The Hardest Part (Brookside #2)

Chapter One

H is kiss was everything.

The taste of a crisp fall apple on his tongue, tart and sweet, he held her face in his hands, thumbs caressing her cheeks, and took her lips with his. Emily loved how Billy kissed her, the way he made her feel. Beautiful. Worshipped. Adored. His mouth on hers soothed like a warm summer rain while fireflies twirled in her belly.

She recalled the first time Billy got up the nerve to kiss her finally—a real one, and not some misplaced peck on the cheek, though it kind of started that way. The month after her sixteenth birthday, at the community cookout Brookside held every year during the last weekend of May, he took her for a walk. They sat together on the grass alongside the stream, sharing a glass of Grams’ fresh-squeezed lemonade.

“This is nice,” Billy said, plucking at the tender green blades between them. He seemed nervous. “Just me and you.”

With the straw between her teeth, Emily smiled into her lemonade and took a sip. “I think so too.”

“Do you wanna go to the bonfire tonight?”

“Sure, if you want to.” Her hair lifted in the breeze, a piece of it sticking to her lip. “Shiloh and Griffin said they’re going.”

“I know.” Looking down at her mouth, Billy freed the strand. His head dipped, lips ghosting along her jaw. “I’ve been dyin’ to kiss you, Em.”

Do it, then.

She’d only been waiting for what felt like forever.

Playmates from the time they were toddlers, Billy was her best friend, and Emily his. Though they hadn’t made an official announcement or anything yet at the time, even then it was already a foregone conclusion they’d end up together at the stones.

“Can I?”

Turning her face toward his, Emily nodded as Billy’s mouth connected with her cheek. Threading his fingers in her long, brown waves, with the brim of his hat shielding them from the glare of the afternoon sun, he lowered his lips to hers and the fireflies took flight.

And they’d been flying ever since.

Even now, more than a year and thousands of kisses later, they had that effect on her. Maybe it’s because Billy was the first boy, and the only boy, who’d ever kissed her. Maybe it was because she loved him so much.

So, on this cool, blue Sunday morning in November, Emily lay with Billy in the field behind the converted Dutch barn she lived in with her mother, pulling him closer. Loving the feeling of his belt buckle digging into her skin as he pressed his hardness into her softness through their clothes.

If she positioned herself just right, the center seam of her jeans would rub on her clit and give her enough friction to come.

“Let me use my fingers, Em.”

God, she wanted him to. Billy’s fingers were magic.

“My mom is home.”

“But I wanna make you come.” Reaching for her nipples, his hands slid beneath her sweater.

Then she heard the patio door slide open.

“Emily?”

Billy pulled away with a groan.

Fuck.

“Yeah,” she answered as he helped her up.

Holding her hand, Billy led her back to the house. Her mom sat at the kitchen table, ledgers open, papers spread out, and her laptop in front of her. She kept the books for the ranch.

“Miss Kim.” Cheeks flushed, Billy tipped his hat.

“I’d ask what you two have been up to, but goin’ by the odd bits stuck in your hair, I think I already know.”

“Mama.” Side-eyeing Billy, Emily ran her fingers through it and plucked out a twig.

“Uncle Matty just called. Wants us up at the house for supper at six.”

Same as every Sunday, but…

“Isn’t he in Denver?”

“Got back last night,” her mom said, scribbling away in the ledger. “Says he’s got some big news for us.”

“What do you think it could be?”

“Don’t rightly know.” And with a shrug of her shoulders, she put her pencil down and turned to Billy. “He wants you and your brother to come, too.”

Jake drove.

The distance to the main house wasn’t all that far—just a few miles up the stream. An easy ride on horseback, and she’d done it often enough. Holding her hand on his lap, Billy stared out the window. Emily glanced up at Jake. His arm bent over the steering wheel, he hummed along to a tune playing on the radio. Long hair flying with the breeze coming in through the window he had cracked open, she reached out and touched it. His face turned to hers and he smiled. Taking her hand from his hair, he lowered it to his thigh and gently squeezed.

