Dad smiled at him, but there was something knowing in his dad’s expression, as if he understood what Tyler really wanted was to stay and keep playing cards with Kinsey.
He’d set his dad straight after the night of the dinner and dance with Kinsey when he’d learned that his dad had indeed been the one to convince Emberly and Kade and Dustin to cancel their plans. Tyler had confronted his dad the next day and asked him not to do any more matchmaking and had explained that he and Kinsey had agreed upon being friends, but that was as far as either of them was willing to go.
Thankfully, his dad hadn’t pushed them together again and had respected the boundaries Tyler had set in place.
Tyler crossed to the door and hesitated there. Was there a part of him that wished Dad would push a little harder to get him and Kinsey together? Maybe so.
But doing so was futile. Kinsey wasn’t interested in him in that way. She’d made that clear enough. He couldn’t let himself become too interested in her either. She was from Chicago, another big city, and didn’t fit into the ranch or country living. She was used to going everywhere and doing everything and seeing the country. She’d already worked in thirty states for her traveling nurse job, and she had the goal of traveling to the final twenty.
With a short sigh, Tyler exited his dad’s room and forced himself to focus on the date ahead with Nettie. She deserved his full attention, not a half-hearted effort at dating. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them if he let thoughts of Kinsey occupy his mind.
The June evening was hot, and the VFW wasn’t air conditioned. Neither was the antique store. By the time they’d finished strolling through the musty rooms, Tyler was hot and tired and ready for the date to be over.
When Nettie suggested getting ice cream to cool off, indicating that Levi’s grandmother wasn’t expecting her home for another hour, Tyler went with her to an outdoor ice cream stand where she ordered Levi’s favorite ice cream—blue moon—by mistake. Her lips and tongue turned bright blue, embarrassing her enough that she called it a night. Thankfully, she was in a hurry to go inside, and as he walked her to the door, he wasn’t faced with the choice of whether to kiss her goodnight or not.
It was relatively early when he returned to the ranch. The night sky still reflected the setting sun, and the warmth of the day lingered. A low-voltage restless energy hummed through him. He stopped by his office in the lodge and worked for a little while. Then he swung by the barn and checked on the foals. Even there, the restlessness lingered.
He tried to ignore it, tried to pin it on missing Wyatt, but as he headed up the hill toward home, the anticipation swelling in his veins wouldn’t allow him to ignore or deny the truth—that he wanted to see and spend time with Kinsey again.
As he entered the house, he made his way directly to his dad’s room. He knew that was where she stayed for most of the night, dozing in the bedside chair and only going to her room and sleeping in her bed once she knew Dad was in a deep sleep. Even now, with Dad doing better, she still kept long hours, wanting to be there just in case Dad needed anything.
Tyler admired her dedication, but he also wished she didn’t push herself so hard. He knew she did it because she took her job seriously and because she truly cared about her patients. But a part of him wondered if her unwavering determination stemmed in part from her desire to atone for losing her sister. Kinsey hadn’t talked much about Madison, but he’d gleaned enough to know the death had been difficult.
With a bounce to his step, he entered his dad’s room. He searched first for her, his gaze landing upon the bedside chair where she was curled up, her legs tucked up and head resting against the wing of the chair. She was asleep, her pretty face relaxed, her long lashes resting against her cheeks.
Dad was watching the news with Mom asleep in the crook of his arm. At the sight of Tyler, he pressed a finger against his lips and cocked his head toward Kinsey, warning Tyler not to wake her up.
“I’ll carry her to bed,” he whispered.
Dad nodded. “She works too hard and needs another day off.”
“Then give her one.”
“I’ve tried. But she won’t take it.”
Tyler bent over Kinsey, positioning himself for the best angle to scoop her up without waking her.
“Maybe if she had something to do on her day off,” Dad whispered, “and someone to spend it with.”
“Emberly could do it again.”
“I was thinking you could.”
Tyler straightened and leveled a stern look at his dad. “Don’t start playing matchmaker again.”
“You need a day off too.”
Tyler just shook his head. “I’m already seeing someone.”
“You went out on a couple of dates with Nettie. That doesn’t mean you’re a couple yet.”
“Nettie thinks we’re getting there.”
“And what do you think?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then spend the day with Kinsey and decide after that.”
