Chapter Eleven
Mae
Brad turned around with a scowl as I pulled into the driveway of Tyler’s childhood home. There were contractors hard at work, but I didn’t spot Tyler.
I turned off the car and reached for both trays of drinks from my coffee shop. It seemed only fair that I get everyone some caffeinated beverages before our day began.
Brad marched over and opened my door.
“I’d advise you to leave the drinks and head back home, Mae.” He looked pretty serious, but I wasn’t going to be scared away by a pair of crotchety humans.
I frowned and handed the trays to my brother. “It’s ten o’clock in the morning. What could possibly—” I stepped out of my car and heard the racket.
It wasn’t the nail being hammered, the saws being run, or the painters chatting that caused my spine to tingle. Instead, a shrill sound from the porch pricked my spine as I saw the door swing open and an older woman march outside with Tyler behind her.
I glanced at Brad and let out a breath.
“See what I’m talking about?” Brad asked under his breath.
The woman spun around and started cursing when Tyler spotted me and shot me a quick nod.
“This is nuts,” I muttered, grabbing a tray of drinks and walking toward Tyler and his mom.
As I got closer, it sounded like she was ranting about her husband losing. At what, I didn’t know.
Tyler’s eyes met mine over his mother’s shoulder, and a faint smile moved across his mouth.
“Drinks. I’ve got drinks for everyone.” I held the tray higher. “Whether you want cold, hot, sweet, not…” I cleared my throat. “I’ve got it all.”
“What? Who’s that?” Tyler’s mom turned to look at me.
“Hey, Mrs. Grant. You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Mae Evans. Nice to see you. I brought some coffee from my little café for everyone.”
Her cold eyes hopped from one drink to the next as Brad approached me with the other tray.
“What are you doing here?” she nearly snarled, but I only smiled wider.
“I’m here to hang out with Tyler.” I pushed the tray closer to her. “Would you like a caramel mocha or a plain coffee? I even brought one of my new menu items. It’s like drinking a caramel br?lée dessert. So delish.”
Her face soured. “Aren’t you that girl Tyler had a crush on? The one with all the sisters, and he picked the ug—”
Tyler’s eyes widened, and he dashed for the tray, interrupting his mom. “Which drink did you want, Mom? This was so nice of you, Mae. You didn’t have to do this.”
My stomach knotted into a tight ball. I knew the word about to roll from her tongue wasn’t going to be kind. I didn’t know why, and I honestly didn’t care.
I suddenly knew what was meant by killing them with kindness. The idea sounded amazingly sweet.
“I didn’t know Tyler had a crush on me, Mrs. Grant.” I grinned. “Good to know.”
She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. “I never knew why. I couldn’t understand it. The entire Evans family is so…”
It was like her brain stopped spinning as Tyler pushed a drink into her hand. “This one says caramel br?lée. Enjoy.”
Tyler’s eyes connected with mine. “I’m so sorry. This is just…”
I could see the horror and embarrassment in his gaze, which only made me want to stay longer. I didn’t care what she had to say about my family or me. We worked for each other, and that was what mattered. The same couldn’t be said for her, which was a shame.
“Just what I expected,” I assured him.
His mom’s brows knitted tighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Which coffee would your dad like?” I asked, looking into Tyler’s gaze that had settled on me.
“I’ll take him a mocha,” Tyler said, silently pleading with me to evacuate the premises. I could feel it, but I wouldn’t do it.
If she was this nasty with a stranger, I could only imagine what she’d do to the ones close to her. Maybe we’d be a buffer for Tyler.
“Do you realize our son doesn’t trust us to call a painter to paint our dang house? Instead, he’s picking paint colors and hiring men behind our backs.”
My brother cleared his throat and let out a sigh. “If my memory serves me right, he tried that route first, but the money he sent went to other things.”
She gave my brother an evil eye and sipped her drink.
“Anyway, I hope this brightened your day,” I told her, but she didn’t answer.
I glanced at Brad, who rolled his eyes as she turned slowly toward the door when Tyler returned.
“I’ll hand the rest of the drinks out to the guys,” Brad told me as Tyler’s mom walked back into the house. He took my tray and balanced it on his as he wandered through the yard.
“Thanks, Brad.” I let out a silent breath, so Tyler wouldn’t sense what was really pulsing through me—utter disgust for the woman he had to call Mom.
Tyler’s eyes stayed on me as I brought my gaze to his.
“I told you not to come,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that.”
“Your parents knew you had a crush on me?” I asked, ignoring all the other stuff.
He smiled and shook his head, rubbing his palm against his chin. “You caught that part, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s the only part that mattered.”
Tyler’s gaze roamed my expression, searching for something I didn’t recognize. After a few seconds, a smile touched his lips. “You still have it.”
I shook my head. “Have what?”
“The ability to make things seem okay.”
“Things are okay. Everything has its moment, and something new replaces it.” I winked at him, feeling the uneasiness drifting out of me when his mom left.
“So, what do we have to do to get you off the island?” I teased, reaching for his free hand as he drank from the cup of coffee.
I gave it a light squeeze and dropped it. “I brought my electric weed eater.”
His brows rose. “You did?”
“Of course. I wasn’t just going to stand around and look pretty. Although, that is apparently questionable to some.”
Tyler laughed and shook his head. “Mae, I’m so sorry. She’s a bitter woman. Always has been.”
I nodded, chuckling. “Considering all us siblings look alike, even Brad, I don’t think there’s a lick of truth to her statement. It was just low-hanging fruit.”
“I heard that,” my brother called out.
Tyler let out a deep breath and nodded. “How do you do it, Mae? How do you always stay positive, see the logic, not let it get you all riled up?”
