This Is Why (A Brookside Romance Book 3)

  This Is Why

  A Brookside Romance

  Abby Brooks

  To Bill. Thank you for slow dances in the kitchen and a million tiny moments that make up the happiest of lives.

  I love you.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  Wounded Sneak Peek

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Also by Abby Brooks

  Connect With Abby Brooks

  Acknowledgments

  LEXI

  Of all the ways I could ruin my best friend’s wedding, the most spectacular possibility just showed up in the jaw-dropping form of Tyler Reed—the father of my six-year-old son Gabe. Granted, Bailey and Liam said I do at least three hours ago, so technically the wedding part of the evening is over. If my personal drama explodes right here and now, I’d only be ruining the reception. That has to count for something, right? Besides, all I have to do is stay invisible and leave early and we can keep the focus where it belongs—on Bailey and Liam McGuire and not on the biggest secret of my adult life.

  Except I can’t stop staring at Ty. He’s right there, across the room, chatting it up with my friend David Carmichael and his little brother Colton like he hasn’t been gone for six years. He’s the one man I’ve never been able to get out of my head. Even after all this time, even after the way he disappeared on me, seeing him still makes me smile.

  I lean back in my chair, champagne flute in one hand while I run the other hand over my mouth. Why the hell is he here? And why, after six and a half years, does he still look that good? That rare mix of tan skin and blonde hair. A neat row of white teeth that flashes every time he grins. Those blue eyes that light up when he unleashes his wicked sense of humor. And I haven’t even mentioned his body yet…

  Michelle—David’s wife and my other best friend—leans forward to catch my gaze, folding her arms on the thick white tablecloth stretched across our table in the reception hall. “Who in the world are you staring at?” she asks. “I mean, if looks could kill, we’d all be dead. Finally had your fill of the whole ‘always a bridesmaid but never a bride’ thing?” Michelle raises her eyebrows when I look at her.

  It takes every ounce of my concentration not to let my gaze wander back to Ty. “No way.” I smile at my friend. “I couldn’t be happier knowing that you and Bailey met the men of your respective dreams.”

  “Then what’s with the death stare? Because it looks to me like you’ve decided someone needs to die tonight. Which, you know, is really going to ruin the whole wedding vibe.” She studies the people gathered at the reception, smiling when she meets her husband’s eyes.

  I could keep this little information bomb to myself and hide in the corner until it’s time to leave. Or, I could explain it all to Michelle in case she sees a better way to defuse the situation. One look at her face makes it clear that she won’t drop it no matter what I say and I’ve kept this secret for too long. I hit her with the truth.

  “Gabe’s dad is here.”

  Michelle’s jaw drops and she pivots in her seat to face me. “Shut. Up.”

  I close my eyes and nod.

  “You told me it was a one-night stand with a stranger. How in the world is he here at your best friend’s wedding if you didn’t know each other?”

  I grimace. “We didn’t know each other on a technicality. As in, I didn’t take the time to learn his darkest secrets and innermost thoughts and he didn’t take the time to learn mine. But I most definitely know who he is.” I cover my mouth with my hand again and preemptively answer Michelle’s next question by pointing towards Ty with my champagne flute while I’m struck with a memory of our time together.

  I’d arrived in Key West the night before and intended to spend the whole day at the beach, hair up, sunglasses on, drink in hand. The sun warmed my skin and I buried my feet in the sand as the waves crashed relentlessly on the shore. A breeze brushed across my skin, tasting of salt, and my hair curled in the heavy, humid air.

  I don’t remember what caused me to turn—some awareness of him before he was even in my line of sight, I guess—but I spun in my lounge chair and there he was. Tan and muscled, his clean-shaven jaw strong and his blond hair cropped close to his head. I couldn’t look away. I knew I should have, knew I was staring too long, but he had my attention as surely as I had his. He smiled and I was lost, but when he spoke I was found because his voice sounded like home.

  “Well, hello, beautiful,” he said…

  Bailey swoops into view and drops into a chair across from me, her own glass of champagne sloshing wildly. “What’s up, besties?” she asks, smiling radiantly. One look at our faces and she sits up, the smile falling from her face as she sets her drink on the table near a discarded cloth napkin. “What’s wrong? Who do I need to kill?”

  “Lexi says Gabe’s dad is here.”

  Bailey slaps the table. “Shut. Up.”

  “Right? That’s exactly what I said.” Michelle nods as she adjusts the neckline of her dress.

  Bailey points an accusatory finger my way. “You told me you didn’t know who Gabe’s father was.”

  I open my mouth to reply, but Michelle interrupts. “Apparently she didn’t know who he was on a technicality.”