“Have you spoken to Kellan or Tanner?” she asked him.

He answered with a nod, “I have.”

“So, what’s this big news?”

Did Uncle Matty score a prize Limousin bull or a sought-after Wagyu? He went to Denver on business all the time. Emily wasn’t exactly sure what he did there, but he’d been going a lot more often lately.

“I didn’t ask, and they didn’t say.”

Course not.

“Could be a wedding,” Billy offered, rolling his head away from the window.

Emily burst into a fit of giggles. “Whose?”

“I saw Tanner talkin’ all friendly to Samantha Quigley in town a few weeks ago.” He shrugged. “I know they’re hellbent on waitin’ for their dream girl to appear, but my dude’s turnin’ twenty-two. How long do you expect him to wait?”

Looking down at her, Jake winked. “As long as it takes.”

“It’s not that,” Emily said with a tsk. At least it better not be. The butcher’s daughter was nice, but far too docile for Kellan. Her cousin needed someone who’d challenge him, someone who’d bring out the loving man she knew he could be. Samantha was not that girl. “Tanner is friendly with everybody.”

“Well, I ain’t got a clue, then.” Jake pulled in behind her mother’s truck and Billy put his hat back on his head. “It’s prob’ly a whole lot a nothin’.”

Billy might be right about that, but as Jake helped her down from the truck, she felt it—a distinct energy to the air. Something was about to change. Something big.

“Hey, Ems.” Tanner was waiting at the door with his arms open, ready to wrap her up in a giant bear hug. He was good at those. “How’s my favorite cousin?”

“I’m the only cousin you got.” Standing on her tiptoes, Emily kissed his cheek.

“So?” He ruffled her hair, making a mess of it. “You’re still my favorite.”

“Where’s Kel?”

“With Dad.” He hitched a thumb behind him. “They’ve got steaks going on the grill.”

She headed into the kitchen. Sure enough, her cousin and Uncle Matty, beer in hand, and her mom and Grams, were outside, deep in conversation. Judging by the looks on their faces, it sure wasn’t a prized bull they were talking about. Kellan saw her through the glass, and with a tip of his chin, alerted the others to her presence.

He turned his back on her, taking the meat off the grill. Three heads turned toward her, their strained expressions giving way to weak smiles that didn’t quite reach their eyes. His mother and sister coming along behind him, Uncle Matty walked in and squeezed Emily to his side.

“Here’s my girl.” The sweet scent of hickory smoke lingering on his flannel shirt, he kissed her crown. “You been doin’ your schoolwork and mindin’ your mama like I told you to?”

Twice a widower, Matthew Brooks was the closest she had to a father growing up, being hers died when she was only three—killed serving in Afghanistan. She remembered little of it. But Uncle Matty filled in as best he could, teaching her to ride, and taking her to all the daddy-daughter dances at school. He was always there for her, the same as her mom was for Tanner and Kellan. Their mothers died when they were just babies.

“Course, I have.” Her smile building, Emily tilted her head to the side and glanced up at him. “So, did you have a good trip?”

“Sure did.” With a short nod, he smiled back. “And I’m gonna tell you all about it.”

“Sweetheart, help me with this, would you?” Grams handed her a big bowl of mashed potatoes. “As soon as Kellan brings the steaks in, we can all sit down and eat.”

Matthew took his place at the head of the table, her mother at the foot. Emily sat with Billy and Jake, Grams and her cousins on the other side. Smirking to himself, but then when wasn’t he, Kellan passed around a basket of biscuits looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Her curiosity in overdrive now, she nudged his shin under the table with the toe of her boot. “Why’re you lookin’ like that, babes?”

“Like what?” He licked his lip, the corner of his mouth ticking up.

Like you’ve got a secret you’re dyin’ to let out, but you won’t.

“Never mind.” Her gaze darted to the basket in his hand. “I’ll take one of those.”

