Chapter 23
Tobias
“About time you got here.” Trevor glares at me as I enter the conference room where we hold our weekly meetings. “Glad you decided to grace us with your presence.”
I smirk, setting down the box of donuts I brought. “I had important things to do this morning.”
The important things being making sure Brooke’s day got off on the right foot and she came into work with a smile on her face.
She’s been sleeping in my bed—with me beside her—for the better part of a month now. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of Brooke’s face being the first thing I see when I open my eyes and the last thing I see before I close them every day.
It’s something I never thought I’d experience, and I’m determined not to take a single bit of it for granted. If that means I’m late for a meeting with my brothers, they’re going to have to deal with it.
I scan the space and notice I’m not the only one missing. “And why are you acting like I was the one holding shit up?” I drop into the seat I always occupy. “Walker isn’t even here yet.”
“Walker called to let me know he was tied up.” Trevor looks up as Maren walks in, his scowl deepening as she comes my way.
“Brooke wanted me to drop this off on my way to the supply room.” She passes off a cup of coffee. “She said you probably forgot to grab one on your way to the meeting.”
Trevor looks from the coffee in my hand to where Maren stands. “Why don’t you grab me a coffee on your way back?”
Maren gives him a saccharine sweet smile. “Because I don’t want to.”
I nearly choke on the mouthful of hot liquid I just tipped back as the supply clerk saunters out of the room, leaving Trevor staring after her, open-mouthed.
He holds his hands out, looking between me and Tucker. “What the fuck is her problem?”
“Seems like it’s you.” Tucker smirks. “I don’t think she likes you much.”
“I saved her damn life,” Trevor sputters. “She should like me a little.”
“Why do you care?” I grab a donut from the box and take a bite. “It’s not like she works for you.”
Technically, Maren’s a temp, but her contract with the agency is almost over. Once that happens, she can be hired on as a permanent employee. And I’ll be damned if I let Trevor try to bring her in as his assistant.
One of them wouldn’t survive it. And as big of an ass as he is, I'm not sure we can run this company without Trevor.
“I don’t care.” Trevor stands. “I’m going to get my own damn coffee.”
I turn to Titus, lifting my brows. “What’s up his ass?”
Titus leans to look over the assortment of sweet treats I brought. “He’s just stressed.”
“We’re all stressed.” I don’t know what Trevor has to worry about that we all aren’t worried about. I get he’s responsible for keeping the nuts and bolts of the company running, but the rest of us also have a shitload on our plates managing our own divisions.
Titus chooses a jelly filled version, taking a bite before shooting me a grin. “Yeah, but he’s not blowing off any steam.”
I get what he’s trying to say, but I don’t think it’s a very good excuse. “I wasn’t like that when I wasn’t blowing off any steam.” I point at my oldest brother. “Neither were you.”
“I didn’t leave my house for over a decade.” Titus takes another bite. “Pretty sure I don’t have room to talk.” He points at where I sit. “And neither do you, because you were totally an asshole anytime Brooke’s name came up.”
“She was a touchy subject.” I have to admit I maybe didn’t always respond the best to mentions of the woman I’m working hard to win back, but I’m past that. I give Titus a grin. “Feel free to ask me about her any time now.”
“Can we talk about something else? I don’t want to hear how happy you two are all shacked up.” Tucker wrinkles his nose on a grimace. “Sounds like a fucking nightmare.”
I’m not sure why my baby brother has such an aversion to commitment of any sort, but I hope someday he figures it out. Maybe I should recommend he talk to Burt. Work out some of this shit. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”
Titus points at me, smiling. “That’s what I said.”
“I’m gonna leave that to you guys.” Tucker shakes his head. “I don’t have any interest in it.” His eyes move pointedly to the doorway before moving between me and Titus. “Maybe you can do me a solid and sic mom on one of them next.”
I snort. “It’ll have to be Walker, because I don’t see any woman in her right mind tolerating Trevor’s bullshit.”
