He thought about their kiss under the mistletoe with satisfaction. It’d been a short one—way too short—but she’d leaned into him and kissed him back. There was still a lot that had to be worked out between them. Beth needed to feel comfortable enough to share the past about her ex before they could move forward.
But they were good together, of that he had no doubt.
“Okay, you guys are good to go. Here’s your list for the fifth floor.” One of the volunteer coordinators handed a piece of paper to Tyler. “After that, it looks like all of the plates will have been delivered. Check in when you drop off the cart to make sure.”
Tyler smiled. “You’ve got it.” He touched Beth’s arm, noting the chill bumps that covered her skin. She gave the person she was speaking with a wave and turned toward him. “We’ve got our refill. Do you need your sweater?” He started to reach for it, but she shook her head.
“I’ll be okay once we’re moving again. It’s chilly down here because the outside doors keep letting all the cold air in.” She crossed her arms and held them close to her body.
He fought the incredible temptation to pull her into his arms and hold her until she was no longer chilled. The almost wary look on her face told him it wouldn’t be a good idea. There was something about her that shifted between the last trip and this one. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, though. “Then let’s get you moving. We’re going to the fifth floor this time.” He wondered what the odds were that any other patients had hung mistletoe in their doorways.
Thirty minutes later, they’d delivered all their cookies, checked in with one of the coordinators downstairs, and were heading out to the parking lot. Beth pulled her sweater closed in front to ward off the chill in the air.
“I wish we’d driven over together so I could take you home.” Tyler hadn’t realized he’d spoken his thoughts until the words were out. When Beth didn’t reply, he started kicking himself for not having better control over his tongue. He spotted her car and walked her to it.
When they got there, Beth used her key fob to unlock it then spun on her heels to face him. “You and your family should come over for Christmas.”
His eyes widened. That was about the last thing he expected. “What?”
“It’s just an invitation, you can turn it down, but we’re having everyone over to my parents’ house for Christmas, and I thought it’d be fun if you, Meg, and your dad came, too.” The whole time she spoke, she kept her gaze trained on her hands clasped in front of her.
Tyler’s pulse picked up tempo. He used a finger to gently lift her chin until her eyes were on him. “I need to talk to Dad, but I’d love to spend Christmas with you, Beth.” The magnetism between them was so strong, it took some serious willpower to keep from kissing her. The relief and hope in her eyes only made it harder. He ran his thumb over the soft skin of her chin before dropping his hand.
Beth drew her lower lip in between her teeth. “I’ll text you with the time and all the details this week.”
“Text, call, or come by the garage. Whichever is easiest for you.” He wanted to ask her if he could see her between now and then, but didn’t want to push his luck. “Tonight was fun, I’m glad I signed up.”
“I’m glad you did too.” She chuckled. “I’ll warn you. You’re on Lexi’s list now. Expect her to ask if you want to volunteer again next year.”
“If it’s with you, there’s a good chance I’ll say yes.”
It was dark outside, but the powerful lights in the parking lot lit things up well enough for Tyler to see Beth’s pretty blues dilate a little. He had to get out of there before he kissed her breathless. He cupped her elbow with one hand and brushed his lips against her cheek. “Goodnight, Beth. Be safe getting home.”
“I will.” She ducked into her car, buckled up, and started the engine. With a final wave, he watched her car make its way through the parking lot.
Tyler exhaled slowly then grinned. Tonight had been perfect, right down to the invitation to join Beth for Christmas.
~
“Watch me, Daddy!” Meg’s words filtered through the sound of the engine in the car her dad was working on.
Tyler held up one finger to get her to wait as he tried to finish what he was focused on. Several more attempts from her to get his attention passed before he looked up.
She’d balanced her large stuffed giraffe on a swiveling chair. When she saw she had his attention, she spun the chair with all her might. The animal wobbled and then launched into one of the cabinets nearby. Meg looked at him expectantly.
