“We’re a unique twosome, aren’t we? We both have trust funds that would keep us very comfortable and yet we aren’t interested in the industry in which we could take over. We both would rather follow our hearts and it is our heart that gets us in trouble.”

“How could that get us in trouble?”

“You ran when yours got hurt.”

“And you?”

“I tend to fall in love too fast.”

“And that’s bad?”

“Can be.”

“You’re afraid to fall in love with me?”

She licked her lips before she responded. “I’m vulnerable right now. Fitz is gone and he’s been my pillar of strength for a very long time.”

Tyler rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I think you’ve been your own.”

“But, it isn’t right for me to want to fall in love with you. Not when I’ve only known you a few days. Not when I spent the day of my brother’s funeral kissing you.”

“You want to fall in love with me?” He was inching in closer to her.

“Tyler, this is all very confusing. How could you want to fall in love with me? My family is all screwy. I’m in mourning and any moment I’ll burst into tears. And then there is the fact that I’ll never see your face. How can you…”

Tyler moved in closer. “You really do talk too much.” He lifted his hand to her cheek and pulled her to him. His lips brushed over hers with a need to make her understand that what was brewing in her was brewing in him too. There was no way he would say he loved her, not yet, but damn, he wasn’t going to let her go. This was worth fighting for. He wanted this.

A moan escaped her throat and only made him want her more. This wasn’t what he’d expected when he’d moved back home.

He’d completely fallen in love with this woman who picked him up at the airport. It didn’t matter to him that she’d never see his face. She seemed to see deeper inside of him than anyone ever had. All he had to do was prove to her that he wouldn’t run. They were matched with their hearts, no matter the circumstances that brought them together.

First, he’d prove to her he could love her and then he’d tell her. For now, he’d continue to kiss her breathless and hope that helped her understand.

Chapter Fifteen

When Tyler walked through the front door of the Starbucks in the Riverside Building that his father owned, he had a skip in his step and a whistle on his lips.

He’d stop by and say hello to his father later, but now he was going to meet with Avery and plan the gala of the year.

“You look too happy,” his cousin said with her eyes narrowed on him.

“I am happy,” he said and kissed her square in the middle of the forehead.

Tyler sat down in the chair across from her and studied her. Her dark hair matched her mother’s—black, shiny, and long. However, her father’s blue eyes peered out from dark lashes at him. If she weren’t his cousin she’d be someone he’d have taken a second glance at. Her cheeks had a rosy glow to them and that was because she was humored. Some things never changed.

Avery pushed a cup of coffee toward him. “I got your regular.”

“You’re the best.”

Now she laughed. “Dear God, I don’t remember the last time I saw you this happy. If this is what three years away does, I’m leaving tonight.”

Tyler held his hands around the paper cup wrapped in a cardboard sleeve. “No, this is what coming home does. You’re already here. No need to leave.”

“I don’t think this is all just coming home.”

Tyler tried to hold in the smile, but how could he? “No, this is all about a woman.”

Avery sat back in her chair, her legs crossed at the knee, and a perfectly manicured set of toes in a sandal bounced as she glared at him.

“Darcy said you met a woman on the plane.”

“I did.”

“You went to her brother’s funeral.”

“Yep, that’s her.” Now the smile was free and he couldn’t tuck it back.

“That’s kinda sick.”

Tyler leaned in. “No. And if you’re thinking I took advantage of a situation, well I didn’t. It just happened to be the reason she was on that flight and she asked me to be at the funeral.”

“But you’ve been seeing her.”

He sat back in his chair. “I have been. I’m bringing her to dinner on Sunday too.”

“You really do like her.”

“I do.” Avery sat forward and took Tyler’s hand. “I’m happy for you. Now tell me about her.”

Tyler thought about it for a moment. What could he tell her? Would she simply take the word perfect and let that be the way it was, because in his mind that was the word that explained Courtney.

“I think you should just meet her.”

“You’re trouble, you know that?”

“I do. And now you have to work with me. So, tell me cuz, what do you have done so far? What needs to be done for this gala?”

Avery pursed her lips and sulked back in her seat. “I have the venue.”

“Cool.”

He waited for her to speak again. But she didn’t.

The smile he’d felt pressed on his face began to diminish.

“That’s all?”

“Don’t judge me,” she snapped. “I don’t want to do this. This isn’t my kind of work. I don’t want to plan and promote.”

“Then why did you tell her you would?”

“She’s my mother.” Avery took a sip of her iced coffee through a straw. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Tyler let out a deep and painful breath. “So we have three months to completely put the event together? Are you serious? Shouldn’t something like this be planned for a year?”

Avery narrowed those blue eyes, which had gone icy, on him. “Next year you can start the day after. As for this year, we have three months. I told you, I don’t want to do this.”

Tyler bit the inside of his cheek. “Will you give me one hundred percent for three months? Please. I haven’t been to one of these in years. I don’t know what I’m getting into. Just be my partner for the next three months and we can do this.”

She looked around and her mouth tightened and tensed. “What does your woman do? Maybe she can help too.”