Page 133 of Receiving His Mercy
“I will,” Rusty said.
“I’ll go with you,” Tyler said. “In the meantime, I can play bodyguard to Caren.”
“Sure?” Travis asked.
“Sure, she’ll never know I’m there.”
33
“Tyler, why are you following me?” Caren demanded, turning to look at him as he peered over his shoulder at the cakes and slices in the cabinet. She was standing in line at the small café around the corner from her apartment building.
“Yum. Peanut butter brownie? I’ll take one of those and a caramel latte with an extra shot of vanilla.”
“Why can’t you get them yourself? Why are you here?” she asked.
He pouted. “Here I am, guarding you and you can’t even buy me a caramel latte? That’s harsh.”
“Guarding me from what?” she asked.
“All the bad guys out there.”
She huffed, shaking her head at him. “Bad guys my ass.”
“It’s a cute ass,” he allowed. “But I better not stare at it too much or my brother is likely to kickmyass.”
“So Travis sent you.” She should have known. There was no one else that would have sent him.
But why?
“Big brother is protective,” Tyler told her.
They reached the front of the line and she ordered for both of them, paying.
“Aww, thanks sister-in-law-to-be.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” she warned. “We’ve only just got together.”
“It won’t take long for the two of you to take it further. You’ve known each other for years. You’re good for him and he’s . . . well, I actually have no idea what you see in him. He’s bossy, grouchy, and not nearly as good looking as I am.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “What’s going on, Tyler? Why is Travis getting you to follow me around?”
“And here I thought I was being so discreet.”
“No, you didn’t. You waved at me twice when I spotted you and then when I got here, you didn’t even pretend to try and hide.”
“I needed a coffee. You can’t expect a person to walk into a café and not get a coffee, can you? That’s just cruel.”
“You’re a nutter just like your brother.”
“Now, that’s just mean.”
“What is? Calling you a nutter?” she asked.
“No, likening me to Travis. We are nothing alike.” He shuddered.
“Why does he think I need protection?”
“He’s worried about this ex of yours.”
