Best Practice (Special Delivery Book 5)

by J. A. Armstrong

  “Mike got a call from his mom. His dad took a turn last night.”

  Brooke sighed. Rachel’s father-in-law had suffered a stroke two weeks earlier. It was one of the things that had increased Brooke’s absences from home. Brooke was slated to have the next two days off. She had been looking forward to that time with Tess.

  “Whatever you need,” Brooke said. “You know that. Do you need me to cover?”

  Rachel shook her head. “No, Donna is taking over my on-call hours. I think we’re covered here.”

  “What do you need?”

  “Mike’s flying out this evening. I’d like to join him tomorrow.”

  “Okay?”

  “I don’t want to take Eli,” Rachel explained. “Devon won’t understand; he’s too small. Eli’s old enough to pick up on all the stress. I have a feeling there will be long hours at the hospital, and I’m not sure how it’s going to…”

  “Eli is welcome to stay with us,” Brooke said.

  “Brooke, it will be longer than two days.”

  Brooke smiled. “Tess will be fine, Rach. She’d kill me if I let you think otherwise. Let me know when your flight is. One of us can take you.”

  “No, I’m going to leave my car at the airport.”

  “Indefinitely? Rach, Logan is not cheap. Don’t be silly. Tess or I will take you. If not, I’m sure Mom or dad will. You have enough to deal with.”

  “So do you,” Rachel said regretfully. “I hate imposing.”

  “You’re not. You’re family. Stop worrying about me and Tess.”

  “I know, but, Brooke… It could be a longer than this week. You know as well as I do that these things can go in any direction at any moment.”

  “And?”

  “You have most of next week off. Aren’t Tess’s parents still coming?”

  “Rachel,” Brooke addressed her friend thoughtfully. “Stop. It doesn’t matter who is coming. Eli is welcome as long as you need him to stay—a week or two—whatever. Just relax. He’ll be fine.”

  Rachel smiled. “It’s not Eli I’m worried about.” Rachel’s son, Eli adored Brooke and Tess. Brooke had been a part of his life since the moment he was born. Tess was naturally nurturing, and the twins had become the bonus in the package for her son. Eli loved to be around older children, and he thrived when he had a chance to spend time with Dani and Davey.

  “Actually, I think it might be perfect timing for us to have Eli stay,” Brooke offered.

  Rachel narrowed her gaze.

  Brooke sighed. “Lately, Ethan has been attached to D like a fungus.” She laughed. “I know that sounds awful, but it’s true. I swear the moment he hears Davey’s voice everyone else disappears.”

  “Is that getting on Davey’s nerves?” Rachel wondered.

  “No,” Brooke answered. “D loves it. Everything D does, Ethan seems to find funny. The problem is that Dani isn’t amused.”

  “Oh. Jealousy, huh?”

  “It’s a phase, I think. It’s not like Ethan doesn’t love Dani’s attention. He just seems drawn to D right now. Maybe having Ethan around will help change the dynamic a little.”

  “What about Tess? A baby and a four-year-old all day long?”

  Brooke chuckled. “She raised the twins,” she reminded Rachel. “Somehow, I think she can handle Ethan and Eli.”

  “Will you promise me that if it gets to be too much…”

  “Rachel, stop. Come on, how many times have you bailed Tess and I out?”

  “That’s been for a few hours or a night.”

  “Add them together,” Brooke said. “Trust me; it will be okay. Would you feel better if I called Tess now?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I can call her…”

  Brooke was already waiting for Tess to pick up.

  “Hey,” Tess greeted Brooke. “Running late?”

  “No, actually, I was just getting ready to head home.”

  “Everything okay?” Tess inquired.

  “With me? Yes. Rachel’s here.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Mike’s dad took a bad turn.”

  “Oh, shit; I’m sorry.”

  “Me too. He’s flying there today. Rach is hoping to leave tomorrow. She’s not sure what they are walking into.”

  Tess surmised the situation immediately. “She can leave the kids with us if she needs to.”

  Brooke smiled at Rachel as she replied to Tess. “That’s what I told her. She’s planning on taking Devon, but you know how it can be, and a four-year-old…”

  “Put her on the phone.”

