A Beautiful Funeral (The Maddox Brothers #5) - Jamie McGuire Page 0,8
else looking at this picture must think Tommy belongs to the milkman. Only people who know us recognize that he looks like Mom.”
Tyler grimaced. “I know you’ve already told me once, but tell me again, Taylor. Tell me you didn’t know who he was when you swung.”
I tried not to get defensive, but holding back was hard when he was asking me to explain why I’d knocked out the mayor’s son for touching my wife’s ass at a bar. Tyler knew as well as I did that he would have done the same thing. Maddox boys didn’t stop to ask the importance of someone before putting them in their place.
“The mayor just moved here a couple of years ago,” I said. “How was I supposed to know who his douchebag son is?”
Tyler’s frown didn’t budge. “This isn’t just a fuck up, Taylor. I don’t know how I’m going to get you out of it this time.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “This time? You act like you’ve been bailing me out my entire life. I think it’s been a give and take.”
Tyler’s shoulders fell. “Okay then, it’s my turn, and you’ve fucked me out of it. My hands are tied.”
“Maybe that cocksucker shouldn’t have grabbed my wife’s ass.”
Tyler leaned back, huffing his impatience. “He tripped.”
I clenched my teeth and white-knuckled the arms of my chair, trying to keep from leaping across the desk at my brother. “Don’t repeat his fucking lies to me, Tyler. I saw it with my own eyes and so did half the crew. Jubal, Zeke, Sugar, Jew, Cat, and Porter all put their jobs on the line to vouch for me. They knew the mayor wanted them to say different in their statements.”
Tyler glared at me for a minute, but his expression melted away. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“So … what? I’m done?” I asked.
“We both are.”
My brows pulled together. “What do you mean? They can’t fucking do that. How can they do that?”
“They didn’t. I handed in my resignation this morning. Looks like it’s the last day for both of us.”
My chest felt heavy, and I puffed out a breath in disbelief. “Are you fucking with me?”
Tyler shook his head. “We started out together. We go out together, right?”
I shook my head, feeling tears burn my eyes. I remembered how proud Tyler was when he received word of his promotion, how proud Ellie was, and how happy we all were when we celebrated that night. He was the best man for the job. He took care of the guys like he took care of me. “You don’t deserve this. You worked hard for that desk.”
Tyler stood up and walked around the table. He held out his hand, and when I grabbed it, he yanked me to my feet. “It’s just a desk. You’re my brother.”
He hugged me, and my forehead fell against his shoulder. I tensed, keeping all the hurt and pain I’d felt since Falyn left and for losing my job—in addition to my guilt for Tyler losing his job, too—from flooding out of me in an uncontrollable release of emotion.
“I guess we can quit lying to Dad and really be insurance salesmen now.” He hooked his arm around my neck and rubbed his knuckles on the top of my head with his free hand. “C’mon. We’re going to be okay. Let’s go break it to the guys.”
“Hey, uh …” I began. “I’m going to have to find something else quick.”
“Why?”
“Falyn’s moving back with the kids.”
Tyler’s mouth fell open, and he stepped back, socking my arm with the side of his fist. “Are you serious, brother? That’s awesome!”
I shifted my weight, crossing my arms across my middle. “The kids aren’t happy in the springs. I told her to take the house.”
“Oh.”
“So I’m on the hunt for an apartment.”
He made a face. “That’s not as good of news as I thought.”
“Me neither.”
Tyler put his hand on my shoulder. “You want to stay with Ellie and me?”
“Nah,” I said. “Thanks, though.”
“You guys love each other. You’ll work it out.”
I looked down, chills running over my entire body. “If she loves me, then why did she leave me?”
That gave Tyler pause, and he squeezed his fingers into my skin. “We’re crazy as fuck. It takes balls for those women to love us. And … sometimes it takes losing someone to finally have the courage to grow into the person they deserve.”
My chest concaved, and I puffed out a breath as if Tyler had just punched