Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Delaney
If I don’t get out of this house soon, I’m going to lose it. Sure, I’m grateful to my brother for giving me the option of moving back in here now that the renters are out of it, but it’s a struggle to be here in this home.
A home I grew up in. A place where I ran around chasing after both my big brothers.
The past three days, I’ve cried. I’ve freaked. I’ve laughed, thinking about the memories this place holds for me.
Even the growth chart is still on the door trim in the room I’m now staying in, but it used to be my dad’s. I don’t know how Mammon has been able to keep this here with all the renters that have come and gone from this place, but here it is.
Mammon stayed with me the first two nights after they released me from the ER, but I demanded he go back to the clubhouse yesterday. As much as I love having my brother around, his protectiveness is too much for me at times.
I get he wants to be there. Fix everything that’s happened between us, but it’s not like it can happen overnight. I think what he witnessed with Della really freaked him out, and he’s struggling with the idea that it could be me.
The fact that Philip attacked me doesn’t help the situation either.
However, my brother isn’t the only one who’s been around that’s getting to me. The past several days, I’ve had a whole slew of people in and out.
Della has been by a few times, bringing delicious meals from the ranch’s cook, Judy. She’d stay for a bit and head back out, never overstaying her welcome. She did share with me what happened to her and how she ended up with Shadow. I love that she found happiness with a man she clearly adores.
The people I didn’t want to see are those like Lily and her church cronies. I didn’t have anything against church and bible study, but I don’t have the patience for gossip. The dishes they brought by, I threw right in the trash.
It’s not like any of those meals would have been good. It’s the ones that made from the heart that count to me.
One person I haven’t heard from since being discharged is Tyler. It's fine that I haven’t, but I do have my appointment today, and I’m trying to figure out whether I should invite him to tag along.
He’d been silent after I told Mammon I’d stay here with him, and I’m thankful for that. I hadn’t been sure how to handle him offering me to come stay with him. I didn’t think he needed my drama at his doorstep, and I didn’t want him dealing with it in the first place.
Besides, it would just be weird staying with him when we don’t know each other. Not to mention, my attack has me leery of being around him, though he’s not responsible for it.
Sighing, I stop fidgeting with my phone, pull up his number, and click on the message thread.
Me: I have a doctor's appointment today.
I click send before I can delete the message.
A few minutes pass before my phone beeps, indicating a message has come in. It’s from him.
Tyler: What time is your appointment?
I bite my lower lip, wincing as it’s still healing, and type.
Me: 2:30. You don’t have to come, but I thought I’d let you know.
Not even a minute passes before he responds
Tyler: I’ll meet you there.
I suck in a breath as I read the line two times, letting it sink in. He’s going to go to my appointment. Wait, how does he know where my appointment is?
Me: You don’t have to go. Besides, you don’t know where the doctor’s office is.
I don’t want him to feel obligated to go to every appointment with me.
Another message pops up.
Tyler: They’re my kids too. And I know where the doc’s office is. I’ll meet you there.
Well, that message can be read loud and clear. I don’t want to take it to heart or think it has any meaning behind it, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s all he’s worried about. Though I already have a feeling it is, since he hasn’t once reached out to check on me.
Not that he should. We’re nothing to each other.
Checking the time, I let out a heavy sigh. I have plenty of time to take a long shower before I get ready for my appointment. The shower will help with my sore muscles. Philip might have done most of the damage to my upper body, but I was sore all over from fighting him.
I wish I didn’t have to go to my appointment today, not with all the bruises still looking the way they do, but I won’t miss it or reschedule.
I barely park my truck in a spot at the doctor’s office when I spot Tyler closing the distance between where I’m parked and where he’s been waiting.
Damn.
I was hoping he would cancel.
Tyler opens my door before I can get my hand on the handle, his eyes coming to mine.
“Hey,” I croak out, nervously.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, not returning my greeting.
“Um, okay, I suppose.” I shrug and look away to grab my bag off the passenger seat. I toss my phone inside and grab my water bottle out of the cupholder.
I twist to slide out only to have Tyler’s hands on my hips, assisting me to my feet.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him, quietly.
“My mom raised me to be a gentleman,” he grunts and steps back.
I don’t bother coming up with a response. I’m guessing that’s a conversation for another day, if ever.
Closing my truck door, I make sure it’s locked and toss the keys in my bag.
“The bruises are starting to look a little better.”
I jerk in surprise at his voice as we walk side by side toward the building.
“Ugh, yeah, I guess so.” They were definitely better than yesterday, but I know it’s going to take a while for them to fade completely away. “I’m hoping they'll be good enough for me to cover with makeup by the end of the week so I can go back to work come Monday.”
Tyler grunts something I don’t quite make out and opens the front door for me.
The medical building houses several offices, and we have to take the elevator up to the third floor, where he opens that door for me. Tyler follows me up to the registration desk, where I sign in and pay the co-pay for today’s visit before turning to find a seat.
I want to groan at the sight of several women in the waiting room gawking at us. Or maybe it’s my imagination that they are. Either way, I’m not sure it was a good idea to invite Tyler to tag along for this appointment.
I can only hope that it’ll be a quick one and I’ll be able to get away from him.
Because the minute he sits next to me, all I can focus on is how good he smells.
Sure, I don’t miss the dusty boots and the dirt on his jeans, but it doesn’t matter, it’s all a part of who he is, what he does.
It’s what attracted me to him that night at Della’s wedding.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long before my name is called.
I scramble to my feet faster than I should and hurry over to the waiting nurse at the door.
She glanced at me, then at Tyler, and then back at me with a wink.
Oh God, I don’t want to know what she’s thinking.
Sure, I know just how good-looking Tyler is, but that doesn’t mean I want to know others think the same thing.
Time passes slowly as I’m instructed to pee in a cup and the nurse checks my weight and vitals. It crawls even more when we’re shown into a room to wait for Dr. McAlister.
Throughout the wait, neither of us says a word to the other. He just stares off at the wall and I try to do the same, but end up glancing in his direction far more than I should.
It felt like an hour, but only five minutes passed before the door opened, and I could finally breathe.
My appointment goes by with ease, and I’m ready to get out of here. Dr. McAlister answers all of my questions and, surprisingly, Tyler’s as well. I hadn’t expected him to have any, yet he did.
I make another appointment for the following month and notice Tyler plugging it into his phone’s calendar. I suppose he’ll be at that one too. Great.
As we leave the office and head back to our respective vehicles, Tyler opens the doors for me and presses the elevator button.
Outside, he walks me to my truck, waits for me to unlock it, and makes sure I get into the cab without issue.
Finally, I turn to him, before he can close my door and whisper, “Thanks for coming today.”
Tyler nods. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I’ll be okay.” I shrug. I definitely wasn’t going to tell him if I needed anything. He’s made it clear that he’s not worried about me.
Tyler’s eyes flare marginally before he steps back without another word and closes my door for me.
The fact he does this is sweet and charming. Very gentlemanly.
I suck in a breath and shake the thought away.
I don’t need to think about him being anything other than the father of my twins. That’s it.