A sob escaped my throat and he tugged me closer.
“One day at a time, Ty. You and me,” I whispered.
His eyes searched mine and he leaned down and covered my mouth with his. And that was enough.
At least for right now.
The next few days had passed in a blur. The wedding was around the corner, and I was swamped at work. Ty had been coming by my office every day. He was writing new music like crazy, and he often sat in the chair in the corner of my office and wrote while I worked. I loved to see him deep in his thoughts.
He’d brought Sebastian by a few times, and he was crazy about his little brother. Our photos had been splashed in every newspaper from California to New York. More media sites had arrived in Willow Springs, and Ty was not pleased about it. His manager had released a statement saying I was an old friend and he was calling all the time, urging Ty to get the hell out of Willow Springs as soon as the wedding was over. And the thought that this was coming to an end in just a few days was crushing. We didn’t discuss it anymore. We’d both just decided to embrace our time together.
We’d FaceTimed with his bandmate, Zack, who had laughed endlessly that I’d been catfished by Ty with his picture on the fake profile. He’d said that he felt like he knew me because Ty had made it clear that he’d written every song for me and talked about me to him for years.
There was a peace in knowing that he’d shared our time together with his friend. Even if he’d left me and found a way to survive on the road, I knew he’d thought about me as much as I’d thought about him during that time. The whole thing was just sad.
I’d wondered a few times over the past few days if love could be enough for us. If I could forget my dream of having a family. Sell off The Wedding Bells, sell my house, and just be happy with a different life.
A life with Ty.
I pushed the thought away quickly because I feared that I’d grow to resent him if I threw all my dreams away for him. I also believed his reasons for wanting a life without a family had a lot to do with his father, and a part of me hoped that the longer he was here, maybe he’d make peace with that. I now wondered if that was what was standing in the way of our happiness more than anything.
My office was completely filled with peonies and hydrangeas, as arrangements arrived every day like clockwork. Sweet handwritten notes covered the cards, and I lived for his words. Even though we spent most of our days together, his words were the threads that held me together every time I wanted to lose it. He’d read me the lyrics that he wrote every night, and in a way, they were healing for me. He talked about loving a girl that he couldn’t keep. About the way I’d brought him back to life, and I reminded him that he’d done the same for me.
Johnny Cope stepped into my office with a huge arrangement. Ty was sitting in the corner scribbling notes down in his notebook.
Johnny did a double take. “Damn, Ty Greene. I’m a huge fan. I’ve been delivering the flowers to your girl every day. I’ve always wanted to take Ivy out, but if I had to lose to someone, you just might be the coolest dude around, so I’m okay with it.”
Ty barked out a laugh and pushed to his feet. Johnny set the flowers on my desk and Ty extended his hand. “Good to meet you, man. I get why you want to take her out, but she’s most definitely spoken for.”
My heart raced at his words.
“I got you, bro. And I’ll look out for her when you leave,” he said, and I didn’t miss the way Ty’s shoulders stiffened.
“I appreciate that.” He nodded and his gaze locked with mine. Ty and I had always been able to communicate without speaking any words. There was an apology in those dark, tortured eyes.
Johnny waved goodbye and Ty moved over to stand beside where I sat in my desk chair. “He’s too young for you.”
I chuckled. “I’m quite aware.”
“So, I did a thing after I dropped Sebastian off at home that I wanted to talk to you about.”
I looked up from my desk. “What did you do?”
“I worked things out with Zane and the band. They’re going to come here for a few weeks. I booked them a few rooms at the hotel, and I found studio space we can use. I can stay until we go on tour. It gives us more time, Ive. That’s one thing I can give you.”
I was on my feet before the last word even left this mouth. He pulled me back over to the chair and dropped to sit, pulling me on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you did that. I promise you these are happy tears.”
“I’m glad, baby. I wasn’t ready to go just yet.”
I nodded. An enormous weight lifted off my shoulders. I had so much to do for this wedding, but every minute away from Ty felt like I was giving up something valuable. “It’s the best news I’ve had since the day you came back home.”
He kissed me hard and wrapped his arms around me to keep me there.
“I can’t believe you worked all this out without telling me. Is everyone okay with it?”
“They are. They’re looking forward to meeting you. They’ll all be staying at the hotel.”
I shook my head and smiled, swiping at the tears that were still falling. “And Zane was okay with it?”
“Not completely, but he’ll get over it. The label just wants music. They don’t give a shit where we make that happen. I’ve been bending for everyone over the past five years, and it’s the first time I’ve asked for something for me.”
“What made you do that?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair.
“Well, my mom comes today. All the guests will start arriving soon and the wedding is in just a few days. I’m definitely not ready to leave yet. And damn that Sebastian for begging me to stay for his next football game. I can’t very well let the little dude down, can I? He already has shit parents, he doesn’t need an asshole for a brother, even if I started out that way by avoiding him.” He smirked, letting me know he was staying for a lot more than Sebastian, though I was happy they’d grown so close.
My gaze locked with his. “That would be cruel.”
He chuckled. “Right. So, I’m checking out of the hotel and shacking up with you for the next couple weeks until I go on tour.” He’d been at my house every day since we’d agreed to this arrangement anyway, so I didn’t know why he was paying for a hotel.
I wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.”
He pulled back and used his thumb and finger to tip my chin up, forcing my gaze to meet his. He used his thumb on his free hand to swipe the tears away. “At least I can give you time, Ive.”
It was crazy that I was sobbing like a baby in the middle of the workday in my office. It wasn’t like Ty was being deployed. This was his choice. He wanted a different life than I did. It was almost worse in a way. It might feel better if someone was forcing him to leave. Ty was his own boss. He was leaving because he wanted to.