“How? How do you know?” he asked, for reasons beyond Jack and even beyond the choices he’d made after finding his father.
He was asking because, after three days apart, he couldn’t stop thinking about Ella. Wanting to talk to her. To hear her laugh. To have her argue with him. Hell, he’d even take her insisting she could handle herself, as long as she was near.
He wanted desperately to see if he and Ella could try for something more than just sex. Something solid. And to do that, he needed to believe in himself.
Serena braced her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I know because you’ve been there for me and JayJay since the day you came home. Just like you’re there for your siblings no matter what. And the business you created so you, me, and the guys you served with could have jobs when their tours were up. You’re a good man, Tyler. I just don’t know why you doubt yourself so much.”
She stunned him with her words and her faith. With facts he’d never considered before and which allowed him to think that maybe he was no longer the same person who ran when things got emotionally hard. Maybe running wasn’t really what he’d done, just made youthful choices? Done the best he could at the time?
“Ready to order?” the waiter, who Tyler hadn’t even noticed, asked.
“Pizza!” the precocious six-year-old said, and both Tyler and Serena laughed, breaking the tension.
And after they ordered, and while they ate, they talked about JayJay’s friends, school, and the doggie she wanted that her mother wasn’t at all ready to get. All the while, Serena’s words stayed with him, as did thoughts of Ella and his desire to see her again.
But after three days and her lack of reply after he’d texted her, he had a feeling he’d screwed up somehow. He wasn’t sure exactly how.
Before he could decide whether or not to run his personal issues by Serena, his phone rang with the business ringtone. He held up a hand to excuse himself for a minute. “Hello?”
“This is central station. You asked to be notified if anything came in on 2020 Mercer Street,” the person on the other end said.
Ella’s apartment, which had been his sister’s place. Tyler had put the alarm system in when Avery had had a stalker courtesy of her rock star (then) boyfriend.
“I did. What happened?” Tyler asked.
“The alarm went off, indicating someone tried to break in. No one answered when we called, and the police were dispatched to the scene.”
“Thank you.” Tyler’s entire body tightened with a combination of anger and frustration with himself for ignoring his gut on the island.
He glanced at Serena, rising as he spoke. “I have to go. It’s an emergency.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He kissed her on the head. “I wish I had time. I’ll explain later. Just don’t worry.” He bent down and ruffled JayJay’s hair. “Be good. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye, Uncle Tyler.”
He grinned. “Bye, babycakes.”
He pulled money out of his pocket, causing Serena to frown. “You pay me well enough to cover a pizza dinner.”
“It’s always my treat. I’m sorry to run out,” he said, then proceeded to do just that, hightailing it over to Ella’s apartment and praying she was okay.
He arrived to find her talking to a police officer in the hall, a young guy who’d obviously been out on patrol when the call had come in about a possible burglary. His partner stood by his side.
Ella had her purse on her arm and wore a pretty sundress and heels. She’d obviously been out, just as he’d been, and gotten the call.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked, coming up beside her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, narrowing her gaze.
The officer stepped between them. “Is this a friend of yours?”
Ella hesitated, obviously annoyed with him. If she chose to get stubborn now, she’d cost the cops time because they’d start looking into him as a possible suspect. He waited for her to reply.
Finally she let out a huff of air. “Yes, he’s a family friend who thinks it’s his job to watch out for me.”
It was his turn to narrow his gaze. That kind of description wasn’t going to fly.