In fact, all women he had been with knew better than to openly show their affection. Tyler was known to balk at the first sign of commitment and cut his losses. Still, this knowledge did not stop women throwing themselves at him like bitches in heat. And despite his obstinate refusal to commit, Tyler was known to be a very generous lover.
Kendra had been a witness to Tyler’s prowess with women and had grown to develop a general disdain for that seemingly unending string of females for their obvious and shameless efforts to snag Tyler. As a member of the same sex, it was just plain embarrassing.
To the rest of the world, Kendra appeared immune to Tyler’s charms. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she was the only female he could honestly call a friend. With her, he didn’t have to worry about any complications like mounting sexual tensions nor did he have to be on constant guard for potential marriage traps.
It seemed natural to Tyler to break the news about Tim and Melissa’s death to Kendra first. While he had not really taken the time to get to know her, he had always known she was a dependable friend of the family.
Chapter Three
The next few days were frantic. On top of arranging the couple’s funeral, sorting out their commitments, taking care of Sophie and running his multi-million company, it was a miracle Tyler survived the week in one piece. He had been living on coffee since that fateful day.
Tyler gratefully welcomed Kendra’s presence all throughout the ordeal. She helped with the necessary arrangements and took care of Sophie in between hospital duty. The toddler had been a little fussy during the first few days. As she was no doubt looking for the familiar faces of her parents.
It was Kendra who took Sophie to her pediatrician for consultation. Since they did not know what milk formula she was on, they had to ask the doctor for recommendations.
After several days, Tyler found himself questioning his sanity. Since the funeral, he had been unable to sleep properly, thanks to a cute imp with a curly mop of blonde hair and toothless grin who never failed to melt his heart.
Sophie, he soon found out, had a royal temper that could make a grown man quake. The little one had no qualms letting anyone within earshot know when she was hungry, needed a diaper change or was just bored. And apparently, patience was a foreign concept to her. Tyler wondered where she got that trait, shaking his head in amusement.
Tyler found it difficult to believe how a beautiful, innocent little bundle could so effortlessly turn his life upside down. No female had managed to do that in the past. As Kendra impishly pointed out as she taught Tyler how to properly change a diaper, she had finally met the female who could bring the great Tyler Chadwick to his knees. And true enough, Sophie managed to do just that with every bat of her long eyelashes and the tinkling sound of her laughter.
Timothy and Melissa’s will was read right after the funeral. The only people in attendance were Tyler, Mrs. Beatrice Cavendish, Melissa’s aunt and her family. The couple had named Tyler as the legal guardian of Sophie, giving him full custody of the child.
This did not come as a surprise to Tyler as he had known of the arrangement. It was Melissa who had asked him when he came by to their house one Sunday afternoon. Without much thought, Tyler have readily agreed, knowing he would do anything for little Sophie. He couldn’t have known that it would be sooner than any of them had ever expected.
To his surprise, Melissa’s aunt openly questioned the couple’s decision. She pointed out that Tyler’s lifestyle and busy schedule would leave no room to raise a child, an orphaned baby at that. Besides, she claimed, he didn’t have a clue how to properly care for one.
Her words of course, simply stated a fact, echoing his private thoughts and no doubt that of others, as well. But he coldly held his ground and pointed out the couple no doubt had the best interest of their child in mind when they named him Sophie’s legal guardian.
Insulted by his callous words, Beatrice left in a huff but not before threatening to file for custody. Her husband and two children followed her silently when she stood up and walked out, like puppets on a string. It was clear Beatrice ruled her household. Edward, her husband looked like a man who had long given up hope and is resigned to a life of misery. The two children appeared to be unusually quiet and behaved for their age, something that bothered Tyler. Firming his resolve, he was ready to spend every dime he has to his name to make sure Melissa’s aunt will never get her hands on sweet Sophie.