“Wow! Poor Mr. Speckles.”
Meg giggled. “It’s a ride at the fair. Do you want to see it again?”
“Sure, baby, then I’ve gotta get back to this.”
“Okay.”
Tyler watched again as the giraffe flew through the air. Poor Meg was obviously bored. It was Friday, and she had the day off from school to start the Christmas break. Tyler wished he could’ve had the day off to spend with her, too, but they were closing the garage for several days. Usually work slowed down quite a bit until the new year, too. Meg needed to entertain herself through today, and then he’d have a lot of time to spend with her.
Tomorrow, they’d go to the grocery store with the rest of the last-minute crowd. Tyler had a list from Dad with the ingredients they needed for the dishes they were taking for Christmas.
Merely the thought of spending that day with Beth and her family brought a smile to Tyler’s face. Beth had sent the details on Monday. Since then, while he hadn’t seen her, he’d spoken to her once on the phone and texted a couple of times. Their conversations had centered around Christmas and even work, but it’d been wonderful to be a part of her life again.
He glanced at Meg as she pretended to share her drink with Mr. Speckles. The conversation she had with him made him chuckle.
Dad walked up behind him. “How’s it going, son?”
“It’s going. I was hoping to have this done by lunch, but it’ll take a while longer.”
“I’m thinking burgers and fries are in order today. I’ll go pick them up.” He turned to Meg. “Do you want to come with me?”
Meg thought about it for a few minutes. “No, I’m going to stay with Daddy and Mr. Speckles.”
“All right.” Dad gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Behave yourself.” He gave her a wink and left.
Tyler made sure she was settled playing again before turning his attention to the vehicle. A few minutes later, he heard again, “Daddy! Watch this!”
“Meg, honey, I told you I need to get this finished. Grandpa will be back with lunch soon.” He kept his focus on what he was doing. Seconds later, there was a horrible screech of metal, a crash, and then the sound of his daughter screaming.
Tyler didn’t think it was possible to move as fast as he did just then. He went from working under the hood to scooping his daughter up off the concrete floor. The swiveling chair was lying on its side, the water from her cup flowing everywhere, and Meg was holding her left arm to her chest. Tears streamed down her face as she cried.
“Meg, I need you to tell me what happened.” She shook her head. “Baby, I can’t help you if I don’t know.”
She took a shaky breath and tried to steady herself enough to respond. “I was standing on the chair.” It was clear from the look on her face she knew she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to. “I was spinning it to see what Mr. Speckles felt like.”
Tyler didn’t need to hear more. She’d spun it hard enough to put the chair off balance and send them both flying. She must’ve landed on her arm. When he tried to move it, she screamed again. He wanted to kick himself. If he’d turned around when she first tried to get his attention, he would’ve seen what she was doing and insisted she get down. If he hadn’t been so buried in his work, this might not have happened.
Goodness knew his daughter had injured herself plenty of times in the past that required kisses and bandages, b
ut this was different. Everything from the way she was reacting, including how she’d started to shake, to the way she held her arm, convinced him this was different. “All right, baby. I’m going to have to take you to the ER.”
“I need Mr. Speckles.” She hiccupped as she pointed to her giraffe.
Tyler leaned down and grabbed it, careful not to jostle her. The moment she had the animal in her arm, she buried her face in it.
He got her buckled into her booster seat. It wasn’t until they were on the road to the hospital that he dialed Dad’s number and told him what happened. “Yeah, we’re on our way there now.”
“I’ll swing by the garage and make sure everything’s closed up. I’ll try to be at the hospital as quick as I can.”
“Okay, Dad. I should’ve double checked all that on the way out.”
“No, you’re doing what you’re supposed to do. I’ll see you in a while.”
Dad hung up then, and Tyler focused on suppressing his instinct to speed to the hospital. He glanced back at Meg. She’d stopped crying, but her face was pale. “You okay, baby?”
“It hurts.”
