If You Only Knew (Harper Falls #3)

by Mary J. Williams

  “Good?” Drew asked after her first few bites.

  “If you can make meatloaf, you’ll never get rid of me.”

  “Meatloaf is one of my specialties.”

  “Well, then.”

  Realizing the implication of their teasing words, Tyler applied herself to her eggs, not looking at Drew. Too soon, her brain screamed. Stop listening to your libido. Forget what your heart is saying. Slow down.

  “Any big plans for the day?”

  Tyler’s eyes met Drew’s. Smiling, she sent him a silent thank you. He understood. Which made it even harder not to jump ahead five or six steps. Soon, his gaze replied. When we’re both ready.

  As it happened, Tyler did have big plans. A truck was coming to her studio to pick up the Harper Falls statue.

  One month from tomorrow would be the unveiling. The town would finally see the results of her sweat and sleepless nights. Before then, the statue would be housed in a building near its final resting place. She was happy to free up space in her studio. After months of living with her creation, she was ready to let go. Tyler would still have access to finish the last tweaks, the final polish.

  “Feeling any separation anxiety?”

  Drew insisted on following her home. Tyler knew it was silly. It was broad daylight. Nothing was going to happen in the fifteen minutes it took her to drive from his place to hers. She could have stopped him, but didn’t. She knew it made him feel good to make sure she arrived safely. It made her feel good too.

  “It’s time,” she said, answering his question. “It’s only when I’m unhappy with what I’ve done that turning it loose is a problem. When it’s right, like now, I want to send my art out to hopefully be enjoyed.”

  “Can I have a peek?”

  “Soon,” she promised. “I planned on showing it to Dani and Rose next week. You can come if you want.”

  “I want.”

  Drew took her in his arms, giving her a thorough goodbye kiss. He waited until she disengaged the alarm system and unlocked her front door before he drove away in his vintage Mercedes-Benz roadster. Weather on this early November morning was crisp but sunny. According to Drew, perfect for tooling around with your top down.

  Chuckling at her boy and his toy, Tyler walked into her studio. Before she could get the door shut, a hand reached out, blocking her movement.

  “So, M.J. was right. You’ve taken back up with Drew Harper.”

  TYLER ALMOST JUMPED out of her skin.

  “Goddamn it, Kyle. It isn’t any of your or M.J.‘s business. What do you think you’re doing lurking around here?”

  She stood in the doorway, not letting her brother in. When he was on his own, Kyle was easy to handle. Even though it was usually M.J.‘s influence that always got him into trouble, she still didn’t want him here.

  “I need your help.”

  Tyler knew she couldn’t have heard him correctly. It would take some colossal nerve for her brother to ask her for anything. He was either high or desperate.

  She looked closely. Kyle didn’t look like he was on anything. In fact, he looked good. Healthy. His clothes were neat and clean. His hair combed, freshly washed. He was even shaved instead of sporting the irregular stubble normally favored by both her brothers. When he cleaned up, Kyle was a good-looking man. It wasn’t his fault that he resembled their father to such a startling degree.

  Hoping she didn’t regret it, Tyler moved back, letting him in.

  “Would you like some coffee?”

  “Sure, if you’re having some.”

  Tyler moved to the kitchen, keeping one eye on Kyle. He seemed interested in her sculpture of two angels embracing. Tomorrow it would ship to New York, the hefty commission giving her bank balance a nice boost.

  “Do you still take cream and sugar?”

  “Just cream. I’m off sweets.”

  Okay, Tyler thought, handing him a mug. Since when did Kyle worry about what he put in his body? Something was up.

  “Stop fidgeting and have a seat, Kyle.”

  “Sorry.” He sat opposite her, his hands wrapped around the mug of steaming coffee. She thought he looked nervous. Not squirrelly. A case of plain, old nerves.

  “I like what you’ve done with this old place. M.J. always said—”

  “I can imagine what M.J. said. If you want my help, that should be the last time you start to quote our brother.”

  “Right. Sorry.”

  “That’s two sorrys, Kyle. What’s up?”

