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Dare To Love Again
Dare To Love Again
Author: Ashley Aleckwood

Chapter One

Author: Ashley Aleckwood
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Author's Notes and Disclaimer: Before starting this story, let me remind everyone that this is purely a work of fiction. Resemblance to anyone or anything dead or alive is purely co-incidental. Purely for entertainment purposes only. The names of the places mentioned in the story are again used as part of fictional reality. The description of towns or states has nothing to do with reality. Only the names are borrowed. Trigger Warning for cheating, infidelity and obsessive behavior. If you happen to be triggered by the description of these scenes you're fairly warned in advance. Adult language and content. No hate please. Peace and Love. Special Mention and Thanks to my wonderful editor, Jessica Jones for being so patient and lovely with me, this woudn't be possible without her guidance. I wish you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing this.

Brooke stood in front of the mirror as she looked at herself in her wedding gown. It was a silk gown, with an open boatneck and short sleeves. The gown was embroidered with small beautiful flowers studded with stones. Complementing the gown, she wore her mother’s diamond necklace with long earrings. Her tiara was a traditional one, gifted to her by her mother-in-law. Brooke admired herself in the mirror for a while.  She couldn't believe that she was about to get married to the man of her dreams. Greg Wilson, the owner of Baxter Auto Pvt. Ltd., the biggest factory in her town.

“You look great, sister mine,” Meredith Johnson ,her sister, gushed from behind her. “Greg is the luckiest man alive to have landed you as his partner.”

“Shut it, Maddy,” Brooke muttered, fixing her hair once again.

“Oh please, you know Greg worships the very land you walk on. He’s a goner.” 

“Ugh...you’re exaggerating. Besides, we haven’t even…” Brooke blushed as she thought about it.

“Oh sweet lord, please tell me you’ve had sex,” Meredith exclaimed, and Brooke blushed a deep shade of red. She never knew what to say to her sister’s very outward observations. Maddy never knew when to shut up. 

“Of course I’ve had sex…” Brooke glared at her sister, offended at the accusation, even though she had never gone for full-on penetrative sex, yet. Well, don’t blame her, she was waiting for  her one and only; her special someone. And apparently, that one and only was Greg Wilson. Tonight, the dry spell was going to end. 

“But…” Meredith prompted, waving her hand in a gesture so as to encourage Brooke to continue. 

“I’ve never … you know,” Brooke replied, making an awkward gesture by hand to imply she was still untouched in many ways. 

“Holy Shit!” Meredith exclaimed.

“Hey, I was waiting for…”

“Your True Mate.” Meredith completed his sentence, still pretty much stunned by her sister’s revelation. She knew her sister was a hopeless romantic and a stubborn bitch, but she didn’t know she held the idea of “Mates for life” so seriously. It was kind of cute though. “Man...I have to commend Greg’s patience.”

“Maddy..” Brooke gritted out, questioning her sanity as to why she was having this conversation with her sister. 

“Three years, Brooke. For three years you’ve held back and the man never complained. To top it off, he asked you to marry him. Wow. “ 

“Hey, it’s not like I’ve never done anything. We have been...intimate.”

“Intimate...wow, you really sound like a fourteen-year-old teenage girl. “

“Ugh...why do you always harass me? Why can’t it be Neil helping me?” Brooke whined.

“Oh, cool it with the whining. Don’t worry. When he gets a serious girlfriend I’ll have the same talk with him, too,” Meredith answered gleefully and headed off towards the hall. 

Greg and Brooke had grown up together in Twin Peaks, but the romance had only blossomed after Brooke came back to town as an experienced architect. Brooke had garnered her degree from New York University and then worked with good, solid firms in New York. Brooke was passionate about her work and because of her dedication, she quickly climbed the ladder, her firm offering her an associate position in a matter of only two years. It was a great achievement. But Brooke had declined the offer, instead opting for going back to her roots and setting up shop there. She wanted to base her business back at home. She was never fond of the busy city life. She rather loved the tranquility and peace back in Twin Peaks. 

