Chapter 24 Annie
Annie
“Mom! Come quick! You have to come home right now!” Ruby’s high-pitched voice squeaked through the phone, sharp with urgency.
My stomach sank. I was already on my way back after a long day at work, but the panic in her tone had my pulse racing.
“What’s going on? Isn’t Brooks there with you?”
“Yes! But he fell!”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Fell?”
“He tripped on the step and he can’t stand up. Listen!”
A groan rumbled through the speaker, deep and guttural, making my heart lurch.
“Oh God. Okay, get him some ice, sweetheart. Did he hit his head? What hurts?”
Ruby repeated my words to Brooks, then relayed his answer, giggling nervously as she spoke into the phone. “He says… all of it.”
I pressed my lips together, torn between panic and disbelief. “How in the world did he fall down the steps?”
“We were having a tea party,” Ruby explained breathlessly. “He went upstairs to change and then he fell down!”
My jaw dropped. My nanny fell down the stairs… in a princess dress? The image was so absurd it almost made me laugh, but dread quickly followed. There was no way he’d want to stay now, not after that humiliation.
I thought about last night, about the promises we put into words, about how we’d deepened everything between us until the early hours of the morning. We didn’t talk anymore about what it looked like for him to stay, that conversation could come later.
And now? Guilt twisted in my stomach.
“I’m almost home, honey. Just make sure he stays awake, okay?”
I pressed the gas pedal harder, tires humming against the pavement, traffic laws forgotten. My brother was the sheriff, and honestly, he’d forgive me if I explained I was racing to save my—what? Babysitter? Lover? Future?
I didn’t even know what to call Brooks yet.
Moments later, I pulled into the driveway, Ruby still chattering on the other end of the phone. Her voice became background noise as I threw the car into park and bolted up the porch steps, heart hammering.
The front door opened and suddenly a pair of much-too-big hands clamped over my eyes.
“What the fuck—”
“Mom!” Ruby’s voice rang with scandalized authority. “Language!”
“I’m sorry,” I sputtered, my heart still racing, “but someone just blinded me!”
Brooks’ low chuckle rolled from behind me, warm and rich.
“It’s just Brooks,” Ruby said matter-of-factly. “He has a surprise for you.”
I froze. “So… you didn’t fall? You weren’t playing tea party?”
“Oh, I definitely played tea party,” Brooks admitted with a grin in his voice. “But that was earlier. No, I didn’t fall, we just needed an excuse to get you here fast.”
I exhaled, equal parts relief and exasperation. “A simple hurry up would’ve worked just fine.”
Still blind, I was ushered forward—Ruby tugging on one hand, Brooks’ hands still covering my eyes.
The panic settled.
Anticipation churned through me. Whatever these two had concocted, it had me wary and oddly emotional all at once.
The back door opened, which meant we walked through the kitchen. Why was he taking me back outside?
“Careful. One more step. And… there.” Brooks’ voice rumbled near my ear, his hands warm and protective as he guided me. “Stay right here. Keep your eyes closed.”
Ruby released my hand, and Brooks let go. I stood waiting, heart hammering, eyelids squeezed tight.
“One…” Ruby’s sing-song voice counted.
“Two…” Brooks followed, his tone lower, teasing.
“Three!” they said together.
My eyes fluttered open, and my breath caught.
Sunlight spilled over the backyard, golden and crisp in the winter air. Brooks stood there with Ruby perched on his hip, both of them beaming, and behind them was a pony.
A real, honest-to-goodness pony.
“Merry Christmas!” they cheered in unison, arms thrown wide in celebration.
Ruby’s face glowed with excitement. “Mommy! This is what you always wanted Santa to bring, remember? And he did! He came early while I was asleep this morning!”
Tears blurred my vision as I stepped closer, my hand rising instinctively for the small, soft nose of the pony as it whinnied. The enclosure behind them was new, too—clearly set up for this exact surprise.
Brooks’ grin was boyish, unguarded, and so full of mischief and heart it nearly undid me. He winked at me, pride and something deeper shining in those whiskey-colored eyes.
“You’re telling me Santa made a special trip to our house?” I asked shakily, offering the back of my hand for the pony to sniff.
“Yup,” Brooks said easily, his mouth twitching with amusement. “Turns out he’s a pretty generous guy.”
I shook my head, utterly overwhelmed. This man—this man I’d known less than two weeks—had somehow seen me clearer than most people had in years. He’d given me the one gift my inner child had never stopped dreaming of.
“You bought me a pony,” I whispered, awe and laughter tangled together in my voice.
He shrugged, casual but with warmth in every line of his body. “Guess I did.”
I stepped into them both then, wrapping my arms around Ruby and Brooks together, my chest so full I thought it might split. Happiness, disbelief, and a bone-deep tenderness surged through me all at once.
Brooks didn’t hesitate. He dipped his head and kissed me, right there in front of my daughter, his lips gentle but sure against mine.
I smiled into the kiss, tasting laughter and tears all at once, while Ruby squealed with delight.
“Woohoo!” she cheered, bouncing in Brooks’ arms. “This means Brooks is my new daddy!”
I broke the kiss with a cough, cheeks flaming. Brooks threw his head back, laughing so hard he nearly lost his grip on her.
But when his gaze caught mine again, softened and certain, I realized this man was it for me. It was fate that had him show up on my doorstep. Fate that pushed him to come to Snowberry Peak for a holiday escape.