Home in Carolina

by Sherryl Woods

  He inched closer to her on the workout bench. “Want me to test that claim?”

  Alarm shot through her. They both knew how quickly he could make a liar out of her. One kiss would do it. One kiss with an avid audience and it would be all over town that the two of them were reconciled, or at least on their way. Then the collective pressure of the town would make it all but impossible for her to put some space between them again until she got her equilibrium back.

  “You promised,” she reminded him, her gaze locked with his. “No more kisses in the spa, remember?”

  His gaze never wavered. “It could be a promise that’s worth breaking,” he suggested.

  “You’ve broken more important ones,” she said. “So the track record is there.”

  He swallowed hard at the harsh words, then nodded and looked away. “So I have,” he agreed, suddenly serious. He stood up. “I’ll see you tonight, Annie.”

  For reasons she didn’t totally understand, she felt terrible for ruining his good mood and romantic gesture. “Ty,” she called out, stopping him.

  He stayed where he was, but he didn’t turn around, and she realized then that she’d really hurt him. Okay, not the way he’d hurt her, but what did that matter? She wasn’t the kind of person who took deliberately mean potshots at people, no matter how deserving they might be.

  “I love the flowers,” she said softly. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

  He faced her then. “No big deal,” he said, hands shoved in his pockets.

  Annie crossed the room. “It was a big deal,” she contradicted. “And I had to go and spoil it. I’m sorry.”

  Before she could stop herself, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. She’d aimed for his cheek, but he’d guessed her intention and turned at the last second so the kiss landed squarely on his lips.

  And just as he’d taunted, the immediate fire that ran through her blood made a liar of her.

  Ty hadn’t considered anything beyond giving those flowers to Annie. He certainly hadn’t thought about the impact of another of her kisses, not on his composure and not on the women who were watching them as if he and Annie were performing in a live soap opera that was unfolding before their eyes.

  “Whoo-ee!” Garnet Rogers said, adding a whistle when Ty finally pulled away from Annie.

  The eighty-year-old, who’d worked in the local grocery until a few months ago, spurred similar catcalls and comments from the other members of her seniors jazzercise group.

  “I don’t know what the man asked,” Garnet called out. “My hearing aid’s busted. But whatever it was, Annie, you say yes, you hear.”

  Annie blushed. “Now look what we’ve done,” she muttered, though she sounded more exasperated and amused than angry.

  “Hey, you kissed me,” Ty reminded her. “I’d backed off and was on my way out the door.” He looked around the room. “Right, ladies? You saw that, didn’t you?”

  “That’s the way it looked to me,” Garnet confirmed.

  Ty gave Annie a perfectly innocent look. “You see? It’s not my fault that you couldn’t resist me.”

  “You’re dragging a bunch of senior citizens into our drama?” Annie demanded with feigned indignation.

  “They don’t mind,” Ty replied. “Do you, ladies?”

  “Not a bit,” one of them shouted, a response echoed by several others.

  “Better than The Young and the Restless,” Garnet declared.

  Annie shook her head. “You need to go. I doubt their hearts can take much more of this.”

  “They’re taking jazzercise, for goodness’ sake. They’re fine,” Ty said. “How about you and me? Are we okay?”

  “If you’re asking if I’m likely to drop a fifty-pound weight on your foot when you come back here tonight, you’ll just have to take your chances,” she said, though her eyes were sparkling. “Go. I have paying clients to see.”

  “That reminds me,” Ty said, turning serious. “What’s your going rate for sports injury therapy? I’ll bring a check with me tonight.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re not paying me.”

  “I was paying Elliott. I’m paying you. This is your profession, Annie. You get paid.”

  “I don’t want your money,” she insisted, her jaw set stubbornly.

  Ty backed down…for now. He’d see that she got paid, one way or another.

  “By the way, Mom told me she ordered that equipment you recommended. It should be here next week.”

  Annie nodded. “Good. That should help.”

