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I SLEPT LIKE THE DEAD and woke up the next morning to find that I hadn’t dreamed at all. It had been one of those coma sleeps. The kind that leaves you just as tired after, as you were before.
I stretched out my legs with a groan, only to knock into a warm body lying on the blankets beside me. My eyes squinted open in the blinding morning light, only to see Sage staring back at me—a faint look of disapproval lighting her onyx eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whined, lacing my fingers over my eyes to block out both the judgment and the light. “What was I supposed to do? Let him give everything up?”
After Dylan had said those incredible words to me last night, the very words I’d been dying to hear since I was about six years old...that’s when everything flew off the rails.
“Give New York City one more chance,” he said.
“I don’t like big cities—I’m not going to move there permanently,” I said as politely as I could. “But everything you’ve built is in the shriveled heart of that very city. I’m not going to give up my practice to come play penthouse with you, and I’m certainly not going to let you sacrifice what you’ve spent years working for by moving back to this tiny town with me.”
I got the feeling that he’d been hoping I’d take one look at him, get swept off my feet all over again, and fall—rather conveniently—straight into bed. Because I guess that’s what most women do, fall at his gorgeous feet.
“Which is why I’ve put the company into a holding pattern,” he said again, reiterating his seemingly selfless gesture with a hint of frustration. “Like I told you.”
“A beautiful stop-gap, to be sure,” I fired back. “Dylan, by flying out here, you’ve once again placed a Band-Aid over a bullet hole. This was exactly the thing I was trying to spare us from having to rip off twice. Do you know how hard it was for me to leave the first time?!”
“It didn’t look hard at all.” He was glaring at me now, arms folded accusingly across his chest. “It looked like you made a decision for the both of us all on your own, lied to my face, then hopped in the nearest cab.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I made the decision that both of us had to make—but neither one of us could. I did the hard thing, so you wouldn’t have to. I gave you the easy way out. I thought you would’ve taken it. And by the way—you’re welcome!”
“You’re welcome?!” he quoted incredulously. Behind him, Sage stuck her head around the corner, monitoring the argument with concern. “You expect me to thank you for leaving me on the steps of the Met with your ring in my hand and a flock of reporters at my back?!”
“I expect you to thank me for summoning up the strength to cut this short before it could do any more damage—”
This time, it was him that threw up his hands.
“Rose, what would you have me do?!” he shouted. “I just said I love you, and saying it, then disappearing forever from your world, is quite simply not an option. So tell me. If you’re the wise one, the one who takes it upon herself to act for the both of us whether I want her to or not—tell me! What would you have me do—”
“Nothing!” I cried. The argument came to a sudden stop. “There’s nothing to do—don’t you see that? We live in two, completely different worlds, Dylan. There is no bridge between.” I took a step back and sank onto the couch, a host of silent tears slipping down my face. “You came all the way out here...just to say goodbye all over again.”
Sage gave up interest and went back to bed. Parsley and Rosemary sat at his feet as he petted them. The grandfather clock chimed three times to sound the hour. The rest of the world slept peacefully in their beds.
Neither Dylan nor I moved. Not a single muscle. We didn’t look at each other, we didn’t speak. Until finally, finally...he shook his head.
“Do you know why I made the decision to come here?” he asked.
“It’s because we connected in a special way.”
“Exactly. Because life is much more beautiful when I slow down and look at it with you.”
“That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“And something else. You’re wrong.”
I looked up in surprise—so lost in my thoughts that it felt like I could be dreaming.
“I’m sorry?”
He met my gaze.
“You’re wrong,” he said again. “We may be living in different worlds now, but we come from the same place. This was home to me once. It could be again.” His eyes flickered around in the soft moonlight before returning to me. “And there is a bridge between them. Us.”
I shook my head, unable to speak. Unable to do anything, but just sit there. And watch.
“What if love isn’t enough?” I whispered.
“Real love has the power to change people. I mean, before I would’ve never given a second thought to leaving New York City. And yet...here I am...because of you.”
