. If not for me, then for Meg.
As they ate pizza, Meg kept eyeing her birthday gifts. When they finished, Tyler figured he may as well end her suffering. “Would you like to open presents now? Or wait until after the cake?”
Meg clasped her hands in front of her. “Oh! Open them now!”
Tyler chuckled, as if he had any doubt how Meg was going to answer that question. She opened all the presents from her friends before she took a gift bag from her Grandpa. She reached in and pulled out a little hat, jacket, and shoes. The gift clearly confused her.
“There’s something else in there, too.” Dad waited until she found a brightly colored shirt. “They’re for Mr. Speckles.”
Meg grinned as she looked the miniature clothing over with renewed enthusiasm. “These are great, Grandpa. Mr. Speckles is going to love them, thank you!”
Beth shot Tyler a questioning look.
“Mr. Speckles is her plush giraffe.”
“Of course.” Beth didn’t miss a beat. “I’m sure he’ll look quite handsome in his new outfit.”
Meg put the clothing back in the bag and reached for the one Beth brought. Tyler noticed Beth sit up straight and look a little nervous. She shouldn’t have, though, because Meg squealed with joy as she withdrew a set of My Little Ponies. “I’ve wanted some of these. How did you know?”
Beth shrugged. “It was a lucky guess.” She winked at her. “You might want to look in there and make sure you got everything.”
Meg set the ponies on the table and peered inside the purple bag. She pulled a book out with an adorable little girl giving a zebra a hug. The illustration was as beautiful as it was eye catching. Meg studied the title: Zoe the Zebra to the Rescue.
That’s when Tyler noticed the author’s name: Elizabeth Davenport. His heart swelled with pride. She’d done it, and from what he could see of the book, it looked as good or better than any book he’d bought Meg at the bookstore or online. “Did you see that, Meg? Beth wrote that book.”
His daughter’s mouth formed an “o” as she stared at the cover. “You wrote this? Wow.” She thumbed through the first three pages. “I can’t wait to read it!”
Beth looked relieved. “I’m glad, Meg. Will you do me a favor? After you read it, I want you to tell me what you think about it, okay? Do you promise?”
M
eg nodded. “I promise. Thank you, Beth!”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.”
Tyler slid the last gift across the table to Meg and watched as she found her way through the wrapping paper.
“My ballet dress! You got it!” Beth jumped out of her chair and held the purple dress in front of her. “It’s so pretty. Thank you, Daddy.” She oohed and ahhed over the slippers and a variety of hair accessories he’d found to go with it.
“You’re welcome, Meg. Happy birthday, baby.”
Meg grinned as she and her friends went through and admired all the gifts.
Tyler took that moment to look across the table at Beth and mouth, “I’m proud of you.”
A little smile graced her face, and the whole dining area seemed brighter.
~
Beth had gone to Meg’s birthday party nervous and uncertain. She’d had fun celebrating with laughter, the pizza, and cake. Not only that, but Meg had truly seemed to love the book. Beth had relived that moment multiple times, and she wasn’t sure which part meant the most to her: That Meg had been excited to read the book, or that Tyler said he was proud of her.
She’d gone in not knowing what to expect, but they’d all treated her like one of them. Like family. She pictured herself spending other events with them. An image of Beth and Tyler toasting in the new year, shortly followed by a toe-curling kiss that didn’t seem to end, had her stomach doing cartwheels.
She swallowed and tried to re-focus her attention on the Christmas tree she was helping her parents decorate.
“Here, Bethie. Take this one.” Mom handed her one of the crocheted trees with jingle bells sewed all over it. “I remember when you made that. You were what? Seven or eight?”
Beth chuckled as the sad little tree sagged when she hung it up. Mom always did love all the little ornaments that she and her siblings had made by hand over the years. Truthfully, some of them should probably be thrown away. Like the Santa made from clay whose eyes, nose, and even hat had fallen off at some point in the past.
Finding Grace Page 11