by Rayne, Piper
“Guess she just met Daisy. This dog doesn’t leave Holly’s side. She’s going to have pups. I told Holly we should leave her at the vet.” He walks toward the kitchen. “You’d think I said leave her on the side of the road from the look I got.”
I’m listening intently, or as intently as I can without thinking of his sister naked. Fuck there’s nothing to the dress she’s wearing.
“So, she’s made up a whole birthing station in our mudroom. I’m paying for the vet to make house calls. Damn Myles and his inability to control himself.”
I feel a kindred spirit with Myles right this minute.
“Here’s Daisy.” Austin holds his hand out to a small dog.
“You poor thing.” Brooklyn bends down and pets the dog. “Your babies are going to be so big.”
Myles walks over, nudging his head to Daisy’s and Brooklyn pets them both.
“I know. I kept asking the vet if she was sure that she could get them out,” Holly says.
Austin rolls his eyes at me, holding his arm out for the beer in front of the fridge.
“What did she say?” Brooklyn asks, a worried look in her eye.
“She said it’s fine. They’re puppies. But I’m still worried about her.” Holly chops up the salad.
Daisy waddles into a back room which I assume is the mudroom.
“What do you need help with?” Brooklyn asks.
Austin opens a beer and hands it over to me. “Brook?”
“Wine is good.”
“I hope white is okay? It’s all I drink.” Holly cringes.
“White is perfect.”
With the drinks in hand, the rest of the Baileys slowly trickle in one by one. I’m slightly thankful the youngest twins and her brother Kingston aren’t here because I already feel a bit overwhelmed.
I talk to Denver for a bit about what made him want to be a bush pilot, to Rome about his days in Europe without asking about specific restaurants because the manager of a hotel wouldn’t have visited Europe twice a year and been familiar with them. Definitely wouldn’t have backpacked his way through Europe after he graduated high school. Which I did just to piss off my dad. At one point, Juno hands me her matchmaking card and says she’ll give me a discount because she already has an eye on the woman she’d set me up with, her gaze flicking over to Brooklyn.
Luckily, people talk about New York but don’t pry too much. I have the lie that I attended NYU and not Columbia on the tip of my tongue in case they ask.
All this reminds me that I have to tell Brooklyn before we leave for New York. I have two months left and I want to put it off as long as possible. Not just because I promised my dad, but more because I’m afraid it will change things between Brooklyn and me.
* * *
Dinner was burgers, hot dogs, and a salad. Except for the summer I stayed in the Hamptons on weekends and holidays, I haven’t really been a part of a typical cook-out. The food was good, the laughs came in droves, and the scenery is breathtaking. Brooklyn’s been smiling the whole time. The where I see her mind wander and she’d look away or when she’d pick up her phone or fidget with her nails have become fewer and fewer. I wonder if Jeff is starting to become a distant memory.
“AUSTIN!” Holly screams off the balcony. “It’s time.”
“Jesus, is Holly pregnant?” Rome asks.
“No dipshit, our dog is,” Austin says.
“Male dogs can have babies?” Denver looks to Myles whose ears have perked up like he knows we’re talking about him.
“Do you ever listen? Daisy, the dog Myles knocked up.” Savannah follows Austin up the back stairs.
“Oh, it’s time for me to go.” Grandma stands up.
“Why?” Juno asks.
“Because I’ve seen enough births in my life. Come on Brian and Karen.” She beckons their uncle Brian and Holly’s mom, Karen.
“I feel like I should stay here for Holly,” Karen says.
“I’ll be right back.” Brian kisses her on the cheek and pats her on the ass.
“You should be lucky Holly’s not here, Uncle B, smacking her mom’s ass like that.” Rome grins and sips his beer.
“One day you’ll grow up, Ro.” Uncle Brian escorts Grandma Dori up the walkway.
“Night G’Ma.”
“Night Grandma,” they all say in unison.
“Oh, Wyatt.”
I turn to find Dori stopped right before walking up the stairs. “You can pick me up from the center for the family dinner and drive me over tomorrow, right?”
My gaze falls to Brooklyn. Her eyebrows are up to her hairline.
“Sure?”
“I’ll see you then.” She nods.
I’m not sure what just happened there.
“Oh shit, I wouldn’t wanna be in your shoes. Lecture time.” Denver looks to Rome. They share a laugh.
“He doesn’t do the dumb shit you two do. I’m sure it’s fine,” Brooklyn says, but she nibbles on the side of her lips which I’ve noticed she does when she’s feeling unsure about something.
“I don’t do dumb shit. I just bought a restaurant,” Rome says.
“I own my own plane. Live in my own apartment,” Denver adds.
“I’m heading to watch some puppies being born.” Brooklyn stands.
“Me, too,” Juno says.
Colton looks to me and raises his eyebrows.
“I’m good here. Give Daisy a pet for me.” I rest my ankle on my knee and swig back the beer.
“Juno, let me know if you need me to come in,” Colton says.
She nods and turns to join Brooklyn as they head up the steps.
I give him a questioning look. “I’m in vet school during the school year.”
