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“She sounds like a lovely person, ” I manage to get out.
“She was. It’s a good thing Tyler isn’t dating anyone, because they would never be able to live up to her. She wasthatgreat.”
My eyes drop.
Surprisingly, it’s not losing my job that I’m worried about right now. It’s Kristen. I’m not Tyler’s first love. I would be his second. It’s a lot to think about, and when I do think about it, I’m not sure I can handle everything that comes with being second best.
I don’t belong.
Not standing next to Kristen’s grave.
Not with Krew.
Not in Tyler’s life.
“Well, I have to run,” I say. “I have a bunch of errands to do. I’ll see you on Monday.”
Diane nods with a knowing glint in her eye and lifts a hand in farewell.
I keep my face even until the moment I turn my back, and then the tears fall.
I walk to my car, knowing that I’ll never compare to Kristen Dixon—just like Anna Mae will never compare to my mother.
CHAPTER36
TYLER
Krew and I pull up to Diane’s house and park on the street. We walk past a gray Audi in the driveway.
“I wonder who’s here. I thought it was just us celebrating Mom’s birthday.”
Krew glances up. “That’s Noah’s car.”
“How do you know?”
“Because there’s a Stealers sticker on the back.”
I see the familiar sticker on the back window. What the heck is Beverly Ulrich doing at Diane’s house?
I knock on the door, and within a few seconds, Diane opens the door. She’s wearing a nice party dress, and I know it’s to celebrate Kristen’s thirty-second birthday.
She smiles big, kissing the side of my cheek. “The boys are here! Krew, there’s a surprise for you in the living room.”
Krew kicks off his shoes and runs to see what it is.
“Diane.” I tug on her arm, lowering my voice. “Is Beverly Ulrich here?”
“Yes. I invited her and Noah to dinner with us today.”
My jaw hardens. “I thought we would celebrate Kristen’s birthday alone, as a family.”
Diane meets my hard expression with her own. “This is my house, Tyler. I can invite whoever I want to dinner. Be sure to use your manners.” Then she turns on her heels and heads into the kitchen.
My shoulders sink.
This is Diane’s way of setting me up on a date so that she can act like she’s being supportive of me dating again. But she’s smart. She knows that I would never be interested in a woman like Beverly Ulrich. She knows that spending the afternoon with Beverly will likely make me miss Kristen even more. This is a new level of manipulation. Diane’s never gonethisfar to get me to do what she wants.
I walk into the kitchen. Beverly is standing by the counter, watching Diane finish up with the meal. She’s wearing a tight, fitted red dress with a low-cut front—definitely not what I would deem Sunday appropriate. Her smile is bigger than the entire state of Florida as she leans into me for a hug.
