Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Ty sipped on a beer as he sat on a wicker chair in the late-evening sunshine, watching the Monroes talk and laugh now that everyone was home. Shortly after four, a black Escalade had pulled up to the front door with a pile of luggage and the remaining members of Lydia’s family.
Introductions had been made, and simple, get-to-know-you conversations had ensued. At six thirty, numerous summer side dishes had been brought out to the long table on the massive ocean-side patio while the senator manned the large grill in the outdoor kitchen space.
All had been going incredibly well until Asher Brookes, Will’s lifelong best friend and fellow corporate attorney, crashed the party.
The asshole had swooped in with his good looks and fancy clothes, tossing him a chilly smile as he’d shaken his hand.
Then he’d proceeded to steal his seat next to Lydia at the table and had been occupying her time ever since.
He tore his gaze away from Lydia, smiling and talking with the snooty son of a bitch as Senator Monroe headed his way, looking great for a man in his late fifties.
Tall and fit with dark-brown hair and a sprinkle of gray here and there, the Monroe dark-blue eyes, and a friendly smile.
He and his son definitely shared a resemblance.
“Ty, what are you doing sitting over here by yourself?”
“I’m taking it all in—the scenery and the smells. Everything about this place is beautiful.”
The senator sat down next to him, dressed in khaki shorts and a blue Hawaiian shirt covered in white palm trees—a far cry from the expensive suits and ties that he was typically photographed in or wore when he showed up on TV. “There’s no place quite like it.”
“I can’t argue with you there.”
The senator sent him another smile. “I was talking to my son before dinner. It sounds like the two of you had a good workout. He says he’s already feeling the adjustments you made to his bench press in his pecs.”
Ty grinned. “My job has a lot of sorry-not-sorry moments.”
The senator laughed, slapping his leg with his mirth. “My mother said you reminded her a lot of Aaron. I didn’t quite get it when we shook hands this afternoon. My brother was certainly more comfortable behind a desk than in a gym, but now I understand what she meant.”
Ty nodded as he smiled. “That’s a high compliment, sir. Lyd only has great things to say about her dad.”
The senator nodded. “He was a great man, but I thought you were going to call me James.”
“I can do that.”
James cleared his throat. “Would you mind if I join you and my son for your workout in the morning? I’d like to get to know the man who’s captured my niece’s heart.”
Ty looked at Lydia again as she and Asher laughed, trying like hell to pay attention to his conversation with the senator—his job and the entire reason he was there. “I would like that.”
Everly ran over in a pair of pink overall shorts and a pink striped shirt, crashing into James’s legs. “Grandpa, I need some ice cream.”
James beamed as he scooped her onto his lap. “You do, do you? What does your mom think about that?”
Everly climbed onto her knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You can ask her, so she won’t say no.”
James laughed as Ty did.
Ty grinned as Everly looked at him—as she’d done several times from across the table during dinner. “You can’t fault her logic.”
James chuckled again as he hugged her. “This one’s a smooth operator. She knows she has her grandpa wrapped around her finger. Don’t you, Ev?”
“Yup,” she said as she smiled at Ty.
Ty smiled again as he winked at her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey, Everly.”
“You have dance parties. Lydia said.”
And apparently, they were friends now. “I like to dance with Lydia. It makes us laugh.”
“Yup.” She looked at her grandpa again. “I need ice cream, Grandpa.”
James stood with Everly in his arms. “I’ll see you in the morning, Ty. Ev, let’s go see what your mom thinks of your idea.”
Everly waved as they walked away.
He waved back as he chuckled, understanding why Lydia adored her second cousin.
“That one’s a hot ticket,” Marietta said as she walked over with the aid of her cane, wearing white cotton pants, a pale-blue blouse, and her trademark lipstick and accompanying jewelry.
“She might have struggled with some speech delays in the beginning, but that’s certainly not an issue anymore. My Beau would have adored her.”
Ty stood and hurried to her side, offering her his arm the rest of the way to the chair.
Marietta sat down. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he said as he sat down again, always happy to visit with Lydia’s grandma.
“Are you enjoying your visit so far?”
He nodded, catching hints of her jasmine perfume mixing with the salty breeze. “Very much. Your home is beautiful. Lydia’s, too.”
Her eyes tracked around the grounds. “I raised my boys right here. There are so many good memories. There are also a few I would rather forget.”
He nodded, deciding to leave that one alone.
