“What’s wrong, Delaney?” Tyler demands, his tone harsh and clipped. “Where are you?”
“My house is on fire,” I barely manage to say.
“What?” There’s no missing the growl in his voice, even through the phone.
“I’m sorry. I meant to call Dustin. I need to go . . .”
“Where are you?” he snaps.
“I . . . ugh . . . I need to call Dustin.”
“Delaney, I won’t ask again. Where are you?” The frustration in his voice comes off in waves, even through the phone, I can feel it.
“It’s not your problem,” I mutter weakly. But still, I give him my location.
“I’ll be there soon. Don’t go anywhere,” he grunts and hangs up.
I pull the phone from my ear and shake my head. Calling him was a mistake, I should’ve been paying attention to who I was calling. Granted, with Dustin out of town, he wouldn’t be able to help me as it is. He told me just last night he was heading out of town with a few of his brothers.
Still, I should call him and let him know. Finding Dustin’s number, I hit the call icon, lift the phone to my ear, and wait for him to answer. My heart breaks when it goes to voicemail.Instead of leaving him a message, I pull the phone away and end the call. He warned me when he called last nightthat he probably wouldn’t be able to answer over the next several days, club business and all. Dustin aid if I needed him and he didn’t answer, just leave a voicemail or text for him.
I don’t know what I’m going to do now. Dustin’s unreachable at the moment, and I need to figure out somewhere to stay. I can’t stay at the clubhouse, it’s not my scene. I guess I could stay at one of the few hotels in town, but that will eat through my savings.
I’m not sure how long I stand there watching the firefighters fighting the flames roaring in the sky when arms wrap around me.
“I’ve got you, Delaney,” Tyler says, tucking me into him. I was unaware of his approach. When did he get here? “We need to get you out of here. You don’t need to be inhaling all this smoke.”
“I have nowhere to go.” I gave up the lease on the rental when Dustin moved me to our childhood home. Now that’s gone, and I didn’t know where I could go from here.
“Come on, you’re coming to my place.” Tyler ushers me away from my truck toward his.
I let him guide without a fight because I don’t know what else to do.
Tyler opens the passenger door of his truck and lifts me into the seat. I’m numb, unable to process everything that’s happening. The leather seat feels foreign beneath me as I watch the flames continue to consume what’s left of the home I grew up in. The very same fire that destroys the last remnants of my childhood memories with it.
Tears stream down my cheeks as Tyler reaches up and wipes them away. “I’ll get one of the ranch hands to come back and grab your truck for you.”
I nod my agreement. I’m not sure what else I could or should say. Maybe thank you?
Tyler closes the door and rounds the hood, climbing in behind the wheel.
“You didn’t have to come,” I finally manage to croak out.
“Could tell something was wrong the minute you called me, sweetheart,” he says, gently.
Tyler starts the truck, puts it in reverse before checking his rearview, one hand on the back of the passenger seat as he looks behind him. Once he has enough space to make a U-turn, he throws the gear in drive and moves his hand away. It wasn’t touching me, but it was very close to doing so.
The first five minutes of the drive are filled with an uncomfortable silence between us. Finally, I can’t take it and blurt out a question that has bothered me since I left the hospital. “How did you get to my room at the ER?”
“Told them I was the baby daddy.”
“What?” I gasp, staring at him wide-eyed at his admission. We live in a small town. Regardless of HIPAA, news would spread like wildfire if anyone in the waiting room overheard him. That's the second time I’ve heard he’s said that to anyone. How many people has he told?
I mean, it’s not like I want to keep it a secret, but we barely know a thing about each other.
“You heard me.” Tyler nods, glancing in my direction briefly before focusing on the road. “I wasn’t going to let you be back there without me. Not after hearing of your attack.”
“But—”
