He was tugging open the door of his truck when she burst outside.
“Brody!”
He tossed his bag into the front seat before turning to face her, bracing his arms on the open door and the frame of the cab.
Tyler slowed, trying to get a handle on her thoughts as she approached him. Now that he was staring at her, expectation on his face, she didn’t know what she was going to say, only that she couldn’t leave things as they had been.
“It’s a really lovely thing you’re doing for the theater,” she began carefully. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working on this?”
Brody shrugged. “It was a long shot. I didn’t want to get your hopes up—or anybody else’s—in case Gerald didn’t go for it. I saw you when the announcement was made. You were surprised by the news. Why?”
She rocked back on her heels and dropped her gaze. “Because I heard you when you brought Gerald to see the theater. I was in the back of the auditorium. I heard his plans for the conference center and how he wanted to change everything. And I thought you’d encouraged him.”
Anger and insult warred on his face as he stepped toward her. “Is that what all this was about? You thought I was helping destroy the theater?”
Tyler refused to allow herself to bend beneath the shame. “Part of it,” she admitted. “I misjudged you, and I—I wanted to apologize for that.”
“Then you still mean what you said.”
Tyler wavered.
You don’t have to hurt. Not yet. The tiny, sly voice poked at her. He didn’t want this. He’d take you back if you just relented.
It was tempting—so tempting—the thought of having these last weeks with him and taking whatever time they had left. But how could she do that to herself? For all that she’d truly meant her attempt at living a carpe diem life where Brody was concerned, she didn’t truly believe it was worth the extra pain. What progress she’d made since she’d ended things was incredibly hard won. Sliding back into any kind of temporary arrangement with him would do far more harm than good.
No, better to stay the course and be strong. She just had to survive the next three weeks. Then she’d finally get that clean break and her chance to start over.
“Yes.” She trembled as she said it.
Brody’s face softened. Stepping into her space, he cupped her cheek, sliding his fingers into her hair. “I miss you.”
She swallowed the knot of tears in her throat. “I miss you, too.”
Tyler half expected him to press her back against the truck, to take her mouth in one of those scorching, claiming kisses. Part of her wished he would. But Brody held still, and she realized he was waiting for her to close the distance between them. The distance she’d put there.
It would be a mistake.
Tyler stepped back. “Good luck in Portland, Brody. I wish you all the best.”
The warmth of his fingers lingered against her skin as she walked away.
~*~
Good luck in Portland.
She knew. She knew he was leaving for Portland and she’d said nothing. No demands for answers, no indication she wanted him to stay. Except for the bald pain on her face as she wished him all the best.
Why was she doing this? How could she possibly have believed he’d willingly destroy the theater?
Brody started to go after her, to push for the fight she avoided so that they could get everything out into the open. But tomorrow was opening night and she was having enough trouble keeping to her role as it was. Blowing things wide open would likely just leave more wounds between them and there was no way they could pull an understudy substitution this late in the game. He didn’t want an understudy substitution. He wanted Tyler. So he curled his hands around the door frame and watched her walk away.
Shortly after leaving the theater, Brody found himself pulling into a space in front of Dinner Belles. This late the diner was empty but for a couple of open textbooks on one empty table. He didn’t know what he was doing here except that he was too restless to go home and a slice of pie made thinking more palatable. He slid into a booth and flipped open his organizer. It was full of details on the Portland job, contacts, schedules, supply lists, projections and estimates. All the things that were part and parcel of his trade, the things that had dragged him up the ladder at Peyton Consolidated and landed him this opportunity. It was what he’d been working for all these years.
There was no thrill to his success of being appointed to manage the project from the get-go. He studied the various elevations of the new building design, and all he saw was details. Meaningless, empty details.
“What can I get you, Brody?”
He tensed as he looked up to find Corinne standing beside the table, a coffee pot in one hand. But there was no evidence of the flirtatious smile she usually aimed his way.