Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ty opened the gym door, hearing the familiar blast of music as Will did barbell squats toward the back of the room. Finally, he would get a chance to talk to the man whom he’d had a hell of a time catching a moment with over the last couple of days. “Morning.”
Will set the bar back on the rack as sweat dripped down his face and chest. “Morning.”
“How’s the workout going?”
Will nodded as he wiped himself off with a towel. “Not too bad.”
Ty headed toward the treadmill for his warmup but stopped, knowing that he didn’t have a lot of time before Will would head upstairs to get ready for his workday. “Look. I know you and I don’t know each other all that well, and I’m not trying to pry, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
Will’s gaze snapped to his. “I assume you’re referencing my marriage that’s falling to shit.”
Ty shrugged because they had to start somewhere if they were ever going to move beyond the surface-level, shoot-the-shit vibe that they had going on whenever they hung out together. “Yeah, we can talk about that if you want. Lyd’s mentioned a couple of things.”
Will moved to settle the bar back on his shoulders but stopped. “I don’t know how to fix things. I don’t know how else I can tell her that I’m not cheating on her.”
And this was what he’d been waiting for. Or sort of. He abandoned the treadmill altogether and headed Will’s way. “Why do you think she thinks that?”
Will jerked his shoulders. “Fuck if I know. She keeps telling me I’m being secretive, but what I am is fucking overwhelmed at work. This partnership thing is no joke.”
Ty nodded, hearing clearly Will’s frustration. “That sounds really tough, man.”
Will sighed as he shook his head. “I would never cheat on her.” He shook his head again. “From the first moment I saw her… She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She still is.”
Ty nodded again, understanding perfectly Will’s sentiment, remembering the breath-stealing moment when Lydia had walked into Marney’s store.
“When Lydia introduced us, we hit it off immediately,” Will continued. “We were like magnets that you couldn’t pull apart. We’ve made a good life. We have great kids, but I feel like it’s all slipping through my fingers.”
Ty studied Will’s miserable gaze, liking him despite the questions swirling around his conduct, wanting nothing more than for him and Mac to figure things out. “You’ve told her all of this?”
Will shook his head. “Not recently, no. She has her guard up. She won’t let me in.” Will wiped at his face again. “Lydia was pretty upset with you yesterday after the whole helicopter thing.”
Ty nodded, trying to figure Will’s point. “Yeah, things were a little rough when I got back.”
“But they’re okay this morning?”
Ty nodded again because they were a hell of a lot better than that. He could still smell Lydia on his skin, even after they took another shower.
“How’d you fix it?”
“We talked. I apologized.”
“And then?”
Ty scratched at his chin. “Do you really want to go there?”
“Exactly,” Will said as he pointed his finger at him. “That’s the way things have always been with Mac and me. We get pissed off at each other—not very often—but when we do, we fix things. We talk, and then we go at it. But everything is different this time.”
Ty sighed. “I’m the farthest thing from a relationship expert. Lydia’s the first woman who’s ever managed to knock me flat on my ass, but what if you show Mac instead of telling her?”
Will frowned. “What do you mean?”
Ty shrugged. “I don’t know. Plan a special evening. Something that’s just for the two of you. Something that has nothing to do with your career or the kids. Remind her of what you two have.”
Will’s brow stayed furrowed as he nodded. “I like that.” He smiled now. “I like that a lot.”
Ty smiled back. “Good.”
“Yeah. Mac won’t want to go too far away from the kids, but I can book us a room at one of the local inns. I’ll fill it with flowers and take her out for a nice dinner. We have a great babysitter that we rarely use, but I can give her a call.”
Ty shook his head. “Lyd and I can watch the kids.”
“If Hazel isn’t available, I’ll totally take you up on that. Hazel works at Everly’s preschool. It’ll be good for Ev to see a face that she hasn’t seen since school ended for the year.”
Ty nodded. “That makes sense.”
Will tossed the towel into the basket and headed toward the door. “I’m going to get this planned. I need to make things right with my wife more than I need to work on my quads.”
Ty grinned. “I can’t argue with your logic.”
Will smiled again. “I really appreciate this, Ty. Thanks.”
“I hope you guys get stuff figured out.”
