“Back to Brooke,” Phil said, pointing at her. “She’s been attacked once already.”
“I already told you, I’m fine,” she said, giving her brother a look.
“Fine is not the word I would use. You could’ve been killed.”
“I fought them off.”
“Because hikers showed up,” Tyler said quietly. “What if they hadn’t? What if next time there’s no one around?”
The fear in his voice stopped her protest. She looked at his face and saw the genuine terror there. This wasn’t about controlling her. It was about not losing her.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m already being extra careful. I never go anywhere alone.”
“Not enough.” Phil shook his head.
“What do you suggest?”
“You should move home. Dad’s there most of the time. You’d never be alone.”
Brooke made a face. “Don’t remind me.”
“What’s wrong with Dad?”
“Nothing’s wrong with Dad. But I’m thirty-two years old. I’m not moving back into my childhood bedroom because I’m scared.”
“Hey, I live at home. It’s not that bad. Besides, it’s not about being scared. It’s about being smart.”
“I can be smart and stay in my own house.”
Tyler cleared his throat. “What if I stayed with you? At your place. Just until this is sorted out.”
The offer hung in the air. Brooke felt heat creep up her neck. Tyler quickly added, “I can stay in your extra room.”
“So, you two are really together?” Phil asked, looking between them.
Joe grinned. “Oh, you missed it earlier. Right after Tyler got here. Very romantic.”
“Joe,” Brooke warned.
“What? It was. The whole ‘I love you; I love you too’ thing. Very sweet.”
Phil’s eyebrows shot up. “You said that? Out loud? In front of people?”
“In front of Joe,” Brooke said, lifting her chin. “I did. We did. We love each other.”
“It’s about time,” Phil said, his face splitting into a genuine smile. “You two can be good together. If you both wouldn’t be such boneheads.” He bugged his eyes out at her.
“Thanks, bro,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Even with his silliness, Brooke felt something warm in her chest. Phil’s approval mattered more than she realized. He’d been Tyler’s friend first, had believed in his innocence when others didn’t. Having his support for their relationship felt like a blessing.
And he was right about her being a bonehead. She’d been so indecisive about Tyler. Sometimes, she was sure they could make it work, and other times she was full of doubt. Not because she thought he was a killer, more because she was still a mess from what happened with Kelsey. That whole thing still stung and left her questioning her own judgement.
That ended now.
She supposed she should talk to her dad about Tyler too. She’d mostly kept a lid on the relationship since it was so complicated, but the truth was, she could no longer deny her feelings and didn’t care who knew.
“So that settles one problem,” Joe said. “Tyler stays with Brooke for now. What else?”
