Page 66 of Forbidden Love

CHAPTER 18

KYLIE

The night of the baseball fundraiser, something shifted between me and Tyler. Since then, it was assumed that he’d come over after work. We ate dinner together, sat on the deck to watch the sunset, and went inside, planning to watch TV in bed but inevitably had sex. It felt like something else entirely. It felt more like he was making love to me.

A couple of Saturdays after the fundraisers, we were supposed to build our first dugout. Weekends were the best time since the Fletchers didn’t usually work on other projects on the weekends, and the team was out of school.

Tyler had broken ground on his new house recently, and there’d been this hum of anticipation under his skin. He was excited about the new house and anxious to get it completed. I was glad that he was looking forward to it because he seemed almost stuck before.

Tyler had left early this morning to help his brothers get the wood and other supplies to the field. I’d lazed around in bed for a bit before showering and putting on the outfit he’d envisioned for this day.

He hadn’t mentioned it again, but he’d been so specific when he brought it up, I couldn’t resist teasing him. I picked a pair of cutoff jeans shorts that covered my ass, since there were kids around, a white tank top, and sneakers. It was cooler when I stepped outside, so I grabbed a black Fletcher & Sons sweatshirt that he’d left behind one morning.

He’d begun to leave more and more things at the cabin. At first, it was a toothbrush and a change of clothes he’d neatly folded and stacked on my dresser. It made sense because he showered after work and changed before dinner. But, with each day, more things ended up in that spot, and we hadn’t had a conversation about it.

It was understood that we needed to make the most of our time together. I still hadn’t decided what direction my life should take, and the dugout project let me push it off indefinitely. I was scared to say anything because I wasn’t sure what I wanted.

I parked next to a Fletcher & Sons’ truck as there were already several in the lot. As I got closer to the field, I saw that everyone was there—Miranda, Waylon, Mac, Natalie, Delaney, Sam, Alice, and Maggie. There were coolers of drinks and donut boxes on a table they’d set up.

Wood was laid out on the ground, and Tyler was talking to some kids who’d arrived early. When he saw me, he smiled, and it drew me to him. “Our fearless leader is here. Kids, this is Kylie. She’s in charge of the project today.”

“I hope not. I don’t know how to build a dugout.”

Tyler winked at me. “We’re going to learn something new today. But first, I wanted to remind you of a few safety precautions. If you’re holding a tool, then you’re standing next to an adult who’s assisting you. Wear the hard hats and safety goggles. If you get hot or tired, take a break. We have plenty of food and drinks. We’ll get started in a few minutes,” Tyler said.

I counted heads. “We’re just waiting for a few more kids.”

Maggie had taken it upon herself to hand out the hard hats to the kids.

Tyler turned toward me and dipped his head to whisper in my ear. “It looks like you’re not wearing shorts. I thought you’d be hot in a tank top, but you in my sweatshirt? I want to take you somewhere no one can see us and have my way with you.”

I smiled. “I assure you, I am. And there are kids around.”

He stepped back and held up his hands. “I’ll behave. For now.”

I smiled, heat curling in my belly even though he’d woken me with his tongue on my pussy this morning. I felt insatiable around him, like I’d never get enough.

When everyone arrived, Tyler went through the safety instructions again, and Maggie passed out the remaining hard hats. When I put mine on, Tyler patted it. “You’re adorable in that hat. I’d love to see you on a construction site. Although it might be too distracting.”

“Are you being serious about me hanging around your work?” I asked, not quite believing he wasn’t teasing.

“We’re just digging a hole in the ground at the moment, but when the walls are up, you should stop by. I’ll put you to work.”

Tyler’s tone was genuine, so I said, “I’d like that.”

I observed him as we worked. He was patient when he showed the kids how to use the tools.

So far, I’d mainly overseen the project, making sure kids had something to work on. That was the hardest part because there were so many people on-site and only so many things to do. We quickly got into a rhythm of having a few kids take a break for a snack while Mac worked with another group of kids on measuring. The third group of kids worked with Tyler on cutting the boards.

It was a beautiful day out.

One of the dads approached me. “I really appreciate you working on this project with the kids. It teaches them a skill, and I hope this will stick with them for a long time.”

“Me too.” When I started the project, I thought it would be nice for everyone to have the same equipment, but I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to involve the kids in the improvements. That was all Tyler.

It made the project well-rounded and one everyone could get behind. I wondered if we could do more things like this. Not necessarily dugouts, but other projects where kids from the community could be involved. We’d be creating something for the community while teaching kids how to use tools to build something.

There was no question it was great for Fletcher & Sons. Not that they weren’t already a household name, but this would help more people get to know them, and I bet they would have even more work in the future from their connections formed here.

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