Cross My Heart

least until she’s back on her feet.”

“I think that’s a really good idea.” Not only for his mother, Lacey thought. Now that she had her opening, she drew a deep breath and dove right in. “It’ll be easier for you when I-”

“Leave?” he asked.

She exhaled hard. “Yes. With things here resolved…” she trailed off, knowing she and Ty were anything but resolved. “What I meant was with my uncle no longer an issue, I can return to New York.”

“I notice you didn’t say return home.” He folded his arms across his chest, looking smug even for Ty.

She stepped closer. “It’s where I live. It’s where my business is.” The problem for Lacey remained though. Ty was where her heart was.

“Okay then.” He nodded, his easy agreement taking her off guard.

She blinked. “Just like that? You’re going to wave goodbye and say have a nice life?”

“It sounded to me like that’s what you wanted.” Already, he’d erected an invisible wall of self-protection.

“I don’t know what I want,” she said, not bothering to disguise her frustration. “Maybe you could split me in two. That would be a nice easy resolution.” She could run her business and live life in New York while a part of her remained here with Ty. Upset and confused, she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the windblown strands.

Ty grabbed her hand and lowered it to her side, never letting go. “You need to go back to New York. You need to live your life and with distance, maybe then you can decide what you want. I can’t do that for you,” he said in a gruff voice.

He was right, something she’d sensed deep down in her heart. She forced a smile and squeezed his hand tighter. “I lived for ten years on my own. I defined myself by my business. After a short time back here, I barely gave my old life a thought. I don’t understand how that could have happened.”

And it scared her, especially since most of what remained in Hawken’s Cove was a host of bad memories. Not that she could discount the good ones, but the past still held on tight, choking her.

“Which is exactly why you should go back. It’s what you planned to do. It’s what you need to do.”

Lacey swallowed hard. “You’re right. I do need to go home.”

Everything that had happened since Ty had shown up on her doorstep had occurred too fast for her to process. She needed time away from here so she could think clearly. She just wished she didn’t have to leave Ty to do it.

“I can drive you back after my mother is released from the hospital,” he offered.

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I can rent a car and drive home myself.”

“You’ve obviously thought this through,” he said, his words sounding like an accusation.

“Not really. I just don’t want to be a burden and driving three hours back and forth to Manhattan is a hassle you don’t need right now.” She turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes.

She might have to leave, she might understand her reasons for doing so, but that didn’t make it any easier to do. “It’s still early in the day. I can take care of the car and still spend some time with your mother before I leave. I want to see Hunter and Molly, too.”

“Actually Molly’s gone.”

His words took her by surprise.

“Hunter called earlier to tell me she packed up and left.” Ty unlocked the car doors and held hers open for her.

“Just like that?” Lilly asked. Stunned, she turned back around. “Didn’t Molly have her law practice here? Her mother?Her life?”

Ty shrugged. “It seems her mother took off, as well. There’s a lot of leaving going on,” he said, wryly.

Lacey knew he wasn’t as cavalier about the subject as he sounded. “Poor Hunter,” she murmured and climbed into the car.

Ty shut her door without responding. He’d had to bite his tongue not to remind Lilly that Hunter would have Ty to keep him company soon. He didn’t want to come off sounding pathetic in any way.

He’d held on to his sanity by a thread as he and Lilly walked out of the solarium, her words to her uncle ringing in his ear. Giving her parents’ home to her only relative didn’t bode well for Ty’s hopes that she’d developed ties to her hometown. Ties to him.

Although he’d only heard part of the conversation and he knew nothing she’d said to Dumont took her feelings for Ty into account, his gut had been churning ever since. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t push her for answers until the threat to her life was over.

Now that the time had come, he couldn’t bring himself to push her at all. Once before, Lilly had chosen not to come back and he couldn’t just forget how easily she’d put him in the past and left him there. If he hadn’t shown up and begged her to reclaim her trust fund, she’d still be living her life in New York, without him.

So if Lilly wanted to leave again now, far be it from him to stand in her way. No promises had been exchanged and he was glad he’d reminded himself of this possibility all along.

Not that knowing made the inevitable any easier to handle, he thought. But he’d survive without Lilly. Just as he’d done once before.

Seventeen

Flo Benson had been home from the hospital for a week. The doctors assured her that her heart would perform like it always had. She’d be fine. Unfortunately she couldn’t say the same for her son. Since her release, Ty had stayed with her in the house. After the first two days, he’d gone back to work. During the day he’d be at the office and most evenings he was doing surveillance, which freed up Flo to be with Andrew.

Still, she knew Ty was merely keeping busy to avoid thinking about Lilly and how he’d let her go. Again. Damn stubborn man, Flo thought. Not only was he torturing himself, he was driving her crazy, hovering whenever he was around.

“Mom? I made you a cup of green tea. It’s supposed to be full of antioxidants and good for your heart.” Ty stepped into her bedroom where she relaxed watching the late news.

“You aren’t working tonight?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Derek’s got things covered.” He placed the cup and saucer on her nightstand.

“Ty, I need to ask you something and please don’t take this the wrong way. When in the hell are you leaving?” she asked her son.

He cocked his head to the side. “I can be out of here now if that’s what you mean. My apartment’s been ready for a while. I just thought you’d appreciate having some company when you came home.”

She shook her head. Sometimes men, including the doctor that she adored, could be so thickheaded. “I meant when are you leaving Hawken’s Cove and going after Lilly?”

He lowered himself onto her bed with a heavy thud, but remained silent in the face of her blunt question.

“It’s not that I don’t love you and appreciate you taking care of me, but I don’t need it. I’m fine. The doctors told you so. The fact that you’re still here at all is more for your benefit than for mine. I’m thinking you don’t want to go back to your small lonely apartment and think about what an ass you’ve been letting her leave you again.” She folded her arms across her chest, defying her son to argue.

He scowled as he replied, “I am not going to discuss my love life with my mother.”

“What love life? As far as I can see, you don’t have one and you never will. Give me one good reason why you didn’t ask her to stay?”

“Why am I the one getting flack when she’s the one who packed up and left?” he asked.

“Because you’re the one who’s miserable and I’m the unfortunate one who has to watch you suffer.”

Flo pushed herself up against the pillows, getting more comfortable. She winced at the slight pulling in her chest, a normal reaction, the doctor had assured her.

“But that’s what is bothering you, isn’t it? The fact that she left you. A part of you can’t get beyond the fact that she never came back the first time and you wanted her to be the one to step up now. Am I right?”