“You deserve somebody better than me,” I said, petting Rosemary. “I don’t fit into your perfect world.”
“Is that what this is all about?”
“I can’t be hosting elegant parties when I’m birthing calves? It wouldn’t look good in the high society column. And you’re one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.”
“I’m no longer on the market.”
“I don’t know how you eluded capture for so many years from some of the prettiest women NYC has to offer. I’ve seen your old girlfriends in magazines. They’re rich and gorgeous.”
He softly cupped my face. “And none of them hold a candle to you, Rose. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Can’t you see you’ve captured my heart and soul?”
He softly kissed my lips.
“Fairytales don’t happen to me,” I said.
“I’m going to show you that they can.”
He had left shortly after. I’d tried to get him to stay—it was the middle of the night—but he insisted he wanted to give me time to think. He already had reservations at the inn. The only inn Wessler had to offer. He called up a cab, and left without saying another word—except for a quick kiss on the cheek with a quiet ‘good night’. And that was the end of things.
I didn’t know what it meant. I should’ve have made him stay. We should’ve made love all night long. Should I go through with the divorce plans? Even though he poured his heart out to me? Should we try and make this marriage work? He left New York City for me, but how long would it take for him to miss that concrete jungle? Would he end up begging me to move there in a few months? After having a whole dreamless night to sleep on it, I still didn’t know what any of it meant. A part of me thought I might have made the whole thing up, had some sort of psychotic split and imagined it. Only Sage’s protective position beside me and the sticky trails of mascara running down my face convinced me it was true.
With a painful grimace, I pulled myself out of bed. The wretched day had to start sooner or later. Best to just get on with it.
The three cups of coffee I downed defeated the hangover before it could begin, and since I realized I didn’t really know what this day was going to offer—I took a little more time than usual getting myself prepared.
A hearty breakfast, a shower, and an hour in front of the mirror later—I was finally out the door. My dark hair was swept up in a long ponytail, my makeup was immaculate, and a huge pair of aviator sunglasses shielded my eyes from the harsh morning glare as I headed up the streets. My hair swished in perfect time with the midnight-blue skirt I’d picked out, the one that stopped right before my knees. That, combined with gladiator sandals and a tight-fitting camisole, and I was ready for whatever the world had to throw my way.
Except...I didn’t know exactly where to go.
I paused on a street corner, staring in two alternating directions like a helpless cartoon.
On the one side sat the law offices of Barry Weinstein—resident Wessler attorney, my oldest family friend, and the man who was allegedly supposed to help prepare my divorce today.
On the other side sat the Wessler Inn—current residence of Dylan Murphy, my hastily acquired legal husband, the love of my life, and a whole host of other troubles along the way.
“Hey, Rose!”
I looked up to see Elijah Mitchel—an adorable middle-schooler that Tommy coached in little league—riding up to me on his bicycle. Elijah had always had a little crush on me, and even from this distance, I could see the tell-tale blush already rising up in his cheeks.
“Hey, Eli—enjoying the start of your summer?”
He shrugged and leapt off the bike with a grin. “It’s alright, I guess. I’m excited for soccer practice to start. Even though I don’t know if Coach Murphy will be doing it this year. I heard he got a baby...?”
News in a small town traveled fast.
I shook my head dismissively. “I’m sure Tommy’s still going to do it.”
Elijah nodded and climbed back onto his bike—spotting a group of his friends farther up the street. “Well, anyway, I just wanted to say...no hard feelings.”
I cocked my head curiously. “Excuse me? What do you mean—”
“Everything turns out the way it’s supposed to, right?” He nudged up his kickstand with a shrug. “At least, that’s what my mom told me this morning.”
“Wait, Eli!” I called after him as he headed up the street. “What are you—”
“Bye Rose!”
