“The day you tie Riley up and tell her what to do, I’ll—”
“I’d cool it if I were you. You do not want to discuss my sex life,” Ian said.
Tyler rolled his eyes. “I sure as hell don’t.” Not when he wasn’t getting any and wouldn’t for who knew how long.
“Me neither.”
“Well, then. That’s settled.” Ian placed his fork onto the table and took a long sip of his own drink, which matched Tyler’s. “How about we discuss the fact that you let your woman walk out the door?”
A slow-building throb began in Tyler’s temple. “Really? We’re going there?”
“Well, she went to visit her father in prison, so would you like to begin there instead?” Scott asked.
The pounding in Tyler’s head turned into a full-fledged stabbing pain. Somehow, between her shocking him with the announcement that she was leaving and dealing with letting her go, he’d forgotten she’d had that letter to deal with.
“When? And how the fuck do you know?” he asked, glaring at Scott. Even if he was grateful, no need to let the smug bastard know it.
He shrugged. “Avery called Meg to ask how her nephew is doing, and she mentioned it. She left tonight so she could stay over at a motel and be there first thing in the morning.”
“Where?” Tyler barked out.
“Sorry, man. I don’t know and neither does Meg.” Scott gave him a sympathetic look as he answered. “And before you kill me, I found out on the way over here when she called me and told me. It’s a done deal. You’ll have to wait until she gets back to talk to her.”
Tyler rubbed at his temples, his emotions close to bubbling over.
“How is Cole?” Ian asked Scott, correctly guessing Tyler did not want to continue the conversation about Ella in any way.
He had too much to think about on his own. And as his brothers discussed Meg’s breastfeeding, baby Cole’s diapers, and Ian’s daughter’s tantrums, somehow, Tyler formulated a plan.
He wasn’t sure if Ella would appreciate it, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t execute it with the precision of a well-run operation worthy of his days in the Army.
* * *
Ella thought back on how things with Tyler had ended. He’d let her go much more easily than she’d thought he would … and Ella wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Grateful that he’d respected her wishes? Hurt that he hadn’t argued? Surprised? All of the above, she thought, but she was unable to deny he’d given her what she’d said she needed. And something told her he always would.
Which didn’t change the fact that she was alone in her apartment just as she’d wanted—and miserable without Tyler. It had hurt to leave him, but if they were going to make it as a couple over the long term, she had to take the necessary steps to get her life together and put her past behind her.
She slept alone in her double bed, rolling over, reaching for Tyler in the middle of the night, only to wake up in a dark room on the wrong side of her small mattress. His bedroom had a roomy king, not that they’d used it. They’d usually slept wrapped around one another in the middle of his bed. She didn’t even mind the body heat he’d generated because he’d been there, by her side.
He’d taken care of her, looked out for her, and she liked to think she’d done the same for him. Or at least she’d tried to be there when he’d needed her, when Olivia was in distress and when he’d had to deal with his father’s unexpected appearance. She hoped it was enough for him to know how much she cared, even if she couldn’t be with him now.
The following morning arrived, leaving her exhausted from very little sleep. And when she attempted to eat breakfast, she remembered her refrigerator was empty, which meant she’d visit the supermarket, a chore she hated, but which hadn’t been so awful when she’d gone with Tyler. She had plenty of time to browse the aisles … seeing as how she was unemployed.
Another thing she did over the few days, calling around to contacts in the business and putting out feelers indicating she was looking for employment. She didn’t have any immediate luck in the job search, but the Miami fashion industry was small, and she let the right people know she was interested. She just didn’t know how long it would take to find a new job.
Good thing she had a nest egg in her savings account, she thought. She wasn’t a big spender, her childhood having taught her the value of being careful with her money.
She also counted her blessings that the police had merely confiscated the necklace Angie had given her to hold, instead of arresting her for possession of stolen property. Thanks to the man they’d arrested recognizing Angie and the resulting confession when her boss had broken down in custody, the cops had all the evidence they needed. Officer DeCarlo had called her early this morning to fill her in and thank her for her willingness to cooperate.
To her surprise, he’d asked her out. She couldn’t believe it. One minute he was telling her not to leave town, and the next, he was asking her on a date. But she wasn’t a free agent, no matter that she’d left Tyler behind. She was a woman in need of freeing herself.
Her cell phone rang, and the name of the prison showed on the screen. She answered and was informed she was approved for expedited visitation, and the person told her she should come soon, indicating, without saying as much, her father didn’t have much time left.
Her throat filled, and her eyes watered at the finality of it all. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the hours again, just to be sure she didn’t forget.
The trip would take her five hours there and five back, so she’d have to stay overnight. On her laptop, she then looked into motels in the area and made a reservation, deciding to leave by three p.m. today.
The drive was long and boring, with too much time to think, but the motel wasn’t bad as motels went. And she managed to sleep a few fitful hours.