Hammered (Blue Bay Crew #3)- Cathryn Fox Page 0,63
find a place so he can buy the place.”
I put the notebook full of his dreams and aspirations back into the glove box, safe and sound. I hope he does get to fulfil it. I’ve seen him with the kids, and he’s a natural. The respect and adoration on their faces filled my heart with warmth. “I really love how you guys all care for each other so much. You’d all sacrifice to make the other one happy, wouldn’t you?”
“Isn’t that what family does?”
I nod, thinking of my brother as I stare out the window. A comfortable silence surrounds us as he drives. After a few minutes, he turns down the road leading to the cabin. Our little home for the time being. I smile as I consider the way we’re playing house, our evenings fishing on the lake, and nights falling in bed together, our mornings around the small breakfast table. It’s straight out of a Norman Rockwell calendar, and everything I expected in this small town. I angle my head and take in Tyler’s handsome features in the dashboard light.
He glances at me. “I hope you’re not too tired.”
Assuming he has sex on the brain, I say, “Never too tired for you, Ty.”
His soft chuckle warms me from the inside out, and I look forward when we drive past an abandoned car along the gravel road. “Whose car is that?” I ask.
He doesn’t speak, instead he looks straight ahead and I sit up a bit straighter. What the heck is going on and why isn’t he answering me. As we approach the cabin, I spot two more vehicles. My nerves leap, and Tyler reaches for my hand again.
“It’s okay, Haven. This is just your surprise.”
My gaze jerks to him. “What are you talking about? What surprise? You never said anything about a surprise.”
“If I did, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” He stops the truck and puts it in park. He rests his hand on the back of my seat, and lightly runs his fingers through my hair. “Remember you said you never had a sleepover as a child, no s’mores over the fire.” He reaches behind the seat and produces a paper bag. I glance in and see a s’mores kit.
“Tyler,” I say, my heart crashing against my ribs, and when I hear my name being called and turn to see the kids from his gym all standing by the cabin waiting for us, tears pound behind my eyes. He did this for me? He set up this surprise because I missed out on it as a child. I resist the urge to pinch myself because guys like Tyler, they’re too good to be true, right? Once again, I wait for the ball to drop, for something bad to happen. It’s in my nature to worry when things are going too well.
“Hey, I thought this would be fun,” he says, misreading my reactions for the very first time. “But if you don’t want to it’s fine…I mean, the kids love you, and like you said, they’re sort of my family, and since my family is your family when you’re here—”
I hold my hand up to stop his worried ramblings. “I love this.” I sniff and shake my head. “I just can’t believe you arranged this. I’m just a little overwhelmed here. No one has ever done anything like this for me before. You’re the sweetest guy.”
“There you go again,” he says, to lighten my mood, no doubt.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
His grin is wide, but there is loving concern in his tone when he asks. “You ready or do you need a minute?”
I swipe the tears about to spill and take a breath. “I’m ready.”
I grab my purse and when we exit the vehicle, and the kids come running over. “Haven, come sit by me,” Amber says as Tyler hands her the s’mores kit. “I have this soft blanket we can sit on.”
“Just give me a minute to get changed,” I say and under the guise of slipping into something more comfortable, I disappear inside to gather myself, while Tyler takes a moment to chat with the parents who’ve dropped them off. I’m being rude. I should be out there making an appearance, saying hello to the people trusting me enough to hang out with their kids, but I just need a second.
I hurry to the loft, and open my purse, in search of a bit of lipstick and blush. When I do,