Titus’s demeanor shifts, turning serious. “I don’t think she’ll bother Walker right now.”
That has me straightening in my seat. “Why? What’s going on with Walker?”
Walker is the oldest of us. Has been a part of our immediate family since his mom died twenty-five years ago. It’s actually kind of hard for me to remember a time when he wasn’t living in our house. I’m just as close to him as I am to my blood brothers, and Titus’s comment has me worried.
My oldest brother’s eyes move to the doorway. “You’ll have to ask him that.”
I turn to find Walker standing just inside the room. He’s always been the serious sort—more like Titus and Trevor than me and Tucker—but I have to admit, lately he’s been even more intense than normal. Almost somber.
I’ve been so distracted by Brooke, I haven’t thought on it too much, and I feel bad about it. After being in my own melancholy mood for nearly a decade, you would think I’d see it happening to someone I care about and try to help.
Walker takes a seat and Trevor comes in right behind him, closing the door before plopping down, the coffee Maren refused to serve him gripped in one hand.
“I want to know who killed my mom.” Walker doesn’t beat around the bush, and he doesn’t mince words.
Just digs straight into the meat of what’s got him acting so off.
He tips his head at Titus. “Titus has been helping me search for the records available from the accident, but so far we haven’t come up with much. ”
I was young enough that I don't remember much about the car accident that killed my mother’s older sister. I’ve heard bits and pieces about it over the years, but not enough to speak with any sort of certainty about the events that transpired.
Trevor is the second oldest, putting him a couple years behind Titus, so he was old enough to be a little more aware of what was happening. Which is obvious when he asks, “What do you mean you haven’t come up with much? Aren’t there all kinds of police records and witness statements?”
“If there are, no one has scanned them into any online systems.” Titus explains what sounds like a mildly illegal search he’s done through databases that probably aren’t meant for just anyone to sift through.
“What about the hard copies? Shouldn’t those be in storage somewhere?” I know law enforcement doesn’t hang onto that kind of shit forever, but I can’t imagine they would trash evidence without making some sort of record.
“It’s possible.” Walker leans back in his seat, crossing both arms over his chest. “But I’m pretty sure they’re not just gonna let me walk in and start digging through their storage room.”
I mean… “I guess that would depend on what kind of connections you have.”
Pierce owes me for managing to get him that first shipment of Jeeps he wanted. He’s about to owe me double for the second shipment I’m going to deliver on time. If anyone knows what strings to pull to get Walker inside a cold case storage room, the owner of Alaskan Security will.
After deciding he’ll reach out to Pierce, we dig into our normal meeting topics, going over numbers, projections, and any ideas we think could be worth implementing.
The meeting runs longer than normal, because we’re closing in on Mariah’s due date and plans need to be put in place for juggling Titus’s leave.
Titus focuses on me. “Do you think Brooke is capable of keeping things running? Or would that be too much on her right now?”
“She’s absolutely capable of keeping things running.” I tip my head. “Whether or not it’s too much, I can’t answer.”
I know she’s come a long way since arriving in Willow Bend. Her confidence is up. Every day she’s less and less jumpy. It seems like the trauma of what happened in California is finally starting to abate.
She’s even found a therapist she likes and is having weekly meetings.
But any time I mention anything close to labeling what’s going on between us, she gets skittish. Withdrawn. Like putting a name to what we have is going to change everything.
It might. But for me it would be in a good way.
That doesn’t seem to be how Brooke sees it, and I haven’t had the balls to ask why. I’m afraid I won’t like the answer.
Because I want Brooke. In all senses of the word. I want her to be mine in every capacity. I want to be hers in every capacity. I want God and government to know we’re linked.
“Maybe you could float it past her and see what she thinks.” Titus checks the time on his phone. “I know if I ask, she’ll do it even if she doesn’t want to.” He stands, tucking the phone into his pocket as he grins. “It won’t be because of me though. She’ll be doing it for Mariah.”
That is probably true. Mariah and Brooke’s friendship was almost instantaneous. Their temperaments are strikingly similar, which I think contributed to the easy connection.