  The music for the jazzercise group pumped up again. Ty took his cue from that and stroked a finger down Annie’s soft-as-silk cheek, enjoying the rise of heat and color that followed in his path. “See you tonight.”

  He left before she could respond. At the door, he looked back and saw that her hand was on her cheek, her expression vaguely flustered. He gave a little nod of satisfaction. Not a bad afternoon’s work at all. He’d have to buy Cal a beer one of these days to thank him.

  Helen’s cell phone rang just as she stepped into the kitchen at Sullivan’s to pick up the dinner Erik had set aside for her to take home. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw that it was Dee-Dee. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach.

  Injecting a deliberately cheerful note into her voice, she greeted Trevor’s mother. “So, tell me, how did things go during your first meetings with Trevor?”

  “It was amazing,” Dee-Dee said. “He’s amazing. I can’t believe I thought I could go through life not knowing him.”

  “You were very young and, I’m sure, scared. We’ve all made rash decisions we regret.”

  “I’m glad you understand,” Dee-Dee said. “I know I should have had my attorney call you, but you were so sweet when I was there visiting that I felt like I should call you directly.”

  Helen heard something in her voice that set off an alarm. “Dee-Dee, if this is about the custody situation, then you definitely need to speak to your attorney and have him get in touch with me. I represent Ty.”

  “I know that, and my attorney will be following up, but I wanted to give you and Ty a heads-up that I’m going ahead and filing for custody. I’ve discussed it with my fiancé and he supports my decision.”

  Helen’s heart sank.

  Dee-Dee went right on. “I’ve talked it over with Jim, and we’ve decided that Trevor should have a full-time family. I’m going to ask for sole custody. Ty will have visitation rights, of course, not that I expect Trevor to see much of him with all the traveling he has to do with the team. In fact, Ty’s travel schedule during the season is exactly the reason I want Trevor with us.”

  Helen barely resisted the urge to scream at her that she was being outrageously selfish. This had to be settled in court. It wouldn’t be settled on the phone, not when they shouldn’t be speaking directly, anyway.

  “I’m sorry you’ve reached that decision,” Helen said, struggling to keep her voice calm. “Have your attorney call me.”

  Dee-Dee didn’t have sense enough to quit. “I know Ty’s going to be upset by this, but I hope you’ll remind him to think about what’s best for Trevor,” she said.

  Upset? Furious was more like it. Ty was going to demand that Helen pull out every stop to halt this scheme of Dee-Dee’s in its tracks. If she’d shown even a modicum of respect for all that Ty had done over the past three years, Helen could probably have mediated to get Dee-Dee some of what she wanted. This, however, was like declaring all-out war.

  “The court’s going to decide what’s best for Trevor,” Helen reminded her. “You and I obviously aren’t going to see eye to eye on what that is. I’m sorry about that. I truly am.”

  She hung up before she said something she’d regret. If she’d been in her own kitchen, rather than Sullivan’s, she might have picked up the nearest plate and hurled it across the room. Apparently Erik guessed her agitation, because he came over and put his arms around her.

  “You heard?” she asked.

  “Enoug
h to get the idea that Trevor’s mom is going through with a custody suit.”

  “For full custody,” she said. “I don’t know why I’m so shocked. I was just so sure she’d be reasonable. She has to know she can’t win, not after abandoning him on a hotel-room doorstep. I don’t care how much she claims to have changed, the judge is going to consider that irresponsible and reckless. Not to mention how bonded Trevor and Ty have become in these three years that she’d like to conveniently erase.”

  Erik looked as dismayed as she felt. “I’m sorry. Thank goodness Dana Sue’s not here right now. The minute she hears about this, she’s going to start worrying herself sick about the impact on Annie.”

  “I know,” Helen said. “I’m worried about all of them, Trevor included, and these aren’t my kids who are involved.”

  “You know you’ve always thought of both Ty and Annie as members of your family. Of course, you’re worried,” Erik said with the kind of understanding that demonstrated why she loved him so much.

