So, for now, that took precedence over my insatiable curiosities.
Then, a familiar voice came wafting up the stairs.
“You guys start without me?” Layla asked.
I whipped my head around to look at Lance, and a big grin crossed his face.
“I figured I might as well invite her for the party. She’s been to every other one of them,” he said.
Millie took off squealing at the sound of her voice. My heart leapt in my chest as Layla came around the corner. She had Millie propped on her hip, her eyes bright with happiness and a wide smile across her cheeks. Her honeypot eyes sparkled, and her blonde hair was piled high on top of her head. Those long legs were clad in jean shorts, and her fitted black T-shirt accented the voluptuous curve of her waist.
I had to talk with her. I couldn’t let her leave the house before asking her some questions.
“You gonna help me or keep staring?” Lance asked.
As his chuckle filled my ear, I forced my eyes away from Layla’s beauty and focused on getting the fucking room painted.
13
Layla
I walked into the bedroom with Millie on my hip, and Lance started laughing. I wasn’t sure what he was laughing at, but the goofy look on Cole’s face told me that something had happened. Were they talking about something? Talking about me?
Shit. What did Lance know?
“Hey, guys. How’s it going?” I asked.
“Morning, Layla. Wanna pick up a brush?” Lance asked.
Cole cleared his throat. “If you’re hungry, there’s still food downstairs.”
“Oh, I know. I finished off the bacon before coming upstairs,” I said.
“Wait, how long have you been here?” Cole asked.
Lance threw his head back in laughter, and it set me on edge. Oh, yeah. They’d been talking about me. I narrowed my eyes and looked between the two of them, trying to figure out what in the world had been going on. But they didn’t give anything away.
“Well, there’s an extra brush over there if you want to paint. But I’m sure Millie would love a play buddy,” Cole said.
“Wanna see my new doll?” Millie asked.
I smiled down at her. “I’d love to see it. Let’s leave the boys to get all sweaty and covered in paint.”
She giggled. “Ew.”
“That’s right. Ew, indeed.”
I kept Millie entertained for the majority of the afternoon. At least, until it was time to put her down for her nap on the couch. Hope jumped up there, snuggling up against her and placing her head on her chest. And after she drifted off to sleep, I went upstairs to help the guys—who were only halfway done with the room.
“Bigger job than you anticipated?” I asked.
The two of them grumbled, and it made me laugh.
“Here. Maybe a third hand will help this go quicker. I just got Millie down for a nap,” I said.
“You’re a lifesaver, you know that?” Cole asked.
There was something in his eyes when he looked at me. Something that made my stomach fill with butterflies. I smiled softly before picking up my brush, then got to work. Together, we finished the other two massive walls before Millie woke up from her nap. But they still needed another coat of paint, and that was before the guys got to work on the trim and window casings. The three of us worked painstakingly through the afternoon. Millie played so sweetly with her new toys in the room across the hall from us. I’d smile at her every now and again, and her beautiful eyes pulled me away from Cole’s stare.
Because he was staring at me a great deal throughout the afternoon.
Every time I caught him looking at me, it messed me up inside. Every time his eyes lingered on me, I felt like a giddy little schoolgirl. But I tried covering it up as best as I could. The last thing I needed was Lance hopping down my throat about things. He’d always been way too protective of me, especially when it came to guys. How would he feel to know I had a recently discovered thing for his best friend?
Thankfully, the painting pulled us away from all that.
“Who wants pizza for dinner?” Cole asked.
“Me!” Millie exclaimed from the other room.
I giggled. “Yeah. I think we need an actual meal break.”
“We made good time, though. The walls are double coated. The trim and things won’t take long at all. If Cole and I push through, we could finish it up after pizza,” Lance said.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Cole said.
“You guys want me to stay behind and put Mille to bed somewhere else in the house?” I asked.
“No, no. We’ll have it done before bedtime. Definitely,” Lance said.
“Eh, maybe,” Cole said.
I snickered. “Well, tell me what you guys want on your pizzas and I’ll go order.”
I took down orders before leaving them to continue working. I scooped Millie into my arms and let her help me place the order. She got really shy over the telephone but was able to tell the girl on the other line what she wanted. A small cheese pizza with cinnamon bites on the side. A perfect combination. One large pepperoni and one large three meat accompanied that order, along with a two liter of Dr. Pepper. And another order of cinnamon bites for the adults to share.
Everything was a blur after that. One massive, awkward, gigantic blur. Cole had to clear his throat just about every time he talked with me. Lance kept laughing at the oddest things. I felt like the two of them were burning holes with their eyes into my backside, and I didn’t appreciate it. I didn’t enjoy knowing they’d been talking about me, but not knowing what they were talking about. I wanted to know. I had a right to know.
And damn it, I’d figure it out.
