Cross My Heart (6 page)

A few short hours with Ty and already she sensed the difference in her reactions to both men. She shivered, knowing in her heart that difference meant something important. And knowing, too, that her time in Hawken's Cove would define exactly what.

Ten years ago, Lacey had left a life behind and hopped a bus for New York City with no idea what to expect there. Tomorrow she was about to go back to where it all began except this time, she knew exactly what awaited her. She tossed and turned for the rest of the night.

The only thing that kept her from changing her mind was her parents. If she didn't go back, nothing would be left of her family and their legacy. Nothing good, anyway. She owed it to them to take control of what was rightfully hers. She owed it to herself to finally put the past behind her by facing it, not running away.

Even if that past included Ty.

 

T
Y AWOKE
with Lilly's ugly mutt stretched out on top of him and the sun streaming in through the open window blinds in Lilly's apartment. He hadn't slept well but who could blame him? Between his smelly couch mate and Lilly's revelation that there was someone special in her life, sleep had eluded him.

It wasn't like he'd expected her to become a nun. Hell he hadn't been celibate, either. Nor had he come back to Lilly looking for a relationship of any kind. Yet when he thought of her with another guy, every protective instinct he possessed kicked into high gear. Those same instincts never took over when it came to other women, not even Gloria who he'd been sleeping with for the past few months. Yet those damn instincts were alive and well with Lilly, full-blown and making him crazy. Despite the fact that he had no right to feel anything at all.

He'd helped set her on the path to this new life, but she'd opted to stay in it. To not come home for the past ten years. To stay out of touch, secluded and alone. The best thing for everyone involved was to bring her home, let her handle her personal affairs and then allow her to return to New York City. To her boyfriend, her business, her life. Maybe in settling Lilly's past, he'd find a way to settle his own and move on. Because if seeing her again proved anything, it was that he needed to put her behind him, this time for good.

He glanced toward her still closed bedroom door. Since he was up first, he showered and changed before letting himself think about his growling stomach.

He glanced down at the mutt who'd followed him loyally around Lilly's apartment, going so far as to push open the bathroom door that wouldn't lock and lick his damp legs when he'd stepped out of the shower. “I wish I could feed you, but I don't know where your food is.”

“She needs to go out first,” Lilly said, stepping out of her bedroom fully dressed.

Ty cocked his head to one side. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I've been up since five. I showered and dressed before you dragged your lazy body out of bed at six-thirty.”

So she'd heard him puttering around out here. “Have you eaten?” he asked.

She shook her head. “You?”

“Not yet.”

“How about you come with me to walk Digger and we'll pick up something to eat while we're out?” she suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.”

She hooked Digger on a leash, grabbed a plastic bag from a kitchen drawer, and together they walked down the flights of stairs, onto the front stoop and out to the sidewalk. The sun was just rising over the tall buildings and a chill hovered in the air.

Digger didn't seem to mind. She took off at a run, tempered by Lilly's hold on the leash, pausing only when she'd reached a small patch of dirt and a lone tree.

Ty shook his head and laughed.

“What can I say? She's a creature of habit,” Lilly said. “And this is her favorite spot.”

Once the dog had finished and Ty had taken the bag from Lilly to clean up and throw away, they took a more leisurely walk around the city. Everything was familiar to Lilly and she was familiar to most people they met. The kid at the Starbucks counter knew her by name as did the owner of the newsstand on the corner. Along the way, she pointed out some buildings where she worked and stopped to pet some dogs she knew from walking them during the week.

Ty had the distinct sense she wanted him to see her life, where and how she lived, firsthand. Now that he had, he knew for certain how well she'd done for herself and how content she was here in her city life.

He paused on the sidewalk. “So what made you decide to go back? What ultimately swayed you?” he asked.

She halted in her tracks beside him. “It's not a simple one thing.” She bit the bottom of her lip. “As many reasons as I have not to go with you, I have at least as many reasons
to
go back.”

“Any chance you'll share some of them?”

He tipped his head to one side, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hands. He wanted to get inside her head and understand what made her tick.

