“I wasn’t sure myself,” came the reply.
“Mother spoke with you, correct? You know what is happening?
“She did. You shouldn’t have involved her. I suspect you already know that. You are a grown man. Where are your balls? You should have come to me yourself.”
Tyler remained silent. He had expected this. It was only the truth. He never should have put his mother in the middle, but he was at a breaking point. When she had asked how she could help, Tyler had cracked and told her everything. When she offered to speak with Emmett, he could have said no, but he didn’t.
“This is a highly unusual request, Tyler. How did you allow yourself to get into this mess?”
“You know how.” Tyler took a calming breath to control his exasperation and began pacing again. “Would you have tolerated the publicity? I did it to keep the shame away from you and mother.”
“Don’t put this on us,” came his father’s angry retort. “It was your irresponsible behavior that started all of this. We did everything we could to keep things quiet. Now, after all this time, you want this from us? Do you think that is fair?"
"Would you be saying this if it was Denny?"
Tyler heard his father’s exasperated sigh before he answered. “Denny would never have put us in this position, Tyler. You were always the reckless one.”
Tyler cringed at the harsh words. One bad night, but in his father’s eyes it had been a pattern of bad behavior. He had expected some putdown, a remark comparing him to his saintly brother. He might need help, but he didn’t have listen while he was berated.
“Yes, well, I didn’t call for another lecture, Father, I called for the money. Will you help me or not?” He held his breath, waiting to see if his pleading calls to his mother had paid off.
"I will not. You got yourself into this mess. You get yourself out. And leave your mother out of this, you hear me boy?"
“Thanks a lot, Father. I should have known I could count on you,” Tyler made the wisecrack and hung up the phone without a goodbye. He missed being able to slam it. Defeated, he fell against the back of the chair like a ragdoll and sat like that for a long moment before dialing another number.
“It’s me,” he stated flatly. “Forget the money. I’m in.”
One disaster down, one to go.
Chapter Seventeen
Regan
When Tyler rejoined Regan in her office, he looked ten years older. There was sadness in his eyes that she could not remember seeing ever before, hopelessness, as well as a tension radiating from his body.
He appeared to listen as she and Ethan completed their client call, but he added nothing to the conversation and Regan could tell he wasn't paying attention.
“We’ll be back in touch after we get those estimates,” Regan told the client, winding down the call. “Ethan will follow up by the end of the week.”
She nodded at her brother to assure that he jotted down the follow-up assignment, exchanged pleasantries and farewells and ended the call.
“Ok, Ree, I will follow up with him on Friday,” Ethan confirmed, gathering his notes and preparing to leave her office.
"Sooner if you can. We like to exceed expectations," Regan corrected. She flashed a broad smile at the two men before her. Ethan returned it with a grin of his own and left the office. Tyler remained unresponsive and mute.
“What’s going on?” Regan prodded, touching his arm to get his attention. “Has something happened?”
“What?” Tyler asked, coming out of his daze with a start. “No, nothing happened. Just another unpleasant call with my father. Nothing new.”
“Yeah, I could hear your anger through the walls. It’s not like you to raise your voice to your father.”
“Sorry about that. I didn't realize I was that loud." Tyler apologized, ignoring her observation about the Winthrop family dynamics. He was lying. In all the years she had known him, Tyler had never dared to raise his voice to his parents. Never. He was hiding something from her.
"Ty, it's me. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on. We are a team here, and together we can solve anything."
"Regan, nothing is going on. Let's focus on work, okay? We need to push this weekend out of our heads and get a job done. That's what we are here for, that's why your family is paying me a lot of money. Bring me up to speed on the call with Bluegate Development.”
Regan stared deep into Tyler’s eyes, trying to fathom his mood. He was dark, mysterious, and wholly shut to her until finally, she began discussing work. She would try again later, perhaps when his emotions weren’t as raw.
Tyler was focused now, moving quickly through the Bluewater project, his ideas for a new rental strategy, and finally to his proposal for expanding East.
"East?" Regan asked, completely flummoxed by the suggestion. "After the last few days, I thought we would scrap those plans. I won't be moving, after all, so why do we need an East coast program?
“I think you should still pursue that government opportunity, Ree. And you might still want a relationship with your senator." Regan was stunned. What shit was Tyler spouting and why? “It was a weekend, Regan. No one changes their life just because of a weekend of hot sex.”
Regan recoiled from Tyler's words as if he had slapped her. Pain coursed through her body and confusion muddled her brain. She must have misunderstood what he was saying?
Tyler was still talking. Regan was having trouble following him. Who was this man? He was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Regan wasn't sure which character she was dealing with at the moment.
“I know we said a lot of romantic words to each other over the weekend, but get real Regan, you can’t just destroy all your plans. You have a fabulous opportunity in Washington, you said so yourself. I would never deny you that chance. What kind of man would I be if I did?”
“The man who loved me. The man who only yesterday announced that he wanted to spend his life with me.” Regan heard the wobble in her voice, stood and walked to the windows, turning her back on Tyler, watching the boats skim along the lake while she regained her equilibrium.
