Lacey’s ex had called her not long after Ty’s arrival. Ty had answered the phone and passed it to her with a growl, but at least he hadn’t hung up on the man. They’d had a brief talk and to her surprise, Alex had apologized for his behavior when she’d broken up with him. He’d nursed his wounded pride just long enough to get over the idea of them, he’d said. And though they both knew they’d never be friends, at least their relationship hadn’t ended on a sour note, for which Lacey was grateful. Alex played a defining role in her life and she believed he’d allowed her to realize how much she missed and loved Ty.
Lacey sighed. “Alex and I had a meaningful relationship,” she said carefully. “But I never loved him and he admitted he’d been in love with the idea of marrying more than he’d been in love with me. ”
“That makes him an idiot and me a lucky man,” Ty said. “As for Hunter, let the man find his own solution. You can’t fix this for him.”
She pursed her lips in a pout. “But—”
“But nothing. You’ve already done all you can for Hunter, starting by paying off his student loans.”
Lacey winced, recalling Hunter’s angry tirade, but underneath his pride, she knew he appreciated the gesture. It was the least she could do for the man who’d done so much for her. “He’s still working too hard, going from woman to woman, it’s—”
“None of your business,” Ty insisted. As he spoke, his hands found their way beneath her T-shirt.
His palms were hot against her skin and his desire for her was very evident, pressing against her thigh, distracting her. Which she knew was his intent. She did her best not to moan aloud and send Digger running to interrupt.
“Hunter will fix his own future,” Ty said in a determined tone that instructed her not to meddle in their friend’s life. “In the meantime, let’s get started working on ours.”
And how could Lacey argue with that?