“Stop feeding me.” But she plucked up the chicken leg, anyway. “It is nice to have an appetite again.”
Sebastian’s gaze didn’t flicker. “How long did it take you to recover from the accident?”
“A couple of months. The doctors and nurses said it would take almost a year before I was feeling back to normal. Some days I get home from the diner and I just collapse.”
“If it’s too much—”
“If it was too much I’d stop.” She didn’t like being coddled or underestimated by anyone, but especially by Sebastian. “I’m sleeping better being back here. Having something to do.” And not wondering when her mother was going to pop up and rock her inner peace. “And I’m looking forward to my first night in my new apartment. I’m going to leave my bedroom window open so I can hear the ocean.”
“Brooke, about earlier...”
The hesitation in his voice told her exactly what he was referring to. “What about earlier?”
“It was impulse. Kissing you.”
“I figured. Old memories. Old feelings.”
“That’s just it. They don’t feel old. Even though you’re not the Brooke I remember. Not completely, anyway.”
“Well, thanks.” The macaroni turned to glue in her mouth.
“I’m trying to be serious here.”
“I know.” She wiped her hands and looked at him. “But I’m not sure I’m ready for you to be. Can we just enjoy the rest of the day? And leave everything else for later?” If ever.
“All right.” He picked up his napkin and wiped her cheek. “You missed a spot.”
She smiled and when he moved closer on the bench, she didn’t move away. “Always looking out for me, aren’t you?” Was that obligation? she wondered. Was he still stuck in the past, in love with the girl who constantly needed rescuing? Did he see she didn’t want to be that person any longer? That she’d spent the last fifteen years trying to wreck that mold? “Sebastian—”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Frankie stepped back to the table, her hand tucked into the crook of the arm of the dark-haired woman Brooke had noticed earlier in the day. “Okay, I’m not, but I wanted to introduce you. Ezzie, this is Brooke Ardell, Mandy’s mother. Brooke, Ezzie.” Frankie slapped her hands on her hips. “Now I am going to search out my husband-to-be. I bet he’s over with Hunter, holding a fire extinguisher.”
“No doubt,” Sebastian confirmed. “Ladies, I’m off to get seconds.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Brooke.” Ezzie took Frankie’s vacated spot.
“And you still wanted to meet me?”
Ezzie’s smile was as warm as a summer breeze. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Mandy. And Frankie. I’m also not one to judge a person on decades-old behavior. If I did, BethAnn and I wouldn’t have become such good friends.”
“I’m sure the Cocoon Club gave you an earful, as well. They came by BethAnn’s this morning to apologize to me.”
“As well they should have.” Ezzie nodded her approval. “They’re protective of the people they care about. They love Sebastian and Mandy, who, by the way, is a lovely young woman.”
“Sebastian’s done an amazing job with her,” Brooke agreed.
“You did, too.” Ezzie touched her arm. “I’ve watched you since you’ve been back. I’ve seen how you are with her, how you are with Frankie and Sebastian. There’s love for all of them. I can see it. And the love you have for your girl, it’s written all over your face.”
Brooke lifted her hands to her cheeks. “Is it?”
“I’m a mother, too. I won’t presume to know how you must have felt all those years ago, Brooke. And I can’t imagine how hard it was to walk away from Sebastian and Mandy. Or how hard it was to return. But you did. And that says more about you than you realize. And that’s something the Cocoon Club finally saw for themselves. So.” She withdrew her hand and leaned forward. “When can we expect you to join us for dinner?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“WELL?” CHARLIE ZOOMED over to her, nearly knocking Mandy over in the process.
The barbecue was going great. Mandy loved hanging out with the kids. Plus, this was going to help earn her even more kid-sitting clients. She and Eleni should start their own official business.
“Do you have your parent plan in place?” Charlie demanded.
