Joy and Tiers (29 page)

Donda lets out a snort of laughter, “Okay, I’ll consider myself forewarned.”

“Hey, I didn’t say you could take that off!” I scold as I catch Tyler trying to take off the bandanna I placed over his eyes before I had him fully seated.

“This looks a lot sexier in the movies,” he whines. “I feel like a kid playing pin the tail on the donkey.”

“Tyler Joseph Colton, please just sit down. You’re making this far too complicated. The blindfold isn’t there as a sex toy; it really is just a blindfold. I’m trying to surprise you, you big dork.”

Tyler flashes me a big cheesy grin. “Yeah, but I’m
your
dork.”

“Yes, yes you are. That’s the only reason I’m not leaving you tied to the chair with the balloon hat on your head.”

“I don’t know, that kinda sounds like fun.”

“I think you’ve been on maneuvers for too long,” I quip as I sneak a kiss to his ear lobe.

“Sitting in a classroom learning classified stuff I can’t tell you about for a whole month is not my idea of a vacation, even if it
was
at the request of Uncle Sam.” 

I run my hands through his close cropped hair as I untie the bandanna. “I hope you expect me to treat you a little better, otherwise, we’ll have to work on your expectations. I thought you might be a little hungry after eating military rations for so long, so I fixed a few of your favorites.”

Tyler opens his eyes and looks around. I wish I’d planned ahead and recorded his reaction to seeing my shop for the first time because it was everything I hoped it would be. I guess if I were to describe the decor, I would say it’s a cross between a faded photograph and a watercolor painting. My grandmother wanted this place to feel like it had been here for decades and had been passed down from generation to generation. So, I used checkerboard tiling on the floor reminiscent of old soda shops but instead of doing them in black and white, they are in sepia tones. Gwendolyn went a little crazy with the renovation budget when she found water damage during one of the inspections. She was incredibly generous in compensating me. This allowed me to add some really cool aesthetic touches like copper backsplashes and a brick wood oven for baking artisan bread. 

Donda and Tara painted huge murals that look like large advertisements from the 1900s. They show families enjoying cookies and cupcakes. I can tell the moment Ty sees my favorite painting. It’s on the back wall of the shop in a cozy back corner where I plan to hold all of my wedding cake consults. It shows a couple playfully feeding each other wedding cake. But, to anyone familiar with Tara and Aidan, it’s their love story portrayed generations before, right down to the ballet shoes on the bride and the piano in the background. Even their fingertips are linked in the familiar handhold that’s second nature to the couple. “Wow!” Tyler murmurs, “Tara really outdid herself on that one.”

I shake my head as I correct him, “Would you believe Tara doesn’t even know about it? Donda painted it as a surprise wedding gift.”

Ty walks over to take a closer look at the painting. “This is just incredible. I knew she was talented because of what she did in Becca’s room, but this is amazing. This cake looks edible. Did you make her a model cake?”

“No, that’s the really cool thing. She seems to have really become part of our group and nailed our personalities. As far as I know, Tara hasn’t had a free second to talk about wedding cake with anybody. Heck, she is such a health-nut, she may not even have a wedding cake.”

Ty chokes back a guffaw of laughter. “Gidget, you’ve met Aidan and his band, right? Darlin, you’re going to be making so many sweets, dentists will name a holiday in your honor. Get prepared. Joy & Tiers will be the home of the chi-chi treats that brought America’s favorite couple together.”

“Just the thought of that is daunting. I wonder how long they’re going to wait until they get married. I hope they’re not my first order or anything. As much as I would like a little positive publicity, I’m not sure I’m ready for my shop to be overrun by paparazzi.” I look around the shop anxiously. “Ty, this is a whole lot more than my little food truck. What if I’m not ready for all of this?”