“What kind of joke are you playing here?” she demanded.
"No joke, Ree. C'mon, we are both adults. We had a great time together, like always, but now we need to get back to reality. Your life is in DC; mine is here. We run a company. We do important work together. Did you honestly think I would let you mess up this chance for me to be CEO? You know me better than that."
"I don't know you at all," Regan felt her ire building. "This man in front of me is a cold, calculating stranger. I don't have a clue what happened in the last hour. I only know that Tyler Winthrop walked into this office this morning and now some selfish asshole is standing here in his place."
“Nice, Ree. Selfish asshole? I’m not the one who fucked around with an old flame all weekend while I was engaged to another man.”
Regan itched to slap Tyler’s smug face. “I am not engaged, damn it, and you know it." He was stabbing a knife in her heart and twisting it. “You also know I had every intention of leaving Brandon once and for all. But now…”
“Leave a rich senator who owns half the east coast because of a one night stand? I gave you more credit than that.”
"Why are you doing this, Tyler? What happened?" she begged. "Tell me the truth." What was with this sudden about-face? Something dreadful must have happened when Tyler talked to his father. He was pushing her away too hard, too fast. It had to be something else. She could not believe that the weekend had meant nothing. It was transparent between them for the first time in years. They were destined to be together. Why the hell was he playing this game?
Even now, even as he was putting up a sky-high wall between them, even as he was breaking her heart into a million pieces and shattering her dreams, she found him irresistible, confirming that she was right about them. If she could love him at this moment, she would love him always.
Tyler’s hair was lush and dark, cut long enough to roll back from h
is face but short enough to stick straight up haphazardly, an unforced look that rock stars had been trying to perfect for years. She could tell he had been running his hands through it, probably in frustration. One tiny lock was falling forward now, not entirely resting on his forehead. She itched to fix it, to touch him. But one look at his firm, determined jaw stopped her. His gaze was cold and hard, aloof.
Regan understood that they were under pressure, that Tyler was working too hard and worrying too much. Signs of both were etched on his face in the form of dark circles and creases just starting to form between his nose and mouth. But, there was something else there now too. Fear maybe?
"Please, Tyler," she tried once more. "Tell me the truth and stop trying to push me away. We can get through this together. I am here for you. Just talk to me."
"Regan, you always did have an overactive imagination. Nothing is going on," his voice was flat, his stance closed to her. He stood with his arms crossed, close to the door like he wanted to make a quick escape. "Make your plans for DC. I've got things covered here. Go live your life and let me live mine."
She had no time to respond or fall apart. Tyler turned on his heel and exited the office without a backward glance. She watched his long angry strides take him further from her through the tears that were forming. She watched him blow past his office, heading for the elevators, where he repeatedly punched the button with his fist until the doors finally opened and he disappeared from view.
Fine. Go. Get out and good riddance. You might treat me like our relationship doesn't matter, but you won't get rid of me being your boss that easily. I will get to the bottom of this. You can’t avoid me forever.
Chapter Eighteen
Regan
Regan’s eyes were bloodshot and rimmed in magenta. Her nose was as red as Rudolph's, and she looked like she hadn't slept in a week. She hadn't. She had lovingly relived those two glorious days with Tyler repeatedly, rehashed every word, every look, every touch.
Then she revisited his horrible words in her office last Monday, trying desperately to figure out what changed between them and how it could all go so wrong, so fast.
He had never given her a clue. One minute he was sending her nerve endings dancing, bringing her donuts and promising forever, the next he was cutting her loose like a deal gone wrong. In truth, he treated his contract negotiations with more respect.
Regan recognized that her friends were treading lightly. They were outside, sitting on her extensive patio, the summer sun an orange and pink glow setting low on the horizon. The distant sounds of sirens, traffic, and construction, the typical background of the city that they all learned to tune out, was a faint rumble from the lofty penthouse. Only Keeli had commented on the beauty of their surroundings, never one to take for granted the luxuries that the others expected as their due.
Even Kelli’s admiration of the place had made Regan tear up, remembering Tyler’s first impression of her outrageous abode. Everything her friends said made Regan cry or scream, although she was exhausted from doing both. Being as understanding as best friends could be, they were trying to sooth Regan while still forcing her to move forward. She had to get past bemoaning her weekend with Tyler. She had cried over it five times longer than it had lasted.
"I agree with you, Ree. Something was definitely going on. But if Tyler won't share the truth with you then you have to move on," Missy told her for the umpteenth time.
“I agree,” Sloane added. “If he can’t be open and honest, why would you want him?” Sloane flicked her thick hair over her shoulder in emphasis, pinning Regan in her direct gaze, daring her to shed even one more tear. "And if whatever he is hiding is so awful, you are better off without him."
Regan wished she had Sloane's toughness and resiliency. Regan had believed herself to be strong and independent, but not compared to Sloane. If Tyler could completely throw her for a loop, she questioned everything she understood about her success and her role in the world.
“I know,” Regan whispered her reply. "I know," she repeated in a stronger voice. She would keep saying it until she believed it.
