Hero of Mine: The Men in Uniform Series

by Codi Gary

  “Who’s we?” his dad called gruffly.

  As they rounded the corner into the family room, his dad looked over at them and did a wide-eyed double take. The big burly man climbed to his feet and came over, clapping Tyler in a tight hug. Several back slaps were exchanged before Gareth Best pulled back and grinned at Dani and Noah, holding his hand out.

  “Hey there, I’m Gareth Best, this knucklehead’s dad.”

  “Dad, this is Dani Hill and her son, Noah,” Tyler said.

  Dani took his dad’s hand with a smile, balancing Noah on the opposite hip. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Really? Well, to be honest, sweetheart, you are a welcome surprise.” His dad held his hand up to Noah. “How are you, kiddo? Can you give me a high five?”

  Noah hesitated, ducking his head shyly, but with a little coaxing from Dani, he slapped Gareth’s hand.

  “All right!”

  “Where is everyone?” Tyler asked. The house was unusually quiet except for the sound of the TV.

  “Everyone is out back except your brother, who is playing video games with Chris and those hooligan nephews of mine.”

  Tyler laughed at his dad’s description of his cousins; he always called the twins, Kent and Kyle, hooligans because of their love of practical jokes. The twins were both twenty-one, and his aunt swore they would be the death of her.

  “Why are you hiding out in here?” Tyler asked.

  “Because your sister, mother, and the rest of the hens are clucking away out back. Your uncles abandoned me to go get more ice, and I was feeling a bit outnumbered.”

  “Well, we’ll head out and say hi,” Tyler said.

  “You watch your mother and make sure she doesn’t try to steal that child. Three of you were enough for me!”

  To Tyler’s relief, Dani laughed at his dad’s joke.

  “Just so you know, my dad has three sisters and my mom has two, so there are going to be a lot of people asking you questions. If you need a safe word for when you need rescuing, we could probably use something like ‘Mickey.’ ”

  For the first time since the strawberry fiasco, she placed her hand in his. “Tyler, I’ll be fine, I promise. Besides, you’ve met my mom. If I can handle her, I can handle anyone.”

  Tyler kept ahold of her hand as he opened the sliding back door. It was a nice sunny day, just around sixty but not a cloud in the sky. As they stepped out, the women surrounding several outdoor tables turned toward them.

  “Tyler!” His fifteen-year-old sister, Zoe, flew out of her chair and hurled herself into his arms.

  “Hey, Pita, good to see you, too.”

  She pulled away from him, making a face. “Are you kidding me with the Pita? Still?” Zoe’s gaze went past him to Dani, and her green eyes widened. “You brought a girl?”

  Tyler rolled his eyes at his sister’s loud whisper. “Like I said, still a pain in the—”

  “You watch your mouth, Tyler. You’re not too old for me to get a bar of soap.” His mother came up and practically shoved Zoe out of the way to hug him before turning her attention to Dani. “I apologize for my children’s appalling behavior. I blame their father.”

  “No, it’s fine. Really. It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Best. I’m Dani, and this is Noah.”

  “You call me Gloria.” She scooted closer to Noah, smiling as she held her arms out to him. “Hello, Noah. Wanna come see me? We have all kinds of finger foods, a fruit and veggie tray—”

  “He’s allergic to strawberries,” Tyler blurted.

  His mom’s eyebrow rose at his outburst, but otherwise, she just waited for Noah. The toddler sucked his thumb, eyeing her seriously and then looking at Dani.

  “It’s okay,” she said encouragingly.

  “You know what, why don’t you two come sit by me, and then he’ll get used to me.” Gloria took Dani’s hand and gave Tyler an expectant look. “You don’t mind if we steal your . . . friend, do you?”

  Tyler shook his head. “No, that’s fine. She knows to yell the safe word.”

  Dani gave him a dirty look.

  Tyler greeted each of his aunts, who were hardly paying him any mind, their maternal focus on Noah and how adorable his curls were. He finally escaped with Zoe hot on his heels.

  “Dude, is that your kid?” she asked bluntly.

