Page 76 of Tempting the Heart

“Just be nice for once.” Tyler’s voice lowered, but I squeezed his hand lightly.

“Honestly, it’s no biggie.” I smiled at his mom. “I’m in customer service. I’ve met my fair share.”

Tyler’s mom stared at me. “Fair share of what?”

I shrugged. “You tell me.”

Nancy bit her bottom lip as my pulse rose slightly. I’d always prided myself on respecting elders, but… ugh.

Something about these people just brought it out.

Tyler glanced at his dad. “We’ll be back shortly.”

Nancy nodded. “I’ll be here for another three hours. If all is a go, I can get your mom in tonight. It would be more comfortable than the hospital chair.”

Tyler nodded. “Think of it as a hotel.”

His mom ignored us as we exited the room, and I let out a deep breath.

“I am so sorry. That was so wrong of me to provoke your mom.”

“You didn’t provoke her. She threw the first dagger. It’s only natural.” He shook his head. “They just bring it out in people.”

We stood at the elevators. “I don’t get it, but I feel horrible that I let her get to me.”

“Don’t think twice.” Tyler shook his head as we stepped on the elevator. “And for the record, Bethany isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Yeah? Am I?” I asked.

He smiled. “If you’ll have me, but I don’t see things getting easy anytime soon.”

My heart twisted into uncertainty. “I never signed up for easy with you. I’ve already waited decades.”

The elevator opened, and we walked out to the lobby.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“A senior-living apartment to make it safer for my parents to live after my dad gets out of the rehab facility.”

My brows rose. “He has to go to a nursing home this time?”

Tyler nodded. “Yeah. Seems so.”

“And your mom is okay with this?”

He shook his head as we walked outside. “Not at all, but she doesn’t really have a choice. APS is involved.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Adult Protective Services.”

“Wow. Okay.”

“I think they’ve got a pretty weak case, but I’m certainly not going to point that out to my mom. This is like a gift in disguise.”

“I’m just… My mind is blown, really. How did this even happen?”

“The medics and a concerned citizen.” Tyler walked us to a public parking lot where he’d parked his truck. “Phew. No ticket. It said one-hour parking, and it’s been longer than that.”

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