“Something had to trigger you. You were doing so well.” I refused to believe that there wasn’t a reason. If there wasn’t a reason, that meant that it could happen again and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.
“When I saw you right before going out on the stage, you looked so happy. You were happier than I had seen you in three weeks because you got away from my world for the day. Then, I saw you on stage and I thought maybe you’d finally accepted that my world wasn’t all bad. You looked radiant on that stage.” Wyatt looked down at his hands. “But then you shrank against me when it was over. You tried to hide. When I asked you to come to the meet and greet, you wanted nothing to do with it.
“I think I just realized that you were never going to feel completely comfortable in my world. When I realized that, I started to worry that it was only a matter of time before you would leave my world.” He looked at me. “I realized it was only a matter of time before you would leave me.”
“Did it ever occur to you to just talk to me about your concerns?” I said.
He laughed. “That would’ve made too much sense, Brooklyn.” More seriously he added, “That would’ve meant admitting my insecurity to you. It was a lot easier to just get drunk.”
“Probably a lot more fun, too,” I joked.
“I want you to know that it wasn’t your fault. That wasn’t even the trigger that night. The trigger came during my conversation with Alex after you left,” Wyatt said.
“Oh. So…you weren’t drunk or high in the dressing room when you and I…”
“Banged up against the wall?” Wyatt finished for me. “No. That was just me finally showing you just how much I want you all the time. It’s intense.”
I smiled. “I didn’t mind.”
“I got that impression,” he said with a slight smirk. “Anyway, Alex started talking about how he wanted to launch the next leg of the tour right away. We’d already agreed that I was going to take some time off to spend some time working on my recovery. Everyone knew the tour scene wasn’t the best place for me, but Alex didn’t care. He saw how the crowd reacted after our performance and he wanted to cash in right away.” Wyatt gave me a long look. “He started talking about his plans for you. He only saw you as a commodity he could use to make more money. The whole thing just set me off.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t believe he wouldn’t support you in your recovery.” I knew that Wyatt didn’t have many friends. If he couldn’t trust his agent to have his best interest in mind, he couldn’t trust anyone.
“It doesn’t matter. I fired him.” Wyatt grinned. “I’ve got some new dreams I want to pursue that don’t involve living out of a tour bus.”
“Like what?” I asked cautiously.
He shrugged. “You.”
“Me? What does that mean?” I laughed nervously.
“I want to spend the new few months focusing on my recovery and our relationship. I want to marry you someday, Brooklyn, but I can’t do that until I know I’ve got all my drama sorted out. After everything you’ve done for me, you deserve that.”
I frowned. “I think you give me too much credit, Wy.”
“I think you don’t remember our past accurately,” he replied. “We both know that when things got bad with my dad, you were the one that took me in first. You were the one that gave me money when I couldn’t afford to eat. You bought me my first guitar. You made me a cake every year for my birthday.” He turned and reached out, holding my face in his hand. “You told me that I was worthy of being loved when no one in my life had ever done that before. I never would’ve made it to this point with you.”
“Yes, you would have,” I insisted. “You fought your addiction on your own, Wy. You became an insanely successful musician on your own. You’re so much stronger than you know.”
“I became a successful musician because I wrote songs about you,” Wyatt said. “And I checked myself into rehab the first time because of you. I never told you this, but I saw you two years ago, here in Starlight. It was right after you moved back and my dad had died just a few weeks earlier. I had to come back to take care of his affairs. I saw you at the café. You were just as beautiful as I remembered.”
“Why didn’t you come in?” I said, breathless.
“Because I was a mess. I was hungover and I was dealing with all these emotions about my dad. That night, I went to the Eagle’s Nest and got really drunk. I ran into Trish.” Wyatt’s eyes darkened. “We talked for a bit and I asked her about you. Then I told her that you were the one that got away. She said she was glad that you got away because you deserved better than a rich drunk. She said that if I ever wanted a chance with you or any woman like you, I better get my life together. I checked myself into rehab the next day.”
I just stared at him in disbelief. “Trish never told me anything about that.”
“I’m glad. It wasn’t my finest hour.” Wyatt was still holding my cheek in his hand and he leaned a little closer. “If I hadn’t been so determined to be a man worthy of a woman like you, I’d probably have lost my career and ended up a drunk asshole just like my father.”
“Are you telling me that I finally got Wyatt Hudson to fall in love with me and it’s all because of my sister?” I grimaced. “She’s never going to let me live this down.”
“That’s not true. I fell in love with you long before that night, Brooklyn.”
“You haven’t kissed me since you got back,” I told him, pouting a little. “What happened to that intensity? Are you over me?”
Wyatt pulled me closer and kissed me gently. “I’ll never be over you. The intensity is still there, I promise. I just want us to ease back into this. We still have a lot of things to work through. I think we’ve spent a lot of time protecting each other from our feelings and that’s only made this harder.”
“Let me get this straight. You want us to spend more time talking? Even though we haven’t been intimate in over a month?” I narrowed my eyes. “And you’re sure the intensity is still there?”
