Page 175 of Dream House
Luckily, Tyler vows thisafterthe police leave, but when I add, “I’ll help,” he and I lock eyes, and something passes between us.
I don’t know if it’s accurate to say that he’s forgiven me for Sunday morning and hurting his sister. But I sense that he might be ready to put it behind him.
Maybe forgiveness will come when we bury the body.
“No one’s killing anyone,” Stella declares, and at this, Bear grunts skeptically. My brother showed up about two minutes after I called him to ask for plywood and help boarding up Stella’s door.
The fact that he went all out Older Brother and got here without any supplies just to check on me first is one hundred percent Bear. When I refused for the third time to go to the ER, he finally got back in his truck and went home for his stash of hurricane plywood, and he and Tyler nailed the biggest piece outside Stella’s door.
No one’s getting through there without a wrecking ball.
Stella arches a brow at my brother, but I can tell there’s already affection between them. When I retold the story of her fire extinguisher rescue, Bear regarded Stella with unmasked respect. “Ingenious,” he’d muttered, and Stella blushed.
“I think it’s time we called it a night,” she says, addressing everyone. All of us are in her room. No one’s been able to leave for more than a few minutes—to go to the restroom, to grab bottles of water, to get paper plates for the pies I brought home. (Note: An impromptu pie buffet is a legit response to stress hormones.) But no one has left the room for long. We’ve all come right back to this knot of people. This spontaneous clan.
“I think we’re all exhausted,” Stella adds gently. A sweep of the room proves her right. Tyler lists in Stella’s upholstered armchair with Nina in his lap. They’re both awake, but they haven’t moved in at least an hour.
Maisy’s conked out in the middle of Stella’s bed, flanked on either side by Pen and Livy who served the child two pieces of pie—apple and bumbleberry. Her sugar high only lasted about fifteen minutes, when she reenacted the whole drama—or what she knew of it—before practically face-planting in the bed around midnight.
On Maisy’s right side, Livy is out. Asleep with her mouth open. Pen’s awake but blinking sleepily, watching Stella, I know, for any sign of emotional collapse. I’m watching out for that too, but, so far, she’s shown no sign of it.
I shouldn’t be surprised. Stella is as strong as they come.
Bear is sitting on the floor, leaning against the barricaded door as if taking absurd pride in his handy work. But he looks worn out, and I know he has work tomorrow.
“Maggie’s gonna throw a fit if you don’t get home soon.”
Bear glares at me in a way I haven’t seen in years. “Little brother, my wife knows exactly where I am,” he grumbles.
I fight my grin. When I notice that Stella does too, I feel a ridiculous sense of gratification that she likes my brother. I want her to like—to love—all of my family.
Most of all, I want her to love me.
I take in the sight of her. She’s the one who has barely sat still all night. Cleaning the cut on my chin, making me ice packs for the bruises, coming outside with me to get the pies, slicing them up to make serving easy.
Getting in Nina’s face when she wanted to run.
She’s got to be completely wiped out. I push myself off the floor at the foot of her bed where I’ve camped out since eating my own two pieces of pie.
“Stella’s right. It’s time for bed.”
And that’s all it takes. Pen wakes Livy gently, but Maisy doesn’t stir as they leave the bed. Which is fine. I have a feeling Stella wants to keep her in arm’s reach. I would too. If I had my way, I’d keep them both in arm’s reach.
Bear gets to his feet, turns, and inspects the boarded up door one more time. As if making sure that nothing—not even the tiniest ant—could get through.
Nothing can.
I slap him gently on the back, my gratitude for his help—and for more than that—passing between us. Of course, it’s not enough for Bear. There has to be a Bear hug. I only hiss a little as my aching body protests. I still squeeze back.
As I walk him through the house to the front door, I note Tyler leading Nina to his room, and I’m glad he’s staying downstairs and close to Stella and Maisy. Livy and Pen climb the stairs. I’m not surprised when two sets of footsteps creak all the way up to the attic.
“I like her,” Bear murmurs, eyes glinting.
My heart squeezes painfully because I like her too, and I don’t know where we go from here. If there’s anywhere we can go.
Bear must read the doubt on my face because he scowls. “You haven’t already screwed this up, have you?”
I run a hand through my hair, wishing I could yank it by the roots.
