When they were driving up to the mansion, Kate's phone buzzed. She pulled it out from her bag, thinking it was Lydia returning her calls. Instead, it was a text from Evelyn.
She read it and shook her head.
"Is that Lydia?"
"Nope. Eve says to stay away from the office today," she said, grimacing at the thought of Joanne finding out about their engagement.
The same grimace appeared on Tyler. He must've been thinking of the same situation. "Tell her I owe her one."
"Maybe we should build a gate in front of the house. That way, Joanne won't be able to get in. It's safer than having her loiter outside the house," Marianne said from the back seat.
"She's Dan's sister. I don't want to make things so ugly, and it doesn't make much of a difference with her standing outside the gate."
Mr. Sawyer turned to Marianne and asked softly, "Is this the same Joanne who splashed juice into Kate's eyes?"
Marianne nodded grimly. "Which reminds me, have you gone for the checkup that Dan paid for?"
"Nope. I doubt I can head down until the team's probation is over," she replied and looked in the rear-view mirror to observe Marianne's reaction.
Immediately, Marianne leaned over and updated Mr. Sawyer. "One of her design teams made some major mistakes, so Kate and Evelyn split them up into separate teams. Now they're missing a team and have to take over the projects themselves."
Mr. Sawyer nodded in understanding, and Kate broke into a smile.
Since taking a break from work, Mr. Sawyer had been around the house a lot, especially around Marianne. And Marianne didn't seem to mind at all.
"Don't worry about the girl; we'll be around the house," Mr. Sawyer said.
"Thanks, but I'm hoping she won't make a big deal of it."
After all, what Joanne had with Tyler was simply a childish infatuation. When Joanne had found out about them, she didn't create any drama. She kept quiet and left. Her only outburst was when Kate went after her, hoping to talk to her.
The moment that memory surfaced in her mind, she felt a twinge of guilt for how her talk ended. "Anyway, since I'm not going to work, I think I'll work on the shed later today."
"I'll go with you," Tyler said.
As they stepped out of the car, she glanced at her watch. It was nearly two in the morning. She stretched her neck and back while Tyler and Mr. Sawyer took their bags from the trunk.
After muttering the usual goodnights, Mr. Sawyer and Marianne walked toward their end of the wing.
Tyler took Kate's bag up to her room and placed both their bags by the door. He stepped aside for her to move in while he stood by the door, smiling at her.
"Did you have fun?" he asked and ran his fingers through the ends of her hair.
"I did."
His smile grew into a wide grin. "Good." Leaning in, he kissed her softly and slowly. "Goodnight. I love you."
She looked dazedly at him. Their kisses never seemed to last long enough for her. "Goodnight. I love you, too."
She plodded over to her bed. Though she hadn't driven, she was exhausted. She hadn't slept a wink on the drive back, staying awake to keep Tyler company.
Now that she was on her bed, the exhaustion left her, and she couldn't stop staring at her ring.
She still remembered the night that Mr. Sawyer had read the will. She remembered how angry Tyler was and how she'd thought the late Mr. Hayes had gone out of his mind.
She wondered if this was the ending that the late Mr. Hayes had hoped for, or if he had ever imagined that she would get together with Tyler.
So much had changed in the few short months.
I'm so happy, Lord. I really am.
She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but the sun was already high up in the sky by the time she woke. Glancing at her cell phone, she realized it was after ten. She washed up and trotted down the stairs to see muffins, a pot of coffee, and a jug of orange juice on the table. "Marianne, you're a godsend."
Marianne laughed. "Thank you, dear, but I didn't make those. Mr. Sawyer bought them. I did make the coffee and pour out the juice into the jar."
"Still, thank you. Is Ty still sleeping?"
"No, he isn't. He's already back from a jog and was wondering when his fiancée was going to wake up," Tyler said from behind her.
She turned around as Tyler entered the kitchen. "You went for a jog? All I want to do is lie in bed the whole day."
He grinned and bent down to kiss her hair. "I can do that with you, too."
She slapped him on the chest, pushing him away.
"There are others in the kitchen," she whispered.
He shrugged. "I'm going to shower, then eat. We'll go down to the shed after that."
She nodded. Instead of walking away, Tyler leaned down until his lips were beside her ear. "Or we can follow your plan. I'm fine with both."
"Go shower!" She pushed him away. "You're irritating."
He held his position and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before heading upstairs.
She turned to Marianne.
"If you're thinking of apologizing for him, don't. I spent twenty years with a moping and morbid Tyler. It's refreshing to see another side of him."
"He does seem happy, doesn't he?" Mr. Sawyer added. "So different from when we first met him."
"Of course he is," Marianne answered.
Kate and Tyler spent the rest of the day at the shed, eating the sandwiches that they had brought for lunch. But despite having been at the shed all day, Kate hadn't done much.
For the first few minutes, Tyler sat and watched her touch up his mother's paintings. Then, he took out his phone and started snapping pictures of her. When he got bored with that, he began teasing her, and they ended up painting on each other instead of working on the wall.
