Page 142 of An Engagement for Erica

She wasn’t sure how she should answer this.

“What did you piece together?” she asked.

“Small things,” TC said. “That the last time I saw you, you were playing with your ring as if it was this weight you weren’t sure you wanted to carry, but you did it because you love my grandson.”

“I do love him,” she said. “Even when he’s stubborn.”

She wouldn’t let her emotions get the best of her.

Wouldn’t let her eyes fill with tears either.

“It’s a Nelay trait,” TC said. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “Tucker isn’t the first person I’ve dealt with in my life that is stubborn. But we can keep it between us that you figured it out.”

TC smirked at her. “Well now.”

She frowned. “Does Tucker know you know?”

“He does,” TC said. “I told him a while ago when I figured it out.”

Her jaw dropped.

How dare he not share that information with her?!

“What did he say?”

“I’m not trying to cause a fight between you two,” TC said. “But rather put out a flame that started prematurely.”

“Sorry, but you just dumped gasoline on it.”

No reason to lie to the man when he could see her face.

“Sometimes you have to take a risk in life,” TC said. “I’m doing that now and I know Tucker did with you.”

She crossed her arms. “What does that mean?”

“It means he loves me enough to do something he’d never do for anyone else. And he loves you enough to do stupid things for fear of losing you. Just remember that when you talk to him.”

“He’s got a crappy way of showing it by lying to me,” she said, her voice cracking.

It was getting harder to keep her emotions in check now.

How could she have been so wrong about him?

“I don’t think he sees it that way,” TC said. He pulled his phone out, sent a text, and then put it away. “Michael is going to come in and help me leave. I could walk out myself, but it would make him feel better to be by my side. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride for those we love too. Remember that also.”

She watched TC leave out her front door, stood there battling her tears, and then let them fall when the car pulled out of the driveway.

When she turned around, Harmony was standing there and rushed her for a hug.

It was all she needed before she started to sob.

“Let it out,” Harmony said. “Then we can hate Tucker together.”

“I don’t want to hate him,” she said. There was no reason to ask how much her sister heard. Harmony was famous as a kid for sitting at the top of the stairs to get information. “But I don’t know why he wouldn’t have told me TC knew. The whole startof our relationship was about a lie and I accepted that. But once that lie didn’t need to be there anymore, he could have told me.”

“I’m sure he has his reason,” Harmony said. “And you need to give him hell for it too. Stand your ground.”

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