Wild Promises (The Wilde Brothers #4)

Chapter 22

22

XANDER

I wasn't sure what to do about the situation with Tori. Did I tell her how I felt? And if so, how? The deadline for the marriage pact on our thirtieth birthdays was quickly approaching. Getting engaged would help our situations with our families.

I'd choose a house this week and put an offer on it. I'd get Tori to help me decorate it. Then I'd take the next step. Either tell her how I felt or make some sort of grand gesture to show her.

The more I thought about it, the more I suspected I should propose. It would show my brothers that I was mature and responsible, and it would show Tori how I felt about her.

She'd know exactly where I stood. And if she said no, what did that mean for our friendship? I didn't want to lose it, but I didn't see any way around being honest with her about my feelings.

She deserved to know that things had changed for me. That it hadn't felt fake in a long time. The only thing that was surreal was the speed at which we'd moved from friends to lovers. But the fake relationship had spurred it along. Now it was all us. There was no reason for the facade anymore. We were real.

I just hoped she felt the same way and wanted the same things I did. Things were great with my brothers. They seemed to be expecting more from me, and they weren't surprised to see me in my office or working late at night anymore. It was only a matter of time before they offered me a permanent position in the business. Then I'd take my rightful place next to my brothers.

The situation with Tori was uncertain. She wasn't comfortable saying anything to her father, and I was worried she'd lose everything. Her father seemed content to sell the practice to one of the interested buyers, and Tori was convinced that neither of the ones she'd met so far would either keep her on, or be a good fit for her.

My dream job was here. I didn't want to leave Telluride, not when I finally proved to my brothers I was serious about living and working here. Would long-distance work? The stress was keeping me up at night and prompting me to work longer and harder. If I was exhausted, maybe I could sleep at night.

I wanted the physical connection with Tori and thought I could lose myself in her.

I needed to figure things out soon. Thanksgiving was coming up, and it would be the perfect time to declare to Tori, an my family how I felt about her. Even Killian was scheduled to be home.

The only hiccup was Tori's dad. He should know how serious Tori was about working in the practice. She wouldn't want me to interfere, but I didn't agree with her hands-off approach.

When I spoke with her father about our relationship, he'd said I could talk to him at any time. Maybe I should say something. Satisfied that I was doing the right thing, I called her father and asked if I could stop by on the way home.

He was quick to acquiesce, so I packed up my stuff, and headed to Tori's childhood home. I didn't want to mess up our friendship but I couldn't ignore my feelings anymore.

I turned off the truck and headed up the sidewalk to knock on the door. It felt weird being here without Tori, but I had to do this. She deserved the practice. She was an amazing doctor and person. Telluride needed her to stay in town. I'd convince her father of that.

When he answered the door, he gestured for me to step inside. "Xander. You wanted to talk to me."

"Can we go into your office?" I wanted privacy for this conversation.

"Of course." He led the way down the hall and into an office. He gestured for me to sit across from him. "What's going on?"

"When I told you I was dating your daughter, I promised to always be honest with you."

He nodded. "I appreciate that."

"I have to be honest with you now. I'm in love with your daughter, and I want to ask her to marry me."

Dr. Clark considered me for a few seconds. "Are you asking for my blessing?"

He wasn't giving me any indication that he'd offer one. "I'm not. I wanted to let you know where my head is at. I hope you and Tori's mom approve of our relationship, but we're adults. We don't need a blessing."

Dr. Clark inclined his head. "I can respect that."

"We're looking to buy a house with a bit of property, maybe get a dog. We're settling down in Telluride. I love my job at my family's resort, and Tori loves her job at your practice."

He frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"Tori wants to run your practice, and I think she'd be great at it."

He frowned. "She said she understood that I wanted to sell it for my retirement."

"I'm asking you if there's a way to do both. Can you take on an investor or a partner,and give her time to buy part of the business? It goes without saying that anyone okay with this arrangement would let her stay on as a doctor. She said the one doctor couldn't afford to, and she's fairly sure the second will sell the practice. You have to know there wouldn't be anything for her in town, unless she wanted to open a competing practice. She's just not going to do that. That means she'd have to move to another town. She doesn't want that. I don't want that, and I suspect you and your wife don't either."

