“I signed the papers yesterday.”

“So, it’s done, huh?”

Gabriella wiped her hands on the towel draped over her shoulder. “It’s done.” A couple of signatures, a hefty wire transfer into her bank account, and she had less than a month to move.

The remorse she expected to feel once the deal was inked never came. Instead, excitement for a new adventure made her hands shake as she pulled a sheet of delicate puff pastries from the oven. She was starting over, but this time she was doing it her way. And while yes, her decision would prove advantageous to her budding relationship with Tyler, she could move forward knowing she made the decision for herself. For her own happiness.

Lillian’s head fell forward. The soft thunk of counter meeting flesh made Gabriella cringe. A tortured groan followed. “You’re the worst neighbor ever. I can’t believe you’re leaving.” Lillian’s head snapped up. “Have you told Tyler yet?”

Gabriella’s heart did a happy little jump at the sound of Tyler’s name. “Not yet. I’m going to tell him today. His plane should be landing any minute.”

Tyler had spent the last week on rehab assignment with a Triple-A team out of Pennsylvania. She kept a close eye on the Internet, since the minor league games weren’t televised. Between what Tyler told her over the phone each night and what she’d gleaned from the team website, he’d played remarkably well. So well in fact, he would be rejoining the Empire in Baltimore the following afternoon. His return to Arkansas was nothing more than a fly-by.

Just to see me, she sing-songed in her head. She couldn’t wait. She wanted to be at the airport, but Tyler had insisted on renting a car since he had such an early flight the next day.

Gabriella grabbed the bowl of cocoa Irish cream filling from the fridge and picked up a pastry bag.

“I think I’m nervous. Hey, would you slice those puffs for me?”

“Sure.” Lillian reached for the paring knife Gabriella had set out earlier. “Like this?” Lillian demonstrated by slicing horizontally through the middle.

“That’s perfect, thanks. I appreciate your help. I wanted to get these finished before Tyler gets here.”

“Why are you nervous? Do you think he’ll be upset?”

“I hope not. I mean, I don’t know. For the most part, we haven’t had to do the long-distance thing since he’s been here. All of that changes tomorrow. I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know the rules. It’s confusing. And Tyler doesn’t behave like any boyfriend I’ve ever had. He pays attention. He brings dinner over when he knows I’ve had a busy day. When I talk, he doesn’t act distracted, as if he’s thinking about something else. He listens. He’s fun, playful, and … overwhelming.

“Our relationship has gone so fast. I can’t predict how he’ll react. I don’t want to freak him out, though. He has female fans who throw themselves at him.” Gabriella laughed. “I don’t want him to think I’m some crazy stalker person.”

“Tyler knows you aren’t a stalker. Crazy, on the other hand?” Lillian shook her head. “A simple conversation in the beginning could’ve eliminated the whole stalker angle. He would’ve been privy to your thought process, and he’d have an understanding of how you came to your decision.”

Lillian’s gaze took on a faraway look. “When Michael was alive, we talked about everything, right from the beginning. No subject was taboo. Even after the kids were born, we made it a priority to set aside time for each other every day. Sometimes the topics were mundane—how was your day kind of things. But by creating the habit, we left the door open for all the other things—emotional, spiritual, daily life stuff, whatever. Talking kept us grounded. It kept us connected. It kept us together.” She blinked. Refocused. Shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’ve kept this from Tyler for so long.”

Gabriella reached across the counter and squeezed Lillian’s hand. “I know you miss Michael.”

“I’ll always miss him, but that’s not what I was trying to convey.”

“You make it sound so sordid. Tyler and I have been busy getting to know each other, not planning a future. Besides, Tyler has a lot going on right now.”

“And you don’t?”

“Not the same thing.”

“I wonder if Tyler would agree?”

Why was Lillian harping on this? “It’s not as though I am actively trying to keep secrets.” Sliding the plate of puffs closer, Gabriella got to work, adding a dollop of cream to the base before topping it with the other half of the pastry. She planned to dust each one with a mixture of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and dark cocoa powder.

Lillian tilted her head, studying her while Gabriella did her best to ignore the gesture. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. Okay, I’ll admit I willingly didn’t discuss my move to the East Coast with him, but I had my reasons.” Good, solid reasons. Weren’t they? Thanks to Lillian, she wasn’t so sure. “I’m not trying to hide the outcome. I’m going to talk to him about Boston. Had I chosen to stay, I would’ve talked to him about that, too.”

Lillian chuffed. “After the fact.”

“Come on, Lill. I needed to know I wasn’t moving back to Boston strictly to be closer to Tyler.”

“So you’ve said.”

“Why are you so irritated?”

“Because you’re missing the point, Gab. What does it matter if you moved to be closer to Tyler? Isn’t he worth being closer to?”

