Folding Hearts (Mitchell Family #2)(27)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Nothing will happen to you while you are here with me Miranda. I promise you that.”

He pulled me into his chest and just held me there for a few seconds. “Thank you. This is my first real time away from home. It makes it harder having Bella. She is a good little girl, but I never wanted this for her.”

He put his hands on either side of my face. “I know I already said this, but I am really glad you came here. I missed Izzy…..,” he looked directly into my eyes, “and I missed you.”

I licked my lips and glared at his.

We started moving closer.

My heart was beating out of my chest.

Yes…yes……

Then someone knocked on the door.

Chapter 16

Tyler

Leave it to my mother to drop by the carriage house at the worst time possible.

I was inches away from feeling those soft lips again, when she came beating on the door. Then to make matters worse, she just came bursting in. “Sorry to just barge in. I wanted to give Ty his cell phone. It has been ringing in his room all day.”

My mother looked around the living room. “Is the baby sleeping?”

Miranda had scooted at least two feet away from me, but I could tell that both she and my mother sensed the tension in the room.

“I took them to Jeb’s farm to pet all the animals. It wore her out.”

“So how are you doing Miranda? Do you have everything you need out here?” My mother asked.

Yes, thank you for lettin’ us come here. I know the circumstances aren’t ideal. I apologize for the inconvenience,” Miranda explained.

“It’s no trouble. It’s a real shame that boy is threatening you and your baby like that.”

Miranda gave my mother a quick smile. “I thought he would change once she was born. I swear I truly believed that once he saw her for the first time, he would want to be a family.”

“He is a damn fool.” My mother shook her head and turned her direction toward the bedroom door.

Izzy came peeking around the corner. She was looking straight at my mother but being shy because she didn’t know her. Miranda had her back facing the bedroom, so she wasn’t seeing the hide and seek that was going on. “There’s my favorite girl,” I announced in an excited tone. Izzy got a big smile on her face and came walking out into the living room toward me. I held my arms up and offered to pick her up. Just like every time, she jumped right up. “Don’t be shy. This is my mommy.”

“Mama.” Izzy said as she pointed toward Miranda.

“Yes that is your mama,” I agreed and laughed.

My mother approached us and held her arms out for Izzy. Instead of reaching back, she turned her face and buried it into my shoulder. “No!”

We all started laughing even though my mother seemed genuinely hurt that the baby hadn’t made friends with her yet.

“She is shy at first. Just give her a little while and she will open up.” Miranda explained.

I tickled Izzy’s neck with my whiskers and got her to finally look up. “There she is!” I looked over at my mother. “Grab that container of cereal and hand her some, Mom. She can’t resist them.”

Miranda handed her the cereal container and she took a few pieces in her hand. In hindsight she looked like she was trying to lure out an angry or scared puppy, but instead it was just a cute little girl.

I got a very excited look on my face. “Izzy, look what she has for you.”

Izzy peeked behind her and saw her favorite cereal in my mother’s hand. She had sat down on the couch and I sat down next to her. “Don’t you want one?” My mother asked kindly.

“Mine.” Izzy announced as she grabbed all three out of my mother’s palm.

After shoving them all in her mouth, she climbed down and started gibbering about something. It was clearly baby talk and none of it made sense, but to appease the child, my mother pretended to know every word she was saying. “Is that so? Tell me more.” She leaned over and played with one of Izzy’s curls. “You have such pretty hair. I can see why Uncle Ty is so crazy about you. You are the cutest little thing.”

Izzy looked up and pointed at me. “Ty.”

My heart skipped a beat. It had been clear as day. I looked over to Miranda, who now had her hand over her mouth. “She said my name. She pointed to me and said my name.”

“That is incredible. She has never said that before. I mean, she has been sayin’ random words more and more, but I don’t remember her ever hearin’ that. It was perfectly clear Ty.” Miranda said, still shocked I was sure.

I couldn’t stop smiling and when I turned to look over at my mother, she had this sparkle in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in forever. She ended up staying and hanging out with us for at least a half hour. When she finally headed out, she invited us to dinner and told us she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

When I walked her outside, she pulled me into a hug. “Please forgive me for being so protective of you. I don’t know if there is anything going on with you and Miranda, and you are right, it’s none of my business, but I want you to know that I see how easy it was for you to fall in love with that baby. She is perfect.”

I smiled and looked at my mom. “She is. I know they came here because they were running away, but I am so glad to be able to spend time with her, with both of them.”

My mother nodded and started walking toward her house. “See you in an hour.”

I was shocked at how she had turned around, but I knew that the little girl had also made me have feelings that I didn’t know existed. All of the partying and sex could never give me the happy feelings that I felt when I spent time with Izzy. Her little smile sent a charge straight to my heart. I understood how grizzly old grumpy men could become puppy dogs when they saw their grandchildren, or how people in the armed forces could shed those tears of joy when they saw their babies for the first time through a computer screen. Suddenly, the life I was living seemed so empty. Sure, I had family and friends here, but when I came home at night I was alone.

Last year I thought that I had my future all pegged out, but after the accident, the coma and losing everything else, it was clear that I was left with nothing to look forward to. I had been a shitty boyfriend to Van. I had treated her like a possession while I went out and screwed around on her. I never thought about getting caught or what would happen if I did. I always just assumed she would be there.

The thing was, when I actually did lose her, I realized just how unhappy we both were. We were living in the fantasy of it all. Van and I didn’t have much in common. She was her own person and I had never taken the time to get to know her. I was more worried about myself.