Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series (27 page)

“Walk with me?” He held out his hand for me to take and began leading us down the street.

We walked three blocks before he stopped in front of a coffee shop. I wasn’t sure if it was the one that Garrett and the rest of cast were heading to, but I let Tyler lead me inside. He weaved through the small tables up front pulling me behind him as he strode with purpose to the back. There was a smaller, more intimate section of couches in a dark corner and Tyler stopped in front of them offering me a seat. “I’ll be right back.” He smiled a tight smile before turning on his heel and leaving me there.

I lowered myself onto the cushions, arranging my bag at my feet and the flowers on the table in front of me while I fidgeted with the nonexistent lint on my pants waiting for him to come back. It didn’t take long before he reappeared in front of me with two cups of coffee and a raspberry scone. “Thought you might be hungry after all the dancing,” he murmured as he sat down beside me.

“Thank you,” my voice was timid. The longer we sat there, the worse I felt about what was going on with him. I nibbled on the scone before releasing a deep breath and turning in Ty’s direction. After squaring my shoulders, I took another deep breath and prepared for whatever might come next. “Are you ok?” I waited as Ty sipped his coffee. I could see he was battling with something, and it looked as if he was trying to work up the courage to tell me.

“I quit my job last week,” he mumbled around the lip of the cup. That was not what I was expecting, and the news took me off kilter.

“Ok, can I ask why?” I placed the scone on the napkin and then on the table in front of us before clasping my hands in my lap. He was talking, and after I gave him such a hard time about hiding things from me, I didn’t want to give him a reason to stop.

“I’ll tell you everything.” He gave me a half smile before lifting his hand to cup my face. His thumb trailed over the apple of my cheek as his eyes begged me to listen. “You have to let me finish though before you say anything.” I pressed my lips together and nodded slowly demonstrating that I understood and agreed. “Some of this might not be easy to listen to. I’m not trying to upset you; I just want to warn you.”

“It’s ok,” I reached up to where he was still holding my cheek and placed my hand over his.

His hand fell away, but he didn’t let me remove my hand from his grasp. He turned his palm over and entwined our fingers as he took a deep breath. “Christina’s father was my boss at Hughes, Langstaff, and Roe. My biggest fear these last few months was that he would find out about the baby and fire me.” Tyler sucked in a deep breath as his grip on my hand tightened. “When Christina and I first started messing around, it was all for a good time. We both agreed that we didn’t want more than to just scratch the itch. It worked out for a while. I met her about a year after you left. I was hurt still and didn’t want a commitment.” He shrugged but refused to let go of my hand. “I thought being with her was the answer to what I’d been looking for.”

He looked into my eyes, and I saw the pain there. “I loved you, Mia. You hurt me so bad when you walked away. I never wanted to feel like that again. I guess being with Chrissi meant that I wouldn’t have to. She was uncomplicated when we first started out. I kept telling myself it was wrong, and if her father ever found out about us, it would be the end of my career. Chrissi always assured me that we were being careful though.” Ty rolled his eyes and shook his head in what appeared to be anger and disgust.

“The more I was with her, the less I thought about you. It soon became a drug for me. I’d go out, women would hit on me, and it gave me a rush. I could choose who I wanted in my bed, and I didn’t ever have to worry about being alone. If I didn’t bring someone home, I could call her and she’d come over.” He swallowed as he shifted in his seat. “I guess in some sick way I felt like I was getting back at you for leaving.” He peered up at me as he forced himself to go on. “When I saw you at the charity ball I had to know if you still cared. I couldn’t understand how you could just walk away after all the things we’d said to each other. You’d told me so many times that you loved me and wanted a forever with me. When Chrissi came walking up, and your face morphed right in front of me, I knew you still cared. I saw it plain as day written all over you. You still loved me, and seeing me with her hurt you. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to know that you were feeling just a little bit of what I’d had to deal with for those two years we were apart.” I tried to pull my hand from his grasp but he held tight.

“That moment though was the one that told me I still had a chance if I wanted it. You still felt something, and as long as I worked hard enough, I could probably get you back in my life. I wanted you there Mia, I still do.” He smiled before he lifted our joined hands in front of him and kissed the back of mine. “It wasn’t long after all of this that Chrissi showed up in my office to tell me she was pregnant. I didn’t believe her at first. Chrissi is used to getting what she wants, and I’d told her about my history with you. I figured the pregnancy was just her way of holding on, only it wasn’t. Then I thought maybe the baby was somebody else’s. I wanted it to be, and I guess in the back of mind, I thought if I didn’t talk about it, it would go away.”

Ty blew out a deep breath as he turned and reached to pull me closer to his side. We weren’t facing each other anymore, and instead looking out into the coffee shop. We were pressed together from shoulder to thigh, and I let my head fall onto his shoulder as I slumped against him. “I promise, it was never my intention to not tell you about all this, but I was afraid you’d run. I’d finally gotten what I’d wanted since you’d left. You were back, and you were letting me in again. I knew you’d push me away and never believe that I really wanted you if I told you about her.”

“So where does this leave us now?” I lifted my head to peer up at him.

“Well,” he chuckled. “I moved back home. That’s why we’ve been missing each other’s calls and stuff. I’m here for the night, but I don’t live here anymore.”

“What?” I gasped as I sat up straighter and turned to face him once again.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I told you I quit last week. Well, Chrissi told her father about the baby, and he all but insisted that I marry her. I don’t love her. I don’t want to marry her, so instead of letting him fire me, I quit.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Trev called me a while back, remember Mr. Dewy? He’s selling his practice. I bought it.” Ty smiled as he stared at me. “I’m gonna run it from Cherryville. He’s moving south to live with one of his sons, so I’m taking over the practice and buying the space above him for living quarters.”