During the first few days, Tyler’s current flame, budding supermodel Bianca Fulbert, was there to console him. At first, she jumped at the chance to show Tyler her motherly side. She even went as far as volunteering to play nanny to Sophie. As it turned out, she barely lasted a day before she got up and left, deciding changing diapers and taking care of a baby was not exactly her thing.
All throughout the week, Kendra had been running to and fro, helping Tyler take care of Sophie in between hospital duties. Without really talking about it, the two had fallen into a routine. After her shift, she went straight to Tyler’s home, which was just a couple of blocks from the hospital. She tended to Sophie from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon. This gave Tyler enough time to run to his office, attend to urgent concerns then bring the rest of his work home.
On the other hand, the preparation for the Save Willow Creek Charity Auction was already in full swing, with only a week left until the big event. The local newspaper had picked up the possible closure of the community hospital, which generated a lot of interest. The hospital was largely considered as a town heritage of sorts and it was known for providing quality care without the expensive price tag.
By the middle of the first week, Dr. Ackley’s office received a number of letters from local businesses offering sponsorships for the event. The Wild Orchid Ballroom of the Grand Thistle Stratford Hotel was already booked for five hundred guests. To the delight of the event organizers, the owner had kindly offered a huge discount.
News spread like wildfire and it became clear that the whole town as well as the neighboring counties wanted to take part in saving the hospital. Major television networks from Montana travelled to Silver Bow to feature the extraordinary effort the whole community has put forth to save their hospital.
To Kendra’s utter surprise, she was told her name was picked as one of those who would be auctioned off. While she was not really sold on the idea, she had no plans of backing out, not when almost everyone had been putting in extra hours to help organize the event. She simply had to grit her teeth and go along with the whole shebang.
If she was honest with herself, she was really more concerned no one would be interested in bidding on her. Though the auction would no doubt involve a lot of money, she could not really imagine anyone would want to bid several hundred dollars in exchange for the services of a nurse of a month.
Shoving her reservations aside, Kendra simply smiled and nodded when she was told she only had to show up on the night of the event wearing a gown and looking her best. She could not help but laugh at the absurdity of the idea. Never in her wildest dreams did it occur to her she would be auctioned off right in front the town’s wealthiest people. Tamping down on her nervousness, she simply reminded herself this is all for a good cause.
Chapter Four
Sophie had been such a doll, promptly breaking into a toothless grin every time she saw Kendra or Tyler walk into the room. After a week of changing diapers, Tyler finally got the hang of it. Who would have thought he could actually pull it off? If only his employees could see their boss now, with sleeves rolled up and cooing softly as he changed one soggy diaper with admirable finesse.
At the same moment, Kendra stepped into the room. Unnoticed by Tyler, she quietly watched him as he gently lifted Sophie’s pudgy legs to put a fresh diaper into place. Mischievously, Kendra hurriedly whipped out her phone to take a picture of the two, zooming in on Tyler, who was busy trying to get Sophie to smile.
At the sound of the shutter, Tyler spied Kendra standin
g in a corner, laughing silently, her eyes dancing with merriment. Damn! It was too late when Kendra realized it was the shutter sound that gave her away.
Waltzing into the room with an impish smile, Kendra placed her clenched fist at chest level, holding an imaginary mic. “We interrupt your regular programming with some breaking news. Playboy millionaire Tyler Chadwick has successfully set a new world record for the fastest diaper change,” Kendra playfully announced in her best newscaster voice.
“You impertinent twit! You know I’ll get you for that, don’t you.” Tyler chuckled softly with a glint of promise in his eyes. “Right, sweetheart?” he said, turning to Sophie who was watching both of them avidly in her rocker.
“Not before I publish this on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Your playboy image will be ruined beyond redemption!” Kendra announced teasingly, her hand still on her phone, waving the photo she had taken from a safe distance. In the background, Sophie was gurgling in amusement, her eyebrows twitching up and down as if she were egging Kendra on.
“Not if I can help it!” Tyler said, with an exaggerated growl. In four strides, he crossed the distance between them and reached for Kendra’s phone, earning him a shriek. Kendra held the phone securely with both hands in an effort to keep it from him.
