“Her name is—”
“Luna something or other. Yes. I don’t want your charity.” But, dammit, she needed it.
“She’s yours. Let her defend you. I get what I did was—”
“What’d you do, Flynn?” She wiggled her fingers by her ears. “Lemme hear it. Because,” she barked out a laugh, “it’s not like anyone else has. Did you know Wes and Mara knew nothing about us? It’s almost August, Flynn. What’s that make it? Like, two months since we first had sex?”
“I told you that I’m a private man.”
“You weren’t supposed to be private with me. I told you my story at the cabin and you neglected to clarify that your sister didn’t die. That you’re paying off your mom—”
“I’m not bribing her to stay quiet.”
“It’s really not my business. I’d just urge you to develop a relationship with your sister. For her sake and yours, but not for mine.”
He nodded, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “Tilly, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you are.” She could hardly look at him or she’d soften. Had he slept any the whole weekend? “Look, I’ll work out a payment plan to reimburse you for Luna’s legal fees. I have to pay Mara back first.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I owe you an apology.”
“And you already gave it. Thank you.” She yawned and it wasn’t for effect. “I’ve been up all night and I’m very tired. Thanks again, Flynn.”
“Tilly, I love you.”
She stilled and met his earnest emerald gaze. Did he really? Did he even know what love should be like? She could crumble and throw herself into his arms, and she had a strong drive to do just that. But while he might love her, he still wasn’t offering things her upbringing had taught her to treasure, like respect, trust, and honesty. The drive to move heaven and earth to take care of the one you loved.
Flynn might love her, but he lacked the rest.
“And I love you, too, Flynn. But you know what? It’s not enough. My parents loved me, too. I truly think they did. No, you’re nothing like them, but in a way, you are. I want your acceptance. I want your respect. I want you to make an effort at a real relationship. You love me. I believe you love your sister. But until you learn how to be in a relationship of any kind, I can’t do this.” She swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. Flynn’s expression grew bleak. “I fought for my childhood and now I have to fight for my adulthood and I won’t settle for pretty words. I…I want to know I’m safe with you.”
“I got the lawyer…”
She leveled her gaze on him, let him see how serious she was. “Did you do that after I was arrested?” His silence was her answer. “Do you know what that tells me? That you waited to see if it’d all blow over and you could save your precious account. So your lawyer is too little too late. And I understand if you pull her help because it’s not winning me back. But I’m done being your little secret.”
Stepping back to shut the door, she risked one last glance.
His hair stuck up in all directions, shadows hung under his eyes, and his shoulders drooped. He was far removed from the brawny roofer of a few weeks ago. “Tilly. I’ll do anything.”
She swallowed hard. “You had your chance.”
The door clicked shut. She hung her head.
That should’ve been the hardest thing she had to do, but it wasn’t even close.
Chapter Sixteen
Three months later…
Tilly wrung her hands together. Was it too obvious? Her old boss couldn’t give her her original job back, but she was in his office begging for anything else he had available.
A yawn snuck up on her. She tried stifling it but had to cover her mouth. Months on the night shift and it was still brutal on her system. Add in weekdays full of cleaning rooms at a hotel and it equaled no days off.
Mr. Person watched her carefully. “The charges were dropped, you say?”
“Yes.” How’d she explain it without adding her personal life? “Um, the company the accuser was blackmailing,” her heart twisted just thinking of Flynn, wondering what he was doing now, “took on the case, and after a thorough investigation, they discovered that Charlie’s mom, the child’s mom, was abusing him.”
It was over. Her lawyer had even heeded her wish and discussed the legal ramifications about lying to law enforcement with her parents. They’d retracted their claims and promised to never think about Tilly again.
Yay, her. If it weren’t for Mrs. B, Tilly would be absolutely and completely alone in the world.
Mr. Person pushed up his glasses, his features grim. “How is Charlie doing?”
“Good, actually. His dad’s a piece of work, pardon my opinion, but I heard they’re getting a divorce.”
“What company was he blackmailing? Excuse the questions, but what you went through doesn’t happen every day, thank goodness.”
“Halstengard Industries.” It hurt to say it. She twisted her hands. “They parted ways, I guess.” Flynn’s lawyers had been excellent. The best money could buy, and unlike Mr. Woods’s county attorney, honest. And when Mr. Woods found out his wife was behind Charlie’s injuries, he’d diverted his attention to his divorce and trying to keep his wife from getting half their assets.
“Have you picked up any tutoring?”
She smiled sadly. “No. I’ve notified my former clients, but none of them have taken me back.” They’d moved on to another tutor, or the seed of doubt had been planted and they couldn’t bring themselves to trust her again. She couldn’t dwell on it. If she ruminated about all she’d lost in the last few months, she’d wither away in depression.
“Sorry to hear. You excel at working with the kids.” He spread his hands and her hopes sank. She knew what was coming next. “I’m sorry. We filled your position and we have a full house. Not even a para professional slot open. I’ll certainly keep you in mind, and don’t hesitate to use me as a reference.”
