Captivate (Brooklet Dreams Book 2)

by C. A. Harms

  “Then we’ll move home.” It had not gone unnoticed the way both of us referred to Brooklet as home. It was little place in the world, the one we’d built so many memories in. Some good, some not so good, but it didn’t matter; it was the place that held our hearts and always would.

  It was the place that one day I wanted to build a family in. I wanted my kids to be as close to the people I loved the most; I wanted them to have that same sense of security that I did, ever since that big group of crazy accepted me as one of their own.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Mike

  “Your mom was on the phone with mine for over an hour last night.” Rhett grabbed the bucket I’d placed on the tailgate of my truck and placed it on the ground. Turning back, he waited for the next. “They’ve already decided that they’ll be throwing you all a house- or apartment-warming party.” He chuckled, and I ignored him.

  It wasn’t that long ago they threw that bastard a housewarming party and a baby shower. One thing about this group was they loved to celebrate. First tooth, party, first A on a spelling test, boom, party. Thing was I wasn’t even joking.

  “So, this thing with Maddison,” Rhett added, placing the third bucket of feed onto the ground at his feet. “It’s good?”

  I nodded and then looked up to find him grinning like a freak. I tried to control my own, but it was impossible. Just thinking of Maddison made my excitement shoot through the roof, but talking about her, fuck, I was elated.

  “I don’t think I have ever seen you smile quite this much,” Rhett taunted me, but I didn’t care. He was right; I was happier than I had ever been before. Maddison brought that out in me, and if being teased made him feel good, so be it. Lord knew I’d given him enough shit over the years.

  “You boys almost done?” Gramps exited the barn and walked over to the truck with that damn dog of his following close behind. Bones was always his shadow. “I got a shit that needs shoveled in the stalls.”

  “He’ll do it,” Rhett and I said simultaneously as we pointed to the opposite person. Gramps stared at us, shaking his head before turning to walk away.

  “Since the both of you are so damned eager, you can share the task.”

  “I’ve got work in a few hours, so it looks like you’re on your own.”

  “Fucker,” Rhett whispered to me under his breath, and I laughed.

  I didn’t have work, but Rhett didn’t need to know that. Maddison was meeting me in town because she’d set up a few viewings of small houses around town. We’d decided we wanted a yard, not huge, but large enough to host our own family gatherings. We also wanted two bedrooms, not for kids but space.

  Renting was our best option for now until we’d decided if we’d want to build something new or find ourselves a project home that we’d refinish together.

  The thrill of starting this venture with her was a constant in me. I was ready, and the fact that she’d been buying things online and in thrift stores confirmed she too was looking forward to this.

  After I’d unloaded the last of the feed, I jumped down off the truck and did a little salute toward Rhett. He stared after me with a blank look on his face, and I chuckled as I climbed up into my truck. “Enjoy shoveling shit,” I said, and then I was off. Damn, it sure was fun to torment his ass.

  Driving into the small town of Brooklet gave me that same sense of home it always had. I knew this was the right step for Maddison and me; I’d wanted to come back here to live ever since the first night in my tiny apartment. Thankfully, it was only a month-to-month lease I’d had because there was no way I could see staying there any longer than I already had. I was ecstatic when Mad suggested we move home; it was like she read my mind.

  I parked along the side of the road and walked about half a block to the cafe where I was meeting her. When I say half a block, keep in mind that was not a far distance at all, like two store fronts, maybe three.

  She sat out front, her phone in her hand, and she scrolled through whatever was on her screen. Her hair was down, blowing just barely in the soft breeze. I watched as she tucked a few strands behind her ear and turned to look right then left. The moment her eyes found me standing there, a smile spread out over her face, and my feet began to move once more.

  “Hey, baby.” There it was, that feeling again. She’d only done it twice, but God damn, did it do something amazing to me. I cupped her jaw, pulled her lips to mine, and kissed her like my life depended on it.

  “Wow,” she sighed as I pulled back. Her eyes remained closed, and her lips parted slightly. “What was that for?”

  “Missed ya,” I confessed without feeling even the slightest bit whooped for admitting it.

  “It’s only been a few hours.”

  “I know.” I kissed her once more, only this one was quick. “It was far too long.”

  Maddison smiled wide, laying her hand on my chest. “Are you ready to go see these three places?”

  “Hell yeah.” Lacing my fingers with hers, I led her back to my truck, and together we drove from one place to the next.

  The first one was far too stuffy and chopped up. I knew we weren’t buying it, but I seriously felt like I was trying to find my way from one side of a fucked-up maze to the next. By the frightened look on her face, I knew she felt it was a no as well.

  The second property was better as far as the layout went, but it reeked of pot, and by the time we were back outside, I felt light headed. “I think I’m high,” she whispered, which made me laugh.

  The woman showing us the properties offered us an apologetic smile and said, “Shall we move on to the next?”

  When we pulled up in front of the third house, I got this weird feeling that I couldn’t quite explain.

  “This is the one.” Mad whispered the words, but I heard them clearly.

  “You think?”