  “I thought I knew what to say. I practiced, rehearsed. Now that I’m here, I don’t know if I can go through with it.”

  “Say what you have to say.”

  “I’ve met a woman,” he began in a rush.

  “Nothing new there.” The bars he hung out in always had a dubious crop of women willing to give up the goods for a couple of drinks — or a couple of bucks.

  “No. Tammy is different. She’s nice, sweet.”

  “That is different,” Tyler agreed. “Where did you meet her? I don’t remember a nice Tammy here in Harper Falls.”

  “Wenatchee. I took a job driving some furniture from Spokane to Tacoma. I stopped for something to eat. Tammy is a waitress. We got to talking. I stopped again on my way back.” Kyle shrugged. “I love her, Tyler.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  Tyler meant it. The more she looked at Kyle, the more she could see the changes in him. If this Tammy was the reason, Tyler wanted to shake her hand. Anyone who could get her brother away from M.J.‘s influence was a person worth knowing.

  “The thing is…”

  Tyler sighed. Why was there always a thing?

  “You might as well spit it out, Kyle. Sitting there squeezing that mug won’t make it any easier.”

  Kyle set the mug on the table then started wringing his hands instead.

  “There’s a job in Mill Creek. Just north of Seattle? I’d be managing the feed store.”

  “A job is good.”

  “It is. A good job, I mean.” Kyle swallowed. “I haven’t told anyone.”

  Anyone meaning M.J. He wouldn’t be too happy at the thought of losing his minion. Kyle would be wise to be packed and gone before telling their brother his plans. He was like a lobster in a box. If he saw Kyle trying to get out, M.J. would grab on with his fat old claws, pulling him back in.

  “Tammy’s coming with me, Tyler. It will be a fresh start for both of us.”

  “If you want my opinion, I say go. Now. Get in your car and don’t look back. You can call Mom when you’re settled.”

  “I would.” Kyle sat up straight, looking Tyler in the eye. “I need money.”

  Tyler felt all her newfound hope pop like an overinflated balloon. She should have known it was too good to be true.

  “Congratulations, Kyle. You really had me going. Tammy was a nice touch. Did M.J. tell you to tug at my heartstrings before you asked me to loosen the old purse strings?”

  “No.” Kyle reached out, pulling his hand back when he saw the warning in Tyler’s eyes.

  “You should go, Kyle.”

  “I swear I’m telling you the truth, Tyler. I’ve been a lousy brother. Worse than lousy,” he conceded when Tyler snorted.

  “Here.”

  Kyle took out his phone, quickly punching a few buttons before handing it to Tyler.

  There were pictures. Lots of them. Kyle and a pretty redhead hugging, laughing. Another with him holding a little boy. Tyler looked at her brother.

  “Tammy has a child?”

  Kyle nodded, beaming.

  “The spitting image of his momma.”

  Tyler looked at the pictures again, then at Kyle. Well, damn. He was in love. With mother and son.

  “Mom’s met her.”

  “Really? When? She hasn’t mentioned anything to me.”

  “I asked her not to. I brought Tammy to Spokane a few weeks ago. We all had dinner. They seemed to hit it off.”

  Tyler thought for a moment, coming to a quick decision. />
  “How much do you need?”

  She could see the relief seep into Kyle’s body.

  “Moving costs, first and last month’s rent. A security deposit.”

  Tyler left the sofa, walking to her desk in the corner of the room. She took out her checkbook.

  “Groceries, incidentals.”

  She tore off the check, handing it to her brother.

  His eyes widened when he saw the amount.

  “Tyler, I don’t know how to thank you. I promise to pay you back as soon as possible.”

  Tyler shook her head. “Here’s what I’m going to do, Kyle. Every month for the next six months, I’m going to send Tammy a check. Consider it my contribution to the cause. The first hint I get that any of that money is making its way back to M.J., not only do I cut you off? I track you down and kick the shit out of you.”

  Kyle nodded. “Sounds fair.”

  Tyler chuckled. Who would have thought? She was having a laugh with her brother.

