Page 9 of Endlessly Yours (The Wilder Brothers #10)

And with that, she stomped away, and I watched her go, knowing that everything we did from here on out would be a fight.

Even getting her to go to therapy once a week so far was like pulling teeth.

The only way that I had been able to get her to go at all was that I had tricked her into it the first time, and now the therapist was helping me get her there each time.

Alice didn’t mind. In fact, she had fun with her therapist. I was there through part of it, but then the girls were able to speak their personal thoughts if needed. Cameron didn’t speak.

And Alice talked all about her fairy and fay world.

“I’m going to like second grade. Twos are better because they’re even.” Alice smiled up at me, and I couldn’t help but run my thumb down her cheek.

“Your mom loved second grade. I liked third grade more because we had an amazing teacher. But your mom loved even numbers.”

“Mommy always said even numbers would be the best years. And next year I’m going to be eight. And Mommy said that would be a fun year because it’s a magical year.” Alice’s eyes welled. “Will it still be magical if she’s not here?”

I swallowed that tug of emotion and ran my hand down her back.

“It’s going to be magical. And just because your mother isn’t here right now, doesn’t mean she’s not watching you. She’s watching you from afar, and she’s going to help make sure it’s magical. Even if she can’t be here. Because you know your mommy wanted to be here more than anything.”

And I wanted my sister to be here more than anything.

“Okay,” Alice said with a bright smile before she pulled back and grinned. “Can I go play outside?”

I looked through the large glass French doors at the back of the house and nodded.

We weren’t in a full neighborhood, since the Wilders had bought this land and were slowly making it so renters could live in the homes that Brooks and his team built.

I wasn’t sure of the logistics of it, but it was an extra form of money, and hence the homes themselves were gorgeous.

I lived in a Craftsman home now, with little details in the wood carvings and tile work that took my breath away.

When I pulled myself out of grief and the unending horror that was trying to figure out how to be a mom when I never thought I would be one in the first place, I couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the meticulous and caring work that Brooks had put into this place.

A place that he had just handed me the keys to and yelled at me in order to take it.

He hadn’t even been there when we had moved in. Instead, he had gone outside Austin to work on the expansion for the Wilders, leaving his family, my friends, to help move me in.

His house next door had lain empty for this past month, and I didn’t know if I was grateful or annoyed about that.

No, I had to be grateful.

Because he had given me security I hadn’t even known I’d needed, and he hadn’t asked for a single thing in return.

Instead he had given me space, and now I didn’t have to wonder how I would feel when I saw him again.

Of course, he could be home at any moment, and there was no going back.

I looked up the stairs to where Cameron lay in her room, Taylor Swift blaring out of the speakers, and went back to the small office that was off the dining and living area.

It had glass doors as well, and the place was soundproof somehow, so if I had the doors closed, I could focus on work, but if I had them open, I could hear if the girls needed me.

One whole wall was floor-to-ceiling windows, and we had put my old settee in front of it.

That had been in storage this whole time, and now it was a perfect reading nook.

Behind my desk were custom bookshelves that I knew Brooks had built himself, including staining them and adding little flourishes like a hidden fairy door.

And it just gave me another glimpse into the man himself.

And didn’t that scare me.

My favorite Taylor Swift song played even louder, and I closed my eyes, letting it soothe me as I hoped it was doing to Cameron.

She didn’t know that we shared a similar love for that artist. Or the other countless so-called oldies that she played.

She called them oldies—I called them my favorite artists.

But I wouldn’t tell her yet. Trying to find common ground with her would just make her even more angry with me.

Knowing I only had a little while before I had to make dinner, I went through the list again of what I would have to buy for the girls.

If I couldn’t drag Cameron with me, then Ava said she would watch her while I took Alice out.

For some reason, Cameron didn’t seem to mind being near Ava and Wyatt.

Mostly, Wyatt. That made me smile. No, Cameron may hate me and yell at me often, but those Wilder men, even at their most growliest, couldn’t help but make a girl swoon.

I didn’t think Cameron had a crush per se, but she listened when the Wilder men spoke. So Wyatt and Ava would be able to watch Cameron if I couldn’t get her out of the house to go shopping.

And if all else failed, I could get Cameron to stay on the Wilder property that she somewhat liked, even though I knew she lied to me about it. And then I could get work done.

Like I was supposed to be doing right now.

With a sigh, I brought out my sketchbook and got to work.

I ignored emails, knowing I’d have to get to those tonight when the girls were asleep. Eventually I would sleep, but then again, if I did, I would either be thrown into a nightmare of a plane crash, or worse, one where Brooks was the main feature, and I was then thrown into a plane crash.

