Taking her cue from Harmony, she dressed in one of her looser t-shirts and a pair of jeans. She left off the heels and opted for a pair of stacked flip flops. She left her hair down, and it waved nicely. She was so tired of tying it back all week.
She heard Ty when he arrived. She couldn’t help it. His deep voice rumbled a greeting from the open French doors and her body tingled. The shuffle of little feet met her ears and a pretty little girl soon stood in front of her. She had blond hair and big blue eyes, which she must have gotten from her father. She had dimples, though. Just like her uncle.
“Hi, there,” Cassie said.
“Hi.” The little girl peered up at her, her lower lip poked out a little. “I’m Riley.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Riley.”
“Riley, where’d you run off to?” An older woman who could only be Ty’s mother stepped out onto the patio. “There you are, angel.”
Ty’s mother placed a hand on Riley’s head, love in her eyes that looked so much like Ty’s. Then she met Cassie’s gaze. “I’m Sharon Walsh. Ty’s mother.”
“Hello, Mrs. Walsh.” Cassie held out her hand, which Ty’s mother shook. “I’m glad you could come today.”
“We were so happy to be invited.”
Harmony called her over and she smiled at Cassie and made her way to where Rick and Harmony sat at the table. Cassie knew when Ty approached. She could smell him.
“Hey, Cassie.”
She ran her gaze up his worn jeans and another Henley stretching across his wide chest to his smiling face. God, those dimples.
“Hey, Ty.”
Ty put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “How are things going at the Sales Center?”
She snorted. “I don’t think a career in sales is in my future. I’ve always been more of a buyer.”
Ty grinned and she swallowed.
“I’m sure your brother will give you some time to get used to it.”
“I guess.” His eyes flicked over to the backyard, where Nick was showing Riley his fleet of trucks parked on the grass. “Your niece is adorable.”
“Thanks.”
She waited for him to say more but he just brought his gaze back to hers.
“You don’t get to see her much?”
“Cassie, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Brr. She’d never heard that tone in his voice but she didn’t take it personally. She knew it came from a place of pain. And let’s face it, she had no clue how to deal with real emotions.
“Okay.”
She turned away from him and joined her family on the patio. As her brothers greeted Ty, he seemed to recover what she was coming to think of as his usual charm and friendliness. He hardly took his eyes off of his niece, though. And when the little girl crawled up on his lap to eat from his plate, there was no way Cassie could ignore the love in his expression.
Her stomach sank. She’d seen that love a few times since she’d come down to Cypress Corners. A lot of times, actually. In Rick’s eyes when he was with Nick and Harmony. In Jake’s eyes when he looked at Claire. It was pure and warm.
Nodding at something Claire said, Cassie sipped at her lemonade. It was tart and sweet, and just like the feeling settling in her stomach.
She’d never had that kind of love. That was for sure. And right now, she doubted she ever would.
Chapter 8
Ty took his mother’s Camry Sunday afternoon, with Riley buckled into her car seat in the back. He couldn’t seem to shake himself out of the funk he’d found himself in despite being surrounded by friends and family that afternoon. He was still kicking himself even now for the way he’d dismissed Cassie’s innocent question. He knew it was due to the frustration he felt every time he anticipated bringing Riley back to her father’s.
Cassie had looked both sweet and hot today, too. He loved her hair when it was loose. It made her look so much more open and he wondered just how much he could get her to open up to him. She had her secrets but, after the way he’d all but snapped at her today, he doubted she’d share them with him any time soon.
“Did you have fun at Rick and Harmony’s, honey?”
“Yeah. Nick’s fun.”
Ty smiled and glanced in the rearview mirror. “Nick had fun with you too, I think.”
“Can we go there again, Uncle Ty?”
“Sure.”
Riley was humming some tune he didn’t recognize and he was so grateful that she could be such a happy child. That meant she didn’t pick up on his and his mother’s worry all weekend. He would do anything to shield the little girl from any pain, and that meant the emotional kind too.