“This conversation I just had with you was far more intimate than anything we’ve ever done in a bed, Brooklyn.” Wyatt kissed me again.
“Really? Even more than that one thing we did on the tour bus?” I said.
Wyatt sighed. “You’re impossible.”
“Okay, okay. I’m done. You want to have a real relationship and that means we have to talk about our feelings and stuff. I’m onboard.” I scooted over on the couch and snuggled into him as he put his arm around me. “I almost forgot to tell you. I heard our song on the radio this morning.”
“And?”
“What do you mean, and?” I lifted my head. “Our song was on the radio, Wy. I know you’re used to that with your own music, but this was our song.”
“I get that. I just meant, it’s been on the radio for the last month. I asked Alex to delay the release, but he refused. Falling for You is at the top of the charts.” He stared at me. “Did you really not know that?”
“No! I’ve been a little busy lately.” I poked him in the side. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He laughed. “I’ve been a little busy lately, too. Besides, I really thought you knew. I can’t believe the twins haven’t been freaking out about it.”
“They knew that you and I were going through something,” I said. “They’ve been dutifully avoiding even mentioning your name. I’m sure they just assumed I wouldn’t want to hear anything about the song.”
“Some people are saying it could win Song of the Year,” Wyatt said, smiling proudly. “Those same people think you should consider a solo career.”
“No thanks,” I said immediately. “I loved singing that song, but only because I was singing it with you. I have no desire to ever stand up on a stage alone.”
Wyatt pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. “Maybe we just need to write a few more duets, then.”
“You better be careful, Hudson. I might start to think that you like me,” I teased.
&
nbsp; “We can’t have that.” Wyatt cleared his throat. “About that thing I said earlier…about wanting to marry you?”
“I vaguely remember that. Please continue.” I grinned up at him.
“If I did ask you to marry me, what would you say?” he asked shyly.
I pretended to think. “I think I’d say…that nothing in this world would make me happier than being your wife.”
“That’s good to know,” he said with his trademark crooked smile. “In case I do decide to do that thing at some point in the distant future.”
“I look forward to it.” I kissed his cheek. “Just don’t wait too long. I’d like to be married to you for at least 70 years, so the clock is ticking.”
“That’s all?” He kissed the tip of my nose. “One lifetime with you will never be long enough, Brooklyn.”
“You say that now, but you haven’t even been with me in the winter. I plan to put my ice-cold feet on you in bed.” I gave him a solemn look. “And I will continue to steal your shirts and wear them to bed. And, if we do have kids, I’m going to be one of those pregnant women that has weird food cravings and puts on a ton of weight just because she can. It’s not going to be pretty. People will assume we are having triplets.”
Wyatt’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Every single bit of that sounds amazing. I can’t wait. You should also know that when I do eventually knock you up, I’m going to knock you up real good. You very well may end up pregnant with triplets.”
“Don’t joke about that,” I said, not faking my horrified look. “My sister had twins, remember? It runs in our family.” Wyatt just laughed. “If you knock me up with triplets, I’ll never have sex with you again.”
“That is the most ridiculous hypothetical threat I’ve ever heard,” he said. “You would never be able to resist me for 70 years.”
“You’re awfully confident for a guy that just wants to talk.”
Even though I was giving him a hard time for that, we ended up having our best night ever. We sat and talked about anything and everything for hours. We talked about the past and made plans for the future. We talked about regrets and shared dreams. When we were both too tired to keep our eyes open, we fell asleep right there on the couch. I put my cold feet on Wyatt’s legs and he didn’t even make a sound. He just held me tighter. I buried my face in his chest and breathed deep. I was finally home again.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I t was the first day in over a month that I was excited to walk into the hospital. Jaxson was finally cleared to go home. His hospital room was packed with more gifts than I remembered and I hoped they would all fit in the car. Most of them had come from Wyatt. He’d also had the same amount of toys delivered to the other kids in the pediatric wing.
“Where is he?” I asked Trisha, surprised to see his empty bed.
“Nurse Patty is taking him around to say goodbye to his friends. I’m packing up his toy store.” She gave me a pointed look. “Remind me to thank your boyfriend. It’s very convenient that he isn’t here today to help lug this all out to the car.”
“He would’ve been, but his has his group session on Monday mornings.” I started placing toys in one of the bags I’d brought.
“How’s that all going?” Trisha asked cautiously.
I shrugged. “He’s still struggling, but it’s getting easier. He has a great support system at the clinic.”
“I’m glad he’s taking the time to focus on his recovery,” Trisha said. “I’ve always liked Wyatt.”
“That’s not true.” I glared at her. “You never told me that you saw him two years ago in Starlight.”
“You didn’t need to know,” Trisha said, not at all apologetic. “He was a mess, Brook. I didn’t want that man anywhere near my little sister.”
“Do you know you’re the reason he went to rehab the first time?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, that’s not true. I just gave him a reason to go by telling him that you deserved better. You are the reason he went.”
“Aunt Brook! I’m going home!” Jaxson skipped into the room and my heart warmed at the sight of him looking so healthy and happy.