Tyler gathers me in a warm embrace and kisses me tenderly. “Heather, I work with generals on a routine basis and they’ve got nothing on you. It’s only been about five weeks since I’ve seen this place and I hardly recognize it. When I left, workers were hanging sheet rock. What you’ve done here is nothing short of a miracle. Especially when you consider your original timeframe was messed up by the bull crap your dad pulled. By the way, when I offered to help you, I meant it as more than as just a character reference.”

“I know you did. But, it was important for me to do it on my own. I didn’t want you to feel like I was just using you or your status to reach my dreams. Besides, I want to be able to prove once and for all that if you have talent and a dream, it’s possible to be successful regardless of what field you choose.”

“Gidget, I would’ve never given it a second thought. If I had any doubts, I wouldn’t have offered. I would’ve been honored to help make this dream come true because I know it’s going to be spectacular. Just look at this place. I thought I had an idea of what it might be like when we were drawing it up, but this just completely blows my mind. It’s beyond perfect. I can’t wait until you open.”

“You’re such a great cheerleader. I feel like I should get you some pom-poms or something.”

“Did you forget I’m a big macho dude? I don’t do pom-poms. Tight Levi’s to attract customers, maybe; but pom-poms are a line I just won’t cross,” Tyler teases. “Didn’t I hear you mention food?”

“Why, yes I did. But, somebody I know got up from the table. Can I show you to your table, sir?”

When I walk Ty back to the table, his expression is priceless. His jaw drops to the floor as he sees the overwhelming variety of food I’ve prepared for him.

“Gidget, I love you for doing this, but I don’t know I can eat all this. Pardon the pun, but you could feed an army with this amount of food.”

I shrug. “Well, I figured you’d be hungry and I didn’t know exactly what you’d want. I’m really good with leftovers. So, just eat what you want and I’ll figure out the rest. I just wanted to bring some happiness back into your life. I could tell from our phone calls and texts that this was hard on you and I only got to send you one care package. Consider this one big care package, okay?”

Tyler swallows hard. “I’m not sure that I say this enough to you. But I can’t thank you enough for the hundreds of small ways you take care of me. I want you to know I don’t really expect you to, but I appreciate the hell out of it. Stuff like this astounds me. I don’t know many people who would go through all the hassle to make homemade dog food for my dog because she’s got allergies or develop special conditioner for my horses’ manes so they don’t tangle. I notice you even take the time to iron my uniforms for me on top of everything else you got going with your business and the fight with your dad. How do you do it all? Why do you do it all?”

“First of all, sit down and eat before this all gets cold and we’ll talk okay?” The expression on his face when I mentioned the word ‘talk’ was like a thundercloud. “Wow, I didn’t mean to scare you. Talking can mean good things too. I’m not planning to ambush you with bad news.”

Tyler loosens the grip on his fork slightly as he admits, “Sorry for jumping to conclusions, but I don’t have the best experiences with conversations that start out with ‘We have to talk…’

I can’t help but snort as I reply, “Come to think of it, neither do I. So, I won’t keep you in suspense and I’ll answer your question right now.”

Tyler nods stiffly as if he’s bracing for devastating news. “I guess now is as good a time as any.”

I’m completely confused by Tyler’s reaction to our conversation, but I figure the only way to move forward is to be honest. “I’m not sure what you’re expecting me to say, so I’m just going to go with my heart here and answer your questions. I hope it’s what you are looking for. I guess the reason I do all the things I do for you is the same reason that you were willing to loan me money without having an idea of whether you’d ever get it back. I believe in you. I believe in us. It’s really as simple as that. I want to do things to make your life easier. I can’t make your job safer, or bullets less painful. I can’t kill the terrorists or make the war go away and sadly, I can’t erase the memories of what happened or heal your scars. But, I can use my skills to make your life as happy and joyful as possible despite whatever chaos is going on in your life.”

Tyler pales at my words as he slowly sets down his fork and slumps down in his chair. He flicks tears from the corners of his eyes and scrubs his hand over his face. As I watch his reaction, my heart sinks. For the first time in months, I wonder if I’ve completely misunderstood everything about our relationship. My heart starts to pound and I mentally calculate whether I can make it to the bathroom before I collapse into tears. 

