Moving On

Chapter 11

Kate opened the door and got out of the car while Tyler took their luggage from the trunk. She was getting used to this whole letting-others-take-care-of-her thing.

She strolled up to the mansion and opened the door. As expected, the door wasn't locked. It never was during meal times.

She tilted her head to the side and blinked as the living room greeted her.

The whole living room looked different.

The writing desk was missing, and in its place stood a black grand piano. "Ty, you didn't have to do this," she said when she felt him coming up behind her. "Was it because of what Eve said?"

"I thought it'd be more convenient for you. Then you don't have to travel between places to play your piano."

She broke into a wide grin and went forward to try out the piano. Lifting the cover, she tried out a few keys.

"Huge present, isn't it?" Evelyn's voice drew Kate's attention.

"What are you doing here?" Kate stepped away from the piano and hugged her friend.

"Checking if you're hurt and if I need to hunt him down."

"I had so much fun." She handed Evelyn the laptop. "Go ahead. I'll join you in a bit."

Evelyn took the laptop and went back into the kitchen while Kate returned to the piano. Her fingers skimmed across the surface of the keys, but she didn't play them.

"Do you like it?" Tyler asked.

"Yes, very much. Thanks, Ty. This is really nice of you."

"As long as you're happy."

Standing, she threw her arms over his shoulders. "I am. Thanks," she said and stepped back, the grin still plastered on her face. "Let's eat something."

She stepped into the kitchen and took a quick glance. She was glad that only the guys, Evelyn, and Marianne were present and secretly relieved that Joanne wasn't present. Joanne and Evelyn being in the same room would result in a mega explosion.

"Hello all," she said.

All of them uttered some form of acknowledgment, but their attention was mainly on the laptop. They had all crowded around Evelyn's chair, trying to look at the photos.

"Ty, you're in a lot of the photos," Joseph said.

Ryan looked up at Tyler and gave him a sly smile before adding, "And you're smiling—a lot."

"People smile when they're taking photos," Kate stated plainly. "Ty's an amazing rider; he was really good with the horse."

"You rode with her? Seriously? The last time we wanted to try riding, he got us instructors and dumped us on them," Dan complained.

Kate laughed at the funny image of two grown men on the same horse. "So you wanted to ride with him?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "No, I'm merely stating the huge contrast. He left Anne there, too."

Joseph cleared his throat while Tyler shot Dan a glare. "Sorry, I was—"

"It's okay," she said. "I told you it's nothing to worry about. Is there enough food for us? I'm starving."

Marianne's eyes were glued to the screen. She nodded and waved, gesturing for Kate to go ahead without even looking over at her.

When Kate heard her own voice on her laptop, she knew Evelyn was playing one of the videos. It was the one she took while they were seated on the riverbank. "So, tell me more about the cabin in North Carolina."