Page 13 of Tempting the Heart

“It’s great to have you back.” Brad glanced at his sister before looking at me. “Mae wasn’t so sure you wanted to reach out to anyone.”

And she was perceptive.

I held in a sigh, festering inside.

I nodded slowly and pressed my lips together. “She was right. I’m a bit all up in my head now, and… I thought it would be better if I just came and went.”

Mae laughed and playfully smacked her brother. “I told you.”

My gaze caught hers, and I smiled, feeling the warmth pour over me. That was always the thing with Mae. No matter how bad my day had been or how much the words my parentsflung at me hurt, if I just spent even a second around her, she made things feel okay.

“But I was mistaken,” I added, not letting her gaze fall away from mine. “This was exactly what I needed—catching up with old friends.”

Brad nodded and noticed Mae’s gaze lingering on me, so I straightened in my seat and polished off my drink.

“What brought you out here? Haven’t you and your brother been able to handle most things remotely?”

The server returned with Mae and Brad’s drinks, and I ordered a refill as Mae rattled off a list of appetizers and whispered something to the guy. She shut the menu, handed the server the menu, and grinned at me.

So, she obviously had a thing with him.

Shoot.

“Oh, and some oysters on the half-shell,” Mae added as her gaze narrowed on me with a smile. “Since you’re buying.”

I laughed and shook my head. “By all means.”

Brad’s question lingered in my mind, bouncing around, attempting to be forgotten. Things today had been such a downer. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. The moment my father set eyes on the physical therapist, his vitriol began spitting out left and right.

It wasn’t just embarrassing. It was downright cruel and uncalled for. I told the physical therapist that by no means did I expect her to continue working with my father, but she only smiled and shook her head. Her response amazed me.

I remembered her exact words. “Nonsense. This cranky man isn’t going to chase me off. I’ll win. I always do.”

And that was enough for me.

But I knew Brad was waiting for an answer.

“My parents basically scared away every single person we’d hired to help my dad with his recovery from hip surgery. They literally quit on the spot, refunded our money, and probably moved away to the Bahamas.”

Brad gave a low whistle and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Tyler. That’s rough.”

“My brother came out here last time, so I knew it was only fair that I face the music this time.” I wiped my palm over my face and circled my fingers around my mouth. I noticed Mae watching my every move, and then her cheeks reddened as she looked away.

“Listen, I know I’ve offered before, but if there’s ever anything I can do, or my family—”

I held up my hand in protest and laughed. “You’re my friend, not my enemy. I’d never think to do that.”

Brad nodded. “So, how’d it go today, then?”

The server brought over our drinks and food, and Mae immediately started fixing a plate, but before I even realized it, she handed it to me.

“It sounds like you need food.”

And that was when it hit me. I didn’t eat anything today. I’d taken my dad for a burger, but I didn’t have a thing. My stomach was still tied in knots over what went down at the physical therapist’s office when I drove him to the burger joint. It only recently unclenched, which I think only happened once Brad and Mae showed up.

“Thanks, Mayflower.”

Her eyes widened, and a little smile slid across her lips. “It’s Mae.”

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