  “I need to see Ty and let him know what’s going on,” she said, even though she’d prefer to stay right here wrapped in her husband’s arms. Of course at some point Erik would have to focus on feeding the restaurant’s hungry customers again, so she might as well go.

  “You could just call him,” Erik suggested.

  She shook her head. “Not with news like this. I’ll run dinner home to my mother and then try to track him down.”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s working out at the spa with Annie tonight,” Erik said. “Dana Sue was pretty upset by that, too. She’s afraid those two are getting close and Ty will wind up breaking Annie’s heart all over again.”

  Helen regarded him with dismay. “Well, this news certainly isn’t going to help the two of them reconcile.”

  And being the messenger was going to be the absolute worst part of her day.

  “Give me ten more reps and then we’re done,” Annie said to Ty.

  To her amazement, he’d been on his best behavior all evening. There’d been no sly innuendos, no sneaky touches. She had to admit to being a little disappointed, but mostly it had been a relief to have the workout go smoothly without the distraction of him making subtle passes at her. She supposed it proved just how seriously he took rehab, which made him the best possible kind of client.

  “How about adding another ten pounds?” Ty asked, even though sweat was already pouring down his chest and soaking the tank top that revealed way too many muscles, to say nothing of the jagged, still-red scars from his shoulder surgery.

  “Not yet,” she told him.

  “I’m telling you this is too easy,” he argued.

  “If it were easy, you wouldn’t be sweating. Ten more at this weight. In here, I’m not your friend. I’m the boss, remember?”

  He scowled at her, but he complied with her orders, then set the weights back on their stand.

  Annie was about to suggest he head in and take a shower, when she heard the front door open. She frowned. She knew she’d locked it earlier, right after admitting Ty.

  “Hey, you guys, it’s only me,” Helen called out.

  Ty’s expression froze as he turned to Annie. “This can’t be good.”

  Annie opted for an optimistic spin. “Come on, you don’t even know if she’s here to see you. She could be stopping by to pick up some paperwork or something.”

  Ty shook his head. “It’s bad. I can feel it. She’s heard something from Dee-Dee.”

  Helen crossed the room, her expression every bit as grim as Ty’s. “Hi, sweetie,” she said to Annie, giving her a hug. She glanced at Ty’s soaked shirt and shook her head. “You’ll get a hug later.”

  “What’s up?” Annie asked. “Did you come by to pick up something?”

  “I need to speak to Ty,” Helen said. “Alone, if you don’t mind.”

  Annie tried not to feel hurt by the dismissal. She smiled brightly. “Of course.”

  She started away, but Ty called her back. His expression stubborn, he told Helen, “She should probably hear whatever you have to say.”

  Helen didn’t look especially happy about it, but she nodded. “Your call.”

  As she described her conversation with Dee-Dee, Annie kept her gaze on Ty. His expression ran the gamut of emotions from disbelief to dismay to outrage. Every muscle in his body was visibly tense. Instinctively, Annie walked behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

  “Helen’s going to fix this,” she said confidently. “Right, Helen?”

  “No question about it,” Helen said. “I’ve already spoken to the P.I., and he’s stepping up his investigation. There won’t be a thing about Dee-Dee that we won’t know by this time next week. Then we’ll sit down and decide how we want to use it.”

  Annie cringed. “You’re digging up dirt about her?”

  Helen nodded.

  “We’re going to do whatever it takes to stop her,” Ty said, his expression grim. “Surely you can understand why we have to do this. Visitation is one thing. I saw for myself that Trevor loves having a mom in his life. I can reconcile myself to that for his sake, but full custody? I can’t let that happen, Annie, no matter what it takes to fight it.”

  “I suppose,” Annie said. “But do you really want to play down and dirty with your son’s mother? Someday it could come back to haunt you. Trevor could hate you for publicly humiliating her.”

  “If it prevents her from taking him from me, I have no choice,” Ty said.

