by Roni Adams
Beth's eyes widened and she glanced to Cole. “I guess that settles that."
Tyler shrugged. “You don't have to call him that. It was just the first name that popped into my head when we brought him home."
Cole nodded. “It fits. Lucky it is.” He leaned down and kissed Beth's cheek. “I'll pick you up at seven."
She shook her head. “Let me meet you there. I'm on call and all."
Cole waved as he walked out. “Okay. See ya."
Beth stood in the doorway to the barn and watched Cole leave. Tyler didn't say anything. Isn't this fun? Such wonderful tension.
"You two seemed to have stopped snipping at each other,” she finally said, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"I got nothing against Pritchard."
"But you don't want to see me with him.” She turned and challenged him, wondering what his answer would be as she held her breath.
"Would you want to see me with someone else?"
She tamped down an unexpected flare of jealously; not able to picture Tyler with anyone else. He'd never even danced with anyone else that she was aware of. “I guess not."
He shrugged as if that answered the question
"The Boyd's will be here tonight,” she ventured as a safer change of subject.
Tyler nodded.
Beth bit her tongue, but couldn't help but ask, “You were at their place most of last year, weren't you?"
Tyler eyes widened and then his brows dipped low, and he stared as if she was crazy. What did I say?
"You knew I was. I told you that's where I'd be."
What is he talking about? “Told me when?"
"In my note."
The note. She'd never opened the note Tyler had left. Not wanting to read his excuses and pale words of apology, she'd shoved it in her desk drawer and never touched it.
Head down, she turned away and quietly admitted, “I never read the note."
Tyler grabbed her arm, swinging her back to face him. His hands squeezed into her shoulders and she winced.
"You never read it?"
She yanked at his rough hold but he held her firm. Anger returning, she pushed at his hand harder. “No. I didn't want to hear your lame excuses and your, ‘I'm so sorry but I have to leave.’ I honestly thought you'd change your mind and come back. I waited ... and waited."
He released her so fast she lost her footing and had to catch herself before she tripped. What the hell was that about?
Tyler stormed a few paces away.
Her heart thudded in her chest. “What was in the note?"
He continued on towards the barn door, ignoring her.
"Tyler!"
A harsh breath preceded his pause. “It doesn't matter anymore.” Then he was gone.
Resisting the urge to go after him and force him to tell her, she spun on her heel and headed out of the back of the barn, not stopping until she was in her bedroom. Her hands shook as she opened the desk drawer and picked up the envelope with her name scrawled across it. Fingering the sealed flap, she sank to the side of her bed. Swallowing hard, she carefully opened the envelope and drew out a single sheet of notebook paper.
Angel,
I thought I could leave without saying anything to you but I can't. I'm going to bum around this summer, but I'll be at Chase Boyd's place in September. I promised him I'd help with some horse training he wants to do. Spend the summer thinking about what you really want. If by September you want to be with me more than you want to be here, then meet me in Abilene.
I'm not going to call you or contact you. I purposely left behind my cell phone and I'm not telling anyone where I'll be this summer. You need to have a clean break to really know what you want.
I know what I want. I want you. I love you so much my guts are heaving as I try to write this, but I have to go. I'm choking here, babe. I'm losing my mind under their control. I can't take it anymore. Who knows, maybe by fall I'll have figured out I don't like the other side of the fence, and I'll come home with you. We won't know until we do this. I couldn't wait for you to get home from graduation, or I'd have never left and you know it. Or you'd have left with me, and I'd never know whether you really wanted to or not.
Meet me at Boyd's Labor Day weekend. If you don't show, I'll have my answer. I love you, Angel, and not a second will go by that you won't be in my thoughts. I promise you that. Don't hate me.
Love,
Ty
She read it again, her heart aching. All this time wasted. What had he thought when she hadn't shown up? There was only one answer. He would have thought she'd made her choice—and it wasn't him. No wonder he stayed away last Christmas. He honestly believed she chose her life here over him.
Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Ty."
Beth read his words again as the tears slid down her face. She brushed them away and read the note a third time.
Would she have gone? Yeah. She would have. She didn't have to think twice. If she'd known for one second that he was waiting for her in Abilene, she'd have been there when he arrived. But would that have been what she wanted?
She didn't want to be out on the road, traveling or living somewhere else. She wanted to be here. By last fall, Doc had taken off on his first trip and was planning to spend the winter in Mexico. She couldn't have stayed in Abilene. She would have probably convinced Ty to do some long distance romance, or worse, she would have eloped with him and made them both miserable. Still, she would have at least gone to him if only to tell him in person and let him know that she did love him. It would have saved her an entire summer of heartache too. She would have been ticked off that he left the way he did, but she would have dealt with the whole situation differently. Not make herself sick like she did. God, what a mess!
Slowly, she slipped the note back in the envelope and dried her eyes with her sleeve. Tyler said it didn't matter anymore, and he was right. The boy who wrote that note and the girl who didn't read it were both gone now. So much had happened since; they were different people with different lives. Even if Tyler did decide to stay, those two young, naïve people were gone. It was time for both of them to figure out how to handle that.
* * * *
The LoneStar was hopping. Teddy and the Scoundrels had the whole bar on their feet dancing to the popular country tunes and some Christmas songs as well. Tyler had no interest in being here, except for Beth. She was with Cole, but she was here, and it would be worse if he was sitting home stewing about it. Far better to be here drinking a beer and pretending it didn't twist his insides around to watch her dance with the other man. Besides, before the night was out, he planned on getting at least one slow dance in.
Buck and Sara sat at a small table with Cord, but Tyler sat on the bar stool by himself. The song ended and Teddy announced a band break. Piped in music began to play from the speakers in the ceiling and he glanced at his watch—not even ten yet.
"Hey, Cowboy. Buy me a drink?"
Tyler turned his head to watch Susan climb up on the stool next to him. “Sure.” He caught Bill's eye and the owner came over to their end of the polished bar.
Susan tipped her head. “Hmm, how about a Cosmopolitan?"
The bartender rolled his eyes. “No problem, New York girl. Coming right up."
Tyler shook his head. “You're not going to trip him up, you know. Even if he had to go in the back and Google it, he won't let you beat him."
Susan shrugged and popped a pretzel into her mouth. “I like to give him a challenge."
"Most folks just want something to drink."
Susan twisted on her stool and tossed her hair. “Most folks just want to drink."
"It does tend to make the holidays a little easier.” His gaze drifted back to Beth on the dance floor.
"How are things going? The grapevine says there was a bit of a reunion the other night in the barn."
"I don't know what you're talking about.” Tyler turned back and lifted his beer bottle to his mouth.
"Uh, huh.”
She winked. “Let me give you just a little tip. I love you like a brother, but you were a complete jackass to leave her like you did."
Tyler's annoyance flared. The last thing he wanted tonight was to be cut down by one of her sisters.
He opened his mouth, but she held up her hand and shook her head. “Don't. I don't even want to hear it. I'm actually on your side in this. I don't mean how you did it, but the fact that you did it. This place will drive you crazy if you let it. The small town gossip, the too-close-for-comfort family business. I can't take it for more than a few weeks a year, so I can definitely understand why you needed to get out. What I don't get is why the hell you want to come back to stay?"
He glanced at the other side of the room where Beth and Cole now sat at a small table. Pritchard's arm was around the back of her chair as they spoke with their heads bent towards each other.
Susan picked a pretzel out of the small bowl in front of her. “I mean, it's obvious that no matter what happened the other night, Beth is never going to trust you again. Take it from someone who lives it: being here with Teddy and the tension between us is pure hell. If it weren't for my sisters and Flo and the whole home for the holiday routine, I'd never come back to Sweet Meadow."