She had met Greg when Wilson’s had hired Brooke to draw up the plans for building a factory outlet on the land they’d newly purchased. Brooke being a passionate architect had worked hard at giving the best plans for their approval. Greg’s father was slowly detaching himself from the company, leaving the reins in Greg’s hands. As a result, Greg oversaw everything with regards to the work being done for the factory outlet. Their professional relationship slowly turned into a personal one. It was Greg who was drawn to Brooke, and the blue-eyed blonde had asked her for a date on the very first day. But Brooke had politely declined. She was an ethical woman. Never date your boss or your co-worker was her mantra. Greg never gave up though. He kept wooing her by sending her flowers, chocolates, perfumes, and scented candles. Everyday she entered her office there was something new awaiting her. Brooke’s heart melted at the way Greg was trying to impress her. She held out though, because he was still her boss and she didn’t want to mess anything up. Greg was a great guy, humble, loyal and sweet. With each passing day, Brooke’s resolve started melting.  Eventually, when the project was complete, Greg had left an imprint on Brooke and had suitably impressed her. The man was a gentleman, a good son, a humble businessman, and a perfect partner. He indulged Brooke’s every wish. Brooke had finally agreed to go on a date and they never looked back. Two years down the road, Greg had proposed and Brooke agreed. They had decided to get married at the “Central Hall'' at Wilson Estate in Twin Peaks.

Twin Peaks was a small town in Texas that was always lively and cheerful. The foundations of the town were laid by the Harrison family, originally from Dalhart, who were practically royalty in 1940. It was their winter vacation place. The family used to travel here during the winters when it became too cold in Dalhart. They owned acres of land which were inherited by future generations and given on lease to the ranchers for farming. Eventually during the fifties, because of the family feud, the Harrison’s split, and half of their property was seized by the government while the other half was inherited by Robert Harrison, the stepson of the then head of the family, Morris Harrison, who took the charge of the properties and sold the acres of farm fields to the locals. Ever since the split, the Harrison’s never returned. Then the government took over the administration and slowly the town was modernized. The town still retained the old look. 

The structure of most of the houses was old English style, with big arches. Even the architecture of the ranches was influenced by the Vintage English style with cottage like look to the buildings. The town had a museum and a huge library that housed the oldest of manuscripts. While it wasn’t as developed in the olden days, after the late 70’s there was a drastic change. 

Today, the town was home to one big factory, big ranches and two wineries. The people were good-natured, and most of the townsfolk had a good source of livelihood. The town retained its cowboy culture, with its regular rodeo events and weekly horseback riding events. The ranch owners were few but solidly rooted, generations of families inheriting the business. Some people had their own businesses like small grocery stores, packaging hubs or auto repair shops, while some worked for the big factory, Baxter Auto Co. Ltd., that manufactured automobile parts. The plant was located on the outskirts of the town and was set up with the advent of industrialization that was welcomed by the government. The Wilsons were well off, and a kind-hearted family. They had lent money to the people who wished to start their own business, and even invested in some. It explained why Wilson held influence over the decisions of the townsfolk. People looked up to the Wilsons with a deep sense of admiration. After all, had the Wilsons not set up their factory in the town, Twin Peaks would have been deserted by now. And Brooke felt lucky that she was soon going to be a part of such a great family. 

Brooke was pacing the small room, killing time before she had to show up at the altar. 

“Hey, Brooke, let's get going,” Neil, her big brother, said, as he dragged Brooke by her arm. He wasn't quite the patient one.

“Wait...I gotta…”

“Brooke, it’s okay to be nervous. Remember, the guy loves you. You love him. He’s not going anywhere.” Neil reminded her.

“I know, but,” Brooke looked thoughtful as she chewed on his lower lip. “I gotta fix my gown..” She dashed from there towards the private restroom that was to the left of the hall. All day she had felt restless like something was missing or something was falling apart. She couldn’t exactly explain what was going on in her mind but she was uneasy. She didn’t know why but there was a twisted feeling in her gut that something was going to go wrong. She couldn't put a finger on it. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard voices from inside. Brooke leaned in and carefully listened.

Someone was grunting and...moaning? 

A confused Brooke listeed attentively to recheck if what she heard was true or not.

