10. Brooklyn
CHAPTER 10
brOOKLYN
It took longer than the usual amount of time to make the drive to the garden center. Even though we were planning on waiting until we arrived to build the cake Lily had spent all week baking, she didn’t want a bump in the road or a tight curve to damage the precious cargo in the back of the van.
When we finally pulled up in front of the building, I was ready to stretch my legs. It was early in the season, but I couldn’t wait to see what kind of flowers and bulbs they had available. There was a spot right in front of Levi’s cabin that would be the perfect place to plant some daffodils. I used to love watching them poke up out of the lingering snow, because their bright yellow flowers were always an early sign of spring. My mom once told me they symbolized hope and resilience. I’d needed a fair share of both to make it this far, and now everything seemed to be falling into place.
Lily led the way to a greenhouse out back where we’d be setting up for the event, and it took several trips back and forth from the van before we had all the pieces of the cake in place. This was the first big job I’d helped her with, and I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. After last night with Levi, I’d stopped thinking about Mustang Mountain as a place I wanted to flee and started to think of it as a place I wanted to stay. It might be too early in our relationship to think like that, but deep down I knew he was the one.
“There.” Lily stepped back and looked over the huge, tiered cake. “Do you see any blank spots that need a flower?”
“It’s gorgeous. You did an incredible job.” I walked around the table, admiring the cake from every angle. She’d spent so many hours creating each individual flower. I hoped the owner of the garden center appreciated her talent.
“Hey, this was a joint effort.” Lily lifted her hand for a high five. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Are you sure you don’t want to stay in Mustang Mountain? I could use you full-time.”
I slapped my hand against hers. “About that…”
Her brows shot up. “Did something happen with Levi?”
Heat flushed my cheeks just like it seemed to do every time someone mentioned his name.
“I knew it!” Lily grabbed both of my hands in hers and jumped up and down. “You want to stay, don’t you?”
“Careful, you’re going to knock over the cake.” I pulled her away from the table, not even trying to hide my smile. “I’m thinking about it.”
She squeezed my hands before letting them drop. “Have you told him?”
“Not yet.” I wasn’t sure how he’d react. Based on how things were going, I hoped he’d be excited about the idea. But everything was so new. And even though I could feel myself falling for him, it might be too weird for us to be together with Kyle around. Levi didn’t seem to be close with his brother, but family was family. I’d never forgive Kyle for what he’d done to me, but I didn’t want to come between the brothers.
“I think he’s going to be thrilled,” Lily said. “And bonus, you can keep working with me.”
“Are you sure? I really appreciate you giving me a job, but I don’t want to take advantage.” I’d never been comfortable accepting help. It was probably my mom’s fault. She’d always taught me to be self-sufficient. After my dad died, she didn’t have anyone else to rely on, so she hadn’t had a choice.
Lily laughed. “Seriously? I’d be the one taking advantage of you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good help? My last part-time employee spent more time scrolling on her phone than she did in the kitchen. She even dropped it into a mixing bowl full of dough once, and I had to start a whole batch of caramel cookies over again.”
“If you’re sure…” The thought of finally belonging somewhere, of being in a place where someone relied on me, seemed so foreign, but deep down it was what I wanted. What I’d always hoped I’d find.
“Consider it a done deal.” Her elbow nudged into my side. “You’ll just have to let me know where you end up staying. I can’t imagine you wanting to leave Levi’s, but if you do, Peyton can help you look for an apartment or even a house when you’re ready to buy.”
I hadn’t planned that far ahead. “I need to talk to Levi first, but I’ll let you know.”
“Great. Now let’s get the rest of the food set out before people start to show up.” Lily headed toward the door, and I followed. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t worried about trying to get away. Staying in Mustang Mountain felt like the right decision. Hopefully, Levi agreed.
Two hours later, the food was set out in an amazing display. Lily and I stood off to the side while the owner of the garden store prepared to cut a wide ribbon with a giant pair of scissors. Lily had worked her ass off on this event, and I was ready to see her get the recognition she deserved.
“Oh good, he made it.” As guests filled the room, Lily stared at the back door. I glanced up to see Mack making his way toward us through the crowd.
“Congratulations, sunshine. Everything looks great.” He swept her up in his arms and spun her around.
Lily let out a soft shriek as she clasped her arms around his neck. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
“And miss your big event? Never in a million years.”
I looked away as he leaned down to kiss her. That’s what love looked like…. supporting each other through the highs and lows… being there to celebrate each other’s successes or offer a shoulder to cry on when things didn’t turn out.
That’s what I wanted… what I deserved… and what I hoped I’d found with Levi.
Orville, the mayor of Mustang Mountain, stepped behind the small podium at the front of the room. The garden center wasn’t exactly located in Mustang Mountain, but that was the closest town. He congratulated the owner and talked about how small businesses were the future of small towns. Once the speeches were done, Lily and I were supposed to move behind the food table to help serve. At least, that was the plan.
