Defying Our Forever (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers Book 3)

by Claudia Burgoa

  After our long talk, Pierce moves out of the bedroom. Everyone in the house promises to keep their mouths shut about our new sleeping arrangement. He stays on the sofa bed we have in the living room.

  The next couple of weeks pass with painful slowness.

  I take care of Arden, check on the animal hospital, which will be done three weeks ahead of schedule, and finalize the hiring process so everyone can move in time. I’m thrilled that Bobbi and her family are coming to live in Baker’s Creek. Dan, who finally graduated from vet school, is also joining us.

  Grace, Beacon’s friend, visits us more often. When she stays in the house, Beacon sleeps in his studio. One day, when we’re alone, she suggests we go to Beac’s place to play music with Arden.

  That’s when she tells me that there’s a house underneath it. She even shows me how to get in through the garage. The tunnel from the garage to the house is a long wide hallway with bookcases, hung memorabilia, and shelves with pictures of Beacon’s grandparents and some from his childhood with Grace and her family. There are many of the band, and I love how the first room is like a music-living room.

  Arden points at a big drum, and Grace takes him to it. She picks him up and bangs the drum with one hand, waiting for him to copy her. They do that a couple of times before he wiggles himself out of her arms. I take a seat on one of the couches and observe them interact. He’s trying to decide which instrument to touch, and Grace shows him a triangle.

  “Listen,” she says before playing Twinkle Little Star.

  He claps along with her and says, “Mo.”

  She walks him to a plastic trunk. When she opens it, she says, “Look at all those toys.”

  It’s filled with instruments that are perfect for his hands.

  I gasp along with Arden. “Wow. You got that for him?”

  “Beacon and I have been collecting them,” she explains. “Ever since he learned that he was going to be an uncle, he asked Mom what instruments were appropriate to have handy, and we began to gather them. She’s a music teacher, among other things.”

  She pulls out a pair of castanets and says, “Beac bought this and a tambourine in Spain when he went to visit me. I played with the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra last summer.”

  I have so many questions for her, like how long have Beacon and Mills been close? Why the two of them created this close brotherhood and didn’t reach out to the others? Does she know Beacon is in love with her?

  I choose an easy one, “Did your mom teach you how to play music?”

  She smiles and nods once. “Ever since I was in the uterus, Dad claims.”

  Arden shakes a maraca and laughs when Grace starts dancing. So he repeats it again and again. “Join us,” she invites me, handing me a tambourine.

  We dance and play until Arden gets bored and goes to the toy box to look for something else.

  “You’re good with kids,” I point out.

  “Mom runs an academy. Sometimes I teach music to the preschoolers,” she explains. “Plus, I was the oldest of my cousins.”

  Arden is so happy around her.

  Comfortable enough that I have an idea. What if she helps us with him during the days Mills is working and I have a hospital shift?

  I have to wait to talk to Mills first, though. Grace and Sophia’s parents would be perfect for helping us with him.

  Grace gives me a suspicious look and says, “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m about to open the animal hospital,” I claim. “We’re trying to figure out what to do with Arden when Mills is at work.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I wish I could step in, but Mom needs a music teacher next semester. I promised I’d work for her until Christmas break.”

  I grunt and don’t attempt to nag her. What else can I do?

  There has to be someone. I just know it, but who?

  Pierce and I still walk the dogs at night and have longer conversations than we did when we were supposed to be happily married. He tells me about Nyx having issues with Edward. He knocked her up and didn’t want to rescind his parental rights.

  “It’s not like he wants to be a father. Mom is fucking with her because we sued her. She’s using him to get to her. I know it,” he concludes. “Nate, her roommate, met me in Portland earlier today. He wants to pay a visit to Eddie and teach him a lesson.”

  “Please tell me you stopped him.”

  He nods. “I did and asked him to be patient. Edward and Mom will stop focusing on Nyx once we take them down. There’s a criminal investigation undergoing. Beacon’s people are finding shit that might put several of them in jail.”

  “Your mom?”

  “Mom is a smart woman,” he states. “Once she figures out what’s happening and I suggest she makes a deal, she’ll cooperate. She’ll lose her license, retire early, and probably hate me for what I did.”

  He doesn’t want to tell me what’s happening and what they are finding. The fewer people know, the better, according to him. It might take months or years before it is finished. It all depends on how fast the agency that is investigating them finds what they need.

  “This guy Nyx is living with is definitely in love with her,” he says with a smile. “He said, ‘I don’t want Nyx to lose our blueberry.’”

  “That’s adorable,” I say.

  He clears his throat and shrugs. “If you…when you get pregnant, I want to be there for you. Of course, that is, if you want me to stick around. Have you decided where you’re going to live?”

  We just signed the divorced papers last week. I know, two weeks after the fact, but we were not in a hurry.

  “I’ve been looking at the houses Easton is building,” I answer. “The second one on the corner of Baker’s Lane is my favorite, but it’s kind of pink.”

  “It is pink,” he concludes, then points at the new dock and says. “I’m claiming that land. What do you think about building a house there?”

