Julianna Morris - Bachelor Protector

Tyler leaned forward. “I don’t suppose a tiny town like Glimmer Creek has many medical services. We’ll probably have to drive to the nearest city for doctors and therapy.”

His brother looked ready to argue, so Tyler fixed him with a hard stare. “In the hospital, you told me you wanted to go back on active duty. That isn’t likely to happen without therapy. Or have you decided to leave the service?”

Resentment flickered in Nathan’s eyes. “I don’t want a medical discharge. The army is going to do a medical review in a few months to determine my fitness.”

Tyler ached, suspecting Nathan questioned whether he could pass the review. Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe he no longer wanted to return to active duty—after his personal tour of hell, nobody would blame him for deciding he’d had enough.

“We don’t have to talk about this now, do we?” their mother asked in a shaky voice, and Tyler looked at her sharply. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were pale.

“No,” he and his brother said in unison. Taking care of her was an old habit.

Nathan put his hand over hers. “It’s okay, Mom, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

“You’re entitled.”

“Naw, but don’t worry, I’ll see a doctor. Right now I’m tired, so I’m going to lie down.”

She smiled shakily. “Is there anything I can get you?”

Nathan shook his head and limped out of the kitchen.

Tyler turned to his mother.

“Did you have to mention him going back on active duty?” she asked tearfully. “He’s sacrificed enough.”

“It’s important. Nathan has to want to get better. Deciding what he wants and how to get it will motivate him.”

“I realize that. And I’m sorry I didn’t get him to a doctor earlier. He’s just so much calmer here, and I wanted to give him time. Besides, Kurt is good for him. They’ve shared a lot of the same experiences, and Nathan respects his opinion.”

“Some of Nathan’s doctors and therapists at the Walter Reed Medical Center were combat vets, too. What makes Kurt Fullerton different?”

“He just is.”

She began clearing the table, shaking her head when he offered to help. So Tyler got out his laptop to send an email to his office, asking them to ship basic drafting equipment to him at Poppy Gold. He didn’t know how long he’d have to be in California, but he had commissions with deadlines and couldn’t sit idly by.

Yet he kept shooting worried looks at his mom, who was now fussing with the refrigerator. His relationship with his father might have been complicated, but his death had shaken Tyler to the core. When it came to his mother, he didn’t want to confront feelings like that again for a very long time.

* * *

THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON, Rosemary worked at the bakery’s front counter to stay out of the way of the building inspection, but as soon as Stephen Seibert left, she hurried to the office and saw Sarah looking tense.

“Is something wrong?” Rosemary asked. “You can’t have failed the inspection.”

“I passed, but Stephen told me the county is expecting to implement new building codes next year. I meet the state codes, but not all the new ones that have been proposed for Glimmer County. So I’ll have to remodel. Again.”

“How long do you have to comply?”

“Within twelve months of the effective date. The problem is there may not be enough space to enlarge the kitchens. Stephen will send a detailed analysis in a few days.” Sarah squared her shoulders and smiled brightly. “But don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. In the meantime, I’d better get busy with tasks that need doing today.”

Rosemary kept wondering how she could help, but all she could think of was to get Tyler involved. He was a gifted architect, and he might be able to come up a plan.

Except Tyler might resist. He seemed determined to stay in Glimmer Creek as long as she and Nathan were here, but he was also uncomfortable with the idea of his mother working.

When Kurt had learned about Tyler’s reaction to her job, he’d chuckled and asked if her son was worried about becoming a latchkey kid. It had made her laugh, as well, but it had also made her think. As a family they’d gone through a tremendous upheaval over the past year. Maybe that explained why Tyler didn’t want to see his mother in a new way.

Would that affect his willingness to help Sarah?

There was only one way to find out, so as soon as Rosemary got back to the Yosemite suite after work, she told Tyler about the building inspector’s news.

“She’ll need expert advice from an architect,” she concluded. “I wondered if you could take a quick look and tell her what you think.”

Tyler sighed. “I have commissions to work on while I’m here. My office is sending a drafting table and everything else I need by overnight courier.”

“Just consider it,” Rosemary implored. “What they’re asking seems terribly unfair, and you might be able to think of options the building inspector didn’t.”

* * *

“ALL RIGHT, I’LL make time,” Tyler agreed reluctantly.

On the rare occasions he’d encountered his mother’s friends since starting his career, he’d discovered they loved to get free professional services, no matter how wealthy they might be. Sarah would probably appreciate a free consult, even from him.

“Thank you, dear,” his mother said. “What would you like for dinner?”

“Order whatever you want. I’m not hungry. I thought I’d explore the town. Maybe I’ll stop by the bakery and see if Sarah wants to talk about the remodeling,” he added impulsively.

His mother’s face brightened. “That would be wonderful. She should still be there.”

Tyler’s mood was wry as he walked to Sarah’s Sweet Treats. Volunteering his advice was the diplomatic thing to do. His mother hadn’t accused him of calling in the complaint, but the faint doubt he’d seen in her eyes bothered him. He didn’t expect blind faith, but she could have asked.

Or maybe he was just being unreasonable and the thought had never occurred to her.

After all, he felt guilty for what had happened in Illinois, if only for failing to convince the owner that the design changes weren’t safe. Knowing it was the new architect’s responsibility wasn’t enough to absolve him of all blame. So maybe he was more sensitive than he needed to be.

Though it was late in the afternoon, the scents emanating from the sweet shop were richly tantalizing. Tyler opened the door and saw customers still crowding the small waiting and sitting area.

Sarah was working with two other employees, filling orders and chatting with the customers. She flicked a glance in his direction and her mouth tightened. A few minutes later, she flipped the Open sign to Closed, but it was another fifteen minutes before everyone was gone.

When it was quiet, she walked over to him. “Do you need something?”

“Mom mentioned you might need some renovations because of upcoming building code changes. She asked me to see if I can make some suggestions.”

An interesting expression crossed Sarah’s face. “That isn’t necessary. I don’t even have the full analysis from the building inspector yet.”

While Tyler had been reluctant to offer his advice, he also wasn’t used to having his services rejected. “Then maybe when you get it.”

“I don’t—” She broke off and looked at her two front-counter employees. “Hey, guys, you don’t need to stay and clean up. Put a half hour of overtime on your timesheets, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The pair left and Sarah sat opposite Tyler at the small café table. “I’m not sure why you’d offer, but it isn’t necessary. I’ll figure it out.”

“Is there any possibility of protesting the changes? Usually there’s a public comment period when regulations are changing.”