  “You have a real chance here, Kyle. Don’t blow it.”

  She walked him to the door.

  “And don’t worry about paying me back. Consider it a wedding present. You are going to marry the girl?”

  “As soon as we get settled.”

  Before she knew his intentions, Kyle gave her a hug. Another first. A little awkward and kind of sweet, Tyler hugged him back.

  Kyle was halfway down the steps when he turned back. He hesitated.

  “Watch out for M.J.”

  “I always do.”

  “No. This is different. We went out for a drink last night. I figured it would be my way of saying goodbye without actually saying it, you know?”

  “Okay.”

  “He talked about you. A lot. That’s how I knew about you seeing Drew Harper again. He,” Kyle frowned. “He hates you, Tyler.”

  Tyler blinked in surprise. She knew M.J. disliked her, but hate?

  “Why?”

  “He could never intimidate you. That was fine when you were little. He would lock you in a closet or knock you down. There came a time when he couldn’t do that anymore. You started to fight back. Being a bully only works when your victim is afraid. You never were.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. She used to be afraid of M.J. He was bigger and stronger. Then she realized he was a coward. He hid behind crude language delivered in a loud voice. If actually confronted, he ran. Her fear evaporated fast when she realized he never met anyone head on. That was when she learned to watch her back.

  Tyler had a sudden thought.

  “M.J. was the one who told Regina Harper about Drew and me.”

  Kyle nodded.

  “He got a pretty good chunk of cash for that information. Even after Drew left town, Mrs. Harper paid M.J. to keep an eye on you.”

  “And since I’ve been back.”

  “I wondered. M.J. hasn’t said.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I would say yes. Every now and then, he shows up with some money to wave around. I don’t know where else he would get it.”

  “Right.”

  “Take care, okay?”

  “You too.”

  Tyler waved as Kyle pulled away. Feeling a shiver that had nothing to do with the sudden November breeze, she closed the door. Making sure to engage the locks and set the alarm, Tyler went to her little kitchen for another cup of coffee.

  She stood with her back against the counter, sipping the hot liquid. It was unsettling to find she was being spied on. Knowing it was done by her own brother added another layer of creepy.

  Shaking off thoughts that threatened her happy buzz, she put her cup in the sink. She had a statue to move. Or supervise moving.

  Tyler walked around the figure, trying to be objective. It was good, she thought, picking up a section of protective wrapping.

  Regina Harper and M.J. could go to hell.

  This was what mattered. This was what she cared about. Her work. Her friends. Her Drew.

  Smiling, Tyler put the last piece of tape on the last piece of bubble wrap just as the truck pulled up outside. Perfect timing. In fact, at the moment everything was perfect.

  “GOOD FOR KYLE.”

  “Good thing he has such a generous sister.”

  “Mom will be happy,” Tyler said to Rose and Dani. “All that praying has finally paid off. At least one of her sons is trying to get his life together.”

  They were having drinks at Tom Tom’s. The Friday night crowd was just getting started. Loud but not rowdy — not yet. You could be yourself at Tom Tom’s as long as you respected the women and tipped your server. All other rules were out the window.

  Tyler thought back to the first time she came here. Jack and Rose were just starting their relationship. Dani hadn’t a clue that shortly, Alex would be back in her life. And she threatened to grind Drew’s balls into dust. At the time, she meant it. In retrospect, she was glad their animosity never escalated to that extent.

  “What are you grinning about?”

  Drew took the seat next to Tyler, giving her a warm hello kiss.

  “Just thinking about your balls.”

  “Drew’s balls are funny?”

  Alex joined Dani, taking her hand as he sat down.

  “I’ve seen him naked. I don’t remember them being particularly hysterical,” Jack said.

  “How close a study did you make?” Rose asked him.

  Jack winked at Rose, his blue eyes filled with their usual good-natured twinkle.

  “You got me there, sweetheart. I claim no more than a glancing acquaintance.”

  Drew groaned. He wanted to slap his best friend across his grinning face.

  “You have no acquaintance with my balls, glancing or otherwise. Why are we even talking about them?”