My mind swirled with the questions as I brought my own drink to my lips and sipped.
Turning to face him, I smiled.
“Because I know one day, I’ll die happy.” I shrugged. “I’ll have lived a kind life, a fulfilling life. I don’t know. It probably sounds crazy.”
Tyler shook his head slowly, keeping his gaze fastened to mine. “Not at all, Mayflower. It sounds beautiful.”
Brad stumbled over, holding the empty trays. “So, what’s the plan? How can we help?”
“I’m going to weed-whack the mess along the road and driveway,” I told them both.
“Look at you go, Mae,” my brother teased.
I rolled my eyes and wandered toward the car as Brad and Tyler discussed removing more of the fire hazard inside the house and dumping it into the bins outside.
Now, that was a task I wouldn’t want, and I didn’t envy it, either. I set my drink on the top of the car and opened my trunk.
I grabbed my extension cord and electric weed eater as Brad grimaced and looked at the house while Tyler filled him in. I set the whacker on the drive and wandered over with the extension cord, holding it up.
“Where can I plug this in?” I asked.
“Right over here,” Tyler said, grabbing the end and reaching behind an overgrown azalea to reach the plug.
He seemed less tense than a few minutes ago, which made me feel happier about staying. Sometimes, friends didn’t know what was best for them until things were underway.
And that was what we were.
Friends.
Even though I secretly hoped for a kiss last night, I knew better. It wasn’t going to happen.
And I had to make peace with that.
Sharing a kiss with Tyler would probably only make things worse. With years of practice under his belt, I’d probably melt on the spot.
Shoot.
Even when he accidentally touched my hands or helped brush away some stray hairs, I nearly lost my mind. The electricity shooting between us couldn’t be missed. I could see it in his eyes last night.
We both wanted something we knew we shouldn’t have.
I shoved on my protective glasses, pulled on a sexy mask, and started the weed eater.
Nothing screamed kiss me like a woman dressed up in protective gear.
I looked at all the workers surveying the property and shook my head.
Shirts off, muscles gleaming, eyes sparkling, hard work happening. Audrey would be going nuts with all this testosterone around.
I should be enjoying the view in between taking down the weeds. Instead, I couldn’t help myself from stealing looks at Tyler as he hauled out stacks of papers, magazines, and things I couldn’t even figure out.
He’d rolled up the sleeves of a red and white plaid flannel shirt, exposing his strong forearms, that was untucked and hanging over a baggy pair of jeans.
Tyler looked sensational. There was no denying that he’d only gotten hotter as the years went by.
I revved the weed eater and demolished the overgrown crabgrass, dandelions, and giant hogweed lining the road, only stopping to glance at what Brad and Tyler were hauling out of the house.
Each time they came out of the house, their expressions looked even more sour than the last.
As I finished the weeding around the road, I started the patch along the driveway as Brad and Tyler took a break and discussed something with one of the contractors.
I wiped away a little bead of sweat along my hairline and returned to destroying the determined weeds that had enjoyed years of neglect on this property.
Right when I finished, Tyler wandered over to the overgrown azalea and unplugged the weed eater before making his way over.
Brad was leaning against his car, polishing off his water bottle, and I shoved my glasses back onto my forehead and pulled my mask down to my chin.
“How’s it going?” I asked Tyler as he approached.
His gaze locked on mine, and a smile touched his lips. “Better now.”
I tipped my head and grinned. “Why’s that?”
Tyler shrugged. “It’s kind of more fun hanging out with you than your brother.”
“Shh. Don’t tell him that.”
“I never have.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“Which part?”
“That you had a crush on me, and I had a crush on you.” I slid the protective glasses off my head and wiped away the sweat.
“And here we are, doing nothing about it.” He laughed, shaking his head.
“What could we possibly do?” I pretended I didn’t have a long list of options from years of fantasizing and pining over someone I couldn’t have.
He nodded and looked toward the water. “True.”
“Do you hate it here?” I asked, genuinely curious.
Tyler shook his head and turned to face me. “No. That’s the shitty part. I loved the island. I loved it back when I was a kid, and I love what it’s turned into now that I’ve returned.”
I nodded, wishing things could be different.
“Anyway, I have to take my dad to his physical therapy appointment, so…” He drew a breath and looked at my handiwork. “You’ve done so much, and I’d love to treat you to dinner tonight.”
“What about Brad?” I eyed my brother, who had a smirk on his face as he tossed the empty water bottle into his car.
“He’s got some hot date in Seattle.” Tyler’s smile widened. “So, how about it?”
“You’re only here for a few more days, right?”
Tyler nodded. “Afraid so.”
“Then how about I send you a list of groceries to pick up, and you meet me at my place later? I’ll cook dinner.”
“That hardly seems fair.” The intensity in his eyes made my stomach roil with excitement. “But I’ll take you up on it.”
“You’re a guest on our island.” I tapped his chest, feeling the hardness underneath my fingers. “It’s the kind thing to do, and who knows when you’ll be back next?”
Tyler smiled, glancing at Brad. “What time?”
“How about six?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. I look forward to it.” I nodded, smiling. “Give your mom my love.”
Tyler chuckled and shook his head. He took a step forward, closing the gap between us.
His gaze landed on mine, and I could see hesitation mixing with instinct as his eyes landed on my lips before stepping away with a slow smile.
Every single time he got close to me, it was as if every cell in my body simultaneously lit up and froze in place.
“See ya at six, and thanks for everything, Mae. It means more than you know.”
I nodded and waved at my brother before putting everything back in the car and taking off for home, wondering what I’d been thinking, inviting Tyler over.