Dare To Stay

by Phillips, Carly

  “Before I sit down, I’m going to grab some ice cream. Want some?” Willow asked.

  Aurora’s eyes opened wide and she smiled. “Oh my God, yes. I had a big dinner but I’m craving sweets.” She sat down on the couch and placed her hands over her growing belly.

  After raiding the freezer, Willow returned with two pints of ice cream and two spoons. “I say we just call dibs and enjoy. Cookie dough or cookies and cream?”

  “Cookies and cream.”

  She handed over the pint and a spoon, then settled in cross-legged on the cushioned couch. She took off the top, took a huge spoonful, and moaned. “I am so glad you left me the cookie dough.”

  Aurora laughed. “You should have just said which one you wanted.”

  Willow shrugged. “I like both but I do love cookie dough. So how’s it going at Dare Nation? I know it hasn’t been long, but you’re enjoying it?”

  “So much. I finally feel like I might have a normal life. Well, there’s the baby issue but I’ll figure something out.”

  In her last trimester without a plan, a permanent place to live, or a daycare lined up, time was running out, Willow thought. She’d done some looking into subsidy programs, and with the money Aurora was making by working at Dare Nation, she probably wouldn’t qualify. But that didn’t mean she could afford everything she needed on her own, either.

  “I know that look. Can we not talk about me tonight? How’s Braden?” Aurora asked, changing the subject.

  Fine. She’d give in for now. “Braden is good. We’re getting to know each other again.” She’d told Aurora about their history and how she was hesitant about the future.

  Although she could talk to Steffy, only someone who’d shared similar pasts to Willow could relate to her feelings. But there were age and life experience differences between her and Aurora, which made it hard for the younger woman to understand completely. Regardless, Willow felt a sisterly connection with her.

  “I like him,” Aurora said. “He’s a good man. His whole family. They’re decent people.”

  “They are,” Willow murmured. She dug into her ice cream and took a cold spoonful.

  Memories of Braden bringing her a brownie sundae surfaced, and she squirmed in her seat, her sex still tingling from her earlier orgasm. Not the time, she reminded herself, focusing on Aurora.

  “But they don’t understand me the way you do.”

  Willow glanced over, surprised. She’d just been thinking the same thing. But she wanted Aurora open to new and caring people. “They want to help and I’m glad you let them.”

  “I don’t know how I got so lucky, but when I met Braden, my life changed.”

  “Mine, too.”

  They sat in silence, eating their ice cream until they’d both had enough. Aurora rose and took both of their containers and spoons into the kitchen to clean up, and Willow stood, ready to get some sleep.

  Aurora walked over and paused. “Willow, I’m really glad I have you in my life,” she said and went in for a hug, her belly stopping her and they both laughed.

  “I’m glad I have you, too.” A warm feeling stole over her, knowing she had someone in her life who truly felt like family.

  Chapter Nine

  Later in the week, Willow massaged the ankle Damon had twisted at Sunday’s game, impressed that his conversation centered on football and not Willow’s relationship with his brother. She appreciated his discretion at work and focused on easing his pain and making sure he could play this week.

  “Come back tomorrow for more stim and therapy,” she told him. It was Thursday and they had time. “We’ll wrap it Sunday and you should be good to go.”

  “Love your magic hands,” Damon said, winking at her.

  “Leave my girl alone and go home to your own,” Braden said, joining them and smacking his brother on the head.

  At least one brother was discreet, she thought, shooting him an annoyed look.

  “You’re so easy to get going.” Damon eased himself off the table, chuckling the entire time.

  Even Willow grinned.

  “Austin!” Damon waved at their brother, and Willow turned to see the man dressed in a suit and tie, ever the professional agent, joining them. “Here to talk to your star player?” Damon asked.

  Braden rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t just represent you, remember? Arrogant son of a bitch,” he said with no bite, just a grin.

  “As much as I’d like to stay and joke like we did when we were kids, I need to have a serious talk with Braden and Willow.”

  She blinked, surprised. “About what?” What would Austin want with her?

  “Is everything okay?” Damon, the one left out, asked.

  Austin nodded. “It’s nothing about our family.”

  Damon’s stiff shoulders visibly relaxed. “I’ll leave you all to it then.” He walked off, favoring his ankle.

  “Ask Steffy to wrap that ankle before you go home,” Willow called out to him, and he answered with a thumbs-up over his shoulder.

  Austin glanced from Willow to Braden. “Do you have someplace private we can talk?”

  “My office.” Braden lifted a hand, clearly intending to put it on her back before realizing where he was, and gestured toward the exit instead.

  Once they were in Braden’s office, which, unlike Willow’s, had personal touches – photos of his family and matching desk accessories—Austin closed the door.

  Worried, she couldn’t wait a moment more. “What’s wrong?”

  “I wouldn’t say anything’s wrong,” Austin said. “It’s just that I had a visitor at the office this morning. A man named Lincoln Kingston. He’s based in New York.” Austin braced a hand on the desk as he spoke. “He claims to be Aurora’s brother.”

