The sparkle in Alice’s eyes says my nanna wasn’t alone in this.
I hug Alice goodbye, having heard everything I need to, and then some. The one upshot of all that intel is that I know Tyler is definitely out of the question so far as romance is concerned.
Not because he’s a single dad, but because the last thing he needs is to hook up with someone still mourning a failed marriage. No, as attractive as I find him—there I’ve admitted it to myself—our relationship will be all business.
And I’m thinking this until I turn into the overgrown driveway at the ‘new’ place, ready to unload what belongings I have with me. On spotting Tyler dressed only in silky black boxers, I come close to driving into a straggly lemon tree.
“What on earth?” I’m not complaining, just wondering why he’s in a state of undress. Damn, the man has a fine body with nothing about it I’d change. Even the tattoos enhance rather than detract.
I’m not usually a fan of tattoos, but on him, they look good. More than that, they look spectacular. Unable to move, I’m still sitting there when he walks over to stand next to my car.
It takes every ounce of my scattered concentration to struggle free of the seatbelt and open the door.
Tyler’s grin is sheepish. “Sorry about this.” He holds his hands out, and even turns on the spot, displaying cheeks more often seen on male strippers. “I was checking the plumbing when a pipe burst.” He falls silent for a second before adding, “I didn’t think you’d be here today.”
I’m barely aware of popping the trunk, but Tyler notices, watching as it slowly opens. He follows this up by taking a couple of steps in that direction. “Anything I can help with?”
On spotting my suitcase and other bags, he looks at me in surprise. “You can’t seriously be moving into this dump? For all we know, there could be asbestos.”
It wasn’t something I’d considered, and I hope this doesn’t prove to be true. Asbestos abatement is expensive, at least it always appears so on those flipping shows. I’d rather spend that money on stainless appliances.
“Not the house. There’s a travel trailer out back.”
His relief is palpable, although I’m not sure why. “Hang on, I’ll just get dressed and I can help you with these.”
“Honestly, there’s no need.”
His face transforms, the grin positively filthy. “No need to help you, or no need to get dressed?”
I can’t answer him. And anyway, what are the chances he’d hear me over the clamoring of my ovaries?
FIVE
LILY
Despite most of my things being in storage back in the city, I’m still glad of Tyler’s help to get my suitcase and bags out to the Airstream. Even putting aside my propensity to over-pack, I’d collected things of Nanna Dot’s that I’d missed when I was up here for the funeral.
While I could have got everything there on my own, it’s so much easier with Tyler’s help. He’s tall enough to lift everything above the undergrowth.
And, even though he’s now dressed, there are still pluses to following in his wake. My drooling over him like this, while pointless, isn’t something I’m going to avoid completely.
When we break into the clearing that surrounds the Airstream, I rush ahead and unlock the door for him. I still can’t believe the realtor hadn’t locked it after she’d so obviously put her business card in there. It wouldn’t have been hard, with the key hanging on a hook next to the narrow door.
My belongings safely on the ground next to the small steps, Tyler lifts a corner of the tarp as I’d done yesterday. “Wow, she’s a beauty. Do you want me to uncover her for you?”
While my immediate response is to say ‘yes’, I dither. “What if the tarps are there because she leaks?”
Tyler shrugs. “We won’t know until we move them. At least that way I can have a better look.” He grabs one corner of the topmost tarp. “If it looks a mess, we can always put them back.”
What he says makes sense, with me nodding my agreement to this. My head hasn’t stopped moving when Tyler drags the first tarp to one side. He soon follows this up with a couple more, eventually revealing the Airstream in all her glory.
I complete several circuits of my new home before I finally come to a stop next to Tyler. “Wow, she truly is gorgeous.”
“Yes, yes, she is.”
Tyler’s words having a distinct rumble to them. I look up at him, surprised to find he’s looking at me and not the travel trailer. Color floods my face before I realize he must have looked down, as I looked up.
To help cover my confusion, I open the narrow door. Just how narrow becomes apparent when Tyler sets about manhandling my large suitcase inside.
