Shooting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Suspenseful Bad Boy Neighbor Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #2)

by Naomi Niles

  “Does that mean you’re going to look for her?”

  “I suppose it does,” Peter nodded. “Actually, to be honest, I’ve already started. As it turns out, there are quite a few Alice Burbanks floating around. It’ll take a little more digging to find her, provided she hasn’t changed her name.”

  “Are you confident you’ll be able to find her?”

  “Fairly confident. But that’s just a feeling, rather than a certainty.”

  “Do your brothers know you’re looking?”

  “Not yet,” he replied. “I wanted to tell you about it first. Do you think it’s a good idea?”

  “I do,” I nodded fervently. “If you’re curious about her now, that’s never going to go away. Even if all you’re looking for is closure, then it’s worth the effort to try and find her.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said. “It makes me feel better about the whole thing.”

  We finished dinner and we headed to the park for a nighttime stroll around the lawns. It was a surreal moment for me. I’d never had this kind of relationship with any other man. Usually, I met my boyfriends at clubs or parties and the time we spent together was much of the same thing. Booze and drugs and loud music had always surrounded us, and in some ways, it had made it easier for me not to think.

  It was nice now that I could enjoy peace and quiet and the company of a man who genuinely cared about me.

  “How’s Victor doing?” Peter asked.

  “Better,” I confided. “The dreams have whittled down now and he doesn’t see Kameron in his sleep much anymore. Once in a while, he’ll wake up in a cold sweat, but… I think he’s starting to come to terms with what he did. I think a part of him will always feel a little guilt.”

  “That’s a good thing, Madison,” Peter said quickly. “Think about it. Wouldn’t you be more concerned if he had killed a man and showed no remorse for it? Even if the man in question deserved it?”

  “You’re right,” I nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re completely right.”

  “He’ll learn to live with it,” Peter said.

  “That’s what I told him yesterday,” I nodded. “I just…”

  “Yes?”

  “I keep thinking about Kameron, too,” I admitted. “And honestly… I’m sorry that he had to die in the process, but I can’t help being relieved at the same time. I don’t ever have to worry about him again. I’m completely free.”

  Peter put his arm around me and kissed my head. “You are free,” he agreed.

  “And as for Victor, he’s starting to come to life now. He’s starting to think about his next move. He wants to get a job here in Fort Collins and then he’s looking into a place of his own.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh?”

  “That’s great news,” Peter said quickly. “But I do have another suggestion.”

  “Which is?”

  “He could just stay at your place and pay the rent there.”

  “I only have one bedroom, Peter,” I reminded him. “I don’t think Victor would like staying on the couch indefinitely and I’m not interested in sharing a room with my brother anymore.”

  Peter smiled. “You wouldn’t be living there with him.”

  “I wouldn’t?” I asked, in surprise.

  “No,” he said. “You would move in with me. With the new addition, we have plenty of room.”

  I stopped walking and turned to him in shock. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

  “I know it’s fast.”

  “I just… You took me off guard, that’s all.”

  “Do you need some time to think about it maybe?” he asked nervously.

  “No,” I said, with a euphoric smile. “I don’t have to think about anything.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Peter

  “Fucking hell, it’s cold,” Sam complained.

  “Put some more coal on the fire, you dimwit,” John said, rolling his eyes at him. Then he turned to me. “Pete, where are the girls?”

  “Inside,” I replied. “They’re getting the meat ready for the barbeque.”

  “They’ve been in there for ages,” Sam complained. “It doesn’t take that long to get the meat ready.”

  “Is someone hungry?” I asked.

  “I’m fucking starving,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “And it’s fucking cold, too.”

  “Stop whining and help me build up the fire,” Alan said, shaking his head at Sam. “Pete, would you mind getting some more wood from the porch front?”

  “Sure thing,” I nodded as I cut through the house to get to the porch.

  On my way there, I passed the kitchen and I heard Jessica and Madison talking together.

  “He snores?” Madison was laughing. “I wouldn’t have expected that of Alan.”

  “It’s a new thing,” Jessica sighed. “You’re lucky that Peter doesn’t snore.”

  I smiled to myself and kept walking. It was nice that Jessica and Madison got along so well. They had hit it off from the start and that just made everything so much easier.

  Alan had loved Madison and had approved of her right away. She had fit into the family dynamic perfectly. I was gratified to find that after years of all male, testosterone-fueled get-togethers, we still had enough room for some feminine energy. In fact, it actually made for more fun.

  I had collected up a bunch of wood when I noticed headlights in the drive. A few moments later, a beat-up truck pulled to a stop in front of the house and Talen stepped out.

  “Talen!” I greeted, thrilled to see him. “You decided to come.”

  “Well, I had fun at the last one,” Talen said. “So I figured I’d give it another shot. Plus, it would be nice to see Alan and Jessica again.”

  “Well, we’re glad to have you,” I said, clapping him on the back.

  “I heard about the incident that happened over at Madison’s house,” Talen said, glancing over in that direction.

  “Yeah…”

  “Pretty intense shit.”

