Tyler's Undoing (14 page)

I WALKED INTO the living room and found Tyler sitting on the couch, holding his head in his hands. Immediately, when he heard me enter the room he lifted his head and got to his feet.

Silent tears streamed down my face as I went to his side and took his hand, pulling him back down on the couch with me. His warmth seeped into my body as I curled in against him, laying my head on his shoulder. I breathed him in . . . his scent was comforting. I didn’t even have to ask him to hold me because he already had his arm sliding across my shoulders, pulling me closer.

“I’m sorry, Kacey,” he murmured, kissing me gently above my ear. “If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. Right now I don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

“Do you need to call anyone else to let them know?”

As much as I wanted to tell him about my family, I just couldn’t do it right now. I didn’t want to let him go yet. “No,” I lied. “There’s no one else who needs to know. Everything goes to me.”

“What about the house? Are you going to stay here?”

Noncommittally, I shrugged my shoulders and took in all of Nana’s things around the room. The house was paid for, so it’d be stupid to put it on the market. I didn’t want to sell her stuff or leave, but for the time being I needed to get away.

“I think I’m going to find somewhere else to stay for a while, after everything gets settled. Leaving Vegas isn’t an option though. Bree and I still have to open our restaurant.”

Gently, Tyler brushed the hair off my face and turned my chin so I’d have to face him. “If you need a place to stay, you can always stay with me.”

Abruptly, I shook my head. “Tyler, that’s really not a good idea. We barely know each other.”

“Well, if you’d let me explain, you might change your mind. Just listen okay?”

He only wanted to help and I could see it in his eyes. Nodding, I took a deep breath and motioned for him to continue.

“I have a pool house that’s separate from the main one. It has a bathroom, small kitchen, and a bedroom—it’s more like a studio apartment. If you’d prefer, I can even charge rent.”

The offer was intriguing, but it was too much to think about at the moment. I just needed to get through the next few days without breaking down. “Thanks, Tyler. Right now I’m going to stay here for the week, until all of the affairs get taken care of. Can I let you know?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need.”

About that time, Cindy came into the room and hung up her phone. “The coroner will be here in just a couple of minutes,” she explained. “Do you want to stay at my house tonight?”

“No, that’s okay,” I told her. “I’ll be fine. I need to get used to being alone anyway.”

She nodded her head and strolled off into the kitchen. It was the sad truth . . . I was alone.

“I can stay with you if you want,” Tyler murmured. “I don’t want to leave you by yourself. Especially after the kind of night you had.”

Tilting my head, I sighed. “I’d appreciate that. I can’t say I’ll be good company, but you’re more than welcome to stay.”

Tyler squeezed me around the shoulders and then let me go before getting to his feet. “I’ll be right back then. I need to get my phone out of the truck and make some calls.”

When I nodded, he walked into the kitchen and said something to Cindy and shook her hand. They talked for a few minutes, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I didn’t have the motivation to get up and join them, so I laid down on the couch and felt my back pocket crinkle.

The letter.
I’d almost completely forgotten about it.

Pulling it out of my back pocket, I slid my finger underneath the flap and tore it across. My heart thumped harder and louder as I reached in and lifted out the piece of paper containing my grandmother’s last words. Swallowing hard, I unfolded the letter.

My lovely Kacey,

There is so much I want to say to you, but sometimes I feel as if my mind has already left me and I can never remember what I wanted to say. Thankfully, God has helped me today. In fact, I feel like I’m twenty-four again, just not with the long blonde hair and the perfect body. If I could choose any one thing I want you to know, it’s that I have never been more proud of anyone, as I am of you.

The day I visited you in the hospital after you were born, I knew you were special. I could see it in those precious eyes of yours. Please remember this, Kacey. You’re strong and you’re genuinely kind. You left your entire life behind, just so you could take care of me. This is just one of the many reasons why I’ve left you something (not even your grandfather knew I had). I was always told to make sure I had a plan for a rainy day, and I know you’re about to have plenty of them.

In the spare bedroom, underneath the third floorboard to the left, there will be a notch to where you can slip your finger under it. Once you lift it up a little ways, you can pull the whole board up. Inside you’ll find a box that will help you through the hard times. Follow your dreams, sweetheart.

If there’s one thing I ask of you it’s to live your life to the fullest. Your grandfather told me last night that your new beau will take care of you. I believe him, which is why it’s easier to finally let go . . . but I’m also a firm believer on taking care of yourself. Spend your nights doing things that young kids do, instead of slaving away to earn your keep. You don’t need to do that anymore. You took care of me, now I’m going to take care of you. I love you, Kacey.

Love always,

Nana

“Kacey, are you okay?” Tyler asked, kneeling in front of me.

