Handle With Care (Special Delivery Book 3)

by J. A. Armstrong

  Handle with Care

  Episode Three – Special Delivery

  J.A. Armstrong

  Text © Copyright 2016 J.A. Armstrong Books

  All Rights Reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced without permission.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter One

  “What are you doing?” Rachel asked Brooke. Brooke startled and jumped measurably. “Jumpy much?” Rachel laughed.

  “If you didn’t sneak up on people, they wouldn’t jump.”

  Rachel shook her head, amused by Brooke’s demeanor. It was difficult for Rachel not to laugh at Brooke’s nervous fidgeting. To Rachel, it was extremely endearing. She was sure that she had never seen her best friend so excited nor had she ever seen Brooke such a basket case. It had taken a few months for Brooke and Tess to find a new house and settle on it. It took another month for Tess’s house to sell. This weekend was their moment of truth. The pair would officially move into their new home. Brooke’s excitement was understandable. Rachel was certain that something else was driving her best friend’s recent antics. She had a few suspicions, and she was determined to get those confirmed.

  “What is wrong with you?” Rachel chuckled.

  “Nothing is wrong,” Brooke replied.

  “Okay? So, why are you acting like such a Nervous Nelly?”

  “I am not,” Brooke defended herself.

  “Mm-hm. It can’t be the move. Tess can handle a truck just fine,” Rachel joked.

  “Ha-ha. I hired movers.”

  “Oh, I’ll bet she loved that,” Rachel commented dryly. One thing that Rachel had come to know about Tess Sinclair, she did not accept help easily. And, while she would never have described Tess as a penny pincher, Tess was fiercely independent. She did not look to pay for help with anything if she thought that she could handle it herself.

  “I made a compelling argument,” Brooke told her best friend.

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, actually. I told her that since I was on call until Friday, it would be better for me. I want to help, and it would make me feel better.”

  Rachel pursed her lips to conceal a smirk. “You did not have to be on call this week. We could have switched.”

  “No, that wouldn’t have worked,” Brooke said absently. “You are going to be there Sunday, right?”

  “Yes. I’ll be there Friday too. Why? What is going on Sunday?” Rachel asked again. Brooke seemed to have faded into some netherworld. “Brooke!”

  “What?” Brooke visibly jumped again.

  “Oh, come on,” Rachel urged her friend. “Give it up, Dr. Campbell. You are up to something.”

  Brooke sighed. “Okay. It’s like this. Tess took next week off.”

  “Yes?”

  “And, I have the movers bringing everything on Friday afternoon. My mom has next week off too,” Brooke explained.

  “Uh-huh,” Rachel said.

  Brooke huffed. “You cannot tell her.”

  “Tell her what?”

  Brooke smiled. “Tess wants to do something really small. I mean like uber small,” she said. Rachel smiled. “And, she was really bummed about the timing of this move. Sunday is her brother David’s birthday. She said that if she ever did, she just always wanted to do it on his birthday, you know? She said that it would make her feel like he was with her. When she realized the move fell on this weekend, she figured we’d have to wait a whole year to do it. Well, that or we’d have to do it some other time, and I could see how much that bothered her, like she had to choose, and…”

  “Brooke!” Rachel called out to her friend.

  “What?”

  “You are rambling like a madwoman,” Rachel laughed. “So, what are we supposed to wear?”

  “Huh?”

  “To this secret wedding you are planning,” Rachel said. She was amazed that Brooke had kept it a secret.

  “What you normally wear to my house.”

  “Jeans?” Rachel asked. Brooke rolled her eyes. “What about Tess?”

  Brooke smiled broadly. “Oh, well, she saw this dress when she was out with my mom. Mom made her try it on. I bought it.”

  “When did you become such a romantic?”

  “You think it’s romantic?” Brooke asked hopefully. “I thought so. Then, this week, I started kind of thinking that she might be mad.”

  “Tess?” Rachel asked.

  “Of course, Tess!” Brooke threw up her hands. Rachel laughed harder. “Why is that funny?”

  “Brooke, Tess is head over heels for you.”

  “Yeah, but…Do you think she’ll wish she could have planned it?”

  “No,” Rachel responded flatly.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Rachel replied. “What about her parents?”

  Brooke grimaced slightly. “I just hope Mary behaves.”

  “So, you did invite them.”

  “Of course, I invited them!”

  Rachel held up her hands in defense. “I was just asking.”

  “I’m sorry, Rach. I couldn’t not invite them. No matter what, I know that is something important to her.”

  “What about your Dad?”

  “Mom is picking him up Saturday morning,” Brooke said. Rachel raised an eyebrow. “He loves Tess and he hasn’t even met her in person,” Brooke laughed. “You don’t think that she’ll think I’m crazy?”

  “Tess?” Rachel asked for clarification.

  “Yes, Tess!”

  Rachel shook her head. “Only if you act like this at the altar…or the…Brooke, what about that? What about the license?”

  Brooke huffed. “Well, technically we won’t be married until Monday. I can’t make it a surprise any other way. But, Grace said she would come with us and sign it there, so it’s all official.”

