Mine to Hold Read Online Free PDF Page A

opened his mouth to object, and Delaney waved him off. “It lasted ten minutes. Then I felt . . . abandoned. I figured you’d gone on a case. But then your PI business closed and you didn’t come back. I knew you must be using an assumed name, and it would take me time to find you. Eric certainly wasn’t going to help me.”
    Mentally, Tyler added that to the list of Eric’s infractions and planned to gleefully beat the shit out of him for being a raving douche.
    “And I guess . . . there was a part of me that wanted this child to be
mine
. Everyone else in my life had left me—my parents died, Eric divorced me, you walked away—but this baby . . . I could raise him with love and get back unconditional love in return. I didn’t mean to be selfish. I think”—she blew out a noisy breath—“I was just hurting. I know it was lousy. I’m sorry.”
    Fuck, she’d always had a way of diffusing his anger, and today was no different. In her place, he’d have been so angry, he’d have done serious damage.
    She sobbed once, then clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to hold it in. Tyler crouched down next to her, settled a quizzical Seth into her lap, then wrapped his arm around her. She clutched her son, then stiffened, retreating into the back of the chair—away from him. Tyler sighed, all kinds of pissed off at the disappointment gnawing in his gut, then gave Del some space.
    “You need to eat, angel. And rest.” He stared down at his son, now patting his mother’s hand as if he understood that she needed consoling. “How about you, Seth? Want a peanut butter sandwich?”
    Delaney’s head whipped up. “He’s allergic to peanut butter. I’ll make a list of his allergies and write out his routine.”
    Great. That would come in handy—for someone else
.
    “What can he eat?”
    She wiped away her tears impatiently, then sent a wobbly smile to Seth. “We like eggs, don’t we? We eat lots of eggs.”
    “Egg!” Seth gave her a snaggletooth smile.
    Tyler grinned. Well, hot damn. Eggs had always been one of his favorite foods, too.
    “Eggs it is.”
    “Thanks.” As if she realized that she’d smiled at him, too, Delaney blinked and looked away. “Can I use your bathroom? I need to change Seth.”
    Tyler pointed down the hall, and she grabbed a diaper bag from the stroller. “Take your time. Scrambled with cheese?”
    “You remember how I like eggs?” She bit her lip, as if trying to conceal the fact that it pleased her.
    Fuck that. He was going to find out exactly how she felt. The whole shitty house of cards may have toppled once, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to find a way to rebuild it at least enough to be on good terms with his son’s mother.
    But he was beginning to suspect that wouldn’t be enough for him. Despite looking ragged and tired, Delaney was still one of the sexiest women to him. So sharp in some ways, innocent in others. Determined, brave . . . stubborn. Yeah, he was going to have to get past the walls she’d erected if he wanted to play a role in her life beyond Seth’s father.
    “Of course, I remember.”
    “But you don’t like cheese in eggs.” She frowned.
    Ah, and she remembered, too. He shrugged. “I can adjust.”
    After a cock of her head, like she was trying to figure out exactly what he meant, she lifted Seth and carted him down the hall. The second the door shut and locked, Tyler sent out a quick text, then darted toward the patio. All the instigators of his “intervention” still sat there, drinking and clearly trying to decide how best to direct his life. He was about to give them one great big heaping dose of help.
    Sticking his head out the back door, he glanced at the ladies. “Come inside. Have I got a surprise for you . . .”
    ***
     
    DELANEY thanked God for the long countertop in the bathroom and laid Seth out. No doubt, he had to be wet by now.
    “Da da da,” her son babbled.
    Yeah, that’s your daddy
. Tyler had seen it