AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ford’s first marriage had been a shitshow. The former Mrs. Savage was a liar, a cheater, and a master manipulator. Knox planned on making sure his brother’s next walk down the aisle wasn’t going to be a repeat of the past.
If he so much as sniffed that this new woman had anything but good intentions toward his brother, he’d do what Julia Roberts hadn’t been able to do inMy Best Friend’s Weddingand break them up.
Knox hadn’t always been this protective of his brother, but then again, he hadn’t had any reason to be. After Ford got divorced nearly twenty years ago, he’d focused on raising his twin girls, Iris and Ivy, and hadn’t dated. At least not anyone seriously.
Then, a year ago, his brother won the lottery. Not figuratively, but literally. He’d retired, moved to Whisper Lake, and now, all of a sudden, he is serious about some woman named Chrissy Caldwell, who was a single mom of four kids and was recently divorced. Everyone in his family seemed to think the sun shined out of her ass, but Knox needed to make sure that Ford wasn’t just her meal ticket.
"My next class is starting; I've gotta go," Keaton relayed.
Keaton owned and operated an MMA gym in Whisper Lake. His cousin had been a world champion fighter before deciding to settle down in the small town five years ago, at the height of his career. Knox wasn’t sure what had triggered his cousin’s abrupt lifestyle shift; he’d been deployed overseas at the time. He’d missed a lot. But now he planned on making up for lost time.
"Alright, bro. See ya soon." Knox disconnected the call right as he came around the corner and the lake came into view. The morning sun cast a glittery shine on the blue water, like diamonds floating on the surface.
Knox pressed the button to roll down the windows and smell the fresh country air. It had been over twenty years since Knox had been to Whisper Lake. Growing up, their grandad used to bring him, his brothers, and their cousin there on fishing trips. Those trips to Whisper Lake had been some of Knox’s favorite childhood memories. He’d been stoked when he’d found out that his cousin had decided to move there five years ago. And even happier when his brother settled there last year.
As Knox made his way around Lake Shore Drive, he was surprised to see how little the town had changed in two decades. The only difference he noted was that all of the small businesses were now fairytale-themed.
What had once been a grocery store called Food N’ Stuff was now Huff N Puff Food N Stuff, and from the signage, it looked to be Little Red Riding Hood themed. The gas station, which was Gas N Go, was now Goldilocks Gas N Go. The Diner was now the Drawbridge Diner, and it looked like they’d even added a working moat around it. Those were a few of the examples that stuck out to him, but he also saw signs for Pied Piper’s Pizza, Princess & the Pea B&B, and Snow White’s Snack Shack.
A few years back, a popular reality dating show was filmed in what used to be an abandoned castle. The show was titledFairytale Loveand the town jumped on the branding to bring in tourism. It looked to be working. It was mid-May, but as he drove through town, he saw that the downtown area was bustling with people who were clearly tourists. It made him happy to see the town thriving.
As he followed the navigation and drove out into the country, Knox saw that he still had ten minutes before his estimated arrival. Ford had moved out into the boondocks because he wanted to be a recluse. His brother’s plan had worked for the first six months; he’d had no neighbors for miles. But a few months ago, Chrissy, and her four kids moved into an abandoned house.
And the rest, as they say, was history. Which she would be too if Knox suspected any ulterior motives.
"Your destination will be coming up in one mile on your left," the computerized voice announced as a blacked-out Porsche Cayenne sped toward him. Knox had to swerve so they didn’t have a head-on collision.
"What the fuck?" Knox yelled as a plume of dirt covered the right side of his SUV from where he’d driven off the road.
He was still shaking off his minor road rage when he pulled up in front of Ford’s house. When he saw his brother’s expression, all of the frustration from the near collision evaporated, and his face split into a smile. Knox hadn’t seen his brother in a few years, and, to his surprise, he’d missed the grouch.
With a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest, Knox hopped out of the SUV. Before he could greet Ford, Duke, his brother’s German Shepherd raced toward him and jumped into his arms as he bent down. "Duke!"
Duke whimpered and coated Knox’s cheeks with sloppy doggy kisses. "I missed you, too," Knox said as he scratched Duke behind his ears before he stood up and headed toward his brother who was wearing his signature scowl.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ford barked.
Knox ignored the less-than-warm welcome and pulled his brother into a bear hug. He knew the only thing Ford hated more than surprises was surprisevisitors. "It’s good to see you, bro."
Ford gave him the obligatory two slaps on the back hug. "Itisgood to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?"
Knox stepped back and inhaled deeply through his nose and then exhaled through his mouth, deciding whether or not to let his brother off the hook. Now that he was standing in front of him, he’d gotten a little sentimental about their reunion. But when he saw the Wrinkle of Wrath above Ford’s nose as he scowled at him, he decided not to share his plans with his big bro. "I’ve missed this place. What? You think you and Keat are the only two that loved when Grandad brought us up here?"
"Are you staying?" Ford gritted his teeth.
"Permanently?" Knox shrugged. "I don’t know. But I’m here now."
"I meant, are you stayinghere?"
Knox grinned, loving how Ford was playing right into his hands. If he’d scripted it himself, it couldn’t have gone any better. "The girls said the bed in the guest room is, and I quote, ‘heaven on earth. It’s like sleeping on clouds.’" When Knox spoke to Ford’s daughters a few weeks ago after they’d come to visit their dad, they said that the guest room had a Tempur-Pedic memory foam mattress. "Who was that asshole in the Porsche Cayenne I passed on the road?" Knox motioned behind him.
"Chrissy’s ex."
Knox was suddenly regretting the hour he’d spent flirting with Darla at the Denny’s he’d stopped to eat at in Nashville. If he’d just driven through the night, he would have been there to witness Ford and the ex’s showdown. "Damn, I’m sorry I missed that. Speaking of Chrissy, Mom told me to give you this."
Knox dug into his pocket and pulled out their mother’s vintage wedding ring that had been passed down for three generations on their father’s side. He watched his brother’s reaction to see if he was as serious about the woman as his nieces and mother thought he was.
Ford’s jaw dropped as he stared at it, and Knox knew that the women in his life were right. His brother was going to ask this woman to marry him.