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  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Two

    Brooke was confused. Why would someone moan while they were in restroom? She was about to knock on the door when she heard someone yelling from inside. Afraid that something might have happened, she hastily opened the door and was shocked to her core. One of Greg’s assistants, Ariana Hawkins, was naked and was kissing her fiance, while the said fiance was buried deep inside the woman. Greg had Ariana perched atop the counter in between the basin and the wall. Brooke couldn’t believe her eyes. She stood frozen on the spot. She blinked and shook her head trying to deny whatever was happening in front of her. But no matter how much she tried, the scene remained the same. She wasn’t dreaming then, it dawned on her, no matter how much she wanted. Her heart stuttered and her breathing was erratic. This was reality. Her boyfriend of three years, Greg Wilson, to whom she was about to get married, was having sex with his assistant, Aria

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Three

    Brooke spent the whole week wallowing in misery. She felt dejected. She had no motivation to work or do anything except to eat, drink, and sleep. She had switched off her phone, not caring about anything else going on in the world. She was sure her friends and family must have tried calling her, but she was in no mood to be interactive. Her parents had visited her immediately after the debacle. But she just yelled at them, begging them to leave her alone. Even her childhood friends Beth Gordon and Steve Mannings had attempted to visit her, pounding on the door for more than ten minutes, but Brooke had plainly ignored them, opting to pull the sheets over her head and closing her eyes.“Come on, open the damn door, Brooke.” Beth shouted from outside. She was worried about her best friend. She tried knocking again but no one opened the door.

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Four

    The next day Brooke got up early and went about her morning routine. She went for a jog, which was a bit awkward as everyone at the park seemed to be giving her looks and talking about her in hushed tones. She gathered it was bound to happen after the whole 'wedding gone wrong' debacle. She didn’t pay too much attention to the gossip-mongering and focused on herself. When she came back home, she headed for a shower. She had eggs, toast, and fruit for breakfast. The first thing she decided to do was call her friends and family. She called Beth and Steve first, starting with an apology for not opening up the door that day and for being rude. They both forgave him quickly, but Beth threatened him that if Brooke ever did that again, she’d barge in by breaking down the door and kicking her ass. They talked for a while and made a plan to meet up at the cafe sometime soon. Next up, she called his family, assuring her mother that everything was ok

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Five

    Brooke still gets sad and pissy. The people in town talked behind her back, and she was on the verge of almost closing her firm. Her entire life, all Brooke ever wanted was to start a firm of her own, be successful, have a husband who loved her, and a house with a backyard where their kids could play and grow in a loving environment. In other words, a perfect apple pie life. For the past few years, she was sure she was about to achieve her dream by marrying Greg, but to her horror, she’d been living in a fantasy. A fantasy that came crashing down right in front of her own eyes when her ex-fiance had cheated on her. In front of her! At their wedding!As if that was not enough, Brooke’s asshole of an ex had the nerve to spread rumors around the town that Brooke was too vanilla in bed, making that the reason why Greg had to turn to his secretary to satisfy his needs. Moreover,

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Six

    Alaina, the barista and their mutual friend approached them after a few minutes and shook herhead at Steve's antics, “Hey, asshole,” she remarked, looking at Steve. It was their usual banter. Steve hitting on her and Alaina turning him down every time they visited. Brooke was always amused at how persistent Steve was. He always flirted with her despite her humiliating him all the time. Brooke couldn’t fault her friend though. Alaina was beautiful and smart and any guy would be lucky to have her. “Going with the usual, boys?”“Yes, sugar. Except, Brooke here would like some cherry pie for herself to cheer her up,” Steve replied, turning into a lovesick fool, gazing lovingly at Alaina.“Is that right? Everything okay, Brooke?” Alaina asked gently, turning towards her. Sh

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Seven

    Nathan Reginald Bradford was known as a ruthless businessman. This was partly because when it came to business deals, he was indeed ruthless, but also because he had worked hard to achieve the kind of success that he’d reached. Nathan had inherited the brewery business from his father, but it wasn’t as prominently known at the time. Nathan was a straight A, Harvard Business Graduate, with a goal to make his mark in the business world. He had strived and taken enormous efforts to make Short Stack Brewing Co. Ltd. a household name. Today he had breweries located around the world and had invested in many small breweries, trying to support them. Plus, his looks came in handy at times when a deal was being finalized.Nathan grew up in a loving household in Sacramento, California. The Pada

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Eight

    Nathan hailed from a family of cowboy ranchers. They were natives of Dallas where his family owned acres of land and looked after the ranch and bred horses. The breed they nurtured at the ranch was best known for equestrian sports in Texas back then. When the world war came, the economy took a massive hit and everything shut down and the Bradfords were forced to leave Dallas. They’d never sold the ranch though, always planning on going back to their roots at right time once everything was settled. However, the right time never came and when Nathan’s father needed the money he took a decision to sell off their ancestral ranch. Whatever money was made out of the deal was invested in starting Short Stack Brewing Co. Pvt. Ltd. Nathan always heard a lot about Texan culture from his grandfather and he always was fascinated with the stories of cowboys and their morales. It was his wish to at least once see the land he belonged to. Before his deat

