Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mae
“Audrey, it was the cutest thing ever. This baby goat literally climbed into my lap and took a bottle from me. The bottle was huge, but nonetheless, it was a bottle. She just sat there drinking her milk. Her fur was all spotted in black and white. Ah, so cute.”
Audrey looked confused and glanced at Tyler. “That’s your idea of a romantic date?”
Tyler laughed and shrugged. “I started with dinner and wine, but the goats stole her heart. It happens in Wisconsin.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “You would have fallen in love, too.”
Audrey chuckled. “Honestly, with my track record, I should just adopt some goats and call it good.”
I smiled at my sister and leaned over to pet Dottie. I’d been back in town a few days, but I had Audrey watch her while I helped Tyler find a place to stay. There were a lot of short-term rentals that became available since it was the end of the summer season.
I’d invited him to move in with me, but he insisted that he find a place. I secretly thought it had to do with Brad, and considering how tiny my home was, it was probably for the best.
But just having him back on Marigold, not constantly feeling like he wanted to run away, was amazing.
He looped his fingers through mine and smiled.
“Did I tell you what happened while you were gone?” my sister asked.
“I’d assume since you were babysitting Dottie, not much.”
“Brad watched her on Saturday night for me. What was that?” She rolled her eyes. “Four nights ago? Anyway, I signed up for one of those speed dating things.”
“Oh, no.”
She scowled. “Oh, yes. Anyway, I’m cooling it for a while. Be happy you’ve got such a great guy because there aren’t many out there.”
Tyler laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“It was horrible.” She shuddered. “I literally needed to shower after the event.”
“Are those my two girls?” a warmly familiar voice floated down the pier.
I spun around to see my mom and dad walking toward us. My mom opened her arms, and I couldn’t help but jog toward her with Audrey right behind.
She squeezed me hard, and it felt like a lifetime had passed between us.
Audrey snuck in as I hugged my dad, and Tyler walked up behind us with Dottie.
My dad looked at Tyler and smiled. “You’re still here, huh?”
“Yes, Sir.” Tyler smiled.
“Don’t, yes, sir, me.” My dad chuckled. “It’s good to have you back on Marigold.”
“The same can be said for you two,” Tyler said, grinning. “The girls missed you, and I think Brad even shed a tear or two.”
My mom beamed and nodded. “One thing is for certain. Your dad and I found out that we’re not nomads. We don’t like to travel. All we wanted was to be at home with Dottie, check in on the store now and again, and get some real coffee from Mae’s.”
“Mom, you’re kidding me. You had a chateau, for crying out loud. How could you not love it?”
“There’s three more weeks on the rental if you want it,” my mom offered.
I glanced at Tyler and chuckled. “No. I really don’t want to go anywhere else.”
Tyler nodded and reached for my hand. “Yeah. I think we need to stay home for a while.”
Surprise washed over my dad’s features. “Home, huh? You thinking about moving back to Marigold, Son?”
Tyler glanced at me and then nodded at my dad. “Yeah. I rented a place down the road from Mae.”
My dad scowled. “Why didn’t you just move in with her?”
“Dad.”
Audrey laughed and shook her head.
My dad looked confused. “What? It would save money.”
“Her house isn’t any bigger than a shoebox. I’m sure that’s not great for any new relationship,” my mom explained.
“Although, how many nights have you spent at the rental?” Audrey teased.
Tyler chuckled.
My mom looked at Tyler as she picked up Dottie. “You know, I hate to ask, but how are things with your parents?”
“I’ve set some pretty big boundaries. They’re in a place that can look after them, and I don’t plan on knowing much more than the basics.”
My mom nodded sympathetically. “You’ve done more than most would, Tyler. I’ve always admired you for that.”
“Thanks. It’s just not a game worth playing anymore.” He looked at me. “There’s too much at stake if I lose.”
My parents nodded in agreement. “We’ll always be here for you, Tyler.”
He nodded and smiled at my parents. “Honestly, I can’t say thank you enough for all the times you gave me the encouragement I needed or showed up to my baseball games. It meant a lot.”
“You were as much our son as Brad.” My dad nodded. “You got dealt a crap sandwich there with your folks. There’s no denying that.”
My mom reached over and squeezed Tyler’s hand. “We’re thrilled to have you back home, but speaking of home, I’m bushed.”
“Me too.” My dad hugged each of us and followed my mom and Dottie down the pier.
Audrey yawned and stretched toward the sky. “I’m tired too. I’ll see you both around.”
I gave her a hug and watched her wander away before I turned to Tyler.
“And then there were two.” I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Do you think she’s really given up on love?”
Tyler shook his head. “Not Audrey. If there’s anyone who’s persistent in the love department, it’s her.”
