Cross My Heart (Ty & Hunter 1)

“Why in the world would you be angry at yourself?” his mother asked.

Ty didn’t turn around. He couldn’t face his mother while confronting issues that had haunted him for years. But while she’d been in surgery, Ty had done a lot of thinking. With Lilly’s head resting on his shoulder, he’d contemplated losing the mother he loved, and he forced himself to deal with what had really bothered him about learning she’d taken the money.

In reality, Flo’s taking the cash had probably saved Lilly’s life. To be mad at his mother for giving Lilly a good home in exchange for cash was ridiculous. It had just been easier to be upset with his mother than to face his anger at himself.

“It’s complicated,” he said. “All the while I was upset with you for not telling me Lilly wasn’t really a foster kid, that I was angry at you for keeping the money a secret, I’d been keeping a huge secret of my own.” He breathed in deep. “For years, I let you grieve, knowing Lilly was really alive.” His pulse pounded in his temple as he spoke.

“We both made mistakes,” his mother said. “Or should I say we both made choices that we felt were necessary at the time. Who knows? Maybe they were necessary,” she said, once again letting him off the hook.

He wasn’t ready to do the same thing for himself, at least not yet. Hopefully he’d reach that point, but first, he needed to say all that was on his mind.

“What else is bothering you, Tyler? What are you still holding inside of you?” his mother asked.

“Besides letting you suffer for ten years?” This time he turned, determined to face his mother while he admitted his mistakes.

His flaws.

His faults.

“What did I do? I sent Lilly off to New York alone. She was all of seventeen years old and I didn’t go after her. Hell, I didn’t even check on her for five goddamn years,” Ty said in disgust.

And he’d used a ridiculous promise never to talk about that night again as an excuse for staying away. Then when he had discovered she was alive and living in Manhattan , he hadn’t gone to find her. Instead he’d blamed her for not coming back to him. Talk about the height of arrogance. But it had taken Lilly’s return, her nearly being killed and his mother’s heart attack to open his eyes.

He’d been a coward, Ty thought.

“How old were you when we concocted that scheme to stage my death?”

Ty jerked away from his mother’s bedside toward the unexpected sound of Lilly’s voice. She stood in the doorway, tapping her foot and staring at him in disbelief.

“I believe she asked you a question, son,” Flo said, a smile pulling at her mouth.

Ty cleared his throat. “I was eighteen.”

“And you think that made you so much older and wiser than me? You think that you should have known better?” Lilly asked, stepping into the room. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’m glad I did.”

“So am I.” Flo gestured for her to come in and stay. “She’s got a point, you know.”

Ty scowled. “Don’t you two gang up on me,” he muttered.

“Well, who appointed you everyone’s guardian and savior?” Lilly asked. “Don’t get me wrong.

I’ve always been grateful that you looked out for me. Who knows what would have happened if I’d been forced to go back to Uncle Marc instead of staying in foster care with you? But nobody placed you in charge and certainly nobody designated you as the one who always had to get everything right. Cut yourself a break, Ty. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you just aren’t perfect.” She threw her hands in the air in disgust.

He let out a long puff of air. She didn’t know it but she’d answered one important question. She hadn’t heard them talking about his mother taking the money from her uncle. That secret, like the others, had to come out. Something else he’d realized while his mother had been under the knife.

“What do you mean I’m not perfect?” Ty asked, focusing on the lightest part of her monologue.

“How could you say such a thing in front of my mother?” he asked in a joking tone.

Lilly frowned, obviously not finding him the least bit amusing.

“Well, this has been exhausting,” Flo said. “I need to rest but Ty, you need to listen to Lilly.

She’s got more knowledge in her pretty head than the two of us combined.” She leaned back against the pillows, her skin paler than when he’d entered the room.

Which meant his mother’s secret would wait for another day, Ty thought. With any luck, so would the continuation of this conversation with Lilly.

They started for the door. His mother fell asleep almost before they left the room. Ty stopped by the nurses’ station and asked them to make sure she ate when she woke up, then steered Lilly toward an empty alcove near the waiting room.

He pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips softened and she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a soft little moan before kissing him back.

“Mmm.” He threaded his hands through her hair and pulled her closer.

“Mmm is right,” she said as she tipped her head back, breaking the kiss. “Unfortunately, we can’t continue this now. We have to go talk to Anna Marie.”

Ty groaned. “We do?”

“We do.” Molly laughed, answering from behind them. “Besides, this isn’t the place to play around. Someone might catch you.”

“Someone did.” Ty shifted on his feet, hoping his arousal would fade quickly. “Did I mention that I think you two talking to Anna Marie is a bad idea?”

“You’re just worried about me,” Lilly said. “But if we get her to cooperate, you’ll think it’s a great idea.”

Before he could argue some more, Lilly leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Now let’s go talk to your neighbor,” she said to Molly.

Ty knew when he was outnumbered, especially by two determined women. He had no choice but to go along and keep them safe.

LACEY KNEW BETTER than to hold out hope that Anna Marie Costanza would provide the key to solving all of her problems. Still, she couldn’t stop the little voice chanting please, please talk to us,  in her head.

The first fifteen minutes in the older woman’s home were torture for Lilly. The house smelled of mothballs and Anna Marie took her time steeping tea for her guests regardless of their insistence that they didn’t want or expect her to entertain them in any way.