Tyler grabbed her by the waist and tickled her mercilessly. Kendra was laughing so hard and struggling to get away from his grasp, her fists beating against his chest. Effortlessly, Tyler lifted her up to keep her from running away, hoisting her by the waist.
“Okay, okay! I give up! I give up!” Kendra shrieked laughing, her feet flailing in the air.
“You little prick! You should have known better!” Tyler said with satisfaction, laughing softly as he watched Kendra try to squirm away from him unsuccessfully.
Tyler’s arms felt like strong bands of steel around her, holding her in place. Gasping for breath, she looked up with the full intention of begging her way out.
But their mingling laughter suddenly died when their eyes met. All of a sudden they became acutely aware of their close proximity. Her chest was heaving rapidly against him. Tyler’s eyes were hooded, effectively masking his thoughts.
Panting hard, Kendra stopped moving, her heart was beating in rapid tattoo. All of a sudden she felt lightheaded and weak. So this is how it feels like to be held close by Tyler, she thought to herself. For the love of her, she could not seem to break free of the smoky stare that seemed to hold so much promise.
Unconsciously, she licked her suddenly parched lips, which drew out a soft groan from Tyler. Her eyes widened with awareness.
“Awwrraahwah….” Demanding attention, Sophie gurgled enthusiastically, effect breaking the tension-loaded moment. She was looking on at them expectantly as if waiting for them to resume their little game for her entertainment. Awkwardly, Kendra broke free from Tyler’s embrace and turned her back on him, arranging her top back into place.
“Hahha! Gotcha! I knew you’d fall for that one, Chadwick.” Kendra let out a forced laugh in an effort to make light of the situation. But despite her cheeky remark, she refused to meet his eyes.
Tyler’s smoldering look was gone instantly. Taking her cue, he smiled lopsidedly. “Why, Miss Simmons, I believe you just issued a challenge,” he drawled, looking amused. If Kendra wanted to ignore the sexual tension, then he would happily oblige her. The last thing he wanted was to further complicate matters.
“Just in case you have forgotten, I happen to have the perfect weapon to blackmail you,” Kendra smugly reminded Tyler as she cheekily tapped her back pocket where she safely stowed her phone.
At that moment, Sophie decided Kendra had monopolized Tyler’s attention long enough. “You win this first round, missy. But this is far from over. Not by a long shot.” He chuckled as he made his way to Sophie whose face instantly lit up.
“Then you better get used to losing, Chadwick,” Kendra said with relish. She immediately walked out of the room to make sure she had the last say. Since the funeral, Tyler had offered her the spare bedroom to sleep in when she came in late from hospital duty. Since Tyler’s house was nearer to the hospital, it made sense for her to stay there.
Over the week, she looked forward to coming home and watching Sophie’s face light up when she saw her. She was enjoying her new routine. Perhaps a little too much, Kendra grudgingly admitted to herself. “Don’t get used to it,” Kendra harshly chided. She had to remind herself the setup was temporary. Once Tyler found a nanny for Sophie, she would go back to her old routine.
After she changed into more comfortable clothing, Kendra strolled into the living room to find Tyler sitting on the edge of the sofa, his arms outstretched as he encouraged Sophie to crawl towards him. “C’mon sweetheart, you can do it.” Tyler said softly, grinning proudly as he watched Sophie shift into position.
With her face scrunched in concentration, Sophie bent on her knees, swaying back and forth as she tried to find the right balance. Blabbing incoherently, she moved forward, her pudgy legs slowly gaining momentum. When she was finally just a foot away, she shrieked in delight when Tyler scooped her up and tossed her up in the air.
“Da-da, da!” Sophie blabbered as she pinched Tyler’s nose in excitement.
“Ow....That hurts, Sophie,” Tyler feigned pain.
“Da-da da...” Sophie moved forward and planted a wet kiss on Tyler’s nose. Tyler laughed at his niece’s antics. He never thought he could be this way with a child. Barely a month ago, the mere thought of raising one on his own would have seemed absurd.