“Of course he is. But I thought the same thing about Roger, and we were together for several years. Look how that turned out.”

“I’m not trying to discount what you went through when Roger left. I understand the pain of loss.”

Queue hard-core guilt. Lillian had lost her husband in a tragic car accident, and here she was, whining about her ex.

“God, Lill. I’m sorry.” She was a horrible friend.

Lillian waved her off. “You don’t owe me an apology. I will offer you a little friendly advice, if you’re willing to hear it.”

“I’m all ears.” Gabriella set the pastry bag aside and gave Lillian her undivided attention.

“I understand you’re scared. What Roger did was inexcusable, but you can’t measure every man by his failures. Do you love Tyler?”

“I think I do, but God, how do I know? I thought I loved Roger.”

“Tyler isn’t Roger.”

“I know he isn’t. But I’m still me. I’m still the girl who makes decisions based on the needs of others. I know this sounds selfish, but this once, for this one thing, I wanted to be sure I was making the best decision for me.”

Lillian’s response was cut short by the triple beep of the alarm system, signaling the front door had been opened.

“Honey, I’m home!” Tyler voice was followed by the slamming of the front door. “Where’s the beautiful woman of the house?”

---

Tyler found Gabriella at the kitchen sink, washing her hands. Lillian sat at the center island, which was covered in some kind of round pastry-looking things. His stomach fell to his shoes.

“Uh-oh. What happened?” He dropped his duffel on the linoleum and went to Gabriella, tossing out a “Hey, Lillian” as he passed by. He wrapped his arms around Gabriella, pulling her back against his chest.

Gabriella squeezed his arms, a nervous laugh on her lips. “Nothing happened. I wanted to have a nice little treat for you when you got here.”

Tyler wasn’t buying it. He’d walked in on something. But with Gabriella in his arms and her mouth so close, he wasn’t inclined to dig into their girl talk. Instead, he buried his nose in her hair. God, she smelled so sweet and fresh. He could eat her right up.

“You’re treat enough for me.” Tyler spun her around, kissing her quick lest he forget they weren’t alone. “Hiya, gorgeous.”

“Hi, yourself. Good trip?” She seemed hesitant, nervous. She wiggled around him to fuss with the pastries.

“Great trip.” He picked up one of the cream-filled, mini-sandwich things and popped it into his mouth. A moan tore from his throat as it practically melted across his taste buds. “Holy shit,” he said through his mouthful. He ran his tongue over his teeth to get every last bit before he swallowed. “Those are fantastic.”

Lillian laughed and stood. “On that note, I’ve got to run. Tyler, it’s great to see you. Gab, we’ll talk soon.”

“Good to see you too, Lill.” Tyler should’ve suggested she not leave on his account, but after a week away, he was dying to have Gabriella all to himself. “I’ll catch you next time I’m in town. Let’s all have dinner. You and the kids and us.”

Lillian’s eyes turned glassy. She patted his arm as she passed, then snaked an arm around him for a quick side-hug.

What the hell? Tyler hugged her back, glancing to Gabriella for a clue. No help there. Gabriella was too busy rearranging confections.

“Safe travels, Tyler. Good luck in Baltimore.”

“Thanks.” He dropped a kiss on the top of Lillian’s head. A niggling of unease took root. “Take care of yourself.”

Once Lillian was gone, Tyler turned to Gabriella. “What was that about?”

“She’s okay. We were talking and she mentioned Michael, her late husband. She misses him.”

“I missed you.” Tyler pulled Gabriella close. The thought of Lillian losing her husband tightened his arms, as though he could protect them from the same pain if he held on hard enough. Tyler eased his grip enough to bend his head, and took the kiss he’d been waiting for all week. Determined to focus on the here and now, he coaxed her mouth open, teased his tongue over her lips. He swallowed her sigh, loving the way she melted against him as he tasted her.

“Hey,” he muttered, breaking the kiss. “After the series in Baltimore, I’ll be back in New York for a couple of days. Why don’t you take a few days off and come stay with me?” He didn’t consider himself a clingy man, but being away from Gabriella for a week had sucked. Unfortunately with his schedule, it had only been a taste of what was yet to come. “I can arrange for you to sit with Jessa and the other girls during the games. You’ll like them. Jessa’s been looking forward to meeting you, probably to tell you embarrassing stories I’d rather you not hear.”

He could see Jessa now, laughing with glee while she told Gabriella about the time some of his teammates stole all his clothes while he was in the shower, and he had to leave the ballpark in nothing but a towel and his shoes.

“I can’t.”

Tyler’s humor fled. The niggling was back—the all-too-familiar she’s hiding something paranoia rearing its ugly head as he waited for her to elaborate. And waited. Annnd waited.