  “Look at that cute porch swing.” She reached out and placed her hand onto the handle of the door but didn’t open it yet. I watched her stare at the little grey house with the blue shutters. Hell, the door was even the same shade of blue. White trim and, like she said, the perfect porch swing.

  “It has a picket fence, Mike.” She was in awe, and we hadn’t even seen the inside. “Can you believe that?”

  Then she was off, rushing from the truck with the same kind of excitement a kid got on Christmas morning when they were rushing downstairs to see what Santa had left.

  “This one is a little larger than what you were looking for,” the agent began to explain as she walked side by side with Maddison. I trailed behind, simply watching Mad’s reaction as the woman continued. “There are three bedrooms, plus a cute attic space that can either be used for storage or the perfect sitting room. I actually think it would make an amazing playroom or library but…”

  Maddison looked back over her shoulder at me and offered a wink. I knew that moment that I wanted this house even if I hated it, because she’d already fallen in love with it. I also knew I wanted to check in on the option to buy at a later time, too.

  After we’d gone through it room by room, I knew that it was our home. The woodwork was all original, the windows and doors, though having been replaced, were exact replicas of the originals as well. There was so much light, it was cheery and peaceful.

  It was home.

  “It sits on one point three acres and has a detached two-car garage. The front has the cute little picket fence, and the remaining part of the property is also fenced in.” There was a pause as Maddison and I shared a look that spoke volumes. “What do you two think?”

  “We’ll take it.” The moment the words left my mouth, my Pretty Girl practically leapt into my arms.

  “Okay then, let’s get started on the paperwork.” The woman excused herself, leaving Maddison and me standing in the quaint eat-in kitchen. I knew that if this place ever became our forever home, we would definitely do something about the border throughout, but for now, it was workable.

  “I can’t wait to wake up here,” she
whispered near my ear. “I can’t wait to make you breakfast in this very kitchen—”

  “Naked?”

  “Yes, naked.” She bit her lip, and I pressed mine to hers.

  “I love you, Mad.” Her eyes softened when I said the words. “I can’t even begin to explain how much.”

  ***

  There needed to be that awkward moment when we were with one another and Raven was there too for the first time. Mike apologized, and she let him the entire time, saying nothing. Then when he was done and she continued to stare at him, she tried her best to hide her laughter when she braked.

  “My goodness, Mike, you act like you and I were a couple.” She shook her head. “I flirted, you did too, but it was nothing more than that, never would have been. You don’t think I saw the way you looked at Maddison? Everyone saw it. You two being together was inevitable, and I’m just glad you all finally figured it out. It was exhausting watching the two of you dance around one another. But you should know that I do plan on getting every last dirty little detail out of Maddison about you, because that’s just how I am. Nosy.” With a shrug, she spun around and left him staring after her with a blank look on his face.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Maddison

  “When do you two get possession of the house?” Chloe walked alongside me, each of us holding the reins to our horses. Grace was just ahead, unhooking the gate so we could get out to the fields for our planned ride. Dusty, Grace’s horse, trailed behind mine obediently. She’d gotten him on her sixteenth birthday, and I swore to it, no one could ride him but her.

  I’d chosen to ride Storm. He was generally my go to. But today he seemed a little rambunctious, constantly stomping his feet and whipping his head.

  Grace went for my gran’s horse, and the sweetest of the bunch, Sadie. She was mellow; she reminded me of the way I felt after I left the second house Mike and I looked out.

  Stoned.

  I smiled to myself as I led mine and Grace’s horses through the gate, followed by Chloe.

  Once the gate was closed, we each mounted our horses, and again Storm did a wild little dance, and he turned me in a complete circle.

  “He’s full of piss today.” Grace looked at him with wide eyes, and I laughed at her.

  “He just needs to blow off some of this pent-up energy, don’t ya?” I said this while rubbing my hand over his neck.

  “You girls got your phones?” Uncle Reed hollered out, and Grace held up her phone and gave it a little shake. “How long are you planning on staying out?”

  “Dad.” Grace handled her father, as in she had this way about her that had him folding. Who was I kidding? It was the same with my father. Colt couldn’t stand seeing me upset or wanting something he couldn’t give me. He’d cave every time. “We’ll be out like we usually are.” I absolutely loved Grace’s little twang when she said her R’s; it made me smile every time.

  “Just be careful.” He gave me a please don’t make me have a heart attack look, and I looked over at Chloe as we shared an awed look. Her dad, Ben, was the same way with her too; to them, we would always be those little girls that needed their daddy to fix everything.

  I sent a quick text to Mike and tucked my phone back in my pocket. “Okay, ladies, are we ready?”

  We shared a nod and took on our original stance. Each lined up side by side just waiting for the right moment. Then Grace did the whole “giddy up,” and we were off, racing side by side through the fields.

  This used to be something the three of us had done every Sunday, since we were finally considered old enough to ride alone. Grace didn’t get the all clear in the beginning, she had to wait until she got a little older, but now she was with us every time. To be truthful, she was a better rider than both Chloe and me; the girl was born to ride.

  I loved the way the wind blew my hair as the horse raced along. I loved the galloping feeling, the adrenaline coursing through me. It was all such an exhilarating feeling.