“You made most of the arguments yourself. I owe it to my parents not to let my uncle steal from them. I owe it to myself to stand up for what's mine. Most of all, I guess I think facing him will give me closure.”

He nodded. “You never really put that part of your life to rest, have you?”

She shook her head. “I can't forget that I turned a lot of people's lives upside-down.”

Some of those people, like his mother, had helped set things in motion, Ty thought. It was such a complicated issue because by taking Lilly in, his mother had ultimately saved her life. It'd also given them blood money, he thought.

He glanced Lilly's way. Her brows were furrowed in concern, her distress over the upset she'd caused obvious. He needed to reassure her that she'd done the right thing.

“Hey, those people cared about you. They did what they wanted to do. Nobody forced them and you have to admit, it was pretty amazing that we pulled it off.” He grinned, the adventurous thrill of that time coming back to him.

She burst out laughing. “Leave it to you to turn it into an exciting caper.”

He smiled grimly because up until the moment she'd walked out of his life, that's exactly what it had been.

 

L
ACEY NERVOUSLY FINGERED
the locket she'd hidden beneath her shirt. She'd worn the small piece of jewelry around her neck, only taking it off when she showered for fear of it slipping down the drain and being lost to her forever. She hadn't been wearing it last night because she'd just taken a long bath, but she'd placed the locket back around her neck this morning. She couldn't explain her reasons beyond sentimentality, but the one thing Lacey knew, she always felt better once she was wearing it.

Today in particular. As she'd begun to make arrangements to leave town, it was as if the small piece of jewelry gave her the courage to resurrect Lilly.

She needed that courage more than she'd have thought. Lacey had never left the city before. She'd never left Odd Jobs in someone else's hands unless she was too sick to work, something that was rare. Her days were defined by Odd Jobs and each client's needs and schedule. She was about to go on the second biggest adventure of her life.

One she wouldn't take without first making certain her business was in good hands until she returned. She chose Laura, one of her longtime employees, to be in charge. She provided the other woman with an updated list of clients, the schedule and some tips for dealing with their employees and their various personalities. She made the same list about each of her clients.

Then she'd taken care of the little things a vacation entailed, like asking her neighbor to take in her newspapers and check her mail, while letting her few friends know not to worry if they didn't hear from her for a brief time.

She'd packed for herself and Ty had thrown a bag of dog food into his car for Digger. All typical things people did before taking a short trip, except nothing about Lacey's situation could remotely be construed as
normal.

Dreading the final phone call she'd have to make, she waited until the last minute to call and give Alex the news. While Ty watched television in the other room, Lacey dialed Alex's apartment, a phone number she knew by heart.

“Duncan,” he said, answering the phone on the first ring.

“It's me.” She gripped her fingers tight around the receiver.

“Hey, babe. How are you? I didn't expect to hear from you until tonight,” he said, pleasure warming his voice.

She didn't usually call him during the day because he was busy and she was rarely in one place for too long.

“I'm fine.” Lacey drew a deep breath that failed to calm her nerves. “Actually, that's not true. I had a visitor last night. Someone from my hometown and I need to go back for a little while and settle some things. I know it's last minute but I'm sure you understand.”

“I can't say that I do because I don't know a damn thing about your past, but hopefully you'll fill me in on the details when you get back. Because keeping secrets isn't good for a relationship and there's too much I don't know.” He cleared his throat. “And I can't help you get past whatever's keeping you from saying yes if you don't open up.”

She swallowed hard. “I know. And I'll tell you everything,” she promised. What better time to share her history than once she'd faced it down?

“Good.” He sounded relieved. “This visitor you mentioned. Is it anyone I know about?” he asked, obviously fishing for something before she left.

They both knew there wasn't anybody she'd ever mentioned by name. “No. I never told you about—him.” She shut her eyes, hoping he wouldn't ask for more of an explanation.

She'd never told Alex about Ty because her feelings for him were too close to her heart. Too personal to share with anyone, especially another man.

