“I know.”
We exit the car, and Hadley is the first one rushing toward me. Connor’s deep voice booms out. “Don’t, Hadley!”
She skids to a stop, and I smile down at her. “Hi, Hadleybutt.”
“Can I hug you, Uncle Jake?”
“Just be a little careful, okay? I had a stunt go wrong.”
She reaches out tentatively, and I pull her as tight as I can before the pain hits. She kisses my cheek and then whispers in my ear. “You’re my favorite.”
I try not to laugh, but fail. “You’re my favorite too.”
The other kids come over, giving me hugs and telling me how glad they are. Then Sebastian is here.
“Jacob?”
“Yeah, little dude?”
“I’m really glad you didn’t die like my dad.”
I hear the intake of Brenna’s breath, and I focus on him. “Seb, I’m really glad I didn’t either.”
“I thought you were—dead.”
“I’m sorry you went through that, but as you can see, I’m here.”
He looks up at me, lip quivering. “I prayed to my daddy. I asked him to let you live so that Mommy would be happy and I wouldn’t have to lose someone again.”
I release a breath through my nose. “It seems he was listening.”
Declan places his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Kids are heading back to the creek to fish. If it’s okay with your mom . . .”
Brenna bobs her head, trying to wipe her face without anyone noticing.
He hugs me once more before rushing off.
My stoic and not-very-emotional brother releases a deep breath. “You really know how to be dramatic.”
“I learned from you.”
“Don’t do it again.” He doesn’t care about my injuries as he gives me a hug. “Seriously.”
“Let go, Dec,” I say as I wince.
“Sorry.”
While Declan pretends he’s the rock, we all know he’s nothing but mush. At least, he is when it comes to the people he loves.
“You don’t have to worry, I have no plans to repeat any of that.”
“Glad you’re alive,” Sean says as he claps my shoulder.
“Me too.”
Connor walks over, shaking his head. “And you all thought I’d be the one to worry about.”
“We worried,” Declan says with a laugh.
“No one thought it would be Jacob,” Connor replies.
“Yeah, because only the good die young, so at this rate, Jacob will outlive us all.” As Sean laughs at his own joke, Brenna walks over to me, tenderly puts her arms around me, and we all walk inside.
And just like that, my world is exactly as it should be.
Chapter Forty
Brenna
“Jacob, you’re being ridiculous!” I yell while he struggles to get his shirt on.
“I’m going, and you can either help me or get out of my way.”
I swear, men are a whole other breed of stupid. “You are supposed to be resting!”
It’s been two days, and he’s the worst patient to ever live. He doesn’t do what he’s told, his idea of resting is doing laundry or trying to help the kids when he can barely keep his eyes open. Today, I caught him trying to put together a bike that he bought Sebastian.
I might actually be who kills him.
“I am resting. I’ve been in bed, let you feed me, and watched movies.”
I huff. “And you’ve done things that have made you wince, your bruises are still horrible, and you want to brave the press so you can go to the play.”
“The play is a big deal.”
“Yes, but you being okay and not hurt yourself more is a bigger one.”
Jacob gets his shirt on after quite a bit of exertion. He’s huffing and puffing, and I feel zero sympathy for him. Tonight is the last night of the play, and Jacob refuses to miss it, especially because I went to the play last night without him.
Sebastian was fantastic.
Jacob was jealous.
So, when I told him that Devney and Sydney were coming to babysit him while I went to the show tonight, he decided that didn’t work for him and that he was going too.
“I worked my ass off on that play, and I’m going to watch those kids. It starts in two hours, and I don’t give a shit if the pain is so bad I pass out, just prop me up so I look like I’m awake. I’m going, beautiful, and there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me.”
I raise my brow. “Want to bet?”
He grins. “I may be a bit broken, but you won’t physically hurt me.”
“No, but I am pretty sure there are three Arrowood men who would help make sure you can’t escape.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
He steps toward me, his green eyes focused on me in a way that makes my stomach drop. God, he’s sexy. Even bruised and battered, Jacob is all strength and power. “Brenna, I love you, but I didn’t live through all that to let Sebastian and the other kids down.”
I touch his face. “You’re not letting them down.”
“It feels like I am. Not being there opening night was fucking torture. I want to go there early and see them on their final night.”
He’s right. I won’t physically hurt him or call his brothers—not that I’m sure his brothers would actually land on my side, but I’m not willing to find out. He’s going to find a way there no matter what I say. Stubborn man.
“You shouldn’t wear that shirt,” I tell him.
Jacob’s smile is victorious. “Which one should I wear?”
“One that doesn’t match mine.”
I’m wearing a green sundress, and we look like we were trying to match. The minute we step near that school, flashes will go crazy. Catherine, who I swear is inhuman, gave me instructions on what to do if we went out. What to wear, how to walk, and how to sit—apparently, posture was everything. She promised the buzz would die down very soon, but until then, I had to endure it all with a smile.
Thankfully, I’ve stayed home with Jacob the last few days, only fielding calls from Cybil.
“You’re so beautiful,” Jacob says as I’m laying out the blue shirt from the approved clothing selections. “When I was out there, all I did was picture your face, your smile, your eyes.”
I look up at him. Since he’s been back, he’s barely spoken of the actual crash. He said it was scary, but that was about it. “You know, if you want to talk more about what happened, I’ll listen.”
“I don’t want to talk about the past. I only want my future, Brenna, and that means you.”
“At some point, you’re going to have to open up more and talk about how you felt, not just the actual event.”
He looks crestfallen. “Why? Why do I have to?”
“Because it was traumatic. And this is what I know.”
“Please don’t be my shrink, not when I’d rather make you something else.”
My brows crinkle. “Something else?”
Jacob pulls me into his arms, and I’m careful where I rest my hands. “I want to marry you, Brenna.”