The sound of her shaky voice, tiny within the confines of the vehicle, pierced him to the core. “I know. We’re going to get your arm checked out, I promise.”
He could see her nod from the rearview mirror. “I wish Grandpa and Beth were here.”
“Me, too.”
~
Beth checked the clock again. It was still barely after noon. The zoo was closed over the weekend for Christmas, which happened to fall on a Sunday. That meant Beth got both days off. She was more than ready for the break. If a watched pot never boiled, apparently a watched clock had the ability to freeze time. She wanted the work day to end so she could go home and bake cookies.
Monique laughed at her. “You got a hot date tonight or something?”
“No, just ready for the weekend.” She normally loved Christmas and looked forward to it anyway. Throw in the fact that all her family was going to be there plus Tyler, Bill, and Meg, and it had the potential to be one of the best yet. Was it a crime to want to start the weekend off as early as possible? “You heading to Missouri tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ve got an early flight. You know you’re going to miss me next week.”
Monique took vacation time and would be gone the whole week after Christmas. “I’m sure I’ll survive.” She tossed her co-worker and friend a smile. “But yes, you’re going to be missed. I hope you have a wonderful time.”
“You, too. I expect you to text me and let me know how Christmas goes.” Monique gave her a knowing look.
As if her phone knew they were talking about it, it chose that moment to ring. Beth saw who it was and answered. “Hey, Lexi.”
“Hey, I only have a second. I’m at the hospital, and Tyler came into the ER with Meg. Said she fell and thinks she broke her arm. I figured you might want to know.”
“I appreciate it, thank you.”
“Yep, gotta run. See you tomorrow.”
Beth frowned as she stared at the blank screen on her phone.
“Everything okay?”
Monique’s voice brought Beth’s head up. “Meg fell and probably broke her arm. Tyler took her to the hospital.”
“You should go.”
Beth looked around the gift shop. “I can’t leave you here alone.”
“Are you kidding? We’ve had four customers all day, I think I can handle it. I’ll tell the boss you had a family emergency.” She winked. “Seriously, go see if there’s anything you can do to help.”
“Thanks, girl.” Beth gave her a quick hug. “Have a safe trip and a wonderful Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too!”
Beth got her stuff from the back and jogged to her car. Once she reached the hospital and entered through the emergency room’s main door, she scanned the waiting room. She spotted Bill sitting in the row of chairs facing a television on the wall. Beth crossed the room and stopped in front of him.
“Hey. My sister-in-law saw Tyler and Meg come in. Any word?”
Bill ran a hand over his face. “They could tell her arm was broken and took her down to X-ray to see how bad it is.”
Beth sank into the chair next to him. “Oh, no. Poor girl.” She could imagine how worried Tyler had to be right now. “Do you mind if I wait with you?”
“Not at all.” Bill gave her a small smile and motioned to the TV. “It looks like we have Wheel of Fortune to keep us company. You know, Tyler used to love watching this show when he was a kid.”
They lapsed into comfortable silence as they distracted themselves with the TV. Beth tried to picture a young Tyler shouting out his answers to Wheel of Fortune categories.
A half hour later, Tyler exited the double doors near the registration area, spotted them, and came their way.
Bill stood, and Beth followed suit.
“How’s my granddaughter?”
“She asked for you, Dad. Said she was worried that you’d be scared out here by yourself.”
Bill chuckled. “That’s my Meg. What’d they say about her arm?”
“It’s broken, but she doesn’t need surgery. We’re waiting for someone to come in and cast it.”
If Beth was worried about how Tyler would feel when he saw her, she didn’t have to wait any longer. He glanced at her and reached for her hand. Beth gave a gentle squeeze in return, relieved when he didn’t let go.
Tyler tugged her to his side and led the way to the double doors. Beth leaned in. “Are you sure I should go back there? I don’t want to overstep my bounds.”