“A
him
you've never mentioned.” Alex's voice dropped lower, taking on an angry tone she'd never heard before. “Is he anyone I need to worry about?” he bit out.

“No.” Lilly shook her suddenly pounding head. “Nobody you need to concern yourself with. He's just an old friend.” She knew in her heart that last statement was a bald-faced lie.

She
was worried about Ty and her renewed feelings. But how could she say that to Alex over the phone and then take off on him?

Lacey glanced up and saw Ty waiting in the doorway. Nausea swept through her as she realized what he'd overheard. In one day, her life had become overwhelmingly complicated.

He held up a hand and she covered the phone.

“The car's illegally parked out front,” he reminded her.

She nodded. “I'll be off in a sec.”

Ty turned and walked out, leaving her with his dark, hurt expression in her mind.

“Lacey?” Alex called for her attention, his irritation clear.

“Yes. I'm here.”

“When you come home, we'll go to Nick's,” he said of his favorite Italian restaurant. “And then maybe we'll check out Peaches,” he said of his sister's dessert place in the Village.

“That sounds…nice.” A bland word, she thought but it described how she was feeling—in direct contrast to the anticipation she felt about climbing into Ty's car and heading on an adventure with him by her side.

Oh God.

“Alex?”

“What, babe?”

She didn't want to leave him with the wrong impression and yet she didn't know what the right one would be. “When I get home, we'll talk. About a lot of things.”

It was the best she could offer. For now.

W
hile Ty loaded her last-minute things into the trunk, Lacey sat Digger in the back seat for the car ride to Hawken's Cove. Knowing her pooch, the dog would pace the long seat nervously but after a while, she'd settle in and lie down for the rest of the trip. After sitting in the passenger seat and buckling herself in, Lacey steeled herself, not knowing what Ty's mood was now.

They hadn't spoken on the walk down from her apartment and her stomach churned with nervous jitters. Behind them, Digger paced the backseat, just as Lacey had thought.

Ty started the engine, then buckled his seat belt. “Are you sure you have everything?” he asked.

She nodded.

“So you're ready?”

“As I'll ever be,” she said, her voice quivering.

He reached out and placed his hand on her thigh, surprising her with his touch. She'd thought he'd keep his distance.

“You can do this,” he said in an obvious attempt to reassure her.

His palm was big and warm and his heat seeped through the denim of her jeans, branding her skin with his touch. His effect on her was immediate and electric. She swallowed hard, unable to deny the fiery sensations shooting straight between her thighs. She crossed her legs, which only served to increase the fullness which had settled there.

Needing an escape, she closed her eyes and he took the hint, removing his hand and shifting the car into gear.

Next thing Lacey knew, she woke up and glanced at the clock. Two hours had passed since they'd left the city. She'd shut her eyes in an attempt to escape her feelings and she'd fallen fast asleep.

She looked out the window at the lush green landscape rushing by. No more big buildings, no more hustle and bustle.

She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “I need to make a pit stop next time there's a place,” she said to Ty.

Ty lowered the radio which had been playing Top 40 and glanced her way. “She speaks.”

Heat rose to her cheeks. “I can't believe I slept and you had no company the whole ride up here.”

“Don't worry. I let Digger here climb in front and she kept me company.” He winked and turned his gaze back to the road.

He'd obviously put her earlier phone conversation behind them and she was glad.

They had some time until the next rest stop, so she bent her knees beneath her and shifted toward him. “So tell me a little more about your life after I left,” she said.

One hand on the wheel, he glanced over. He remained silent for so long she was afraid he wouldn't answer.

Finally, he said, “Your uncle went on a rampage.”

She winced, pulling her knees tighter against her chest.

“He couldn't find you, which meant he couldn't get his hands on your money—not that he said as much. He just ranted and raved to Mom about how she'd obviously been neglecting the children in her care if his niece had been able to run away and get herself killed.”

Lacey let out a sigh. “Then what?” She was almost afraid to ask.

Ty's knuckles turned white against the wheel. “He pulled some strings and had Hunter taken out of our house.” Ty flipped on the blinker. “There's a rest stop coming up in half a mile. I'll pull over so you can go.”

