For Rodney.
For her mom.
He cleared his throat, she looked up as Vaughn said, “I’d really like to show you around tomorrow, if you’ll still come. You don’t have to make a decision today or tomorrow. We can wait until after his surgery Friday, but at least give me a chance to show you what I can offer him.”
Her heart stopped. “You know about the surgery?”
He nodded. “Yeah, he told me.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she rolled her eyes. She wanted to say no, but that was for her own selfish and petty reasons.
“I promise it will be worth it.”
Shaking her head, she met his pleading eyes as she shrugged quickly. “Only because I told Rodney we would go. That doesn’t mean I’m saying yes.”
His eyes lit up like they had when he’d scored the other night, and she was sure he was going to fist-pump, but instead, he nodded quickly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but this doesn’t change anything. You’re still a lying, assholey douche.”
He smiled. “And you’re still a bitch.” But when he winked, his grin widening with the motion, her breath caught. “But I kinda like that about you.”
Her brows came in. “Wait, are you flirting with me?”
He laughed as his hand covered her hand on the door handle, pulling the door open as heat ran up her arm. “Why would I flirt with someone who hates me, especially when I hate them too?” The way he said it insinuated that he very much did not hate her and that he knew she didn’t hate him either. But she did. With all the hellfire inside of her. But she couldn’t say that as she watched him cross the hall. She was stunned to silence as he opened the door before looking over his shoulder at her. “See you tomorrow.”
She couldn’t even comment on that.
Because her arm was still on fire.
She was still stunned to silence.
And she was pretty sure her archnemesis was just flirting with her.
“Did you make sure the house was cleaned?”
“Yes, hun.”
“What about that scrub brush I left in the sink? I forgot to get that the other day.”
“I got it, and I cleaned the mess. Everything is perfect. I promise, you slob.”
Vaughn smiled as he rocked back and forth on his heels before wrapping his arm around Dawn and leaning into her. “Is lunch ready?”
“Will be by the time you’re done with the tour.”
“Everyone inside?”
“Yes. Watching a movie and eating cookies. They’re excited to meet him.”
“I am too.”
Swallowing hard, he looked around the 356 acres that were his. When he learned he was moving to Nashville, the first thing he did was find a place for NateWay Two. That was his main concern. His own housing would come, or he could stay with someone until he figured it out, but by the grace of God, and of course, his brother Nathan looking out, this place had been put up by the bank in foreclosure. He scooped it up for a hell of a deal, and then came six months of work to get it to perfection.
The old farm house, where Marl and Dawn lived with their daughters, was the center of the property. Around it were fourteen little houses, with plots for six more. He had planned to get those done this summer since his goal was to build all the houses himself. It was something he had promised Nathan when they were younger that he would do. Nathan had wanted a home, just for himself, and Vaughn had promised to build him one in the backyard of his lavish mansion when he hit it big in the NHL. That was the goal, but he never got the chance to live it out with his baby brother. So instead, he did it for people just like Nathan.
NateWay Two was his third biggest accomplishment. First, being drafted into the NHL, and the second, NateWay One back home in Colorado, which housed twenty adults with Down syndrome. Just like NateWay Two, it had the big house in the middle of the buildings for the property manager, which used to be Marl and Dawn before Vaughn brought them to Nashville. Now it housed a nice older couple whom Marl and Dawn had hired. To the left were the gardens of fresh produce and the little market that sold snacks and other essentials. Behind all of the buildings were the fields of sheep, cows, and horses, along with the big barn that held everything else. Chickens were to the right, along with the nurse’s wing and therapeutic house, and a woodshop for everyone to learn how to use their hands. The church stood in the center of the property in all its beautiful glory. He was so very proud of that church. He had built this one with Jensen and Wells the summer before.
As he smiled, he knew that everything had a purpose at NateWay. It gave everyone a chance to learn how to be a fully functioning, working adult with supervision from Marl and Dawn and the volunteers who came in daily. At first, when Vaughn had decided to embark on this project, it was only to give adults with Down syndrome an opportunity to be self-sufficient. But now, he knew it was his job to give his residents a chance at more. More than they could even fathom. A life that had meaning and purpose. And they were doing that at NateWay. Everything they made or grew was sold. When they milked the cows, the milk was sold. Got wool from the sheep, it was sold. Everyone had a role—they went to school, they worked, they lived—and as Vaughn stood there looking over his grounds, his home, a warmth filled his soul.
He only hoped it was enough to impress Brie and Rodney.
Lord, he had handled that so wrong. He should have told her from the beginning that it was him. The moment she said her name, he should have come clean, but he just knew she wouldn’t give Rodney the chance he so desperately needed. He was dying in that damn old folks’ home. Yeah, he might have some heart issues, but this would be the greatest place for him. He could work at his pace, with no one screaming at him to get out of the way. He could go to college right in Dawn’s kitchen, and she would be there, helping him along the way. He could interact with people just like him, feel at home with people who dealt with the same things he did. Vaughn just prayed he hadn’t ruined that chance for Rodney. It would honestly break him if he had. He had come to care a lot for Rodney, and he didn’t want to hurt that kid.
Or Brie, for that matter.
She was such a spitfire, and he wanted to kiss that naughty mouth of hers so damn bad, he felt it in his bones. He had never been hit by a woman. Never in his life. Even Wren had never had the balls to hit him, but Brie, she just acted, and he really admired that about her. Her love for her brother was special, and it made him hate himself even more for what he did. He should have told her, but that was in the past. Now he had to get through this first.