"You're a major distraction," she said as she started packing up.
Tyler grinned. "You seem to have enjoyed yourself as much as I did."
She glowered at him. "I'm never going to finish it with you around."
"Take your time," he said and helped her pack. "You've already done a lot and ..." He pulled her against him and leaned so close that their lips were almost touching. "I don't see the harm of having some fun while you work." Then he kissed her.
She wrapped her arms behind him, moving herself closer.
When they finally made their way back to the mansion, both their phones started ringing with continuous text messages. They looked at each other, confused by the phone spam.
"Whoa, Eve called me like fifty times. Marianne too."
"They called me, too. And Dan."
Kate glanced up from her phone.
"Joanne," they said in unison.
At that moment, Tyler's phone rang. "Marianne." He picked it up but didn't manage to get a word in. After a few minutes, he hung up. "I think Marianne's going crazy."
She stared at him, waiting for him to explain.
"She said Joanne became you. Then I couldn't catch the rest, something about hair and clothes."
"Marianne isn't crazy," she said with her eyes staring in the direction of the mansion.
Tyler followed her gaze and saw another Kate. That woman had the same hair color and hairstyle as Kate, and she was wearing a dress that Kate had worn before.
"Please don't tell me that's Joanne."
"It's all right," Tyler said as he pulled her closer against him, draping his arm protectively over her. "Stay by my side."
She had no intention of going anywhere else.
Joanne turned around when she heard them approaching. Her usual heavily made-up face was gone. The thick mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow that she used to wear were replaced with barely-there make-up, like what Kate always wore.
Her wavy hair had been straightened, and her blond hair dyed brown.
Even her bag was similar to the one Kate often used.
"Hi, Ty."
Kate had stopped moving, bringing Tyler to a stop beside her. She couldn't make herself take another step. She didn't know how to react. Part of her wanted to laugh at the ludicrous situation she was in while part of her wanted to run.
She wasn't the only one who was dumbfounded. Tyler stood and stared in disbelief.
After a prolonged awkward moment, the front door flew open and Marianne stood there beside Mr. Sawyer.
Kate wanted to move toward the house, but her legs refused to function. Tyler tightened his arm around her shoulders and half dragged her toward the mansion.
Joanne behaved as though Kate wasn't there. She looked at Tyler and asked, "Do you like how I look?"
Tyler cleared his throat. "I love how Kate looks when it's on her. What are you doing, Joanne? This is ..." Tyler shook his head, seemingly searching for the right word. "This is insane. I need you to leave now."
Just as he finished his sentence, a flash went off behind him. Their heads snapped around to see Mr. Sawyer taking a photo.
Kate didn't know what Mr. Sawyer was doing, but that was the last thing she was concerned about.
"Wait, Ty! I did this for you. Isn't this what you want?"
Tyler's head continued to sway slowly from side to side. "I already have what I want."
They returned to the mansion, and Tyler shut the door behind them.
"What were you doing?" Tyler asked Mr. Sawyer while locking the door.
"This is proof. Now all we need is a photo of her before this. The two photos will be enough for a restraining order."
The doorbell rang incessantly as Mr. Sawyer spoke.
Irate, Tyler went over, jerked the speaker off, and removed the batteries.
"That's a great idea, Joel," Marianne said. "Kate, you need to get the restraining order and get Evelyn to fire her. This is just wrong."
Kate swallowed hard and cleared her throat, but she didn't know what to say.
Tyler went over and knelt in front of her. "Are you all right?" He took her hand and ran his finger down the side of her cheek.
His warm touch brought her back to earth. "Did that actually happen or did I imagine it?"
Tyler got up and sat beside her, pulling her into his arms and wrapping her head close against his chest. Gently, he rubbed his hand down her back. "We'll get the restraining order, and I'm sure Evelyn will fire her without you asking. Maybe you can work from home this week."
"I can't stay here tonight."
"Then we'll stay at your house. She doesn't know where you live."
"We'll go, too," Marianne said.
Kate's mind kicked into host mode. "I haven't cleaned the house in a while, and there aren't enough rooms. Not that I don't want all of you there, but the house isn't presentable, especially if Lydia has been over there recently."
As she was speaking, she could feel the vibration from Tyler's chest. She looked up to see him trying to contain his laughter. "What?"
"Really? Even now you're thinking if the house is clean?"
She scowled at him, then laughed at herself. But they weren't going to get any reprieve. Joanne must've figured out that the doorbell was no longer working; she started pounding on the door, screaming for Tyler.
The laughter was strangled in Kate's throat. "Her hair is exactly like mine. Her dress, her bag ..."
"We'll go pack," Marianne said.
"But—"
"We'll make do," Tyler told her.
"Yes, I can take the couch," Mr. Sawyer offered.
Tyler nodded and smiled gratefully at Mr. Sawyer before he continued. "We'll pack whatever you need, then we'll leave after Dan gets here and collects his crazy sister," he said, pulling Kate to her feet and walking up the stairs with her.
Instead of packing her stuff, she sat on her bed and shook her head. "What was she thinking?"