“Thanks. Digger will need it, too.”

Silence followed and she knew Ty was avoiding finishing his story. “What happened next?” She needed to know.

“Hunter was sent to a state-run group home.”

Lacey's eyes filled with tears and guilt clogged her throat. She'd been so caught up in her own survival, she hadn't thought about her uncle's reaction to her disappearance. Even later, when she had, she'd never considered that there was anything he could do to the people she'd loved and left behind.

And she had loved Hunter, as a best friend and as a brother. He'd been so vulnerable back then, though he tried to hide it. And he'd emulated Ty, needing that guidance to keep him from acting on his emotions and not common sense.

“How bad was it?” she whispered.

Ty shrugged. “You know how Hunter was. Without one of us there to temper him, he ended up in one fight after another. It took a mentor program with inmates at the local correctional facility to set him straight.”

Lacey shivered. Reality was far worse than she'd ever imagined. “I could kill my uncle,” she spat.

“Just showing up alive might do the trick.” And to her surprise, Ty laughed.

She appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood, but couldn't bring herself to feel anything but anger and contempt for her uncle, sadness and pain for her friend.

Yet she recalled Ty telling her Hunter was a lawyer now, which lightened her spirits. “How did Hunter get from delinquent to attorney?”

Ty met her gaze. “With a lot of damn hard work. He set his sights on a goal and worked hard to get there.” Pride tinged Ty's voice.

Lacey understood, admiration for Hunter filling her, as well. “Tell me more.”

“There were some things Dumont couldn't control. Hell, maybe there were things he forgot to care about over time because Hunter lucked out. He had no juvenile record other than misbehavior and he was able to get his paperwork sealed when he turned eighteen. He put himself through college and then law school. He owes more in student loans than he makes in a year, but he's a damn good lawyer.”

“Thank God he pulled himself together.” Lacey realized she was rocking back and forth and stopped the movement. “What about you? What was your story after I left?” she asked Ty.

“Since we've been sitting outside of this gas station for a good five minutes, I think you'll want to run inside.” Ty pointed to the full service rest area. “I'll walk the dog.”

She hadn't even realized they'd come to a stop. She lowered her legs and grabbed her purse. “I'll be right back. But don't think you can avoid the subject again,” she warned him.

“My story is nothing as dramatic as Hunter's. Or yours.” His gaze drifted away from hers.

Lacey shook her head in disbelief as she finally understood what bothered him about himself. “You feel guilty about it, don't you?” she asked. “Because you didn't suffer the same way, you feel guilty. That's why you avoided discussing it last night and you almost threw me out of the car without answering me now.”

Ty ran a hand through his hair. “You've been gone ten years. You have no right to think you still can read my mind,” he said, his words suddenly turning harsh and biting. “Especially since I'm not someone who was even worth mentioning to your
friend
Alex.”

His tone hurt but she obviously
had
read his mind and he hated knowing she could still see inside him. She'd bet he felt she'd belittled him by never having discussed him with the man she was involved with.

She reached out and touched his hand briefly, enough to grab his attention before pulling back. “Some things, some people are too important to mention aloud.”

Instead, they were to be held close to the heart and treasured, she thought, feeling a lump rise to her throat.

“You saved my life, Ty.” Without second-guessing herself, she reached into her shirt and pulled out the locket he'd given her. “And when I crossed my heart, I meant it.”

His gaze settled on the small gold piece he'd bought with his own money, his eyes opening wide in surprise. “That was a long time ago,” he said gruffly.

She'd embarrassed him with the reminder. But she'd also eased the slap he'd felt over her conversation with Alex and that was all that mattered.

“This got me through some really tough times.” She delicately fingered the treasured piece around her neck. “You got me through.”

That long-ago night, she'd sworn she'd never forget him. And she realized now that no matter where she went or who she was with, she'd always had him with her—his strength, his courage and his caring.

