Chapter 29
Tobias
It takes me a few seconds to figure out what in the hell is making so much noise. It’s the weekend, and after spending half the night showing Brooke how much I love her, I was looking forward to sleeping in.
And then showing her a little more.
Instead, my cell is raising hell on the nightstand before the sun has even come up.
Rolling away from the warmth of Brooke’s body, I reach for the phone, grabbing it from the surface with the intent of silencing it and going back to sleep.
Except it’s Titus’s name displayed across the screen, and my oldest brother isn’t in the habit of calling people unless he absolutely has to.
I grunt, dropping my feet to the floor as I connect the call. Stumbling out into the hall so I don’t wake Brooke, I finally ask, “Do you know what time it is?”
“Excuse the fuck out of me. I thought you’d want to know you’re an uncle.” Titus sounds out of breath. “I guess I’ll let Tucker know he’s gonna be the favorite uncle.”
“Like hell he is.” I pace down the stairs, fully awake now. “How’s Mariah?”
“She’s okay. Tired.” Titus sounds a little tired himself. “Everything went fast but well. She’s resting now, so I thought I’d call everyone and let them know.”
“Is there anything I can do?” I go to the coffee maker since there’s no way I’m going to be able to go back to sleep.
“If you could take care of Betty that would be great. You’ll have to get her food and crate. I thought I had a little more time, so I don’t have anything ready.”
“You got it.” It can’t be that hard to juggle an extra dog. “Let me know when Mariah’s ready for visitors.”
“Will do.”
Hanging up, I set my phone on the counter and work on starting a pot of coffee to get me through the day. Titus wasn’t the only one who thought he had more time, so I’ve got some work to do.
When the coffee’s finished, I pour my favorite travel mug as full as I can get it then creep upstairs, getting ready as silently as I can while Brooke snores.
I successfully pull on jeans and a shirt without waking her, giving her sleeping form a final look before going down to put on my boots so I can go collect Betty.
It turns out Betty has just as much shit as Bruno and Copper, so I do my best to pick the toys she seems to like the most, adding them to her crate along with a gallon baggie of her food, before scooping the miniature poodle up and piling everything into my side-by-side.
Brooke’s awake when I get home, yawning widely as she pours herself a cup of coffee. Her eyes follow me as I carry the crate over to line it next to Bruno’s. “Uhh…”
“Mariah had the babies.” I set Betty down, watching as she bounces around, sniffing for crumbs. “We’re dog-sitting while she and Titus are at the hospital.” And maybe a while after so my brother and sister-in-law can get settled.
“She had the babies already?” Brooke abandons her coffee.
“We haven’t even put her gift basket together.
” Leaving her beverage behind, she hustles to the breakfast room where the items we picked out are lined down the table.
“I need to wash the pajamas and robe in case she wants to wear them while she’s in the hospital.
” Brooke grabs the bundle, carrying them straight upstairs, leaving me with three dogs looking at me expectantly.
Probably because they know I’m a sucker.
I dole out treats, passing off Bruno’s just as my doorbell rings.
I find Walker on my doorstep, looking just as tired as I feel. He comes in, eyes going to where Betty is tormenting Bruno. “Seems like you heard.”
“I did.” Leading my cousin into the kitchen, I grab a mug and pour him a cup of coffee. “I’m glad things went well.”
“Me too.” Walker sits at the island, taking a long sip of his drink before setting it on the counter in front of him. “But at the risk of sounding a little like an asshole, I wish she’d held off just a few more days.”
“You better not be trying to build something cooler than a pool.” I twist the lid off my empty travel mug and pour in another dose of caffeine. “Because, for the record, nothing’s cooler than a pool.”
At least as far as Brooke is concerned. It’s what made her admit she loves me, so that thing’s already worth every penny I spent putting it in.
“I said I was going to sound like an asshole.” Walker’s tone is dry.
“Not that I was trying to steal your crown, princess.” He sighs, leaning back in his seat.
“Titus and I had an appointment to go to the police station this coming week to look through their records from the year my mother was killed.”
“You can’t go without him?” I’m sure Pierce is the one who pulled the strings to make this happen, and I don’t imagine he would allow Titus’s presence to be a requirement.