How in the hell Maren’s wild ass fits into that group I’ll never know, but she does. The three of them talk almost every day, and there’ve been more than a few nights where I’ve left them piled across my sofa watching Netflix and bitching about men.
Usually Trevor.
Titus is the first one to leave the room, which is pretty normal.
He’s getting more and more comfortable in the office, but still counts down the minutes until he can get back to Mariah.
He lingered longer when she used to come with him, but after the explosion—and now with her so far along in her pregnancy—he gently encourages her to stay home.
Which is good, because I don’t want to have to send the guy stationed outside Brooke’s office to follow Mariah around.
Speaking of Brooke… I’m itching to get back to the woman I love myself.
But before I can leave the room, Tucker gets my attention, flailing around as he steps closer, peering out to see where Titus is. When he’s satisfied our oldest brother is out of earshot, he turns to the rest of us. “What are you guys bringing to the hospital when the babies are born?”
Shit. We have to bring stuff to the hospital? It’s not good that I didn’t know this. How am I gonna be the favorite uncle if I don’t even know what all the expectations are?
“I haven’t decided yet,” I hedge since I was completely unaware of this requirement before now.
“I’m not telling you.” Trevor looks Tucker up and down with a scowl. “You’ll just try to bring something better.”
“Who says I’m not gonna bring something better regardless?” Tucker crosses both arms over his chest. “I’ve been researching what little kids like, so you fuckers better watch out. I’m about to smash this uncle thing.”
“Have you ever been around a baby?” I ask the question like I have room to be judgmental. I don’t. I’ve never seen an infant up close.
But I have seen—and taken care of—puppies, and they cry and pee themselves, so there are at least a few similarities.
“Do I look like I’ve been babysitting for extra money?” Tucker scoffs. “And it can’t be that hard to figure out. I’m sure I’m not going to have a problem learning how to change diapers.”
I can’t even imagine my baby brother changing diapers. Ever. Under any circumstances. It’s almost as difficult to envision as Trevor changing diapers.
“You guys keep arguing about who’s going to be the favorite.” Walker edges behind us, stepping through the door. “That means you won’t even see me coming.”
I pick up my empty coffee cup and chuck it at him, managing to bounce it off the side of his head before he can duck out of sight. “Everyone sees you coming, asshole. You’re fucking huge.”
Not only is Walker the oldest of us, he’s also the biggest. The guy could have easily been a linebacker if he wanted to. Thankfully, he ditched any dreams he might’ve had for playing ball and started a company named after the mother he lost.
The company we’ve all helped him build.
“I know you think that swimming pool is going to put you in first place, but wait till you see what I’m working on.” Tucker smirks. “Those kids are gonna shit their pants.”
“Literally. All they’re going to do is shit their pants for at least the first year.” Trevor looks between me and Tucker. “You dumbasses are acting like they’re going to walk out as fully formed little people instead of drooling, babbling, needy, energy vampires.”
My brows lift at Trevor’s words. “Holy shit. I didn’t know you hated kids.”
“I don’t hate kids.” Trevor seems offended. “I just see them for what they are. And in the beginning, they’re not going to be doing fun things like swimming in pools and running around indoor playlands.”
Tucker’s arms go out, head tipping back as he turns to Trevor. “What the fuck?”
“You drive right past my house, asshole. I see all the shit you pile in the back of your truck.” Trevor huffs out what might be considered a laugh.
“And if you guys want to let Thing One and Thing Two fuck up your houses, that is totally up to you. I’m grateful, because the last thing I want is Cheerios crushed into my furniture and snot wiped across my drapes. ”
Shit. I might be screwed.
Because I’ve got a feeling that the same way dogs know who doesn’t like them and focus every bit of their attention on that person, Titus and Mariah’s twins are going to do the exact same thing with Trevor. They’re going to be up his ass all the time.
And he’s going to lose his mind.
But the fact that I’ll get to witness it does make me feel a little better.