He furrows his brows at me, clearly not liking that comment.
“Oh, you’re the only one allowed to joke around now?”
The side of his lips kick up in a smirk. “My jokes are just better.”
“Whatever.” I shove his shoulder lightly as he chuckles.
It’s nice that the lighthearted energy between us remains throughout the rest of the flight. We don’t stop talking, and the little bit of self preservation I tried to keep going into this trip evaporates because Wes has infiltrated my heart in a way there’s no coming back from.
I just hope this trip won’t ruin that.
CHAPTER 38
Bailey
After landing in Denver,we get the rental car, and I already know Wes is going to drive. I don’t even bother arguing when he passes his license to the worker. I do try to argue about paying for it, but he just pushes my card away silently.
It’s freezing here, the snow lining the sides of the road looks a few days old. I grew up in the cold and snow, but living in a coastal town like Amity where it stays mostly temperate throughout the year leaves me shocked at the freezing temperatures.
“Do we need to get you a thicker coat?” Wes asks as we get into the car, and I attempt to hide my shiver.
“No, I’m fine,” I insist.
He shrugs, and I glare at him from the side, knowing if he catches me he’ll likely threaten me with another punishment. One that I would happily take right here in this car. Anything to delay getting to my brother’s house would be a welcome distraction.
We drive through the unfamiliar roads following the GPS on Wes’s phone until we reach a large two story house and my jaw drops. I know my brother makes a lot of money, but for some reason I didn’t expectthislevel of wealth. Even for a professional hockey player.
Wes parks, turning the car off then shifting toward me. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be here if you need.”
I look at him wide eyed. “You’re not coming inside?”
He looks confused.
“You said you’ll be here, like in the car.”
He lets out a huff. “And you say I’m not good at joking.”
Without thinking, I lean over the console and press a kiss to his lips. It’s brief, just a peck really, but the action surprises me more than anything. I didn’t think twice about it, I just wanted to. I wanted the small comfort he brings me. I want him to know how grateful I am that he came. I just wanted to kiss him without it leading to more.
Because I’m falling for Wes.
Or maybe I’ve already fallen.
“Ready?” he asks, pulling me from my thoughts before I have a chance to fall into another spiral before we even go inside.
I nod, opening the door and the cool air whips me in the face. Wes grabs our bags from the trunk and I swing my backpack over my shoulder. We step up to the front door, and I force myself to knock before I end up running in the other direction. Wringing my hands together nervously, I wait to see who’s going to answer. To see who the first person I come face-to-face will be.
I just hope that whoever it is won’t have me running in the other direction. My heart rate kicks up as I hear the lock, and even more when the door actually starts to open.
My breath hitches as I come face-to-face with my brother, who I haven’t seen in years. He looks almost exactly the same as I remember him. Tall, about the same height as Wes. His blond hair, a shade lighter than mine, but our green eyes match almost exactly.
“Hi Bailey,” he says, his voice somehow seems deeper.
“Hi Brent.” My own voice cracks saying his name, and I fight the urge to hug him. Which is unusual because we’ve never been a physically affectionate family, but something about this moment makes me want to anyway.
