A Secret He Can't Keep: A Small Town Opposites Attract Romance (Brookview, Ohio Book 2)

by Autumn Marks

  Brandon winced. “I see you brought out your boxing gloves tonight. Maybe I should come back some other time.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.” She tried to tell herself she wasn’t affected by him, but him standing so close to her made her body hum. Aside from his good looks, she knew there was a caring, passionate person underneath. One she still loved no matter how much she’d tried to ignore it.

  “It’s okay. You have a right to be angry,” he said.

  Farther down the street, people were sitting on their front porches sipping glasses of something, children were riding their bikes in the street, and beside them on the sidewalk, a woman was walking a dog. If they wanted to continue this conversation, and she did, this wasn’t the place for it. “Do you want to come in? I think we should talk.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  She was letting him inside. Brandon celebrated this small feat inside his head and followed dutifully behind Emily while she led him through the door.

  Inside, the surroundings were very familiar, but the tension was palpable and his heart beat steadily faster, nervous about how this encounter would go. His only goal for the evening was to get Emily back.

  He never should’ve let her go in the first place. His heart had been on the path to healing with Emily and she saw him for the person he really was. She didn’t mind the emotional baggage he came with, having gone through so much herself. She got it—and she got him.

  And then like a coward, he’d tried to run away from it all when really, he should’ve told her everything. He hoped like hell she’d give him another chance.

  “Can I get you anything to drink? Barb sent me home with some cookies if you’d like some.”

  “I’m okay, thanks.” Brandon hesitated, not sure if she wanted him to sit or not. She’d invited him in, but she might want him to hurry this up and get the hell out of here.

  Emily managed a half-hearted smile. “Go ahead and sit. I’m just going to put these in the kitchen and then I’ll be in.”

  It was clear to both of them that Emily had the upper hand here—not him. It was how he wanted it anyway. He didn’t want to push her into something she didn’t want or wasn’t ready for.

  Brandon sat down on the couch, the same couch he’d sat on when he’d come to break up with her. How he wished he could take that moment away. How he wished that could’ve been the time when he had told her everything. But that wasn’t how things had played out and this time, he’d come to try and make things right.

  Emily came into the room, looking ever so elegant in her dress slacks and blouse. Her hair was down, which was how he preferred it, but really, he’d take her any way he could get her. His fingers ached to touch her, hold her. He wanted to feel her lips against his again, feel her underneath him.

  She sat down on the edge of her chair and crossed her legs. “Seems like not that long ago we were sitting in these exact spots,” she said.

  Brandon detected no humor in that statement. “I’m sorry for that night. I’m sorry for running out on you at the wedding. I’m sorry for keeping my secret from you.” He’d get down on his knees and beg if he had to.

  “I get why you did and if I were in your position, I’m not sure what I would’ve done.”

  So she was a smidge understanding. He took that as a positive sign. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. Your speech at the wedding wasn’t too soon. But I didn’t want to tell you ‘I love you’ then. I wanted to tell you when it was just the two of us. I wanted it to be a time when you weren’t expecting it.” He paused. “But then—”

  “Then you found out I had a sister.”

  “A sister that I felt solely responsible for her death. I panicked. I thought by getting out of the picture, you could move on with your life and I wouldn’t have to feel guilty every time I saw you. But then I talked to Mickey and she showed me the other side of things.”

  Emily’s eyes became moist. “Which was?” she asked, her voice rough.

  “That you would have a much harder time putting yourself out there because I left right when you’d expressed your love to me.”

  A tear made a trail down one of Emily’s cheeks and Brandon wanted so badly to reach out and wipe it away for her. “Mickey’s right.”

  Brandon smiled. “She usually is.”

  “So what do you want?”

  “You. It’s always been you. I don’t want anyone else.”

  More tears streamed down her face. Emily hastily wiped them away and dried off her hands on her slacks. “And what if I say no?”

  Brandon’s stomach sank and he swallowed past the tightness in his throat. This couldn’t be the end. “Is that what you want?”

  She shook her head.

  Brandon’s heart swelled. This wouldn’t be the end.

  “But I don’t want to be with you if you can’t look at me without seeing Katrina.”

  He nodded. “It’s going to take me some time to get past that. The reason I went to the cemetery that day was so I could say some words to your sister to help me move past it so I could repair things with you. Forgiving myself isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight but I’m working on it. And I’m working on starting in Brookview with a clean slate. I went and talked to my dad and we’re working on repairing our relationship.”

  Emily’s eyes widened. “You did?”

  “I did. I’m really trying here, Emily. And I want to try again with you…if you’ll have me.”

  Emily stared up at the ceiling and Brandon saw her swallow hard once, then again. She wiped her hands across her cheeks and then looked at him once more. She tried to talk, but then resorted to nodding instead.

  Brandon got off the couch and kneeled down in front of Emily. He held her face in his hands and swiped away her tears with his thumbs. “Do you mind if I…?”

  Emily shook her head.

  “So you don’t want me to kiss you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m confused. So you do want me to kiss you?”

  Emily chuckled. “Just kiss me already, dammit.”

  Brandon didn’t need any further clarification. He’d been waiting for this moment and when he brushed his lips against hers, he closed his eyes and savored it. He’d keep his lips there as long as she’d allow, never wanting to break contact.

