by C. D. Taylor
“Okay fine, what do you want me to do first?”
He lifted up Maisy and sniffed of the back of her pants. “First things first, you get to learn to change a diaper. Everything is in the living room so hop to it.”
“Seriously?”
“Totally, here you go.” He plopped the baby in my arms and walked away.
“Tyler! I’ve never done this before!”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, good luck!” He shouted while walking away.
I held the little girl out from me, and looked at her sweet face. “How bad can it be?”
“Oh. My. God!” I yelled. “What did you eat?”
Maisy just looked up at me and grinned. How the hell did I get myself into this situation? I’d never changed a damn diaper, and I sure had never seen something like this mess.
“I’m sure he did this on purpose. Your uncle Tyler is rotten to the core, and it’s best you remember that.”
Maisy giggled and squirmed as I tried to finish cleaning her up with baby wipes.
“There, all done…I think.”
“How’s it going in here?” Tyler called from the doorway.
“Well I think okay all things considering.” I smiled because I was proud of myself.
“Holy shit, how many baby wipes did you use?”
“Uh…the whole box…” I turned beet red.
Tyler did nothing but stand there and laugh his head off. I thought I’d done a great job, the kid was clean, and had her butt covered with a diaper, what was the big deal?
“Hey, you might want to put the diaper on right too.” He pointed out.
“Am I being punked? This is ridiculous!”
“Okay fine, I will help you.” He offered.
I watched as he crouched in the floor and righted the baby’s diaper. The entire time I could see the affection he felt for his niece written all over his face.
“That’s better.” He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. “Emily says its nap time, I’m going to take her upstairs and rock her for a bit. Go see if Emily needs help in the kitchen, Jake should be back soon.”
I suppose I’d never seen such a rough and tough rugged man, take the time with a child and be so damn sensitive. He made my heart melt with everything he did.
I had to remind myself that I would be returning to Chicago soon, and none of this would matter anymore. So what, I was falling for Tyler, it didn’t matter; his life was here among his family. He didn’t have any room for me, and truthfully, I had no room for him either in my life.
Nineteen
When Tyler left the room, I went into the kitchen like he said to see if his sister in law needed any help.
“Hey, Tyler sent me in here, is there anything I can do?”
Emily turned from the stove and smiled. “I pretty much have it all caught up, but sit, let’s have a girl chat.”
I apprehensively pulled out a chair from the table and took a seat. Emily took the one across from me and I felt her curious stare penetrating me like a laser death ray.
“So…things heating up with Tyler?” She raised her perfectly arched brows.
I felt like someone threw me in the hot seat without a glass of water. Damn.
“Yeah kind of I guess…” I answered.
“No need to be ashamed Maggie, Tyler’s a great man, but word of the wise…do not hurt him.”
“Look, I didn’t come here to intentionally hurt anyone, this was all just an out of the blue situation I had no control over.”
“That’s understandable, but answer me one simple question Maggie?”
I could only imagine the questions she had brewing around in that head of hers. She was a truly nice person, but my defenses were on high alert and I felt like I should switch to defcon five.
“Okay.”
“Are you in love with Tyler?” She smiled.
“Uh…I’m not sure how to answer that.”
“Simple yes or no…” She prodded.
I looked over my shoulder to make sure we were still alone because in my past experience I knew Tyler had a freaky stealth mode. I sure didn’t want him hearing the response I was getting ready to divulge.
“Yes.” I breathed.
“I could tell. The way you look at him says a lot. But like I said, please don’t hurt him, Tyler’s been through the ringer and he doesn’t need any more drama. If you can’t be with him fully, then you need to walk away.” Emily advised.
“I understand.” I sighed.
The truth was I couldn’t be with him. We were there together but still worlds apart. I knew that it would only spell disaster in the end and I wanted to let him know soon that I was going back to Chicago.
“Maisy is down for the count, I’m gonna go start the grill. Mom just text me and they are on their way over.” Tyler interrupted.
“Okay, I talked to Jake twenty minutes ago and they should be here any time.” Emily answered back.
“I think I’ll go help Tyler, maybe I can learn to barbecue…or burn my eyebrows off.” I laughed.
We both went out to the back patio and I watched Tyler fill the grill with charcoal. He lit the coals and shut the lid, then looked at me. “Looks like you have something serious on that mind of yours.”
“Yes I do. Look I just want to let you know I leave for Chicago the day after tomorrow. I just figured I should tell you.”
“Okay.” Was all he said.
Why did his response make me feel about two inches tall? He knew I wasn’t going to become a permanent fixture in this dusty state. And besides, if my father was still alive by some odd chance, I wanted to get the hell out before I ran into him, and something horrific happened.
