Chapter 9

Lydia held on tightly to Tyler as he maneuvered the powerful motorcycle along the idyllic streets. She was terrified. She had never been on a motorcycle and to get on one of this size was quite daunting. Tyler was enjoying the grip Lydia had on him. She was flush against his back, her arms wrapped under his, her hands up around his shoulders. It was all he could do not to drive down one of the quaint alleyways and ravish her. By the time they got to Lydia's house, they were both shaking balls of nerves, but for very different reasons.

"Remind me to never do that again," she all but whispered.

Tyler smiled and took the helmet she handed out to him. "I had a great time," he responded, missing the warmth and feel of her body. The smirk she gave him just made his smile that much bigger. He took her hand and guided her to the place they had had most of their important talks, the swing in her back yard.

"I might have to get rid of this swing," she muttered, her body tingling from the ride or being so close to Tyler, she wasn't sure which.

"Not yet," he quipped back. Sitting by the swing was the ever present cooler. This time it was filled with soda. As they sat, he handed her a cold drink.

"This is my story," he began, taking a sip of the drink. "My mom and dad were both alcoholics. It wasn't so bad when I was a baby, maybe even a toddler, but the older I got, the more they drank. It got to the point that I was taking care of myself by the time I was nine. I had to make sure I had clean clothes, food, whatever I needed to survive. It seemed like nobody gave a crap about me."

Lydia had reached over and was touching his hand. He realized it was more a gesture of support than pity. Support he could take. Pity would have torn him apart.

"I was coming around the back of the middle school one day and there were the four McCready boys getting ready to pound the stuffing out of Josiah. I don't know where the rest of the Todd boys were, but Josiah was about to be in a world of hurt. I stepped in and the McCreadys stepped back. From that point on, Josiah and I were almost inseperable. Nadine took me in pretty much. I practically lived with them. I did for about two years.

"What I really wanted was attention from my parents. I started acting out in class, acting out everywhere else. Nadine saved me every time. I don't know why, but she treated me like one of her own. Sheriff Johns and I had what you could call a close personal relationship. If she hadn't stepped in time after tme, I probably would be in prison right now.

"After Josiah introduced us, I couldn't get you out of my mind. Then there you were walking down that dark road. I had you all alone in my car. You were going to ask me in, and I knew where that was going to lead. Kissing you at the party was my down fall. I just wanted to get my hands all over you, but I knew I would ruin you. That day at the lake was my turning point. I knew I loved you to be able to walk away from you."

By this point, their hands were clasped. Lydia had known part of the story, the part about his parents. She didn't know how close he was to Josiah and his family. She hadn't known that he loved her, too. As Tyler talked about his life after Lydia, she realized how important and difficult it was to hear his story. He had chosen to withdraw from life, instead of living it.

"What's that line?" Tyler asked. "In all the places in all the world, I had to meet you here. I couldn't believe that you were living in this podunk town. I know that I cannot go back to living my life the way I was. I know that without you in my life, I might as well crawl back to my island and never come back. I also know that I never stopped loving you." Tyler slipped his hand from hers, shifting, making her look at him. "I know that I love you now and I will love you always. My question to you is do you love me?"

Lydia stared into his eyes, trying to see doubt or fear or anything except the love he felt for her. She couldn't. But she was scared. Scared to put herself out there for him, for her, for them. Would he leave her? Her mother and father had both left her. Her sister was making her own way now. Could Lydia trust him enough and take a chance?

"I never stopped loving you either," she said softly. "I had so much to be responsible for, I didn't dare hope that I would ever see you again. I didn't want to see you. I didn't want to see anybody."

Tyler had gathered her close, kissing her face, her eyes, the tip of her nose. "I'm here now, and I need you," he told her. "I need you to make me feel alive. I need to stay with you. Will you have me? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Tyler, yes I will marry you!" Lydia exclaimed, happiness surrounding her as tightly as Tyler's arms. "Wait, wait, where will we live? I can't live on your island and run a business."

"I can, but I see your problem. I don't need that island, I need you. I can do my job anywhere. But what a great vacation spot we have," he said, picking her up, cradling her close, walking towards the house.

"Where are you going? We have to get to the cookout," Lydia protested between hot kisses. Tyler stopped abruptly. He had forgotten about that.

"Fine, but when we get back," he trailed off, leaving no doubt in Lydia's mind what he meant.

That was alright with her. She knew that Tyler would never leave her. She knew that he would be a great husband and one day a father. She knew he would always be there for her. They would always be there for each other. Tyler knew that their love would carry them through, that they would always be together. As they walked towards the shop and Lydia's car, they knew that they had found something lasting.