“What parent plan?” Kyle glanced over, stopping in mid-beanbag toss of their knock-down, drag-out game of lawn tic-tac-toe. The way his too long hair dropped over one eye made Mandy’s fingers itch to push it off his forehead. He narrowed his eyes, as if he suspected she was up to something, Mandy thought, and squirmed.
“Mandy’s playing Auntie Mame,” Eleni chimed in, dropping down to scoop little Phoebe MacBride into her arms to help her onto a low hanging tree branch overhead.
“I am not,” Mandy said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s more Dolly Levi. Get your classic musicals straight.”
“Who would you be wanting to...?” Kyle turned, beanbag forgotten, and found the object of Mandy’s very scattered attention. “Your mom and dad.”
“Shh!” Mandy shook Charlie off her arm and reached out to grab his arm. “The entire party doesn’t need to hear.”
“The entire party probably already knows,” Kyle warned. “You’ve been watching them all day.”
“Yeah, well.” Mandy shrugged, trying not to let her happiness get ahead of her. She had been watching her dad and Brooke, and what she’d seen had only confirmed what she’d first noticed on the boat. They were crazy about each other. Even after all these years. “I just like seeing them happy.”
“Mandy’s worried about her dad being alone when she goes off to college,” Eleni explained.
Kyle’s smile dimmed. “That’s still a ways off.”
“Maybe.” Mandy shot a glare at Eleni, who looked instantly contrite. “And, yes, in answer to your question,” Mandy said to Charlie. “My plan is coming along. I just need to ask Uncle Monty for a favor.”
“Come on, guys.” Eleni held up her arms for Phoebe, who dropped out of the tree like a lemur. “I think they’re making homemade ice cream for dessert. Let’s go get some.” She mouthed “sorry” to Mandy as she led away the kids.
“I’ve talked to you about college before.” Mandy reached out and slipped her fingers through Kyle’s. “I thought you were okay with that.”
“I am okay with it.” He didn’t look okay, though. “I guess maybe I had you staying longer.”
A prickle of unease worked its way up her spine. “Mrs. Mehaffey’s helped me look into precollege classes in oceanic sciences, just to see if that can help narrow down my interests. It’ll still be two years before I can apply to a four-year school, unless I can manage early graduation and take some junior-college classes.” Which, given her proposed schedule for next year, was a possibility. “I’m not going anywhere yet, Kyle.” She moved closer, took hold of his other hand. She liked Kyle, a lot. Probably more than she should considering what a distraction he could be. One of the things she liked most about him was that he listened to her, talked with her about her plans. Their plans. “I won’t make any big decisions without you.” His expression soured. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want you limiting yourself, Mandy. You need to make the right decision for you.”
“Limiting myself? What does that mean?” Mandy tightened her hold because she could feel him pulling away from her.
“It means you shouldn’t anchor yourself to someone who’s not going in the same direction you are. You’re fourteen, Mandy—”
“I’ll be fifteen in a few weeks,” she reminded him. Her stomach pitched like a sailboat lost at sea. “What’s your point?”
“My point is you should be exploring every opportunity, not making choices based on me. I appreciate you thinking of me, but we’re both too young to really be thinkin
g about a future together.”
She stepped back, jutted out her chin. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“No. Not...” Kyle winced. “Not exactly. I love spending time with you, Mandy. I like you. A lot. But I’ve finally found my place here. I’m settled. And I don’t want you to...settle. Plus, I’m going to be working a lot more and not always here in Butterfly Harbor. We won’t have a lot of time together.”
“We’ve made time for each other so far.”
“It’s only going to get more complicated—”
“Now you sound like my father,” she snapped. “Not everything has to be complicated, Kyle. We don’t have to be.”
“Except we are. And I don’t...have time for things to be complicated. Maybe we should stop seeing each other for a while.”
“You are dumping me.” She yanked her hands free and clutched them against her chest even as her heart trembled.
“We aren’t serious, Mandy.”
Mandy’s vision wavered. “Maybe you aren’t.”