My mouth fell open as I stared after him in confusion—eventually calling out a simple, ‘bye!’ because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I watched until he rounded the corner, then looked back at my directional options with a sigh. I’d make Tommy figure out what was going on with him, or better yet, I’d do it myself at practice. When Tommy decided to coach both soccer in the summer and softball in the spring—I’d appointed myself assistant. Bought myself a whistle and everything. I could get to the bottom of this by the end of the week.
Just make a decision, Rose. Quit stalling.
With a heavy sigh, and in what was perhaps an act of foolishness, I decided to go see Dylan at the inn first. It wasn’t like the lawyers were going anywhere, and whatever I was going to end up saying to them—I should probably clear things up with Dylan and get our stories straight before doing anything else.
I ducked off of the sidewalk and pulled off my sunglasses as I made my way up to the check-in desk. Marianne Wallis—a girl who’d been in our grade, and a frequent guest in Tommy’s rotation cast of lovers—gave me a bright smile as I walked in.
“Oh my gosh—Rose! We were just talking about you in the back!”
My eyebrows knitted together, but I flashed her a grin as I slipped the glasses back up into my hair.
“Dylan Murphy got into town last night and I...”
“Of course I know he got into town last night—the whole town knows.” She flashed me a conspiratorial wink. “Not like anyone here can keep a secret.”
“I need to talk to him.”
“You married Dylan! Why wasn’t it Tommy? Is it because he was a slut? And I don’t mean anything bad. You know how much I love Tommy. Everyone loves him, if you know what I mean.” She picked up my hand and looked at my ring. “I’ve never seen anything so gorgeous! So when did you know Dylan was the love of your life?”
“It’s a long story.”
“You’re better off with Dylan, you know. He can buy you more than Tommy ever could! Who wants a goat when you can have diamonds, right? You are so lucky! You can dress up and walk in Times Square all dressed up with that fancy ring on your finger.”
“I’m not moving to New York City.”
She looked at me stumped. “Why not?”
“Because my home is here.”
“We’ve been placing bets,” she said. “Is Dylan Murphy just helping you out, for your Daddy’s money or did you really fall for him?”
She let out a burst of nervous laughter, and my frown deepened. What the heck was going on with everybody today? Had there been some sort of town meeting I’d missed out on?
“I was wondering if you could tell me what room he’s staying in? Or if you can’t—maybe you can just call him down?” I said quickly, suddenly remembering Tommy’s babysitting request and remembering I was on the clock.
“You don’t know what room your husband is in?” she said. “And why aren’t you with him? If he was my husband, I’d never let that gorgeous man out of my sight. The Murphy brothers are both beyond gorgeous. Did you have a hard time choosing between them?”
“Can you please call my husband down?”
“How come he’s not staying with you?”
“Because we had a fight. But don’t worry. The makeup sex will be well worth it.”
Another peal of breathless giggles followed this request, and I waited—with strained patience, as she gathered herself together.
Before I had the chance to over-analyze all that craziness, she continued.
“He’s not here right now. He did, however, leave this for you this morning.” She reached under the desk and pulled out an envelope with a broken seal.
My heart fell the second I saw it. So he’d left already, had he? My little speech last night must have done the trick. As relieved as I knew this should have made me, I felt sick to my stomach instead. He’d told me he loved me...and I sent him flying back to New York.
Dag! I messed up bad. We can’t keep going back and forth chasing one another. Maybe it was better this way. Yes, I loved him. But everything was too complicated. Maybe things would’ve worked if we had just dated like normal people. We went about it the wrong way. Got married first, then dated second. We never had a chance to work out our differences before the wedding.
I imagined the goodbye letter in my hands. My heart sank. I could picture the sad words... I’ll always love you, but I my life is my company. I’m so sorry. You’ll always be in my heart.
I swallowed hard. Did I even want to read it?
“Here you go,” she said.
“Thanks,” I said glumly, reaching out my hand. Then I noticed the seal and looked up at her accusingly. “Actually, Marianne, why don’t you just tell me what it says?”
