“Right.”

She tucked her hair behind her ears and then cupped the mug in her hands. “Because he was the one who scared the horse who kicked me and eventually that caused me to lose my sight.”

There hadn’t been any kind of auditory gasp or movement, but she knew the silence of shock too.

Tyler’s tea bag bobbed against his mug as he lifted it in and out in a nervous ritual. He drummed his fingers against his thigh. She could almost hear his brain turning trying to think of something clever like everyone else had when she’d told them.

“How old was Fitz when that happened?”

Tyler had lived up to his element of surprise. He didn’t coddle the fact that an accident by her little brother at such a young age had robbed her of what everyone considered normal.

“Four.”

“That must have really affected him.”

“It did. He didn’t talk to me for a long time. He was afraid of me. By the time he was nine he was getting in fights over me. Then he was protecting me.” She pulled the bag of tea out of her mug and set it on a napkin she had pulled from the holder on the table. “He challenged me. He pushed me. But he always had my back. Like this house. He bought it a year ago.”

“So when he was nineteen?”

“Yes. Pissed my father off too. He took the money from his trust fund and bought a house.”

“That’s a sturdy financial decision.”

She laughed. “It was. He put my name on the title too so no one could ever take it away from me.”

Courtney heard him lean in and rest his arms on the table. “Do you ever think he knew he wouldn’t come back?”

In a nervous habit she tucked her hair back again. “He was very insightful like that. He’d never have told me though. He knew I was worried enough.”

Tyler covered her hand with his. “I think it sounds like you two made quite a pair.”

She smiled. “We did. I’m going to miss him so much I don’t even know how I’m going to deal with that.” That pain was creeping into her chest—the kind of pain that started as an ache and quickly began to choke you. Tears burned her throat and her breath began to hold in her lungs.

“You won’t do it alone. I’ll be here.”

She nodded. It was all she could do. He would be there. He’d said it more than once and she believed he meant it.

Tea had turned into a long talk about the man that Fitz was. They’d moved from the kitchen to the couch and when Tyler’s phone rang that was what had awakened him.

He shifted on the couch. His arm was numb from having had it draped over Courtney for the past few hours.

The ringing had her stirring too. She sat up and rubbed her face.

“What is that? Mine or yours?” Her voice shook with sleep.

“Mine.” He looked at the screen. “It’s my brother. Hey, Spence,” he said trying to make his eyes focus on the light coming in from the window.

“Want a ride? I’m heading into town. I can swing by and pick you up.”

“A ride? What the hell time is it?”

His brother laughed. “Man, it’s a quarter till nine. I told Dad you’d be there by nine-thirty.”

“Crap!” He stood from the couch. “I’ll be there closer to ten. But I can drive in. Do me a favor, have them get me a parking space and I’ll take the elevator up to his office.”

“You still have the key?”

“Yeah, just tell him I’ll be there.”

“I will. Where are you?” His brother’s tone had that edge to it—the kind that teetered on laughter.

“Bite me,” he said as Spencer started to laugh. He pushed the button to hang up the call as Courtney stood next to him.

“What time is it?”

“Eight forty-five.”

“Oh, God! My mother will be here any minute. You have to get out of here.”

“I’m gone.” He hurried to the front door with Courtney holding his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Oh, it’s my fault. I called you here and then kept you here.”

Tyler searched his pocket for his keys and pulled them out. “I’ll talk to you later.” He bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips which must have surprised her.

He opened the door and hurried to his car. This wasn’t quite the way he’d wanted to prove to his father that he was man enough to accept responsibilities.

As he drove away from Courtney’s house, he passed a black Mercedes. The driver slowed, but Tyler pressed on. As soon as he could get home and showered he could get to his father. The bonus to it all would be that in a few hours he could call Courtney and compare days.

Tyler turned on his signal at the stop sign, looked both ways, and turned with a smile. He couldn’t believe how much he looked forward to that call.

Chapter Eleven

The front door opened and Courtney could hear her mother’s shoes on the hardwood floor.

“Courtney, where are you? Are you okay? Are you here? Where are you?”

She let out a groan. “Mother, I’m upstairs. I’ll be right down.”

She heard the familiar thud of her mother’s purse landing on the coffee table and then the coffee pot being filled at the sink. If it was past two in the afternoon, she would have heard the sound of the cupboard with wine being opened.

Courtney brushed through her hair and fastened it atop her head in a ponytail. She’d changed her clothes quickly and would have to remember later to pick the others up off the floor or she’d trip over them. But for now, she was in a hurry to get downstairs.

Her mother was pacing the kitchen when she’d made her way down to her. She could hear the click-clack of her expensive Italian shoes. They made a different sound than heavier soled ones.

“Good morning, Mother.”

“Don’t good morning me,” her mother said and her voice shook. “I saw him. I saw him drive away from here.”

Courtney walked to the counter and took a mug down from the cupboard. “And who did you see?”

“That man you left the funeral with yesterday. You left me there alone.”

“You said it was okay to go with him.”

“To our house. You left.”

Courtney poured herself a cup of coffee and when it warmed her body she realized just how tired she was. She and Tyler must have only rested a few hours.