Page 4 of The Fear (The Hillers of Barratt County #7)

Hala slipped out of Greer's bedroom at the ranch as quietly as she could. Her bestie had fallen into an exhausted sleep hours after Hala had made it back to the ranch with Aubrey and Gia. Greer was a mess right now. And she wasn’t telling anyone why .

She had her family and her friends to help her get through this. But Hala was starting to get seriously worried here.

Hala padded barefoot down the hallway toward the guestroom she’d been staying in. She knew the Hiller Ranch just as well as she’d known her own family home so long ago. Even though that house had been but a tiny fraction of the size.

The Hiller Ranch felt more like home now.

She was still adjusting to her apartment, she’d only been there a few weeks, but she had spent so many nights here as a kid.

Since that first sleep-over in kindergarten.

This was her safe place. And tonight, she needed that.

She strongly suspected the nightmares from before would visit her tonight.

In the past, even the idea of dating would be enough to trigger those nightmares.

Greer had once been in the suite that was Calvin’s now. It still had a smaller bathroom set up that was perfect for a little kid. Calvin and Ryan had been excited to bunk together— her nephew and Greer’s were both beyond adorable. They were bestest buddies just like their daddies. Forever.

She was just going to check on Ryan—he’d been having nightmares—and then she was going to her room. Tomorrow…tomorrow was soon enough to think about why Luis just hadn’t felt right.

But she’d done it—she’d had that first date. Since what had happened with her ex-boyfriend. Very few people would know just how monumental that felt. Gia, definitely. They had talked about it before.

She slipped open the door to Calvin’s room. There was a glow-in-the-dark dragon nightlight that illuminated the set of bunkbeds there.

Only one bed was occupied. Calvin’s. Her nephew was nowhere to be found.

Hala headed back to the hallway—Ryan was probably in bed with her brother. Or possibly even Gia—Ryan adored Gia and had been clinging to her since he and Hudson had arrived a few days ago. Ryan was a wanderer. He liked to get up in the middle of the night and go looking for his family.

A sound from down the hall, toward the living room had her changing direction. Maybe he’d gotten up to get a snack? Her nephew was one of the bravest kids she knew—he wouldn’t be afraid to wander around the huge, sprawling ranch house in search of whatever he wanted.

She found him fast enough.

There he was. “Ryan, baby, what’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

"I had a scary dream, and I didn’t want to waked up Calvin again.”

"The one about the wreck?” Ryan was a sensitive little boy, and that wreck had scared him.

Traumatized him. But they were going to help him get through.

He and his father both could have been far more seriously injured.

How was a little guy supposed to understand that?

Hala would never forget the horror the night she’d lost her parents and her sister. Never.

Another nod. "I cried for Daddy but he didn't waked up. I think he was too far away.”

He sniffled and broke her heart.

"Oh, baby." Hala gathered him into her arms, settling him on her lap. He was solid and warm. "I'm here now, okay? And Daddy's fine. He's sleeping right down the hall. His medicine probably makes him really extra sleepy, too.”

"But what if the bad dream comeds back?"

"Then we'll chase it away," Hala said. She scooped her nephew up, adjusting around the walking boot on his little foot.

She would be so glad when that thing was gone—how was a four-year-old supposed to forget the most traumatic night of his life when he had such a physical, visible reminder?

She cuddled him close for a moment. She loved him so much.

“How?”

“By talking about the people who love us so much.”

“Daddy loves me so much." Ryan wrapped little arms around her neck. His head rested on her shoulder next. “Does Miss Gia love me lots, too? She told me she does.”

"Uh-huh. Of course, Miss Gia does.” Gia adored Ryan, that was obvious. Gia was wonderful with kids—Hala had seen that dozens of times before.

Now…whether Gia loved Hudson Hanan…that was a totally different story.

But…Hala was still working on her plan to get the two of them together.

Somehow. It was her biggest life challenge of all time.

Hudson and Gia—they both deserved to be happy, so much.

They were some of the best people she had ever met.

If they’d just stop arguing long enough to see how perfect they were for each other…

"And there's me. I love you tons and tons." She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Poor kid—he had her wild curly hair, too. "And there's Calvin, your bestest friend ever…and Miss Parker, your teacher at school…and…Ms. Gayle and Mr. Max…and…”

Ryan's breathing was starting to slow, his small body relaxing against hers as she continued quietly naming people who cared about him.

She was so focused on Ryan that she didn't notice the shadow in the doorway until it shifted.

She gasped, pulled her nephew even closer. And just looked at the evil twin standing there.

Grady was wearing sleep pants and nothing else, his hair mussed. Exposing that muscly man chest everywhere. Wow—Hiller brothers really were pretty. Especially the identical ones. Grady didn’t even look real. Darn it. What a waste. “I’m sorry…did we wake you?”

She hadn’t seen him when she and Gia and Aubrey had made it back to the ranch.

Grady ran the ranch every day—he always went to bed early.

She and Gia and Aubrey had laughed about his clueless response to her age earlier, but…

she had been glad he hadn’t been there when she’d made it in.

Hala hadn’t wanted the questions. And there had been an odd look in his eyes earlier. In the kitchen.

One that still made her stomach clench when she thought about it.

"Don't stop," he said quietly when she paused. "I think it's working. Ry is almost out."

Hala glanced down at Ryan. Her little mini-me—no denying who he looked the most like in their tiny family—was sound asleep, drooling on her shoulder. She glanced at the clock. Wow. Far later than she’d thought—or, for Grady, early .

Time to play Cowboy Grady, apparently.

"Poor little guy. Hudson said he's been having nightmares."

"Since the accident. They're getting better, but..."

"But four-year-olds don't understand why bad things happen. I’m not sure thirty-three-year-old men do, either. Not considering what’s happened around here lately. Guess none of us have been sleeping too well.” He rubbed a hand over his face. He wasn’t grumpy now. He just looked…tired.

Well, Hala definitely understood that.

"I should get him back to bed," she whispered finally. “Try to get some sleep myself. I sat up with Greer for a while. I haven’t been to sleep yet, either.”

"I'll carry him." Grady moved forward, reaching out. Hala passed him her nephew and watched as he shifted the precious little boy closer. She followed them down the hallway, trying not to notice that the pajama pants really made his rear end look perfect.

Gorgeous Hiller brothers were a real thing around this town. No denying that.

Then they were putting Ryan in the bottom bunk in Calvin’s room and sneaking out into the hallway. He reached around her, and pulled the door closed.

He was so close she could smell him. He smelled…really good. Like woods and cinnamon and man.

Like hot, attractive man. Yikes.

Crazy, utterly crazy. She had been just as close to Luis not even ten hours ago—and hadn’t noticed how he had smelled at all. Hadn’t felt how warm and…strong…Luis had felt around her. Not at all. This felt different. Yikes.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For helping with him."

"You looked beautiful.”

The words were quiet, almost reluctant. Like he was being forced by an inner demon to even say them.

"What?"

His hand rose, and he touched her hair. He played with her hair, for real. He’d never done that before.

"Earlier. In…that dress. I just…wish I would have told you that you looked beautiful earlier instead of being an ass. You looked beautiful tonight. You’d…better go back to your room and get some sleep. I got…things to do outside, better get dressed and out there.”

Then he turned and walked away, as confusing as that man had always been.

She scurried away to her room next to Greer’s. This was weird. Completely and utterly weird.

She was going to get through the day here, and then…go home. Where Grady Treyton Hillers just weren’t. It was far safer that way. What exactly was that bonehead up to?