New Love ~ Tyler Seguin

Chapter 37

I lean the front seat back, my feet up on the dash board, and playing music off my phone. I peak at the surroundings through the car's windows. "We're almost there. We'll be there in about 5 minutes." Tyler and I are driving to my mom's house to drop off Marshall, Cash, and Blair since we're going to Puerto Rico tomorrow.

Marshall whines in the backseat. He's begun to get restless in the back and won't stop making noise.

Tyler looks away from the road to look at me and nods. "I think Marsh, Cash, and Blair will like it out here."

"I think so, too. I think they'll like the-" I choke up mid-sentence. Memories of Jesse flash into my head and a tear excapes my eye and falls down my cheek. "I think they'll like the horses."

Tyler reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh. He rubs his thumb up and down my leg. "I think they will, too." He gives me an encouraging smile and looks back at the road. 

He pulls off the main road and on to the gravel road my mom's house resides on. "We're here." He exclaims pulling in next to my mom's car. 

My mom throws open the front door and rushes out to hug me. "Braelynn!" She hugs me before i even made it out of the car.

"Momma!" I hug her back, happy to see her. "I missed you so much!"

My mom held me at arm's length and looks at Tyler. "Well, you sure did take care of her."

Tyler smiled and nods before letting the three dogs out of the back of the G wagon. "Yes ma'am, I did as you asked."

My mom drops her arms from mine and walks over to Tyler to pull him into a hug. "It's nice to see you, too."

After my mom ushers us inside, I work up the guts to make my rounds in the barn. "Hey, mom, I'm gonna be out in the barn." My hands start to shake as I'm slipping on a pair of my mom's boots. My eyes began to go blurry just thinking about what I'll see. An unfamiliar site.

I slowly walk over to the barn, taking deep breaths before stepping inside. I catch the attention of the horses, causing them to all stick their heads out of their stalls. Only one stall doesn't have a head sticking out from it. 

Before moving, I look around and see that everyone is exactly the same. The piece of wood my dad carved my name into is still placed above the entrance to the tack room. 

The old Winchester shotgun my great grandfather hunted with is still leaning up against the far corner of the run.

I walk down the row, rubbing each horses' nose before standing in front of the empty stall. 

My heart sinks as I see nothing but wood shavings in the stall. I unlock the door, stepping in, and closing the door. 

Everything looks exactly like it did when I left, except that Jesse isn't here in it. 

I hear the lock on the door unlatch and I quickly wipe the tears from my eyes. I look back to see that it's Tyler.

Tyler walks towards me with his arms open. He wraps me in a big hug and rubs my back. 

I sob into his shoulder, unable to stop the tears from coming. 

Tyler stood and said nothing, only rubbing my back just like he did when I first found out about Jesse. 

I eventually stop crying but I refuse to move despite it being one hundred and ten degrees outside in mid July

"Thank you." I mumble into his shoulder.

I feel his lips press against my head. "You're welcome, baby girl."

I can't bring myself to let go of his just yet, so we stand there for a moment longer before I finally let go. "I love you, Tyler."