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“Before facin’ the firing squad?” I supplied, raising an eyebrow.
“Pais...” Tyler sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I told you I had to make a detour. I just didn’t wanna fight about it over the phone. I figured once you met Candy, you’d see what I see in her, and there wouldn’t be a reason to fight.”
I opened my mouth to respond, then snapped it shut. As much as I wanted to give Tyler a piece of my mind for keeping me in the dark and for making what was quite possibly a massive mistake… I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to cause a scene or hurt him when he clearly sought my approval.
And I definitely couldn’t do it with the two of them looking at me with such hope and sincerity.
But that didn’t mean I was entirely convinced this whirlwind romance was the best thing for my brother. He’d been through so much, and I worried that he might be latching onto the first bit of happiness he found without really thinking it through.
“I’m gonna use the restroom,” Candy announced, rising from the table. She leaned in to kiss Tyler. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you,” he replied.
I fought the urge to gag.
When his wife was gone, Tyler fixed me with a knowing look. “Enough about us. What’s goin’ on with you? How’s life in Charlotte Oaks treatin’ ya?”
I shrugged, toying with my napkin. “Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Just workin’ at the station, keepin’ busy.”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed. “The station? You mean, like, the police station?”
I nodded, a complex mix of emotions swirling in my chest. Maybe I hadn’t told him about it over the phone—or in a text since he wouldn’t answer my calls—for the same reason he’d waited to tell me about Candy. Some things were better off said in person.
“Yeah,” I finally admitted. “I’m a dispatcher again.”
“Huh.” Tyler leaned forward, his protective instincts kicking in. “Why do you look weird about that? Is it because of me?”
“No,” I said, reaching out to grab his hand. “It’s just… not always easy to get along with certain coworkers.”
“What kinda coworkers? Guys? Anyone givin’ you trouble?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Trust me, Ty, if anyone needs protectin’, it’s them from me.”
He chuckled, but his expression remained serious. “I mean it, Pais. You’d tell me if there was someone I needed to have a talk with, right?”
“Whoa, easy there, tough guy. I’m the older sibling, remember?”
“We’re adults, now. That doesn’t matter when you could cut off my head and I’d still be taller than you.”
“Yeah, how’d you get so tall, anyway?”
He ignored me, lifting a brow.
I could tell he wanted me to spill whatever I was trying to hard to avoid, and I hesitated before deciding he’d find out sooner or later. “Actually... there is one guy. But it’s not what you think.”
Tyler sat up straighter in the booth. “Do tell.”
I sighed, fiddling with the straw in my drink. “Remember that New Year’s party a while back? The one where... everythin’ happened?”
Tyler’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Hard to forget.”
“Well, the officer who was involved... I work with him now. At the station. He’s actually been around this whole time. I didn’t know back then how…closehe was with Laney and her family.”
Tyler knew all about Laney’s family welcoming me into the fold when I’d moved here, but I’d left out the details of who was included in the big, loud brood—especially when it came to theWilsons. It never felt like a good time to mention whose house I had weekly suppers at when the only reason I wasn’t having them with Tyler had to do with the man at the other end of the table.
“No kiddin’?” Tyler leaned back, his expression unreadable. “What’s his name?”
I bit my lip, bracing myself for his reaction. “Adam Wilson.”