  Bailey waves the statement away. “Whatever that means.” She pinches the stem of her champagne flute between two fingers and rolls them, spinning the glass in place. “So now what? What do we do? Do you want me to kick him out? I’ll totally kick him out. This is my party so I’m the boss of everyone and have every right to do that.” She grins, only half joking.

  “No way.” I smooth my dress over my thighs. I’ve seen my fair share of shitty bridesmaid’s dresses in my day but this is not one of them. Thank God for Bailey’s good taste. “I will not be that person who makes a giant scene at her best friend’s wedding.”

  That and I don’t know how I would handle talking to Ty again. Not only is there so much left unsaid between us, but the man has some kind of power of me. Even now, knowing that he’s the kind of guy who disappears on a woman without a word, I’m drawn to him. Whatever existed between us in Key West still exists. Something strong and powerful and impossible for me to ignore. Something that is sure to earn me yet another broken heart, and lord knows I’ve had my fair share of those recently.

  My friends exchange a glance as my thoughts go from zero to sixty. Gabe is hanging out with the other kids while David’s mom—Annabelle Carmichael, otherwise known as Super Gran—watches them all. I need an excuse to get my son and get out before Ty notices us. I stifle a laugh because what are the chances he’d even remember me after all this time. It was one wild night six years ago. We were both drunk and alone and far from the comforts of home…

  “So, who is it
?” Bailey asks, interrupting my thoughts. “I mean seriously. All you need to do is point him out and this guy is gone. If he had the balls to leave you high and dry when you were pregnant with his kid, then he deserves every ounce of the embarrassment that’s coming his way.”

  Despite my best efforts, my gaze flits to where Tyler stands with David and Colton. I yank it back to my friends as fast as I can, I swear, but they know me too well. They whip around in their seats to see where I’m looking.

  “Colton?” Bailey sounds incredulous.

  “No way. Colton?” Michelle looks equal parts disgusted and confused. “My brother-in-law is Gabe’s dad?”

  “No. Ew.” I roll my eyes. “Don’t you think all of this would have come up before now if it was him?” I look pointedly at Michelle. “You know, when the two of us were both at your wedding? And then again when we took turns holding your newborn son?” Michelle’s son Thomas came into the world a few months ago.

  Understanding dawns in Michelle’s eyes and she glances at the men again. “Tyler?” Her voice is hushed. “Are you talking about Tyler Reed?”

  I suck my top lip into my mouth and nod. Bailey studies the man with narrowed eyes.

  “That doesn’t sound like him at all,” Michelle says as she pushes a lock of her brown hair back in place. “He’s only been staying with us for one day, so I could be way off base, but the man just oozes integrity. I can’t believe he’s the kind of guy who would totally ignore his own son.” She shakes her head. “I fear for humanity, you know? If someone like that has a secret like this…”

  And here comes the biggest truth bomb of them all. The one I never thought I’d have to drop. The one I thought I’d take to my grave. I take a breath and speak before I let it out.

  “He doesn’t know,” I say and then brace for impact. “I never told him I was pregnant.”

  LEXI

  Bailey stops with her champagne flute halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean he doesn’t know?” she asks as she lowers it back down to the table.

  “I mean just what I said. Tyler doesn’t know about Gabe. It was a one-night-stand. He disappeared the very next day. He’s a Marine and had no intention of coming back to Brookside. Ever. For any reason. He was pretty clear about it, actually. I never thought it was worth hunting him down because I knew I could raise my kid without his help.”

  Plus, I was heartbroken. I thought I found someone to fall in love with. Someone different from everyone else out there. And then he left in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye.

  “Lex…” Michelle folds her hands in her lap.

  “How do I not know about this?” Bailey finishes off her champagne before setting the glass back on the table. “I feel like this is definitely something I should know about.”

  Maybe I should have kept that last nugget of information to myself.

  “I totally admit that you should have known about this before now, but can we please skip the part where you’re mad at me and get to the part where we figure out what to do before he sees me?” I fold my hands together like I’m praying and plead with my friends with my eyes. “And really, Bay. The last thing I want to do is ruin your wedding.”

  Bailey snorts. “My wedding is not ruined, but Tyler’s day is about to be. Michelle and I are going to go tell him what’s what.”

  “Lex…” Michelle sounds more insistent now.

  “Please don’t go tell him anything,” I say. “Not one thing. Gabe and I are fine and we don’t need a stranger suddenly feeling responsible for what happens in our lives.”

  “Lex!” Michelle drops a hand on the table and Bailey and I jump in surprise. “You have to tell him. You have to let this guy know he has a son.”

  “No way. I stand by my original decision. Gabe and I are fine without him.” I shake my head, terrified at the thought of how much disruption it would bring into our lives if Ty finds out about Gabe. “The only thing I have to do is get out of here before I cause a scene. Or. Well. A bigger scene.” I stand and my two friends stare up at me.