"You've had a week, Ree," her friend and co-worker Charlotte reminded her. "You have to decide about DC before you run out of options. I think you should at least go on the interview, regardless of what you decide about Brandon. You've earned this chance, Regan. You've worked so diligently for it.”
Charlotte knew just what to say to remind Regan of her hard-won success at the top of LHRE. Regan straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin a little higher at the words. "And you know it would be better for office morale if you and Tyler were in different cities for a while.” Defeated, Regan slumped once more.
"You're right," Regan acknowledged the truth of Charlotte's statement, her voice tired and scratchy from crying. Charlotte was sensible, smart, and as the chief financial officer, Regan's right hand at the office. "I know the tension at work has been awful.”
"The tears were worse than the tension," Charlotte confessed gently. She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear nervously and handed Regan another tissue as she watched the tears threatening to spill over again. "We all feel terrible for you."
"Does everyone know?" Regan questioned Charlotte, raising her head in alarm. Her tears were forgotten.
"No, of course not. The staff only knows you are miserable about something. Of course, everyone can see that Tyler is acting like a complete shithead. Even Donna seems to have lost interest in him."
“Don’t say that about Ty,” Keeli piped up, returning from the kitchen with a fresh bottle of Pinot Grigio. “I just know he is hurting too.”
“Did Wyatt say anything?” Regan was too quick to query, hungry for answers.
"Sorry, Regan, I did ask, but Wyatt can't explain it either. He had a conversation with him a while back where Tyler admitted he loved you and that he was going to fight for you. According to my husband, this weird behavior has been going on for a few months, but according to Wyatt, Tyler has been getting worse. Lots of text messages at all hours that Tyler won’t explain but that always seem to leave him angry or tense. It’s not like Tyler to keep any secrets from Wyatt.”
"Especially after the blow up that the boys had when they found out Alex was keeping secrets," Charlotte added, a delicate blushing pinking her cheeks when she remembered how the secrets both she and Alex kept from one another almost destroyed their relationship. "Remember what a mess that was?”
“Charlotte is right. They are obsessed with honesty since then. Wyatt would tell you if he knew something, wouldn’t he?” Regan asked Keeli, a bit too suspiciously.
“He would tell you if he knew anything, Regan,” Missy scolded.
"Sorry Keeli, of course, Missy is right. I am…" Regan felt the tears forming in her eyes again and blinked to hold them back. "I need to stop obsessing." She got up from the comfortable lounge chair and paced between it and the balcony ledge. "I'm just a wreck,” she boldly confessed to her friends.
“You are not, Regan. You are a beautiful, brilliant woman. You have just been dealt a blow to the heart. You’ll recover. You need to go to that job interview and leave this all behind,” Keeli corrected her friend, pouring her a large refill and flashing her a smile. Regan turned from looking out at the sky and took the glass from her sister-in-law. “Go back to Brandon, Ree. He’s a catch.”
"Keeli's right," Charlotte seconded. "I know him, Regan. He is a catch. You could love him if you closed the chapter on Tyler. Brandon is serious about you. I have never seen him pursue a woman the way he has pursued you. Give him a chance."
"Give him a chance," Keeli parroted. "Tyler has had hundreds of chances to be with you, and he has blown them all. Give it up."
"I know." Regan let the tears fall. Her friends didn't understand, they were logical, and the situation was anything but. They had not spent their lives learning to appreciate this cryptic man. They had not enjoyed a weekend wrapped in his arms, feeling the passion between them, listening to
Tyler's rich descriptions of their future together. Tyler loved her, but something was pulling him away, something more important to him than their love.
Her friends were right. Brandon loved her too, in his way. He might not be as romantic as Tyler, but perhaps if she gave him some encouragement…
“I could use the change of venue for a few days, I guess,” Regan told her friends, deciding the issue on the spot after fighting the idea for days. "The job does sound fantastic. I should at least go find out more about it, right?" She looked to them for reassurance.
“Right,” her friends agreed, nodding their heads and offering convincing smiles. Only Missy stayed quiet.
“Missy?”
“You should go, Ree. It’s just that I will miss you terribly,” her sister admitted reluctantly.
“I can go see Brandon and figure that out, too,” Regan continued.
“You’re making the right choice,” Sloane pushed, considering the conversation over.
“I do hate to leave LHRE with Tyler.” Regan hesitated once more. ”I deserve to be at the helm. I earned it.” Her friends nodded their agreement. “Still, anything is better than sitting here wondering.”
“No kidding,” Sloane announced in her blunt way, standing up and moving toward the sliding glass doors to the apartment. “Okay. We’re done crying. Let’s get you packed.”
Chapter Nineteen
Tyler
Tyler sat on the edge of the large leather wing chair, unable to relax back into its comfort. He looked around the room again, like a panoramic camera, shifting his eyes from the impressive desk in front of him to the view of the lake beyond, then scanning the walls of leather bound law books, the priceless artwork, the tastefully chosen rugs and furniture. The room was large, elegant and intimidating, as it was meant to be. For Tyler, the room represented scolding and lectures over a thirty-year period. He could not remember one happy moment in the space.
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