  “No, dummy.”

  “I’m just asking. You’re the one who showed up without telling anyone you were bringing a girl. I mean, I don’t even think I’ve seen you with a girl!”

  “Who brought a girl?” Dereck asked from the kitchen doorway, his boyfriend, Chris, standing behind him. Like Tyler, Dereck had their mother’s blue eyes, but his hair was dark like Gareth’s. He was shorter than Tyler by a few inches but stockier. Chris was African American with a shaved head and glasses, exactly Dereck’s height but wiry.

  “Our brother brought home a girl,” Zoe said, bringing Tyler out of his head.

  “No shit?” Dereck went to the back window, and his jaw dropped. “Is that her kid?”

  “That’s her son, Noah,” Tyler growled.

  Chris hovered over Dereck’s shoulder. “She’s pretty.”

  “How long have you been dating?” Zoe asked.

  “A couple of weeks.”

  “Really?” Dereck dragged the word out, and Tyler was grateful when Chris elbowed him. “What?”

  “Give your brother a break, or he might not bring her back.”

  “Chris, you in the kitchen?” Gareth yelled.

  “Yeah, Pop.”

  “Grab me a beer, will ya?”

  Chris went over to the fridge. Dereck was giving him a look that appeared to be a mix of humor and exasperation.

  “You know you don’t have to do that. He can get his own beer.”

  “Stop it, it’s his birthday.” He gave Dereck a kiss on the cheek as he walked by. “Besides, I love your dad.”

  When Chris walked out of the room, Tyler chuckled. “Dad lets him call him Pop?”

  Dereck shook his head. “Yeah, believe it or not. Sometimes I think Dad likes Chris more than me.”

  “Shut it with your poor middle-child whine,” Zoe said.

  “Yeah, if you don’t want to be replaced, you shouldn’t date people Dad likes,” Tyler teased.

  “Enough about me, tell us about her,” Dereck said.

  Kent and Kyle made their grand appearance, and when they saw Tyler, they whooped with excitement.

  “What up, bro?” Kent said.

  After a lot of back slapping, Tyler said, “Nothing, just got here a little bit ago.”

  “Holy shit, who’s the hot blonde with Aunt Gloria?”

  “That’s Tyler’s new girlfriend, Dani,” Zoe said.

  “Let me see!” Kent raced over to the window and whistled. “Damn, she is smoking. Whoa, wait, is that her little boy?”

  “Yes, that’s Noah,” Tyler growled, already exhausted by his family.

  “Now, why can’t I meet a girl who looks like her?” Kyle lamented.

  Tyler walked over and grabbed both of his cousins in a headlock. “Stop ogling her, or I’m gonna kick your asses.”

  He was only half joking, and both of them wiggled out of his grip, their nearly identical faces wearing mischievous grins.

  The front door opened and shut, and several loud male voices argued, drawing closer.

  “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Uncle Troy about Dani,” Zoe said, talking about the twins’ dad.

  Tyler decided that there was a good chance he was going to murder his baby sister before the night was over.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  DANI KEPT LEANING over so she could watch Noah in the backyard as she helped Tyler’s mother with the dishes. Her son was running as fast as his chubby legs would take him, trying to get ahold of the soccer ball Tyler’s cousins and siblings were gently kicking around, playing a mild game of keep-away with the toddler. The aunts still sat at the tables, watching and occasionally shouting something
she couldn’t hear, but Dani wasn’t really worried. This family, with their big, loud voices and welcoming words, had put her completely at ease.

  “You know, you’re so sweet to offer, but if you want to go outside and play with them, I’m fine finishing,” Gloria said.

  Dani shook her head and turned back to her task. “I’m happy to help. I appreciate you allowing us to crash the party.”

  “Oh please, you aren’t crashing anything. We are all just so excited to meet you. And Noah, that boy is just the sweetest thing, letting us pass him around and snuggle him. That says he knows he’s safe and loved, and that tells me all I need to know about you.”

  Dani blinked back the sting in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Mom, are you seriously making Dani do the dishes?”

