Page 19 of Home for Justice
But she wasn’t fooling herself. She wanted to see him, even if only for a moment. Even if he was still in his dress blues or had already changed into jeans and was exhausted. She wanted to see those eyes again… wanted to feel that quiet gravity between them and know she hadn’t imagined it.
She hesitated at the threshold, hand resting on the knob, nerves prickling at the base of her neck. He buried his grandfather today. He might not want company. He might need time. But her gaze drifted back to the house, to the steady amber light glowing behind the curtain, and something in her heart whispered louder than reason.Maybe… just maybe… he needs a hug.
10
Tyler sat on the worn but well-kept sofa, cradling a single tumbler of whiskey in his palm.
The amber liquid caught the fading light from the window, casting golden hues across his fingers. He hadn’t poured the drink to forget. He wasn’t drowning anything tonight. It was a quiet toast, a solemn gesture in honor of the grandparents who had shaped his life and now, both gone, had left him with a house full of memories and silence.
His gaze drifted over the living room, taking in the familiar furniture that bore the evidence of time. The kind of pieces chosen not for style but for comfort and endurance. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he let the weight of everything settle.
He was a homeowner now. A property owner. And with that came choices he didn’t have to make right away, but ones that loomed like quiet shadows in the corners of the room.
And he’d never been the kind of man to shy away from decisions.
If I sold this place, would I stay in the area?The thought of LSIMT had stuck with him ever since meeting Cory. A newpath, maybe. A shift in course he hadn’t expected but hadn’t dismissed, either.
Some folks said there were no coincidences, only fate. Tyler wasn’t sure where he landed on that argument. Life had a way of throwing things at you, but whether you saw them for what they were… that was on you.
He took another sip of whiskey, the warmth sliding down his throat, then let his thoughts drift to the other reason he might want to stay.Justice.His neighbor.
He’d only spoken to her twice, yet she’d settled into his mind with quiet certainty. There was something about her that didn’t feel rushed or forced. She didn’t interrupt the rhythm of his circumstances but had somehow become a part of it already.And we’ve only been in each other’s presence twice.
At thirty-eight, Tyler had accepted that he might always walk alone. He’d dated, but nothing had ever stuck. And the idea of feeling anything this soon for someone he’d barely spoken to should’ve been laughable.
But it wasn’t. Her touch had lit something in him. Her smile had nestled into places inside him that he hadn’t realized were still hollow.
A light, hesitant knock sounded at the front door. Tyler sat up straight, brows furrowed. He hadn’t heard a car. Rising from the couch, he moved to the window and looked out onto the front porch. There she was.
Justice stood on his porch, hands wrapped around a glass pie dish, her silhouette outlined by the glow of the porch light. He opened the door. She stood on the other side of the screen, a shy smile tugging at her lips. His breath hitched.
“I debated on whether I should come.” She shrugged slightly. “But I thought… you might like some pie.”
He chuckled softly, and it struck him that Justice didn’t seem like the kind of woman who second-guessed herself often. She led with heart and acted with intent. But still, he saw the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
Without a word, he unlatched the screen and pushed it open, stepping aside so she could pass. The scent of warm apples and cinnamon drifted in with her, curling around the subtle vanilla that seemed to come from her. It was an oddly comforting mix.
He closed the door behind them, and for a moment, they just stood there, caught in the stillness between arrival and everything that might follow. “Come on back.” He gestured.
She followed him into the kitchen, the soft padding of her steps a quiet rhythm behind him. She placed the pie on the counter, then turned. They stood just a few feet apart, the air between them humming with something unspoken.
Her hands were clasped in front of her, her head tilted gently. “I also thought…” Her eyes searched his. “Considering what you had to do today… you might need another hug.”
He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until it slipped from his lungs in a rush. The corners of his mouth lifted slowly, and for a man who didn’t open up easily, it surprised him how natural it felt to step forward, arms wide. Just like the first time, he didn’t hesitate. And this time, he wasn’t afraid to admit just how much he needed what she offered.
She moved before either of them could speak, surging forward like she couldn’t stop herself. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and once again, her cheek found its place just over his heart. Tyler exhaled, his arms closing around her with steady purpose. He dropped his chin to the crown of her head, his stubble brushing against her hair.
By any standard, it should’ve felt awkward. But it didn’t. Not even close. For Tyler, it felt like something he hadn’t realizedhe’d been missing—an ease, a comfort, a warmth that settled into his bones and stayed.
The embrace tugged a memory from the quiet corners of his mind. After his parents’ funeral, when the world had felt unbearably heavy, his grandmother had held him in a hug that didn’t rush or offer empty words. She simply held him until the worst ache dulled. He’d been a grown man, yet that hug had cracked something open in him and had reminded him that presence alone could heal.
And now… Justice was doing the same. No words. No explanations. Just holding him like he mattered.
She didn’t let go, but she leaned back slightly, her arms still around him. Tilting her head, she looked up with a smile so warm it melted through him. “It’s nice to meet you, neighbor.”
Tyler huffed a quiet laugh, his gaze sweeping over the softness of her face, the spark in her eyes. “What are the odds?” he murmured.
Her smile widened. “I hope it’s okay that I stopped by.”