  “What?” She shook her head in denial. “No. Aurora’s mother left her with her grandmother, and she died when Aurora was five. She spent her childhood in foster care.” Willow narrowed her gaze, not understanding. “And why would this man come to you?”

  The brothers exchanged glances that Willow took to mean they were worried about her reaction, but she didn’t care.

  “I know you’re protective of her but let Austin tell us everything.” Braden wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  His body heat calmed her somewhat. She just didn’t want the young woman scammed or hurt more than she already had been. “Sorry. Go on.”

  Austin nodded. “It’s a long story, but apparently there are four Kingston siblings, and believe it or not, you’ve probably heard of them. Dash Kingston–”

  “The rock star?” Shock ripped through her.

  Austin nodded. “It gets better. Xander Kingston, the actor, and there’s a sister, Chloe.”

  “I don’t believe this. Where the hell have they been all her life?” Braden’s voice rose in anger, and Willow’s heart squeezed tight at his protective reaction that mirrored her own.

  “I’ll tell you if you’ll chill out,” Austin said.

  It was Willow’s turn to hug Braden back and calm him down.

  “We’re listening.”

  Austin settled on the corner of the desk, his expression thoughtful as he spoke. “Their father died recently, and as the son in charge of the family business, it was left to Lincoln to go through his paperwork. He found monthly checks to a woman they didn’t know dating back over eighteen years. All had been cashed.”

  Braden let out a whistle. “That’s a red flag,” he muttered.

  Nodding, Austin went on. “Exactly. He had a private investigator do some digging. They found the woman, and she admitted to having an affair with Charles Kingston and getting pregnant. Charles wanted her to end the pregnancy, but she insisted on keeping the baby, so he paid her to keep it quiet. He didn’t want his wife and family to find out.”

  “Wait.” Willow stiffened, feeling herself getting worked up all over again as she thought about the implications of the story so far. “Are you telling me she gave the baby to her mother, Aurora’s grandmot
her”—because that’s what the young woman had told Willow had happened—“and then she took off but continued cashing the checks? Not giving anything to her kid?” she asked loudly and in utter disbelief.

  “Yes.” Austin eyed her warily, obviously waiting for another tirade to kick in, but she wanted to hear the rest, so she drew a deep breath and let it out before speaking. “Did she know her mother had died?”

  Austin nodded.

  “And she never went back for her daughter?”

  She already knew the answer since Aurora said she never saw her mother again, but there was a slight chance there was something she didn’t know about.

  “Unfortunately, no,” Austin said.

  She felt the weight of Braden’s stare, knowing he watched her carefully, but she couldn’t focus on him right now. Anger rushed through her, but she held on to her temper, knowing getting visibly upset would get her nowhere.

  “So this woman just let her daughter end up in foster care.” Willow spun out of Braden’s grasp and stalked to the window overlooking the parking lot.

  The cars blurred as her eyes filled with tears, just thinking about what Aurora had lived through while her mother did God knows what with money that could have changed the young woman’s life. Of course, having her mother would have been better, but like Willow’s mom, Aurora’s hadn’t cared.

  Willow wrapped her arms around herself and turned toward the men.

  Braden took a step toward her, but she shook her head. She wanted the facts, not comforting. “What else did her mother say? And how did they track Aurora to you?” she asked Austin.

  “At first they hit a dead end, what with the grandmother passing away and Aurora aging out of foster care and disappearing. She didn’t come up on any of the obvious checks. Driver’s license, social media, credit cards, et cetera, until she took a job with us.”

  “Aah. That makes sense,” Braden said.

  “Since Bri insisted we pay Aurora a week up-front so she had something to live on, as soon as she opened a bank account and cashed the check, the private investigator had something to go on. And they traced her to Dare Nation.”

  If this story was true, then the Kingstons were looking for Aurora, and they wanted her to be part of their family. But they didn’t know anything about these people, and Willow wanted to protect the girl who’d come to mean something to her.

  “And you’re sure it’s legitimate?” Braden asked, echoing her thoughts.

  “Evie is looking into everything,” Austin said of his and Braden’s sister-in-law and Damon’s wife, who was a private investigator. “But I have faith it’s all true. They went searching for the sister they didn’t know they had. It’s not something a family with money would do lightly unless they cared.”

  Willow nodded, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Do they know Aurora is pregnant?” Would that change how they felt about her?

  “No. I didn’t think it was my place to tell them.”

  Braden inclined his head. “Good call. Until Evie knows for certain their story checks out, we don’t tell Aurora anything about this. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Willow said. This would be a huge shock, and she wanted to make sure everything was true first. Then they’d sit her down and give her the shock of her life.

  “Does Bri know?” Braden looked to his brother.

  “Yes, but she won’t say anything,” Austin assured them. “Meanwhile, he’s staying at the W Hotel and is waiting to hear from us on when he can see her. I have to tell you, he didn’t take it well that we didn’t just give him easy access, and I was lucky Aurora was out to lunch with Bri when he showed up. He has every intention of convincing his sister to come back home with him and be part of the family.”

  Willow’s mouth opened, then shut again.

  “Thanks, Austin. We appreciate you coming over,” Braden said, obviously speaking for her because she was too shocked to reply herself.