"I only just got her back."

"Is there a way to help her? I know she betrayed your trust when she went back on her word. But I can assure you, she wants to build a life here."

"I'll need to run the numbers and talk to Dr. Sterling to see what he thinks."

"Tori's not going to be happy that I came to you."

"She doesn't know you're here?"

"No." She might be upset that I'd gone behind her back. I had altruistic motives, but I was going against her wishes. She was an independent woman, and she wouldn't be happy about me being here. But once she saw how everything worked out in her favor, she'd come around. She had to.

"You think this is a good idea?" her father asked.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. "It's probably not. But someone had to say something."

Her father nodded. "Why didn't she tell me how she felt?"

"She felt like she'd already ruined her chances when she went back on her word. She understood that you needed the money."

"I saved for my retirement. I invested. I'm going to be fine. The sale of the practice was added bonus. But I don't need all that money. I could inquire about a partnership with some kind of agreement to let Tori buy my half when she's ready. Then I could keep practicing when I want."

I hadn't thought about Dr. Clark wanting to continue to practice. This was an added benefit for him too. "I appreciate you considering it."

"It's a good idea. One I hadn't thought about before. I was worried about Tori, but she assured me she was fine with selling."

"Running your practice is her dream. She was sidetracked for a while in New York. But how many of us haven't made a wrong turn or two? Thought something else was better for us? Then we grow up and mature."

Her father nodded. "You're absolutely right." Then he stood and held his hand out to me. "Welcome to the family."

I shook his hand. "I haven't asked her yet."

"She'll be lucky to have you. You're a good man, Xander."

His approval filled the holes in my soul that still needed acceptance. "Thank you, sir."

"I want my girl to be happy."

Tori had been happy living with me these last few weeks. Her move to Telluride probably had something to do with that. "I want to do everything in my power to make her happy."

"Well, happiness comes from within. We can help people, but ultimately it's up to them."

She seemed happy with me, and I knew I was with her. Everything would work out how it was supposed to.

"Thanks for stopping by. I hadn't even considered that possibility before, and the more I think about it, the more I think it's the perfect arrangement."

Just like how me and Tori started out as fake. It was the perfect arrangement until it wasn't. I wanted something more, something permanent. Now I just had to plan the perfect time to tell her. It should be in front of everyone. "I hope you'll stop by the Wildes' Thanksgiving feast this year."

"I'll talk to the misses, but I'm sure she'll want to."

"I might ask Tori then, but I'll let you know for sure."

"We'll be there."

"Thanks again for talking to me."

Dr. Clark nodded, and I let myself out. It was the right thing to do. I couldn't have let her father sell the practice when it was Tori's dream. She'd understand that I had to do this.

T hankfully, we had time to look at three properties on a weekday morning. The realtor, Luke, seemed knowledgeable about the area and listened to my criteria for the perfect home. I wasn't sure what Tori wanted, so I hoped I'd get a better idea by viewing the properties together.

We pulled up to the first option. It was on two acres, backing to woods. The driveway was long and flat, lined with mature trees. I could envision lights on the trunks during the holidays and wreaths on the windows.

Since when did I care about decorating for the holidays? Since I started dating Tori and realized there was so much more to life. It was like I'd been living a half-life before she came back to town.

I parked next to Luke, and we got out to join him on the porch. "The kitchen and bathrooms are updated and the roof new in the last five years. But the windows are original."

"I can deal with that."

"I think you're going to like it. Why don't you two walk around, and I'll wait for you in the kitchen." He unlocked the door and pushed it open for us to precede him into the house.

As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I could see the windows showcasing the forest in the living room. The kitchen had white cabinets, marble countertops, and a gray island. There was room for a table and plenty of storage space.

Tori was quiet as she opened this cabinet door and that.

"What do you think?" I asked as we moved into the living room. There was a large stone fireplace with a wood mantle. I could see us watching TV in front of the fire on cold winter nights. The view was just what I was looking for. I hoped the second floor was as good as the first.

"It's really nice."

"Could you see yourself living here?"

"I think everyone could. It's kind of perfect. Spacious and updated. Everything is clean and well cared for."

