Page 76 of Worth the Fall

Which wasn’t a lie. Because we all knew that she was.

“Let’s go!” Matthew hopped up from the couch and ran to meet his niece at the bottom of the stairs. “I can’t wait to see what goodies we get this year.”

“Next year, I’m dressing Jasper up too, Uncle Patrick.” She petted the dog’s head, and he looked up at her like she was the best thing next to my brother. “I bet we’d get twice the candy if he came to the door with me.”

“Smart idea. I like it,” Patrick said with a wink. “What do you think, boy?” he asked his dog like he might actually answer him back.

“Let’s go. Can’t keep Pops waiting all night. He’s old, remember? Might fall asleep soon,” I teased, and Clara giggled.

“Pops is not old. And he’d never fall asleep on candy night. It’s his favorite,” she declared before asking, “Can we go now?”

We all fought to be the one to hold her hand, but in the end, Matthew won out. I thought it was mostly because Patrick had to hold on to Jasper’s leash and I had to hold on to her broom. But Matthew looked at us like Clarabel liked him the best, and all I kept thinking about was the fact that he lived next door to Brooklyn, and what if she liked him the best too?

FAMILY DINNERS AT THE FARM

BROOKLYN

Aloud knock on my front door startled me. I tossed down the book I had been reading and pulled the door open without even checking the peephole to see who was there. It wasn’t like many people stopped by my place, unannounced. You couldn’t get past the security gate simply because you wanted to.

“Matthew,” I said as the youngest O’Grady brother stared at me with his perfect face and eyes that were a little too like Thomas’s, but not quite the same.

“Do you like my brother?” he asked bluntly.

My mouth dropped open slightly at the question. “What?”

“You heard me. Do you like my brother or not?”

My eyes looked behind him and around him, as if searching for Thomas hiding somewhere and listening in. “Why are you asking me that?”

He ran his hand down his face, the same way I’d seen his brother do before. “Too many questions, Brooklyn. Do you like him—yes or no?”

I tried to swallow, but my throat instantly felt thick and dry. “Yes.”

“I knew it. I need you to get ready. We’re leaving in an hour.” He gave me a head nod like we did this sort of thing all the time.

“Where arewegoing?” I emphasized thewebecause Matthew and I did not do things together.

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