“Gotcha.” I take another sip of my beer.
“I kind of want to bring one home,” I hear Brooklyn whisper to Juno.
“Oh Brookie, you’re always the caregiver.”
The two women continue up the stairs and two sets of eyes land on me from across the fire. Colton’s head volleys between us.
“So, Wyatt?” Denver starts, sitting up in his chair and resting his forearms on his thighs.
“Yeah?”
“What are your intentions with our sister?” Rome asks.
“On second thought, Daisy might need an extra cheerleader.” Colton stands and practically runs up the stairs.
Chicken shit. His day will come, I know it will from the way he caters to Juno.
“We’re friends. I’m helping her out with the business.”
They look to one another and then back to me. “We’re not naive.”
“Nor are we cockblockers,” Rome says.
“But you know what we did to Jeff?” Denver asks and I nod. “If you hurt her after what she’s already been through, we have a body bag prepared.”
I sip my beer calling their bluff. They sit there with identical expressions of seriousness on their faces.
“No joke. She’s not something to have a little bit of fun with and then toss aside. So, if you start it, you better damn well plan to finish it with an ‘I do,’” Denver finishes.
“Or get her to break up with you,” Rome adds, shrugging.
“Be serious. You saw him eye fucking her just like me,” Denver says.
Rome stands up, finishes his beer. “Yeah, but Brooklyn’s a big girl.” He tosses the empty into a trashcan next to him. “That doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass if I see one tear shed because of you.”
“Noted. But we’re really just friends,” I assure them.
“And I have a fucking unicorn cock.” Denver shrugs. “Not that my cock isn’t magical.”
The twins laugh and I can’t help but join in until their faces grow serious and snap back in my direction.
They quickly change the subject to my aim at the axe throwing competition, but my mind is stuck on what my expectations with Brooklyn are and how I can possibly keep my own cock away from her.
Twenty-Three
Brooklyn
God, can you imagine having your grandma trying to get you some action? How embarrassing and desperate.
“I hope you feel better, Mrs. Bailey.” Wyatt opens her car door because she told me to wait in the backseat for him to round the car. We’ll be able to see if he’s a gentleman or not she insisted. He opens both our doors at the same time.
Gentleman it is then.
She offers her hand and he helps her to her feet. “I’m sure I will. Millie was a little under the weather a few days ago, the old bat probably gave me something.”
“Nice way to talk about your best friend,” I say.
“A common cold could kill me at this age,” she says, and Wyatt smiles over to me, opening the door to the building for us.
“Good evening Dori, did you have fun with your family?” the girl from behind the desk asks. I watch her concentrate more on Wyatt than my grandma.
“I did. Have you met Wyatt? He’s new to Lake Starlight.”
“I haven’t. Nice to meet you, Wyatt.” She licks her lips. Could she be any more obvious?
“Nice to meet you…”
“Nicole.” She twirls her hair around her finger.
Seriously?
“Nicole.” Wyatt smiles.
If I cared, I’d mention to Wyatt that we’re not on the Love Connection so move it along to Grandma’s apartment.
Whoa. Where did that spur of jealousy come from?
“And you know Brooklyn, my granddaughter.”
Thank you, Grandma.
“I haven’t met you yet. Hi Nicole.” I wave. I don’t get quite the welcoming smile Wyatt did.
“Hi.”
Luckily Grandma hurries and we reach the hallway to her apartment quickly. I’m still examining the fact I want to scratch out some girl’s eyes for looking at Wyatt like all she needs is a spoon to eat him up with.
We stop outside Grandma’s door and I soak Wyatt in. There’s no doubt he’s attractive. Not in the Lake Starlight way. His polished edges stick out here. The way his hair is never out of place. His wardrobe of mostly button-down shirts. Skin that feels like he bathes in coconut oil daily.
Regardless of his physical appearance, he’s a nice guy and I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind—what if I had met him before Jeff? I’ve also thought he might be a great rebound to get over Jeff. But being jealous of another girl admiring him? That feeling came out of nowhere. I wasn’t even the jealous type with Jeff.
“Brookie, in my purse,” Grandma interrupts my inner monologue.
I round the two of them and find her keys, unlocking her door. Wyatt holds it open while we both step through and Grandma walks around flicking on the lights.
She steps into her living room and glances at the picture of her and Grandpa, then turns around to face us. “Why are you two still here? Go.” She shoos us with her hand.
“Jeez, you’re welcome,” I say.
“Thank you.” She walks toward us, her hand shooing us out the door.
We back step until we’re out of her apartment.
“Have a good night you two.” She smiles and closes the door on us.
Wyatt and I look to one another, confusion on both our faces. “She’s an odd one,” I mutter.
“So are you!” Grandma says from the other side of the door.
“Goodnight Grandma,” I chuckle and wave to the peephole. “She totally set us up.” I walk down the hallway toward the front entrance.
“I figured since she bragged about your speed skating when you were six the whole way here, that she was trying to tell me something.” Wyatt smiles over at me. His perfect teeth gleam under the florescent lights of the lobby.