The drive from Cypress Corners to St. Cloud took about ten minutes. Hank lived in a big Victorian in the heart of the city. It was set near the lakefront and, to hear Hank tell it, it had been in his family since the area was settled. Ty didn’t know about that but he knew the guy’s family had deep roots in the city. Any hint of trouble with the law always seemed to be swiftly swept under the rug for him, since most of the officials were drinking buddies of Hank’s. So Hank’s record was pristine, even if Ty chose to delve into it. He partied hard and always had. There had probably been another blowout at his place since Riley had been out of his hair all weekend.
Tamping down his anger, Ty pulled down one of the state-named streets toward the lake. Even though he’d grown up here, it always seemed odd that the cross streets in the city were named for states of the union. Almost without exception.
“Is Daddy home?” Riley piped up from the backseat.
“I think so,” Ty answered.
“Mommy Linda was sad yesterday.”
“She was?”
“Yeah. She was sad because she was leaving.”
“Linda left?”
“To visit her sister. Um, I think.”
Ty puzzled over that. Linda was about the same age as Hank, approaching fifty. Could her sister have health issues? He doubted Riley would know anything about that, so he let the subject drop. He just hoped Linda was home to greet Riley. The little girl was growing attached to her even if Linda didn’t seem to encourage it much. She was caring to an extent but always seemed to keep Riley at arms’ length.
Ty pulled the car into the big driveway in front of the house. It did have a prime spot on a rise, directly across the street from the lake. It was a Sunday, so the lakeshore park was bustling with families enjoying the April afternoon. Both the playground and the beach were crowded and apparently people were making use of the charcoal grills to make their Sunday dinner.
Pulling to a stop, he took out the key and sat for a minute. This brooding wasn’t like him. And quite frankly, it was starting to piss him off.
“Okay, munchkin. Let’s get you home.”
He unbuckled Riley and set her down on her feet, and then grabbed her pink Minnie Mouse backpack. Riley took it and scampered toward the house, coming to a stop when Hank stepped out onto the wide front porch.
“Hey there, Walsh,” the man said.
Ty looked over at his sister’s ex. Hank was built like most of the good old boys in town. Broad and tall but starting to show a paunch in the middle. He had a head full of salt and pepper hair and a trim beard. He ran the feed store on the main street in the city, another thing that had been passed down through generations. His was the busiest in town, and Ty suspected that more than grain and feed was distributed out of the back of the place.
“Hey, Hank.”
There was no love lost between them and Ty managed to just be civil in front of Riley.
“Hey there, baby girl,” Hank said to Riley.
Riley ran up to him and hugged Hank’s leg with one arm. Ty looked for affection in Hank’s expression but the guy was very hard to read.
“Go on in and see Mommy Linda.” He touched her hair, and then stepped back. “She missed you.”
Riley turned to Ty. “Bye, Uncle Ty!”
And in the next moment she disappeared into the big house, the w
ooden screen door banging shut behind her.
“What’s the schedule this week, Hank?” Ty asked.
Hank pursed his lips, dragging a hand over his buzz cut. “Don’t know as yet, Walsh. Give me until midweek. I’ll let you know when you can have the girl.”
Ty’s lips thinned but he didn’t argue. There was no point. Florida had no such thing as child custody but instead had time-sharing. And Hank shared no more than the time he wanted to with Tracy’s family. As Riley’s closest relative, he held all the cards.
“Okay.”
His gut roiling, Ty got back in his mother’s car and drove back to Cypress. He’d been investigating how to get Riley a more permanent place in their family almost since Tracy died. There was no such term as “custody” in the Florida Statutes nor was there a primary or secondary residential parent designation in the Florida Statutes. With Tracy gone there was no one Hank had to develop a “parenting plan” with to organize Riley’s time and visitation. They were pretty much at his mercy and Ty would try his damnedest to make sure they stayed on the guy’s good side, even if the guy was about as friendly as a hungry gator.
