Long Way Home (14 page)

“Just in time,” Tyler said through clenched teeth. As his best friend, Craig seemed to enjoy Tyler’s discomfort a bit too much.

“Thank you,” Alexis said, careful not to spill the wine on her dress.

“Should we go outside?” Peyton suggested. “The air is perfect tonight.”

“Sorry about that,” he whispered, as they trailed behind the Keelers.

Tyler squeezed her hand and an electric current shot through her body.

“He’s just having a good time making you squirm. I think it’s pretty funny, actually.”

Tyler sighed inwardly. He knew Craig was dying to bust his balls, but he didn’t want his dream girl frightened off in the process. He was lucky enough to have this second chance at winning her and he wasn’t about to have that chance scuppered by a well-meaning, albeit annoying, friend.

“So what have I missed out in Tyler’s life?” asked Alexis good-naturedly, once they were seated on the patio. “I want all the embarrassing details.”

Craig eagerly rubbed his hands together.

“Play nice, Craig,” his wife warned him. She turned back to Alexis. “As everyone here knows, Tyler is obsessed with his music and with good reason.”

“Yes, he’s very talented,” Alexis agreed. “I was afraid he’d be awful and I’d have to find a way to sneak out and never see him again.”

Tyler looked at her with mock indignation and she gave him a sly smile in return, taking a delicate sip of her wine. She’d been a wine drinker for a long time, until whiskey had taken over. She’d forgotten how pleasant it felt to have a nice, smooth drink and be sociable.

Their exchange didn’t escape Peyton’s attention. To her, they seemed to act very much like a couple, whether they realized it or not.

“He spends time outdoors whenever the mood strikes him,” Craig offered. “That’s why he’s a better surfer than me, that bastard.”

“I don’t have a wife to cater to, a child to chase after, or a business to run,” Tyler said diplomatically.

“You could’ve had any of those things,” Craig countered. “Not like you didn’t have the chance.”

They fell silent and Alexis sensed a sore subject had inadvertently cropped up.

“Is she coming tonight?” Tyler asked.

Craig shook his head. “She’s visiting our grandma in Orlando for Christmas. Grandma Mabel’s too old to travel now.” Craig turned to Alexis, not wanting to exclude her. “My little sister, Shelby, had a thing for Tyler. Took her a long time to realize that he wasn’t going to change his mind about her.”

“It wasn’t a reflection on her,” Tyler added.

Craig patted his friend on the back. “I was pissed off, as Tyler well knows, but I got through it and so did she, eventually. I know there’s somebody out there for her.”

“There’d better be,” Peyton interjected, “because your parents need other grandchildren to keep them from spoiling Ariana.”

Alexis turned her attention to Peyton. “So Ariana’s your only child?”

“Yes,” Peyton replied. “She’s our special angel.”

“She is adorable.”

“We didn’t want her to be an only child, but sometimes things work out differently than you expect.” Peyton’s gaze drifted off and Alexis felt a rush of sympathy.

“I know exactly what you mean,” she said.

Peyton’s eyes darted back to her guest. “Do you?” she asked, searching Alexis’s face.

“I do.”

Peyton smiled vaguely. “Certain times of year bring it all back. The possibilities. The could-have-beens, but then I hug my Ariana and I feel so grateful.”

Alexis nodded sympathetically and found herself relieved to have someone who understood and was willing to share. Despite her years abroad, she didn’t have that in London. Even with Mark’s support, it had been a lonely time for her. The second time, even he wasn’t around to offer his support. Those were dark times that Alexis was desperate to move on from.

Tyler listened with half an ear, knowing that he’d missed a critical piece of information. Something had passed between the women and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Despite that somber exchange, the rest of the evening passed quickly, with good food and better conversation. Alexis enjoyed herself immensely and joined in the cheering when Tyler appeared with his guitar on the patio. He played all the silly requests that were thrown his way, including a naughty version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that Alexis had never heard before.

When she could no longer fight the fatigue that plagued her, she thanked the Keelers for a lovely evening and Tyler offered to walk her out.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Peyton told her. “We’d love to see you again before you go back to London.”

“That would be nice,” Alexis said and realized that she meant it.