“4185 North Maple Road,” she rattled off without a moment’s hesitation. “A simple address here in town—nothing more. Didn’t even sign.”
When I stared down at her incredulously, she shrugged without shame.
“He must have forgotten to seal it up before he handed it to me.”
I nodded sarcastically, snatching it away with a glare. “Right.”
No small wonder that no one here could keep a secret. It was a town of diary stealers and fully-certified snoops.
Back on the street, I opened the envelope for myself and stared at the address again. 4185 North Maple Road. Written in Dylan’s looping hand. I tucked it into my purse with a frown. For some reason, those numbers sounded familiar. I just couldn’t...
“Rose!” old man Hallister called from across the street. “Good to have you back! For a minute there, we thought we lost you to the big city!”
“Heard you tamed Dylan and brought him back home where he belongs,” Martha said, hugging me. “Now who’s going to tame Tommy?”
I smiled. “That’s a good question.”
“I thought Tommy’s only hope was you, but now you’re hitched. I don’t think there’s any hope for that boy now that you’re married.”
I laughed. “I’m sure there’s a special girl waiting for Tommy. I’m sure she’ll show up soon. And don’t ever assume I’ll leave Wessler. I love this place. It’s my home and always will be.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. We love you so much. We would hate to see you leave.”
I gave her a hug.
“I’m going to bring an apple pie over as a welcome back present.”
“Extra cinnamon?”
“Honey, I know what you love! I’ve known you since you were a baby.”
We caught up some, and then I left.
After glancing at my watch, I doubled back to the house and piled into the car. Air-conditioning and privacy were my two driving factors, but there was also the fact that it was already zeroing in on noon, and if I wanted to make it to this mystery address and back to Tommy’s in time—I’ d have to step on it.
I shot around corners and drove up onto curbs—cutting through what passed as Wessler traffic as I made my way up into the backroads, away from town. Actually, I was in luck. This place Dylan was sending me to was right next to Tommy’s, just over the next set of hills.
I found the right exit and slowed down dramatically as I wound my way up around a shaded drive to the top of the hill. Wildflowers and blossoming vines laced the path like multi-colored ribbons, and I rolled down the window to let the smell flood into the car. My lips curled up into a gentle smile...one that turned to shock as I cleared the last of the trees and realized, suddenly, where I was.
This had been my dream house. The one I’d pined over from the time I was a child to this very day—gazing up across Tommy’s pond at the utopic property set atop the hill. The couple had hired me to babysit their kids when I was sixteen. The inside of the house was gorgeous. I had never forgotten what it looked like. It had once been a miniature mansion—pillars, gardens, huge majestic trees. Then a fire took out some parts of the house after the couple had a fight. The residents ended up divorcing and left—leaving it in a state of steady deterioration. I’d watched it fade away for years, sipping beers with Tommy on the porch, desiring it all the same. Always a stone’s throw away. Always just out of reach...
...until now.
I pulled up alongside a rental car and stepped out onto the dirt, pushing my sunglasses back into my hair as I stared up in disbelief.
Dylan was perched on the top of the crumbling roof.
No shirt. No safety net. Just a hammer and a look of fierce determination.
He took my breath away.
When he saw me standing there, the determination melted into a beaming smile.
“Rose! You made it!”
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “And why are you up there working?”
“I’m fixing this place up,” he said.
“Okay, are we on some hidden reality show? Is this HGTV's Fixer Upper?” I glanced around. “Where are the cameras?”
He chuckled as he kept working.
“Why are you here? You know the owner of this property will throw us both in jail for stepping one foot on his property, let alone fixing his house.”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ve got this covered.”
“Well, I hope you do. Or we’re front page news tomorrow.”
I watched him as he worked and flexed his incredible muscles.
“I find a man with a tool belt and no shirt very sexy,” I said, watching the sweat trickle down the muscular slopes in his chest, before forcing my attention to the greater issue at hand. “Coming down, hon?”
