CHAPTER 8

	Sandy fingered the piece of paper, flipping it over and over. She set it back on
the table and pushed it away, trying to ignore it as she took another bite of her sandwich. 
She took a deep breath and looked around the empty room.
	It was strange how quickly she had become used to having another person
around the house.  She had lived there alone almost a month before Ty McKinley had
showed up at her door, and she had enjoyed her solitude.  She had loved looking
around the house and knowing it was hers and her time in it was her own.  Now the
place felt empty, as if something was missing.  Everywhere she looked she saw
reminders of the very male presence that had filled her home, and that she had become
accustomed to.
	When she had taken the laundry down to the basement, she had found herself
sliding her hand appreciatively along the new railing while at the same time noticing the
strength of the reinforced steps under her feet.  As she sat at the kitchen table she could
see the sink, and was reminded of Ty’s shirtless form sprawled on the floor, his head in
the cupboard fixing the plumbing.  And as she dragged her eyes away from that memory
they landed on the empty chair that sat across the table from her.  The chair she had
become used to seeing Ty sitting in.
	“Ridiculous!” she exclaimed to the empty room, as she forced herself to stop
looking at the chair.  Unfortunately she did, intending to focus on the food in front of her,
her eyes once again fell on the note on the table.  She picked it up and stared at the
strong masculine handwriting scrawled across it. 
	Well, at least you should be thankful he had the courtesy to leave a note! she
reminded herself.  It had saved her the bother of cooking a full meal for no one to eat,
more than he had done the first two nights he hadn’t come home.  If he wanted to eat
somewhere else, that was just fine with her.  A sandwich was all she felt like eating
anyway, so he had done her a big favour and saved her a lot of work.
	She reached for the scrap of paper and flipped it over.  Why should it matter to
her if he had found another place to spend his nights? He was, afterall, just hired help. 
His personal life was none of her business.  Where he slept — or with whom — was up to
him.
	The sound of the front screen door closing startled her, and she quickly flipped
the paper back over and drew her hand away from it as if it had bitten her.  She turned a
startled glance over her shoulder just as Ty walked into the kitchen.  His hair was
messed and his lips were downturned into a scowl as he cast her a tentative look. 
	“Hi,” he said, as if that single small word was an effort to produce.
	“Hello,” she replied coolly, turning back to her food and taking a bite of her
sandwich.  She wasn’t going to let him see the turmoil he created inside her.  She
straightened her back and tried her best to look indifferent.  When she said no more, he
shuffled his feet and cleared his throat.
	“Any chance of me getting one of those sandwiches too?” he asked sheepishly.
	Sandy stared at the note on the table as she slowly chewed her food. “I thought
you weren’t going to be here for dinner?” she asked finally.
	“Yeah — well l — umm — change of plans.” he stumbled over his words. 
Because I’ve worn out my welcome at every other place I know in this town except Bob
and Serena, he thought, and if I went there, I’d have to explain why you weren’t with me,
—  and because I don’t have enough money to eat at a restaurant, he reminded himself
sharply.  He shuffled uncomfortably as she took another bite of her sandwich without
saying a word. 
	“I can make it myself?” he offered hopefully, and saw her shrug. 
	“Suit yourself,” she said, and she heard him move toward the fridge behind her. 
“I was beginning to think I was going to have to start paying you for your work,” she said
finally, just as he had his head in the fridge looking for the sandwich meat.  He stood up
so fast to  turn around to look at her, that he bumped his head on the top of the fridge
and let out a muffled curse before turning to stare at her motionless back, rubbing his
head.
	“Pardon me?” he asked.
	She shrugged again.  “Well, the deal was I give you food and lodgings as
payment for your work,” she reminded him.
	“Right,” he said in confirmation, his voice registering his confusion.  When she
did not elaborate, he went on.  “And...?”
	“And — if you aren’t sleeping here or eating here, then I figured I would have to
start paying you in cash.”
	“Not sleeping here?” he stared hard at her back in confusion.
