“Well, you should see this before it goes out. You’ll need hip waders once it hits the wires.” He pulled a paper from his briefcase and handed it to her. “Tyler’s orders.”
She read the press release, her blood boiling. “Are you shitting me? You are not releasing this to the media. No freaking way.”
“That’s between you and Tyler.”
“Give me your cell phone.” They’d already moved her phone and she didn’t want to hunt for it.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to use cell phones in here.”
She snapped her fingers and he handed it over. She dialed Tyler’s cell. He answered, and Nevvie gritted her teeth to control her voice.
“One word, Tyler. Where are you?”
“Nevvie? Is that you? I—”
“I said one word. Where. Are. You?”
There was a brief moment of stunned silence. “Home,” he whispered.
“Where’s Thomas? One word, Tyler.”
“Store.”
“Get your fucking ass in your car and be here in fifteen minutes. Alone. Do not tell Thomas you’re coming.” She hung up. “Thank you.”
He took his phone back. “Damn, girl. I’d love to see you when you’re really pissed and at full strength. Should I go?”
“No, I might need your help.” Pissed didn’t begin to describe how she felt. Mad at herself for blowing up and walking out on the boys, upset that Alex tracked her because of her childish behavior, the annoying bitch from admin.
Now this.
Fourteen minutes later, Tyler hustled into the SICU while trying to catch his breath. Nevvie hadn’t expected him to make it in fifteen minutes, and the fact that he did touched her through her anger. He must have been in his car seconds after she hung up—and blown a few red lights—to get there.
Tyler paled when he saw Bob. She pointed to an empty chair.
“Sit.”
He did.
She recognized Tyler’s sick look and immediately softened her tone. “No, honey, I’m not leaving you. Calm down.”
Tyler slumped and covered his face with his hands. She looked at Bob. “Wait outside, please.”
She called Tyler to her. He rested his head on her shoulder while she stroked his hair.
“Tyler, I love you. I’m not leaving you. I called Bob for help with a nosy administrator.”
“Nancy Park?”
“You’ve dealt with the bitch?”
“She’s trouble.”
“Not anymore. Bob took care of her.” She forced him to look at her. The grief in his beautiful blue eyes broke her heart. “Tyler, you can’t send out that press release.”
“I have to. To take attention off you and Thomas.”
“I didn’t ask you to take attention off me.”
“I don’t want you embarrassed.”
“I refuse to let you put out a public statement saying I’m Thomas’ fiancée. Did he sign off on this?”
“When he did the paperwork he told them you were his fiancée, but he doesn’t know about the press release.”
“Don’t you think you should have asked us?”
“He hates me.”
“No he doesn’t.”
Tyler dropped his head to the bed and she could barely hear his tortured whisper. “Nevvie, he does. He won’t speak to me, has barely spoken to me since this happened. He blames me and he’s right. It’s my fault. If we’d done things his way, none of this would have happened. This way at least people will think you two are normal and I’m the weirdo. You were right, I’m a manipulative arsehole.”
She kissed him again. This was the first time she’d been alone with him since the attack. “But you’re my weirdo manipulative asshole, and I love you” His eyes brimmed with tears. She touched his forehead, which had nearly healed. “Alex really nailed you, didn’t he? Are you okay?”
Tyler nodded and kissed her hand, pressing it against his cheek.
She shifted in bed so she could maintain eye contact with him. “Tyler, you are not putting out that press release. If you do, I will call the Trib and the Times and let them have a full interview with me, including how my wonderful master fucked me with a Popsicle in the backyard. Then the secret will be out and everyone can relax.”
“You wouldn’t?” he whispered, shocked.
“Try me. I’ve had a lot of time to get my head on straight in here.”
He studied her for a long moment. “I think you would.”
“Now you’re catching on. Do I go around randomly blabbing about us? Of course not. In this case I’ll make an exception. Release a statement along the lines of, ‘Ms. Barton is a member of our household, and as the victim of a violent crime, she asks that her privacy be respected.’ Add something about not wanting to say anything because of the criminal investigation.”
“That will cause more questions.”
“Let them ask. Do you care?” He shook his head. “Neither do I. If someone wanted a confirmation I wouldn’t hesitate to admit that I live with two men I love very much.” She stroked his cheek. “I am not Tom’s fiancée. I belong to both of you.”
He nodded.
“Call Bob in.”
He did, updating him. The attorney nodded. “I’ll call Paterno and draw it up.”
When they were alone again, Tyler kissed her. “Why didn’t you call me to handle Ms. Park?”
“You mean handle it like you were going to marry me off to Thomas without my knowledge?”
“Sorry, sweet. I was trying to do what I thought best.”
“Next time, ask.” She softened her tone. “You are neither responsible for all the troubles in the world, nor are you supposed to fix them all, even though you insist on trying. Bob’s my attorney, too. I’m capable of calling him when I need something. There are lots of things I need you for, but you’re not a lawyer. I need you as my husband.”
“Thomas doesn’t want me around.”
“Let me handle our southern fried stud muffin.”
Tyler harshly laughed, then cried against her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Nevvie. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Ty. When I get out of here you can soothe your guilt by being at my beck and call.” He laughed again, sniffling.
“I’ve always been at your beck and call, sweetheart. From the first day I met you.”
She touched his cheek. “I know. I’m sorry I was too stupid to see it before. Go home and come back later with Thomas. Don’t tell him you came here alone, he’ll think you’re trying to horn him out. We’ll fix this, Tyler. It’ll be okay, I promise. Give me a kiss and go home, sweetie.”
He did, and when he left she hit her morphine button and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to abate.
Chapter 29
Nevvie spent eight days in ICU before being moved to a private room. Tyler admitted to the midnight-to-six shift agreement. Rather than fighting Thomas, she made sure when Tyler was there that he climbed in bed with her, able to at least cuddle with him.
Thomas surprised her with his intense brooding and determination. He took control of everything, hovering worse than Tyler on a bad day. She knew part of that was his guilt and anger over what happened, and part was his anger at Ty and his desire to prove he was capable of taking care of her.
She needed to thaw his stony frost. “Why isn’t Tyler coming during the day, Thomas?” She knew, of course. She’d made Tyler fess up.
Thomas looked away. “He’s taking care of stuff. He’s better at that.”
Nevvie knew Thomas had quickly settled into an angry mindset, had grown way too comfortable there. She had to shake him out of it before it was too late.
“Can’t you take care of stuff?”