She hid her dismay behind a smile and thanked him for his time. All of this could’ve been done over the phone, but she knew he’d wanted to meet with her and gauge how she’d changed, see if she was someone he’d offer a job to again.
She wandered out of the school where she used to spend her days. None of her kids were in the halls and she hadn’t the heart to request a visitor’s pass. Seeing them with their new teacher would be more bitter than sweet. She could only be so optimistic.
But she still had her teaching license and a clear record. So there was that.
This was her first full day off that didn’t include legal meetings. Whatever should she do?
Stop at Arcadia? Now that she had some change in her pockets, she could buy herself a pick-me-up. Mara had been paid back and Luna had said that if Tilly tried to reimburse Luna’s firm, it’d be a financial headache and to please let them keep it pro bono.
Only it hadn’t been. Flynn had footed the bill.
How was he doing?
Argh. She only asked herself that fifty times a day—on a slow day.
She’d meant it. She loved him. But after her childhood, security came first.
Had he gone back to old habits and women like Becky?
No, no shopping today. Mara called and checked on her constantly, but Tilly needed that distance. The difficulty in not asking about Flynn grew harder each time.
For the end of October, the weather was lovely. She wore an old cardigan and slip-ons that she often didn’t get to wear when teaching because they were too boring. A walk, perhaps? She’d go home and change shoes and enjoy the weather before the wind turned so cold it hurt her face to be outside.
A refreshing walk sounded better and better as she drove home. She jogged inside and tossed off her sandals. In her room, she found socks in the basket of clean laundry she had no time to fold because she was always working. Stuffing her feet into her shoes she breezed outside and—
Ran into a solid chest.
“Whoa. Is there something wrong?”
That
voice vibrated through her body straight down to her toes. She gasped and looked up. Flynn’s hands were on her shoulders.
Flynn’s hands were on her shoulders?
She jerked out of his reach and stumbled over the doorstep. He caught her again.
“Sorry,” she said and righted herself far out of his reach.
He seemed reluctant to let her go, or perhaps that was her wishful thinking.
An old shard of fear stuck in her throat. Was it not really over? Had it been a dream that she’d gotten some semblance of her life back? “What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick you up. I need to show you something.”
She stared at him. He came to pick her up when she happened to have a day off, the first in months? “Mara told you I was home.”
He nodded.
God, he looked good. Wait, where was the suit? He was wearing jeans and a cable-knit sweater that folded over at the neck. Very stylish, very casual. Very unlike Flynn.
“Aren’t you working today?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s why I’m here. Come on.” He turned and walked to his truck.
The pang of seeing his truck sitting at her curb again was too much. He opened the passenger door and cocked his head toward it. Inside was…another person.
Curiosity propelled her forward.
“I hope you don’t mind if we have company.” He’d lost the light tone.
She reached the door and peered in. “Oh. Hi.”
A woman was in the back. She was blond, like Flynn, but her hair was chopped at chin length. One hand curled into her side and she canted to the side as she sat.
“Lynne,” Flynn called over Tilly’s shoulder, “this is Tilly, the girl I told you about.”
“I— You—” Tilly shook her head. “Hi, Lynne.”
She hadn’t expected Flynn to really see his sister. Ensure she was in a good home, maybe visit once to ease his guilty conscience, but Lynne was here in his truck.
Lynne made a soft noise and raised her functioning hand a few inches from her lap.
“She says hi,” Flynn said.
“Hello.” Tilly waved in return and climbed inside. She turned to his sister. “Now you need to tell me why you’re out joyriding with your brother.”
The door shut behind Tilly. The corner of Lynne’s mouth lifted in a smile, her gaze tracking her brother around the truck. She gestured to Flynn’s side.
“Flynn’s idea, huh? I have to admit, my curiosity is killing me.”
Flynn hopped in and shot her a grin. He twisted back to give Lynne a wink before he threw the pickup in drive.
What was he up to? This Flynn reminded her of the guy at the lake. The one who’d let down most of his guard and watched movies and even eaten some carbs. This Flynn looked like he only had a six-pack instead of an eight-pack.
When they got back on the road, she peeked at him, but it was like looking into the sun. She was back in his truck, surrounded by hints of his cologne. Memories jarred her. Laughter, love, sex. He’d taught her how to fish.
“I can’t do this, I’m sorry.” She even reached for the door handle while they were driving. “You can just drop me off here.”
“Tilly, please. This is about more than you and me.”
That stopped her. Her moment of panic passed, and she drew in a deep breath. “Okay. Why don’t you fill me in on what’s going on in your life?”
“As you can see, I tracked down Lynne. My lawyer worked with my mom.” He spoke under his breath, “Bought her out.” He switched back to regular volume. “And I found a private group home for her where they even put her to work. Right, Lynne?”
Lynne murmured her agreement.
Flynn nodded. “She’s a greeter at a store close by the home. I’ve hired an organization that’ll take her to work and help her through her shift.”
Tilly shifted in her seat so she could see both Lynne and Flynn. “That’s awesome, Lynne. You’ll have to tell me where and when you work so I can stop by.” And she would, no matter what she had to buy.