She retrieved her wrap from inside and shivered when she felt Tyler’s hand on the small of her back. Outside, most of the golf carts had disappeared.

“It’s late,” Tyler said. “Let me ride home with you and I’ll walk from there.”

“Tyler,” she objected. “It’s perfectly safe.”

“I know. I just want more time with you.”

Without warning, he pulled her in for a deep, lingering kiss. When he finally released her, he took a tentative step back.

“Was that okay?”

“The kiss itself or the fact that it happened?” she asked, peering up at him.

“I hope the kiss itself was more than okay,” he said.

“It was all more than okay,” she told him, her stomach performing somersaults.

In an instant, his lips were back on hers and, this time, Alexis responded in a way that removed all doubt. His lips felt better than she’d imagined. She melted against his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around her. Tyler stirred feelings in her that she’d thought were dead and buried. Now it seemed they merely had been dormant.

“I’ve been waiting a very long time for that kiss,” he murmured.

“So Betsy was telling the truth?” And basically everyone at the party, she almost added, but didn’t want to embarrass him.

He cocked his head. “Depends on what Betsy said.”

“That you may have had a teeny crush on me in high school.” She felt embarrassed saying it aloud to him.

“Not true,” he said and watched with satisfaction as her shoulders drooped the slightest bit. Then he whispered in her ear, “It was way bigger than teeny.”

“In that case, I’m glad you’re so patient,” Alexis whispered back.

“It’s one of my many skills,” Tyler told her.

He kissed her again, his tongue darting around her mouth, teasing her. He moved a hand to the back of her head as they continued to taste each other. Her thick, brown hair was as smooth and silky as he’d imagined it. He longed to lose himself in her completely. As his fingers caressed her bare neck, she clutched his back, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. Her heartbeat accelerated and her entire body hummed with electricity.

Tyler’s breathing grew ragged as the urgency of his kisses intensified. His fingers danced their way inside her deep neckline. Musician’s fingers, Alexis thought to herself as she felt his hand slip up and under her silky bra. Desire pulsed through her, but she managed to pull herself together. As good as she felt, she wasn’t ready for more. Gently, she covered his nimble fingers with her hand.

He pressed his forehead lightly against hers. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s like all my Christmases coming at once. I can’t wait to unwrap you.”

“Tyler, I can’t rush into anything,” she said softly.

“I’ve waited this long,” Tyler said, flashing his trademark dimple. “What’s another decade or two?”

She released his hand and adjusted her dress, embarrassed by her display of public affection. How did he work his way under her skin like that? It wasn’t her style to engage in hot and heavy make out sessions on someone’s front lawn.

His blue eyes twinkled and she fought the urge to pull him in for another kiss.

“My life is complicated,” she said.

“I’m not, so whenever you feel like living the simple life, reach out to me. I’ll be waiting for you.”

He bent to kiss her again and, for once, her mind quieted and she thought of nothing except the feel of Tyler’s lips on hers, and how good it felt to be held.

Chapter Twelve

Alexis and Tilly rolled meatballs at the kitchen table, using a recipe that Alexis had learned from her mother-in-law. She was glad that her mother wasn’t too territorial in the kitchen and seemed eager to employ some of her daughter’s suggestions.

As Tilly chattered away about various neighbors, Alexis’s mind drifted to her incredible kiss with Tyler. He was working until five and had invited her to Gatsby’s to watch him play again later in the evening. She felt like a giddy teenager, itching to see him again.

“I guess you’re not very interested in Harry Weyburn’s gall bladder surgery,” Tilly remarked.

“Not in any lifetime.”

Tilly stopped rolling. “Then why don’t you talk to me about something?”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Your life. Tell me about my adult daughter, Alexis.” She paused. “Tell me about your husband. What’s his name?”

“Mark.” Alexis cleared her throat. “A good, decent man.”

“Did you leave him?”

“No, I didn’t leave him.” Alexis quickly grew annoyed when she saw her mother’s look of surprise. “Is that so shocking?”

“You left us,” her mother said quietly. “Why wouldn’t you leave him?”

Alexis stopped rolling and met her mother’s steady gaze. “I didn’t leave him,” she repeated.

“Are you going back to London then?” her mother asked.

“I haven’t decided what I’m doing next.”