	“That’s right.”
	“Sandy, what are you talking about?”
	She shoved her half eaten sandwich across the table.  It had lost all its appeal
the moment he had walked into he room, but she had been putting up a valiant show of
eating it just to show him how much it didn’t bother her that he hadn’t planned to be
there.   She couldn’t keep up the pretense, she just was not hungry anymore.  
	“Look, McKinley, where you sleep — or who you sleep with — is none of my
business, I’m just your boss. But I do not expect you to work for nothing.  If you are no
longer making use of the bed upstairs, or the food in my house, then I will pay you a fair
wage. No one is going to say that Sandy Johnson doesn’t pay her workers fairly for
services rendered!”
	“For God sake, Sandy, what the hell are you talking about?” Ty grabbed her by
the arm and swung her around to look at him. “All I asked for was room and board and I
haven’t changed my mind.  I don’t expect you to pay me cash when I am already getting
what we agreed upon.”
	“Well, you’re not, if you’re not actually using the bed,” she quipped.
	“I am using the bed!” he insisted, his eyes dark as they searched hers.
	“McKinley, I am not blind, nor am I that naive. You are not here when I go to bed,
and I would hear your bike in the drive if you came in after.  It’s pretty obvious what  a
man like you does when he stays out all night.”
	He glared at her.  “Exactly what do you mean by a man like me? And what do
you figure it is I do all night?”
	She stared at him, frowning.  “A single man,” she said flatly, not really wanting to
get into her thoughts much more than that.  “An attractive single man — I’m sure you
have no trouble finding available female companionship to see you through the night. 
Like Karen Smithers for example?”
	Ty’s impatience showed both on his face and in his voice. “You’ve got about half
of that right.  True, I am single, and I am a man, and back home, you’re right, there is
usually no lack of women showing interest.” He noticed her smug I told you so
expression and clenched his jaw and continued.  “However, I haven’t spent any nights
with any women since I’ve been in Silverside — except you of course, if you count that
— and I have definitely slept upstairs in that bed ever since I helped you bring it into this
house.  And what is all this about Karen Smithers?”
	“Ty, I saw how she was all over you the other day. I’m not blind.”
	“You have already stated that fact,” he said, clearly losing his patience with her.
“But I assure you, there was nothing more between me and Karen Smithers than a ride
on my bike -- a very short ride at that, I might add.  As I’ve already told you before, I
spent the entire rest of that evening with her brother Carl.  She took her baby home to
wait for a phone call from her boyfriend.”
	“But...” she started to speak, but he cut her off .
	“No buts, Sandy.  You’ve been in bed the last few nights when I came home and
I didn’t want to wake you.  I admit it, I know how to shut down the engine of a motorcycle
and coast into the driveway so I don’t make any noise, and I’ve had a lot of practice
sneaking into a house in the middle of the night.  I used to drive my mother a little crazy
when I was a teenager.”
	“Oh,” she said meekly. “I thought... “
	“Well, you thought wrong,” he said, his voice strong and pointed, and his
expression unwavering.  She had angered him, and she regretted that, but she was
darned if she was going to back down either.
	“But you don’t eat here...” she started.
	Ty groaned.  “Look, I’ve had a few dinner invitations lately,” he explained,
sounding exasperated. Thinking that she was probably upset with him because she had
gone to the trouble of cooking for him when he didn’t show up, he felt compelled to
explain, despite the fact that only a short time ago he had been plotting what amounted
to his departure without notice.  It drove him crazy how she could turn him around like
that, how the sight of her could make him completely change his plans.
	“If you are upset because I didn’t let you know I wouldn’t be here for meals, I
apologize.  It was inconsiderate of me.  I’m a man — I don’t think of these things, at least
not until they hit me in the face.   Give me some credit at least for leaving you a note
tonight.”
