The Acceptance
Page 15

“Well it did.” He moved in next to her. “Put your hands flat on the rock and I’m going to give you a boost.”
She set her hands on the flat of the rock and he grabbed hold of her hips and lifted her until she was on the rock. Then he boosted himself up.
He scooted back and guided her to sit next to him.
She closed her eyes again. “I think I could sit here forever. It’s so peaceful. The water. The breeze. The horses in the back. The sway of the fields.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever look at things the same way now. You see more than I do and I’m looking at it.”
“Close your eyes then,” she said and he did.
It was then he could hear the water lapping up the side of the rock. The grasses in the field swayed. And the horses sounded as if they were having a conversation back at the stable. The air was shifting and even through closed lids, he could see it was getting darker.
“Do you see it all now?” she asked.
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I do.”
“You’ve been very generous with your time today. I’m sure there were a million other things you needed to do.”
He interlaced their fingers. “Today you were my priority.”
“I appreciate that.” She let out a sigh. “Tomorrow things will be different. I suppose I’ll have my mother on my front step wanting to clean out my brother’s things.”
“Seems there would be plenty of time for that.”
“You’d think. But I know her.”
Tyler opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. “I should probably get you back.”
Her head dipped. “I don’t want to go back. Would you mind taking me home? To my home, I mean. It’s in the city, so if that’s a problem I can take a bus.”
He let out a snort. “Even if it were far away, it wouldn’t be a problem. I live in the city too. It won’t be an issue.”
“You live in the city? I didn’t realize you’d kept a place.”
“I didn’t. My aunt owned a house and would rent it out when she lived in New York. When my mom moved back to Nashville she lived there and when my uncle got divorced he moved in with her.”
“Sort of a family rental.”
He laughed. “Oh, yeah. It gets better. So my aunt moved back and her husband, who was the caretaker of the property for my dad’s company,” he shook his head. “Are you keeping up?”
“Of course. Your uncle worked for your father and they looked after the house and he lived there.”
“Damn, you’re better than I’d have been at that.”
“I don’t have a very significant distraction. I’m sure if I were looking at your handsome face I wouldn’t have caught any of that. But go on. I’m very intrigued about this house.”
“Okay. Well, they got married and the house was for rent again. My cousin Christian lived there and then my sister moved in. That was before we knew she was my sister.” It still sounded like a damn soap opera to him, even if it really wasn’t one. “I lived in the basement until I left on my trip.”
“Your trip of self discovery.”
“Yeah,” he said with the regret that he carried with it. “Anyway, Clara and Warner live somewhere else. Christian and Victoria live in the house Christian had built for them and,” he blew out a breath. “I’m back as the resident of the house.”
“It sounds like a magical place.”
“Magical?”
She nodded. “Your parents met and married. Your aunt married the man living in the house. Your sister is married. Your cousins are married.” She turned her head toward him. “Your uncle. Did he remarry?”
Tyler chuckled. “Yes. He remarried his ex-wife.”
“Magical,” she sighed.
He’d never thought about it that way, but she was right. Now he lived there and here was this amazing woman.
Tyler shifted from his position on the boulder and slid down until his feet hit the water. “Oh! We’ve been up there longer than I thought.”
He reached for Courtney’s hand and eased her down. “It is a bit colder, isn’t it?” She gasped as her feet hit the water.
Tyler steadied her with his hands on her hips. As though instinct kicked in, she reached for his arms and then slid her hands up to his shoulders.
“Thank you for sharing your spot with me,” she said with her voice light.
“My pleasure.”
He took her hand and led her out of the creek.
Courtney was quiet in the car, but she was a sight sitting there in her bright yellow dress with a yellow rose tucked in her hair from his grandmother’s rose garden. He figured there was no harm in taking one since she’d already left for the night.
As he neared the neighborhood she’d directed him to, he shifted a look her way again. “Have you heard from your parents? Do you need to call them and let them know you’re safe?”
“When they realize I’m gone they’ll call.”
“It’s been hours.”
“I know.” She rested her head back against the seat.
Tyler knew that if his mother had known how to reach him while he was gone she’d have called multiple times a day. His father would have as well. Oh, who was he kidding? Every member of his family would call him. It had only been Spencer whom he kept in touch with and that was briefly, too.
He turned down the street she’d told him and slowed.
“Fourth house on the left,” she said.
He looked for the numbers she’d given him. “You live here?” he asked looking at the house that nearly mirrored his own.
“Yes. For now I do.”
“I live six blocks away.”
She turned to him now with a smile. “You’re near.” Her voice had lifted.
“I am. I can’t believe we live this close to each other.”
“Fate, Tyler.”
“I’m beginning to believe it.”
Tyler pulled up in front of the house and put the car in park. “I’ll walk you up,” he said just as her cell phone rang with a song he wasn’t familiar with.
“It’s my mother. She noticed.”
“I can wait.”
She shook her head. “No, I’ll let myself in.” She leaned across the car and held her hand out until she found his face. While her phone still rang she pulled him toward her and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you for saving me today.”