Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Ty glanced at the bedside clock as he inched his way out of bed, being careful not to wake Lydia as she slept sprawled out on her stomach.
He made fast work of heading toward his bag, pulling on clean shorts and fresh socks, paying little attention to the gorgeous beachy views just outside the windows.
He didn’t have time to admire the pink-hued sky or watch the water rush against the sand. The only thing he was focused on was getting out of the house while Lydia was still asleep.
Today was officially a workday, which meant he couldn’t afford any distractions. And Lydia and her big hazel eyes were the definition of the ultimate distraction.
It was time to focus on his job and only his job, and currently, that meant chatting with Will Monroe again. Building a relationship to betray it—something that had never been a problem for him as an undercover agent until Lydia came along.
He glanced at her again, studying the way the early morning sunlight played across her stunning face, then headed downstairs, pulling on his shoes before he quietly left.
Starting down the path to the main house, he looked toward the ocean waves, mercilessly squashing any stirrings of guilt for doing what he’d been sent there to do.
He would take care with Lydia’s family like he’d promised her he would, but it would be easier all the way around if Will and the senator weren’t doing anything worth reporting to the brass.
Punching in the code that Lydia had given him, he opened the door to Kings of Leon blasting through the speakers as Will hissed out a breath while he finished a set of bicep curls.
Shutting the door behind him, Ty glanced around, making a quick study of the top-of-the-line equipment, noting the infrared sauna tucked away in the corner. “Morning.”
Already sweaty and breathing hard, Will dropped the weights, wearing a similar outfit to Ty’s black athletic shorts and a pair of Nike sneakers. “Morning.”
“What time did you get started?”
“Right around six. Maverick woke up just after five. I changed him and gave him a bottle so Mac could sleep. When he crashed again, I headed downstairs.”
Ty winced. “Sounds rough.”
Will shrugged. “Early morning wake-up calls are an unfortunate but expected part of the whole parenting deal.” He picked up the weights again, starting his next set as Ty headed for the treadmill to warm up his muscles.
Ty pressed the start button on the display panel, pushing on the up arrow until he was moving at a gentle jog as Will dropped his weights again.
“Are you and Lydia settling in?”
Ty nodded. “We grabbed a bite to eat, unpacked a little, then went to bed when we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer. Lyd’s still sleeping.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s a long-ass drive you guys made. I like knowing that she didn’t do it alone.”
Ty nodded again. “I like that, too.”
Will reached for the weights, then stood straight without picking them up. “So, you guys have been dating for a while?”
He noted the scrutiny in Will’s eyes and couldn’t blame him. Lydia’s cousin was clearly as protective of her as she was of him. “Yeah, for right around six months now.”
“Mac was pretty surprised when Gram-Gram broke the news this last weekend.”
Ty nodded. “We’ve been taking things slow—seeing where they go.”
Will nodded this time as he bent down again, picking up the weights, working on another set.
Ty turned off the treadmill, satisfied with the light sheen of sweat on his chest as he headed for the leg press, adjusting the weight to his preference. Sitting down, he got to work.
“When you finish there, would you mind giving me a spot on the bench press?”
Ty blew out as he struggled through his last rep, feeling the pump in his quads as he finished. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
“Thanks.” Will tossed him a clean towel from the neat stack as he walked by. “You’ll probably want one of these.”
“I appreciate it.” He wiped at his forehead with the soft cotton as Will set himself up on the bench.
“Would you be willing to critique my form?” Will winced. “Maybe that’s rude to ask for free advice.”
Ty shook his head, throwing a few points Will’s way as he gathered first impressions. Lydia’s cousin now had access to a personal trainer, yet he was conscientious enough not to take advantage of Ty’s skill set. “Not at all. I’m happy to help. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Will did his first set.
“That’s pretty good. But try tucking your shoulder blades a little more with your arch and hold the bar a little farther apart to work your pecs harder.”
Will made the adjustments Ty suggested, then went after his next set.
Ty nodded. “Perfect. That looks really good.”
Will grunted as he set the bar up after his last rep. “Fuck, my pecs are screaming.”
Ty chuckled as Will grinned. “It hurts so good.”
Will chuckled this time. “Yeah, it’s something like that.”
Ty waited as Will finished his last set.
“Fuck,” Will said again as he sat up, wiping at his face and chest with a towel of his own. “So, what happens with your clients while you’re up here for the next month?”