  Tyler’s voice made Dani jump, and she almost dropped the plate she was setting into the dishwasher. They had hardly talked since they arrived, with him visiting with all of his family and her caught up with the barrage of questions everyone had for her.

  “Here, I’ll take over that. You’re a guest. Go relax.”

  Forgetting his mother was there, she bristled. “How about you don’t boss me around?”

  Gloria cackled and reached up to first pinch, then pat Tyler’s sheepish face. “I like her. She doesn’t put up with any of your shit.”

  “No, she certainly does not,” Tyler murmured.

  Dani blushed as he pulled her toward him. “Dani, can I please take over helping mom with the dishes?”

  Knowing he was teasing her, she gave in. “Fine. Where’s the bathroom?”

  “Go down the hall, and it’s the first door on the right.”

  She left the room and headed for the bathroom, sticking her tongue out at him as she left.

  Dani caught his mother’s smile just before the swinging door closed.

  “Have I mentioned how much I like her?”

  “Several times, Mom.”

  “SO, ARE YOU going to tell me what’s on your mind?” his mother asked, tearing his gaze away from where Dani had disappeared.

  “What makes you think I want to talk? Maybe I was just looking to do something nice.”

  “Because I raised you. I couldn’t get you to do a dish unless you wanted something.”

  “Gee, thanks, Mom.”

  His mother wiped her hands on the towel hanging from the cabinet door and turned to face him. “Talk to me.”

  Unsure exactly what he wanted to say, he set the plate in the dishwasher, stalling. Finally, he listened for the sound of footsteps or anyone lingering, and when he heard nothing, he said, “When you and Dad were dating, how long were you together before I met him?”

  “Well, I think we’d gone out three or four times, but I knew he was what I wanted after date number one.”

  “Did he ever make a mistake, or did you ever have doubts about him being a good father?”

  A light came into his mother’s blue eyes, and she smiled gently. “Ah, baby, what did you do?”

  “What makes you think I did something?”

  “Because I remember that look. That worried I’m-not-sure-I-can-do-this look.”

  “On Dad?” he asked.

  “No, when I looked in the mirror.”

  Tyler couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d told him she had walked on the moon. “What? When?”

  “Pretty much from the moment I brought you home. I was only seventeen when I had you, and my parents had kicked me out. I was living with my grandmother, who was brisk and cold. I never did understand why she took me in, but I remember this one time, I had you in your Moses basket on the bed while I folded laundry. I left the room for just a second, and when I came back, the basket was on its side and you were on the floor, screaming. I ran you up to the emergency room, which I couldn’t afford, and after the doctor assured me you were fine, I called my mother crying. She came, and we left my car in the parking lot. She drove us to the nearest Denny’s, and as I cried into my short stack, blubbering about what had happened, she reached across and squeezed my hand.”

  His mother drew in a shaky voice, and he saw tears in her eyes as she continued. “And she said, ‘Gloria, as a mother, you’re going to screw up and make bad decisions. Things you regret, and at some point, you’re going to think you can’t do anything right. But as long as you do your best and love your son, everything is gonna be okay.’ ”

  She wiped at her eyes, and he pulled his mom in for a hug, always hating the sight of her crying. She patted his chest and pulled away with a chuckle. “Anyway, after that, she drove me back to my grandma’s, where she helped me pack up all my stuff and brought me home. When my dad started bellowing and telling her to take me back, she told him if he wanted to leave, he knew where the door was. Otherwise, he needed to get his fat ass up and drive over to pick the rest of my stuff up from Grandma’s. And eventually, he did. It took a while for us to forgive each other, but he loved you.”

  She slapped his arm lightly. “So, I’m gonna ask you one more time, what did you do?”

  He looked away and stared out the window at the adorable little boy he’d grown to care for way too much. “I gave Noah a bite of my ice cream without knowing he was allergic to it. I was just trying to keep him from having a meltdown because his ice cream fell and Dani went to get him another scoop. But she got upset with me, and I don’t blame her, but it got me thinking . . . What if I’m just not cut out for this? What if I’m not the guy?”