  “You’d love it, and so would the kids,” I state and confirm my suspicions. “You’re staying, aren’t you?”

  “No, I want to have a place here, close to my brothers. It can be just a vacation home or my residence,” he states. “Ideally, I want to be wherever you end up living. Unless you don’t want me with you.”

  His voice is low, and the way he says it makes my pulse quicken. It’s the same way he used to say, “I want to play tonight, unless you don’t want me to play with you.”

  My arms are covered with goosebumps. I blame the cold breeze and the light sweater I’m wearing.

  “Small steps,” I remind him, or maybe I remind myself.

  “I won’t lie, I miss my spitfire,” he whispers, closer to my ear. “This is allowed, right? Flirting.”

  “We haven’t set up rules,” I say, moving away from him because I might not be able to keep my lips away from his. “Keeping your lips to yourself should be the first one.”

  He laughs. “At least I know you’re dying to kiss me just like I am dying to kiss you.”

  “It’s been a couple of weeks,” I sigh.

  “Almost three weeks,” he corrects me. “I was discussing this with my therapist earlier. The withdrawals and how we’ve always managed to get in fights every week because we needed that physical contact—sometimes it was only angry kisses, but then we escalated to angry sex.”

  “The addiction,” I voice my thoughts.

  He nods a couple of times. “It’ll help not to live in the same house while we figure everything out, our future as individuals and the possibility of being together,” he concludes.

  “The future looks scary. There are too many uncertainties.”

  “You’ve handled worse than this. In a week, the hospital opens. You’ll be having a baby around this time next year. There’s nothing to lose. Plus, I’m by your side in case anything happens. I’m here to catch you.”

  His assuring words make me feel better, but deep inside, I know the all-consuming chaos when we make love is what calmed my anx
iety and made me forget all my problems. That’s what I need right now.

  He smiles and takes my hand. “I’m sorry, but we have to fight the urge.”

  Do we really have to?

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Leyla

  The next day, after my conversation with Pierce, I buy the pink house. It has four rooms, an office, and a big backyard where the kids can run. Since I pay in cash, the transaction doesn’t take long, and we close the next Monday. Pierce handles the legal transaction, and it pisses him off that I don’t let him pay for the house.

  On Tuesday afternoon, I convince Blaire, Sophia, and Grace to go to Portland with me. I need to furnish the house. I’m glad Grace is finally warming up to us. Kind of. She’s the quietest person in the world.

  I guess that’s why she fits so well with Beacon. He’s the night to her day. She’s the calm to his chaos. He’s her voice, but she’s his entire world. They are so perfect for each other, and it drives me crazy that Beacon always says, “We’re just friends.”

  We like her a lot. She’s funny, and the guys are scared of her. Beacon told us she’s a blackbelt and was trained by former rangers. She didn’t confirm but didn’t deny it either.

  “Do you have to move out of the house?” Sophia complains as we try mattresses.

  I’m pretty sure the salespeople are about to kick us out. We’re going from bed to bed checking the comfort level and chatting while we’re at it.

  “If given a choice, I would kick Pierce out of the house and keep you,” Blaire says, patting her small bump as she stares at the ceiling. “We’re back to just two women and a bunch of immature men.”

  I lift my head lightly, looking at Grace and saying, “Would you move in?”

  She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Classes at the academy begin next Monday. This is my last week visiting. Keep an eye on Beac because he might try to escape again.”

  Sophia and I stare at each other. I’m pretty sure she’s thinking what I am. When did he escape?

  “No one should leave,” Blaire reminds us.

  “Leyla less than anyone,” Sophia agrees. “You know how to control them better than we do.”

  “It’s easy. You just have to be assertive,” I offer some advice. “It’s not about yelling but talking with authority.”

  They all laugh.

  “You treat them like puppies,” Grace concludes.

  I shrug, “It’s how I learned to control wild dogs, and those men were like that when we arrived in Baker’s Creek.”

  “What’s going to happen with Arden?” Blaire asks.

  There are so many things that will change once I leave, and it’s stressing me out in a way I can’t explain. Pierce assured me last night that it was okay. Everyone is going to leave at some point or another. He’s working on Hayes’s request to move into his new house once it’s finished—next March.

  If and when Sophia and Henry get pregnant, Henry wants to move to the house he bought for Soph when she moved to Baker’s Creek. They need their space. The rest are going to have to learn to manage. Also, just because we’re moving out doesn’t mean that we’re no longer a part of them.

  We still have to look after the kids who are staying in the barn indefinitely. Maybe my anxiety goes back to when I lived in foster care. I never knew how long I would stay, and after I left, it was over.

  This isn’t over. They’re still my friends.

  “We’ll find someone to keep an eye on Arden,” Grace offers. “If everything else fails, I can check with my aunts and cousins. They know people who might need a nanny job.”

  Blaire perks up and asks, “Did you talk to Cat?”

  I’m not sure what one thing has to do with the other, but before I respond, Sophia, who hates being out of the loop, asks, “Who is Cat?”

  “You know how Blaire has her network of shelters, orphanages, charity goddesses?” I ask, and she nods. “Cat has a shelter for teenagers. I want her to guide me on setting one up either in Portland or Happy Springs.”

