“It is very nice of you to have me in your home. Thank you.”

“Oh, honey, Tyler tells me today was your brother’s funeral. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

She sincerely felt as though the woman was sorry for her loss. She appreciated that. “Thank you.”

“He was young?”

“Twenty. He was a Marine.”

She heard the sigh. “How brave.”

Pride swelled in Courtney’s chest. “Yes, ma’am, he was.”

“Tyler, why don’t you carry that tray out to the patio? I’ll bring Courtney out.”

He left her side and she felt herself stiffen. A moment later, Audrey was by her side offering her elbow.

Someone in this family had to be blind. How did they all know what she needed? Hopefully he wouldn’t forget about her tomorrow. He’d said he wouldn’t. She actually believed him.

“Tell me, Courtney, are you from Nashville?”

“Yes, ma’am. I was born here and then we lived all over the world. We moved back about ten years ago.”

“You lived all over? How wonderful. Your father is military?” she asked as she stepped with Courtney through the patio doors.

“Yes.”

She heard the tray being set down on a glass table. Then she felt him. He was by her side.

“Do you want a patio chair or a lounge chair?”

“Where will you be?” she asked.

“Let’s sit at the table. We’ll have a glass of tea and then I’ll show you around.”

She tucked her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. “I’d like that.”

As casually as could be, Courtney sat with Tyler and his grandmother in the afternoon sun. She quickly learned that Audrey Benson loved to talk. She loved to chat about the weather, the flowers, and how they were so much alike with their clothing choices. She’d learned that Tyler was named after his grandfather who had died before Tyler’s was born. And she learned that she’d missed Tyler terribly.

Courtney had no idea how long they’d sat there, but her tea was gone, the sun had moved, and Audrey had yawned.

“I’m going to walk Courtney around, if that’s okay. I’ll bring the drink tray in with us.”

“Wonderful. I think I’ll go lay down for a spell. I have a dinner date,” she said with pride.

“Do you? Who is taking my grandmother out to dinner?”

“A nice man I’ve been seeing from the club. His name is Charles. If you’re too long, I’ll be gone. But take your time.”

Tyler moved and she heard him kiss her. “We will. If I miss you I’ll come back tomorrow.”

She heard her pat his cheek. “You’d better. I have a lot of questions for you. You’ve been gone too long. And maybe you could shave.”

Courtney couldn’t help it. That made her chuckle.

He heard Tyler kiss her on the cheek. “I love you, Grandmother.”

“I love you too. And Courtney…”

She raised her head when Audrey said her name.

“You visit again. My Tyler likes you, I can see that.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She heard her walk away and close the doors between the house and the patio.

“I like your grandmother. I see where you get your charm.”

“Oh, you haven’t met my parents yet,” he joked and it forced her to swallow hard.

“Yet? You plan on introducing me to your parents?”

“I met yours.”

“Well, yes, but…”

Tyler gathered her hands in his. “You think I’m going to run out on you don’t you? You figure that I’m here to shower you with sympathy over your brother and then not give you another thought.”

Courtney pushed her shoulders back. “You’re the one who ran away from your family problems. I’m not your family and I’m not your problem.”

“Right, so why should I run?”

She felt the wind grow thick around her. “No one sticks around in my life. Fitz was it. My mother, well she has her issues. My father is too busy being important to the military that keeps him from us. And Fitz is gone. Everyone else just treats me like I have a disease.”

“You’re blind. You’re not tainted.”

A tear fell and she pulled back a hand to wipe it away. “Sometimes they go hand in hand.”

“Not in my world.”

She felt his hand on her cheek and his body moved closer to hers until they pressed together. Courtney closed her eyes as she felt his breath nearing her skin.

Tyler’s mouth came to hers, but it wasn’t soft like before. This had a message. He accepted her—all of her.

She leaned into the kiss. His fingers tangled in her hair and his hand pressed into the small of her back.

Nothing had ever felt like this. Fate—she reminded herself. It was real.

When he broke the kiss, he didn’t move. “In my world you’re perfect.”

It was possible that on the second day she’d been around Tyler she’d tumbled into something she’d never tumbled into before. That thought was for another day. Today she buried her brother. Tomorrow she’d feel that. Right now she was going to wander the rose garden holding the hand of a man she didn’t really know—yet.

Chapter Eight

The moment Courtney stepped into the rose garden, she stopped. It was so fragrant she could only imagine that she was nearly buried in rose petals.

“What colors are there?” she asked.

“Roses? Oh, lots of red ones. Pink ones. A few purple. I think there are some orange too.”

“Orange? Oh that’s lovely.”

“She has yellow too. The color of your dress. There are big ones and some tiny ones.”

“Tea cup roses.”

Tyler laughed as he gave her hand a squeeze, their fingers entwined. “I didn’t know they had a name.”

“They all have names. It would take me some time to feel them all, but I could name most of them.”

“Perhaps you and my grandmother could do that someday—without me.” He chuckled and she leaned into him.

“I actually think I would like that.”

They moved through the rose garden, their hands held together, their arms swinging between them.

“How many horses does she have?” Courtney asked, her head moved toward the sun which was now dipping toward the west.