A collection of short stories for my Tyler Owens fic, "Sun To Me"! The story may be over, but I can still write the southern sweethearts ;) The short stories range from characters, to plot, to angst or fluff. However, I do NOT write smut or anythin...
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(I have an angst short story in drafts but idk if I should publish it ☹️ it's major character death)
Lainey absently traced the rim of her coffee mug, while Kate leaned back in her chair, legs crossed at the ankle. The comfortable silence between them spoke of a friendship that, while not deep-rooted, had grown steadily over time.
Kate broke the silence first, her voice tinged with curiosity. "So, you and Tyler, huh? What was he like before... you know, all this?" She waved her hand vaguely, encompassing the ranch and the life they'd built.
Lainey couldn't help but chuckle, a fond smile playing on her lips. "Oh, he was something else. Cocky as hell and full of himself, even then, but there was this... I don't know, this softness to him that most people didn't get to see."
"Softness? Tyler?" Kate raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in her voice. "The guy I met was about as soft as a cactus."
Lainey nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I can see that. The Tyler you met... he'd been through a lot. But before? He was different."
She paused, lost in memory for a moment. "There was this one time, at a barn dance. I was nervous as hell, two left feet and all that. But Tyler? He just took my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, 'Just follow my lead, darlin'. I've got you.' And you know what? He did."
Kate listened, her expression softening. "That... actually sounds kind of sweet."
"Oh, he could be," Lainey agreed. "There was this other time, on our first date. We were at this restaurant, and I made some stupid joke. Tyler laughed so hard he accidentally spit his sweet tea all over me."
Both women burst into laughter at that, the sound filling the kitchen.
"Oh my God," Kate gasped between giggles. "What did you do?"
Lainey grinned. "Well I laughed, especially when he got so frantic, and went on and on about how he'd ruined the date."
As their laughter subsided, Kate tilted her head, curious. "God. It's getting harder and harder to imagine that. So what changed? I mean, the Tyler I met was..."
"A grade-A asshole?" Lainey supplied, her smile turning wry.
Kate nodded, looking a bit sheepish. "Yeah, pretty much."
Lainey's expression grew serious, her eyes distant. "The accident... it changed him. Changed both of us, really. But Tyler... he took it hard. Really hard."
