The Summer Bride (TSBS-1) COMPLETED

Chapter Eight

He shrugged, "You were sleeping..." Then, he looked me in the eyes. "..after having couple of drinks. You offered me but I refused. Then you passed out. So I took you to bed then went out, taking those keys with me." He turned toward my plate of breakfast and asked. "Are those toasts?"

I sprinted toward it and picked it up before he could get his hands on it. "Yes and they are mine. Didn't you have your own breakfast?" I glared at him hard. First my coffee, now my toast? Not a chance. He was behaving like as if he didn't have any breakfast. He had food in his home, right?

He took a seat at the high stool and turned to me. "No, I didn't have time to. I directly came here and I have to be in office..." He pulled his sleeve a bit and checked his watch. "..in 30 minutes if I want to be present in any meeting."

"Oh." That's the only thing that came out from me. What was I suppose to say anyway? Thank you for not having breakfast because you had to come and check on me? Nope, I had my pride. But then he came to check up on me. That was kind of sweet. I never knew this guy could be caring toward me. I slowly sled the plate of my breakfast in front of him and nodded at him. He raised his eyebrows at me and I glared. "You need it more. I have the whole morning free to make another." And turned away, walked toward the stove to make another scrambled egg.

After last night m, I was starting to think different about him. I clearly remembered when we got back to my apartment from the cafe after our supposed propose and kiss, to discuss more about our arrangement. I blushed when I remembered the kiss. The whole thing was branded in my head. I could still feel the heat of his body. And his, oh, so talented lips.

Since Tyler was right behind me, I put that kiss quickly in the back of my mind for now. I remembered taking out some beers from the fridge and having it. Drinking wasn't my usual thing but yesterday, I sealed away all my problems. And that was a good reason to celebrate. I probably had only two bottles. I couldn't handle alcohol much so I guess, it was easy for me to get drunk.

After having those drinks, I didn't remember anything else. I trusted Tyler when he said he took me to bed only and then left. He cared enough to put me to sleep, then lock my door with the keys. I realised I could trust him with everything. I realised Tyler just squeezed himself into my family list. I knew he would take care of me.

I looked back at him to find him eating the breakfast, while going through his phone. Yes, this guy would take care of me and I vowed right at that moment that I would take care of him and his daughter with everything I got in me.

His daughter!

I couldn't believe I still didn't know her name. I quickly made up my breakfast and joined him on the counter. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what you're asking." Tyler muttered, looking down at his phone.

I rolled my eyes at him. What did I expect? Yeah, Claire ask me anything? As if that would ever happen. This was Tyler Sanders. I finished chewing then I said. "I realised I don't know your daughter's name yet." At the mention of his daughter, he looked up at me, curiously. "What's her name?"

Tyler locked his phone and put it away. He leaned front, keeping his elbows at the counter top. "Claire, I should clear something with you." Did I say something wrong? I just asked Little Ariel's real name. This guy was totally unexpected. I waited for him to continue. "You'll be my wife and my daughter's mother. Remember, you'll never be a step-mother to her. You'll be her own mother in every way. I would even make you her legal mother. But Claire, you must treat my daughter Lydia as if she is your own."

Lydia, so that was her name. It was beautiful like her but then I realised what Tyler just said and I recoiled as if he burned me. Step-mother? Every step mother wasn't bad. Even if he made me Lydia's mother in every way. I would still be a step-mother but I never planned to treat her any different. I already admired her. I would never treat her bad. How could Tyler think that I would? Did I ever give him a reason to have him warn me? I felt insulted that he would even think like that but I knew he was just being a dad. A careful dad.