Page 37 of Tempting the Heart

Chapter Eleven

Mae

Brad turned around with a scowl as I pulled into the driveway of Tyler’s childhood home. There were contractors hard at work, but I didn’t spot Tyler.

I turned off the car and reached for both trays of drinks from my coffee shop. It seemed only fair that I get everyone some caffeinated beverages before our day began.

Brad marched over and opened my door.

“I’d advise you to leave the drinks and head back home, Mae.” He looked pretty serious, but I wasn’t going to be scared away by a pair of crotchety humans.

I frowned and handed the trays to my brother. “It’s ten o’clock in the morning. What could possibly—” I stepped out of my car and heard the racket.

It wasn’t the nail being hammered, the saws being run, or the painters chatting that caused my spine to tingle. Instead, a shrill sound from the porch pricked my spine as I saw the door swing open and an older woman march outside with Tyler behind her.

I glanced at Brad and let out a breath.

“See what I’m talking about?” Brad asked under his breath.

The woman spun around and started cursing when Tyler spotted me and shot me a quick nod.

“This is nuts,” I muttered, grabbing a tray of drinks and walking toward Tyler and his mom.

As I got closer, it sounded like she was ranting about her husband losing. At what, I didn’t know.

Tyler’s eyes met mine over his mother’s shoulder, and a faint smile moved across his mouth.

“Drinks. I’ve got drinks for everyone.” I held the tray higher. “Whether you want cold, hot, sweet, not…” I cleared my throat. “I’ve got it all.”

“What? Who’s that?” Tyler’s mom turned to look at me.

“Hey, Mrs. Grant. You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Mae Evans. Nice to see you. I brought some coffee from my little café for everyone.”

Her cold eyes hopped from one drink to the next as Brad approached me with the other tray.

“What are you doing here?” she nearly snarled, but I only smiled wider.

“I’m here to hang out with Tyler.” I pushed the tray closer to her. “Would you like a caramel mocha or a plain coffee? I even brought one of my new menu items. It’s like drinking a caramel brûlée dessert. So delish.”

Her face soured. “Aren’t you that girl Tyler had a crush on? The one with all the sisters, and he picked the ug—”

Tyler’s eyes widened, and he dashed for the tray, interrupting his mom. “Which drink did you want, Mom? This was so nice of you, Mae. You didn’t have to do this.”

My stomach knotted into a tight ball. I knew the word about to roll from her tongue wasn’t going to be kind. I didn’t know why, and I honestly didn’t care.

I suddenly knew what was meant by killing them with kindness. The idea sounded amazingly sweet.

“I didn’t know Tyler had a crush on me, Mrs. Grant.” I grinned. “Good to know.”

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. “I never knew why. I couldn’t understand it. The entire Evans family is so…”

It was like her brain stopped spinning as Tyler pushed a drink into her hand. “This one says caramel brûlée. Enjoy.”

Tyler’s eyes connected with mine. “I’m so sorry. This is just…”

I could see the horror and embarrassment in his gaze, which only made me want to stay longer. I didn’t care what she had to say about my family or me. We worked for each other, and that was what mattered. The same couldn’t be said for her, which was a shame.

“Just what I expected,” I assured him.

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