scowled. “The town is a lot smaller than what I’m used to. And our house doesn’t have any trees or shrubs or flowers or anything, not like our last one did.”
“That can be fixed,” Susie said.
Emmaline ground the heel of her foot against the mattress. “My parents both work. They don’t have the time to work on the yard. Probably not the money, either, since we have to pay for everything the medical insurance doesn’t cover.”
“So why don’t you take charge of that?” Susie asked.
Emmaline looked at Susie as if she was nuts.
Tyler understood why. It did seem a ludicrous suggestion.
“What do you expect me to do from a hospital bed?” Emmaline demanded, upset.
Susie spread her hands wide. “Why, make a bargain with me, of course.”
“PRETTY CLEVER OF YOU, getting the kid to agree to help you plan landscaping for the Clarks’ yard,” Tyler said, half an hour later. He shortened his strides to match Susie’s as they walked through the half-empty hospital parking lot. It was nine o’clock, and visiting hours were ending. People were leaving in droves. “Even smarter, getting her parents to agree to let Emmaline help implement the changes, as she is physically able, and work off the cost of the plants at your landscape center.”
Susie accepted Tyler’s praise with a small shrug. “She can work on the design from her hospital bed. The part-time job in my center will help her meet people in the community and give her something to look forward to. And let’s face it,” Susie continued wistfully as the two of them stopped between their pickup trucks, parked side by side. The bright lights overhead caught the highlights in Susie’s hair and made it shimmer. “There’s nothing quite as healing as being one with nature.”
Tyler knew how much Susie loved being outdoors. “Except an understanding look or touch,” Tyler said.
Susie nodded in agreement. A distant look came into her eyes.
“Something on your mind?” Tyler asked.
Susie ducked her head, raked her teeth across her lower lip. “It’s nothing.”
“Tell me.”
Susie studied the painted yellow lines on the pavement, as stubborn and self-reliant as ever.
“We’re not leaving here until you do,” Tyler warned, knowing even if she didn’t that she was beginning to need him in her life once again.
Susie dragged the round toe of her leather engineer’s boot across the blacktop. “If you must know…” she conceded finally, on a reluctant sigh.
Tyler relaxed slightly. “I must.”
She tucked her hands in the flowing folds of her skirt. Eventually, she lifted her head and locked eyes with him. “I’m ticked off at my parents.”
No surprise there. Tyler was, too.
“For the fix-up?” Tyler guessed, wishing there were some way he could ensure that Susie would never be hurt by anything or anyone, past, present or future.
“For making this all about my cancer, once again.”
And then, to Tyler’s surprise, she promptly burst into tears.
Chapter Two
Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye….
Susie couldn’t believe she was standing there, blubbering in the parking lot.
She could believe Tyler was right there to fold her into his big strong arms and hold her close as the emotion poured out of her in great, galvanizing waves.
It wasn’t the first time she had turned to him this way. Although she was beginning to think maybe it should be the last.
It wasn’t fair of her, dumping all this on him when all he had done was care about her and stand by her. The two of them were crisis-buddies, nothing more, even if they had fallen into bed together, at last count, four highly memorable times.
Even if he was the only man she had ever made love with. Or even wanted to make love with… Never mind dared get that close.
She had to get a grip. He wasn’t her pillow.
Although right now with her drenching his shirt, that must be what he felt like.
She pulled away from him, wiping her eyes, and voiced the first excuse that came to mind that wouldn’t lead to questions. “I’m premenstrual,” she sniffed.
He chucked her beneath her chin. She should have known he wouldn’t let her off easy.
“Since when?” he teased.
In an effort to shield her eyes from his probing gaze, Susie let her forehead rest against his chest. “Since… forever,” she mumbled. A fresh flood of tears pressed hotly behind her eyes.
As if knowing the storm wasn’t over yet, Tyler tucked her into the curve of his arm and drew her back, to lean against the passenger side of his pickup truck. “There must be something more,” he murmured against the top of her head, one hand stroking down her back in long soothing strokes. “’Cause you rarely ever cry.” His warm breath touched her ear. He brought her closer yet. “Not like that.”
She had gotten pretty good at blinking back—or all-out hiding—discreet tears, when she was in public. It didn’t mean she didn’t feel incredible, overwhelming sadness sometimes.
And it didn’t mean Tyler didn’t pick up on the slightest change in her mood or demeanor. If she didn’t tell him now, he would just keep pestering her, keep digging, keep searching out the truth.
Finally, she shrugged.
She took the folded tissue he pressed into her hand.
Wiped her eyes. Blew her nose. And still couldn’t look him in the eye. “It’s everything,” she said finally.
Tyler brought her back into the curve of his strong arms. His touch was more brotherly than anything else, despite their passionate past. “I’m listening,” he told her in a low, gravelly voice.
Susie took another halting breath as she struggled to get her emotions under control. “If you must know, it’s Rebecca and Trevor. Seeing them together tonight, just back from their honeymoon. They looked so incredibly happy together. And I’m glad for them, I really am.” More than she had words to say. “But…”
Trevor nodded, even as his grip on her tightened protectively. “I felt a stab of envy, too,” he admitted in a low, understanding voice.
Susie pressed on the bridge of her nose to keep more tears from falling. “Which is stupid,” she continued, making no effort to hide her aggravation with herself, “because marriage has never been something I wanted.”
Trevor exhaled. His big body began to relax. “Me, either.”
The