  Bailey looks distraught. “Please don’t leave. That actually would ruin my wedding.”

  Well, shit.

  Hello, rock.

  I’d like you to meet hard place.

  I drop back into my chair and put my head in my hands. “Why is he even here?”

  Michelle clears her throat. “I can answer that. He’s back in Brookside for a week because his sister just had a baby. He’s staying in our guest room at the farm.”

  “He’s staying at the farm?” I lift my head and stare at her. Talk about a mindfuck. “How is that even possible?”

  “Ty has been friends with David and Colton since high school. They were on the football team together and used to get into all kinds of trouble. And then, in his Freshman year of college, Ty joined the Marines and went into Officer Candidate School—”

  “He’s an officer?” I can’t help it. I look right at him. He’s laughing at something David or Colton just said, his head thrown back and his eyes closed. His dress shirt stretches across his broad chest and his hand dwarfs the glass he’s holding. I see Gabe in that face and my heart clenches.

  “Yep.” Michelle nods. “And apparently, he’s a very good one. He’s seen combat and saved lives on more than one occasion.” She lays her hand on mine. “It sounds like he’s a good guy, Lex.”

  “It doesn’t matter if he’s a good guy or not. He doesn’t know about Gabe and Gabe doesn’t know about him and that’s the way it needs to stay. If he’s all Semper Fi all the time and he’s going to be gone again in a week, what good will it do if they find out about each other? It’ll bring a lot of upheaval for all of us only for nothing to change in the end.”

  Doubt clouds Michelle’s face. “Don’t you think he deserves to know he has a son?”

  I sigh. Of course he deserves to know. Right? I mean, at least I think so. Or is it better for him to continue on in ignorant bliss? That way he’s able to do all of his Marine things the way he’s been doing for the last six and a half years without having to change anything? Gabe and I are fine. We have been fine and we’ll continue to be fine. Tyler doesn’t need to have his life turned upside down just because he happened to show up in Brookside again even though he said there wasn’t anything on this earth that could make him come back. I drop my head into my hands again.

  “What if he never wanted to have kids?” I ask.

  Michelle raises her eyebrows. “What if he’s wanted kids his whole life?”

  “Since when are you on his side?” I sit back and sigh, my stomach flip-flopping crazily.

  “I’m not on any sides. I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. This is one hell of a sticky situation. You’ve done a great job raising Gabe on your own.” She puts her hand on mine and gives it a squeeze. “A great job. But what if Tyler…” She trails off and shakes her head. “I don’t know Lex. I think he deserves to know he has a son.”

  Bailey studies Tyler for a long time. “Gabe looks just like him, doesn’t he?”

  I finally release the death grip I’ve had on my attention and look across the room. Why does he have to be so handsome? Couldn’t he have taken up drinking and smoking and aged horribly over the last couple years? That way I could continue to feel indifferent about him instead of this inexplicable desire to cross the room and be near him? It’s the same pull I felt when we were in Key West. It’s like we’re connected by an invisible cord that’s not just pulled taut between us, but shrinks incrementally each second, drawing us together.

  “It’s almost spooky how much they look alike,” I say, answering Bailey’s question.

  “How did you guys meet?” Michelle asks.

  “It was when you went down to the Keys by yourself, right?” Bailey scrunches up her nose, trying to remember the bullshit story I gave her about the magical day Ty and I spent together—the one followed by him disappearing in the middle of the night with not one word spoken between us.

  I n
od. “I got it in my head that I needed to spend a week alone by the beach with nothing more than my bikini and a drink. I met Ty. The chemistry was amazing, but that could have been the pina coladas. We spent the day together. Then the night together. Then he disappeared and I never saw him again. Until now.” And every time I look at my son. And all those lonely nights over the years where I would replay our day together over and over before I fell asleep. But those things are neither here nor there.

  Michelle sighs dreamily. “Remember when I kept running into David and you told us it was the Universe trying to get us together?”

  “I do remember, but this is not that, my friend. This is an unhappy coincidence with an unhappier ending.”

  Bailey sits up tall in her seat. “Oh, shit. Lex. He saw you.”

  “What?” My gaze goes right to Ty and damn it, his eyes are locked on mine with nothing but complete and utter recognition dawning across his face.

  TY

  No fucking way. I finally get a good look at the blonde across the room and ho-ly shit. It’s her. The woman from Key West. The one I never managed to get out of my head after all these years. Or hell, it’s not like I tried to get her out of my head. Not at all. She’s been my favorite fantasy ever since that night.

  “You good, man?” Colton asks before taking a drink. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”