Flynn’s voice dropped. “How’ve you been, Tilly?”
Tilly stayed where she was. She wasn’t sure what Lynne could understand, but she didn’t want to exclude her. “I work two jobs and have no life. But I’m not in jail, thanks to you, so things are well.”
“Mara said you had an interview for your old teaching position.”
“It was more of an ‘I’m dying to know what happened’ than an interview.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah.”
They fell quiet. Occasionally Lynne would make a sound that Tilly couldn’t decipher, but Flynn would chatter back to her about buildings they were passing, guessing at what she’d been trying to tell him.
He pulled up to a vacant lot on the edge of town. There were a few surrounding businesses, office spaces mostly, and a gas station on the corner.
“Where are we?”
Reaching behind the front seat, he pulled out a roll of paper. “Lynne, do you mind if I hop outside with Tilly and explain everything?”
Lynne lifted her hand like before.
“Thanks, Sis.” Flynn hopped out and rushed to Tilly’s side.
Tilly raised a curious brow at Lynne but the girl had already gone back to staring out the window. The door opened, and Flynn offered his hand to help her out. Tilly steeled herself against the strength and warmth of his grip. He didn’t release her hand as he led her around to the front of the pickup. When he let go to spread out the paper, she missed the contact.
Tilly seized the moment of privacy. “May I ask—how was the reunion?”
His gaze flicked to the windshield. Lynne still gazed outside as if fascinated by the scenery. And if she’d been stuck inside for years, she probably was.
“I don’t think she knew me. I…” He clenched his jaw and scowled at the hood of the pickup. “It was hard for me. The last time I’d seen her, she’d almost drowned again in the bathtub. I was bathing her and trying to clean her chair at the same time and left her alone too long.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “That was when you left home?” He’d only been sixteen. The poor kid. No wonder he’d been so traumatized. His mother had probably laid all the blame at his teenaged feet. He’d probably felt that Lynne was better off without him and had justified his absence with his guilt. “She’s a survivor and you were a kid.”
He nodded, his throat working as if he didn’t trust himself to speak.
“But she knows you now. That’s obvious.”
A smile lit his handsome face, chasing away the shadows of the past. “She loves to go for rides. I steal her every weekend. Her communication’s limited, but I’m learning.”
“I’m very happy for you.”
“The tour of my office scared her, I think, but now she’s like a celebrity when she visits.”
Tilly gaped at him. He’d gone from not telling anyone about his sister to the red-carpet treatment. Her Flynn? “I mean it. I’m really happy for you.”
He cleared his throat. “So that’s us, but we’re here for you. We are at the future Center for Special Development. That’s just a preliminary name so we had something to call the project.”
“What?” She peered closer at the sheaf of large papers he held. Blueprints. On one sheet was the image of a building with three wings, and between each wing was a small courtyard. “Wait, what?”
“I’m building your tutoring center. And it needs a manager.”
She stared at him. At the blueprints. At the vacant lot.
“Or you can hire a manager if you just want to teach. Either way, the place is yours, really.”
“Mine,” she squeaked. “How can you give me a building?”
“Halstengard Industries will provide the scholarships. You figure out the details.”
“How— Why?”
“Because I love you, Tilly. And I’ll do anything for you, even stay away for three months while I figure this business out and talk m
yself into being okay if you turn me down. With or without me by your side, the place will be your baby.”
“Mine?”
He still loved her. She shook her head. This was too much. Information overload. She went from fighting not to collapse in despair to having her wildest dreams handed to her. She should turn it down, but that’d mean handing over the care of all the future kids to someone else. Giving this up, now that she knew it existed and could be her project, was too much. But accepting it, accepting him, overwhelmed her.
“I’m serious, Tilly. It’s yours to run, no strings.”
“It needs a different name” was all she could say. It confirmed nothing. She wasn’t ready to commit to either him or the center.
“Take all the time you need. I’ll be patient. Persistent, but patient. By the way, Wes and Mara have set up a scholarship for families, too.”
Wes was loaded. A place like this, with the continual support of those two businesses? Unreal. “You’re unreal.”
“I also have a standing contribution set up for the Center for Abuse Victims. Each year, they’ll receive a donation in your name.” He ran his finger along the design. “I wasn’t sure about the layout. I had a lot of meetings with other therapy places and came up with this.”
The man who worked twelve- to fourteen-hour days? “When’d you have time for all this?”
“Matthew. Two years of following me around, he knows all the people and all the lingo. Add in Mrs. Silverstein, and they’re unstoppable.”
“Your PA is running your company?” More importantly, Flynn had handed over the reins to someone else? That it was Matthew made sense, at least. Flynn trusted him.
“He’s not a PA anymore. That level mostly needs a salesman and Matthew can smooth talk with the best of them. I still work, too, just not as much.”
“So what do you do with all your free time now besides joyride?”
His gaze turned sincere. “Try to build a safe life for you.”
“I can’t just…” She couldn’t finish. Because the thought of just jumping in with him terrified her.
“I know.” His large hand wrapped around hers. “And it’s okay. I’m here when you’re ready.”
Highest Bidder Page 15