“Help yourself.”

Jake got a biscuit for her, and buttering it, put it on her plate. He shifted closer, their thighs touching. Warmth infused her cheeks, and Emily smiled up at him. He was always doing little things like that. His countless simple gestures showed her how much he cared. She already knew it, of course. Even so, she appreciated the reminder.

Once Grams made sure everyone had a glass of sparkling hard cider in front of them, her uncle cleared his throat. Her lips twitching, Kimberly fiddled with the napkin on her lap, and exchanging a glance with his brother, Tanner cracked a grin. Unlike Kellan, he displayed his heart for all to see.

With a tilt of his head, Matthew Brooks expelled a breath as a smile crept onto his ruggedly handsome face. Wrapping his fingers around the glass, he rubbed its smooth surface as if carefully weighing his words. “This is probably the last time we’ll be sitting at this here table like we are right now.”

Her mind racing, Emily looked first to her cousins, then to Billy, and lastly to Jake. He took her hand, and giving it a comforting squeeze, held it on his lap.

“There’s gonna be a wedding.”

“Samantha Quigley,” Billy whispered in her ear. “Tellin’ ya.”

No way.

“Who’s getting married?” Emily asked.

His face lighting up, Matthew puffed out his chest. “I am.”

Oh.

“I’ve been seeing a lovely lady in Denver.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she elbowed Billy’s ribs.

“We’re expecting a little one end of May.”

And her eyes widened. Ohhh.

“The wedding’s on Friday.”

Friday’s for crosses. Wasn’t it bad luck to get married on a Friday? Though most weddings are held on a Saturday, Emily supposed, and that’s not so lucky either. Wednesday is the luckiest day to have a wedding, but she held her tongue.

“I’m taking the boys back with me.” His gaze landed on his sons. The brothers bumped shoulders, and with a nod, Tanner threw his arm around Kellan. “We’ll get the girls all packed up and moved in before Thanksgiving.”

“ Girls ?”

“Jennifer has a daughter. Her name’s Arien.” Matthew winked. “She’s a senior, same as you.”

“You’re gettin’ a new cousin, Ems.” Tanner nearly bounced in his seat.

Kellan leaned across the table, intense dark eyes boring into her green ones. “And you’re gonna be her new best friend.”

Their grandmother reining him in, Melinda Brooks pushed Kellan back into his chair. “Coming from Denver, Brookside is going to be quite a change for Arien, honey. She’s going to need looking out for, especially at school.”

“I know, Grams. I’ll have her back, don’t worry. Billy will, too.” Emily scrambled from her seat and, skipping over to her uncle, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you, Uncle Matty. I’ve always wanted a sister, and this is almost like getting one.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. We’ve been favored.” Hugging her against him, he kissed her brow. “You and Arien are gonna get on real well. I just know it.”

“And a new baby,” she said with a sigh. “It’s all so wonderful, ain’t it, Mama?”

“Babies always are.” Biting her lip, Kimberly glanced at her brother. “Does Jennifer know about us, Matty?”

“She does.” With his eyes downcast, he bobbed his head. “Explained it to her as best I could.”

“And Arien?”

“Not yet.” Matthew gulped his cider down, then raked his fingers through his hair. “Might need some help with that, but me and Jennifer want to get her settled first.”

Oh, boy.

Brookside was a place like no other. They lived their lives a different way. The best way. Her new cousin was in for quite a surprise, but she’d surely come to love life here.

“Arien’s your dream girl, ain’t she?” Sitting back in his chair, Billy looked at her cousins, a smirk rising on his face. “The one you’ve been waitin’ on.”

Tanner nodded, and Kellan, who hardly ever smiled, grinned.

From the time they were little, their father told them she was coming. He saw it.

Emily glanced at Jacob, and with a wink, he kissed her crown.

Everything that comes in threes is perfect.

And they were meant to be.

She closed her eyes, happy knowing her cousins would be just as loved as she was.