Chapter Thirty-One
Brady
That night I dreamed I was flying. I flew all the way to New York to save Sloan from a burning building and brought her back home. I woke up to Sloan looking at me, and I jumped.
“Whoa! You spooked me,” I said.
“Sorry, but you looked like you were having a nightmare. I was trying to figure out if I should wake you or not. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is okay.” I nodded. “Although I was flying in my sleep.”
She chuckled. “That’s fun. I don’t think I’ve ever had a flying dream before.”
“I flew to New York to save you from a burning building.”
“Really? Wow, that’s quite a dream. I wonder why my building was on fire?”
I shrugged. “Who knows. I didn’t get that far in the dream. I just somehow knew that you were in trouble.”
“Oh dear, was my bed on fire?”
“Your king-sized bed didn’t make it, I’m afraid.”
She chuckled. “Oh no. Wow, it must be scary if something like that actually happens. It’s one of those things that you never think will happen to you.”
“I didn’t tell you about the house next door burning down, did I?”
She shook her head. “Next door? You mean your brother’s house?”
“Yeah. Although back then, it wasn’t his house. It was Emily’s.”
“Wait, I’m confused. I thought your brother lived there and Emily came to stay with him. We are talking about the same Emily, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, that’s right, but that’s not how it started. You see, when my brother arrived in Wyoming, he stayed with me. Emily was living next door in the house she had grown up in with her mother and grandmother. When they died, she continued living there. I didn’t know her very well even though she lived next door. You know me, a man of few words. But I knew that the house meant a lot to her. Everyone knew that.”
“Oh no. So what happened?” Sloan asked. She was sitting up and leaning in.
“Well, there was this guy from her work that liked her and who had asked her out a bunch of times, only to have her say no. She’s a sweet girl, but she just didn’t want to date him. She’s a teacher, and he was the father to one of the girls that she works with. She said he was a nice guy, but she just didn’t feel anything for him. Turns out the guy was a complete whack job. He decided that the only way to get her was to burn her house down. That way she would need a place to stay, and he would come to the rescue.”
“What? This is crazy. Please don’t tell me that she went to stay with him without knowing?”
“She didn’t know it was him, but she also didn’t stay with him. Her best friend lives down the road, so she stayed with her. Anyway, I was sitting at home with Grant the day of the fire. He had just started working with the fire department so he called them and they all went out to stop it. They managed to salvage a lot, but it was still completely unlivable. After that, Grant got to know Emily and the two of them fell in love. He also fell in love with this place. He’s the one who found out about what the guy did. By then he was into Emily, so when he came face-to-face with the guy he wanted to punch his lights out. I had to step in and stop him from doing anything more, although I didn’t blame him for wanting to beat the crap out of him.”
“That is absolutely crazy. Poor Emily. But how does she still live there then?”
“Thanks to my suggestion, he bought the house and built it up again. It still had the foundation, so he got it for a great price. And about six months after moving in, she moved in with him.”
Sloan had tears in her eyes as I told the story.
“Are you crying?” I asked.
She nodded. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty sweet,” I admitted.
“And you’re the one that suggested she buy that house?”
“I’m also the one that saved you from a burning building, remember? I flew all the way from here,” I boasted.
She chuckled. “You’re such a romantic.”
“No, I’m not. I’m grumpy Brady who doesn’t ever say anything, remember?”
“Oh no, your secret is out. You’re a romantic.”
I groaned. “Oh no.”
“And for being such a softie, I’m going to reward you with breakfast.”
“You can cook?”
I shook my head. “Nope. But I’m going to try. You’re always the one cooking for me. Do you trust me?”
“Not really,” I teased, and she threw a pillow at me.
“Okay, give me ten minutes and meet me downstairs.”
I watched as Sloan climbed out of bed to get changed. She had been wearing my t-shirt again, and I wished she would stay in it forever. She put on a pair of denim shorts and a plain blue t-shirt, and she tied her hair up into a high ponytail. She looked young and free.
“You look beautiful,” I said.
“You see, you are a romantic,” she said. Then she looked at me. “Thank you. Let’s hope you don’t have to save me from a burning building today due to my cooking.”
I got out of bed and hopped in the shower. Every time I showered, I thought about how she had once boasted about her big shower in New York. I wondered if she missed it, and whether she also thought about it every time she got into mine. Mostly, I wondered if today was the day that she would finally tell me what was going on. But she was in a very good mood, and I didn’t want to be the one to suggest it. It was just nice to see her this happy.