"Trying to get attention? Don't worry, she doesn't look anywhere near as good as you."
She knew he was merely trying to cheer her up. "It's all right. I can pack on my own," she said when Tyler took her bag and grabbed what he assumed were essentials.
"Are you sure?"
"Most of my stuff is already there. I don't need to bring much."
Tyler placed the bag on the floor and sat beside her. "How are you doing?"
"I can't figure out how I'm supposed to feel."
He took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "What can I do?"
"I don't know." She broke into a smile at her silliness. "Are you all right?"
Tyler frowned, confused by her question. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"She did all this for you. You don't think she had a breakdown, do you?"
"Please don't tell me that since you can't decide how you feel about this whole thing, you're going to settle on worrying about her. Trust me, Joanne isn't weak. Her parents coddled her, but she isn't the sort who'll break down."
"You sound rather confident about that."
"She grew up with us, with Ryan. Even though all of us simply ignored her whenever she threw a tantrum, Ryan never allowed her to get away with it. He was always taunting her. Some of the things he said to her face were cruel even for me."
She nodded. "So this is another of tantrums?"
Tyler shrugged. "I guess so. Forget about her. Pack your things, and we'll head over to your house. Marianne can take the guest room, Mr. Sawyer gets the couch, and I'll sleep on the floor in your room. That way, you'll know I'm nearby." Without waiting for her reply, he stood, gave her a peck on the head, and headed to his room to pack his things.
She sighed and went into the bathroom, packing all her essentials into a pouch before placing it in her bag. Her phone rang at the same moment.
It was Evelyn telling her to open the door.
She headed down the stairs and, for the first time in her life, went over to the window to steal a peek outside before opening the door.
"Where's Joanne?" she asked, peering over Evelyn's shoulder.
"Do you think I'd ask you to open the door if she was still around?"
Kate pulled the door wide open for Evelyn to enter.
"Dan came and got her. He'll pick up his car later tonight or tomorrow."
"We won't be here. We're heading over to my house. I can't stay here tonight."
"Okay. She's gone too far. I've already fired her, so don't worry about that. Do you want me to stay over with you?"
She was grateful for Evelyn's offer, but there was no room to put her in. "It's all right. Marianne, Mr. Sawyer, and Tyler are all going."
"Are you sharing a room with Tyler?" Evelyn asked with an arched brow.
"He says he'll sleep on the floor."
Evelyn nodded and headed up the stairs with her, accompanying her until they left for her house.
"Nice place," Marianne said as they entered her house.
She glanced around, picking up the cushions on the couch and stacking them up on the dining table. "Are you sure you'll be fine on the couch?"
"Yes, don't worry," Mr. Sawyer assured.
She smiled and turned to Marianne. "I'll show you the guest room."
"I'll show her the guest room. Why don't you go put your stuff in your room?" Tyler said and led them up the stairs.
Tyler showed Marianne the room and closed the door after nudging her in.
"Why are you rushing Marianne into the room?" Kate asked.
"So you don't start getting worried about changing the sheets and all."
She laughed softly and headed into her own room.
When she got out of the bathroom, Tyler was sitting on the sleeping bag he'd placed on the floor.
"You brought a sleeping bag?"
"I can sleep on the bare floor if that's what you want."
"I actually intended to share. You can choose one side of the bed, and I'll take the other."
Tyler cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, the bed is big enough for both of us."
He nodded and got up on the bed. "Look what I found on your bookshelf." He waved Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in his hand. "Looks like someone has read it quite a few times," he said as he flipped through the worn-out pages.
"What are you doing with that book?"
"I figured you probably won't be able to sleep after what happened, so I thought I could read to you."
No one had read to her since her parents passed away.
"Why not?" she said, settling down beside him.
Tyler opened his arm and waited for her to lean in before he wrapped his arm around her and began reading.
She laid her head against his chest, feeling it move as he breathed in and out. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and to him giving voice to Shakespeare's words.
"No one has taken care of me the way you do," she said.
Tyler stopped reading and placed the book down. "And I promise I'll continue to do so." He gave her a peck on the hair, then lifted her chin and kissed her.
She broke from the kiss, leaning back on his chest.
Tyler kissed her hair again and continued reading until she fell asleep.
Her eyes flew open just as Tyler suddenly tightened his arm around her.
She thought she heard glass shattering, but she wasn't sure if she was dreaming.
The earsplitting alarm answered her question.
"Are you awake?"
She sat up, running her hand through her hair.
"Stay here," Tyler said and got out of bed.
"I want to go with you." She hopped off her bed and made her way over toward him. She didn't want to be alone.
With her hand in his, Tyler opened the door. Instead of taking her down the stairs, he brought her over to the guest room. Marianne had opened the door and was standing by the doorway.
"Is it Joanne?" Marianne asked as they neared.
Kate hadn't thought about that. She rubbed her hands against her arms as thoughts of Joanne stalking them to her house took over.
Tyler cupped his hand against Kate's cheek and said, "I'll check it out. Stay here with Marianne."
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