  “I agree,” Helen added, then turned to Annie. “Sweetie, I understand your caution, but in cases like this, sometimes it’s necessary to play hardball. I’d hoped we wouldn’t have to. I thought by giving Dee-Dee a chance to spend a little time with Trevor, giving her access to him, she’d be reasonable. Instead, she wants it all, and she’ll try to cut Ty out of Trevor’s life in the process. She said as much on the phone tonight.”

  “It’s just that it’s going to get so ugly,” Annie said.

  “No way around it,” Helen said. “Not if we want to win.”

  “Are you sure compromise is out of the question?” Annie persisted.

  Ty regarded her with puzzlement. “Why are you so against me keeping my son?”

  She was stunned and dismayed by his interpretation. “I’m not,” she insisted. “I just think there ought to be a way to make this a win-win for everyone, especially Trevor.” She thought a moment longer, then added, “And much as I hate to say it, I guess I feel kind of bad for Dee-Dee. Trevor is her son, too.”

  Ty’s expression turned to shock. “You feel sorry for Dee-Dee?”

  She shrugged. “I never would have believed it myself, but yes, I do.” She glanced toward Helen. “I remember how horrible it was when my mom and dad split up. I was a lot older than Trevor, and I didn’t understand all the fighting or why my dad ended up leaving town.”

  Helen frowned. “That was my doing,” she admitted. “And, in retrospect, it was a mistake. But, Annie, the situations are not the same. Not even close. Ty’s the only parent Trevor’s really known. Dee-Dee wants to turn that around, keep him to herself and limit Ty’s access to the occasional visit.”

  “I know,” Annie said. “And I certainly don’t want to see Ty and Trevor ripped apart. Not at all. I guess I just kind of see Dee-Dee’s side, too. I’m sure if they lived in the same town, then shared custody might be an answer, but the way things are, for one of them to win, the other has to lose. Who can pick sides between a mom or a dad, especially when they both love their son?”

  Ty had been silent for several minutes, but now his gaze hardened as he met hers. “Are you really able to be that impartial? Or do you want me punished for what happened between us? Do you see this as some kind of karmic justice, me losing my son after the way Dee-Dee’s pregnancy and his birth pretty much destroyed our relationship?”

  Annie stared at him in shock. “You can’t really believe I’d be that petty,” she said.

  Ty shook his head. “I don’t know what I believ
e. I just know that if you really had any feelings for me at all, now or in the past, you would never be able to suggest I give up my son.”

  “But that’s not what I said,” Annie protested.

  Ty didn’t hear her, though. He’d grabbed his shirt and left the spa without a backward glance.

  Annie turned to Helen. “You got what I was saying, right? I was trying to see both sides.”

  Helen gave her a hug. “I know you thought you were trying to be fair, but right now Ty needs to be surrounded by people he can count on a hundred percent.”

  “But he can,” Annie argued. “I’m always on his side.”

  “Sorry, sweetie. For a minute there, it didn’t sound like it. I need to go after him. We have a lot of plans to make.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Annie offered.

  “Not tonight. Give Ty some time to cool down, absorb what’s going on. Then you can try to explain and he might actually hear what you have to say.”

  After Helen walked out, Annie went around the spa in a fog, turning out lights and locking up for the night. How had a day that had been so promising turned into such a nightmare? A few innocently spoken words, an attempt at impartiality, and she was the bad guy. It made no sense to her.

  But as she walked home, trying to examine the entire conversation from Ty’s perspective, she finally saw it as he must have…a betrayal from someone who should have been unconditionally on his side.

  Not that they hadn’t had disagreements in the past and moved on, but this issue was too huge for them not to be on the same page. His son’s future was at stake. And like any parent, Ty was going to fight for what he thought was right. In his view, there was no room for diverging opinions, no room for compromise.

  “I messed up,” Annie murmured, tears stinging her eyes as she walked.

  The only question now was how she was going to make things right.

  17

  After storming out of The Corner Spa, Ty headed straight home. He needed to see his son. Trevor would probably be asleep by the time he got there, but he needed to reassure himself that his son was safely tucked in his own bed.