“Well, I’m not.” Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets and ducked his head. “I don’t want to be. I was going to talk to you about it after the party, but...” He shrugged. “Hearing you talk about college made me think I’d best say it sooner than later. I’m sorry, Mandy.”
“Yeah.” Mandy felt two tears plop onto her cheeks. She swiped them away before they could humiliate her further. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Man—”
She walked away before he could finish the thought. She hugged her arms around her torso and squeezed, wishing she wasn’t surrounded by every person she’d ever known in her life. Up at the house, she scanned the crowd. Dad. Where’s Dad?
She didn’t see a sign of him. She stood there, turning in circles, searching. Uncle Monty and Aunt Frankie were fighting over one of the last brownies at the dessert tables. Eleni was supervising Phoebe and Charlie, who were dive-bombing the old-fashioned ice-cream maker. Her chest hurt as she tried not to cry, even as she wondered how she could be so upset over a boy she wasn’t supposed to be serious about. Except she had been serious. He’d been her first crush. Her first date. Her first kiss. And he didn’t have a clue how much he meant to her.
“Mandy?”
Mandy spun around. “Brooke.” Her chin wobbled. “Mom.”
“What’s wrong?” Brooke moved forward, glanced toward Kyle, who remained by the tree, his back to them as if he’d turned completely away. “Is it Kyle? Did something happen?”
Mandy’s throat was too tight to talk. She nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Brooke rested a gentle hand on Mandy’s shoulder. “Honey—”
Mandy sobbed and stepped into Brooke’s waiting arms. She buried her face in her mother’s shoulder as the tears escaped.
“It’s okay, baby.” Brooke’s free hand rested on the back of her head as she held her close. “It’s all right,” she whispered. “I’m right here. Tell me what I can do.”
“Take me home,” Mandy mumbled. “I just want to go home.”
* * *
“YOU DIDN’T HAVE to drive us back,” Brooke said as Sebastian parked the SUV in the alley behind Cat’s Eye Bookstore. The car had barely stopped when Mandy shoved out of the back seat and raced up the stairs. “We could have walked back.” She flinched when the door slammed.
“It’s all right.” Sebastian unhooked his seat belt and sighed. “Any idea what happened?”
“Best guess? Kyle broke up with her.”
“Oh.”
Brooke’s lips twitched. He sounded so...paternal. “Don’t sound so relieved.”
“I’m not! Not really. Well, okay. Maybe a little.” His expression seemed a bit sheepish. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Just don’t let her see you feel that way. Tell me you have—”
“Ice cream? In buckets. Literally. Come on.” He got out of the car, headed to the stairs. He stopped when he saw she wasn’t following. He returned to the car and stood by her door. “You coming?”
Brooke’s heart pounded against her rib cage. She hadn’t been in that apartment for fifteen years. The last time she’d seen it, it had been chaotic and cluttered, filled with boxes and decorating supplies. Oh, the plans she’d had. The ideas she couldn’t wait to implement. The only room she’d helped complete was the nursery, where she and Sebastian had arranged an air mattress for themselves after Mandy was born.
“Brooke?” Sebastian pulled open the door.
Brooke shook herself free. He had enough to worry about with a brokenhearted daughter. He didn’t need to worry about her, too. “If you think she wants me here.”
“She came to you when she couldn’t find me.” Sebastian held out his hand. “I’d take that as a sign you’re welcome in our home. Please. I’m not sure I can handle this particular situation on my own.”
“You could always call Frankie,” Brooke suggested and hopped out of the car.
“I’m not sure Frankie’s current romantic bliss lends itself well to a broken heart.”
In that respect, Brooke had Frankie beat. She headed up the stairs and stepped back to let Sebastian open the door, then, after taking a deep breath, she followed him inside.
“Make yourself at home.” Sebastian hung his sunglasses and car fob on one of the hooks by the door. “Zachariah and Tribble are around here somewhere, probably. Tribble likes to climb up on people, so keep your eyes open.”