  “It was,” I nodded. “But it’s sorted now.”

  Talen was the only brother who didn’t know what had really happened that night at Madison’s house. He knew the official story, but not the gory details. It wasn’t as though I was trying to purposefully keep it from him; it was just that he so rarely showed up that he ended up missing large chunks of the story. I had no reservations about telling him, but now wasn’t the time or the place.

  “How is Madison?”

  “She’s great,” I nodded. “Her brother’s living with her temporarily at the moment. Or maybe it’s the other way around now.”

  Talen wrinkled his brows at me. “Umm…what?”

  I smiled. “That’s right, you don’t know. Madison is moving in with me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yup.”

  “That was fast.”

  “I know,” I replied. “It took everyone by surprise. Including her… But it feels right.”

  “What about John?”

  “What about John?” I asked. “There’s room enough for all three of us. Madison doesn’t mind and neither does John.”

  Talen nodded. “Look at you guys go,” he said thoughtfully. “First Alan, now you. I wonder who will be next?”

  “Maybe it’ll be you,” I suggested.

  He snorted. “I highly doubt that.”

  “Come on,” I said. “Is the idea of a relationship really so far-fetched?”

  “For me it is,” he nodded. “I wasn’t made for relationships. I’m too rough around the edges. No woman would put up with me for long.”

  “Maybe you only think that because you haven’t found the right woman?” I suggested.

  Talen gave me a small smile. “You sound like Dad.”

  “Funny, people have been saying that to me more and more recently.”

  “Love has softened you up,” he pointed out.

  “Hmm…maybe
you’re right.”

  There was a bark from the house and Talen turned to peer into the front door. “You got a dog, too?”

  “It’s Madison’s dog,” I explained. “His name’s Polo. I suppose now that she’s moving in, he’s kind of my dog, too.”

  “Lots of changes,” Talen said thoughtfully. “What’s Madison going to do with the house next door?”

  “Her brother’s taking over the rent,” I explained. “So he’ll be close.”

  “Is he joining us for dinner tonight?”

  “Not today,” I said. “He found a new job recently and it’s keeping him busy.”

  “He found a job so fast?”

  “Well, I might have put in a word here and there,” I admitted. “Just to help him get back on his feet. No big deal.”

  “You’re always looking out for people.”

  “Just the ones I’m closest to,” I said. “Just the ones I care about.”

  Talen’s blue eyes were far away, and I knew he was looking towards the past. I just wasn’t sure if he was thinking back to his days with Maddow’s gang or long before that, when we were still boys.

  “Talen?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Do you ever think about Mom?” I asked.

  His eyes instantly came back into focus and when they landed on me, they were cold as stone and completely devoid of any emotion. “I try not to think about her,” he replied. “I try not to waste my time thinking about her.”

  “You’re not…curious?”

  “She abandoned us,” he said, with venom in his tone. “I’m not interested in her anymore.”

  “Okay,” I said, biting my tongue.

  “Let’s go inside,” Talen said quickly, to cover over the moment of awkwardness.

  I nodded and gestured for him to go on ahead of me. I grabbed the wood and followed him into the house. The girls had finally gotten the meat outside and everyone was crowded around the blazing fire.

  “Talen!” Jessica said, as she came forward and gave him a hug. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

  As everyone came forward to greet Talen, I made eye contact with John. He looked at me questioningly, recognizing that something was on my mind. “Later,” I mouthed to him.

  It was a fantastic barbeque. I had marinated the meat in a special sauce of my own concoction, which had hints of saltiness, sweetness and spice. We paired the meat with cold cuts, bread, and potato salad, and everyone devoured the food.

  Polo yapped around everyone’s feet, begging for scraps and half the time his puppy dog eyes actually worked. His shyness had all but dissipated, and he seemed like a different dog entirely. The only person who Polo seemed a little weary of was Talen, who maintained a respectful distance.

  “Stop it, guys,” Madison said, watching as Sam succumbed and threw Polo another scrap of meat. “He’s going to get so spoiled…and fat.”

  “That’s what I aspire to,” Sam joked. “One day having the luxury of being spoiled and fat.”

  “You’re going to have forgo the women, then,” Alan pointed out.

  “Why?” he asked incredulously. “They’ll still find me irresistible.”

  “Irresistible?” Alan scoffed. “In your dreams, man.”

  “I can get women in any shape or form,” he replied cockily. “I’m a chick magnet. It was a gift I was born with. Wouldn’t you agree, girls?”

  Jessica and Madison exchanged a glance. “Well, I can’t say that a woman’s ideal fantasy is a man who’s spoiled and fat,” Jessica smiled.

  “That’s because that combo is exclusive to me.”

  Madison burst out laughing. “There’s no problem with your ego.”

  “It’s not ego, my darling,” Sam corrected her. “It’s confidence…and honesty.”

  “And delusion,” John added.

  “Don’t mind Sam,” I said. “He was dropped on his head as a child.”

  “No, I wasn’t,” he said.

  “You were,” I nodded. “I should know; I was the one who dropped you.”