	“Oh, yes, your note,” she said, somewhat sarcastically.  She reached for the
paper and held it up, twirling it in her fingers. “Thank you so much for leaving the note,
but are you sure you don’t want it back?”  She had been wrong about Karen, but she
was certain she wasn’t wrong about this, and she smugly offered him the piece of paper.
	“Why?” She  was totally confusing him, and he looked at her with a blank
expression, shaking his head slightly.
	Sandy flipped the paper over.  “Won’t you be needing this?” She held it up so he
could see the writing on the back side, in the same strong handwriting  as his own. Ty
reached for the paper and stared at it.  “Or is she out of the picture now?” Sandy added. 
Suddenly understanding dawned on his face as he looked at the words on the paper. 
	  Daisy   98 McLaren  #4739826
	“Not at all, she is still very much in the picture,” he assured her.
	“I see,” Sandy snapped, at a loss for words.  Suddenly she didn’t feel so cocky,
now that he had actually confirmed her suspicion.
	Ty narrowed his eyes.  Two could play at this game, he thought.  “Carl spends as
much time as he can with her, but he lets me have a turn with her too.”
	“Oh!”  Sandy exclaimed, shooting him a shocked look and he swore he saw her
blushing.  Served her right, he thought.  Maybe he would make her squirm a little longer.
	“Yeah, she’s a real hot one,” he added. 
	“McKinley!” Sandy snapped, pushing her chair away from the table and standing
up so fast that the chair nearly tipped over and she lost her balance reaching for it. 
“That’s it, I have had enough of this. Please keep the details of your sex life to yourself!”
	“Oh, I assure you, Sandy, I will do just that,” he said, his expression daring her to
move further.  But, he decided she’d suffered enough, and it was time to let her out of
her misery.  Besides, it was hard for him to keep a straight face. “However, I think in this
particular case, Daisy wouldn’t mind me divulging the details. She is a 1998 McLaren dirt
bike that belongs to Carl Smithers.  I’ve been helping him work on the engine the last
few nights until well after midnight.  I was supposed to call this guy I know to see if he
can get a certain part for the clutch assembly.  This —” he held the paper up only inches
from her face.  “.— happens to be the part number.” He closed his hand on the paper
and held it victoriously.  “I really must thank you for returning this to me, I would have
been in a real pickle when I went to make that call, now wouldn’t I?”
	Ty hadn’t taken his eyes off her as he spoke, and he noticed that her face went
from a bright pink blush to a drained white, as she stood with her mouth half open.
	“Oh,” she squeaked, in a small voice, then her eyes widened and she sat back
down, as if her legs would no longer hold her up. “I guess I jumped to the wrong
conclusion.”
	“I guess you did,” he nodded, his arms crossed in front of himself as he stared
down at her.  But as he looked down at her, he saw her shoulders shake slightly, and
could have sworn she was about to cry.
	“Oh for God sake, Sandy, it was an understandable mistake. My mom would
probably have jumped to the same conclusion.” He gave her a smile that made her glad
she was sitting down for if she hadn’t been, her legs certainly would have failed her.
	“Ty, I’m so sorry.  I haven’t been very nice to you tonight, and you’ve done so
much for me around this house.”  She turned to look around the kitchen as if looking at
his accomplishments, but in truth she just could not look at him any more in her
embarrassment.
	He shrugged. “I probably deserved it. I usually do.”
	She blushed slightly, and tried to smile. “Well, I don’t know about usually, but I
will agree, you probably didn’t this time.”
	“I tell you what,” he said, with a smile and a glint in his eyes. “Why don’t I give you
that bike ride I offered you a while ago and I’ll take you over to Carl’s and you can
appoplogize to Daisy yourself?”
	“Oh, Ty — I...” she hesitated.
	He pretended to frown, looking down at her with puppy-dog eyes, and she felt
guilty for trying to think of an excuse not to go on the bike with him. “C’mon.  I’m sure
Carl wouldn’t mind showing her off.”