“Really? Because of Tyler Barnes?”

Now it was Alexis’s turn to be surprised. “Damn Betsy,” she hissed.

“Don’t blame your sister. Everyone on the island has seen you two together.”

“Tyler is…” She started to say just a friend, but that no longer seemed true. “Tyler is aware that there are obstacles.”

“Well, we both know you’re quite capable of overcoming obstacles, if you really want to.”

“I used to think so,” Alexis said.

Tilly finished the last meatball and slid the tray into the oven. “But not anymore?”

Alexis didn’t want to keep her secrets anymore. She was doing the same thing to her mother that she accused her mother of doing to her. She was demanding to be known and understood, yet withholding the very information that would allow that to happen. It was time to undo some of the damage.

“Mark and I wanted children, but I had two miscarriages,” Alexis said. “The first one made it to the second trimester, but I lost the second one at ten weeks.”

Tilly’s shoulders slackened. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

“Mark was excited to start a family. He used to research everything from prenatal vitamins to the safest car seat. He was so smart, in-house counsel for a big company. He was a kind, loving man, a wonderful husband, and he would’ve been a great dad.”

Tilly’s eyes filled with tears. “So what happened?” she gently prodded.

Alexis took a deep breath and told her story.

Alexis hurried into the grand lobby from outside. Bright sunshine burst through the glass doors and windows. She’d just finished presenting to a huge, prospective client and the meeting had gone well. Now all she needed to do was grab her bag from her office and head to the airport where Mark was waiting, probably cursing her under his breath for being late yet again.

As she passed by the front desk, the receptionist gave a polite wave to get her attention. “Mrs. Steamer, you have an urgent message from your secretary.”

Alexis wrinkled her nose. “I’m heading up there now.”

The receptionist lowered her voice. “They’ve left several voicemails on your mobile as well.”

Alexis fished through her bag for her cell phone. She always kept it turned off during presentations and client meetings.

“Thank you,” she said blankly. What was so urgent? She did a mental check of all her current matters and couldn’t conjure up any potential disasters. She was only eight weeks pregnant and had recently had her first doctor’s appointment, but there was no reason for them to call. They were going to monitor her pregnancy closely because of her previous miscarriage, that was all.

She took the elevator up to her office to listen to her messages in private. Magda, her secretary, wasn’t at her desk so Alexis went straight into her office and closed the door. When she heard the sound of her mother-in-law’s fractured voice, a shiver ran down her spine.

“It’s Mark, Alexis. Please ring me when you get this.”

Alexis felt her stomach turn inside out. How could it be Mark? He was sitting in the airport lounge. She dialed Moira’s number and waited anxiously. Thankfully, Moira picked up on the first ring.

“What happened?” Alexis asked without saying hello.

“There was an accident on the motorway,” Moira began, then stopped, unable to continue.

“But that doesn’t make sense. He’s already at the airport,” Alexis said.

Donald’s voice came on next. “He left the airport to come back for you. A lorry overturned on the motorway.” He sucked in a deep breath. “They said it was quick.”

“But it’s our anniversary,” she said, as though bad things didn’t happen to people on their anniversary.

“I know,” said Donald as she heard Moira’s sobs break out in the background.

Alexis didn’t know what to say, so she hung up the phone without saying anything. She stared at her reflection in the glass pane of her oversized window. The moment didn’t seem real.

The worst day of her life had come without warning, without fanfare; the day even had the nerve to be sunny. She spent the rest of the day sobbing and vomiting on the floor of the office bathroom until Magda finally appeared in the doorway with Hal.

Hal collected her from the bathroom and took her home. She slept on the sofa that night, unwilling to sleep in their bed without Mark. She went without food the next day, until she remembered the baby growing inside her and forced herself to eat a bowl of oatmeal with sliced banana. Mark would want her to eat sensibly for the baby.

Since Donald and Moira were over an hour away and not fully functional, Alexis knew the funeral would be left to her. As ideal as they were in so many ways, Alexis realized that the Steamers were not good when things went bad. They were fair weather people. Alexis, on the other hand, was a MacAdams from Mangrove Island. A place of disappointments and tough love. She didn’t dissolve when things didn’t go well; she toughened up.