  “Tyler said you have funny balls,” Jack shrugged, thoroughly enjoying his friend’s frustration.

  “A little help here,” Drew said to Tyler. “Clarify your earlier statement so we can leave my balls in peace.”

  Tyler took pity on Drew. She reminded everyone of the night back in May, going into detail since Alex wasn’t familiar with the story.

  “I was pissed at Drew.”

  “Nothing new there,” Dani chimed in.

  “True. I’d just found out about that celibacy bet you idiots made. I was afraid it was going to backfire onto Rose. Being a good friend, I warned Drew. If Jack made her cry, I would rip off his balls and grind them into the dirt.” She winked at the other women. “No big deal.”

  “So you say,” Drew countered. “My balls were scared. They jumped up inside my body; I couldn’t find them for days.”

  “They were in no danger. Jack got in a fight with a bunch of bikers distracting us all. He was a hero, Rose didn’t cry. End of story.”

  They all laughed, rehashing the finer points Tyler either left out or missed when Jack and Rose were out in the parking lot.

  “Balls aside,” Alex quipped, turning to Jack. “Did you really take on those bikers by yourself?”

  “I was more of a placeholder until Rose came to my rescue. She jumped on the back of the biggest guy there.” He lifted Rose’s hand to his lips. “My hero.”

  “Ah,” Tyler and Dani sighed.

  “Now we’re an old engaged couple,” Rose sighed. “Soon to be married.”

  “You finally set the date?” Tyler exclaimed.

  “When?” Dani demanded.

  “May 20th. The one-year anniversary of the night I propositioned Jack.”

  Rose beamed at the memory. Jack looked pleased himself.

  “It was the best one-night stand I never had.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “I LOVE ROSE, but if I have to look at one more bridal magazine, I might go stark raving mad.”

  “She hasn’t gone Bridezilla on you?”

  Tyler smiled at her mother, a bit surprised she knew the term. Anita Jones was moving into the twenty-first century. A new hair color, new job, reality television. Tyler
couldn’t wait to find out what was next.

  “Not my Rose. It isn’t her attitude I object to. It’s the number of mind-numbing periodicals we’ve poured over in the past week. I didn’t know there were so many.”

  “It’s a huge industry. Why last week alone, I did the nails for three brides and seven bridesmaids. I’m booked solid in December. Holiday weddings are very big.”

  “You sound like you’re enjoying your new job.”

  Anita nodded, her eyes bright. For that reason alone, Tyler wanted to offer the owner of Permanently Awesome a big hug.

  “The other women who work there are so nice. Right off, they made me feel like one of the girls. The customers are nice too. You wouldn’t believe the gossip I hear.”

  “Blush-worthy?” Tyler asked. “Spill, Mom. I haven’t heard anything juicy in weeks.”

  “Oh, I could never tell. Some of those things are, well, I’m sure they must be made up.”

  A blush spread across Anita’s cheeks, making Tyler chuckle. Sweet and old-fashioned in so many ways. A bit of a prude. She wondered what her mother would say if she knew about some of the things her little girl did with Drew Harper. Luckily, there was no reason for her to ever find out.

  But she did need to know about Drew. He was Tyler’s main reason for visiting her mother.

  “Mom—”

  “I did hear one piece of gossip that might interest you.”

  Tyler swallowed. Oh, boy.

  “You’ve heard.”

  “About you and Drew Harper? The salon was buzzing all afternoon yesterday. It was all anyone could talk about.”

  “Honestly?”

  Tyler understood about small towns. They lived on gossip. It was their life’s blood. The fact that she and Drew were seeing each other was juicy. But all afternoon? Good Lord. Get a life, people.

  “I wanted to be the first to tell you. I mean, last night was the first time we’ve gone out in public. How could they have known so soon?”

  “It only takes a whiff of a hint, Tyler. You know that.”

  “This town fed on me and Drew so long the first time, they should still be full. After Drew left town, and everything came out, it was hard for me to show my face.”

  “Last time was about forbidden love. That kind of gossip, especially when it involves a Harper, never completely dies.”