	She sighed and tried to smile over the nervousness that was making her shake
inside.  “Alright, let me get my jacket,” she said, as she escaped from the kitchen and
took a deep breath. I can do this she told herself, as she took her jacket from the closet
and slipped it on.  She turned an exaggerated smile towards Ty as he came up behind
her, and straightened her back.
	“Ready?” he asked. 
	“Ready,” she announced cheerfully.
	“Just hold on to me and lean when I lean,” Ty said, as he buckled her helmet on
her before putting on his own.  He sat on the seat and waited for her to get on behind
him. She settled on the seat somewhat rigidly and rested her hands lightly on his waist
but when he turned the key and kicked the clutch and the motor revved into life her grip
tightened instantly.
	“You OK?” Ty asked over the sound of the engine.
	“Yes.  Fine.  I’m fine,”  Sandy said, in a very stilted tone, through her teeth.
	“So you’ve never been on one of these before?” He asked.
	“No,” she admitted.  “Ty, I’m scared to death of them.”
	He reached behind him and took her hands, pulling them forward and coaxing
her to sit right up against his back.  “Relax. Get right up close and wrap your arms all the
way around me and hold on tight.  You’ll be fine, trust me.”
	Sandy felt her heart beating faster as she found her chest pressed tight against
Ty’s back.  As he eased the bike into motion and rolled down the driveway, she
tightened her arms around him.  It wasn’t until he had successfully maneuvered around
two corners that she finally relaxed and opened her eyes to look around. She was
surprised how much she started to enjoy the ride, so much so that when he stopped in
the Smithers’ driveway she was almost disappointed that the ride was over.  She didn’t
have time to think about it, however, for Ty only had time to get his helmet half off and
Carl was already coming out of the house to greet them.
	“I brought Sandy over to meet Daisy,” Ty said, as he climbed off the bike, giving
her a big smile and a wink.  Sandy blushed, but Carl didn’t notice.  He was beaming from
ear to ear and leading them towards the shed, where Sandy was officially introduced to
the bike he called Daisy.
	Boys and their toys, she thought, as she listened to Carl’s animated description
of Daisy’s attributes.  She was a small off-road bike, no comparison to Ty’s motorcycle,
but to Carl she was a beauty.  It was a good thing Carl didn’t have a girlfriend, Sandy
thought, for his obvious love for Daisy really would be something for a girl to be jealous
over.
	I was NOT jealous! Sandy told herself, as she glanced quickly towards Ty as if
afraid he could read her thoughts.   Jealousy implied having feelings for someone, and
that just wasn’t the case!  She had no feelings for this man, except her appreciation for
everything he was doing for her around her house, and there was most certainly nothing
for her to be jealous over!  As they mounted Ty’s bike for the ride home, however, and
she wrapped her arms around him once again, she felt a strange leap in her stomach
and swallowed hard.
	“How ’bout the scenic route home?” Ty asked, his head half turned towards her.
Unable to trust her voice to speak, she simply nodded, and with a thumbs-up sign Ty
started the engine and pulled the bike out into the street.
	They drove out through the country, down a tree shaded road, and along the
edge of a small lake. The view was breathtaking and Sandy thought this must be almost
what it felt like to be flying. There was nothing between her and the world but the wind,
and the feeling was absolutely fascinating.  As they drove along, Ty pointed out
something interesting and she smiled and gave her own thumbs-up.  A little further down
the road she caught sight of a breathtaking scene and patted him on the shoulder and
pointed it out.  He nodded and returned her thumbs-up.  She leaned in close to his back,
her arms circling him, and sighed.  Her grip was more carefree and relaxed, and less
tense than when she had left home, and much to her surprise, she was thoroughly
enjoying herself.
	“That was amazing!” she chimed as she took off her helmet  and shook her hair
loose after they had stopped in her driveway.  Ty watched her with a smile as he
retrieved the helmet and strapped it to the backrest of his bike. 
	“Glad you went then?” he asked, and she bobbed her head in an animated nod. 
	“Oh yes!”  she admitted. 