  But he did break contact, just long enough to say three little words. The three little words she’d been waiting on. “I love you.”

  Epilogue

  As a real estate agent, Emily had a knack for matching people with their forever home. And finding a home for this particular client had been a breeze. In town a year now and having rented all last year, she’d known exactly which house to choose for this one.

  Emily and her client stood in front of the craftsman bungalow that was tastefully decorated in neutral tones. The wide front porch and carefully-manicured landscaping gave the home nice curb appeal. The surrounding neighborhood was very picturesque, filled with small town charm. The home was big enough, but not grandiose and her client would have ample space for all of his belongings.

  The two stepped onto the front porch. “This porch swing is perfect for sitting out on a warm summer night to watch the thunderstorms roll by,” she said, running her hand along the decorative pillows that provided a nice pop of color. Her client nodded along with her words with a smirk on his face. The decorative pillows weren’t his style but he refrained from saying so.

  She opened up the front door, then walked through first with her client following closely behind. “This is a decent sized living room, perfect for a couple or small family. Plenty of room for a big-screen TV on that wall over there,” she pointed out. They stepped out of the living room and went to the next room. “Here’s the formal dining room which is a great size for dinner parties.”

  “Emily, do we really have to do this? I’m not one of your clients and I already know what your house looks like,” Brandon said.

  Brandon had been l
iving in Brookview a year and when it was time for him to make a decision about renewing his lease, Emily had jumped at the chance to have him move in with her. It wouldn’t have been much different, considering he’d been spending most of his nights there anyway. Their love over the past year had only gotten stronger and Emily was ready to take their relationship to the next level.

  Over the next few days, they were going to go through his and her things to see what furniture they’d keep and which to sell.

  Emily shushed him. “Let me finish, please. It’ll be worth it. Here’s the kitchen, a bit on the small side, but fully functional and it has ample storage space,” she said, opening up some of the cupboards for effect.

  Brandon snaked an arm around her. “When do I get to see the bedroom?”

  “Soon. But first we need to take a look at the backyard. One downside of this house is that it doesn’t come with a fenced-in yard.”

  “Lucky for you, I know someone who can put up a fence. But my services are limited to only one type of fence. If you want something else, we’ll have to call someone.”

  “We can worry about that later. Let’s go upstairs to the bedrooms next.”

  “Finally,” Brandon said.

  “Here’s the master bedroom which is big enough for a queen-sized bed and all the necessary bedroom furniture.”

  Brandon pulled her close to him, eliciting a squeak out of her. “Let’s stop here. I’ve seen enough.”

  She shook her head. “We’re not done yet. There’s still a bathroom and another bedroom to be seen.”

  Brandon groaned. “Fine.”

  Emily showed off the bathroom next. “The bathroom is surprisingly spacious with a tub and shower combo. Only one sink, but there’s plenty of storage space under the sink and in the linen closet.”

  Then finally she came to one last door. “And this…” She paused to open the door. “This will be the nursery.”

  Brandon scanned the room and looked at her. “The nursery?”

  She nodded and held up a positive pregnancy test. “Congratulations?” She wasn’t sure what kind of a reaction she’d get. He’d been through so much this past year. The school year had been challenging at the start as Brandon learned his way around and adjusted to a new set of students. Then his dad had passed away soon after the new year, leaving him to cope with losing a parent and then helping his mom through her grief. Having a baby provided a new set of stressors—but it was a life they’d created. Emily was ready for it. Would Brandon be ready?

  Brandon wrapped his arms around her and picked her up off her feet, pressing his lips to hers as he did so. “It’s definitely congratulations. How long have you known?”

  “About a month. I wanted to let you finish up the school year before telling you.”

  “I can’t believe it. I’m going to be a dad!” Brandon cupped Emily’s face in his hands, his touch warm and gentle. “I love you so much,” he said and kissed her long and hard.

  She smiled, her insides no longer a bundle of nerves. Warmth bloomed in her heart as she said the words which held so much meaning for the two of them. “I love you too.”

  Brandon shook his head and chuckled. “Well, now that you’ve raised the bar on surprises, mine kind of pales in comparison.”

  “What’s your surprise?”

  He got down on one knee and pulled a ring from his shorts pocket. Emily stood there, tears welling in her eyes, as he held her hands in his. “I never expected much when I came back to Brookview a year ago. And I never expected to find you, the love of my life, here. You’re the reason I have a smile on my face when I wake up in the morning and when I go to sleep at night. There’s a reason our paths crossed and I can’t imagine living my life without you in it.” Brandon touched Emily’s stomach even though she knew he couldn’t feel anything. “Now that you’re pregnant, I know you’ll be the best mother in the world, and I can’t wait to raise this beautiful child together. Emily, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

  Tears streamed down Emily’s cheeks. “Yes, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Brandon asked, cocking his head.

  “We’re eloping.”

  Brandon laughed. “Fair enough.”

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  About the Author

  Autumn Marks writes steamy, small town romance that brings all the feels. She grew up in a small town and now lives in a big city, but truly believes there really is no place like home. When she's not writing, you can usually find her baking something in the kitchen or reading with a cat on her lap.

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