She reached out and touched his cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I never forgot you. Cross my heart,” she whispered, before she turned and ran for the safety of the rest stop.

 

T
Y AND
L
ACEY MET UP
with Hunter at Ty's place as soon as they hit town. They entered through the back entrance off the bar. There were no awkward hellos when Hunter saw Lacey for the first time, Ty thought, watching stiffly as she bolted across the room and into Hunter's arms.

“It's so good to see you!” Her voice rose in an excited squeal.

Hunter pulled her into a tight hug. “You, too.” He pulled back, looking at her with a grin. “You're still as gorgeous as ever.”

She laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “You're looking pretty good yourself.”

“He works at it,” Ty muttered.

He hadn't received such an easy greeting and rationally he understood why. She hadn't expected to see him, so she'd been caught off guard. Once she adjusted to his presence, he'd dropped one huge bomb about her uncle.

Ty knew he was consoling himself with platitudes and tempering his jealousy, neither of which sat well with him. He was normally a guy who went about his business with few highs and lows. Man, things had changed.

Ty cleared his throat. “Hey you two, break it up. We have some planning to do.”

Lacey turned toward them. “That sounds like old times. So how do you want to handle things?”

Ty stepped toward her. “I suppose the first order of business would be looking into the terms of the trust and finding out exactly what you need to do in order to claim the money.” Ty glanced at Hunter. “Am I right, lawyer man?”

The other man nodded. “You're right. And I'll look into that as soon as possible. I'm going to need some help because I'm a criminal attorney.”

“That's amazing,” Lilly said, her eyes glowing with pride in what Hunter had accomplished.

Ty felt the same way.

“What kind of cases?” she asked.

“A little of this and a lot of that,” he said and laughed.

“Don't be so modest,” Ty said. “Hunter's well known around town. He's one of the biggest trial lawyers in the state. His clients are pretty high profile even for upstate New York standards.”

Hunter actually flushed at the complimentary description. “I take those cases to make money so I can afford the pro bono ones for people who couldn't otherwise afford decent representation.”

Lilly wrapped her hands around her forearms and nodded in understanding. “And I am so proud of you! I should have known you'd end up helping people.”

His cheekbones flushed even redder. “Ty's the one who played savior while I went along for the ride. I guess I learned from him.”

“Well as far as I'm concerned, you're both the best.” She grinned at them both. “Thanks for looking into things for me,” she said to Hunter. “I can't afford to hire anyone without depleting my savings.”

“Which won't make a difference once you get the trust fund away from the bastard who calls himself your uncle,” Ty said.

She nodded. “Still, having a friend to depend on is so much easier.”

“I've got an important trial next month, but I have some time now and I'll handle it for you.” Hunter hoisted himself onto the kitchen counter, making himself at home, which considering how often he came by, he was. “So what will you do while I'm researching?” he asked Lilly.

Ty raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. “I'm curious about that myself.”

She shrugged. “I thought I'd reacquaint myself with my hometown. I need to relax and maybe feel like I belong here again.”

“I understand how you feel.” And he sympathized. “But you can't just go walking around in broad daylight and risk alerting your uncle to your reappearance. You need to be discreet, at least until your uncle's been told that you're alive, well and intend to be rich.”

“Man, I wish I could see his face when he finds out he's waited ten years for nothing.” Hunter rubbed his hands together, his anticipation of the other man's downfall as understandable as it was shared by everyone in this room.

Lilly laughed but Ty heard the shakiness in her voice. For all her strength, she wasn't quite ready for the reunion. A few days of breathing room would do her some good.

“So how do you think we should let him in on the secret? I can't just walk up the front steps, ring the doorbell and say,
Hi, Uncle Marc, I'm home!
”

Ty grinned. “Maybe not, but I'd pay good money for tickets to that show.”

“We'll have to go about this in a more subtle manner,” Hunter said.

“And I take it you have the answer?” Lilly walked up beside him and leaned, one hip propped against the counter.

He nodded. “That I do,” he said, cryptically. “But I'm not ready to explain just yet. In the meantime, you should lay low and relax.”