	“Good,”  he smiled at her as they climbed the steps onto the porch and stepped
into the house.  She couldn’t stop talking  and Ty couldn’t stop smiling at her.  Standing
there watching her, he knew if he stayed there any longer, all his efforts over the last few
days would be in vain.  With a deep breath, he moved a little closer.
	“Sandy, I have a confession to make,” he said, about to throw caution to the
wind.
	She turned to look at him. “What, Ty?”
	As he looked at her he thought how stupid he was to even have thought about
bringing it up, but he’d opened his mouth now, he might as well put his foot in it.  He
sighed, and continued. “I really did get invitations out to dinner a couple of nights in a
row, but — tonight I was just going to find somewhere to be — so I wouldn’t be here.”
	Her expression started to cloud over. “What are you saying, Ty?
	“Oh, Sandy, you have no idea, do you?  You were right about one thing tonight
— I am a warm blooded single male, and it has been hell being alone in this house with
you.  I figured if I stayed out and wasn’t around you, it would be easier.”
	She pursed her lips, and straightened her back. “I see,” she said flatly.  So he
was used to being around beautiful, sexy women and it was hard for him to stomach
being forced to look at her was it?  She had always known she was nothing special to
look at.  She was certainly no Maggie Pruitt, Jonathan had pretty much proved to her
that she wasn’t attractive.  Sure, he had kissed her, and toyed with her emotions, but it
had been Maggie he had chosen to go to bed with — Maggie he had wanted to marry —
not her. But to be told just how terrible it was for Ty to be around her, that he would
rather make up excuses to get out of the house just so he didn’t have to look at her — it
just added insult to injury.  Quickly she turned away so he would not see the hurt on her
face.
	“I understand, Ty.  I’m sorry you feel that way, but as I said before, if you no
longer wish to continue with our present agreement, I am quite willing to pay you a cash 
wage.  I’ll even understand if you want to move your things out and find somewhere else
to stay.”
	Ty stood looking at her back, a shocked expression on his face.  “Sandy, what
are you talking about? I never said I didn’t want to stay here anymore.”
	She gathered her courage and turned to face him. “Look, Ty, if it is that difficult
for you to be around me — if you can’t stand looking at me because I’m not pretty
enough, not attractive or sexy enough, that you find my presence distasteful, then I
certainly would not blame you if you did want to leave. For that matter, if you want to
leave for good, I will understand.  Please, don’t try to spare my feelings by pretending
you don’t want to be somewhere else.”
	“Damnit Sandy!” he blurted out, and the anger on his face made her take a step
back.  “You just don’t get it do you?  It’s not because I don’t find you attractive that I’ve
been avoiding you — it’s because I do.”  She looked at him with a mixture of confusion
and disbelief and he took a step towards her, cautiously lifting a hand in the direction of
her cheek but stopping just short of touching her.  When he spoke again the anger had
softened, replaced with desperation.  “Sandy, believe me, I have no trouble looking at
you.  It’s looking at you and not being able to touch you that I have a problem with.”
	“What?” She said, totally confused, and the soft breathlessness in her voice
made him groan.  He reached for her face and slid his fingertips softly along the line of
her jaw and up under her hair.  He had gone too far, there was no turning back now, and
he knew it. Without hesitating further he leaned towards her.
	“It’s been hell not being able to do this again,” he said in a throaty voice, as his
lips reached hers and captured her in a soft, gentle kiss that explored her emotions
tentatively before he lifted slightly and looked down at her, his eyes only inches from
hers, clouded with an expression that made her knees weak.
	“Oh!” she breathed, as she reached for something to steady herself and ended
up clutching at Ty’s shirtfront.  His lips claimed hers again and a startled cry caught in
her throat as her resistance went out the window and she began to kiss him back.  As
soon as he felt her response in her lips his arms drew her close in a gripping embrace
and his kiss took on a hunger of such depth she had never known before.  Even the
time he had kissed her in the kitchen could not compare to this, and she hadn’t been
able to forget that one!