  Brooke snickered and looked across the room at Rachel. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Rachel took the phone. “Hi, Tess.”

  “Hi, Tess?” Tess sighed. “Rach,” she continued. “Don’t worry about Eli.”

  “I’m not worried about Eli…”

  “Don’t worry about me either,” Tess interrupted her friend.

  “You already have a ton on your plate,” Rachel observed. “You don’t need the added stress.”

  “Eli’s not a stress. Don’t worry about us, and don’t worry about Eli. Do what you need to,” Tess said. “What about Devon?”

  “Devon’s too young to grasp anything going on. Besides, I think having him around might brighten Mike’s mom’s spirits.”

  “Listen, if it gets to be too much, you call us,” Tess said.

  “Tess, you do not need five kids under your roof.”

  Tess laughed. “Because I don’t have four already?”

  Rachel chuckled, understanding Tess’s implication that at times Brooke served as her fourth child. “Point taken. That goes both ways, though. If it gets to be too much for you, I want you to call us.”

  “I will,” Tess promised. “But it won’t.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give you back to Brooke.”

  “It’s okay,” Tess said. “Just tell her I’ll see her when she gets home.”

  “Will do.” Rachel handed Brooke the phone back.

  “I told you so,” Brooke said.

  “You heard what I just said; if it gets too stressful with Eli there, you call me,” Rachel said.

  “We will,” Brooke said. “But it won’t.”

  Rachel laughed.

  “What?” Brooke asked.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  “Listen, why don’t I come pick up Eli tomorrow morning?” Brooke suggested. “Then you don’t have to worry about that.”

  “Brooke…”

  “Unless you get an early flight,” Brooke continued. “If you do, I can come pick him up tonight.”

  “I thought you and Tess were having a date weekend?”

  “We are,” Brooke said. “At home with Ethan.”

  Rachel groaned. She hated asking Brooke for this favor even if she knew that Brooke and Tess would be happy to oblige the request. She’d detected Brooke’s excitement earlier that week about some alone time with Tess. It was easy for Rachel to relate to. With two children demanding attention, two careers to manage, a house to care for, and all the other realities that life had to offer Rachel had been finding it challenging to find the right balance. She imagined that the same held true for her best friend. It was easy to become lost in the everyday chaos of life and lose sight of the time you needed as a couple, particularly when children were involved.

  “Rachel,” Brooke softened her tone. “Please stop worrying. One day, we’ll need a similar favor, and God help you when that happens.”

  Rachel nodded. “I’ll bring Eli over tomorrow on my way to the airport.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I’ll make this up to you.”

  Brooke laughed. “There’s nothing to make up for,” she assured her best friend. She watched as Rachel left her office. Aw, Rach, hang in there. This could be interesting.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Hey,” Brooke poked her head into Ethan’s room.

  “Hey yourself,” Tess replied.

  “What are you tw
o up to?”

  “Oh, we were just discussing how Ethan takes after you.”

  “Really?” Brooke brightened.

  Tess finished dressing their son and turned to Brooke with a grin. “Yes. I knew there was some kind of green genetic factor in your family. I didn’t think it meant poop too.”

  Brooke laughed. “He likes those beans.”

  “Umm. Maybe we could try some more bananas and squash.”

  “Oh, don’t worry; pretty soon, he’ll be eating pepperoni pizza with the kids.”

  “Bite your tongue,” Tess replied.

  Brooke kissed Tess on the cheek. “Speaking of,” Brooke said. “Did you want to order dinner in tonight?”

  “No,” Tess said.

  “You want to cook? This is supposed to be a mini-vacation.”

  Tess smiled. “I already made the lasagna. I just have to put it in the oven.”

  “You made my lasagna?”

  “As I recall, your lasagna has distinct benefits for me.”

  Brooke’s eyes twinkled. She loved Tess’s lasagna. She and Tess had made a wager on Ethan’s gender when Brooke was pregnant. Brooke had proposed that if she won, she would get Tess’s lasagna every Friday. Tess’s counteroffer was that she would get to go away once a month with Brooke—alone. Brooke lost the bet. Here they were, a weekend without work and without twins, and Tess was content to stay home and make Brooke’s favorite food.