I nodded. “She’s always been a hopeless romantic.”
“What about you? Do you believe in soul mates?” he asked softly.
“Ever since I was a kid, I believed in the one and only,” I confessed. “It’s why that kiss meant so much to me. It’s why everything about you has meant so much. My sisters always teased me about falling for you and then not getting over you.” I shrugged. “And I know it looked nuts. I felt nuts. I mean, we weren’t even a thing.”
Tyler took a step closer and wrapped his arms around my waist. “On some level, I knew. I think I always knew, but I couldn’t get past my own fear to see the truth.”
“And what truth was that?” I asked, looking into his eyes.
“That you were the only one for me.”
I thought about how everything transpired and wondered if his parents were still on Marigold, whether we’d still be standing here on a pier overlooking the beautiful water without a care in the world.
And none of it would have happened had there not been a few things aligning that were completely out of our control. I instinctively touched my earrings and smiled. Maybe my mom had been right all those years ago when she handpicked our treasures to carry with us forever.
“I see you playing with your earrings again, Mayflower. You nervous about something?” he asked.
I shook my head and smiled. “No. I’m just realizing that I’ve become a believer.”
He cocked his head slightly. “In what?”
“More than myself.” I shrugged. “The funny thing is that I think my parents always knew you were the one.”
Tyler brought in a deep breath and let it out slowly before letting me go. He took a small step back, reached into his back pocket, and took out his wallet.
My heart skipped a beat, and I wondered… could this be it? Was he about to propose? Sure. We’d only been together around a month, but really, it had been decades in the making.
Tyler opened his wallet and stuck his large fingers inside a leather flap.
“What are you doing, Tyler?”
His eyes locked on mine as he pulled a necklace out of his wallet. On the end dangled a matching mayflower pendant.
“Tyler…” I shook my head. “Where did you get this?”
“My grandfather gave it to me about the same time he gave me the bat. The necklace was my grandma’s.” He held it up for me to see.
“It matches perfectly,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I don’t understand.”
“I never did either. It wasn’t until Brad mentioned your earrings that I actually noticed. I was always so captivated by you that I didn’t bother paying attention to what jewelry you were wearing, but when I saw, I didn’t know what to make of it.”
“I’m speechless.”
“You probably didn’t know, but my grandpa had submitted paperwork to become Paul’s and my legal guardian.”
My heart pulled as I watched the pain surface behind his gaze. I wanted to hug him, but I stood still as he unclasped the necklace and nodded toward me.
I moved my hair to the side as he locked the necklace around my neck and smiled.
“He passed away before the judge granted the guardianship.” He cleared his throat. “I was eleven.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Tyler nodded slowly. “But you know the crazy thing is that if that had happened, we wouldn’t be standing here. Brad wouldn’t have been my best friend through junior high and high school.”
“I’m stunned, Tyler. Truly stunned.”
“Sometimes, things in the world can’t be explained, and that’s okay.” He lifted his brows and smiled. “But the worst thing a person can do is fight it.”
“Fate’s determination makes even the strongest person’s will surrender.” I shook my head.
“Things always circled back to you, Mayflower. Even when I didn’t want to believe they could.”
“And once again, my stubbornness and determination paid off.” I chuckled nervously.
Tyler grinned. “Or we can say persistence and perseverance.”
“Tomato, tomahto.” I smiled, resting my head on his chest.
“I’m sorry for always thinking the world around me was perfect,” I said softly. “I wish I had paid more attention when you were a kid. I hate thinking that you hurt so much.”
“Mae, I mean this when I say it. Spending time with you and your family made all the pain go away. You were my home before I even knew it.”
Tears filled my eyes as I felt the man Tyler had become opening up to me in a way I never knew possible. We might not have spent the last two decades together, but our hearts were never far apart.
Tyler pulled away and smoothed his thumb over my cheek, wiping away the tears as I did the same with my hand.
“Mae, I know this has all happened quickly, but it doesn’t feel that way for me.”
I nodded. “It doesn’t feel that way to me, either. It’s like we’ve spent a lifetime falling in love in slow motion, only to have it all come rushing into our lives all at once. There’s like this restlessness inside me, and I don’t know why.”
“I think it’s because we’re both tired of waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
He smiled, brushing a kiss across my head. “The inevitable. We’re meant to be together forever.”
“And I’m exhausted from the wait.”
His eyes stayed on mine as a smile crept along his lips. “So, what are we really waiting for, Mayflower?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have the slightest idea.”
Tyler nodded knowingly, and I closed the distance between us. He kissed me tenderly, and I knew I wasn’t falling in love. I’d been in love since the day he first kissed me.