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Tyler aimed the gun at the woods. If he took a shot right then, he’d hit her.
“I’m counting to five, then I’ll just start shooting. One…”
She swallowed. This was it. She could stay still and take the chance that his shot would miss, she could run and pray he didn’t give chase, or she could reveal herself.
“Two…”
Kelsie squeezed her eyes shut, sent a rapid-fire prayer to whoever was listening, and then walked five steps out into the clearing on shaking legs.
“Hey,” she said like the stunning conversationalist she was.
Tyler’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened. “Well, fuck me sideways.”
He stared, which oddly made her feel better. At least she wasn’t the only one stumped for intellectual words. After a few moments of heavy silence, he scowled.
“The fuck are you doing out here alone at night? It’s not safe.” As he spoke, his gaze went to her wrist. She’d removed the bandage earlier that day, but the stitches remained. Ty wouldn’t be able to see anything since the wound lay below her sweatshirt.
She tilted her head, studying him. Through the firelight, his glazed eyes spoke to how much he’d had to drink. “It’s not?” she asked with a small smile. “The ladies assure me at least a hundred times a day that this property is basically safer than a military stronghold.”
He grunted. “Touché. Do you want to sit?” He gestured toward the empty chairs around the fire.
If she were smart, she’d decline the offer and return to the shelter. But he already thought she was stupid, so she might as well prove him right. Besides, the heat emanating from the fire felt incredible, even on a warm night. The setup held a cozy view she couldn’t resist. “Sure.”
They sat in adjacent Adirondack chairs, neither speaking for long minutes. The last time they’d been in the same space, Ty acted like a royal ass. Did he see it that way? Or did he still harbor harsh criticism for her actions?
“Tequila?” he eventually asked, offering the bottle. Only about a third remained.
“Sure.” She needed to conjure a greater variety of words, or this night would take awkwardness to the next level.
As she accepted and took the bottle from Ty, their fingers brushed, and a fiery zing traveled up her arm. She resisted the accompanying gasp, but barely. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Not like the tremors of fear she experienced with most men. Then, she’d always responded differently to Ty for whatever reason. She wanted to experience it again so much that she almost reached out and grasped his hand.
The scowl on his face kept her from doing it. Clearly, he hadn’t felt the same alluring rush of sensation.
“Thanks,” she said right before knocking back a large mouthful of tequila. The burn reminded her of why she’d never been a fan of tequila—at least not without crushed ice, lime juice, and a rim of salt, or even better, strawberry puree and a sugary rim.
“Gah,” she said on an exhale as she fought the urge to cough. “Delicious.”
Ty laughed as he stole the bottle back and drank twice as much as she did in one swallow.
“Are you okay?” she asked after a few more moments of silence.
He stared at her for a beat. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Kelsie snorted. “No. We both already know I’m nowhere near okay. No need to ask.”
“Yeah.” He circled the pad of his thumb around the opening of the tequila bottle, and Kelsie’s lower belly clenched.
For a while, she assumed he’d chosen to ignore the question, but then he spoke.
“I was married awhile back. My ex-wife and I tried for years to have a baby with no success. Years. Can’t tell you how many nights she sobbed in my arms, claiming she wanted nothing more than to carry our child. God, it was fucking torture. Our marriage was shit, but this common goal kept us together way longer than we should have. Found out tonight that the entire time she’d been begging for a baby and blaming me for not getting her pregnant, she was taking birth control. It was all a fucking charade.”
“Oh, Ty…”
“To make matters worse, she managed to get pregnant once anyway, and she ended the pregnancy without a word to me. She never wanted kids. It was all some sick manipulation plan on her part, I guess.”
She blinked. “Holy shit, Ty, that’s…” What? How did she even describe it? The thought of deceiving someone she loved like that made her heart ache. “I’m so sorry. That’s extremely shitty.”
His grunt held a world of pain. “Yes, it is.” He raised the bottle in salute. “To marriage.” Then he tipped his head back and took another gulp before extending his arm to her again.