  “Oh, I see. So, you do have an ulterior motive,” Brooke teased.

  Tess leaned in and kissed Brooke tenderly. “Hopefully, it’s mutually beneficial,” she whispered. Brooke’s eyes remained closed when Tess pulled away. Tess smiled. “Why don’t you go take a shower and get changed?” Tess suggested. “I’ll get the little green monster fed, and get your lasagna in the oven so we can get to the alone part of this evening.”

  Brooke sighed contentedly. “Are you sure you don’t want Mom to take Ethan?” she asked.

  Tess smiled. She was sure. Ethan was an easy-going baby. She was sure that Brooke had missed Ethan. The twins were busy with friends and activities. Ethan was still dependent. One thing Tess did know, their youngest would likely find his independent streak sooner rather than later. “I’m positive, love.” She patted Brooke’s arm, jostled Ethan onto her hip and headed out of the room. “Take your time,” she called back to Brooke.

  Brooke inhaled a deep breath and released it gratefully. She stretched and headed to their bedroom. She was grateful for Tess’s understanding, and she was positive that Tess knew how much Brooke had missed the family. It’s not that Brooke was unaccustomed to long work weeks; she was. Ethan was changing so fast that at times, it took Brooke’s breath away. She sometimes would return home after a long day and find him making a new sound, fascinated by a new toy, or that he had a new expression he was making. She shed her clothes and sighed. She missed the twins too. Both Dani and Davey had numerous friends and activities they were engaged in. It seemed to her that with each passing month, the twins sought her attention less. That was as it should be. Brooke knew that. She couldn’t help but miss them. She’d already missed so much of their lives. It made her more determined to miss as little as possible with Ethan. Most of all, Brooke had missed her wife.

  Brooke stepped into the shower and groaned as the water began to massage her aching muscles. She chuckled, wondering how Tess must feel at the end of most days. Tess would say that Brooke worked harder than anyone she knew. Brooke laughed at the thought. Tess carried around a baby half the day, cleaned a house, chased after two pre-teens, cooked, helped with homework, and even paid their bills.

  I’d be a zombie.

  A tinge of guilt rose within her. Tess. Maybe she should have insisted on a night away. She was sure that Tess could use the break. Soon. She stepped out of the shower and went in search of her favorite pair of sweats and a T-shirt.

  Oh, that’ll get her excited. Why don’t you just wear a pair of scrubs, Campbell?

  She shrugged. If she appeared in the kitchen in a negligee while Tess fed Ethan, Tess might just have her committed or worse blame her “nuclear Gatorade” as the culprit and cut her off completely.

  She wouldn’t.

  Brooke shook off the thought and slid the T-shirt over her head. Oh well, hopefully, you won’t have them on that long anyway.

  ***

  Tess let her fingers run through Brooke’s hair. Brooke had fallen asleep with her head in Tess’s lap halfway through the movie they’d chosen. Tess had been content to click off the television and rest her eyes while Brooke slept. She hated the idea of rousing her wife, but Tess’s back was beginning to ache from the position she’d been pinned in. She stretched slightly, and Brooke grumbled. Tess giggled. She soothed Brooke with her touch and whispered. “Come on, love; let’s get you to bed.”

  Brooke groaned and pried her eyes open. She sighed. Tess was smiling at her lovingly. “I’m sorry,” Brooke apologized. She squinted to bring the room into focus and realized the television was off. “How long was I out?”

  Tess smiled. “About three hours.”

  “What?” Brooke snapped to attention. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  “You were exhausted,” Tess replied. “It’s just a movie, love.”

  Brooke’s head fell back into Tess’s lap with a soft thud, and she covered her face. “I suck.”

  Tess chuckled. Brooke’s reaction didn’t surprise her. “Brooke.” Tess peeled Brooke’s hands from her face. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m tired too.”

  Brooke mumbled something.

  “Brooke, stop. Come on; let’s go to bed.”

  Brooke reluctantly got to her feet. “I’ll make this up to you.”

  “Make what up to me?” Tess was confused.

  “This was supposed to be a romantic weekend for us.”

  “The weekend’s not over, love.” Tess held out her hand. “Play your cards right, and we’ll choose a different kind of movie tomorrow,” she whispered in Brooke’s ear.