I hadn’t even realized he was standing there. Wiping away my tears, I quickly nodded and jumped off the couch, heading straight for the spare bedroom. “Come with me,” I offered.

When I got into the spare room, I looked down at the third floorboard to the left and got down on my knees. The notch she spoke of was tiny, so I stuck my pinky inside and lifted as hard as I could—the board moved. Once I had it in my grasp, I moved it to the side and took a deep breath . . . she was right, there was a box. It was a golden encrusted jewelry box that looked to be older than my grandmother and her mother before that.

“What are you doing?” Tyler asked softly.

“Here,” I said, passing him the letter. “My grandmother wrote it today. She told me she left me something here, and I came to check it out. Her mind had started to get worse these past few weeks so I didn’t know if it was true or not.”

Furrowing his brows, he took the letter and peered down into the hole. “What’s in it?”

Gently, I lifted the jewelry box out of the hole and set it on the floor. It was dusty from years of not being moved.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “I guess it’s time I found out.”

My fingers shook as I lifted the top of the jewelry box, revealing its many contents inside. Eyes wide, I shut it back and peered up at Tyler, completely in shock.

“Holy hell,” was all I could say.

One Week Later

NOW THAT HER grandmother’s affairs had been settled, things had finally started to calm down. She quit her job at the bar, much to Bree’s dislike, but she was determined to live her life according to her grandmother’s wishes. Besides, what she left in the box helped ease Kacey’s worries and put her ten steps closer to reaching her goal. She was
so
close.

Kacey was completely different from any of the girls I’d met. She let me see her pain and wasn’t ashamed, she owned it and fought when it threatened to drag her down. That was the kind of person I needed in my life. Kacey was a born fighter, strong-willed and genuine. If only I could get her to stop being so stubborn and let me help her. It was infuriating how hard-headed she was, but then my father said I was the same way.

Today, however, I showed up at Kacey’s house and told her to get in the car, along with her grandmother’s ashes. There was something she wanted to do and I was going to make sure it happened for her.

“Did you know she had that much money saved up?” I asked as I drove down the deserted, dusty road.

Dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a small green T-shirt, she was so fucking beautiful with her blonde hair thrown up in a ponytail and no makeup on. I wouldn’t say she was completely innocent, but she was close. She was also way out of my league. I had never attracted girls like her, and for the first time in my life, I couldn’t treat her like I did with every other female I’d been with—nor did I want to.

This whole week I’d spent every free moment with her, helping her sort through her grandmother’s things. Never in a million years would I have imagined ever doing that for a female. Even at night when we were alone in her room sleeping together, I kept my distance and held her, trying so fucking hard to keep my dick from poking her in the back. I wanted her . . . but it wasn’t the right time.

“I had
no
idea. If she hadn’t said anything, it would’ve stayed under the floor, untouched.”

In the box, there wasn’t just an insane amount of cash, but also some jewelry, including the antique sapphire ring she currently had on her ring finger. There were also some old photos of her grandparents, as well as pictures dating back hundreds of years. Apparently, the ring she wore was not just antique, but ancient. It was passed down from mother to daughter for centuries.

I was pretty sure if she sold that ring, she would get the last amount of money she needed to open her restaurant and then some. It was important to her—as it should be—so it didn’t surprise me when she said she wanted to work for the rest of the money. She was looking for a day job and it just so happened I had the perfect one for her. I just needed to wait for the right time to ask her.

It wasn’t long before the air field came into view and I turned into the parking lot, passing dozens of commercial planes, gliders, and helicopters, until we reached the one we were going to be flying in.

“What are we doing here?” Kacey asked, clutching the black and silver urn in her lap.

“We don’t have to go if you’re not ready to, but I know you said that your grandmother wanted her ashes to be spread across the Grand Canyon.”

Gazing down at the urn, she nodded and smiled. “I’m surprised you remember that. I didn’t think you were paying attention.” She talked a lot in the past week and I made sure to listen to every detail.

“So what, us fighters don’t have compassion now?” I asked, opening the car door. “Don’t you think it’s time you put those preconceived notions out of your head? I’m not completely worthless you know.” I winked at her to let her know I was kidding, but she’d been around me enough this week to start feeling more comfortable.

“Oh, I know you’re not worthless,” she teased. “I think it’s a good idea to go ahead and get this over with. It’ll finally be the end. She would want me to move on and concentrate on myself.”

“And by concentrating on yourself, I hope you mean to let me take you out on a real date. I’m still waiting for that third date.”

Elbowing me in the side, she chuckled. “Yes, I promise. I know you’ve been patient with me on all fronts, but after today it’ll all be different. You’ll see.”