After the guys finished painting the trim, they opened up some windows. I helped Millie wind down in another guest bedroom, though I saw how nervous she was. I understood, too. She had this great room she wanted to stay in, but she couldn’t yet. I read her three different bedtime stories before lying down with her, rubbing her back until she fell asleep. My brother and Cole, across the hall, gathered the brushes and buckets of paint to haul back downstairs.
You need to talk with him before you leave.
The second Millie’s soft breaths fell against my chest, I slipped out of bed. I tucked her in tightly, then laid her new doll next to her. I walked downstairs, watching as my brother drove off in his SUV. And the second Cole turned around to come back inside, I blocked him from getting in.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t play stupid. It’s not becoming of you. Why have you and Lance been so weird around me today? What gives?”
“Is Millie asleep?”
“Yes.”
“And tucked in?”
“Of course.”
He nodded as his eyes leveled with mine. And he drew in a deep breath.
“I think the more pertinent question in all this is, what do you want to be happening here,” he said.
I paused. “What?”
“Layla, we kissed. I’m still not clear on who kissed who. But it happened.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It did.”
“So, what happens now is solely based off what you want.”
“Why only me?”
“Because if you don’t want something to happen, then nothing happens. Simple as that.”
“Does that mean you want something to happen?”
“Stop dancing around the topic.”
“I’m not the one dancing around anything. You’re the one who’s been staring at me all day. Acting awkward around me. It’s obvious you want to ask me something. Or tell me something. So, spit it out.”
“Okay. I will, then. I’m unsure about where all of this is going to take us. I have to admit, I’m not even sure you wanted to kiss me that night. Hell, I didn’t even know I had an urge to kiss you until it happened. But, according to your brother—whom I talked with today—I’ve apparently had feel
ings for you for a while.”
I blinked. “Uh-huh.”
“And he thinks we should date.”
I stared at him dumbly. “What?”
“Yeah. He thinks we should date.”
“You—I—he, uh—you talked to my brother about this? Is that why you two have been acting so weird today?”
He nodded. “Yes, of course I spoke with your brother. We’re best friends. I’m not making a move if he doesn’t want me dating his sister. I mean, have you not talked with Nicole about this?”
“I mean, she’s not my brother.”
“So, you have.”
I paused. “Well, yeah.”
“See? What did she tell you?”
That I’ve apparently got feelings for you, too. “Just, the usual. You know, girl stuff.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s how you’re going to play this?”
“Look, fine. Okay. Nicole thinks I’m in love with you or something, too. But, I mean, really. Come on. You and me? My brother’s been breathing down my neck about how much time I’ve been spending over here. Giving me all sorts of looks and asking me pointed questions. You really mean to tell me my protective brother is suddenly okay with his best friend hooking up with me?”
“I’ve spoken nothing about hooking up with you. You know you’re worth more than that, Layla.”
The way he said it set my soul aflame brighter than the morning sun.
“In love with me, huh?” Cole asked.
I snapped back to reality and found him grinning down at me.
“Those weren’t my words,” I said.
“Now, why don’t I believe you on that?” he asked.
“Because you’re stubborn.”
“Or maybe, because she might be the tiniest bit right. And you don’t like that.”
“Yeah, like you like the fact that my brother’s right.”
“What if I do like the fact that he’s right?”
I paused. “Is he right?”
Instead of answering me, though, he cupped my cheek. His eyes closed and his face came closer to mine, capturing my lips in a soft kiss. My knees went weak. My palms began to sweat. I whimpered softly against his lips as his hand slid to the back of my neck. He pulled me close to him. I felt his muscles strong against my frame. I slid my hands up his chest, feeling his heart racing underneath my fingertips.
Then, after sliding his tongue softly across my mouth, he pulled away.
“You tell me. Is he right?” Cole asked.
It took me a moment to catch my breath. Nope. No mistaking it that time. Cole kissed me. And it was good. And I liked it. A lot.
Way too much, really.
“Well, I mean, if our best friends think we should, then…?”
Cole snickered. “Maybe we should?”
I nuzzled my nose against his. “Yeah. Maybe we should.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up next Friday at your place. Seven o’clock. Wear something that makes you feel beautiful.”
I paused. “Wait a second, wha—”
“Night!”
He slipped past me into the house, then closed the door against my ass. My eyes widened and I jumped. I whipped around and stared at the door. I knocked against it, in utter shock as to how it had all played out.
And when he cracked the door open, out came my purse clutched in his hand.
“I’ve really got a lot of work to do. Talk soon, Layla,” he said.
Then, he winked at me and closed the door, leaving me standing there, touching my lips, as an involuntary smile crossed my face.
14
Cole
“Millie, honey. It’s time to get up.”
She grumbled and dug herself farther into the pillows, clutching her doll closely to her.
“It’s almost nine o’clock. You’ve basically slept the morning away,” I said.
“No,” she murmured.
