Her heartbeat jumped when the house came into view in the curve of a cove. She hoped things had gone okay between Drake and his brother after she’d left, that they’d found a way to work things out.
But even if they hadn’t, she wouldn’t let that scare her away. No, she’d simply pull up her big-girl pants and convince Alec to come around. She’d show him she wasn’t some empty-headed girl from a reality TV show, but someone worthy of his brother’s love.
Same went for Drake’s father. When she finally met him—soon, hopefully—she wouldn’t let any negative first impressions win.
“Rosa.”
She gave a little yelp when Alec appeared suddenly from out of the trees.
“Whoa,” he said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m okay.” She would be, anyway, once some of the adrenaline coursing through her drained away. “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“When we were kids, the four of us used to play a game where we tried to sneak up on each other. I was always good at it.” It struck Rosa how much nicer—and slightly less cocky—Alec was when talking about his family. “I want to talk with you before you go in.”
“I want to talk with you too.” She’d let enough people insult her. Starting now, she wouldn’t let anyone else roll over her. Letting the steam rise rather than bottling it up the way she always had before, she said, “I know you think you might know me from TV, but you don’t know the first thing about me.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” he said, surprising the heck out of her for a second time in a matter of seconds. “I was an ass when Drake introduced us. There’s no excuse for my behavior, but I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
“That’s a pretty fast about-face.” Even if she didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but be wary. “Especially when you still don’t know me, still haven’t talked to me for more than thirty seconds.”
His eyebrows went up as if she’d surprised him by not automatically accepting his apology. Surprised and impressed him, actually. “My brother wouldn’t tell all of us he’s in love with you if you weren’t worth falling for.”
“He told the three of you that?” She’d never met anyone like Drake—so open, so unafraid, so willing to stand up for what—and who—he believed in.
“Nearly rearranged my face while he was at it.” Alec ran a hand over his jaw as if to make sure the very well-aligned bones were still intact. “Will you accept my apology?”
Still reeling from the fact that Drake had told all of his siblings he loved her while she was gone, she nodded. “You were an ass, but I’m willing to forget about it and start over if you’re willing to forget what you’ve seen on TV and take me as I am now.”
But Alec was obviously wary too, because instead of simply agreeing, he said, “Whoever you are now, I sure as hell hope you’re in love with him too. None of us want to see the same thing happen to Drake that happened to our father.”
“It wouldn’t.” She was certain of it. “He’s too strong. Too solid. And he has all of you.”
“You’re right that we’ll always have his back, no matter what. And we’ll also do whatever we need to protect him.” Alec looked her hard in the eyes. “But right now I need to know—are you going to stay or go?”
“I want to stay.” It was the second time today she’d made that statement. And each time it had felt right. Scary too, but that seemed to be par for every single course she was on right now. “I’ve got a lot to take care of, though.”
“Drake is already on your side. Now the rest of us are too.” His grin was probably irresistible to every woman on the planet. But not her. Because her heart was already taken. “Whatever you need, just ask.”
Was it really that easy?
Before today she would have doubted, would have been cynical. But she was tired of second-guessing every single thing, so she decided to push her bravery another step forward by taking Alec’s statement at face value.
“Okay. Thank you.” She was glad they’d cleared the air, but she was now more desperate than ever to talk to Drake so that she could tell him everything she was thinking, feeling. So that he would know just how much she loved him right back.
As if she had conjured him out of sheer desire, Drake emerged a moment later through a grove of trees. “There you are.”
Joy blasted through her, head to toe, just looking at his smiling face. And when he grabbed her and kissed her as if she’d been gone two years instead of only two hours, she was surprised that her heart didn’t simply explode out of her chest in an array of multicolored fireworks.
When he finally let her up for air, her knees were wobbly enough that she needed to hold him so she didn’t simply melt to the ground in a puddle.
“That’s one hell of a greeting,” Alec mused in a voice laced with humor.