“That’s all I want.” Will paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Hey, I want to apologize for Asher’s behavior. He’s been a pretty big dick since you got here.”
Ty shrugged. “I’m not too worried about it.”
Will sighed. “The guy’s been hung up on Lydia for years. I think he’s realizing that he missed his shot, and he’s taking it out on you.”
Ty shrugged again, even though he didn’t like what he was hearing—official confirmation that Asher did indeed have a thing for Lydia. “Lyd’s an amazing woman. It doesn’t surprise me that I’m not the only man who understands that.”
“You’re a good guy. We’re happy that she’s happy. That you’re both happy.”
“Thanks.”
Will nodded, then left.
Ty exhaled a long breath as he watched Will hurry up the stairs.
They’d certainly had a couple of interesting conversations.
Neither of which had swung around to Will and Asher’s argument yesterday or to Will’s regular lunches with Richard Russo all those weeks ago, but for the first time since he and Lydia had arrived on the compound, he felt optimistic that they might just get there.
Lydia followed the sounds of Everly’s favorite children’s music to the playroom, watching Everly smoosh pink Play-Doh onto a plastic mat while Mac smiled at Maverick as she showed him a rattle as he sat in his floor seat. “Good morning.”
Mac glanced up, looking extra pretty with her makeup on and her hair curled at the ends, extending her smile to Lydia. “Good morning. You look extra glowy today.”
Lydia grinned as she took a seat next to Mac on the super soft area rug. “I feel extra glowy today.”
Mac smiled again as she handed Maverick a new toy to explore. “I take it you forgave Ty for scaring the life out of you yesterday.”
She nodded. “I forgave him so hard.”
Mac laughed. “Sounds fun. Is my girl finally ready to share some details?"
Lydia nodded again, more than happy to spill now that she actually had something to tell. “That man is so good, Mac. From head to toe, he’s absolute perfection. And he knows what to do with it. I screamed this morning.”
Mac raised her brow. “Say no more. But actually, do say more. Some of us are currently sexually deprived.”
Lydia’s light mood dimmed as she stared at her beautiful friend. “How are you guys doing?”
Mac shrugged. “We’ve been talking a little, I guess. He swears up and down that he’s being faithful, but I just can’t shake this gut feeling that something’s off.”
She nodded as she rested her hand over Mac’s. Because she couldn’t shake the feeling either. “I want you and Will to be okay, but I also want my best friend to trust her gut.”
Mac’s phone alerted her to a text. She frowned as she picked it up off the floor. “Who’s texting me at seven fifteen in the morning?” Her eyes went soft as she looked at the screen.
“What?” Lydia asked.
Mac turned the phone so Lydia could read the message.
Have dinner with me tomorrow night. Let’s fix things, Mac. I love you so much.
Lydia pressed her hand to her heart as it melted. “Aw, Mac.”
“He’s trying,” Mac said, looking at her. “Am I being stupid if I know that something’s off, but I still want to make things work with my husband?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so, especially if you tell him that you want to make things work but you feel like something’s off.”
Mac nodded as she responded to Will’s text. Then she smiled. “He says I should meet him at the Shoalmans Bay Inn at seven thirty. Hazel’s watching the kids.”
Lydia beamed as she wrapped Mac up in a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
Mac returned her embrace. “I’m happy for you, too.”
She eased back. “We have thirty minutes before we need to head to the library.”
Mac wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I remember.”
“It’ll just be a few pictures.”
“Whether I want pictures of Everly in the media or not.”
Lydia winced. “Unfortunately, a lack of privacy comes with our last name.”
Mac nodded. “Sometimes, I think I want to do for Everly and Maverick what your parents did for you and Burke. Move away and give them normalcy.”
Lydia winced again. “If their grandpa’s the next president, there won’t be any normalcy. Not for four to eight years.”
Mac nodded again. “It’s a good thing I really love my husband.”
Lydia touched Mac’s hand again. “Will chose his partner well. It takes someone really special who can deal with all the extras that come along with being a Monroe.”
Mac smiled. “You’re sweet.”
“It’s true.” She looked at Everly still playing with her Play-Doh while she spoke to one of her dolls. “Do you need help with the kids?”
