Tensions drained from his shoulders. A relieved sigh pushed from his lips, a laugh clinging to it as he shook his head. “Good.”
“The thing is,” Ty continued. “Not many others see it like that. My mom will come right out and say it.Why would anyone want to care for a divorced woman and another man’s child? You need to have more going for you. To bring more to the table. Degrees, accomplishments, bigger paychecks.”
Now it was Memphis blanching back in surprise. “Your mother will say those things to you? The woman I met as I arrived?”
Ty nodded. “The very one. She doesn’t think massaging people for a living qualifies as a profession. Not a respectable one, anyway.”
“Wow.” This time he’d have to watch his tongue. They were talking about Ty’s very own mother, after all. It was nearly shocking though. The contrast between that kind of cruel and belittling treatment and the way Ty was with Lucas. “You’re a different kind of mother.” He felt pressed to say more, but waited for her response.
Ty performed an exaggerated nod. “Very.”
“Was she supportive when you were younger?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Ty tipped her head to one side. “If I was doing something that pleased her, yes. Marrying Eric pleased her very much because he’s from a wealthy family. Forget the fact that we were getting married right out of high school.”
“You mentioned having siblings. Where are they? And where do you fit into the order?” He leaned his elbows at either side of the chessboard, the game nearly forgotten. Ty was much more fascinating.
She leaned back in her chair and hiked a leg onto it, getting more comfortable as she answered. “I’ve got two brothers, one sister, and I’m the youngest. Todd is married, has two kids, and lives in Boston. My sister Sheila is three years older than me and she lives in Boston too. She’s a doctor who’s married to a doctor, and they have no desire to be parents to anything outside of their German Shepard. And then there’s Braden, who’s married with one kid, and they live in Wisconsin.”
“That’s a fairly big family,” Memphis said.
Ty nodded. “Just like you. Hey, I hope it’s okay to mention this, but Andie told me about your parents. I’m sorry that happened to you guys.”
Memphis felt himself tighten up in response. He’d never had to be evasive or dishonest about his past before. As open and candid as he was by nature, it would be horribly uncomfortable to lie about his life story. He reached for a way to change the topic, and recalled Lucas’s reaction to the toy car he brought him.
“I’m glad the toy car was a hit with Lucas tonight,” he said.
A wide grin spread over Ty’s face. “I don’t think he’s going to set that thing down for at least a week.” She shook her head and sighed. “That was really thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
Memphis gave her a nod and forced his gaze back to the board. “I’m afraid I’ve forgotten whose turn it is.”
Ty appraised him only briefly before replying. “It’s yours, but I’m about to put you in checkmate, so choose wisely.” He could tell—by the hesitancy in her tone—that Ty was still preoccupied by the conversation they’d abandon so quickly. She’d likely assume it was the loss of his parents that caused his unease. And while the topic of their death was a difficult one indeed, Memphis wouldn’t shy away from confiding in her.
It was just that, after his extensive training at the relocation center, despite all the confidence he had in protecting certain details of their family’s history, he’d never considered having to keep such things from a woman he cared about. A woman he wanted to connect with. Maverick was right—Richardwaslucky. Ava had known all about their past.
With great effort, Memphis put his mind back on the game long enough to get put into check, and then checkmate. It hadn’t happened in one turn, as Ty had predicted, but she had accomplished it in three.
He helped her place the glass pieces back in the case once the game was through. They hadn’t picked up a new topic of conversation since Memphis brought things to a halt. Inwardly, he was fishing for a safe topic. One that would allow them to talk about her and Lucas without needing to divulge too much about himself. Perhaps he’d get better at dodging the details of what put them in this predicament, but he didn’t trust himself to navigate those paths just yet.
“Thanks again for having me over tonight. I really enjoyed dinner, spending time with Lucas, spending time withyou.” He lifted his eyes on that final word.
Ty, who was placing the cover on the chess case, did too. Pink flushed her cheeks. “Me too,” she said softly.
For the first time that night, Memphis noticed the quiet tick of a nearby clock. Each tinny tock urged him to speak up, ask her out again, say something to push back the awkwardness that trampled into the space when he’d dodged the conversation about his past.
He came to a stand and rubbed his palms down the side of his slacks. “Well…”
Ty stood too, but she didn’t meet his gaze as he struggled for a way to finish his sentence.
“I guess I should let you get to bed. You probably need to wake up pretty early to get yourself and Lucas ready in time for school.” There, that wasn’t so bad.
“I do,” she said as they walked toward the door. “I actually wake up an hour earlier than I need to so that I can have a little time of my own.”
He lifted a brow. “Anhour?”
She grinned, rested a hand along the wall, and leaned out one hip. “It goes by fast, trust me. I sip my coffee slowly, enjoying it. I pray, meditate, and just…savor the silence. You’ve witnessed for yourself what a rare thing that is with a seven-year-old around.”
“That I have,” he said with a grin.