  We burst into laughter as Sam scowled at me. I put my arm around Madison, pulling her closer as I savored the sound of my family’s laughter.

  I wished that Dad could see us the way we were now – together, content, and at peace with one another…for the most part, at least. It was more than I had hoped for, and I had the tiniest little blossom of pride.

  In some small way, I had been responsible for this. I had kept the family together in those dark months after Dad had died. And it had paid off. All my sacrifices had been worth it. It was a heady feeling.

  Once we had gorged ourselves on meat and bread, we got up and cleared away the plates. John and I stayed behind in the backyard to quell the fire and put the barbeque away. Once everyone else had disappeared into the house, John turned to me.

  “Something was on your mind earlier, wasn’t it?”

  “I forget how well you know me sometimes,” I smiled.

  “What is it, little brother?” John asked.

  “Probably the same thing that’s been on your mind lately, too,” I admitted. “Our mother.”

  John froze for a second and then he nodded. “I didn’t know you had given her any serious thought.”

  “I don’t know, it’s just…something about the way she left,” I said. “I feel like there’s more to the story. That being said, I’m very aware that I could be mistaken. It’s just that-”

  “You want to be sure,” he said, finishing my sentence for me.

  “Exactly,” I nodded. “I’ve actually started searching for her already.”

  “Really?” he asked in shock.

  “Yes.”

  “And?” John asked. “Have you found her?”

  “I think so,” I admitted. “But there’s no way to be sure until I’m standing in front of her, looking into her eyes.”

  “Wow,” he breathed. “This is…huge.”

  “I know,” I said. “It is.”

  “Pete?” John’s voice was hushed but serious.

  “Yes?”

  “I think I should be the one to go and find her,” he said.

  “You?”

  “I’m the oldest,” he said, trying to explain. “And, I haven’t often acted like it in the past. I was happy to let you take the lead because I knew you were so much more capable than I was. But now… I think it’s time I stepped up. You just got back to work, and you have Madison now; you can’t just leave her behind.”

  “What about your job?”

  “You know very well I’ve been a bit disenfranchised with my job lately,” John said. “And honestly, I think a large part of it has to do with her.”

  “Mom?”

  “I’ve been thinking about her a lot,” he said. “Almost to the point of obsession. When I found that picture of her in the attic, it was like a sign. A sign that told me I needed to find her. And then…you brought her up, too, and it all made sense. I should be the one to go look for her.”

  “Are you prepared for what you’ll find?” I asked. “She might be different. She might have re-married, she might have more kids… Who knows?”

  “I’ve thought of the different possibilities,” John nodded. “And honestly, it makes my head spin. I think I just need to go and search. And whatever I end up finding is what I end up finding. There’s no helping that. I want answers, and I’ll take what I get – no matter the outcome.”

  “That’s brave.”

  John shrugged. “Or stupid,” he said, with a smile. “We’ll soon find out.”

  I nodded and clapped him on the back. “Good luck to you.”

  As Madison approached us, John gave me a parting smile and headed back into the house to join the rest. She slipped an arm around my waist as I bent down to kiss her softly on the lips.

  “Hi, you,” she smiled. “That was some meal you prepared.”

  “Just a little something I whipped up.”

  “You have so many talents.”

  “I do,” I
winked at her.

  “I’m a very lucky woman,” she laughed.

  I smiled. “Please… We both know I’m the lucky one here.”

  “Maybe we both lucked out here,” she suggested, a happy compromise.

  “I’ll agree to that,” I nodded.

  “Did you speak to John about your mother?” Madison asked, glancing back over at the house.

  “Just did,” I nodded. “He wants to search for her himself.”

  “I thought he might,” she said thoughtfully.

  “You did?”

  “He has questions in his eyes,” she replied. “They cry out for answers.”

  I looked at her pointedly.

  “What?”

  “You could be a poet.”

  She smiled. “I’m thinking of a minor in poetry, actually,” she said, with a laugh. Then her face smoothed out and she looked up at me; her beautiful green eyes were blazing. “Are you okay?”

  “I am now.”

  She smiled and leaned in for a long kiss.

  Epilogue

  Madison

  Our room had a beautiful view of the slopes. I pulled on my thermal tights before my jeans and then picked up the turquoise reindeer sweater Sam and John had gotten me for Christmas. I had just pulled it on when Peter appeared at the door. He had a massive red ski jacket on, and his face was flushed from the cold outside.

  “There you are,” he said. “I came to get you.”

  “I’m going to make a fool of myself…again,” I sighed. “Can’t I just watch you guys?”

  “Not a chance,” he said severely. “I’m going to make a skier out of you yet, just you wait.”

  “It’s not fair. I have two left feet,” I complained. “The rest of you are so athletic.”

  “You just need a bit more practice,” he smiled. “And, I’m happy to catch you anytime you fall.”

  “That’s a full-time job.”

  “One that I’m more than happy to take on.”

  I smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “You guys having fun out there?”

  “This was a really good idea,” he nodded. “We’ve never taken a big family trip like this before.”

  “But you miss John and Talen, don’t you?”