Chapter 21
“Get! Out!” Ty pinched her lips shut and pointed to the door.
“Don’t act like that, Ty. I’m a paying customer.” Eric sat up and rolled his shoulders back. “You always did have the magic touch. You’ve gotten evenbetterwith all your training.”
“This ishugelyinappropriate,” she said.
He barked out a pompous chuckle. “What makes it inappropriate?”
“The fact that you snuck in here and let me work on you when I didn’t know who you were.”
Eric lifted a dark brow. “It would only be inappropriate if you had feelings for me.Doyou?”
“Doeshatecount as a feeling?”
“C’mon, Ty. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, mission accomplished. Now get dressed and get out.” She made for the door, her vision blurred by the shock and fury pushing through her.
“Ty, wait.” Eric reached out and wrapped a hand around her wrist. “Please don’t go.”
A rash of heat scorched Ty’s chest as she planted her feet, folded her arms, and gave Eric a cold stare. “What could you possibly have to tell me that you think I need to hear?”
Eric’s face tightened, and for a moment she sensed regret in his green eyes. “Your mom told me you were here, and…” He was smearing a hand over his face again, the sheet hanging loosely around his waist.
In the heavy pause, Ty made it her next order of business to call her mother. She was sick of staying quiet to keep the peace with her. It was time for Mom to hear how damaging her behavior really was.
Eric yanked his hand down and locked his eyes on her. “My dad had a heart attack,” he said. “It, um…got me thinking about things a little differently.”
An image of Eric’s father came to mind. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said in a whisper. “Is he…”
“He’s in the hospital. They think he’ll live, but they’re looking into some options to keep this from happening again.”
Ty’s head was swimming. There were too many emotions fighting for place. Eric seemed…transformed. He’d definitely grownphysically.Though the appreciation she’d had moments ago—for the time and discipline it took to be in his condition—shifted to resentment instead.Thosewere the things he valued over his own son?
It was enough to make her shoulders rise back into place. She lifted her chin next and pinned her gaze on him. “Why are you here, Eric?”
His green eyes moved over her face, down her body, and then back up to her gaze. “You’re still so dang sexy.”
“Eric—” Heat filled her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’d like to talk with you about what I’m doing here, if that’s okay. Maybe you can join me in the cafeteria on your break. I’m staying the night at the inn.”
“I have to pick up Lucas after work.”
“Can you arrange to have someone else do that?”
Ty considered that, but only because she wanted to get this—whatever it was—over with.
“Or maybe I can come and, you know, say hi to Lucas?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Sayhi?A father doesn’t just pop in to say hi after being absent for a kid’s entire life. How old are you?”
Eric rolled his eyes and dragged that hand over his face again. “I’m not saying any of the right things. Could you just…I don’t have to see Lucas yet. I just want to talk to you.”
Yet.That word was like a bomb in her chest. All these years, she’d dreamt of what it would be like for Lucas to have his father in his life, pouring equal amounts of praise and adoration over him. Teaching him the ways of being a man. She hadn’t believed it would ever really happen. Which explained the fact that she hadn’t considered the damage Eric could do if he came, and then went, never to check in on him again.
A fierce desperation to protect Lucas raged hot and wild within her. She couldn’t let Eric into their space. Not yet, anyway. “I’ll have someone pick Lucas up from school,” she said, her mind sifting through the possibilities. “Then we can…meet somewhere, I guess.”