As Ty approached Cypress he pulled his thoughts away from Riley and the mess Tracy left behind and focused on making up to Cassie for the way he’d spoken to her. Hell, he’d all but ignored her all afternoon.
He’d been surprised to see how easily she interacted with Nick now, given the stiffness he’d seen when he’d dropped her off last week. Kids were like that, though. They wore down your defenses and wormed their little ways into your heart. Riley certainly had. With the first grasp of his finger in her tiny hand.
By the time he walked into the house he shared with his mother, he’d made up his mind to go right back out. Where, he wasn’t quite sure. Maybe he’d spend the night out at the tent-cabin.
“Mom?” He hung the keys to her car on one of the hooks by the door to the garage. “Where are you?”
“In here, Ty.”
He found her on the couch in the great room, thumbing through one of her decorating magazines. To his eyes she looked tired but not exhausted. The day had done her good, to be out in the fresh air among friends. And Riley. Ty knew how great she felt after time with Riley, even if caring for the little girl could sometimes be too much for her physically.
“Riley is back at Hank’s. Safe and sound.”
“You’re so good with her.”
“It’s easy.” Ty stretched out on the couch beside her. “You had a good time at Rick and Harmony’s.”
She smiled at him. “They’re such nice people, your friends. And that Cassie is certainly a beauty.”
“Yes. She is.”
“Lettie said you’ve been squiring her around town?”
Ty arched his brows. “Squiring? Hardly. I picked her up at the airport.”
“And drove her home after dinner last week?”
“Mom, are you keeping tabs on me?”
She chuckled and waved a hand. “Not keeping tabs, no. I’m just stating the obvious.”
“The obvious? And just what is that?”
“You like her. And she likes you, Ty. I saw the way she looked at you. Like she was thirsty and you were a glass of sweet tea.”
He winced. “Mom!”
His mother shrugged. “I can’t blame the girl. You’re quite delicious, according to Lettie.”
“Jeez.” Ty blew out a breath. “Listen. Cassie is Rick and Jake’s little sister. I was just helping out my friends.”
His mother slanted him a look. “If you say so.”
Ty grumbled and came to his feet. “I’m going out, Mom. Do you need anything?”
“Nope. I’m fine.” She took a breath and slowly let it out, a smile on her face. “As much as I miss Riley, I’m enjoying the peace and quiet now that our little spitfire is back at her father’s.”
“I’m thinking about staying out at the tent-cabin tonight.”
“Go.”
His mother continued to read her magazine.
“You have my cell number?” he asked.
She slid him a look. “Yes, son. I’ll call if I need you.”
Ty took her at her word and headed back out to the garage. He had no idea where he was going when he got into his truck. That was, not until he drove past Rick’s house and saw the slight figure sitting alone on the porch swing.
He pulled up to the curb and stepped out, coming around slowly as Cassie watched him. She was barefoot, one leg tucked under her as she slowly pushed the swing back and forth in the coming twilight.
“Ty.” Her voice was as soft as the light around her. “I didn’t expect to see you back here.”
Ty shrugged. “I feel like I need to apologize for earlier.”
She tilted her head, that beautiful hair of hers brushing over one shoulder. “For what?”
He leaned against the railing and faced her. They were alone, and little ears were far way right now. “For being a dick.”
She laughed softly. “When, exactly, were you a dick?”
“This afternoon. You asked about how often we get to see Riley. I snapped at you.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes, you did. You also ignored me all afternoon.”
He tilted a smile at her. “Believe me, I didn’t ignore you. I watched you. I couldn’t keep from watching you.”
“That’s a little creepy,” she teased. “I watched you, too. With Riley. You’re wonderful with her.”
“I love her. We just don’t get to have her often enough.”