He released her and stepped away, leaning back against the counter. “Wanna tell me why you can’t?” he finally asked. “Or am I supposed to guess?” Seemed he was always guessing with her. Guessing at her thoughts, guessing how she felt about him, always fucking guessing. He was getting tired of it.

Gabriella wiped her hands on a dish towel. Her chest rose as she pulled in a deep breath. The air between them seemed to still. All of a sudden he felt tense and edgy. Then she did the strangest thing. She smiled. “I’m moving.”

I’m moving. His ears registered the words, but his brain was slow to get on board. He shook his head. “What? Where?” And why was this the first he’d heard about it?

“Back to Boston. Isn’t that great? I’ll be so much closer to you now.”

Boston. A three-hour train ride was a helluva lot closer than Arkansas. As happy as he was about the location, he couldn’t hide his shock. “What brought on the change? I thought you liked it here.”

She nodded, hesitant. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “What I like about it isn’t enough to keep me here.”

She was still holding her cards close to her chest. Goddamn it. Why wouldn’t she talk to him? Was he just supposed to accept what she was telling him without any discussion whatsoever?

“I see.” He didn’t. Not at fucking all. “I didn’t realize your house was on the market. As much as I’ve been here, you’d think I would’ve noticed a sign in the yard or a lockbox on the door. As much as I’ve been in your bed, you’d think I might’ve at least heard you were considering a move.”

She looked surprised by his outburst. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at first. When Roger told me he wanted the house … that day in the coffee shop, remember?”

He lowered his brows. Oh, he remembered.

“Anyway, I was so shocked, my first instinct was to fight. Roger threatened to make things harder for me if I took him to court. Apparently, his fiancée really wants the house. I did a lot of soul-searching and realized I didn’t care about the house. I wasn’t attached. To anything in Arkansas, actually. I love the friends I’ve made here, but I miss my family. I miss the ocean, and the salty air. Fresh seafood, god. I miss all of it. My parents have been trying to convince me to work in the restaurant for years. When my attorney told me what Roger was offering in exchange for the house, I figured it was my chance to start fresh. It was a better deal than I’d have gotten if I forced a sale or dragged him through the courts. So, I took the money and signed the house over to him.”

“You gave him the house.”

The remark matched his stunned expression.

“Signed the papers yesterday. My dad found a studio apartment that’s close to the restaurant. It’s expensive, but with the settlement and what I’ll make working at Marano’s, I won’t have to worry.”

Tyler scrubbed a hand over his mouth. His head was about to explode. “And all of this has happened since you and I met?”

“Yes.” Her head tilted. She looked at him as though he were a puzzle to be solved. Funny, since he felt the same way about her. The difference was, he just figured out he’d done all the work for nothing, because half the bloody pieces were missing.

He crossed his arms, staring hard into her eyes, trying to process everything she’d said.

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight. When I asked you if you were okay that day at the coffee shop and you said everything was fine, you lied.”

Her eyelids flared wide. “Tyler—”

“I’m not finished,” he barked, growing angrier by the minute. She had her say, now it was his turn. “When I asked you if Roger had been in contact, you lied. I’ve been here, or at least talked to you, every single day since the night we met. You gave up your house, found an apartment, and a new job, and you didn’t feel the need to say one fucking word to me about it?”

“Why are you so angry? It wasn’t like that. This doesn’t have anything to do with you. You don’t understand. The decision about the house, the move, was something I needed to do on my own.”

“You’re damn right I don’t understand.” Tyler bounced his fists against his temples, a frustrated growl rattling his throat. She didn’t get it. She didn’t fucking get it. “I have my own shit to deal with. Shit that doesn’t have anything to do with you, either. Does that mean you aren’t interested in what’s going on in my life? Where do you draw the line? What about the next time you feel as though you need to do something on your own, Gabriella? Am I just supposed to deal with you shutting me out?”

“I honestly didn’t mean to upset you, Tyler. I’ll include you from now on. In everything, I swear. But—”

“No. No buts, Gabriella.” He muttered a string of curses. “How am I supposed to believe you? This whole time … I had myself convinced it was just me. That if there was something going on, you’d trust me enough to talk to me about it. That’s what couples do, right? They talk. They share. Lean on each other in times of need. Jesus fucking Christ, Gabriella. I asked you. I fucking asked you if you were in this with me. You looked me straight in the eye.” He scrubbed his face again, fighting for control. “You looked me straight in the eye, and you lied to me.”

His heart hammered as he realized the truth. He didn’t know her at all. She hadn’t shared a damn thing about her life. She hadn’t trusted him enough to let him in.

“I don’t know how to make you understand.” Tears rolled down her face. “When Roger wanted to move to Arkansas—”

“I seem to remember you telling me not to compare you with anyone,” he interrupted. “Yet you can stand there and compare me to Roger?”