“Good night Wyatt and Brooklyn,” Nicole says, stripping Wyatt’s eyes off me and onto her.
“Night.”
I turn away and roll my eyes, jealousy only intensifying instead of diminishing.
We round his sedan and I wonder what he’s going to do in the winter time. No way this thing will get him where he needs to go without leaving him stranded a time or two.
He opens the door for me, and I slide in, the car smelling of him—his fresh scent mixed with eucalyptus now. I pick up a bottle of my oil that’s resting in the console and smile.
“Mine.” He takes it from my hand after getting into the driver’s seat. “Trying to take my goods?”
He drops it back into the cup holder and turns the key in the ignition.
“You like it, huh?” The light from the parking lot streams through his sunroof, displaying his confused expression.
“So much so that I stole another bottle, but I figure it’s a bonus for helping you out.” He winks.
My stomach swirls with excitement. “I’m glad. My brothers never try it. They think it’s girly.”
He snaps in his seat belt and pulls out of the parking lot.
“I’ll endorse it for them. I suffered from the worst headaches for months until you gave me my first sample.”
He drives down the windy road that leads to Northern Lights Retirement Residence and I wonder yet again why they chose to make the road so challenging when a lot of the residents still drive. Then again, I’ve never heard of an accident happening.
My mind then wanders to Nicole and why jealousy was my first reaction, which makes me question why Wyatt’s never crossed the line between us. All the times he’s snapped his hand away when our fingers brush or the way his eyes sometimes venture anywhere but on me...
“Are you gay?” I ask the question that was supposed to be asked quietly in my head.
He stops at the stop sign and looks over at me, eyes wide. “What?”
“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. Ever think something to yourself and accidentally blurt it out? Ignore me.” Heat burns my cheeks.
He doesn’t move, one hand on the steering wheel and one in his lap. “Why would you think I’m gay?”
“Um…. I don’t. Let’s just forget it.” I motion with my hand to get driving so I can escape this car and lock myself in my apartment for the foreseeable future. Or at least until I have to go to work on Monday.
“That’s not going to happen. Do you think I’m gay because I like your oils?”
Why can’t someone want to leave the assisted living right now? Because it’s nine o’clock and all the patrons are in bed, I answer my own question in my head. We could be sitting here until five in the morning without anyone having to honk their horn at us to move out of the way.
“Not really. I’m just…” How do I even word this to avoid making myself sound like a runway model he shouldn’t be able to resist?
“I get that I’m not as outdoorsy as your brothers, and yes, I’ve gotten manicures and massages, but I have no idea why you’d think I’m gay.”
“It’s just that you and I… we haven’t.” I look away from him and stare out the window onto the dark streets of Lake Starlight.
“You think because I haven’t come on to you, I’m gay?” He hits the nail on the head, and I want to slink down the seat and disappear under the floor mat.
“No!”
“You do.” His cocky voice alight with humor says no matter how much I fight it, it’s what he believes.
“But not because I think I’m all that. And yes, you like my oils. But you eat lunch alone at the restaurant every day. I haven’t seen you talk to another woman let alone flirt with her. You spend all your time with me when you’re not working. Nicole was obviously interested in you.”
“Nicole?”
He throws the car into park. It’s too dark to see his facial expressions since there’s no street light close to us, so I can only use his tone of voice to judge his reaction.
“The
girl back there.” I thumb toward the retirement residence.
“She’s like twelve.”
“She’s clearly in her twenties.”
“Early twenties if that.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I’m sorry I asked. There’s nothing to be offended by.”
“I’m not offended. But just so you know…” He leans toward me. “I’m not.”
“Okay.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Let’s just go home.” He straightens up, moves the car out of drive and presses on the gas.
He seems agitated and I don’t understand why. It was a simple question. One with a yes or no answer and he didn’t seem like he felt that I invaded his privacy for asking.
With a huff, I turn to watch as Main Street passes by the car window. Only Lucky’s is lit up since Liam closes Smokin’ Guns on Sunday and Monday and all the other business are closed.
It’s not until we pull into our apartment complex that I finally find the guts to address the heavy feeling in the air between us. “I’m sorry.”
He parks the car and slides the key out of the ignition. We sit in silence for a minute before he responds.
“Don’t be.”
I open the car door myself and dig inside my purse for my keys. I just want to go to bed and wake up tomorrow and pretend this never happened.
“Hold up.” Wyatt jogs to catch up to me, inserting his key into the lock of our building. He stands in front of it, blocking me. “This is stupid. Why are we kind of fighting over the fact you asked me if I was gay?”
“You tell me.” I cross my arms, holding my ground.
“It’s not that you asked if I was gay it’s just…” He looks out to the dark lake then looks back to me, uncertainty marring his perfect features.
He steps forward, his hand sliding up to cradle my cheek. I inhale a deep breath staring up into his eyes and lean into his warm touch.
“Have you considered the fact that maybe I was waiting for you to be over him?”
My eyes fall to his lips and his tongue slides out. My insides feel like a pinball was just shot out and it’s running through my body.
“Are you?” I whisper, leaning in a little closer.