Ty shrugged. “For the most part, it’s not much of a thing. We’ll meet up virtually during their usual appointment times.”
“You’ve gotta love technology.”
“It keeps me in business.” Ty wiped at his forehead again, ready to move things along a bit. “So, Lyd tells me that you’re an attorney.”
Will nodded. “Corporate law.”
“What does that look like? What do you do?”
Will bobbed his head from side to side. “I help people build and structure or restructure their companies. Lots and lots of contracts.”
Ty smiled, even as he found himself agreeing with Lydia’s assessment that law was horribly boring. Keeping law and order was an entirely different can of worms from what Will did. “How long have you been at that?”
“Right around seven years now. I’m on track for partner. Probably later this year.”
Ty raised his brow as he nodded. “Good for you, man.”
“Thanks. It’s been a long time coming.”
“You practice up in Boston?”
“Yeah, I’m with Schuster, Bright, and Wallace.”
Ty shrugged as he shook his head. “I can’t say that I’ve heard of them, but I spend my days in the gym, so…”
Will grinned. “It’s one of the bigger firms in the city.”
“Nice. So, as a tourist here for the next month, is there any place that’s a must-see or a place that I need to eat?”
Will shrugged. “I can’t say that I’m much of a tour guide.
Mac or Lydia will certainly have better ideas than I do.
Sadly, I’m very much a creature of habit.
Mac keeps the variety in our lives. When I’m up in the city, I eat at the same sports bar once or twice a week—grab the same burger or salad every single time. ”
Ty chuckled as he shrugged, even as he felt his excitement growing as their conversation moved in the right direction. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it the same if it’s good eats. What sports bar has you hooked? Maybe I’ll check it out while we’re here.”
“I highly recommend the loaded cheeseburger at The Tap Room. They put bacon, onion rings, and this house-made sauce on it that’s out of this world. I’m sure my arteries hate me for eating it, but my taste buds don’t.”
Ty laughed. “That sounds awesome.”
“It’s an experience.” Will glanced at the clock across the room and winced. “I’m afraid I need to shower and head into the office for a couple of hours. I’m planning to cut out early. My parents and Gram-Gram will be here later this afternoon.”
Ty glanced at the clock as well. “Lydia mentioned that everyone is coming in today.”
Will nodded. “We usually throw some steaks and lobsters on the grill—have a bunch of different sides. It’s low-key and a good time.”
“Sounds great. You’ll have to let Lyd and me know what we can do to help.”
“Maybe see if Mac needs a hand with anything. Her hands are pretty full these days. I try to do as much as I can, but I know it’s not enough.”
“Sure. We can do that.”
Will stood. “Thanks for the tips on the bench press. My pecs will definitely be sore tomorrow.”
“Anytime. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Later.” Will turned down the music before he opened the door that led into the hallway and headed up the nearby staircase.
Ty waited until Will’s footsteps disappeared before he grabbed his phone.
Hey! We made it to Mass last night. I’ve had a chance to meet some of Lydia’s family. I already have a new workout partner in the gym. Just got started this morning. Not a bad way to spend a summer.
He sent it off, knowing that Nick would understand his message. If anyone ever got hold of his phone, it would look like a normal conversation with his “good friend.”
Wow, great! Welcome to Shoalmans Bay! Looking forward to meeting up soon!
Ty’s thumbs flew over his screen as he replied. The rest of Lydia’s family is coming in today. I’ll reach out when things settle down around here.
Sounds good!
Ty nodded as he glanced around the empty room. Things were off to a decent start. He and Will had officially established the beginnings of a rapport, and his second target would land later this afternoon. The case was moving along, but it was still early days.
Lydia sat next to Everly on a counter stool in the main house’s big kitchen as Mac stood across from them, flipping another pancake on the griddle.
The waves crashed against the beach in the distance as a story played on Everly’s Toniebox 2 in the center of the island—the perfect melding of sounds on her first morning back in Shoalmans Bay.
“Did you sleep okay last night?” Mac asked, putting a smaller pancake on Everly’s plate.
Lydia nodded as she went to work on buttering Everly’s breakfast, then helped her pour on the syrup before she started cutting the pancake into bite-sized squares.
“Really well. I closed my eyes at midnight, and suddenly, it was six thirty-five a.m.” She’d been so tired she never heard Ty get up and leave.