“All right.” Brooke looked around the sunshine-yellow kitchen with its bright decor and immaculate countertops. There were a few dishes in the drying rack, but other than that, everything was neatly organized and put away. A large calendar was tacked on the front of the stainless steel refrigerator, covered in scribbled notes and times. Photographs of Mandy and Sebastian together, Mandy and Eleni from a number of years ago, given Mandy’s seriously crooked teeth, and at least a dozen cat photos.
“How many cats do you have?” Brooke asked while Sebastian moved around her to grab a bottle of water.
“Oh, those were just fosters. We take them in when the shelter doesn’t have space or there’s no other fosters available. Last summer we had eight roaming the store. I told Mandy after that, two fosters were our limit.” He pointed to the narrow door on the other side of the stove. “The laundry room is our corralling area when they’re little.”
Sebastian loved cats. He’d always had two or three at a time growing up, something Brooke had been fascinated by. She’d never had a pet. Her mother didn’t want to have to clean up after one.
“That’s where she is,” Sebastian said. “Mandy. In with our charges.”
“You have fosters now? For how long?”
“Another week.” Sebastian offered her a water, which she took in an effort to calm her nerves. “They should get the all-clear from Doc Gordon on Friday, then Mandy will take them over there after school. So...” He took a long, controlled breath. “Do you want to go in first or should I give it a shot?”
“I’ll go.” Brooke set down the water bottle and headed for the door. “If I need help I’ll send out an SOS.”
“Something tells me you’ll do just fine with her. You hungry? I can throw something together for dinner.”
“Maybe later.” She’d done her fair share of grazing during the barbecue. She knocked lightly on the door and waited for Mandy’s soft “come on in” before she pushed it open. Brooke stuck her head in, looked around the edge of the door and found Mandy sitting on the floor next to the dryer, two ginger kittens romping in her lap. “You up for some company?”
Mandy shrugged.
Brooke closed the door behind her, then found a spot among the toys and cat bed to sit. Immediately one of the kittens bounded off Mandy’s lap to sniff to investigate Brooke. She ran a gentle finger down its back and earned a soft purr in response.
“That’
s Bubba,” Mandy told her. “This is Barbie.” She picked up the other kitten and held it against her chest.
“Hello, Bubba.” Brooke couldn’t help but smile as the fluff ball started playing with the buckle on her sandal. “So you and Kyle broke up?”
“It’s stupid,” Mandy mumbled. “We weren’t even really a couple. It wasn’t like he was my boyfriend.”
“It kind of looked that way to me,” Brooke said. “I saw the two of you together at the diner, remember? He seemed to be very fond of you.”
Mandy snorted. “He has a funny way of showing it.”
“Did he give you a reason why he didn’t want to see you anymore?”
Mandy tucked her long legs under her and set down Barbie. She dangled a feather on a string over the kitten’s head and sent her into a frenzy of excitement. “He thinks things are too complicated for us to be seeing each other.”
“I see.” Grateful for the distraction of the kitten, Brooke tried to search for the right response. “Complicated how?”
“He said he’s getting busier with work and with me going to college soon, there wasn’t a lot of time for us to spend together. Or something like that.” When Brooke didn’t respond, Mandy pinned her with an accusatory look. “Do you think he’s telling the truth?”
Brooke didn’t know Kyle very well, or at all, for that matter, but he hadn’t struck her as dishonest. “There’s probably more to it. More he didn’t say.”
“He said something about distracting me. That we aren’t on the same path and that I shouldn’t let him limit me when I make decisions.”
“Limit you?”
“I was looking at some other colleges, some not so close to home, but I told him I didn’t want to go there because then I couldn’t come home as often.”
“I see.” And she did see. Later, when she’d had more time to think on the afternoon’s events, Mandy would see, too. Kyle wasn’t dumping her because he didn’t care about her. He was letting her go because he did.
A Match Made Perfect--A Clean Romance Page 18