“You’re what?” I blinked a few times trying to let it all sink in. This was more than I was prepared for, and I wasn’t sure how I should be reacting.

“I’ve got a room here, but yeah… I gave up city life. I came back to see you, and hand over the keys for my place to my realtor. It’s all been happening so fast that I really just haven’t had time to stop and breathe; that’s why you haven’t heard from me,” he chuckled as if he had lifted a weight off his shoulders.

“So what does this mean for us?” I whispered as I chewed this inside of my cheek.

“It means… I love you, too. I always have. It means I’m gonna do the right thing and sign those papers Chrissi sent me. I’ll be there for my child, but I’m not gonna be with her. We’ll figure it out. Cherryville is close enough to the city that I can spend weekends here. We can make this work. As for my son, I’ll see him when I’m here and he can spend summers with me or something. There are lots of adults that raise kids this way. It may not be ideal, but it’s what I have, and I plan to make it work. Being with Chrissi just for the sake of a baby wouldn’t be right. I want my son to get the best of me, and that’s only gonna happen if I’m with you. You bring out my best. You Mia. No one else makes me feel the way I feel when I’m around you. I know it may take some time, but I’m willing to wait. I’ll wait for as long as it takes, but please don’t make me wait forever.”

As the words died in the air, I couldn’t help but let the tears I’d been fighting through his entire confession fall freely down my cheeks. I’d been waiting for this moment, the moment where he was finally open and honest. We’d skated around the truth so much over the last several months that this was like our do over. “I love you, Mia,” he said the words again as he cupped both sides of my face in his hands. “I’ll always love you for as long as I’m breathing. Please tell me you want this as badly as I do.”

I nodded my head vigorously. “I do. I do, so much. I love you too Tyler. I love you too.” I rose up and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, causing his hands to slip down around my middle and hold me to him. His lips pressed against mine, and I as crawled onto his lap he slanted his head to take the kiss deeper.

All the anger, worry, and fear we’d held onto melted away as we finally gave into the second chance we’d been fighting so hard for. “Let’s take this somewhere a little more private,” Ty panted as he pulled back. “I’ve got some more making up to do, and I think my king-sized bed might be a better option than here,” he chuckled as he pecked my nose while I rolled my eyes.

“You do, huh?” I dragged a finger slowly down his chest stopping right at his belt.

He sucked in his stomach as a groan bubbled up, “Oh yeah.” He pushed me off his lap as he stood, grabbed my hand, and began dragging me behind him.

“Slow down!” I giggled as we weaved through the crowd before pushing out onto the street.

“Not a chance,” he shouted over his shoulder. “I’m never slowing down again.” He tugged me even with him and wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he grinned at me. “You, Miss Callahan, are stuck with me, and I plan to spend all night showing you why that’s a good thing… starting…right…now,” Tyler spun sideways, and before I knew what he was doing, he had me in his arms. I laughed as I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. I’d been in many men’s arms before as they spun me around a stage or dance floor, but none felt like this. This was a feeling I’d never tire of…ever.

5 Years Later…

“WHAT DO YOU
think?” I smiled as ruffled my son’s hair. We were right smack in the middle of Tiffany’s, and I was finally getting ready to do what I’d wait most of my life for. I don’t know why it took me so long. After moving back to Cherryville, Mia followed soon after. I don’t know why she decided to retire after working so hard to get back, but when the regular season ended, she hung up her toe shoes.

I’d been in Cherryville for a little over six months when one night she knocked on my door. She’d seemed so unsure of herself, but within weeks, we were slowly finding our way back. Things had been good for quite a while, but within the last month or so, she’s been leaving me hints. I’ve found jewelry magazines randomly placed around my apartment in places that she knows I’ll find them. She hasn’t said anything to me verbally, but I can tell she’s getting anxious. I’ve been too afraid ask her though. Things have been so great that I don’t want take a chance at something ruining it.

“It wooks great!” Greyson, my son, grasped the glass counter as he peered over at the sales lady that was helping me. It was just before summer, and I’d come into the city to pick him up from Christina. It was my turn for him to spend the summer with me, and I wanted him to feel like he was a part of this too.

Things were tough at first. I didn’t know the first thing about being a parent, and Chrissi worked ungodly hours. As I struggled to do things on my own in Cherryville, Chrissi had nannies and tutors taking care of Greyson. The first few years I wondered if it would ever get easier, and Sharron and Morgan, my sisters-in-law assured me that it would. They were right too. As Greyson began to grow into toddlerhood, things did get a little easier, but a new kinda hard emerged. He liked spending time with me, and whenever I would take him back to Chrissi’s, he would beg me to stay longer.

This was the first time I was going to get him for the entire summer, and knowing that time started today had me smiling like crazy. I couldn’t believe how much I’d dreaded this when I looked back at the way I’d felt when I found out about him. The fact that Mia has taken to him as if he were hers had helped tremendously. I thought there might be resentment or jealousy because he was a constant reminder that I’d been with Christina, but Mia took it in stride. Today, however, Greyson was going to help me give her the surprise of her life.

“You know you have to keep this a secret, right, buddy?” I glanced down at where he was dancing around my legs, and I couldn’t help but smile. Greyson might not have been Mia’s child biologically, but she sure had put her stamp on him.

“I know,” he chimed before pausing. “Does this mean Mama Mia is gonna be my real momma now?” He touched his index finger to his bottom lip in thought. I chuckled as the lady behind the counter smiled at us. Greyson had been calling Mia ‘Momma Mia’ since he was two. Chrissi didn’t want him calling anyone other than her, Momma, but she compromised when she heard him talk about Mia that way the first time. I don’t know why it bothered her so much, she was never home. His nanny, Susan, was more of mother than Chrissi.