with me. Marry me, baby. Let me give you a family—”
“A family?” I croaked.
“You want kids, Hadley. And there’s nothing on this earth I wouldn’t give you. But I figure us making a family, will really be you giving me everything.”
“Yes. I want—”
I didn’t finish accepting Brady’s proposal because his lips were on mine. And with a kiss that was far too indecent, we sealed our engagement.
I was going to be Mrs. Brady Walker.
And I loved that more than breath.
40
Adalynn
I tried. I really tried to calm my temper before I hit the reception area of Triple Canopy. But calm was history. Calm was so far in my rearview mirror it was a miracle I hadn’t grown a second head.
Trey Durum was getting a piece of my mind.
No.
Trey Durum was going to get the hot side of my tongue when I reamed his butt out for blowing off another appointment.
Hard-headed man.
I was stomping down the hall when I heard my sister call my name.
I came to a stop in front of Brady’s office door and some of my irritation slid away when I saw Hadley and Brady together.
“How are you?” I asked, even though by the smile on my sister’s face, it was unnecessary.
This was Hadley we were talking about. She was the one in the family who no matter what happened, just kept going. She was my twin, my identical twin, so when our mother’s egg split she must’ve stolen all the keep-on-ticking genes.
We were the same but very different.
I was shy to her outgoing. Maybe it was because when we were kids she was larger-than-life and spoke up for both of us. We’d always been a unit.
I was not jealous she’d found Brady. I was over the moon happy for her. The same way she wasn’t jealous when I found a job I loved and threw myself into it.
We were close, we supported each other, but we were happy to finally be two different people.
Hadley. Adalynn. Not “the twins.”
“I’m fine, Addy. Ethan said the charges they already had and the more they uncover means the men who took me won’t be out for a long time.”
See? Keeps on ticking.
“Did Dad tell you he caught Mom on the phone with Aunt Lily trying to corral her into going with her to burn down the cult compound?”
Brady sputtered a laugh before he choked it back and Hadley gave me big eyes.
“No, he didn’t say. But I knew she was up to something. I just didn’t think she’d do that. Obviously, Dad stopped them.”
“Yeah. But Mom was seriously unhappy she’d been caught. Aunt Lily, too.”
“Vicious,” Brady oddly remarked then continued. “I see where you get it from.”
Come again?
My mom was sweet as could be. And Hadley was outrageously protective. Even if she bitched about the men in our family being overbearing, she was no better.
“Whatever,” my sister mumbled, then walked across the office and smiled huge. “Dad knows, so do the uncles, Jason, and the guys, but only because they were there or I swear you’d be the first to know.”
“Know what?”
“Brady and I are getting married.”
The look on my beautiful sister’s face—which was weird to think because we looked exactly the same and I wasn’t conceited or anything—could only be described as serene.
She’d loved Brady for years. I’d heard all about how much, though even if she’d never uttered a peep, I still would’ve known because she couldn’t hide it.
And I loved Brady for her.
“Wow. My sister’s getting married.”
“Yeah.”
Oh, yeah, Hadley was deliriously happy and that made me happy.
“I’m calling dibs on the bachelorette party,” I told her, then added, “and if Quinn tries to horn in, I’m gagging her.”
“Deal.”
“Happy for you, Hads.”
“Thanks.”
I pulled my sister in for a squeeze and found Brady smiling at us.
“Welcome to the family, big brother.”
Brady’s face softened and it felt like a gift, him giving me that soft look that was only reserved for Hadley.
“Appreciate that, Addy.”
With one last tight squeeze, I pulled away from Hadley.
“Dinner this week?”
“Absolutely.”
“Text me what night.”
I turned to leave when Hadley called me back.
“You looked pissed when you came in.”
“Beyond.”
“Oh, boy. Trey?” she correctly guessed but I still confirmed.
“Trey.”
Hadley’s face split into a huge shit-eating grin and I narrowed my eyes.
“Hads—”
“Just sayin’…”
I knew what she was just saying.
I heard her the first ten times she told me the only reason I got so pissed about Trey blowing off his PT sessions was because I had the hots for him. Which I absolutely did not.
Sure, the man was model-gorgeous.
But he was