“Sophie adores you.” Kendra said softly as she watched the two interact.
“And Uncle Ty loves you, little one,” Tyler said as he affectionately nuzzled Sophie’s neck, which elicited a fresh round of giggles.
Despite his limited experience with kids, Tyler had stepped into Tim’s shoes with ease. It was apparent he loved Sophie like his own.
“It’s time for your nap, sweetie.” Kendra said as she stepped forward to get the baby from Tyler. Nuzzling Kendra’s neck one the last time, Tyler gratefully handed her to Kendra. With the baby asleep, he would finally have time to go over the documents he’d brought home with him from the office.
“Thanks, Kendra. I owe you—you know that, don’t you?’” Tyler smiled crookedly. Not for a minute had he taken Kendra’s help for granted.
“Big time,” Kendra responded in jest.
She could hear Tyler’s soft chuckle as she walked away with Sophie. For some reason, she could feel him staring at her. “Get your act together, Kendra,” she reminded herself as she briskly carried Sophie to her room. She had no business yearning for things to be real.
“Look what I got, Sophie?” Kendra showed Sophie a soft baby brush, which instantly piqued the curiosity of the baby. “You want me to brush your hair?” showing Sophie how to use the brush.
With Sophie on her back, Kendra gently brushed her curls as she hummed a lullaby. In a matter of minutes, Sophie’s eyes drifted closed. When Kendra was sure Sophie was finally sound asleep, she lifted her up and placed her on her crib. Such a sweet baby, Kendra thought as she watched the little one sleep peacefully.
She missed Tim and Melissa dearly. Sophie no doubt missed them too, from the way she watches every person who walks into the room. It’s was as if she expected her parents to be back anytime.
But Kendra knew in her heart Tyler would try to be the best father to Sophie. He had willingly set aside his own needs to ensure his niece was well taken care of. The thought stirred something within her—a deep yearning to have a family of her own. Who knows, maybe someday, she mused.
* * * *
Kendra made her way back to the living room. Tyler’s house was huge and quite impressive. She loved the minimalist interior that complemented the modern structure. The high ceiling and glass windows added an illusion of more space.
Anna, a Puerto Rican woman regularly came by to clean the house and do the laundry for Tyler. Despite the huge double door inverter refr
igerator and a kitchen that could easily put to shame any restaurant, it was clear Tyler rarely cooked.
Checking the contents of the refrigerator, she rounded up a few ingredients to make carbonara. Tyler was in his makeshift office talking to some people. After a few minutes, he came strolling in the kitchen to check where the wonderful aroma was coming from that made his stomach grumbled in protest. He realized he only had coffee that morning.
“What’s cooking?” Tyler asked casually, watching her cook from a distance.
Spying Tyler from the corner of her eyes, she pulled out two plates and prepared the pasta.
“Care for some carbonara?” Kendra motioned towards the chair where she placed the carbonara.
“Frankly, I could eat anything at this moment. I’m famished! The meeting dragged longer that I would have wanted.” Tyler sat down and served Kendra before getting his own.
“Oh wow! This tastes amazing!” Tyler exclaimed, closing his eyes as he savored the food.
“That’s just carbonara, Chadwick. You must be really hungry,” Kendra laughed sardonically. “So everything good at the office?” deftly changing the subject.
“Could be better. We are in a middle of a negotiation with some bigwigs from Montana who plan to put up a large commercial strip along Madison. We are working out some details. Hopefully, we will come to an agreement soon.” Tyler shared in between bites. “Anyway, enough of that. I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s this I heard the Willow Creek is on the brink of shutting down?”
“Not if we can help it. There’s a charity auction to be held this Saturday in an effort to raise money.” Kendra answered nonchalantly. She had no intention of telling Tyler she was among those who would be auctioned off.
“Ah yeah, I think I have their invitation in my office.” Tyler said as he finished off the last morsel of his pasta.
Accidental Parents Page 2