“We have to get going. Your appointment’s at ten thirty.”
“No.”
“I’ve got your breakfast downstairs.”
“I don’t want it.”
I sighed. “What if I take you out for breakfast?”
She perked up. “Where?”
I smiled. “Pancakes?”
She reluctantly slipped from her bed, and I made a mental note to switch beds. All weekend, while the paint dried, she’d slept in the bed across the hallway. And she’d easily slept past nine every single morning. I wish she would’ve told me she didn’t like the mattress on the bed in her room.
I knew today would be rough, so I let her wear whatever she wanted. I’d been trying to do more of that; letting her lead and choose things she wanted to wear instead of being a stickler for them. It was one of those traits I hated about myself, but also one of those things Mom ingrained into me as a child.
How you dress is how you represent this family.
For God’s sake, Cole, that bow tie doesn’t even match.
You really aren’t a sneakers boy. Go put on some loafers.
After watching Millie struggle with a tutu Lance bought her to wear, we finally made our way out the door. We didn’t have much time to eat, but I figured we could drive through and get pancakes somewhere. I ran through my favorite breakfast place and got myself a burrito. I ordered her some pancakes along with a small cup of milk, then parked the truck. I climbed into the back seat with her and helped her set up her breakfast on her legs. I tried to make it kind of like a campout, of sorts. But it was obvious she didn’t like the setup.
Still, I tried.
“Want some syrup for your pancakes?”
She shook her head as she stayed silent.
“What about your straw? Need help with your milk?”
She shook her head again, choosing to struggle with it instead of hand it over. Maybe I needed safer topics; ones we already talked about on a regular basis.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked.
“Good,” she said softly.
“Were you too warm? Or too cold?”
“No.”
“Did you have any dreams?”
“Yeah.”
“Were they good dreams?”
“No.”
It broke my heart. It really did. All I hoped was that the therapist might provide her with someone she could open up to. We sat in silence for the remainder of our breakfast. Then, I cleaned up our mess and stuffed it into the to-go bag. I climbed back into the driver’s seat and watching me struggle made Millie giggle a bit.
If my struggles made her smile, I’d act like a buffoon more often. I drove us to the therapist’s office and let her play in the lobby area. They had plenty of toys and things for her to discover, so I let her roam around and get used to the place while I filled out the never-ending stack of paperwork.
It took me well into her actual session to get it all filled out.
In between the paperwork and having to revert back to my insurance cards for information, I watched the way Millie interacted with the woman. They didn’t want me in the same room, but there was a glass window I could look through. Millie kept looking back at me, and I’d wave. She’d tense and look back at me, and I’d smile to calm her down. I wanted to be in there with her. I wanted to know what that woman was saying to her. I finished up the paperwork halfway through the appointment, then set it down to focus on what was happening in front of me.
I really hope this woman’s as good as her reviews online say she is.
The appointment went agonizingly slowly. I watched the two play with dolls. But all Millie did was nod or shake her head. Not once did she speak with the psychologist until the tail end of the appointment, when I thought I saw her lips move.
“All right, Mr. Yarrow. We’re all finished.”
Dr. Goldstein came out of the room, and Millie rushed to me. She clung to my leg, and I patted her back, trying to reassure her. I felt her trembling. I scooped her into my arms and held her close. She wrapped he
r arms around my neck and hung on for dear life, drawing in short breaths through her nose.
“What happened? Is she okay?” I asked.
“Millie’s just fine. This appointment is used to try and get her acclimated to things. She did very well, considering she’s in a new environment.”
I was worried about Millie’s reaction, though. How she rushed to me. How she kept holding me tightly.
“Mr. Yarrow, in my professional opinion, Millie has some things she’s struggling with that are beyond my expertise. She doesn’t just have some emotional issues to work through. She has some developmental delays as well as what I believe is selective mutism brought on by trauma.”
I nodded. “Okay. So, where do we go from here?”
“I have a colleague of mine that works in this building, Dr. Yousef. She’s phenomenal with children like Millie. Highly renowned in this area. She’s not currently taking on new clients, but I know I can put in a good word and find some place in her schedule to see your daughter.”
“Niece,” I said.
She nodded. “Your niece is going to need a great deal of help through this trying time. But she did open up about someone. Hope?”
I snickered. Of course she did.
“That’s our new puppy. I got it for her last week,” I said.
“Well, someone’s been doing their research. A puppy is great for her. Especially if you let her have some responsibility with it. Feeding, or going out with you on walks. Anything that helps her feel more in control of her surroundings,” Dr. Goldstein said.
“You think she needs more control?”
“She’s definitely going to need it. Even from the small background you gave the receptionist, it sounds like she’s been through a whirlwind for the first years of her life. It’s okay for her to want to control things. Just give her things that are age appropriate to control.”
“Like?”
“Well, like her clothing, for instance.”
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