  Austin started for the door and grasped the handle before turning back and glancing at Willow. “Are you okay?” He glanced at her, concern in eyes that were so similar to Braden’s.

  Startled by his thoughtfulness, she forced a smile. “I am. I just want what’s best for her.” Which was true. She’d just grown to care about Aurora, and the thought of her leaving was sudden and shocking. “Thanks for asking,” she murmured.

  Austin winked. “We take care of our own,” he said, opening the door, walking out, and shutting it again behind him.

  “That’s my brother, stealing all the good lines.” Braden’s voice caught her attention, and she turned toward him.

  He held out his arms, and she walked into them, drawing on his strength and body heat. She buried her face against him and inhaled his masculine scent.

  “You’re upset because he wants to take her back with them, aren’t you?” he asked.

  She nodded and took a step back. “I know she hasn’t been with me long, but I care about her and I like having her around.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “But if these people really are her family, it would be selfish of me to want her to stay.”

  “Hey. The last thing you are is selfish.” Braden brushed his knuckles over her cheek, and she trembled, her nipples tightening at his light touch.

  She appreciated his kind words, but there was a hint of honesty in what she’d said. Still, it didn’t matter what Willow wanted. “The truth is Aurora needs this to be real. Once she has the baby, she won’t be able to afford an apartment, daycare, and everything else it takes to live. She keeps avoiding the conversation and I don’t blame her. But if these people are her family? If she comes from money and they want to bring her home?” Willow shrugged. “That’s a win for her.”

  He nodded. “Evie will have answers soon and we’ll go from there. Besides, even if she decides to go to New York with them, and we don’t know that’s the case, it’s not like you can’t FaceTime or visit.”

  She managed a smile. “I know. It just feels like a loss is coming.”

  He grasped her hands just as a knock sounded at the door. Looking annoyed at the interruption, he released her. “Come in!”

  The door opened and Cole stepped into the room, his gaze encompassing them both.

  “If you two don’t mind, there are patients out there who are more important than your personal lives.”

  Braden stiffened and narrowed his gaze. Willow wanted nothing more than to touch him and calm him before things escalated, but anything she did would only make things worse, at least from Cole’s perspective.

  When neither of them moved, he eyed them with disdain and annoyance.

  “Who needs me?” Braden asked in a tight voice.

  “Devon White. And James Slater is waiting on you,” he said to Willow, his gaze lingering on her in an unnerving way.

  “Tell Devon I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  Cole’s fingers gripped the door tighter. “And what about Willow?”

  From beside him, Willow could feel every muscle in Braden’s body tightening. “She’ll be right there. Now please leave and close the door behind you.”

  When Cole didn’t move fast enough, Braden strode over and did it for him, pushing the door back and forcing him out.

  She winced, knowing Cole would not take being dismissed well. “I’m not sure that was a good idea. And he’s right. I should get out to my patient.”

  Braden turned the lock on the door and walked back to her. “One, I can’t stand that bastard. Two, you don’t answer to him, and three, I sure as shit do not take orders from someone who works for me.” A muscle ticked in his jaw from the tension Cole had created.

  She blew out a long breath. “I know. But–” She hesitated, wondering if she should mention his stalkerish behavior or if that would work Braden up even more.

  “But what?” He braced his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. “Talk to me.”

  She sighed. “It’s probably nothing, but the other night, I walked out to the pa
rking lot by myself, and Cole was there … lurking near my car.”

  Braden let out a low growl, his body vibrating. “I’m going to kill him.”

  “And that’s why I didn’t tell you when you came over that night. I knew you’d overreact and–”

  “You saw what he just did.” He gestured between them and the door. “The way he behaved? I’m not overreacting. And I’ll be walking you to your car,” he said under his breath.

  Now wasn’t the time to argue, so she held her objection back. The fact that he cared enough to make sure she was safe carved out another space in her heart. She couldn’t remember the last person who protected her in any meaningful way.

  “Thank you.” She rose onto her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his lips, but before he could grab her hips, she danced back out of the way. “We really need to work.”

  “But you’re coming home with me tonight,” he said, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. As if he were worried she’d changed her mind.

  How could she? He was becoming more and more important to her as the days went on.

  * * *

  As Braden went through the rest of his day, he couldn’t take his eyes off Cole, and his blood boiled inside him. He treated his patients, though it was no surprise to him there’d been no one looking for him despite Walsh’s claim to the contrary.

  He’d had a brutal day, seeing players and meeting with coaches all afternoon. Today was his day off at the clinic, and he couldn’t help but worry if they were short-staffed there. And after the emotionally draining meeting in his office with Austin and Willow, he wanted nothing more than to head home and climb into bed with his woman. But first he had something to take care of.

  Braden deliberately stayed later than the rest of the doctors, trainers, and therapists, making sure to schedule Cole’s appointments late, as well. He sent Willow a text saying he’d be there in ten minutes to walk her out so she could follow him home. Then he made his way to the training room, where Cole was getting his things together to leave for the day.

  Making sure no one was still around or liable to intrude, Braden walked up behind the man. “Walsh!”