  “My uncles and aunt have several in the Seattle area. They could give you a hand if you want to,” Grace offers.

  “If you can connect me with them, that would be wonderful,” I state. “Cat has a lot on her plate. She can only give me some advice. I would rather find someone who can help me every step of the way.”

  Grace grabs her phone and taps it. After a little back and forth, my phone buzzes.

  Grace: This is Leyla. She’ll call you tomorrow. Thank you! :purple heart emoji:

  “Thank you,” I tell her, saving the contact information she forwards right after the text.

  “I have the feeling you’re well connected, and that you’re holding back,” Sophia tells Grace.

  Grace grins and shakes her head. Something tells me Sophia is right, but this girl would never admit it.

  The next morning, I call Thea, Grace’s aunt. I shouldn’t be surprised when I learn that she knows all about us. She’s known Beacon since he was a kid. Also, Grace’s mom is her best friend, and they know almost everything about us. I hope that if I have a daughter, we get along just like Grace and her mother. I’m comfortable enough to tell her about my past and how I’d love to give options to teenagers who need a safe place.

  She explains to me how she founded and runs different shelters, including one for pregnant teenagers.

  “Some of them give their kids up for adoption. Others go to the housing we provide for families.”

  “I want to be like you when I grow up,” I tell her.

  She laughs. “Do you have children?”

  Talking to her is like catching up with an old friend. I give her a summary about my failed marriage.

  “I want to have a big family,” I conclude.

  “Big families are great,” she agrees. “If you ever want to apply to adopt a baby, let me know. We like to provide good options for our teenagers who are looking for a loving parent. They wouldn’t care if you’re divorced as long as you’re willing to give their babies the love and security they can’t.”

  My heart races fast, and I become a little more excited than I should. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ll email you the information you need to start setting up the shelter,” she says. “As I mentioned, it takes time to get everything together. My biggest advice is: Don’t start it until you have a goal.”

  “Thank you. I’ll research once the veterinary office is open,” I promise. “About the adoption application…”

  I want to submit it now because I’d love to get on the waiting list even if it takes years to welcome the baby.

  “I’ll attach the link to our website so you can learn more. Also, there’s a portal where you can fill out and submit the application,” she says. “Just a warning, we do a background check and put your name on the queue. The expectant moms go through all the applications, and they pick whoever they like. It’s not about your place on the list. It’s about who they feel will be right for them.”

  “That’s good to know in advance,” I mumble. “How long does it take to process my information?”

  “You’ll get the call within a week with our decision,” she promises.

  Everything sounds too good to be true, and because I don’t want to take any risks, I set Arden in the stroller and we head to Pierce’s office. Beacon is there, and they are arguing about something when I knock and enter the room.

  “See, that’s how it’s done. You knock on the door,” Pierce growls at Beacon.

  “I brought you some news. I thought you’d appreciate it. Who knew you’d be giving yourself a little massage,” Beacon scrunches his nose. “What site was it? Hot-mamas-dot-com.”

  He glares at him. “I was on the phone with Henry.”

  “Sure, we’ll keep it our secret,” Beacon whispers.

  “Rent me the office of your new house,” Pierce requests. “I’ll pay you whatever you want as long as I can have some privacy.”

  I should mention that my house is almost acros
s the street from Henry’s office in Sophia’s house. He’ll have him barging in more often than he does now. That’s a discussion for another day.

  “I emailed you some information about an adoption agency,” I announce. “They run a shelter for pregnant teenagers. Some of them want to give their babies up for adoption. They facilitate the process.”

  “You talked to Mrs. Thea?” Beacon asks.

  “Yeah?”

  “What do you want to know about them?”

  I talk through my entire conversation, and when I’m done Beacon says, “They are the most legit people in the world. The background process takes almost no time because they have efficient people. Unless you’re a terrorist, a trafficker, or a dirty law firm, it doesn’t take long to gather your information. I say go for it. Remember what she said, ‘It might take some time.’”

  Pierce stares at me, then at him. The look he gives his brother is somewhere between a, ‘you shouldn’t be here’ and an ‘I got you’.

  “Would you mind giving us a few minutes, Beac?”

  This time Beacon doesn’t protest. He steps out of the office and takes Arden with him.

  “What are you thinking, Ley?”

  “It seems so easy. Too simple to be real,” I voice my worry and don’t stop. “Just like us, and look at us. It’s over.”

  He gives me a sad smile. “We were easy. I made it fucking complicated. It was so simple to reach for the perfect love that I forgot to be mindful of you—and our relationship. The only thing she promised is to put your file up if you pass the screening. That’s not simple. It’s just a first step. We can fill out the application right now. You have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to win.”

  “Okay,” I tell him.

  Beacon comes back into the office while Pierce and I are filling out the application. When I have to disclose my assets, they both stare at me.

  “What the fuck, Leyla?” Pierce claims.

  “Duh fuh,” Arden repeats, and Beacon bursts into laughter.

  “Mills is going to kill me,” Pierce flinches. “I—Nobody tell him.”