  Rachel saw the disappointment on Brooke’s face. Grace Madison was one of Tess’s closest friends, and she just happened to be a minister at the local Congregational church. “You got Grace in on it? Brooke, Tess will love it,” Rachel reassured her friend.

  “I hope so.”

  “I know so. No honeymoon?” Rachel inquired. Brooke’s mischievous grin made Rachel laugh. “Do tell.”

  “The kids have a half day on Friday. Next week is their vacation. Mom’s going to pick them up at school so Tess can go to the house. She and my dad are going to stay there with them next week.”

  “She and your dad? Wow. Brave woman.”

  Brooke laughed. “They are still good friends. You know that. I think my dad is kind of excited at the prospect of grandchildren now that he is retired. And, you know my mom. I half expect her to move closer. She loves Tess, and she loves the kids.”

  “I know. So, your mom knows your plans?”

  “Yeah, and Gary and Tess’s folks. I was going to tell you tomorrow.”

  “What about the kids?”

  “Telling them Saturday. I hope Davey’s tux fits,” Brooke sighed. “I had to guess. Anyway, hopefully, they can be quiet until Sunday morning,” Brooke commented. Rachel’s skepticism was obvious. “I know,” Brooke said. “But, if I promise them a Disney trip—maybe?”

  “Uh, good idea. Bribery usually works with kids. Does Tess know about this Disney idea of yours?”

  “Yeah, she does, actually. She has a week off in July, so we talked about it.”

  “Wow.”

  “Why is that surprising?” Brooke wondered.

  “It
’s just that I know that Tess doesn’t like to feel like you are footing the bill.”

  “I’m not. She did well with the house. Much better than either of us expected, actually,” Brooke explained. “And anyway, I want to do something as a family.”

  Rachel smiled. “Tell me what I can do to help,” she offered.

  “There is one thing,” Brooke said. She smiled sheepishly. “Look, I never thought I’d do this and if it were different, I would have asked you to stand up for me. I sort of have a different plan.”

  Rachel smiled. “Want to share?”

  “Yes, actually. And, that is the one thing you could help me with.”

  “Oh, now I really am curious.”

  ***

  “David!” Tess yelled upstairs.

  “Uh-oh, you’re in trouble,” Dani teased her brother.

  Davey scrunched up his nose and stuck his tongue out at his sister. “Yeah, Mom?” he yelled back.

  “Come down here, please,” Tess demanded sternly.

  “Told you,” Dani goaded him.

  “Shut up, Dani,” Davy snapped. Dani laughed and watched her brother stroll out of the room. “Should’ve done what she told you to do,” Dani muttered.

  Tess stood over a heap of clothes in the middle of the living room and groaned. She’d been trying to get the kids to get rid of some things. She had thought that her instructions had been clear.

  “Hey, Mom,” Davey greeted his mother happily.

  Tess lifted her eyes from the pile on the floor and she turned slowly until her eyes met those of her son. “Hey, Mom?” she asked her son with an expression that clearly showed her displeasure.

  “What’s up?” he asked her, trying to sound casual.

  Tess bit her lip to keep from losing her temper. She loved her children more than anything. They could, at times, make her want to scream. “What’s up?” she repeated his question with an insincere smile. Davey shrugged. Tess nodded. He was not going to make this easy for her. She turned back to the pile on the floor. “What is this?” she asked him.

  “What?”

  Tess took a deep breath. Why does he insist on pissing me off right now? “What?” she repeated the question back to her son. He shrugged again. Tess bent down and picked up a football jersey that Davey had outgrown. She held it up with two fingers for his inspection. “This does belong to you? Yes?” she asked knowingly. Davey nodded. “I see. And, why is it in the middle of the living room floor?”

  “You said to bring down my old stuff,” he replied.

  Tess licked her lips. “And you thought throwing them in the middle of the room is what I meant?”

  Davey shrugged. “I didn’t know where you wanted them,” he said.

  Tess nodded and smirked in irritation. She crossed the room to where several boxes had been laid out. She bent over again. This time, she picked up a pair of purple sneakers and held them up for Davey to see.

  “Those aren’t mine,” he told her.

  “No, I know. Yours are in the middle of the floor.”

  “You didn’t say where to put them,” he defended himself.

  Brooke came in the back door and started to make her way toward the sound of Davey and Tess’s voices. She wanted to see how Tess was making out with the last of the packing. Being on call, Brooke was never sure when she would be home. Tess had assumed most of the task of packing both the house and Brooke’s condo. Brooke had felt incredibly guilty, but she had agreed to be on call so that she could have the next week off. Tess continually reassured her that things were fine. That had been true up until today. Tess was stressed and Davey’s behavior was adding to Tess’s anxiety. Brooke stopped just shy of the living room when she heard the strain in Tess’s voice.

  Tess nodded again. She was struggling not to lose her temper. “Pick up your mess and put it where it belongs,” she instructed her son. Davey grumbled. “Is there a problem?” Tess asked him.

  “You didn’t say.”

  Brooke stepped into the room. Tess had her back to Brooke, but Davey caught sight of the doctor immediately. Brooke’s stony expression made him cast his eyes downward. “Everything okay?” Brooke asked Tess.