“Can’t,” he said cheerfully, picking up the hammer. “Lots of work to do!”
I shook my head incredulously, cupping my hands around my eyes to shield them from the sun. “Is this like...sushi withdrawal or something? Mercury poisoning? What happens when we take you out of the smog for too long?”
He chuckled and swung the hammer down—rattling the same beam he was sitting on with terrifying strength.
“I didn’t go through with my divorce plans,” I said.
He smiled down at me. “Of course you didn’t. That’s why I came back to Wessler. To stop you.”
“I didn’t see you stopping me by standing in my path to the front door this morning.”
All those glistening muscles were making me hot as he pulled another board off. “No need for that. I knew you wouldn’t go through with it.”
“You did? What makes you say that?”
“Because you want me. Badly.”
I laughed.
“And because you’re crazy about me,” he said.
I grinned. “Am I now?”
“You’re hopelessly in love with me, sweetheart. Don’t try denying it, because I can see it in your eyes when we make love.”
“You know, I thought you and your brother were complete opposites, but I’m beginning to think I was completely wrong. You’re just as cocky as Tommy.”
He dropped the board in his hand and it crashed on the ground. “Tommy is cocky. I’m confident.”
“What if I’m hopelessly in love with you?”
“Then it’s perfect. Because I’m hopelessly in love with you, too. And I’m here to prove it to you.”
I smiled. “Really? Are you worthy of this fair maiden’s love? Are you going to conquer my heart, handsome knight?”
“I shall fight for true love, milady.”
“I’m not really getting into the whole medieval thing, with you standing up there half naked and holding a hammer.”
He laughed.
“If you’re going to stay here and fight for this marriage, then I won’t file for a divorce,” I said. “But what happens in a year when my inheritance has been secured?”
“I’m yours forever, Rose. I want to build this house and make it something truly special. Nobody deserves this house more than you.”
My jaw dropped. “Wait. You bought this house?”
“You always wanted this property, didn’t you?” he asked. His voice sounded thoughtful—even from up there. “Since we were kids...this was your dream house.”
“Yeah.”
“You told me that one day you’d own this place,” he smiled calmly. “When we were camping in my grandparents’ backyard. You looked up at the hill, and said you’d always dreamed of living there.”
The entire foundations of the thing looked like they were trembling, and I watched in horror as a few tiles slipped off the slope and shattered against the ground.
“I said and did a lot of crazy things when we were kids—I even ate a worm on a dare from Tommy! Would you please, for the love of all that is good and holy, get down from there before you get hurt.”
“Then here it is.”
He opened his arms wide, beaming down at me with that same, radiant smile. I glanced around at the gorgeous vista without a clue as to what was going on. I might have to catch him if this whole thing caved in.
“Here what is?” I asked.
“I bought it for you.”
If he fell... All my planning to save him came to a sudden, screaming halt.
“You...what?”
His eyes sparkled excitedly as they locked onto mine.
“Welcome home.”
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CHAPTER 5
Leave it to a Murphy to abandon reason in favor of theatrics. And leave it to Dylan to corrupt my dream house by making it the place where years later we’d say, ‘and that’s where your uncle fell and impaled himself on a cedar...’
“Dylan, you’ve outdone yourself,” I said in utter shock. “You bought this for me? Seriously?”
He grinned. “Why wouldn’t I give you the house of your dreams?”
“Thank you, baby. I’m practically speechless. Nobody has ever done something this sweet.”
He wiped a tear from my eye. “You’re welcome. I just wanted you to be happy. Please tell me those are happy tears.”
I nodded. “They are. Man, this place is gorgeous.”
“It’s not gorgeous yet, but it will be. It’s a dream in the making. It’s gonna have an open floor plan, granite countertops, a walk-in closet, and the works!”
I couldn’t stop staring at the house. I knew how beautiful it would look once we gave it a huge makeover. I absolutely loved the original older architectural detail. It was amazing. We could turn this coal into a glittering diamond. With hard work and lots of sweat, I was sure of it.