“I can, but the amount of time I get is limited. And I don’t have any idea how much there is to go through.
I was hoping that between the two of us, we’d have a shot at finding something before they kick us out.
” Walker stares down into his coffee cup.
“I guess I could try to postpone, but it wasn’t easy getting permission the first time. ”
“Is the case still technically considered open?” I know not everything is public record, but we're talking about something that happened over two decades ago. Why would they be so resistant to letting Walker look through their reports?
He snorts. “No one has touched this case in years. They don’t even know exactly where the files are.” He takes a sip of coffee, jaw flexing as he sets the cup back down. “No one gives a shit or wants to waste their time babysitting me while I dig through cold case files.”
I can’t imagine what it must feel like for him to not know what happened the night his mother was killed. To not have a place to lay responsibility and blame.
“I can go with you.” I don’t know how good I’ll be at helping him find what he’s looking for, but it doesn’t sound like he thinks the files are going to be digital, so I’ll likely be as useful as Titus was going to be. “Just tell me where and when.”
Walker’s expression softens into what some people might consider a hint of a smile. “I was hoping you would say that.”
“What? You didn’t want Trevor getting frustrated and slamming shit around, or Tucker getting distracted by anything shiny that walked by?” Both my brothers are very useful in certain situations, but carefully digging through boring piles of paper isn’t a task I would want either of them attempting.
Walker points at me. “Bingo.”
I take a drink of my coffee, studying my cousin. “What happens if we don’t find anything?”
I feel bad bringing it up, but it’s been a long time. Memories have faded. Hell, some of the people involved have probably died. If we can’t find reports, there might be no way to ever figure out the truth.
“I’ll have to figure out a way to make peace with not knowing.
” Walker rocks his jaw from side to side, lifting one hand to scrub at his cheek through the short hair of his cropped beard.
“I don’t know how in the hell I’ll accomplish that, considering I’ve been trying to make peace with it for years, but I’m not really going to have a choice. ”
“I know someone if you think talking about it would help.” I feel like I’m becoming the therapy fairy. Going around bestowing the gift of unpacking trauma and painful emotions on everyone around me.
Walker’s brows lift. “If you’re trying to set me up with a woman, you can—”
“What? No.” I bark out a laugh. “Do I look like our mother?” I pause, thinking over the way the last few months have unfolded.
“You might want to watch out for Titus, though. I think he could be in cahoots with her.” My mother is the one who brought Brooke to Willow Bend, but Titus certainly sealed the deal when he hired her to work at McKinley. “I was talking about therapy.”
Walker starts to laugh, his smile slipping quickly when I don’t follow along. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m serious.” I take a step back, leaning against the counter behind me. “Do you think I would’ve survived the past ten years without working through my shit?”
Walker’s eyes drop to his coffee as he shakes his head with a single jerking motion. “Probably not well.”
We’re clearly not talking about me anymore, but I’m not equipped to dig into my cousin’s issues. Not just because I don’t fully know the extent of them, but because my specialty is cars. Not middle-aged men who pretend they don’t have feelings.
“Let’s just hope we find something in their archives.” And that finding out what happened to his mother—primarily, who is really responsible for her death—doesn’t make everything worse.
Because that’s another—very real—possibility. It’s also another thing I’m not pointing out.
Walker downs the last of his coffee and rises from his chair. “I should go get ready. Titus will probably be calling soon, and I don’t want to be the last one who shows up.”
I grin. “It’s gonna be weird having little kids running around here.”
Walker glances toward the dining room where Brooke is assembling the gifts she helped me choose to take to Mariah. His eyes come back my way as he reaches out to grab my shoulder. “I hope one day soon it’s your kids running around here. You deserve to have the family you’ve always wanted.”
I watch as he turns and lets himself out the door, emotion tightening my throat. I tried so hard to shield my family from the struggles I faced. I didn’t want them to know just how much I wanted my life to look different.
It seems I might not have been as successful as I thought.
“Is he right?” Brooke’s voice is soft. “That you’ve always wanted a family?”
It’s not a conversation we’ve had. There hasn’t been time. Or room. Or the need.
