by Candis Terry
“No. No Team Brooke.” Brooke doused the growing energy on the brother and sister celebration party. “The last thing I want is to be a wedge between you and him.”
“It’s not a problem, believe me,” Nicole said.
“But I—”
“You did hear me say he and I talked, right?” Ethan asked Brooke.
“I don’t think—”
“I know he cares about you,” Ethan said.
“He just doesn’t know it,” Nicole added. “Or at least he won’t acknowledge it yet.”
“But he won’t—”
“Sometimes people just need a little push in the right direction.” Ethan grinned and sat back, folding his arms across his wide chest.
“Or a good, hearty shove,” Nicole added.
“Look.” Brooke pulled in a deep breath. This family had way too much going on to be concerned with her love life. Or lack thereof. It was obvious Nicole hadn’t been told yet about the possibility of their father’s affair and subsequent other daughter. Brooke wasn’t about to add more fuel to their bonfire by whining about the man she loved not loving her back. “It’s not that he doesn’t care. I know he cares. The problem is he won’t let me in. So while I appreciate all your concern and your creative thinking, I really just need to get home.”
“But you’re in love with Dec, right?” Nicole wanted to know.
“Yes, but—”
“Then you’re already home, silly.” Nicole covered Brooke’s hand with her own. “You’re a stand and fight kind of girl. Not a run and hide kind, right?”
Brooke looked down at the sparkling bracelet Dec had given her and the one she’d worn ever since she’d taken control of her own destiny.
Fearless
She thought of her sister, who’d never had the chance to find love. Her sister, who’d been repeatedly raped by the man she’d been forced to marry. Her sister, who’d succumbed to her own misery before she’d even reached the age of twenty, leaving the children she did love behind for another poor victim to raise.
Years ago Brooke had found the courage to seek a better life. She’d be doing a disservice to herself—and her sister—if she didn’t continue to fight for what she wanted. She’d make a mockery of herself and her past. And then she thought about the number one item on her bucket list.
Marry the love of my life.
How could that ever happen if she tucked tail and ran? If she didn’t give him a real chance to let her in? Not that she was some lunatic who’d continue to pursue a man who didn’t want her, but Dec showed interest. When he made love to her and let himself go, she knew they were absolutely right for each other. So how could she be happy for the rest of her life if she didn’t at least give them a chance?
Maybe it would work.
Maybe not.
She’d never know unless she gave it her best shot.
Chapter 15
Declan didn’t need an alarm clock or the crow of a rooster to wake him because he hadn’t been asleep. By the time the sun peeked through the window of his grandfather’s cabin, he had already consumed an entire pot of coffee. His hands had progressed into the jittery stage as he unfolded the newest edition of Talk of the Town and shook his head at the ridiculous headline.
HOLLYWOOD PSYCHIC ARRESTED.
CLAIMS SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING.
He flipped through the rest of the paper looking for something of value but wasn’t surprised when he found nothing more than a five-dollar-off coupon for pizza. Tossing the rag paper across the table, he lifted the nearly empty cup of coffee to take a sip. Realizing it was cold he set it back down.
He didn’t need more caffeine. He didn’t need stupid trash paper headlines. He needed to know where the hell Brooke was and if she was safe. He should never have let her go. He needed to know she didn’t hate him. He needed to prove to her that he could let her in, even if he wasn’t a hundred percent sure he could. But most of all he just needed her there so he could touch her, hold her, kiss her, and soak in all the goodness that made her so special.
It hadn’t taken him long to realize that she was right. He’d been hiding behind the whole don’t-mix-business-with-pleasure rule. Needing her had nothing to do with her executive skills.
All the mornings he’d walked into his office to see her smiling face, he knew his relief hadn’t come from knowing she’d put together his workday with masterful dedication. He knew the extra beat in his heart hadn’t been because he wouldn’t have to worry about anything because Brooke would have it all figured out.
All the joy that encompassed his days revolved around her.
In reality he could find another suitable assistant. Maybe they wouldn’t be as on the ball as Brooke or have her personality or energy. But he’d be fine. There was only one Brooke, and he didn’t want her to just be in his office every day. He wanted her in his life. All the ping-ponging he’d done about mixing business with pleasure had brought him the one thing he feared most.
Losing her.
He grabbed his cell phone and tapped her name in his contact list. When she didn’t answer he figured she was still angry. He couldn’t blame her. Only a coward backed away from what he really wanted. If he were honest, he’d admit he’d had deep feelings for her long before Jordan had put the thought in his head.
A shot of panic hit his spine.
What if she wasn’t answering her phone because something had happened to her? What if she was in danger?
Dammit.
He should never have let her leave in the middle of the night.
Hell, he should never have let her leave at all. He should have wrapped his arms around her and just told her how she made him feel.
He should have let her in.
When he called the office next and was told Brooke hadn’t checked in yet, panic set in. They didn’t know she’d quit. But at least he knew now she was still MIA.