All that changed when Kyle entered the building. Seeing him made every muscle in my body tense.
“What’s he doing here?” I leaned over and whispered to Lily. I doubted he was looking for new hanging baskets. He had to have some ulterior motive in mind.
Lily traded places with me, putting me between her and Mack. Some sort of silent communication passed between them.
“Don’t worry. He won’t make a scene with everyone around,” she said.
That didn’t give me much comfort. Though Kyle had never physically hurt me in front of anyone else, he never missed an opportunity to cut me down with words if he felt like I’d done something that reflected badly on him. There was no way he could have found out about me and Levi, but sleeping with his brother would definitely send him past the point of no return.
Kyle scanned the crowd, his eyes narrowing into slits when they finally landed on me. Apprehension rocketed through my limbs. His mouth hardened into a straight line like it always did when he was about to lose the ability to stay in control. Silent warning bells clanged through my head, and every instinct urged me to run.
“Mack won’t let anything bad happen,” Lily mumbled.
“You’ve got that right.” Mack put a hand on my shoulder like he wanted to reassure me.
At the contact, fire raged in the depths of Kyle’s eyes. He crept closer, and the air grew thicker and heavier until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Orville continued to ramble on, oblivious to the tension. I’d been a fool to think I could just turn my back on Kyle and walk away. He was like a cat who’d gotten bored batting a mouse around and let it go. Now that someone else was interested, he’d decided to reclaim it. The comparison made me sick to my stomach, but it was accurate.
My molars ground together as he moved even closer. I’d lost track of Orville’s speech, so the sound of applause caught me off guard.
“Are you okay to help serve the cake or do you want Mack to take you home?” Lily asked. “If you’d rather go, I can handle it myself.”
I wanted to flee, to put as much distance between me and Kyle as I possibly could. But I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life running. Kyle had stolen so much from me already. I’d found something worth fighting for in Mustang Mountain, and I’d be damned if I’d let him take that away from me too.
“I’ll be fine.” I wrapped my fingers around Lily’s and let her lead me to the table where we’d set up the cake. The local paper had even sent a photographer to take a few pictures, and I wouldn’t let Kyle ruin her moment.
“Brooklyn.” Kyle stepped toward me. “I need to talk to you.”
“Not now.” Mack put himself between me and Kyle. He didn’t appear to be looking for a fight, but I bet he’d be more than capable of handling Kyle.
“Levi won’t be bothering you anymore. It’s time to come home now.” Kyle held out his hand like he fully expected me to take it.
I wouldn’t touch him, but his words sent a chill racing straight up my spine. “What do you mean he won’t be bothering me anymore?”
“Let’s go somewhere private where we can talk.” Kyle tilted his head toward the side door leading out into the parking lot. “There are a few things I need to update you on about my brother. He’s in some trouble, and I don’t see him talking his way out of it anytime soon.”
“I won’t need to try to talk my way out of it.” Levi came up behind Kyle. My heart stopped until he reached for me and pulled me into his arms.
Kyle shook his head. “What are you doing here? I thought they’d have you locked up for what you did this morning.”
Nothing made sense. I tightened my grip on Levi. “What’s he talking about?”
“Nothing to worry about, sweet girl. My brother’s just a sore loser who made a bad decision and tried to frame me for it.”
“Nice try. What would I have to gain from framing you?” Kyle asked, his voice mocking. He clung to his cocky attitude like a security blanket. I’d give anything to rip it away from him and finally see fear in his eyes.
Levi shook his head. “Playing dumb doesn’t look good on you. First, you trash my reputation and get me out of the way for your new developer friend to continue taking over Mustang Mountain.”
Kyle laughed it off, but by the way his nostrils flared, I could tell he was barely holding himself in check.
Levi either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “And then you make a move on Brooklyn to try to get her back under your control. It must be killing you to see us together.”
“Um, I know this is important, but do you think you two could take this conversation outside? You know, away from the grand opening celebration and the mayor?” Lily bit down on her lip, clearly uncomfortable.
“Yes. Let’s go outside.” I tugged Levi toward the door, hoping Kyle would follow. Mack stepped in to help, herding Kyle toward the door while trying not to draw any more attention.
But Kyle never liked doing what other people wanted. He stopped right in front of the cake table and stared at Levi, not even bothering to try hiding the hatred in his eyes. “She didn’t choose you, asshole. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Levi turned to face his brother, his face an unreadable mask carved out of stone.
Before he could say a word, Kyle pulled back and took a swing. Levi ducked out of the way. Kyle’s fist flew through the air. Time slowed down to a crawl, and I watched in slow motion as Kyle’s fist connected with the center of the cake.