  His mother pinched him in the side, and he jumped to the side as she laid into him. “Tyler Wyatt Best, that is just stupid. You made a mistake, and you’ll learn from it. Jesus, I nearly killed Gareth the first time he took you dirt biking in the foothills, and you broke your arm. I came into that ER madder than a hornet, hollering at him about how he’d better never do anything like that with my son again. We’d only been married a few months, and when he left the hospital and I walked into the room you were in, you were crying, so worried that Dad was going to leave us. And I realized that in my fear, I hadn’t just lashed out at him, but I’d hurt you. When he came back, I could tell he’d been crying, and I’ll never forget that relieved look on your face.

  “But Dani doesn’t seem upset with you, and that boy’s face lights up every time he sees you, so I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that.” His mother laced him with a stern look. “But if you’re really not sure about a future with that girl and her son, then you need to break it off now.”

  Tyler leaned back against the counter and shook his head. “I know, Mom, but I care about her, and I adore that kid. When it’s just us, I feel like they’re . . . as if they belong with me. Like they were meant to be mine, but I’m afraid that’s crazy.”

  “Absolutely not. Your dad said almost the exact thing to me when he proposed, that it was as if we’d been waiting for him.” His mom took his hand and squeezed. “I am so happy for you, baby.”

  “I’m not a baby, Mom.”

  “You’ll always be my baby.”

  DANI STOOD OUTSIDE the kitchen, her heart hammering as she listened to mother and son talk. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but when she’d heard her name, she couldn’t help pausing to catch what Tyler was saying.

  She couldn’t even describe her elation and joy when Tyler had said that Noah and she felt like his.

  Because she had been thinking the exact same thing about him and was afraid she’d ruined it today.

  Tyler’s mother told him to go outside and play with the kids, and Dani soon heard the back glass door slide open and close.

  “You can come in now, Dani,” Gloria called.

  Dani nearly banged her head against the door with a groan, but with no other choice, she pushed through. “I am so sorry; I shouldn’t have listened in on your conversation.”

  “I always listen in on interesting conversations. It’s how I learn the things my children don’t want me to know about.” She waved her hand to the square table in the dining room off the kitchen. “Come have a
seat, and we can talk as the kids play.”

  Dani did as she requested, her hands sweating buckets.

  “Now, it’s none of my business, and you can tell me to butt out, but as a mother, I need to know.” Leveling Dani with the same deep blue eyes her son had, she asked, “What are your intentions with my boy?”

  Dani choked on a laugh. “My intentions?”

  “Yes. Are you serious about him?”

  “Very.”

  The older woman’s face softened. “So, you’re not upset with him?”

  “No. Well, I was a little irritated that he didn’t ask, but then I just couldn’t stop thinking about how for a guy who is constantly saying he isn’t good with children, he had no problem sharing his ice cream with Noah. He’s just so comfortable and good with Noah. He’s constantly surprising me.”

  “Don’t let him fool you; he has always had a way with kids. He was ten and twelve when his brother and sister were born, and he used to love playing with them. Feeding them. He probably doesn’t even remember begging to learn how to change a diaper.”

  “No way!” Dani laughed.

  “Oh yes, he loved being a big brother . . . up until he discovered girls, that is. To be honest, I was a little worried about him. I know he’s only twenty-eight but he never seemed to have any desire to get serious. Until you.”

  Dani’s cheeks warmed with pleasure as she looked out the window. Tyler had Noah in his arms and was chasing after one of his cousins. His hat was turned backward, so nothing was obscuring his wide smile.

  “You know, Gloria, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to go play with the kids.”

  Gloria patted her hand and stood up. “And I’m going to make sure that my husband hasn’t conned poor Chris into getting him another beer. He knows he needs to lay off the alcohol and red meat, but Chris adores Gareth and will do anything for him.”

  Dani stood up and went outside just as Tyler set Noah down. Her son took off after Dereck, who ran backward at a slow pace, laughing.