He jumped up from the table and dashed out the door to find someone to drive him to the airport to see if his car was parked in the lot as Brooke had informed him it would be. If it was, he’d call every airline that flew out of Portland until he found her. He’d call her roommate to check but he didn’t even know the guy’s last name, let alone his number.
On a normal day the path up to the main house was a brief walk. Today it seemed like miles. When he got close he was staggered to see his car parked in the driveway. Relief washed over him. Hopefully she’d changed her mind and stayed there for the night just to clear her head. Hopefully she was safe and snug in one of the spare bedrooms and had forgiven him for being such a dunce.
When he heard footsteps in the distance, he turned around.
On the path that wound between the grapevines, he saw Brooke’s blond ponytail swinging behind her back as she jogged beside Ethan. The two were carrying on a playful conversation. Ethan teasingly bumped her shoulder then took off running backward while she tried to catch up. When she did, Ethan tweaked her ponytail and she laughed.
What. The. Hell?
They didn’t see him as Dec planted his hands on his hips to observe his baby brother’s obvious flirtation. Not usually an issue when it was with any other woman. Problem? Judging by the smile on her face, Brooke was flirting back. While Dec was relieved she was safe, he was also annoyed as hell that while he’d been worrying, she’d been goofing off with his brother.
The two kept a steady pace as they jogged off and disappeared into the rows of grapevines. Dec tamped down his emotions and continued on to the house to wait for them to return. He and Brooke needed to have a talk about what had occurred last night. Then he needed to have a little chat with his brother.
When he opened the door and went into the kitchen to wait, he found Nicole at the table eating a bowl of Froot Loops while scanning through Facebook on her tablet. She looked up as he entered the room.
“You look like hell.” She grinned. “Trouble sleeping?”
“Did Brooke stay here last night?”
“Mayb
e.” Nicki dug her spoon into the cereal, took a bite, and spoke through a full mouth. “What’s it to you if she did?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been worried about her.”
“You wouldn’t have had to worry if you hadn’t acted like such an ass.”
“Hey. Watch your mouth.”
“I can watch my mouth, but apparently you can’t stop being an ass. So who’s worse?”
“Good God. You’re not going back to bitchy Nicki, are you? I thought we left her behind.”
“We didn’t do anything. I did it all with Jordy’s help. And no, I’m not going back to being pissed off at the world. I’m just pissed off at you. I like Brooke. And I hated seeing her upset last night.”
“How did you get her to stay?”
“I didn’t. You can thank Ethan for that.” She shoveled another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. “He found her upset, crying, and trying to leave. He convinced her to come inside. They got to talking and, well, let’s just say those two really hit it off.”
Brooke had been crying.
Fuck.
His sister was right. He was an ass.
“What do you mean by they really hit it off?”
One dark eyebrow lifted quizzically. “Do you really want me to give you the details?”
“Yes.” No matter how ugly they may be. He needed to know.
Nicki stood and picked up her bowl. “Maybe I’ll finish breakfast in my room.”
“Not so fast.” He snagged her by the neck of her frog robe. “Define ‘hit it off.’”
“Not my story to tell.” She unwound her robe from his grip. “You should talk to Ethan. Or Brooke. Or maybe it would just be easier to talk to both of them at the same time. Because since last night they’ve been together every single minute.”
Ethan Kincade not only happened to be very good-looking, he was very good company. After the scene with Dec last night Brooke didn’t think she’d be laughing so much, so fast. But Ethan had an easy way about him that opened a door to friendly conversation and plenty of jokes at his brother’s expense.
However when Ethan told her about Emily—the one who got away—her heart broke. He didn’t have to say anything to make it clear he was still in love with his ex. When he mentioned her name his blue eyes lit up even as regret shadowed his handsome face.
“Not saying I haven’t moved on, but . . .”
“It’s hard to forget a love like that,” Brooke said.
“Yeah.” Ethan slowed his stride as they jogged along the greenbelt beside the river, close to beautiful downtown Sunshine. The path was lined with gigantic shade trees. Mounds of cheerful flowers bordered the grass.
“It’s hard to erase all those crazy plans you made up in your head for the two of you when you know no one else will ever come close,” he said. “Which is why I want to help you with Dec. Or at least I want to help my stubborn ass brother realize what he might miss if he doesn’t use the brain God gave him.”
“Thank you. But using his brain is the problem,” Brooke said as they rounded a curve. “He needs to learn how to use and trust his heart.”
“Agreed. He’s never had a serious relationship that lasted more than a few months at the most. It’s like he’s afraid to—”
“Ethan!” Brooke hated to interrupt the intriguing conversation but something caught her eye and her imagination flew into overdrive. She pointed to a large commercial building with a large fenced area. A “For Sale” sign was posted on both the building and chain link fence. “What is that?”
“It used to be some kind of distribution center. Place has been empty for a couple of years.”
“Do you know how much they’re asking for it?”
“Why?” Ethan chuckled. “Looking for a place to bury Dec’s body if he doesn’t wise up?”
“No.” She jogged over to the building, stood on her toes, and looked inside a window. “It’s perfect.”
“For what?”
