Page 20 of Unbearable

“Wow, that’s so nice. Thanks, Aunt Dotty,” she said, making me chuckle.

Dorian appeared at the doorframe. “Hey, Gracie, it’salmost bedtime. Can you get your pajamas on and brush your teeth?”

“Yes, Daddy.” I kissed her forehead, and she strolled toward the bathroom.

Dorian and I moved to the kitchen, where he was preparing a drink.

“Want one?” he asked, raising the whiskey bottle.

“No, thanks. I’m driving back soon.” He poured himself a drink, and we sat at the dining table.

“Any chance you’ll still be in town in two weeks?” he asked.

“Yes, I should be. I’m on vacation for another three weeks and might extend that if I need to for the cabin. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you could spend the weekend with Gracie. I have a conference in Seattle, and I really don’t want to ask Dad because he’s done so much for me lately and could use a break,” he replied.

“I’d love to watch her. I love spending time with her.” And getting away from Trent’s house for a few days would definitely be a plus. “Where are you staying? You can use my apartment if you want, since I’m not there. My roommate’s there, but she’s easygoing.”

“Oh, that would be great. Thanks.” His smile reminded me so much of my father.

After putting Gracie to bed, Dorian and I stayed up talking about everything from our careers to his distaste for Gracie’s Ellie Miles phase. I told him to relax since there were far worse celebrities she could look up to. He agreed and even admitted that her music wastolerable, which, for Dorian, meant he secretly liked it but would never confess.

“I’d better head out, but I’m glad I came over to spendtime with you guys,” I said. We stood, and he opened his arms for a hug.

“I missed you. It feels good to have you home.” He pulled back and looking at me with a grin. It almost made me wary because, although Dorian had a soft spot for Gracie and me, he rarely smiled—at least, not a real smile. I knew losing Mom and Hallie haunted him.

I peered up at my brother and smiled. “It surprisingly feels good to be back.” I realized as the words left my mouth that I wasn’t lying, not even a little.

It really was good to be back in Woodstone Falls.

SEVEN

Dotty

HOME - MATTHEW HALL

Renovatingthe cabin had turned into a full-time job. Instead of enjoying my vacation hours, I found myself immersed in the renovations. But despite the exhaustion, seeing the space come alive made it all worthwhile.

The hours I spent working in silence helped me reflect on why it was so important to renovate the space instead of continue to let it sit.

The cabin represented a fresh start—a chance to prove to myself that I not only could create something beautiful on paper but in real life. Even when the starting point was absolute chaos.

What Dorian said had been sitting in the back of my head, and I knew spending the time, money, and energy fixing up the cabin was good for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, out of my routine.

Even if it was full of fucking mice.

Although, it was no longer filled with trash, and I had called an exterminator that was coming next week. I spent hours plastering holes in the walls, cleaning out years ofaccumulated dust, grime, and dirt. It still wasn’t quite livable yet, especially since it needed furniture, but it was slowly coming together.

I decided to hire a home inspector to get a good idea of the big picture things that needed to be addressed. Designing homes was my forte, not inspecting them for damage.

The inspector, Austin, arrived that morning and was going through the ins and outs of the house while I finished pulling up some old carpet from upstairs.

I heard him call out that he was finishing up.

“One second, I’m coming down!” I yelled to Austin and ran downstairs.

I rested my hand against the kitchen counter and huffed out a breath. “So, how bad is it?” I braced myself.

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