Twenty
Tyler knew that Maggie wasn’t planning on staying in Texas, she had a life in Chicago, a career, and friends, but that didn’t make the fact that she would be leaving soon any easier. He’d grown rather attached to her in the short amount of time she’d been around. Sure she was a sassy city girl, but damn she turned his world upside down in more ways than one.
He couldn’t help but think about when she laid the facts about her past at his feet. She obviously buried the information, and even those close to her didn’t know of it all. What made him so damn special? The poor woman was scarred for life from something a protector did to her, and would never be the same. Even with the scenes on the battle field overseas, Tyler still came out mostly mentally unscathed. Yes there were nights that he woke up in a cold sweat, and there were those times when a loud noise would spook him, but he had control over it all. Maggie didn’t, and until she could make peace with her past, she would always carry that emotional baggage on her shoulders.
“Hey bro, you almost done getting the grill fired up?” Jake yelled from the back door.
“Yeah, it’s ready, bring out the steaks and I’ll throw them on.”
Jake went back inside the house and returned with a plate of steaks and his best friend Gabe.
“Tyler this is Gabe, Gabe this is my brother Tyler.” Jake made the introductions.
Tyler shook Gabe’s hand. “Nice to meet you man.”
Gabe seemed nice enough, and Tyler was thankful that his brother had a friend to keep him company while he was overseas.
“So you were in the military?” Gabe asked.
“Yeah, Marines. They sent me home when some insurgents decided to shoot up our convoy.”
“Damn. Is everything okay now? All healed up?”
“Almost good as new, except for a few scars, but hey I was no beauty queen before.” Tyler laughed.
Just then Tyler watched an auburn haired beauty exit the back door and walk toward Gabe. “Tyler, this is my wife Eliza.” She kissed Gabe on the cheek and pressed her body close to his.
“It’s nice to meet you Eliza, say aren’t you two the ones who got married in Vegas?”
“Please do not get me started on that crazy shit.” Gabe chuckled.
Tyler watched as Gabe gazed at his wife with
the most loving of expressions. It almost made him want to vomit to be around couples that were all goo goo over each other like they were.
“So Tyler, is that your girlfriend in there?” Eliza prodded.
“Oh Maggie? No, she’s just passing through, her flight leaves the day after tomorrow.” He sighed.
“Huh, well she’s super nice, and she’s great with Trent, he seems to love the hell out of her.”
“She’s in there playing with your son?” Tyler asked confused.
“Sure, she’s a natural.”
“This I have to see.” Jake and Tyler said in unison.
They hurried to the back door and snuck inside the house, when they reached the living room, sure enough Maggie was sitting in the floor playing with both Trenton, and Maisy. The sight pulled at Tyler’s heartstrings and made him smile brighter than the Texas sun. She had apparently caught on quickly as to taking care of kids, and that gave Tyler hope that maybe she wasn’t made of stone like he had originally pegged her to be.
Twenty-One
As I sat in the floor playing with those small humans, I wondered how my life came to this point. I’d had a damn plan for everything, but it was falling apart at the seams. A ruined engagement, a father that probably wasn’t dead after all, and oh yeah, falling in love with Tyler. I could finally admit to myself that I was head over heels in love with this man. He was in no way perfect for me, and so off base of what I pictured my dream guy to be, but dammit if I couldn’t tell my heart that.
All things considering, I had to eventually let go of him though. He was too wonderful to pull through my emotional mud puddle. Yes I wanted him, but almost too much for my own good. If my heart had to break in the process then so be it, at least I would spare him the disaster that was my fucked up life.
I heard a noise behind me as I played with the kids, and when I turned around, there were all the adults looking at me like I’d been shooting fire from my ass.
“I see I’m being spied on.” I smirked.
“Damn straight, we might even take a video to document this occasion.” Tyler chuckled.
“Please don’t, I wouldn’t want to ruin my street credit. Everyone thinks I’m a heartless bitch and I’d like to keep it that way.” I smiled.
“Bitch!” Maisy yelled.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry…don’t say that honey.” I patted the little girl on the head.
Jake rushed over and picked her up. “Well that’s interesting…my child’s first word is bitch.” He gave me a dirty look.
I stood up, my face flaming from embarrassment. “I’m really sorry, I…I didn’t know that she would copy me.”
“Just watch what you say, kids are like sponges dammit.” Jake commented.
“Dammit.” The child blurted out.
The whole room was in an uproar laughing, but not me. I was feeling so damn guilty for not watching what I said and I stood to my feet and ran out of the house. I felt the tears start coming down like a torrential down pour.