Her breath hitched. “I’m not.”

“No?” How could she be so blind? “Why didn’t you talk to me about this before you made your decision?”

She sniffed and swiped at her cheeks. “I told you. Because it was something I needed to do on my own.”

“Bullshit, Gabriella. If you can’t be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself. You kept all of this to yourself because you thought I’d try to influence your decision for my own benefit.”

Gabriella frowned. “I—”

“Tell me something, Gabriella. Does Lillian know?”

“What?”

“Does. Lillian. Know? Did you talk to her about the move?”

The way her gaze hit the floor told him what he needed to know. Of course Lillian knew. That’s why she acted as though she’d never see him again. Because she knew he wouldn’t be back to visit Gabriella in Arkansas.

He muttered an oath. Gabriella didn’t care about him at all. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about what was going on in her life; she just didn’t want to talk to him.

She had decided he was no better than Roger without even giving him a chance.

“So, you confide in your neighbor, but not the man you’re in a relationship with. I don’t know what you want from me.” When she tried to interject, he held up a palm. “Let me finish.” A sad, exhausted chuff of air left his lungs. “I would’ve moved, you know. I was planning to talk to you about it tonight. I wanted your thoughts about my buying a house here because I care about what you think. I also have a healthy respect for how, as a couple, our lives are intertwined. How decisions made can affect both of us.” He drummed a finger against the counter, choosing his next words carefully. “I hate the idea of living so close to my father again—even if it’s just for the off-season—but I would’ve done it. I would’ve put myself in that man’s path every single day as opposed to asking you to give up your work, your life here.”

No matter what city he played for in the future, he’d never expect her to sacrifice what she’d worked so hard for. Not for him. Not ever.

“I’ve done my fair share of skirt chasing in the past, but I’m not Roger. I’d never hurt you the way he did. When I told you I wanted to see where we could take our relationship, I meant it. I guess that means something different to me than it does to you. I can’t guarantee where the future will take us. All I asked for was a chance.”

“Tyler, please.”

“I can’t be here with you right now.” His head pounded. He was angry and hurt and knew nothing productive would come from him staying tonight. And he refused to spend the evening fighting with her. He had a game to prepare for. The press would have him under a microscope tomorrow, and he couldn’t afford to screw it up.

Focus, Brady. Time to get your head back in the game.

“What? Where are you going?”

“Baltimore.” He grabbed his bag and headed out the front door.

---

Tyler’s phone dinged, indicating he had a new message. He didn’t need to look to know what the text would say.

We need to talk. Call me. Please.

The same text Gabriella had sent him every day for the last ten days. Wait. Not true. She’d added the please when he still hadn’t responded by the fifth day.

The plea had worked, although he’d bet not in the way she’d expected, since he’d yet to call.

He picked up his phone and shot her a text back.

Not yet. Soon. The same message he’d been sending since she added the please.

His anger had cooled by the time he left New York for a ten-day road trip, leaving him hurt and confused. Two emotions he had no idea what to do with. Until he had a handle on how he felt, he didn’t have anything to say.

So, when his phone rang a few seconds later, he had no business lunging for it. None at all. He wasn’t ready to talk to Gabriella, so he shouldn’t have been so disappointed to find Devon’s name on the screen.

“What?”

Devon chuckled on the other end. “Hey, dickhead. It’s so nice to hear how much you miss me. How’s Atlanta?”

“Hot.”

“At least you don’t have a game today.”

There was that. “But I do have a flight to catch. Did you just call to shoot the shit or what?”

“Ah. I can see your attitude is still in the shitter. Guess you haven’t pulled your head out of your ass long enough to call Gabby.”

He never should’ve told Devon about the fight.

“Gabriella,” Tyler corrected. She’d never actually mentioned which name she preferred, but Tyler didn’t like the nickname coming from Devon’s lips. “And my head isn’t in my ass. I’m not the one who screwed up here.”

“Whatever. You’re pissy. I’ll get to the point. I need tickets for the game tomorrow night.”

“How many?”

“Four.”

“Fine.”

“The good ones, asshole. Somewhere air conditioned.”

“How about your place in Boston?” Which reminded him of Gabriella. She could be in Boston by now. Where was her new place? Was it nice?

God, maybe he did have his head up his ass. He’d been pissed she hadn’t treated him with the respect he deserved as her partner, then he basically walked away, leaving her to deal with a cross country move by herself. Alone.

If she’d even moved yet. Maybe she hadn’t. She might still be in Arkansas. He didn’t know because he hadn’t bothered to talk to her.

Fuck.

“Ha, ha. See ya tomorrow, buddy. Give us a good game. Don’t lose.”