“Are you kidding?” He nodded toward the nurse who unlocked the doors for them. “On the way here, Meg said she wished Grandpa and Beth could come with her.”
Beth’s eyes grew moist. That Meg would ask for her when she was in pain filled Beth’s heart to overflowing. What a sweet girl. Beth blinked away the tears. The last thing she wanted Meg to see was any evidence that Beth had been crying.
She didn’t expect Meg to look so tiny on the hospital bed. The little girl hugged her stuffed giraffe with her right arm while her left was held against her chest with a sling. The moment she spotted them, her eyes widened and lit up.
“Grandpa! Beth! I was wishing you were here. Do you think Santa knew and sent you as an early Christmas present?”
Tyler ran a thumb over Beth’s before letting go of her hand. He chuckled as he kissed his daughter on the head. “Baby, I think it was God who answered your prayers. How are you feeling?”
Meg shrugged. “I’m okay. I want to go home. We can still have Christmas with Beth, right? Please?” Hope and worry filled her eyes.
A flash of concern went across Tyler’s face before it was quickly replaced with a reassuring smile. “We’ll ask the doctor when he comes in, okay?”
“Okay.”
The first few notes of a lullaby came over the hospital’s speaker system. Meg perked up at the sound. “What does that mean?”
Beth smiled. “It means a baby was born just moments ago.”
Meg’s eyes widened. “They play it for every baby ever born?”
With one hand, Tyler smoothed some of her hair. “Every baby born at this hospital.”
“That’s neat.” The little girl yawned widely and her eyes drifted shut.
It was another half hour before someone came to cast Meg’s arm. Beth had no idea how long of a process it really was. A couple hours later, they were finally on their way to the parking lot. Tyler carried Meg in his strong arms, her red cast practically glowing under the sunlight. She’d said she wanted red because it would match her Christmas dress. “I’m glad I’ll still be able to have Christmas with you, Beth.”
“Me too, sweetie.” Beth waved goodbye to Bill who got into his car and headed home. She watched as Tyler got Meg settled in his vehicle. She turned to him once he’d shut the door. “I’d love to pick up dinner and bring it by for you all. Would that be okay?”
“
That would be amazing, thank you, Beth.” He kissed her on the cheek and drew her against his solid chest in a warm hug. “Thanks for being here. It means a lot.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll drop by in about an hour.”
“Bring enough so you can eat with us, okay?”
She was going to ask if he was sure, but there was no doubt about that when she looked up into his eyes. “Sure.”
He released her, and the cool air swooped into the space between them. She already missed the way it felt to have his arms around her.
Chapter Seventeen
Tyler didn’t grasp how hungry he was until Beth walked in with pizza and breadsticks. She said she wanted to get something she knew Meg liked. He was convinced Beth was one of the kindest, most considerate people he’d ever met. That she’d get a meal and bring it by the house at nearly nine o’clock at night spoke volumes. His heart swelled with love as he watched her get a slice of sausage pizza and place it in front of Meg with a smile.
Meg didn’t complain once about her arm as they all sat around the table and ate. He figured the painkillers the doctor had given her were probably helping with that. He had more acetaminophen to give her in a while, and hopefully she’d sleep comfortably tonight. In all his childhood mishaps, Tyler never had broken a bone. He imagined it would take some getting used to for Meg to sleep with the cast on her arm.
By the time they were finished eating, Meg was beginning to droop. Beth leaned over and whispered, “I brought Meg’s Christmas gift with me. Is it okay if I give it to her a couple of days early?”
“Of course.” He watched as she went into the living room and came back with a large gift bag. That Beth had thought to get something for Meg warmed his heart.
She handed the gift bag to Meg. “I thought you and your Mr. Speckles could use a friend.”
Even though she was clearly tired, Meg’s face widened in a grin. She opened the bag and pulled out a large stuffed lion. “Oh, wow! It’s the lion from the zoo. Look, Grandpa. Remember when I showed this one to you?”
Finding Grace Page 14