Had Tyler found out while he was still in Canmore? Her chest tightened as she thought about him waking up to find her gone and then discovering that. She didn’t regret leaving, but guilt niggled at her for how she’d treated Tyler in the foyer that morning. Yes, she was hurt, but Tyler’s father was dying. There was no competition as to which one took precedence.
And, since he’d stayed away from the barbecue—away from the only family he had in this city besides Troy—Tyler was doing this alone.
The drive to Tyler's house felt both too long and too short, the streetlights blurring together as she navigated the familiar route. She hit too many red lights, and by the time she finally pulled onto his street, the sun was setting, and her nerves were frayed.
She pulled up to the curb a few houses down and put the car in park, then flung the door open and got out. The night air prickled Emma's skin as she slammed the door and hurried up the street.
There wasn’t a guarantee Tyler would be here, but she had to try.He might not want to see her.That thought made her skip a step, but she clenched her hands into fists and kept walking. He might not want to see her, but she’d leave that up to him. She wasn’t going to avoid him at a time like this because she was worried about making him uncomfortable.
Her heart pounded faster when she spotted a silhouette up ahead. A woman. Tall, with long blond hair, wearing a trench coat. A stone settled in Emma’s stomach, and she slowed.
The woman’s stiletto heels clicked softly against the concrete. She was beautiful. Stunning, even. Emma stopped altogether as the woman turned up Tyler and Brett’s walkway, ascended the front steps, and knocked on the door.
Brett was at the barbecue.This woman could only be coming for—
The door opened. Emma only caught the side of Tyler’s profile before she spun on her heel and dashed back to her car.
* * *
Emma arrived at the property Monday morning feeling like she’d been hitched to the back of a truck and dragged. She’d barely slept at all Saturday night and hadn’t made up for it Sunday.
Neither Tyler nor Troy had texted her over the weekend, which in some ways, made things easier. Emma didn’t relish the idea of talking to them, but as much as she tried to convince herself she didn’t care about Troy’s health, she did.
She cared less about Tyler’s feelings now that she knew he most definitely wasn’t doing this alone. Her stomach clenched. That woman walking up the steps and entering Tyler’s townhome had lived rent-free in her head all weekend.She’d been so stupid.
Emma walked into the kitchen, not even pretending to be in a good mood. Lindsey and Vaughn trodded carefully as they set up for their final product shoot. They’d already done the specialty soaps and luxury towels. Today was marinated olives and spiced nuts. Then Emma was on to editing.
Lindsey would continue to shoot the property as the contractors finished up and the rooms were furnished and decorated, but Emma wouldn’t have to be there for that. She should have a couple of weeks off to work from home before they decided on their next project.
Time away couldn’t come soon enough. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of Tyler. The way he’d grasped her waist and kissed her next to the sink. The way his head moved on the other side of the stained glass. How he filled the entire doorway when he heard them having fun and couldn’t help wanting to be a part of it.
She meticulously arranged the glossy olives while Lindsey's auburn curls danced around her face as she fiddled with the camera settings. Vaughn shifted the light, then decided against the new position and moved it back.
"Ugh, my baby is acting up again," Lindsey grumbled, her brow furrowed in frustration as she fiddled with the settings on her camera.
“Adorable to pretend it’s not user error,” Vaughn teased, and Lindsey shot him a look.
Emma turned to find her mister and froze. Someone was standing in the doorway.
“So sorry to interrupt, but I’m having trouble with the WiFi.” The woman nodded toward the other room, and Emma’s heart flipped in her chest. It was the woman from the street. Her hair was pulled up into a chignon, and she wasn’t wearing heels today, but it was definitely the same person. “Would you be able to help me? I might just be entering the password wrong.”
Emma's lips drew into a line. “Sure.” Blood rushed in her ears as she followed the woman into the other room. This was what Tyler was doing now? Spending the night with a woman and then giving her a job in the morning?Or had he been seeing her all along?
It wasn’t like they were actually dating. She mentally berated herself. Of course he was seeing other women. How could she have been so deluded?
The woman pointed at her screen, and Emma stepped up. Her fingers trembled as she entered the password.
“You’re Emma, right?” The woman asked.
Anger flared in her veins. What had Tyler told her? Emma stepped back and gave a curt nod. The WiFi symbol lit up in the right hand corner of the screen, and Emma turned to go back to the kitchen.
"Troy mentioned you. He said he was so grateful you took the job here, mostly so he could see his son more often. But he did say he was thrilled with your quality of work.” She put her hands on the keys and typed something into the search bar.
Emma's brow furrowed. There was so much to unpack in those few sentences. She started with, "How do you know Troy?"
The woman laughed lightly. “I claim the title of ex-wife number six.” She straightened and turned toward her. “I flew out from Toronto two days ago. Tyler was nice enough to put me up. Troy told me he didn't know how long he had left, and there were some business decisions he needed help with.” She shrugged. “I’m a lawyer and was happy to help.” She put out a hand. “Grace.”
Emma took it, all the pieces of Tyler’s life she thought she’d put together over the past few days suddenly jumping and shifting, then snapping into place to form a brand new picture. “I’m glad Troy is happy with my work, but I don’t understand how me working here would allow him to see Tyler more. He was here anyway.”
