“I was in charge.”
“But I was a kid. And then as adults, well, you were a single guy for so long, off conquering the oil refinery world.” Except for the short stint when he and Daisy were married right out of high school.
“I’m still conquering it.”
“You’re also conquering your personal life. Before, you didn’t have one.” I’d see him on the holidays, and he’d be a bossy older brother. He’d also been a little aloof, like he knew where his place was; he just couldn’t get back to it. “Now you do.”
“Now I have Daisy.” He got the easy grin again. “And Laila and Lee.”
“All right. Stop before I gag,” I said jokingly when I really was getting queasy, and it wasn’t due to morning sickness. “I just want to preface this to say that if you don’t have a rental, please do not stress and do not search for one for me.”
He dug into the diaper bag next to him. “Actually, I already did.”
My stomach dropped. I appreciated his help, but this task hung over my head. Like it was task number one for me to conquer to earn the independent-woman title. “Oh. Okay.”
He frowned slightly. “Does that upset you?”
“No,” I said quickly, but yes, my gut was churning before I could order my food. “It just means it’s real.” That was also true.
Sympathy crossed his face. “Being on your own?”
Not sharing a place with Van. Not watching any more movies with him. Not cooking for each other. “Must be.”
“I know you’re probably stressed about you and the baby, but I swear, Clover, we’ll be there. All of us. Even Jasper.”
“He’s moving here?”
Alder nodded. “He was asking about a rental too, but he said you get first dibs.”
Appreciation for my brothers grew. I would be taken care of. I’d have a roof over my head, but I wanted it to be my roof. I wanted it to be the one that I was sleeping under now. And I wanted Van in the same bed too.
Oh God. I was falling for him.
Was it the proximity?
No. He was a nice guy. Considerate. Hot. I lived for catching glimpses of him hunched over his desk, squinting at his screens.
“Clover?”
I jerked my attention back to Alder. “Sorry. What?”
My gaze had strayed to the window, like I was seeking out the guy in my thoughts.
He had a finger on an address on his printout. “I was saying that you could look at this one. The renter just notified me he’d be moving at the end of October. I could hold it for a month.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Alder wasn’t hurting for money, but I couldn’t be a burden on all my successful siblings. They secured their own places and shouldn’t be inconvenienced because I had shitty taste in guys. I could find another place. There were a few small towns nearby. Maybe one of them had openings.
“I don’t have an issue with it.” He went down the list of apartments and houses for rent, rattling off details he knew if they weren’t his. “You can drive by them when you have a chance and let me know.”
My head bobbed, but I wasn’t thinking about driving by anything.
Alder ducked his head, a divot between his brows. “I’ve lost you again.”
“No, I’m just numb. It’s all coming at me, and…” Was Alder really the one I was going to bring this up to? It wasn’t like I was confessing undying love. I was just admitting that I was afraid of being alone. “The company has been kind of nice.”
Alder’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You like hanging out with your husband?” There was more weight in his light tone.
“He’s cool. The house isn’t empty when I’m home all day, and I have someone to chat with during meals. And at night, we watch movies and stuff.” I laughed when I thought of how we chowed down on leftovers and junk food. “He made popcorn and brownies the other night—I was craving brownies—and we got gut rot so bad that when we woke up the next morning, he made us oatmeal as an apology.” My snickering faded when astonishment filled Alder’s eyes.