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Nine

    No less than five minutes later, Alaina was sitting in the back seat of the lavish black sedan with Mr. Bradford, giving directions to the driver.“So, how are things going around here?” Nathan asked her curiously.“It’s great.”Nathan fidgeted a bit, “Good. So, it's a small town and I’d like to know what type of …”“Let's cut to the chase, you wanna know about Brooke, don’t you?” Alaina said, eyeing the man, loving the way he turned a bright shade of pink.Nathan flushed. “Well, is that her name? Brooke?” He tested out the name on his tongue and decided h

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  • Dare To Love Again   The Epilogue Part Two

    Somehow none of this was what Brooke envisioned when she found out Nathan and her were having a baby. She had expected things to run smoothly, like they did for her mother and Nathan’s mother and almost everyone on every television show ever. The pregnancy started off going according to plan, but somewhere it took a wrong turn and landed Brooke in the middle of Miserable Boulevard and Aching Court. And Nathan? Nathan had been awesome Nathan made sure that when things got a little too tough, a little too real, he was there to bring Brooke back to her senses In truth, Brooke had been absolutely thrilled about having a baby. But, when it came to actually being the one to have said baby? It turned out Brooke wasn’t so thrilled Still, they get a baby in the end. A baby that was healthy, and growing, and growing, and growing. Their kid was huge, measuring in at over 9 pounds and still growing. It’s weird because Brooke was happy about the fact but very, very, very nervous about i

  • Dare To Love Again   The Epilogue Part One

    Epilogue Three years later... They were standing on the balcony of their bedroom in the mansion, enjoing cup of coffee. Their life hadn't been easy but it was their life - one that they had fought and braved to live. They were happy together. "Come on, let's go inside." Nathan whsipered in her ear and Brooke nodded, following behind him. "You go, I'll just finish up this coffee and come in." "Alright." Brooke sipped her coffee enjoying the view that the balcony gave. Lush green lawns, chirping birds and the peace and quite of the morning was quite enticing. She remebered how Nathan had been her foundation after the attack and Greg's death. The Wilson's had threatned her with dire consequences for the death of their son but Nathan had handled the entire episode extremely well. He was by her side the entire time she recovered. It was just a few months after, once the mansion was ready, when Nathan asked her to move in with him and she had agreed. He had decided to work from the to

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Fifty

    Nathan and Gavin were coming back from their short visit and Gavin had just rolled his window down, when he heard gun shots. “What the hell?” He said, looking at Nathan who was on alert immediately. “This road leads to the woods behind the house doesn't it?” Nathan asked. “Yes, but who would be shooting and why?” “There’s no one who lives around here and the woods are prohibited to enter after sun down. Something’s not right. I’ll give the police a call.” Nathan swiftly dialed 911 and gave the details to the dispatch. Another round of shots were fired and Nathan jumped every time a shot echoed in the night, shredding his nerves into tatters. His fingers were digging into the door handle so hard there would surely be indentions left if he were ever able to pry his hand loose. "They're wild shots, Nathan. Whoever is shooting doesn’t have a good aim." Gavin tried to calm him even as he strained to hear better, never taking his eyes off the road. "How do you know?" "The shot

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Nine

    Broole couldn't form a reply. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and her head was spinning. She should have known that Greg would find a way to get to her. It didn't matter how long he had to wait or how far he had to go, he was never going to let Brooke escape him. She shook her head trying to focus on what the man in front of him was saying. "That's okay, I know you're surprised."She flinched back violently when Greg reached out to run his hand down the side of her face. She stifled a yelp when Greg balled a fist in her hair and yanked it up so she was forced to look at her own personal demon."I realize you've forgotten what I expect, but I don't think it'll take long for you to remember." Greg released his grip on her hair. "You know it's a shame Ariana didn’t succeed. I was counting on her," Greg mused. "What?" Brooke choked out."I will now have to force you, won't I?" Greg cocked his head, taking in her stunned expression. “If you don’t come with me, I promise I’ll tak