There was a study downstairs and a formal living room. Then we took the stairs to see the second floor. The master bedroom had an adjoining sitting room and large bathroom. I could see us living here as a married couple, then filling the remaining four bedrooms with kids. Both of us working our dream jobs. My kids growing up with my brothers. This was perfect.

"I don't know about this." The basement was unfinished. It would be expensive to renovate, and I didn't have time to do the work myself.

"You could make it what you want it to be."

"True." I could make it a gaming room or something else.

We went outside to see the backyard, and the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was. There were no cars passing by or pedestrians talking and laughing.

"I think this is the house," Tori said, her voice filled with excitement. "Can you see yourself living here?"

"I can see us grilling here on summer evenings. A fire pit for s'mores. Plenty of chairs to enjoy the outdoors. Maybe a gaming room in the basement." I liked to be in constant motion, so if I wasn't on the slopes, I enjoyed shooting hoops or playing pool. But I couldn't do any of that in my current apartment. My chest felt tight when I thought of living in my dream house by myself. "You'll move in with me, right?"

Tori nodded. "As long as I have a job here."

"It'll work out." Because it had to. I didn't say anything about my conversation with her father because I wasn't even sure it would pan out. Maybe the buyer wouldn't be interested, or her father would change his mind. I had no way of knowing, and I didn't want to rush anything.

She curled a hand through my elbow. "I hope you're right. Now that I'm home, I can't imagine living anywhere else."

"Do we need to look at any other houses?" This was outside of town with enough property not to see any neighbors. It was backing to woods and far enough away from the road to feel private. It met all of my criteria.

"Not if you think this is the one."

"What you think matters too. You'll be living here." Hopefully forever. But it was too soon to have that conversation.

Tori shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "I love it."

"You'll help me pick out furniture and decorate?" I asked her.

"I might need Noelle's help. It's a big space."

"Noelle does interior design too?"

"She does everything. That girl is always hustling."

I had plenty of money saved since I didn't spend much of it. My rent was low, and my truck was old. "I'd love to support her business."

"You Wilde boys are so sweet."

I leaned close and said, "Don't tell anyone. You'll ruin our reputation."

Tori's head flew back as she laughed.

Luke opened the sliding door. "I don't mean to rush you, but another couple is here to see the house. We should give them the space. You ready to see the next option?"

"I want to put an offer on this one." This was the right decision, the best next move. I'd secure the house, the job, and then the woman.

He raised a brow. "I thought you might. I showed you the property that checked all your boxes first."

"I appreciate that." I didn't want to waste a lot of time traipsing through houses I wasn't interested in. "This is the one."

"Great. I'll write up the contract and contact you to discuss offers."

We went inside and upstairs, nodding to the realtor who was waiting outside with the next couple.

We paused by Luke's SUV.

"You think there will be competition for it?" I asked.

Luke's brow furrowed. "There might be. We'll have to make a strong offer. I'd suggest offering the asking price plus a little extra to seal the deal."

"Let's do it," I said, knowing I'd pay any amount of money to secure my future.

"I'll send it over ASAP."

"Thanks, Luke. I appreciate it."

We headed to my truck, and once we were inside, Tori said, "I didn't realize you were going to make an offer today."

"Why wouldn't I? We both agreed this was the house." I was worried we'd lose out to another couple. I couldn't let that happen. I could see me and Tori living here, growing together, and filling it with little Wildes. The vision was so real, and vivid; I wouldn't let anyone take it from me.

I felt even better about my meddling with Tori's dad last night. If I got what I wanted in the end, it would be worth it. I was going after what I wanted from now on. No more sitting back and letting life happen to me. I'd create the life I wanted, and it was a future with Tori.

"I don't know. It's just happening so fast."

I reached across the console and curled my hand around hers. "When you know what you want, the next move is easy and obvious."

Her eyes sparkled with something. Was it regret? It was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Everything is falling into place for you."

"And it will for you too. I have to believe this is all going to work out. Everything we did was for a reason."

Tori cleared her throat and removed her hand from mine. "We'll both get what we want."

I grinned over at her, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. We're meant to have everything we want, and I wanted Tori, this house, and my job working alongside my brothers. My heart was so full; it was close to bursting. There was no way anything could go wrong. I'd made my plan, and it was all going to work out the way I wanted it to.