“So are we fixing this house up?” I asked.
He tore off another board. “That’s the plan.”
“You’ve done this before? Because I’m pretty clueless here. But I’m more than willing to take DIY 101. You know, those do it yourself home repair classes.”
“I have lots of DIY knowledge. I help build houses for Habitat for Humanity in Thailand and other countries every year. But that doesn’t mean I’m an expert by any means. I actually have a team coming to help in a few days. But I wanted to get a head start.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Dylan Murphy.”
He winked. “Again, that’s the plan.”
I laughed.
“Do you have any idea how hot you look?” I said. “And it’s hard to concentrate. I need to get out of here to make it to Tommy’s on time to babysit, and here you are—looking like some sort of...Mr. July for a construction calendar! How am I supposed to think straight?! And that’s not even mentioning the dream house!”
He eyed me tentatively, not knowing whether to smile or defend himself.
He climbed down the ladder. “I aim to please.”
“You’re getting my hopes up that maybe something could work between us.”
His eyes twinkled in the sunlight as the breeze tousled his hair. “Why couldn’t it?”
“What if in a year, you decide you miss your dream job and New York City? I’m going to be stuck here with this wonderful house and all these memories. And I don’t think my heart will be able to survive being torn into a million little pieces.”
“You keep saying this is about me, but maybe you’re scared to trust somebody, to commit fully to a relationship.”
That ticked me off because he hit the nail on the head. I smacked him in his perfect abs, cursing in frustration as they tightened automatically against the assault.
“When I got that note from you, I thought you’d left me,” I said. “I thought it was a goodbye letter.”
“Nope.” He wisely kept his smile to himself, fixing his eyes on the ground. “Yes, we talked about how you thought it wasn’t going to work, and you tried to get me to fly back to New York. The thing is...I decided not to go. I’m not giving up on you this time. I let you slip out of my hands all those years ago. And I’m not letting it happen. Not without a fight. Because I know how much you care about me. And I care about you. So I’m not giving up on us. Because I can see a wonderful future for us here.”
“So you didn’t leave because you want to fight for us?”
“You told me to leave. But I decided to stay here in Wessler instead. And buy you your dream house.”
“Most men would’ve ran and never looked back.”
“Well, I’m not most men. I never give up on something once I set my mind on it.”
I gazed into his eyes and could see how sincere he truly was.
“There were other properties that didn’t need any work, but I knew this was the house of your dreams,” he said. “And it’s right next to Tommy.”
“I never knew how sentimental you were.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. But I’d love for you to get to know me. And I’d love to get to know you even better.”
“What about this fake marriage thing? We could get it annulled and try dating for a couple of years.”
“I don’t want to get divorced,” he said. “At first, I was doing this as a favor for a girl I was crazy about. But it’s turned into something more. I’ve never been happier. I know if we give it a shot, we can be happy and have a wonderful life together.”
“When things get serious, I panic. I always told myself it’s because I’m independent. But it’s more.”
“You’re scared of ‘change’.”
“Maybe. I’m just as prone to being afraid to commit as men. I get cold feet each time I find myself getting addicted or dependent on someone because that means that I’m opening myself up to the possibly of being hurt. And I’m also scared of losing my identity.”
“Baby, I’m not going to keep you in a fishbowl.”
“I had an old boyfriend who tried.”
“The guy you dated after I left for college.”
“Yes. And it scared me to death. He practically suffocated me. So I ran as far as I possibly could. I felt this deep knot of anxiety in my stomach. Because commitment is a SCARY word. After all, marriage is for life.”
“But I’m different. You know that. What are you scared of?”
“My fear of marriage with you is... well, it comes from not knowing exactly ‘how to do it’. What if a marital riptide comes and pulls me under?”
“Just let me be your life raft. C’mon, Rose. Take a leap of faith. Take a chance.”
“I don’t know how to settle down,” I whispered. “But I want to.”
“We can figure it out together.”