“Maggie, it’s okay. I’m sure with Jakes mouth she would have eventually learned to curse anyway.” Tyler tried to soothe.
“It’s not okay Tyler, I’m horrible around kids, my life is one big cluster fuck, and I just really want to go home!” I cried.
“So you’re just going to run away? That’s solves everything right?”
“Yes it does! Every fucking problem I’ve ever had has been here, and I’m sick and tired of feeling out of control. This is not me! I don’t meet a stranger and fall for them…” As soon as the words escaped my mouth I regretted them. I wished that I could take them back and not be in the position I was currently in.
“Maybe you just need to calm the fuck down! Life isn’t perfect no matter how much you expect it to be, there’s always going to be road blocks. Dammit Maggie.”
“Just take me home.” I whimpered.
“Fine, if that’s what you want then you’ve got it.” He stormed off toward his truck.
The ride back to my family’s home was too silent, Tyler was pissed and he had every right to be. I ruined a perfectly great evening for him and his family, and I felt horrible about it.
When we arrived at the house I got out and slammed the vehicle door. I didn’t want to talk to Tyler, and I knew that he wasn’t the kind of man that just let things go.
“Look, I didn’t plan on a lot of things in my life Maggie. I didn’t plan on getting shot and lying in a hospital bed. I didn’t plan on coming back home and finding everyone so damn happy while I was dealing with my own shit. But things happen, and I’ve learned to deal with it as it comes.”
What was I to say to that, yes he was right, but my stupid pride choked me like a noose wound around my neck. “Tyler just go.”
He didn’t argue, and didn’t say goodbye, he did what I asked and left. It took every ounce of will power for me to not run after him, I wanted to, but I knew in my heart it wouldn’t turn out well. So I let him go.
Twenty-Two
When I went inside the house the tears came more violently. They streamed down my face and the heat of them burned me from the inside out. I didn’t cry, I was strong and in control of my emotions, so I thought. Tyler was making my emotions do crazy somersaults, and I was getting whiplash from them all. What I needed was a hot bath to clear my head, and relax. I knew my flight was leaving in the morning and so I decided to pack my things before slipping in the relaxing soak.
I piled everything in except for the things I would need that night, and then went downstairs to make a kettle of hot tea. When I reached the bottom step something felt eerily out of place. Goosebumps trickled up and down my spine, and I no longer felt as safe as I had been before. My body was frozen in place like an ice sculpture, and my feet refused to move on their own accord.
“Hello Maggie.” A gruff voice called from beside me.
I forcefully twisted my body around to see the person that I most feared, standing there with an evil grin on his face. My father.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I whispered.
“Oh I heard my baby girl was in town, and I thought she would want a visit from her dear old dad…was I wrong?”
“Very wrong, now get the hell out of here before I call the police!” I screamed.
“It’s going to be really hard to do that without a phone Maggie.” He pointed to the shattered pile of glass on the floor that once resembled my phone.
I then remembered that I smashed it in a fit of anger, and regretted my actions. I had nowhere to run, and couldn’t hide from this terrifying man. I was trapped like a rat on a sinking ship.
“Why don’t you come over here and give daddy a hug?”
“Fuck you!”
“That’s no way to talk to your father.” He stepped forward, and my stomach roiled. He smelled of stale cigarette smoke, and cheap whiskey.
“Don’t touch me!” I felt his hand brush my shoulder.
“You’re my daughter and I have every right to touch you. You sure have turned out to be a fine looking woman I must say.” He growled.
I couldn’t take the feeling of him being so close in proximity to me. Every word that man spoke was like knife to my heart. I had to escape somehow, and I had to fight.
I pivoted around and swung my hand, and luckily connected with his jaw. He stumbled backward, and I could see the unrelenting rage boiling in his cold eyes. “You little bitch!” He screamed.
He lunged forward, pushing me to the ground with a loud thud. I tried to scurry away and not let him have the upper hand, but even in his drunken state he still overpowered me. I felt like I was that helpless little girl again, trapped. He caught me by the ankle and pulled me underneath of his sweaty body and I wanted to vomit.
“I think it’s been worth it, standing back and keeping an eye on you. I knew you would be back here eventually and I wanted to give you a warm welcome.” He snickered.
My mind was racing with all the possibilities that might happen. I knew what h
e wanted, but dammit I wouldn’t let him have it anymore. I kicked up my knee, lodged it in his groin, giving me time to throw his disgusting body off of mine. When I got to my feet I ran up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I could hear him making his way up the creaky steps and then stand in front of the door.