Mac shook her head. “Ev’s romper is laid out on her bed, and I have mine and Maverick’s outfits picked out. I’m waiting until the very last second to get everyone dressed, so we have a somewhat decent chance of making it out of here without needing to change again.”
“Good thought.” She stood. “I need to get changed and do something with my hair. I’ll be back in a few minutes to give you a hand.”
“Okay.”
She hurried back toward the house, hoping to catch Ty before he left for his meeting with his FBI buddy, but she slowed her pace when she noticed that her Telluride was already gone. She’d wanted one more kiss, which felt a little silly, but that would have to wait till later.
Ty walked into the same coffeehouse that he’d met Nick in yesterday, sitting across from him at the same booth that they’d occupied less than twenty-four hours ago.
“How’s it going?” Nick asked, sipping on his iced tea.
Ty nodded. “Not too bad.”
“So, what happened yesterday?”
So many things. But he wasn’t about to tell Nick that he’d taken Lydia to bed—that he couldn’t get enough of her. Every time they’d finished, he’d wanted her again.
He’d sent off a five-word text just before midnight, in between sweaty bouts of sex, telling Nick to meet him here. “I caught the tail end of an argument between Asher Brookes and Will while we were at the country club.”
Nick raised his brow. “He’s got beef with his best friend, too?”
Ty nodded. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I got the impression it was about money.”
Nick frowned. “Money?”
Ty nodded again. “Will told Asher that he would ‘get it back to him.’”
“And you assume that ‘it’ is money.”
Ty shrugged. “I guess it could be anything. But few things stir up emotions quite like money does, and there were plenty of emotions.”
Nick nodded. “Okay.”
“But then Asher said something about how Will was so far past being out of control that he didn’t know what to do for him anymore.”
Nick’s frown was back. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Ty shrugged as he shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. Right before Asher stormed out, he told Will that he’d helped him out because they were supposed to be best friends.”
Nick sighed as he shook his head. “This case is one big fucking riddle.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But when you put those pieces together, I agree with you. It sounds like it was about money.” Nick traced the condensation on his plastic cup. “Do you think Will has financial problems?”
Ty shrugged again. “I broached the subject with Lydia, and she’s thinking no.
Will makes a good income. They have savings accounts.
They set aside the money from the sale of Mac’s salon for his upcoming partnership with the law firm.
They live on the estate, which shouldn’t cost them much beyond paying for groceries and other basic stuff.
They drive nice vehicles and have nice clothes, but I haven’t seen anything that’s extravagant. ”
“What about their little girl? Maybe she has medical expenses.”
Ty shook his head. “I know Ev has speech, physical, and occupational therapy sessions, but I’m nearly certain that they’re considered early intervention, so the school district pays for those.
I can ask Lyd, but I feel pretty confident that’s how that works.
Will and James talked about it once when we were in the gym.
Everly has Down Syndrome, but she’s pretty healthy, like any typical kid. ”
Nick blew out a breath. “Did you talk to him about the Asher stuff?”
Ty shook his head. “This morning, we talked about his marriage. He wants to fix things with his wife and get them back on track.”
Nick scrubbed at his face in an unmistakable gesture of frustration. “So, you’re a marriage counselor?”
“No. I’m earning his trust. We’re talking about real stuff now. I’m not just correcting his form with weights. We’re getting there.”
Nick sighed. “Get there faster, man.”
“I’m doing what I can.”
“Is there anything else?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I had some words with Asher, but otherwise, things are status quo.”
“What kind of words?”
Ty shrugged. “The guy pretty much hates my guts. He’s got a thing for Lydia. Apparently, he has for years, and he’s less than happy that I’ve moved in on his turf.”
“I’m sure he’ll be relieved when he learns that you’ve moved on in just a few more weeks.”
Ty clenched his jaw, loathing the idea. “Lydia thinks of him as a friend.”
Nick shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t really matter one way or the other. Fairly soon, your girlfriend’s love life won’t have anything to do with you anymore.”
Ty bobbed his leg up and down under the table, ready to be done with this conversation. But Nick spoke the absolute truth. He and Lydia were on a clock, just like the case. They were sleeping together now, but their summer together would end eventually.