I shook my head and tried to get back to work. When my alarm sounded forty-five minutes in, I frowned and realized that Alice hadn’t checked in.

Music was still going, and I could hear Cameron stomping up there, so I set my work aside and went out to the backyard to search for Alice.

“Alice! I’m going to start up dinner soon. Where are you?”

The fence line was only on part of the property and not on the rest. It was more like a dog run, where the rest was open so you could see the beauty of the Texas landscape.

There was a house to the right of us, but it was an elderly couple, and I rarely saw them.

To the left of us, of course, was Brooks, and I hadn’t seen him since I had moved in.

But Alice wasn’t out near the small copse of trees, or the native bushes that I knew that she liked to play near and pretend she was in fairyland.

“Alice! Where are you?” I asked, my heart racing.

I didn’t see her outside, so I ran back in, calling her name.

She wasn’t in her room and wasn’t in any of the other places that she normally would be.

I knocked on Cameron’s door, but she didn’t answer.

“Cameron. I’m coming inside. I need to find your sister.”

“Don’t you dare come inside!” Cameron shouted.

The doors for the girls’ room didn’t have locks for a reason, and I walked right in. Cameron lay on her bed, journal in hand, and she glared at me.

“This is my space,” she snapped.

“And I knocked, and you know the rules. I come in after I knock to check on you. For safety. However, where’s your sister?”

“You already lost her? Great supervisor you are,” she sneered.

I stared at her, knowing I would have to deal with this soon. But first, I needed to find Alice.

Without saying a word, I whirled on my heels and ran down the stairs before going outside again.

“Alice!” I yelled.

“She’s over here, Rory,” a familiar, deep voice said smoothly, and I froze, my throat going tight.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. When had he come home?

I turned to the side and realized that Brooks stood there, Alice in his arms, as she wrapped her little arms around his neck, calmly laying her cheek against his shoulder.

The fences themselves had a small gate to connect them, and I figured it was because Brooks owned the places, but it was all I could do not to but my knees finally gave out.

“Alice. You didn’t tell me you were going over there.”

“But I saw Mr. Wilder. And he looks just like the other Mr. Wilder. And they’re really pretty,” she mock-whispered.

Tears pricked my eyes for some reason, even as my lips twitched.

“I see,” I said, trying to sound steady.

“Okay there, you know it’s not good to run out when Rory needs to know where you are,” Brooks said smoothly. “You scared her.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Alice said as she wiggled out of his arms. Brooks set her down carefully as she scurried towards me. The gate was already open, and she slammed into my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her, not realizing I was shaking until I let out a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry. Do you still love me?”

This time, tears did fall, and I went to my knees. “I love you so much, baby girl. You scared me. But it’s okay that you’re sorry. Just don’t do it again.”

“I promise.” Alice turned over her shoulder and looked at Brooks. “I’m sorry too, Mr. Wilder.”

“Call me Mr. Brooks. There’s enough Wilders out here.”

“Okay, Mr. Brooks. But thank you for showing me your backyard. And thank you for the house.” Then she wriggled out of my arms just like she had Brooks’s and ran into the house.

I knelt there, mud on my knees, my hands still shaking, wondering what the hell I was doing.

Before I could think, Brooks was there, lifting me up as if I weighed nothing.

“What?” I gasped.

“I was going to stop by and let you know I’m home. If you need anything.” That rough voice sent shivers down my spine again, and this time, tears pricked for another reason.

“You scared me,” I whispered.

“I get that. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize in time what she had done. She just wanted to see what I was up to. And I look enough like Wyatt that she wasn’t surprised at who I was.”

“I guess I need to do better about stranger danger.” I shook my head. “I have no idea what I’m doing, Brooks.”

I hadn’t meant to blurt the words. In fact, of all people, I shouldn’t speak them to him.

But in answer, he pulled me into his arms, and I settled my cheek against his chest. The steady beat of his heart calmed me, and I didn’t want to think about the whys of that. Instead, he rubbed his hand down my back much as I’d done with Alice.

“I’m sorry.”

“You need to stop being nice to me. I don’t know what to do with nice, Brooks,” I said honestly.

“I’m not nice,” he grunted.

“I know that,” I said with a soft laugh that didn’t hold much humor. “I’m failing.”

“You aren’t, Rory. Life has a way of kicking you in the balls, and then you can’t figure out how to survive. But you’re going to. You’re stronger than that. Those girls need you, and you’re going to be strong for them. And you’re not alone.”

“Okay,” I said, not sure what else to say.

So instead, I just stood there, letting him hold me, even though I knew I was failing.

And for some reason, being in his arms made me think that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t failing all too badly.