She turned to him and couldn’t contain her smile. “The dream I’ve had for more than half my life.”
Outside on the patio Dec flipped through a house and garden magazine without actually seeing anything printed on the pages. Sunshine bounced off the glass as he glanced down at his watch. Again. Agitated he looked up at the surrounding vineyards where several workers inspected the vines.
Where the hell were they?
He snapped the magazine closed, folded his arms, and leaned his head back to let the sun beat down on his face. A second later his phone chimed and he answered it without looking at the caller’s name.
“I just wanted you to know I changed my plans. I’m taking the next flight back to the East Coast.”
With his mind solely focused on Brooke he pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the caller name.
Lili MacKay.
Fuck. Like he needed one more complication today?
“What changed your mind?” he asked bitterly. “Afraid the truth won’t be in your favor?”
By her hesitation he knew he’d pissed her off. Not his intention. At least not until they got the facts straight.
“I’m afraid you and your brothers won’t be able to handle the truth. My mother was a wonderful person. She wasn’t a liar and I’m not either. I’m also not overly fond of being a dart board for your sarcastic remarks or spiteful behavior.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. There’s a lot going on here and—”
“Not my problem.” An audible sigh whispered through the phone. “Look, you have my number. I’m not asking anything from any of you. I just wanted to meet the father I never knew. Since that’s no longer an option, there’s really no need to stay. I have absolutely no hope that any of you would ever accept me, and I’m not so sure I care anyway.”
The call disconnected.
“Fuck!” Dec threw his phone down on the table and jammed his fingers into his hair. “Can I get a fucking break?” He looked out over the vineyard again and finally spotted Brooke and Ethan jogging his way. Something dark stuck its nails in the back of his neck.
Or maybe it was something green.
Face flushed from exertion, Brooke’s little gray tank top clung to her like a second skin as she ran up the steps to the patio. When he stood to tell her he wanted to talk, she jogged right past him and went into the house.
Ethan stopped, which was great because Dec planned to wring his neck.
“S’up, big bro?” Ethan grinned as he dropped into a patio chair.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Trying to catch my breath. Long run. I was done a couple miles back but Brooke . . .” He grinned as his thought trailed off. “Brooke is just full of energy and wanted to keep going.”
“I don’t care if you ran to Timbuktu. I want to know what the hell you’re doing with her.”
“Brother? I just told you. We were running.” Ethan leaned back in the chair and lifted his face to the sun. “Don’t get your panties in a wad with me over your own stupidity. And don’t get pissed off if others see the opportunity you tossed aside.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means you fucked up and I’m taking Brooke out to dinner tonight.”
“The hell you are.” Jealousy curled into a fist and delivered a vicious punch to Dec’s heart.
“Yep. We’re driving into Portland . . .” Ethan continued like Dec wasn’t glaring at him and contemplating murder. “Made reservations at the City Grill. Great food, great views, romantic atmosphere, and they serve our wine. What could be better for getting to know someone?”
“You’re not taking Brooke anywhere.” Dec knew the thirtieth floor restaurant well. It overlooked the city, the Cascade Mountains, and was known to be one of the most romantic spots in the area. No way in hell would he let his little brother take Brooke there or anywhere else.
“Sure I am.”
“No, you’re not.” He tossed his cell phone to Ethan. �
�You’re calling Lili MacKay and talking her out of skipping town.”
“Skipping town? Why’s she doing that?”
“Because we treated her like shit yesterday when she hadn’t even asked us for anything.”
“Looks like there’s a lot of that going around.” Ethan glared at Dec then picked up the phone. “What do I say to her?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Dec turned to go into the house.
“And where are you going?” Ethan asked.
Dec did not miss the mischievous grin planted on his brother’s puss.
“To make sure Brooke never goes anywhere with you.”
Dec walked through the living room, den, and kitchen but Brooke was nowhere to be seen. He climbed the stairs then went room-to-room pressing his ear to each door to find her. He struck pay dirt when he reached the bedroom he’d once shared with Jordan. Through the door he could hear her talking to someone on the phone. Eavesdropping had never been his thing, so when he tapped on the door and she didn’t respond, he simply let himself in.
At the small desk, she sat with the phone tucked between her ear and the sweet slope of her bare shoulder, writing down information on a piece of paper. He waited until she finished her call.
“When would I be able to look at it?” she asked the person on the other end of the line. A silent moment passed before she said, “That sounds perfect. I’ll see you then.”
When she disconnected she looked up with a frown.
“I don’t remember asking you to come in.”
Her tennis shoes were tinged with dust and her forehead was still moist from the run. And Dec thought she looked beautiful.
“Who were you talking to?”
She huffed out a laugh. “None of your business.”
“Brooke, I—”
“Save it.” She went to the door, opened it and stood there as if waiting for him to leave. “I think you said enough last night.”
“I didn’t say nearly enough.” He shut the door and leaned a hand on it so she couldn’t escape. The action brought them face-to-face. She didn’t back down, and that was just one of the things he admired about her. “I especially didn’t say I’m sorry.”