  We rode through the fields, down by the creek so the horses could get a drink and then rested next to an old rundown shed that was nearly falling in from the years of neglect. It was the perfect space to let the horses graze, though, and the large tree with low branches, so close to the ground you didn’t even have to jump up to reach them, gave us all a place to sit.

  “So.” Chloe was the first to speak as she leaned back and rested her entire body along the large truck. “I may have gotten drunk last weekend and made a pass at Landon.”

  “What?” Grace grew interested. “Mike’s friend Landon?”

  “The very same one.” She smiled and offered me a wink. Chloe was always so quiet and reserved.

  “Alcohol apparently makes me braver than I truly am, though, and now I can’t look him in the eyes without wanting to run away and hide.” Her smile turned downward in a dramatic frown, which made both Grace and I laugh. “It’s not funny, guys. He called me kid.”

  “You’re twenty-two.” The age difference wasn’t terrible. What, like, five years?

  “Welcome to the little girl club.” Grace mumbled this, and though I tried not to laugh at her, I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “Yeah, yeah, don’t be a dick.” I still found it difficult to hear Grace cuss; it seemed so wrong. “I’m stuck in this little girl’s fantasy about a guy that doesn’t even know I exist, and you’re living with a hot man who adores you. Blah, blah.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand at me.

  “Oh, I think you are wrong.” And there was that sass as she arched her brow and puckered her lips. “You don’t see the way Terrance looks at you when you aren’t paying attention.” Now she was intrigued. “I’ve caught him a few times, but you also have to understand that you are still his best friend’s little sister, and that could very well be the end to his relationship with Rhett. It’s a bold move, so I think you should be patient.”

  “I’m eighteen and still a virgin. I’ve never even kissed a guy unless you count little Jimmy Jones slobbering on my cheek in the fifth grade. But even then, Rhett threatened to beat him up when he found out, and he and my daddy have made sure no other boy has come within a foot of me since. At this rate, they’ll be doing a remake of the 40 Year Old Virgin, starring yours truly.”

  Silence settled around us as both Chloe and I stared at Grace after her crazy rant. She even took in a deep breath and slowly let it out after.

  “Oh, my hell, will you two say something already?” she practically growled, and it was all I could take.

  “Sweetheart, I think you need to accept that you have two men that are going to make it difficult for you. It’s gonna take a special and dedicated man to break through the barriers that those two have built around you.” I felt for the girl, I truly did, because Reed and Rhett were for sure gonna drive her insane for years and years to come. But the guy had my most sympathy; I just hoped whoever she ended up with, he was strong enough to survive.

  ***

  We spent close to three hours out riding, but at that point, my ass was numb, and I was damn hungry. When we got on top of the last hill that overlooked the land, I could see the house up ahead, and it was that moment my stomach growled. I could almost taste Gran’s homemade butter biscuits and gravy. It may be close to noon, but it never failed she’d make them for the three of us every time.

  “Race ya home!” Grace hollered out over her shoulder as she took off. Chloe and I knew we didn’t have a shot at catching her, so instead we galloped along toward the house.

  “Landon is a sweet guy.” Chloe gave a little shrug, and I could sense she was still so embarrassed. Maybe by her actions or his rejection, who knew? It could be both. “Just give it some time and then talk to him again. He’s not the kinda guy that would call you out on something or embarrass you on purpose. Most likely he’ll just choose to forget all about it and you two will be fine moving forward.”

  “Or I could just ignore him and it all together.”

  Chloe was so easily embarrassed; she always had been.
>
  As we reached the gate, Grace was waiting there for us. “You two have got to be the slowest,” she joked.

  “It’s only because you’re a showoff.” I grabbed the reins and positioned my foot in the stirrup, swinging one leg over and off Storm when he chose that very moment to start one of his fits. The unplanned movements made me lose my balance, and my leg twisted, causing a pain to shoot through my hip.

  “Damn it,” I yelled, only managing to spook the horse even more, and he began to buck hard. I tried to grip the reins harder, but the burning of the rope triggered my release, and I felt my body falling, only I didn’t hit the ground, not fully. My head collided hard with side of the fence, and then I was being dragged along, and Storm’s fit intensified. My body felt like a plastic bag blowing in the wind, being whipped around from side to side and then back again. I tried my best to pull myself up even though I’d never felt pain like I did in that moment. I could faintly hear screaming, and at one point it sounded like a cry of pain. Pressure behind my eyes, a nauseated feeling in my stomach. I looked up to see someone running toward me just when my eyes began to droop, and my body went lax.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Mike

  “You cheated,” Garrett laughed as he pushed my hand away from his eyes. “You can’t claim a win if you don’t accomplish it fairly.”

  “Aww, did you come up with that all on your own?” I continued to taunt Garrett because, damn it, it felt too good not to.

  “You are such a dick.”

  “I heard that,” our mother warned from the kitchen and peeked around the wall, giving Garrett a warning look. When she disappeared again, I chuckled.

  I heard a phone ring in the other room, and Garrett looked back over his shoulder, giving me the perfect chance to get one up on him once more. When he swung back around just in time to see his character fall to the ground in defeat, he glared over at me, mumbling words under his breath.