Chapter 13 #2
She nodded and sighed. “Yes. They had John right after they got married. He lives in Chicago. Has a good job and seldom comes home. He was older than me, and we were never close.” She shrugged. “But, he seems to have escaped his parents.”
She looked down at her hands, then back up at him. “Anyway, that’s the family mess. You sure you still want to know me?”
Tyler didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached across the space between them and laid his hand over hers. His touch was steady, warm, and strong.
“Justice, we’ve all got stories. What matters is how we carry them. And how you carry yours?” His thumb brushed lightly over the back of her hand. “That tells me everything I need to know.”
Her lips curved as she looked down at their hands and then back to his face. “Well, I kicked Jordy out of the office today, and banned him from the hospital the other day, so I’m not sure what that says about me.”
“It tells me you can handle yourself and won’t take shit from a shithead.”
Throwing her head back, she laughed long and hard. “Sh… shit from a shithead! Oh my God, that describes it perfectly!”
After a moment, he asked, “Why is he pushing so hard now?”
Leaning forward, she narrowed her eyes. “You know, I was wondering about that. Ever since the developer started sniffing around, Jordy has started asking Dad about money. I can’t figure out why he thinks this property would bring him anything.
Dad bought it from Charlie. It’s his, and then it will be mine eventually. Jordy never had a claim to this place.”
“Tell me about this developer.”
She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not my place to try to influence you one way or the other.”
“If I were talking to someone else in town, would they tell me the same thing you want to?”
“Hell, yeah. Everyone around here knows about Anthony Milton. Some know more than others, but still, you could probably go to the local bar and find out everything.”
“Okay,” he agreed, and she wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to. When she tilted her head to the side, he added, “I’ll check with some others.”
She nodded and looked at her watch. “I hate to end this, but I have work to do tonight.”
“Work?”
“Yeah. To get the house ready for Dad to be discharged.”
“What kind of work?”
“I’m moving the furniture in his room so he’ll have space for his walker or cane. I also want to make room in the living room and kitchen for him to move about more freely.”
“I’ll help,” Tyler offered.
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“Please. I’d like to.”
She smiled. “Okay, let’s go.” Justice led the way up the stairs, her hand gliding lightly along the banister, the soft creak of the steps familiar beneath her feet.
At the top, she paused and swept her hand down the hallway in an easy gesture.
“The guest room, my room, and the hall bathroom are all down this way.” She turned and placed her hand on a nearby door. “This is my dad’s room and bathroom.”
Tyler followed her in, his footsteps quiet on the hardwood floor.
The room was spacious but not sprawling.
It was comfortably lived-in, with a worn leather chair by the window and the faint scent of clean linens in the air.
Justice stepped into the center of the room, planted her hands on her hips, and slowly turned a full circle.
“I’m embarrassed to admit it didn’t even dawn on me that Dad might need more room to maneuver until I saw him with a walker and then a cane,” she confessed, a note of frustration in her voice. “Now I’m worried there’s not enough space.”
She turned to find Tyler surveying the room, his expression thoughtful. His gaze shifted from the bed to the open floor, taking in the placement of the furniture and the paths of movement.
“Would you consider moving his bed into that back corner?” he asked, nodding toward the far end of the room. “You’d have to slide the nightstand over, but you’d gain at least three more feet of space right here.”
Her face lit up. “Yes! Oh, that’s perfect. I just dreaded trying to move it by myself.”
He grinned and gave a playful wink. “Well, now you don’t have to.”
“Should we pull the mattress off first?” she asked, already reaching for the edge. “I’d hate to scrape the floor.”
“Smart thinking,” he agreed, stepping in to help.
Together, they wrestled the mattress off the frame and propped it gently against the closet door.
The two of them worked in tandem, lifting and sliding the bedframe a few inches at a time.
His strength made the task easy. When the bed was finally in place, they replaced the mattress, and she tossed the pillows back against the headboard with a satisfied sigh.
She turned to face him, her eyes dancing. “That gives him so much more room. It’s going to make such a difference.”
Tyler was scanning the floor now, his gaze falling to the braided area rug beneath the bed. “What about this rug? The walker could catch on it. Or even a cane.”
She winced. “Damn, I didn’t even think of that.” Her brow furrowed in thought, then she straightened and nodded. “Let’s roll it up and store it in the guest room for now.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he said without hesitation.
She stepped back, watching as he knelt with easy grace, strong hands making quick work of the rug. He rolled it tightly, then lifted it effortlessly into his arms. She led him across the hall and opened the guest room door. He leaned the rolled rug into the corner, tucking it neatly out of the way.
“Whenever you’re ready to bring it back,” he said, glancing over his shoulder, “just let me know. I’ll come back over and get it set up.”
His voice was casual, but the words made her pause. Come back over. As though he planned to be here. As though this wasn’t just a one-time favor. Her heart gave a slight, unexpected flutter.
They crossed into her dad’s bathroom next, and Tyler nodded in approval at the shower chair already set up inside.
Justice followed his gaze and suddenly remembered the mats on the floor.
She bent down, scooped them up, and tucked them into the cabinet under the sink, relieved that the solution had come quickly.
“Okay,” she said, brushing her hands together, “I think that’s everything up here. Let’s take a look downstairs.”
Back on the main floor, they shifted the coffee table to one side of the living room, creating a clear path. Then, together, they nudged the kitchen table closer to the wall, making small changes to open up the space.
By the time they were done, the house felt more open and accessible. She walked him to the door, her heart full. “I can’t thank you enough,” she said softly. “I probably could’ve handled most of it, but that bed… I don’t think I would’ve gotten it done without you.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, and the way he looked at her made the words land somewhere deep.
She opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. The air was cool, tinged with the earthy scent of pine and distant woodsmoke. The sky had deepened into dusk, and across the field, she could see his house lit up against the gathering dark.
He stood close enough that she could see the faint stubble along his jaw and the way his eyes softened when they looked at her. His gaze dropped to her mouth. Her breath caught.
She wanted to rise onto her toes, place her hand against his chest, and press her lips to his. She wanted it with a longing that surprised her. But maybe he didn’t want that. Perhaps he was just being kind. A good man. A helpful neighbor. Don’t ruin this, her mind whispered. Don’t make it awkward.
But then… he opened his arms.
Her smile bloomed with relief and affection as she stepped into his embrace.
His arms wrapped around her without hesitation, strong and sure, and she rested her cheek over his heartbeat.
Her hands flattened against his back, and she closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth, the quiet, the way she felt grounded in his presence.
When he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, her smile stretched wide. If all they ever shared were these moments of comfort, connection, and quiet affection, it would be enough. Although…
They stepped back in unison, saying good night at the same time, laughter in their eyes.
She stood at the edge of the porch, watching as he walked across the meadow, the soft glow of his porch light waiting for him. Only when he disappeared inside did she finally turn and head back in, heart lighter than it had been in a long, long while.