For her mom.
He cleared his throat, she looked up as Vaughn said, “I’d really like to show you around tomorrow, if you’ll still come. You don’t have to make a decision today or tomorrow. We can wait until after his surgery Friday, but at least give me a chance to show you what I can offer him.”
Her heart stopped. “You know about the surgery?”
He nodded. “Yeah, he told me.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she rolled her eyes. She wanted to say no, but that was for her own selfish and petty reasons.
“I promise it will be worth it.”
Shaking her head, she met his pleading eyes as she shrugged quickly. “Only because I told Rodney we would go. That doesn’t mean I’m saying yes.”
His eyes lit up like they had when he’d scored the other night, and she was sure he was going to fist-pump, but instead, he nodded quickly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but this doesn’t change anything. You’re still a lying, assholey douche.”
He smiled. “And you’re still a bitch.” But when he winked, his grin widening with the motion, her breath caught. “But I kinda like that about you.”
Her brows came in. “Wait, are you flirting with me?”
He laughed as his hand covered her hand on the door handle, pulling the door open as heat ran up her arm. “Why would I flirt with someone who hates me, especially when I hate them too?” The way he said it insinuated that he very much did not hate her and that he knew she didn’t hate him either. But she did. With all the hellfire inside of her. But she couldn’t say that as she watched him cross the hall. She was stunned to silence as he opened the door before looking over his shoulder at her. “See you tomorrow.”
She couldn’t even comment on that.
Because her arm was still on fire.
She was still stunned to silence.
And she was pretty sure her archnemesis was just flirting with her.
“Did you make sure the house was cleaned?”
“Yes, hun.”
“What about that scrub brush I left in the sink? I forgot to get that the other day.”
“I got it, and I cleaned the mess. Everything is perfect. I promise, you slob.”
Vaughn smiled as he rocked back and forth on his heels before wrapping his arm around Dawn and leaning into her. “Is lunch ready?”
“Will be by the time you’re done with the tour.”
“Everyone inside?”
“Yes. Watching a movie and eating cookies. They’re excited to meet him.”
“I am too.”
Swallowing hard, he looked around the 356 acres that were his. When he learned he was moving to Nashville, the first thing he did was find a place for NateWay Two. That was his main concern. His own housing would come, or he could stay with someone until he figured it out, but by the grace of God, and of course, his brother Nathan looking out, this place had been put up by the bank in foreclosure. He scooped it up for a hell of a deal, and then came six months of work to get it to perfection.
The old farm house, where Marl and Dawn lived with their daughters, was the center of the property. Around it were fourteen little houses, with plots for six more. He had planned to get those done this summer since his goal was to build all the houses himself. It was something he had promised Nathan when they were younger that he would do. Nathan had wanted a home, just for himself, and Vaughn had promised to build him one in the backyard of his lavish mansion when he hit it big in the NHL. That was the goal, but he never got the chance to live it out with his baby brother. So instead, he did it for people just like Nathan.
NateWay Two was his third biggest accomplishment. First, being drafted into the NHL, and the second, NateWay One back home in Colorado, which housed twenty adults with Down syndrome. Just like NateWay Two, it had the big house in the middle of the buildings for the property manager, which used to be Marl and Dawn before Vaughn brought them to Nashville. Now it housed a nice older couple whom Marl and Dawn had hired. To the left were the gardens of fresh produce and the little market that sold snacks and other essentials. Behind all of the buildings were the fields of sheep, cows, and horses, along with the big barn that held everything else. Chickens were to the right, along with the nurse’s wing and therapeutic house, and a woodshop for everyone to learn how to use their hands. The church stood in the center of the property in all its beautiful glory. He was so very proud of that church. He had built this one with Jensen and Wells the summer before.
As he smiled, he knew that everything had a purpose at NateWay. It gave everyone a chance to learn how to be a fully functioning, working adult with supervision from Marl and Dawn and the volunteers who came in daily. At first, when Vaughn had decided to embark on this project, it was only to give adults with Down syndrome an opportunity to be self-sufficient. But now, he knew it was his job to give his residents a chance at more. More than they could even fathom. A life that had meaning and purpose. And they were doing that at NateWay. Everything they made or grew was sold. When they milked the cows, the milk was sold. Got wool from the sheep, it was sold. Everyone had a role—they went to school, they worked, they lived—and as Vaughn stood there looking over his grounds, his home, a warmth filled his soul.
He only hoped it was enough to impress Brie and Rodney.
Lord, he had handled that so wrong. He should have told her from the beginning that it was him. The moment she said her name, he should have come clean, but he just knew she wouldn’t give Rodney the chance he so desperately needed. He was dying in that damn old folks’ home. Yeah, he might have some heart issues, but this would be the greatest place for him. He could work at his pace, with no one screaming at him to get out of the way. He could go to college right in Dawn’s kitchen, and she would be there, helping him along the way. He could interact with people just like him, feel at home with people who dealt with the same things he did. Vaughn just prayed he hadn’t ruined that chance for Rodney. It would honestly break him if he had. He had come to care a lot for Rodney, and he didn’t want to hurt that kid.
Or Brie, for that matter.
She was such a spitfire, and he wanted to kiss that naughty mouth of hers so damn bad, he felt it in his bones. He had never been hit by a woman. Never in his life. Even Wren had never had the balls to hit him, but Brie, she just acted, and he really admired that about her. Her love for her brother was special, and it made him hate himself even more for what he did. He should have told her, but that was in the past. Now he had to get through this first.