“It broke my heart to leave you in New York—but I did it. It was done. Then you came back here, and we had to do it all over again. Now, I get this message to come and find you here—tempting the fates of paralysis—balancing atop my hill. So not only are you going to intentionally break my heart a third time—but you’re going to do it using my own gorgeous dream house!”
As if on cue, the part of the roof that he’d been sitting on shattered and fell to the floor, echoing there with chilling finality. We stared at it in silence until the dust had cleared.
“Don’t judge it by this one encounter alone,” I instructed self-consciously. “It was really pretty back in the day—”
“Rose,” he reached out and took my hands, ignoring it when I tried to pull away, “I’m going to try this again, even though it didn’t really go over well the first time.”
He waited until I finally looked up to meet his eyes.
“I’m in love with you.”
For whatever reason, the words echoed with the same kind of finality as the crashing roof.
“That’s not going to change,” he continued. “It’s not going anywhere—so I’m not going anywhere either. You may think it’s hopeless, Rose, but I don’t. And I’m going to stay here as long as it takes.”
For a moment, I lost myself in those eyes. Those stunning, ice-green eyes. Eyes that seemed to glow in the sun—taking me right there with them.
I shook my head, struggling to clear it. “As long as it takes for what?”
He flashed me a pearly grin. “For you to want me here.”
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CHAPTER 6
Dylan decided to close up shop for the day and followed me to Tommy’s.
I smiled. “Following me, handsome stranger?”
“That’s just it,” he said. “I don’t want to be a stranger. I want us to get reacquainted.”
“That would require more dates. Lots and lots.”
“Then I’ll gladly date my wife until I know her a lot better. I know we’ve both changed after so many years.”
I touched his arm and smiled. “Listen, stalker, I gotta babysit now.”
He shook his head with a teasing frown. “No...I don’t see it that way. This is me visiting my little brother and his new son. This is family bonding time.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Good then. Theo needs to know his generous uncle.”
“I’m going to spoil my little nephew rotten,” he said.
“How long will you be staying at the inn?” I asked.
He looked at me with a smirk. “Why would I stay there when I can stay with my loving wife whom I adore?”
I tried to make sense of everything. I told him to leave Wessler...and he basically told me no.
...and then went and bought me my dream house.
Why was I the only one looking out for our long-term interests here?! Wasn’t he supposed to be this shrewd corporate analyzer? What sort of future did he predict except one that ended in inevitable heartbreak and tears?! I couldn’t take losing him. My heart would burst into a million pieces, so I needed to guard it, like the way I always did; by not getting too close or too involved.
The door burst open. Leopold, the goat, ran outside, chasing what appeared to be a tiny shoe which had escaped just seconds before him. Dylan and I watched the strange progression as they proceeded down the driveway. His face was frozen in absolute shock, but after years of similar such sights, I was able to shake it off much more quickly.
“Stay at your own risk. It’ll help you write a brilliant memoir one day...”
“Rose? Is that you?” Tommy’s voice called from inside.
“Yeah,” I called back, proceeding up the front steps. “But it’s not just—”
“Thank God!”
Dylan and I stepped inside and entered a world of total chaos.
The house was a wreck. There were half-eaten bowls of cereal on the table—surrounded by a million empty cups of jello. The kettle had dissolved into a smoking mass of bronze on the stove, and a pile of dirty dishes were stacked up in the sink. Clothes and toys and random pieces of furniture were scattered all over the floor in various states of disarray, and in the background—a video of Mary Poppins had frozen on the screen with her finger pointed disapprovingly at the camera—lending an ironic shade of judgment to the entire proceedings.
Tommy himself looked like he was just one cup of coffee away from a total mental breakdown. There were dark sleepless circles at the tops of his cheeks, and his lovely eyes had a hollow, bloodshot look to them. He’d run his hands back through his hair so many times that the ends were beginning to curl up into a point, and I wasn’t sure if he was aware, but his shirt had been thrown on backward.
