she wanted to get away, far away, before they fell. No way did she want to show weakness in front of this family. If for no other reason, she didn’t want them to think they could browbeat her in regard to her baby. They couldn’t. She held her head high. “If you’ll excuse me …”
Without pausing, she headed back toward the stairs she’d descended only minutes before.
She hadn’t mentally made any decisions, but when she got back to Ty’s room, saw all the things from his childhood and past, she was struck with homesickness.
Immense and utter homesickness.
Perhaps her family was odd. Perhaps they each had their own quirks and faults. But they were her family.
She wanted them.
Before she even consciously thought about what she was doing, she had her suitcase out of Ty’s closet and had begun methodically packing her things back into the case.
“What are you doing?”
She spun at the sound of Ty’s voice. “Going home.”
Filling the entire doorway with his tall frame and broad shoulders, he didn’t look happy. His gaze narrowing, he stepped into the room, closed his bedroom door behind him.
“Why?” he asked, turning the lock.
She almost winced at the sound of the lock clicking into place. Why? Ha, did he really have to ask why she’d want to leave?
“Because I don’t want to be here any longer.” Truer words had never been spoken. She wanted to be far away from the Triple D ranch and Texas.
His hands on his hips, Ty stood just inside the door, staring at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. “Because of what just happened downstairs?”
“Because I want to go home, Ty. I want to be back in the city, back at Angel’s.” Back where she belonged. “I don’t like it here.”
“This is my home.”
“Yes, and hasn’t it been a lovely homecoming for you?” She hadn’t meant to be sarcastic or to say anything derogatory. Lord knew, he got enough of that from his father. But the words had slipped out before she could stop them.
His lips tightened. “With the exception of my father, yes, it has been.”
Exactly. The rest of his family had been quite lovely. She shouldn’t have said what she had. Shame filled her. Shame and frustration and the overwhelming need to be in her own environment, to have time to process all the things that had happened over the past few days, over the past few weeks since Ty had rescued her at the ribbon-cutting.
Her entire life had turned topsy-turvy.
Her life would never be the same again.
She was going to be a mother, to have Ty’s baby.
“Well, good for you.” She forced a tight smile to her lips, pretended she wasn’t falling apart on the inside, because really she wanted to be strong. “I’m glad that you have had a good visit, but I want to go home.”
He stared at her as if he was looking at a stranger. “We’re not supposed to leave for another two days, Ellie.”
“Don’t call me that!”
The name did her in. Emotions were battling within her and hearing him call her that when the single word could bring her so far down or so high up thanks to him was just too much.
“But—”
“No buts, I’ve asked and asked you not to call me that, but you’re just like your father. You think you know what’s best for other people so you do what you want anyway. Even when that person has asked you repeatedly not to call her that.” Over twenty years’ worth of frustrations and hurt spewed forth all at once. “Well, guess what? I don’t like it, so don’t!”
“What’s wrong with you, Eleanor?”
The way he enunciated her name grated on her nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Nothing.”
“Is this about the pregnancy? It’s normal for you to feel emotional.”
Emotional? Yes, she felt emotional. Overflowing with emotions. All of which centered around the man staring at her as if he wasn’t quite sure what to think.
“Sure, I’m probably just hormonal.” She actually felt hormonal. She felt overwhelmed. Sad. As if every nerve ending in her body was in motion.
He raked his fingers through his hair, leaving dark tufts in disarray. “I don’t understand what’s going on, why you’re doing this.”
She glanced at the open suitcase on the bed. “I’m packing my bags so I can go home. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be with you. I just want to go home. Now.”
He flinched almost as if she’d struck him. His lips tightened to a thin line. He sighed, seemed to come to some decision. “Fine, I’ll have Harry fly you to the airport. If he can’t because of the rodeo, I’ll fly us there.” At her look of alarm, he added, “It’s been a while, but I have my pilot’s license. Harry and I took lessons at the same time during our teens and have flown since.” He paused, stared straight into her eyes. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
At the moment, leaving was the only thing she was sure of. She needed to be moving, to be taking action, to soothe the anxiety rising within her that was threatening to go into a full-blown panic attack, to get home to where she could dissect the emotions rushing through her.
“Get me home, Ty.” She wanted to be as far away from Texas as she could possibly get. New York sounded just about perfect.
She watched walls slide into place as he shielded his emotions behind an expression she’d never seen on his face before. One almost of indifference.
“Fine.” He sounded as if he couldn’t care less, that what she did didn’t matter to him and he’d just as soon she leave as stay. “You want to go home. I’ll get you home.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
ELEANOR SAT ON Ty’s bed, uncertain about what she needed to do. He’d disappeared more than thirty minutes ago, saying he’d be back for her when the plane was ready. She’d finished packing and had been sitting on the bed ever since.
A light knock sounded on Ty’s door. Much lighter than Ty would have done. Not that he’d have knocked to enter his own bedroom anyway.
Although she didn’t want to face anyone, she refused to show any remorse over her confrontation with Ty’s father. She’d meant every word.
“Ellie,” Ty’s mother called through the door. “May I please come in? Please.”
Taking a deep breath, Eleanor crossed the room, opened the door and moved aside for the woman to enter.
When inside the room she looked as uncomfortable as Eleanor felt.
“I suppose you think my husband is terrible.”
Eleanor didn’t speak. Really, what could she say?
“He isn’t. He was just raised a certain way and sees the world in black-and-white with no shades of gray.”
“Ty being a doctor isn’t a shade of gray.”
His mother smiled, surprising Eleanor. “I heard the two of you argue. I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping. I came to find you, to tell you how happy I am Ty has a strong woman like you.”
Eleanor wanted to laugh. Her, strong? Ha. Ty’s mother had her confused with someone else.
“So the fact that even now you defend him, well, it makes this mother’s heart sing with joy.” Then she surprised Eleanor even further by wrapping her arms around her. “Please reconsider leaving. My son loves you. Stay and talk this out with