All he wanted to do was be with her. It was the only thing he could think of, the only thing he’d been able to focus on all day, the only thing he wanted with his whole life. He just wanted her. That was it. Plain and simple.
Of course he loved Wyatt and was looking forward to the boy’s return at the end of the week. They’d been in touch every day, sometimes even multiple times, and Tyler knew Wyatt was having fun in New York City and that Anson was taking good care of him. Apparently Stephanie was spending time with Wyatt too, now that she was in between husbands. Maybe it helped that Wyatt was older, was more independent, and enjoyed doing more things.
Whatever the case, Tyler loved the kid. But the truth was, Wyatt was growing up, getting busier, and would eventually want to hang out with friends more than with his dad. It was just the natural way of things.
Tyler couldn’t hang on to his son forever. Parents were meant to eventually let their children go. But a woman he loved? He was meant to hang on to her forever.
So why hadn’t he hung on to Kinsey?
At Kade’s voice and laughter from the other end of the barn, Tyler swiveled and retraced his steps down the center aisle between horse stalls to the discarded shovel. As Kade entered through the opposite wide doorway with a coil of rope around his shoulder and a foal trailing behind him, Tyler fidgeted with the shovel, hoping he looked busy.
“Still going crazy, I see,” Kade called with a smirk.
“None of your business.” Tyler twisted the shovel and then opened the closest stall.
“Don’t know what you’re waiting for.” Kade sauntered down the center aisle.
“I’m waiting for you to zip it up and take a hike.”
Kade halted several feet away and leaned against a beam, crossing both his arms and legs. “Don’t reckon that’s the way you want to be talking to the only one who knows where Kinsey went.”
“Thought she went back to Naperville.”
“Nope.”
Tyler stepped out of the stall, his pulse halting along with every other function in his body. “Where is she?”
Kade shrugged too casually. “She’s safe enough. No need to worry.”
Tyler released the tension from his shoulders. “Why didn’t she go home?”
“Maybe she didn’t have much of a choice,” Kade said sheepishly.
The tension came rushing back in full force. “What did you do?”
“Whoa now.” Kade took a rapid step back. “It wasn’t just me. Dad, Mom, and Emberly were all in on the plans too.”
“What plans?”
“The plans for you to win her back.”
Tyler released a scoffing laugh, even though his heart was racing with charged need. “You had no right to interfere.”
“That’s a bunch of horse manure, and you know it.”
Tyler jabbed the shovel into the hay, closed the stall door, and then turned his full wrathful glare upon his brother. “I don’t need anyone else butting into my business with Kinsey. I can handle things on my own.”
“And how’s that going for you?”
“I’ve got it under control.”
“Is that right? Let’s see.” Kade lifted his hand and started ticking off his fingers. “She left. You let her go. She’s not here. And now you’re not doing a blasted thing about it except acting like a baby.”
Tyler wanted to growl out his frustration at Kade, but a sliver of rationality stopped him. He wasn’t really mad at Kade. He was mad at himself for making such a mess of things.
“So what am I supposed to do?” he practically shouted. “She doesn’t want me. She left me. Just like Stephanie did.”
“Hold on!” Kade held up a hand. “Kinsey and Stephanie are like day and night. Kinsey actually cares about people, and Stephanie only cares about herself.”