I made my way downstairs and smiled at the sight of Sloan making breakfast.
“I don’t smell smoke yet,” I said, and she laughed.
“You sure don’t. I just hope it tastes good. Sit down; I’m almost ready.”
I sat down, and within a few minutes, a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon was put down in front of me. She’d also put a few slices of farm bread in the middle of the table. I noticed that she’d forgotten to toast them, but it didn’t matter. She put down a plate for herself and smiled at me.
“Hey, this doesn’t look so bad,” she said, and it was clear that she was proud of herself.
I took a bite and grinned. It wasn’t the best cooking I’d ever tasted, but it was nice.
“It’s amazing,” I said. “Thank you for doing this.”
She grinned. “I’m glad you like it. Oh no, I forgot to toast the bread,” she said.
“Nah, don’t. It’s so fresh, and it actually tastes great like this.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. So, what do you normally have for breakfast in New York?”
“An apple, maybe a grapefruit. Sometimes nothing.”
I looked at her in shock. “You’re kidding.”
“No, but you have to remember that I don’t do farm work all day. I don’t really need my strength like you do. Shopping all day does not count as hard work.”
“You always need your strength. You should eat, Sloan.”
She smiled sadly. “I am now. But I do need to ask you for a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Would you make the coffee? I don’t make it as nicely as you do, and I could really use a strong cup right about now.”
I grinned. “Absolutely.”
After breakfast, I made us both a cup of coffee and we went to sit outside. I hadn’t heard from Harold yet, which meant another day off with Sloan. It was strange having time off from work. But most of all it was strange actually being happy about having the time off.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
I wasn’t going to ask her about what was going on, but I could see the panic in her eyes. She nodded anyway.
“Where are your parents? Are they still around?”
She seemed relieved by the question, and I saw her visibly relax in front of me. “I never knew my father, and my mother died when I was in my first year in college.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry, Sloan,” I said.
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it because it’s been so long now. I didn’t know my father, and I have no desire to look for him. I sometimes wonder if he’s seen me on the big screen and whether he’s thought about coming to find me. But he hasn’t, and I’m not going to worry about it. I spent too long thinking about him when I was little. I didn’t need him, anyway. It was hard losing my mother, and I went through a very bad patch when she died. I think I fell into depression for about a year afterward. But I can now finally talk about her without getting upset.”
“Yeah, these things take time. Isn’t that weird though? How time really does heal all wounds? It doesn’t heal them completely, but it certainly takes away the pain. You never think so at the time, though.”
“That’s true, and whenever people would tell me that things would get better, I’d get so angry at them. But they were right. Now I can think about her and smile. How about you? I know your father is still around, but I don’t know much else.”
I was hoping she wouldn’t turn the question to me, but I had a feeling it was coming.
“Uh, well my mother died when I was young. From what I remember, she was a beautiful woman with the kindest soul. She had this big smile, and she always made us feel better. I mean, it wasn’t easy for her being the only woman in a household of males. Can you imagine? Five boys and one husband. It couldn’t have been easy for her, but we all loved her so much. She was one of those people that was just . . . easy to love. I miss her every day. And well, as you know, my father lives in Arizona, and he owns a bike shop. My brother Gunner, or Ian, works with him.”
“Do you see him often?”
“No, I don’t. It’s . . . well . . . to be honest, Sloan, I don’t really like talking about my childhood. My father and I are not close anymore, and it’s probably never going to change. I’ve made my peace, and I’ve moved on, and I’m happy with that. I really care for you, but it’s something I don’t want to talk about.”
I hoped I hadn’t offended her, but she nodded. “Then you don’t have to talk about it at all.”
She moved closer to me, put her free hand on the back of my neck, and pulled me toward her. She kissed me softly, her full lips lingering on mine. She made a sound of delight and then grinned at me.
“You taste like delicious coffee,” she said.
I smiled back. With just one kiss, she had taken the thought of my father and my childhood out of my head. “And you taste like you want another cup.”
She chuckled. “You got that just from a kiss? Wow, you know me well. I’d love another cup. Any chance we can ride some horses today?”
“I had already mentally put it on the agenda,” I said.
I got up to pour us both another cup of coffee, and when I got back, I realized for the first time that I was starting to fall for her. I thought of Ryan telling me to be careful and not to get too close, but I knew that it was too late.