Tyler's mind whirled. Why did everyone think he wanted their sage advice?
Bill brought the curvy brunette's drink to her and another beer for him. He pushed his empty bottle away. “What did happen between you and Teddy?"
Susan sipped her drink but her green eyes flashed anger. She lifted her chin. “I don't know what you're talking about."
Tyler laughed. “Okay, point taken."
A hand landed in a hard slap on his back and he turned to see Teddy standing next to him. “Any word from Charli yet?"
"Yeah, she texted me a while back and said it would be close to midnight before they get in."
Teddy whistled. “Cool, maybe she'll come down for an hour or so."
"I don't think so. Her father will be with her."
His brother picked up the beers Bill set in front of him. “So what? He can go to bed, and she can come party with me.” He winked at his brother, started to walk away and then glanced over his shoulder. His brown eyes were cold as he looked at Susan. “You singing any sets tonight or no?"
She crossed her legs and stirred her drink with the small plastic stick. “If you want me to, I will."
"I don't want you to do anything. Other folks like to hear you for some reason."
She nodded. “I'll be there in a minute."
Tyler caught the look of pain that crossed her face as Teddy walked away. Susan might pretend to be tough as nails outside, but whatever had happened between her and his brother still got to her.
She drained her drink and turned on her stool. Pasting on a bright smile, she held out her hand for him to help her down. “You heard your brother; he's just dying for me to sing with him."
Across the room, Beth watched her sister climb the stage and pick up the microphone. “Looks like Susan's going to sing the next set."
Cole twisted his head to look at the stage and then back at Beth. “They always were good together."
The phone on her hip vibrated and Beth pulled it off her belt. “I'm going to go outside so I can hear,” she called to Cole as she flipped open the phone and headed towards the back door.
"Doctor Sampson,” she answered as she walked out into the deck.
Outside, the air was cooler and she shivered as she listened to the frantic voice of one of her patients. “Mrs. O'Brien, the eggnog won't hurt Phoebe at all, but if you want me to come check her over, I'd be happy to come out there."
One of her patients had gotten into the spiked eggnog. Fortunately, the size of Phoebe was equal to about five cats, and Beth was certain the small amount of liquor the cat might have consumed was no problem. She closed her eyes, hoping Mrs. O'Brien would be satisfied and she wouldn't have to drive out there tonight. Sometimes being an old-fashioned, hands-on vet wasn't always convenient. She nodded as Mrs. O'Brien went on and on about how she'd only left the room for a minute.
"I'll tell you what,” Beth interrupted. “You keep an eye on her, and if she acts funny or seems not right in anyway, call me back and I'll come out there."
She heard the back door creak open. Cole must have followed her out to the deck and she turned with a smile. It froze on her lips when her gaze met Tyler's instead. She stuttered, trying to remember what she was saying. “O-okay, that's fine then. Yes, I'll be in the office most of tomorrow. Good night, Mrs. O'Brien."
She snapped her phone closed. “Hey. I, uh, thought you were Cole."
Tyler moved closer. “Disappointed?"
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Chapter Eight
Beth frowned. His eyes were glassy and he swayed as if unsteady on his feet. She ignored his question in lieu of idle conversation. “That was Mrs. O'Brien. Apparently one of her cats decided to get into some holiday cheer."
Tyler's eyebrow rose. “Does she want you to be the designated driver or something?” His words slurred.
"No, but I'm thinking you might need one."
He grimaced. “I'm not a kid. I know better than to drink and drive. I'll catch a ride with someone."
Beth chewed her bottom lip. “I'm heading back that way. I'll give you a ride home."
He shook his head. “Can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Your boyfriend wouldn't like that very much, and I can't blame him. I would never have let you into a truck with some drunk cowboy."
"First of all,” Beth snapped, shaking her phone in his direction. “Cole's not you so he doesn't think the way you do. Second, he's not my boyfriend. We don't have that kind of relationship so he wouldn't have anything to say about it."
