Somebody's Hero

Though he was too damn familiar with people who refused to seek care when they needed it. How many times had he watched his mother cope with injuries because a hospital visit raised questions she couldn’t answer? How many times had he nursed his own aches in silence?

Too many.

If not for Lucy, the trip would have been uncomfortably quiet, but she kept up a running commentary. She was the most curious child he’d known. It never occurred to her that he might not be interested in what she had to say. Must be nice to have that kind of confidence in yourself.

The dump was located two and a half miles south of town. He paid the couple bucks’ fee, unloaded the rugs with the help of the attendant, then turned the truck back toward town.

When they reached the edge of town, Lucy spoke. “Hey, Tyler?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m hungry.”

He grimaced. It was barely ten o’clock, and the last place he wanted to go with them was his sister’s diner. Rebecca would take it as a sign that her efforts to fix him up were working and she would never give him any peace.

Jayne roused from her silence. “Sweetie, we’ll be home before too long and we can eat then, okay?”

“But I’m hungry now, Mama. Doesn’t a sticky bun sound good?”

Jayne paled as if just the idea might empty her stomach.

“Have you eaten anything at all?” Tyler asked. When she shook her head, he said, “Maybe you should. Oatmeal or crackers or something.”

She considered it a moment, then nodded, and he wondered why the hell he’d opened his mouth. Because old habits were hard to break. He’d been taking care of too many people for too many years. But those people—except for Edna—were family. Jayne wasn’t.

He didn’t even want to think Jayne and family in the same sentence.

Frowning, he turned right on Main and found a parking space near the diner. Lucy skipped ahead, and Jayne matched his pace, which slowed the nearer they got.

They both reached for the door handle at the same time, their hands about an inch apart on the worn metal. Hers was so much smaller than his, delicate, well suited to typing, soothing a little girl…or arousing a man.

She made a choking sound that was probably meant to be a laugh and withdrew her hand. “Sorry,” she murmured and stepped back so he could open the door.

Mouthwatering aromas drifted from the diner. Just inside, Jayne stopped and took a tentative breath. Testing to see if the smells would aggravate what already ailed her? Then she smiled faintly. “Smells good. Where do you want to sit?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He could already feel the speculative gazes on them. A quick glance around the room showed that practically every soul he knew was there, and they were all curious.

Lucy charged toward the nearest empty booth. As they followed, Rebecca, her arms filled with dirty dishes, detoured to meet them. “Hey, Lucy, Jayne.” Bumping her shoulder against him, she winked. “Bubba.”

He scowled at her back as she continued to the kitchen.

Lucy climbed onto one bench and slid across to make room for Jayne. Tyler claimed the other bench, his feet bumping hers as he settled in. He muttered, “Excuse me,” then her foot nudged his and she repeated the words.

How long had it been since casual contact with a woman had seemed so significant? Since the woman had been Angela. Look how badly that had turned out.

He slid his feet as far back as he could.

Balancing three glasses of juice with a coffeepot, Rebecca returned. After filling their mugs, she asked, “Is it okay if I steal Lucy for a minute? I’d like to introduce her to Jordan Ryan.”

Great. Next Lucy would want to eat with Jordan, which would leave him and Jayne together. Alone. In front of everyone.

“Sure,” Jayne said with a smile. Before she could get up, Lucy scrambled over her, jumped to the floor, slid her hand into Rebecca’s and headed for the counter, where Jordan sat with her sister, her brother and the Adams twins.

Tyler rested his hands on the tabletop, absently scraping one fingernail across a scar on the other hand. He was uncomfortably aware of his grandparents and two of his brothers seated at a far table and of Daniel and Sarah Ryan sharing a nearer table with the Adamses. He knew what they must be thinking—the same thing Rebecca did. That he needed to give up his isolation. That it was time for him to settle down and start a family. That he needed a woman.

That Jayne Miller could be a very easy woman to need.

His jaw tightened. He doubted that last thought was in anybody’s mind but his, and he couldn’t afford it. He couldn’t let himself want what he couldn’t have.

Across the table she shifted. When he raised his gaze, she smiled a little. She was pretty when she smiled. But, hell, she was pretty when she didn’t smile. “Looks like Lucy’s found a new friend. Do you know Jordan?”

“She’s my boss’s daughter.” Scrape, scrape went the nail over the scar. The mark was old, white, barely raised. An old injury at work or a souvenir from Del? He couldn’t remember.

“Which one is your boss?”

With a breath, he locked his fingers together, then tilted his head to the right. “The big guy over there is Daniel. Sarah, his wife, is on his left. The others are Zachary and Beth Adams. They’re lawyers.” They’d saved his mother’s life and made a huge difference in his. He owed them—and the Ryans—a lot.

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