The only person who looked at all put together was little Theo—flying around the room in his father’s arms like the whole mess was just a game meant to entertain him. He squealed excitedly when he saw us, tugging frantically on Tommy’s finger.
“Okay, it’s official—I’m in over my head here. Lily left this morning, and the whole place just fell apart at the seams. Theo wouldn’t sleep last night because he had a fever, he struck Leopold with a waffle this morning and decided the only thing he’s going to eat from now on is watermelon-flavored jello. Yes—it comes in watermelon.”
Tommy had yet to take a breath or even notice there were two people in the doorway. He simply continued flying around the room—picking up things he needed while trying to finish getting Theo dressed at the same time.
“I told Milton I’d be there at noon to order in a timing belt, and then I have to pick up a paycheck from Price forty minutes outside town, but I can’t find my—”
He glanced up and stopped abruptly when he saw Dylan standing in the doorway. A strange expression flitted across his tired face, and I got the feeling he wouldn’t have said any of those things if he’d known there was a chance his brother could hear them.
“Sorry,” Dylan said preemptively, sensing his manic distress, “I just—”
“What are you doing here?” Tommy interrupted bluntly. Apparently, what happened in Vegas did stay in Vegas. As any and all goodwill accrued on the trip was long since passed.
“Dylan got into town last night,” I interjected smoothly, correctly sensing that Tommy couldn’t handle another stressor right now. “Had an awful lot to say, actually—but we can save that all for tonight when you get home.”
Tommy tore his eyes away from his brother and fastened them onto me. “Tonight? No, I should be back in just a few hours—”
“You’re not to set foot in this house again until tonight,” I ordered. With gentle hands, I coaxed Theo free before tugging Tommy’s shirt the right way around. “You need a break from all this. You’ve been doing it non-stop since Vegas, without the usual nine months of mental preparation, and you need a second to step back and breathe.”
He started shaking his head, but I stopped him before he could begin—handing off the baby to Dylan so I could straighten out Tommy’s unruly hair.
“Absolutely not a request, love, it’s an order.” I raked my fingers back through his golden waves, combing them down into place. “Finish whatever it is you need to get done, then take the afternoon off. Go to your parents’ house and get some sleep. We’ll be just fine over here without you.”
Tommy’s eyes flickered up to Theo—nestled happily in Dylan’s arms—and a muscle twitched in the back of his jaw. He looked like he was about to say something, or maybe just storm over there and take him back, but I put a gentle hand on his arm and he took a deep breath.
“Do you need anything in town?” he asked quietly, turning back to me. “Want me to feed the dogs or anything while I’m out?”
“That would be great, actually.” I brightened. “And pick up some wine for dinner—I’m cooking. And...maybe some more jello.”
“Jello—right.” He bowed his head with an exhausted smile as Dylan watched silently from the background, wanting to help but not having the faintest idea where to begin. “Rose, you don’t have to cook or anything. Just watching him for a few hours is—”
“Nonsense!” I threw up my hands dramatically, drawing more peals of laughter from Theo. “Now be off with you,” I tossed Dylan a backward look, “we have some...family bonding to get started on.”
At the words ‘family bonding’ Tommy looked up sharply again, but between the look on my face and his impossible level of fatigue, he seemed to decide there was no fighting it. Instead, his eyes flickered over the living room in a daze, searching for something.
“I just need to find my keys,” he murmured, looking like he was on the verge of passing out. “They’ve been missing since this—”
With a sympathetic smile, I extracted them from his own hand and waved them in the air between us. He stared at them for a moment, before snatching them back with a glare.
“Not a word, Garland.” He strode out the door, giving Theo a quick squeeze and Dylan an awkward nod as he walked past. “I’m on my cell if you guys need anything.”
“We won’t!”
A second later, the sound of an engine started up, and Tommy sped away down the hill. I looked after him with affectionate concern before turning my eyes back to the ransacked house.
“This...is going to take a little work.”