As I’m having that mental debate with myself, Tyler reaches out and pulls me onto his knee. “Oh my God, I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you. But, I swear I’m never giving you back. I was so afraid that you were going to decide that you had had enough of the uncertainty of military life. What we just went through is just a taste of what might be coming and although I can’t imagine my life without you, I’m afraid to ask you to be part of this life. My nightmares and scars are small casualties compared to what could happen and part of me wonders if I’m just being selfish by asking you to stay.”

This time, it’s my turn to melt in relief. “Tyler, I’m sorry to tell you this, but it’s too late. I fell in love with you a really long time ago. This has been my life for months. I pray every day whether you’re scheduled to work on a shift or not because I know that even if you’re not on the work schedule, those are your colleagues in danger and if one of them were hurt, it would be as if it happened to you. I watch breaking news with fear and trepidation now and I know a frightening amount about weapons systems I never thought I’d need to know. I follow political debates and military spouse message boards so that I know how to support you. I’ve already made the decision and I’m not un-making it.”

Tyler looks as if I’ve kicked him in the solar plexus with one of Tara’s fancy martial arts moves. “That’s a lot,” Tyler declares bleakly. “I had no idea. At the risk of sounding completely cotton headed, I have to ask why would you put yourself through that? I don’t do nearly that much for you.”

I’m sure the look I give him is worthy of a cartoon double take. “If I hadn’t been with you all day, I’d be asking you what you’d been drinking. I’m going to spell this out as clearly as I can. Tyler Joseph Colton, I love you. Get that? If I had to name the reasons why—we could be here all night. Let’s start with the fact that you were one of the first people that actually saw the real me. You didn’t see Heather, the joke cracking, fashion smart dress-up doll. You saw who I was at the core and still fell in love with me. Not only that, you gave me the courage to love myself. I hadn’t had the courage to do that for a really long time.”

Tyler swallows hard, like he’s fighting the urge to stop me. But, I just hold up my hand to halt him because I am not done. He asked, So, I want him to hear all of it. For all of his complaints about me not being able to take a compliment, they don’t go down much easier for him.

“When I could finally love myself, I could forgive myself for mistakes I made in the past.” I continue in a steady confident voice. “You gave me freedom. Freedom to be who I really am, freedom from the past, and freedom to be whoever I want to be in the future. That’s huge. You stood beside me and fought for me in a way no one else had done before. You make me feel beautiful and cherished. You believe in my dreams and you don’t tell me they’re stupid. You make me feel empowered and smart. Is that a long enough list for you or would you like me to go on?”

Tyler clears his throat and swallows hard. “No, that’s a pretty impressive list. I’m not sure I can claim credit for all that. I can’t pinpoint the second I fell in love with you. It might have been when you tricked me into eating eight kinds of pasta or the first time you trusted me enough to get on the back of a horse or it may have even been when you yelled at me about not being immune from bullets. All I know is that from the moment you entered my life, it’s never been the same.”

Tyler helps me to a standing position and then kneels on one knee in front of me. My heart literally stops. This is so not like I planned this moment in my head. I’m wearing jeans and an “I heart my soldier” T-shirt—not some elegant evening gown and stilettos. Ty fishes something out of his pocket as I blink away tears. “Heather, this is probably not what you think it is because I stupidly wasn’t prepared for us to have a ‘moment’ like this tonight. But, I want to give this to you so you understand that I understand where we’re at.” 

I glance down at his hand and notice in antique looking coin. When he notices my puzzled expression he hurries to explain. “This is my Saint Michael’s medal. It’s the soldier’s saint. According to family folklore, it was personally blessed by a Pope. My parents gave it to me to remind me that they were always thinking of me. It was the thing I kept closest to me until I met you. Until I can get you a more suitable ring, will you allow this to be a stand-in?”