Page 90 of Tempting the Heart

“Not exactly building my confidence there.” Tyler chuckled.

“At least you know of a good nursing home if you break something,” I teased.

Tyler laughed, pulled me in, and kissed my forehead.

“Hold my beer.” I shoved the bottle in his empty hand and started climbing the ladder. I looked around the moment I got up, relieved everything was as I’d left it this morning. I pulled the corner of the plaid blanket and smoothed out the wrinkles as Tyler’s hand appeared with a beer.

“I got it,” I told him as he hoisted himself into the treehouse.

Tyler pulled his long legs through the opening and looked around. “It had seemed so much bigger when we were kids.”

“I know, right?” I shook my head and took a swig of my beer. “Crazy.”

I lay on my side and patted the empty blanket next to me.

“It feels like just yesterday, we were making out here,” I teased, rubbing my hand along his arm.

“Good times.” He nodded, drinking from the bottle. “I felt like the luckiest guy in the world when you kissed me.”

“I wanted to do more,” I said softly.

Tyler’s eyes connected with mine, and he nodded. “I know you did. I wanted it to, but I just…”

“You knew better. You were older.”

He smiled. “Not that much older, and I didn’t know better. I think I was just scared of what your brother and dad could do to me if they found us.”

I laughed, throwing my head back in a fit of giggles, knowing he was telling the truth.

As I brought my head back down, Tyler kissed me.

His lips felt warm, and his embrace was even more comforting as I sank deeper into a fantasy I wanted too badly.

I broke away slowly and smiled. “Have you made your reservations for Wisconsin yet?”

He shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

“Do you want to stay?”

“I do.”

“But?” I prompted.

He didn’t answer right away, and I knew he was leaving. He didn’t have to tell me. I could see it in his eyes.

“It’s not about spending time on Marigold or the location of things.” He shook his head and ran his hands along his face with a groan. “I was using all of those things as an excuse.”

“An excuse about what?”

“Mae, you deserve better.” He propped his elbows on the wooden floor and rested his chin on his hands. “No matter how I look at it, you’re signing yourself up for years of grief.”

Panic set in. I didn’t know where this was coming from or why, but suddenly, I no longer had a say.

I shook my head. “No, I’m not. I’m signing up for you, Tyler. You’re all that I care about.”

“And I care about you. It’s why I don’t want you to get yourself into something you can’t get out of.”

I let out a shaky breath, willing the tears away. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t fall harder for him, but I’d known him since I was a kid. It was like this relationship had fast-tracked itself.

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