“Yes, you are, kiddo.” I gestured to his toys. “I hope you can carry all of this stuff.”
“I’m too little!” he declared.
Nurse Patty came into the room pushing a small wheelchair. “You ready to go for your last ride with me?” she asked Jaxson. Another nurse followed with a small cart and helped us load all the toys and balloons.
He nodded and jumped into the seat. “I’m ready to go home!”
“Do you need to go get the car and pull it around?” Trisha asked.
“Nope.” I smiled mischievously.
“Why not? What did you do?”
I put my arm through hers as we followed Nurse Patty down the hall. “Don’t worry about it.”
Trisha gasped when she saw the limo waiting for us. “You didn’t!” she said.
“No,” I agreed, “I did not. But Wyatt did. He insisted Jax arrive home in style and he also didn’t think all the crap he bought Jax would fit in my car.”
Jaxson was so excited to ride in a limo that he couldn’t stop talking. He exclaimed about every little thing, including the mini-bar which Wyatt had converted into a four-year-olds dream. It was filled with chocolate milk, ice cream, and any variety of sugary snacks that a kid could ever want.
“Your boyfriend is equal parts sweet and evil,” Trisha said as she watched Jaxson take a big bite of ice cream.
“You haven’t even seen him in bed,” I whispered.
She slapped my arm. “Be sure to thank him for us.”
“You can thank him yourself. I’m sure he’ll want to see Jax as soon as he gets back from his therapy session.”
“I think he might be a little busy today,” Trisha said, fighting a smile.
“Why? What do you know?” I glared at her.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, using my own words against me.
Brian was waiting for us at home with the other kids. They’d all been kept home from school in honor of Jax’s release. It was nice to have extra sets of hands to carry the toys inside. Trisha pulled me aside once we were done unloading the limo. “You should maybe consider changing your clothes and doing something with your hair.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I said, looking down at my jeans and hoodie.
“Nothing if you’re a college student headed to class.” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s not the look you want to convey if you’ve got a rock star boyfriend who has something special planned for you.”
“Oh no.” I groaned. “What is Wyatt planning?”
She shook her head. “I’ve said all I’m going to say. You better not tell him that I said anything.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you are equal parts sweet and evil?”
Trisha just laughed and shoved me toward the door.
I decided to follow her advice and changed into a black dress that was casual, but also flirty. It hugged my body nicely and I knew Wyatt would appreciate the effect. I also took my hair out of its messy bun and brushed it out until it was shiny waves. Wyatt always loved when I wore my hair down. He loved twirling it in his fingers and, when he was feeling a little kinky, tugging on it. I smiled at that thought and then jumped when the door opened.
“Honey, I’m home!”
Wyatt used that same line every time he walked through the door and every time I smiled, even as I groaned.
“Get over here and kiss me,” I said, my standard response.
He strolled over to me, eyeing my outfit. “You look even more beautiful than usual, love.” His eyes narrowed. “What did Trisha tell you?”
“Busted.” I grinned. “She just told me I wasn’t dressed appropriately for how hot my boyfriend is.”
“If that was true, you wouldn’t be wearing anything at all right now.” He smirked. “I don’t care what you wear, Brooklyn. As long as you keep smiling at
me like that, I’ll be a happy man.”
“You still haven’t kissed me,” I said.
Wyatt smiled. “I’m aware. The problem is that if I kiss you, I’m going to want to do more than just kiss you, especially since you’re wearing your hair like that.”
“Why is that a problem?” I asked, batting my eyelashes.
“Because, as I’m sure Trisha told you, I have something planned for us today.” Wyatt looked nervous. “I think you’re going to like my surprise.”
“I always do,” I said. Wyatt made it a point to do something every day that would surprise me. From a love note left in a pocket to a homemade meal, he lived up to the promise he had made when we were just eighteen.
“Come on.” He took my hand. “Don’t worry, we’re not going far.”
“I’d go anywhere with you, Wyatt Hudson.” I happily followed him to the door. “Jax was a big fan of the limo. Thank you for being so sweet.”
He smiled as he stopped to lock the door behind us. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there myself.”
“You were where you needed to be, Wy.” I leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“I still am,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.
We walked around the main house arm-in-arm. I loved that Wyatt never shied away from my need to show affection. In fact, he was just as affectionate with me. It often disgusted anyone who was forced to be around us for very long.
“Do you remember when we were talking about our future and where we wanted to live?” Wyatt asked when we reached the sidewalk.
“Yeah, I still don’t think we’ll be able to move to Mars anytime soon,” I said playfully.
“Never say never,” Wyatt replied. “You said you wanted to have our home be somewhere in Starlight, but I think we both can agree that the carriage house is a little small for the two of us.”
“You’re only saying that because I refuse to give you more closet space,” I teased.
Wyatt didn’t laugh. He was growing more anxious as we stopped just a few yards away in front of the neighbor’s house. “I think I have a solution and I hope you agree. Otherwise, I’ve just bought this house for no reason.”
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