Cassie’s brows knit a little bit. He could tell she wanted to ask him for details but was holding herself back. He could guess the reason. She was afraid he was going to snap at her again.
“Come for a ride with me?” he asked.
***
Cassie stared up at Ty, easily reading the sincerity on his face. He didn’t play games, like so many of the guys she’d known all her life. That was a little scary at the moment. She wasn’t used to straight-shooting and had no idea how to fire back.
She ran her eyes from his running shoes up over his worn jeans and dark green t-shirt to the top of his sun-streaked head. He looked really good there, leaning against the porch railing. Here to see her and apologize, though there wasn’t any need. There was a tenseness between his eyes, though. And she could guess it didn’t have anything to do with his supposed rudeness earlier today.
“A ride to where, Ty?”
He shrugged. “The far lakeshore?”
She laughed softly as she came to her feet. “You want to make out in your truck, don’t you?”
The grin he gave her brought out his dimples. “Now, why would you think that?”
She came closer, close enough to smell his fresh scent. She thought about the last time they were alone and her body heated. She’d never felt like this around a guy before. It was a little unsettling.
She slid on her new Keds. They were pretty comfortable for such plain little things.
“Let me just tell Rick I’ll be out.”
Ty groaned. “Your brother is going to kill me. I’m sure of it.”
Now she laughed out loud. She went inside to find her brother and Harmony curled up on the couch. “Hey, I’m going out with Ty for a little while.”
Harmony’s brow furrowed for a second, and then she smiled. “You don’t have a curfew, Cassie. Right, Rick?”
Rick scowled. “Yeah, right.”
Cassie flashed her brother a smile and went back out onto the porch. Ty was still standing there, tall and lean and patient. She didn’t know what to expect, since he looked like he really needed to talk. But she would bet her Jimmy Choo bag that they’d end up in his tent-cabin before too long.
“So let’s go,” she said.
He nodded and waved her ahead of him. He was quiet as he drove her through the village, but he wasn’t a chatty guy. His hands gripped the wheel and Cassie knew whatever was bothering him was important. She suspected it was about his niece but she couldn�
�t be sure. No real friends meant no real heart-to-hearts about anything that mattered. She had no experience with sharing.
“Thanks for coming with me,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I not good company and my mom is a little tired.”
She smiled at his turn of phrase. “Not good company, huh? What did I do to get so lucky?”
He laughed, his shoulders easing a little bit. “You’re good for me, you know that?”
That struck her speechless. She’d never been good for anyone. Not really. A good time maybe, but she knew that wasn’t what Ty was talking about. She fell silent like he was as the truck made its inevitable way to the far lakeshore.
Pulling the truck to a stop in front of the tent-cabin, Ty shut off the ignition. Tension still radiated from him. She was at a loss when it came to conversation but she could just guess what might ease a little bit of his rigidity.
“Ty,” she said, reaching over to touch his hand.
He stared at her fingers, gently stroking over his. “Cassie, I…” He swallowed audibly. “I shouldn’t have brought you out here.”
She tilted her head. “Then why, exactly, did you?”
He turned to face her fully. His brows were drawn together over his eyes and his lips parted. “I needed to talk, I guess.”
She smiled. “Talk, huh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
He visibly eased a little bit more. “Okay, I thought we could get a little tangled, too.”
She couldn’t help but remember his admission the last time they’d been alone together. Leaning closer to him, she reached out to push her fingers through his hair until she held his head in her hands. “Let’s get tangled, Ty.” Bringing her face to his, she brushed his mouth gently with hers. “We can talk…after.”
Chapter 9
Ty growled softly and grabbed her to him. His arms wrapped around her and he was strong against her. His body was still rigid, though. She could guess what was bothering him but he was the strong, silent type. She’d seen that before. Even when he was flashing those adorable dimples she could feel it. But now? With him so close against her? She wanted to make him lose a little bit of that control she knew he held onto so tightly.
Cypress Corners Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Page 41