  Tess turned and breathed a small sigh of relief. She and Brooke had been like ships passing in the night the last two days. She smiled at her fiancé. “Apparently, I do not give clear enough direction,” Tess explained with a gesture to the pile of Davey’s clothing on the floor.

  “You didn’t say,” Davey mumbled.

  Brooke noticed the slight tremor in Tess’s hand. Tess did not become angry often, least of all with her children. If Tess was as close to losing her temper as Brooke suspected, Davey had to have pressed more than one of her buttons in the last two days.

  “Your sister didn’t seem to have an issue,” Tess replied as calmly as she could.

  “Whatever,” he mumbled.

  “Excuse me?” Tess asked him. “I think you had better rethink your attitude.”

  Brooke decided it was time to intervene. She moved to Tess’s side. “Why don’t you go take a rest for a few?” Brooke suggested. Tess hesitated. “I’ll take care of it,” Brooke promised. “You’ve been at this for days. Go on.”

  “Brooke, there’s….and you have…”

  Brooke smiled gently. “Go on,” she urged Tess. She could see the fatigue in Tess’s eyes.

  “He’s supposed to…”

  “I’m sure I can figure it out,” Brooke assured Tess. She kissed Tess on the cheek and then watched Tess head for the stairs. Brooke turned her attention to the young man a few feet away. “So? What gives, D.?” she asked him. Davey shrugged. He seemed to be shrugging a great deal lately she had noticed. “Davey?”

  Davey sighed and slumped a bit. “I was s’posed to put my stuff in a box.”

  “So? Why is it on the floor then?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Brooke sighed. She regarded Davey thoughtfully for a moment. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s put this where it belongs.”

  “You’re going to help me?”

  Brooke did not answer immediately. She helped Davey carry the pile of clothing to the box until it was gone. When Davey put the last couple of items in, Brooke turned to him. “Get Murphy,” she instructed him “And, get his leash.”

  “How come?”

  “We’re going to take him around the block.”

  “What if you have to leave?” Davey asked.

  “I have time. Let’s go.” Brooke only had to wait a few minutes for Davey to reappear. She followed him through the door.

  “Which way?” Davey asked.

  “Just up to the Culver’s and we’ll go around the block,” she told him. Brooke walked silently beside Davey for a few minutes before speaking. “What’s going on D.?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, why are you giving Mom such a hard time?”

  “I don’t know,” he said under his breath.

  “Well, why don’t you try and think about it for a minute,” Brooke suggested. Davey mumbled something. “What was that?” Brooke asked, trying to keep the bit of anger she felt out of her voice. Lately, Davey had been more rebellious than usual. Brooke wanted to know why.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Davey asked Brooke.

  “You know that you can.”

  “Why do you and Mom need to move?”

  “I thought that you liked the house,” Brooke commented.

  “I do,” Davey replied. “But, none of my friends are there.”

  Brooke nodded. She and Tess had been determined to find a house in the same school district. They had been outbid several times before they managed to achieve that goal. Nevertheless, the home they had chosen was a fair distance from Tess’s current house. Davey and Dani had lived most of their young lives here. They had friends across the street and around the block. A pool at the new house had been exciting and enticing, but it could not take the place of friends. Brooke understood that. She had moved from one coast
to the other at thirteen, leaving behind many friends. The transition had been difficult for her on many levels. Her parents had split and she suddenly had found herself in what felt like a foreign land at an awkward age. It was one of the reasons she had been as determined as Tess to keep Davey and Dani in the same school. Even positive change always came with some degree of apprehension.

  Dani had remained excited about the move. Brooke also understood that Davey was far more sensitive than his sister. He was a great deal like Tess. Brooke had bonded with him almost immediately. She loved both of Tess’s children equally, but she had a connection with Davey that sometimes still amazed her, much like she did with his mother.

  “You know that you can still invite your friends over, right?” Brooke told Davey.

  “Yeah, but they can’t just walk over,” he pointed out. “Like Greg.”

  Brooke smiled. Greg Culver was Davey’s best friend. He lived up the street. In fact, they were about to turn the corner at Greg’s house. “I know, D.”

  “What if he forgets about me?” Davey asked.

  “Well, I don’t think that will happen.”

  “What if it does?” Davey asked. “New kids are moving in.”

  Brooke sighed. The couple who had purchased Tess’s house had two young boys, one seven and one ten. “True. You will also have new friends when we move,” Brooke reminded him. One of Davey’s friends from school lived three houses down from their new home.

  “Yeah, but me and Mike only hang out in school.”

  “Because you don’t live close,” Brooke reminded him. “So, now you can hang out more.”

  “I guess.”

  “You know, your mom is trying really hard to make you happy, D. It hurts her feelings when you do things on purpose to upset her.”

  “I didn’t…”

  Brooke shook her head. “Yeah, you did.”

  “I’m sorry. I want to go,” he admitted. “But, I don’t want to leave.”

  Brooke chuckled. “I get it.”

  “You do?”

  “Sure, I do,” Brooke said. “It’s kind of scary making a big change.”

  “You’re not scared.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Brooke told him. “I’m a little scared.”

  “Why?”