Page 74 of Endlessly Yours
Something had changed the night before, and it wasn’t just all of the dirty, inexplicably amazing things that Brooks and I had done in the back of that truck. My skin heated as I remembered, and I hoped nobody could read my mind. Because nobody needed those thoughts. Not even my best friend.
My lips curved into a smile as I thought about exactly how Brooks had cleaned us both up and cared for me in such an indescribably sweet way that it had brought tears to my eyes. But in the end, it was all I could do not to fall into a heap or at least melt into a puddle when I thought about him.
Because I loved him, and I hoped to hell that I would soon have the courage to tell him.
He had gone out of his way to make sure that we had an incredible night of just the two of us. And the girls had not only been taken care of, but they had been part of the planning.
The girls loved me. Or at least, liked me. They had helped Brooks ensure we had all had an amazing night. And we had crept into the house, underneath Ava’s knowing gaze. Ava had slept in the guest room, while Faith had slept in Alice’s trundle bed, and Brooks and I had huddled underneath my comforter. The only reason that Ava hadn’t gone home was that Wyatt had been out of town and had just come back today after a distillery retreat. So now, the three of them were at the house for an early dinner, and we were going through class projects, prepping for the upcoming soccer season, and I was just blessed.
I still wasn’t sure exactly how this had happened, though.
“You’ve been doing great with the new fence. You should come over and fix ours,” Wyatt said as he pointed his beer toward Brooks.
Brooks stood at the grill and rolled his eyes. “You’re an adult. You can do that yourself.”
“But you’re the handy one. I’m just the brains.”
“Babe, if you’re trying to get your brother to do something, maybe don’t lie about the whole brain thing.”
Wyatt growled at his wife and then chased her around the backyard, much to the delight of Alice and Faith, who ran around with them.
I shook my head, smiling at their antics and trying my best to ignore the flutters in my belly as I watched them move.
Once again, I knew I was a goner when it came to Brooks Wilder, and I was going to have to try to find a way to let him know. Without giving up everything.
Because I was so damn afraid that we were going too fast. That maybe he didn’t think the same as me, or if I said something silly, I would ruin everything for me and the girls.
I had never been in love before, after all. I didn’t know what I was supposed to be feeling or thinking.
“Is he going to put cheese on my burger?” Cameron asked, and I shook myself out of my thoughts and looked down at my niece. “You asked for it, and Brooks said he would. But maybe you should go double-check. We can walk over together.”
Cameron wrapped her arms around her belly and shook her head. “No. It’s okay.”
I frowned and tugged her into the alcove where the others couldn’t hear.
“Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.” I reached out and put my hand over her forehead. She flinched, but I didn’t feel any heat.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled.
“Cameron. What’s wrong?”
“Everything’s fine. I just… I don’t want to talk about it.” And with that, she stomped over to Brooks but smiled wide like she didn’t have a care in the world.
I shook my head, wondering exactly what that was about.
Some days, I felt like the two of us had found our path; other days, I felt as if I was once again making a mistake.
She was so kind to me sometimes, and other times, pushed me away for no other reason than she knew I would come back.
Her 13th birthday was coming up, and I was already dreading the full teenage years. Twelve years old was already breaking me. I could not imagine the rest.
We all were in Brooks’s backyard since he had the largest deck and grill, and as the wind picked up slightly, I pushed my hair back from my face and glared at the clouds off in the distance.
“Hey, do you think we should bring this party inside?” I asked as I pointed towards the clouds.
He scowled at them and shook his head. “They’re going in the opposite direction, but you’re right. The wind is picking up. We’ll eat inside, but we should be okay for now for actually finishing up on the grill.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed me softly.
Wyatt whistled as the two youngest girls clapped their hands.