“I’ve always wanted you.” I look her in the eyes as I tell her the full truth. “But I’m not going to claim I won’t be greedy enough to take anything you’re willing to give me.”
I know I didn’t always make my views or feelings toward my family clear to her.
But, at the end of the day, I would love to build a version of what my parents have.
I don’t know if Brooke feels the same. Seeing a family unit where people might give each other shit, but the love is always there, is new to her. Foreign.
Probably a little scary.
Her steps are slow as she comes my way. “I don’t know what I’m capable of giving you.
” She stops in front of me, pinching her lower lip between her teeth as her toes wiggle against the hardwood.
“I don’t know if I want to be a mom. I have so many bad feelings tied to motherhood, and I don’t want to push those off onto my kids. ”
“I understand.” And I do. “The choice is always yours. I would never—”
“But maybe we could start by getting married, and see what happens after that.” Her words rush out quickly, and as soon as they're free, she presses her lips together, looking nervous. Uncertain.
Hopeful.
And only one of those is applicable.
“Brooklyn Marie.” I shake my head, a little surprised she doesn’t already get it.
“I would have married you the minute I found you standing in my mother’s gift wrap room.
” I step close. “I would have married you right there in your office on your first day of work.” I reach up, curving one hand against her cheek.
“I would have married you when you were coughing all over my couch with a crusty nose.” I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her against me.
“I would have married you the day you came into my office and let me—”
She reaches up, pressing her fingers over my lips. “I get it.”
I shake my head, because I don’t know that she does.
And maybe she should.
Taking her hand in mine, I head for the garage, going straight to the SUV she’s been driving for months. Opening the door, I deposit Brooke into the seat and point at the center console. “Open that and look inside.”
She gives me a quizzical look, but then turns and starts feeling around for the latch. After a few seconds, I’m tired of waiting, so I reach across her, squeezing the little lever so she can lift the lid.
I wait as she looks inside, reaching in to pull out the item I purchased shortly after she first arrived.
Brooke stares down at the small velvet box in her hand. “How long has this been in here?”
“Since right after I gave you the keys.” I was hoping she’d find it. That it would give her something to think about. Show her where I was hoping this would lead.
But my brave, beautiful Brooke is apparently not one for exploring the vehicles she drives.
Slowly, she lifts the lid, revealing the cushion cut solitaire inside.
I kept it simple, figuring she could design whatever she wanted to go around it, or redo the whole setting. Doesn’t really matter to me. All that matters is that one day it finds its way onto her finger.
“You have had a diamond ring in this car for months?” She turns to me, eyes wide. “What if someone broke in and stole it?”
I snort. “This car has been through my shop. If someone can break in, I deserve for it to be stolen.” I would also deserve to be out of a job, because obviously I have no business doing what I do.
Brooke’s eyes lift, moving around the SUV. “This has been through your shop?”
“There’s been a mercenary sitting outside your office for months. Do you really think I would let you drive around in something that wasn’t as safe as I could make it?” I shake my head. “Because if that’s what you think, I haven’t done a very good job of showing you who I am.”
Brooke turns in the seat, knees pointing at me.
“You’ve done a good job.” Brooke’s expression goes far away.
“Sometimes I’m just not great at seeing what’s in front of me.
” She lifts the ring between us. “Or beside me, obviously.” Her eyes drop to the solitaire.
“Do you want me to put this back where I found it, or—”
“I want you to put it on your finger.” It’s another thing I feel like I’ve made pretty clear. “I wanted you to put on your finger the day I saw you in my mother’s gift wrapping—”
She reaches up, pinching my lips together again.
“You don’t have to go through it a second time.
I get it.” Her eyes drop to the ring. She sighs, snapping the lid shut before holding the box in front of me.
“I want a proposal. A real one.” I start talking and she lifts a finger, cutting me off.
“Not while we’re fucking. And you don’t just get to just shove it at me and say ‘here I got you something.’”
“That’s oddly specific.”
She smothers a smile. “It’s what Titus did to Mariah.”
I take the box, because if Brooke wants a proposal, she will get a proposal. “But it worked, didn’t it?”