“Tyler, I walked over here with selfish intentions.” She gave his arm a gentle pat with her bony hand. “I thought I’d sweeten it up with some small talk.”
He grinned, liking Marietta very much. “What can I do for you?”
“I’d like you to help me develop a plan to become less frail.”
He nodded, intrigued by the idea. “We can do that. The best strategy is going to be to get you into the gym and get you lifting weights. We can start increasing your muscle mass and bone density.”
She nodded. “I’ve done plenty of reading on the subject.”
“I’ll want you to clear it with your doctors first and make sure we’re not hurting your hip.”
“I already did. I knew you would be up here, and I plan to take advantage of that. I don’t have time to be breaking to bits and falling to pieces. I have too much to do, so you’re going to help me fix that.”
He grinned again. “We can get started tomorrow if you want.”
She nodded. “That will be fine.”
“I’m working out with Will and James at six thirty, but I think you and I should have a few one-on-one sessions while we focus on your form and balance.”
She nodded again. “That sounds smart. How does eight o’clock work for you?”
“It works just fine.” His gaze wandered over to Lydia again.
“I’ve been watching you watch my granddaughter talk to Asher for most of the evening. He’s a fine young man, but I like you better for Aaron’s Lidybug. Stop being so polite and go interrupt. Take your girlfriend for a walk on the beach.”
He set his beer down, recognizing that Marietta wasn’t making a suggestion. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you get back to the party?”
“No, you can make Lydia smile. Her face lights up when you’re around.”
He couldn’t deny that he loved Marietta’s observation. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said as he stood, eagerly heading her way in a pair of blue linen shorts and a white short-sleeve button-up.
He’d been waiting for a moment just like this all evening, wanting to check in and make sure that things were still okay after their dicey conversation in the gym.
They’d gone to the grocery store together, and things had been mostly fine, but they hadn’t spoken a lot since the chaos of her family’s arrival.
He could smell her floral and vanilla scent as he moved closer to her chair. Bending down, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he nuzzled her neck. “Hey, you.”
She grinned, settling her hands on his arms. “Hey.”
He ignored Asher’s hard look from hostile brown eyes as he wrapped her up tighter, nuzzling her again because he could. “Do you want to take a walk with me?”
She nodded as she let her palms slide along his skin. “I do.” She looked at Asher. “I’m going to take a walk with Ty.”
Asher nodded, smiling at her. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.”
Ty held out his hand to her, looking at Asher again when Lydia stood in her pretty, thigh-length summer dress and automatically intertwined her fingers with his, fully aware that he and Will’s best friend were locked in a pissing match.
“Ready?” he said, tossing her a wink and smiling at her as she smiled at him.
“I am.”
He let her hand go, wrapping his arm around her waist as she wrapped hers around him, pulling her closer as they walked away, making sure that Asher knew that he could fuck off.
Their relationship might have been a complete work of fiction, but he was the man who would be waking up next to Lydia for the rest of the summer.
He glanced Marietta’s way as she sent him a subtle nod and winked, then focused on Lydia again as they took the steps to the beach, both of them removing their shoes on the last stair.
She sighed as they moved through the warm sand with their arms wrapped around each other again, making their way closer to the water. “It’s so pretty out tonight.”
“I think it’s safe to say that every night is pretty here.”
She chuckled. “You’ve got me there.” Sighing again, she rested her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry about tonight—that we didn’t get to sit next to each other at dinner.”
He shrugged. “It was fine. I had a chance to talk to your aunt, who’s a hell of a lady. I really like your family, Lyd.” And he absolutely did. Thus far, he’d found all the Monroes to be warm and far more relaxed and fun than their more formal behavior that was often observed in the press.
She smiled. “I’m glad you do.”
He nodded. “Everly’s decided that she can talk to me now. We bonded while she maneuvered her grandpa.”
She threw her head back with her laugh—the big, bold sound that he loved so much.
He chuckled. “She’s crafty and cute as hell.”
She grinned as their eyes met. “Yes, she is.” She rested her head against him again.
“So, what does Everly’s future look like? Because she seems pretty capable to me.”
Lydia nodded. “She was lucky to be born without any of the heart issues that are fairly common in babies with Down Syndrome. Everly has Mosaic Down Syndrome versus Trisomy 21.”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure what that means.”
“Mosaic Down Syndrome is pretty rare. Like two to four percent of cases type of rare.”