Chapter 17 #3
He lifted a brow. I kept hold of his hand.
“I don’t remember specifics. Neither does Junie.
Summer and Autumn have filled in what they know, and Mama finally told us what she heard from the social workers.
” I took a fortifying breath. I’d never told anyone about them.
People heard my parents died in a crash when we were camping, and they got caught up in the sadness of four girls going through the trauma of an accident that stole their parents.
They didn’t think further about the details. “We were homeless.”
He frowned. “I thought you guys were camping.”
“Because we had nowhere to go. Mama said there was nothing. No money, no accounts, no assets. The house was foreclosed on. They left everything, and we camped. Summer said she remembered Mama Starr or Daddy Bjorn being gone for a day, like they got work for a day, and then we’d go to another campground. ”
“You didn’t know you were homeless?”
I shook my head. “I thought it was fun. Mama Starr would tell us stories while we looked at the stars.” I smiled, remembering some of the conversations I’d had with my sisters over the years.
“That must be why I was the last kid. My parents wouldn’t have had a chance to get some alone time with all of us around. ”
“Adults don’t let the presence of kids stop them from having sex,” he said darkly.
No wonder he’d formed a hard shell. I feathered my fingers over the grim set of his mouth. “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.”
He kissed a fingertip. “We’re not talking about me. You were homeless, but were you living well?”
The crease in his forehead needed to be smoothed out, too. He was worried about my childhood. “Yes. The blissful ignorance of youth.”
“Then they were good parents. If they kept you ignorant of their hardships and hid the dark side of life from you, then they were good parents.”
My poor Myles. “You know why storms bother me?”
“The crash?”
He’d probably heard about it from Mama. “Yes. With the heavy rains and where we were camping, we had to get to higher ground. I remember Dad saying we’d get a hotel for the night.
I don’t remember how it happened, if a deer ran out in front of us or if the van had bald tires, but we slid off the road and rolled.
For all their faults, they were strict about car seats.
Summer and Autumn had the worst injuries.
Me and Junie were in the third-row seat and took the least amount of damage.
But Mama and Daddy…” The sadness and loss were present, but they paled compared to the fresh grief of losing Daddy Darin.
I was recounting a story I’d heard told to me.
I didn’t remember more than the raging wind, rain, and thunder.
And the crying. “Thankfully, someone saw us go off the road, but we had to wait until help arrived.”
“And you still have a hard time in storms.”
“And you still took care of me.”
He let out a long breath. “I should’ve known who you were. It was in front of my face. I was too busy trying to ignore how attracted I was to you.”
“You liiiike me,” I sang.
He slid his gaze toward me. “You know that it can’t go anywhere.”
Wasn’t that a cold bucket of water over the head? I swallowed my hurt. This was a hard enough week as it was. “Are you afraid I’m after your mega fortune and the penthouse in the mountains?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “My fortune is tied up in the company.”
“Plus, you co-op a jet. I’m looking for straight-up owner-level rich.”
“And the penthouse?”
I smiled smugly. “I’ll build my own. You know where we had sex?”
His pupils dilated. “Yes.”
His energy crackled over my skin. I could crawl into his lap again.
But this spot wasn’t as secluded as the last. “It’s mine.
” I pointed off toward the mountains in the distance.
“We all have a portion that’s ours. Tate built over there.
Daddy didn’t work on those roads for hunting, but to give us access.
” My grief pooled inside me again, adding a heaviness I wasn’t sure I could shake.
“His dream was to have us all living on Bailey land. I can’t help but feel like I disappointed him. ”
“Do you really think so? Truly?”
I sniffled. “Just a little.”
He shifted in his seat. “Look, Wynn. We didn’t talk about you guys the few times I connected with him after I left.
I didn’t want to. He told me not to worry about your brothers, and I didn’t want to get into more beyond that.
But I can unequivocally tell you he was a man radiating with pride, and he wasn’t the type to hype himself. It came from all of you.”
“I told him what I was doing. With you.” I tensed. What would he think?
He drew his brows together. “He approved?”
“No, but I told him I’d wait to tell you after the big meeting.” I twined my hands together. “He said you were a sponge whenever he’d talked to you, and that you don’t owe us a thing.”
“And what do you think?”
I had a lot of thoughts when it came to this man. “The real question is, does it matter?”
If I expected a resounding Yes, Wynn, it absolutely matters what you think of me as we’ve slowly been getting to know each other these last two months, I didn’t hear it.
“It shouldn’t,” he finally said.
Okay, then.
Did that mean it shouldn’t, but it did, and he didn’t mind? He did so mind? It shouldn’t matter so why bother asking?
“Let me make you a drink.” Because I sure as hell needed one.