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Eight

    In the meantime, Brooke got up and went to the bathroom, cleaning herself up. She took a shower and opened Nathan’s closet, dressing up in his black t-shirt and PJ’s which were a tad too long on her body. But she didn’t care. They smelled like him and that made her insanely happy. She walked out of the room and headed towards the kitchen from where voices were coming from. Gavin whistled the moment Brooke stepped in the kitchn. “Look who’s there. Seems like somebody had a great night.”“Shut up.” She grumbled, but couldn’t help smiling as she headed to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water to drink. “Aren’t those clothes too big for you?” Gavin teased, enjoying the dubstruck look on Nathan’s face. “Yeah but I feel comfy…” She shrugged and walked up to the table and sat down on the chair beside Nathan. “You look…” Nathan gulped. He was awed the moment she walked out the room in his clothes and he felt possessive of her. She looked damn great in his clothes. He likes the i

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Seven

    The drive back home was a torture. Nathan went beyond the speed limit at least twice. He made it back to his apartment in record time. They both rushed out of the car and into Nathan’s house as fast as they could. Once they were inside, Nathan all but attacked Brooke. Hot kisses were exchanged. Nathan took Brooke’s lips in a passionate kiss, biting down on her lower lip before he plundered deep inside her mouth, tongue mapping out the ridges inside. They walked towards his bedroom, undressing as fast as they could and stumbled onto the bed, buck naked. Nathan pressed close to her, their private parts coming in contact with each other. It was a bit too much; they started rubbing against each other. Nathan heard Brooke making a happy noise at the back of her throat as she let Nathan control their pace. They kept kissing until Nathan was satisfied that he'd kissed Brooke senseless, her lips swollen and coated in his saliva.Nathan started kissing her everywhere, leaving a trail of kis

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Six

    Brooke opened the door. “Hi.” Nathan was buzzing with nervous energy and was so excited that he wasn’t prepared on being hit by the beauty bomb that was Brooke and her beauty. The dress, and the big smile she sported with a sparkle in her eyes had a huge effect on him. She looked so beautiful. His mouth went dry but he had to say something. “Hi.” Nathan rasped.Brooke smirked, knowing full well the effect she was having on him. “So you had a great day or are you just happy to see me, Bradford?” She teased, her eyes roaming over his body and stopping right around the visible bulge in Nathan’s pants.It took a bit longer for Nathan to understand what Brooke had said. “Shit.” He covered himself with a hand. “Sorry.”Brooke smiled, “Don’t be. It means this is working.” She pointed at herself. Nathan chuckled and handed over the flowers to Brooke, “These are for you.” “Wow!” Brooke took the flowers in her hands and admired them for a moment. “You didn’t have to, Nathan.”“But I wanted

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Five

    Once Ariana hurriedly ran away, Noah chasing behind her, Nathan motioned for Brooke to follow him to Noah’s room where he had sent the night alone. He let Brooke inside and closed the door behind him. The moment he turned around, he found himself being pushed against the door and kissed hard within an inch of his life. At first, he was shocked, but when Brooke’s tongue shyly licked along his lower lip, asking for entrance, he readily opened his mouth and kissed Brooke back enthusiastically. “I’m sorry,” Brooke said when they broke apart once the need for oxygen was too much to ignore. Nathan licked around the seam of Brooke’s lower lip and pressed soft kisses along her mouth. “For what?” He held her by her waist and pulled her closer to him, bodies aligning perfectly along each other.“For being a bitch,” Brooke breathed as Nathan kept on kissing her, readily kissing him back. Months of pent-up sexual tension was finally being released. It was like the floodgates were opened and t

  • Dare To Love Again   Chapter Forty Four

    Brooke was going to be sick, she was definitely going to be sick when Ariana called for Nathan to come out and she heard the bathroom door open. She closed her eyes as someone padded towards them, not wanting to believe what was going to be very obvious in the next moment. But when she heard someone say her name, she was confused.“Brooke? What are you doing here?” Brooke opened her eyes to see a snickering Ariana looking at him and a confused Nathan standing behind her, clad only with a towel on his waist. But she recognized, it wasn’t really Nathan. It was Noah, Nathan’s twin. Sure they looked exactly the same but their voices were different and she spotted that the moment Noah called her by her name. She was instantly relieved. “I could ask you the same question, Noah. Where’s Nathan?”“Oh, he’s in my room. The next one, right beside this one,” Noah answered, pointing in the direction of the room.“What are you doing in his room? And what the Hell is this woman doing here?” Brook

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