  Brooke swallowed the lump in her throat. How does she do that?

  Tess understood where Brooke’s thoughts had traveled. She delighted in her ability to surprise Brooke without warning, and to seduce Brooke with little more than a few simple words. She took Brooke’s hand. “You okay?”

  Brooke looked at Tess. She suddenly felt remarkably refreshed.

  Tess recognized the sparkle in Brooke’s eyes. Might have gotten more than you bargained for this time, Tess. She moved her hand to the back of Brooke’s neck and pulled Brooke down for a heated kiss.

  “Tess,” Brooke moaned when Tess’s tongue trailed down her neck. It was her undoing. She gently pushed Tess back on the couch.

  “What are you doing?” Tess teased.

  Brooke made no reply, at least, not verbally. She fell to her knees in front of Tess and captured Tess’s lips again. Her heart raced as Tess gave into the kiss. Tess’s hands held Brooke’s face as the kiss continued to deepen with mounting urgency. Brooke couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so desperate to touch her wife. Something was thrilling to her about the idea of making love to Tess here. While their lovemaking was often less than reserved, their need to keep their affection behind closed doors was a reality. Two eleven-year-olds prevented impromptu lovemaking sessions on the sofa or in the kitchen. Brooke’s head began to spin at the thought. She and Tess had seldom been alone in their home. Her mind wandered through their years together, and she realized that since they had moved into their new house, she’d never made love to Tess in this room.

  Tess sensed Brooke’s thoughts roaming in time with the movement of her hands. She reached down and stilled their movement, directing Brooke to look at her. “What are you thinking?”

  Brooke felt the heat of desire flush her face. More than a few times, she and Tess had lost interest in a movie or show and found greater interest in exploring each other. Almost without exception, they would take a deep breath, gather themselves and head upstairs to the privacy of
their bedroom before continuing. They’d never had a life together without children present—curious ears and impressionable eyes to consider. She licked her lips feeling a pulse of excitement travel through her, suddenly glad that they had decided to stay home. She let go of Tess’s hands and reached out to tenderly caress Tess’s breasts through her shirt.

  Tess’s eyelids fluttered and closed. “Brooke,” she breathed the name. “Don’t you want to go upstairs?”

  Brooke seized Tess’s lips with hers. She lifted Tess’s shirt and swiftly removed it. “No.”

  Tess’s heart began to pound furiously. Brooke’s voice was low and seductive—its tone determined and powerful. It made Tess shiver. Brooke often took the lead in their intimate dance, but Brooke was seldom commanding. She tended to be yielding. It was a dynamic that Tess was certain would surprise most people. A fire burned in Brooke’s eyes now; one that Tess recognized as lust. She found it intoxicating. She watched, riveted as Brooke’s eyes held hers—Brooke’s hands glided up her back and released her bra. She felt her breath hitch and her skin tingle when Brooke’s palms grazed gently over her nipples. Brooke’s gaze held her in place. Tess opened her mouth, ready to speak but no words came. Brooke’s mouth dropped over Tess’s breasts, holding them together so that she could tease both of Tess’s nipples with her tongue.

  “Oh, my God,” Tess moaned.

  Brooke hummed pleasantly, no audible words; only the soft sounds of pleasure and anticipation falling from her lips as she teased Tess relentlessly. She felt Tess’s hands weave themselves in her hair. Brooke looked up just as Tess threw her head back against the couch. She continued her exploration of Tess’s body letting her fingertips replace the softness of her tongue. Her tongue tasted lower, down Tess’s stomach until Brooke reached the top of Tess’s jeans.

  Tess opened her eyes and found Brooke looking up at her. She moved to pull Brooke to her, but Brooke resisted.

  Brooke silently moved and straddled Tess’s hips. She placed Tess’s hands over her head. “Not tonight,” she told Tess directly.

  Tess’s heart skipped several beats. “Brooke…”

  Brooke placed two fingers to Tess’s lips to quiet her protests. She removed them slowly, taking the opportunity to kiss Tess deeply but tenderly. Brooke’s kiss meandered to Tess’s neck, and she whispered in Tess’s ear. “I want to make love to you.”