Tyler snorted and turned away to rest his arms on the deck rail and look out over the darkened lot behind the bar. “Whatever."
Beth slammed her hands on her hips at his snort of disbelief. “Don't do that. Don't make it sound as if I've done something wrong. Cole was here for me."
Tyler made another noise of disgust and she moved closer, shoving him in the arm. The smell of liquor on his breath reached her. “Don't be that way, Ty. Cole is a good guy. He has done everything in the world to make me happy these past two years, trying to make up for what you did."
He glanced down. “Oh, yeah? Was he able to do what I did for you last night? Does he make you scream, Beth? Make you beg for more? If he's been keeping you satisfied, then why wasn't it his arms you wanted around you in the barn?"
He swayed and Beth frowned with disgust. His reminder of last night set her blood on fire. Images of his arms around her, his body covering her and his hands on her played across her mind. She struggled to find something to say to cut him down, but before she could, he'd snagged her into his arms and lowered his head.
She hated the way she responded like a match to gasoline. Her arms snaked around his neck pulling him even closer. Their mouths met in a hunger that last night didn't even hope to satisfy. Tyler kissed her as if he was desperate for her, and she gave him back everything she had. When he grabbed hold of her rear end and pulled her hard against him, she moaned into his mouth. How could everything be so wrong and so right at the same time?
His strong thigh slipped between her legs and she rode it, sending waves of pleasure shooting through her veins. She grabbed his shirt and bunched it in her hands as she clung to him. Tyler put his hands around her waist and lifted her higher only to slid her slowly back down his body. Beth trembled as every inch of him stroked her. It had been so long since she felt as alive as she did when Tyler touched her. She couldn't help herself, and frankly, she didn't want to.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders impatiently. It didn't matter where they were, didn't matter that she'd come out with Cole tonight; all that mattered was Tyler's expert hands making her body want. Want him.
She pressed against his chest but he merely began a slow descent to her neck,
shoving the collar of her blouse aside to nuzzle lower. The pink silk top she'd put on was thin and the material scraped her sensitive, taut nipples.
His large hand settled over one aching breast and her eyes closed, her head tipping back of its own accord. Tyler brushed a sensitive peak and then lowered his mouth. He licked between her breasts, his tongue hot on her skin. He shoved at the material, unbuttoned a few buttons, fighting to get his hand inside. Finally, he yanked her shirt out of her jeans and shoved it up out of his way.
Beth couldn't catch her breath, couldn't think straight as he pushed her bra aside and freed her breast to the night air and his touch. His mouth closed over her and she clung to him and cried out.
He lifted his head, replaced his mouth with his hand again and continued to caress her. “Come home with me,” he whispered.
Beth lifted heavy lids to him. “You're drunk."
Tyler grinned. “Yep, so you better drive."
Coherent thought seeped in slowly and she ducked her head. “I don't think that's a good idea. I told Cole..."
Tyler narrowed his eyes and tensed. His hand moved lower down her stomach to the snap of her jeans. “Get rid of him."
Was all this because he didn't want her with Cole? Beth frowned and pushed his hand away. This wasn't because of any feelings for her; he just hated to see her with someone else. “No. That wouldn't be fair to him."
His eyes blazed with fury. “Fair to him? You're concerned with being fair to him? What about me?"
After the way she'd just responded, she couldn't blame him for being furious. He had every reason to believe she was going to go home and continue what they'd started. She pulled away and rebuttoned her blouse. “I didn't know about Abilene,” she whispered. “I never read your note ... until today."
He shook his head. “It doesn't matter. We both know what path you would have taken anyway."
If he'd slapped her hard across the face it wouldn't have hurt her more. “How dare you! You're the one who chose the open road over us no matter what was in that note."
His gaze was anguished, and he swayed once more with the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed. “I'll spend the rest of my life on my knees begging you to forgive me. I'll do whatever you want me to do if you'll take me back."