by Tanya Agler
Brooke opened the door, and Emmie’s father, Jeremy, walked into the room. Emmie took the lead and left with him first. Then others filed out, leaving Brooke, Belinda and Colin behind.
“Don’t mind me.” Belinda marched toward her pie plate as if she were in formation. “I’m waiting for my husband to pick me up. He can rattle off statistics about the best times of day to fish or what the score of the game was five years ago, but he can never remember that I’m here, and instead, drives to Sweet Shelby’s Tea Room on autopilot. I hate that my optometrist restricted my driving for six months.” She reached in her purse, pulled out an eye patch and placed it over her left eye. “Stupid iritis.”
“Next time, wear it. The kids won’t be scared of a patch. If anything, they’ll think you’re a cool pirate tutor.” Brooke hustled toward the side table and stacked the plates. “Colin, could you bring me the spray bottle from underneath the sink?”
Colin handed it to her before he faced the older woman. “That pie was delicious, ma’am. Thank you. If you need anything else, say the word.”
A hearty laugh came from the direction of the doorway. A heavyset man in denim overalls paired with a burnt-orange plaid flannel shirt made his way into the room and picked up the oversize picnic basket as if it was a feather. “Belinda, I swear you have males of all ages falling at your feet for your pies.”
“You must be Belinda’s husband. I’m the new director of the center, Brooke Novak, and this is my son, Colin.” Brooke held out her hand, and the man switched the basket to his other hand and shook hers.
“I’m Mo, and I’ve been Belinda’s proud husband for the past forty-five years.” He stared long and hard at Colin. “I’ve seen you somewhere before. Do you do a lot of fishing?”
“No, sir.” Colin picked up the dirty towels. “I can’t say as I have.”
Belinda adjusted her patch. “Don’t mind my husband. He lives and breathes all things fishing. That and sudoku.”
Mo kept his gaze fixed on Colin, then removed his navy baseball cap and scratched his head. “I never forget a face. I know I’ve seen yours at my local bait shop and gas station.”
“Sorry, sir, but I’ve never been there before. I’m sure I will be in the future, though. I’m getting my license this month.”
Mo snapped his fingers. “I’ve seen your picture.” He gulped and sought out Belinda. “Ready to go, honey? I grabbed a copy of the weekly newspaper before I left the convenience store. Just came in, hot off the presses. It’s got the new sudoku and I want to get started after dinner.”
Belinda laughed. “I swear that’s why you won’t retire and come work with me at the tea shop. You like getting the paper a day earlier than everyone else way too much.”
Belinda and Mo hustled out with Mo still muttering about having seen Colin before. Brooke shook it off and faced Colin. “I hope you still have room for dinner after the pie.”
Colin straightened to his full height and appeared sheepish. “I’m a teenager. I’m always hungry.” Then a big grin came over him. “I can’t wait any longer. Mo practically ruined the surprise.” He went over to his backpack and brought out a newspaper. “The sports journalist of the paper delivered two copies to the coach. I was going to show you and Aunt Mitzi at dinner, but I’m the featured player of the week for the Hollydale Hornet basketball team.”
Brooke side-hugged Colin. “Way to go.”
She rifled through the pages looking for the article. She blinked back tears when she found it and his picture next to it. “I’m proud of you. So Hollydale suits you?”
“Hollydale suits me very well, thank you for asking.”
Footsteps heralded a new arrival.
Brooke looked toward the door, and Jonathan’s warm smile caught her off guard. Ever since their kiss and that slow dance at the bar, they hadn’t found time to talk about what had happened. For the rest of that night, she’d found herself wedged between Aunt Mitzi and Fabiana, who kept the conversation lively.
Her heart raced at the instant attraction zinging between her and Jonathan. Something about the warmth he shared with his daughters and Hollydale defrosted the cool exterior she’d built around herself, a guard against the blows of the world. She’d also chipped away at that wall, first by getting her GED, followed by ten years of hard work for her college degree and keeping a roof over her head and Colin’s. She was finally fulfilling her dreams.
Maybe it was time to move on from the scared girl she’d been so many years ago. Especially since this had the potential to become the most romantic relationship of her life. Slow dances and heady kisses with a relaxed guy didn’t come along every day.
Colin claimed the newspaper from her and scurried to the door. “I’m heading home and showing this to Aunt Mitzi since this doesn’t hit the stands until tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ve got Daisy covered tonight.”
She murmured her goodbye, but her gaze stayed on Jonathan, tall with shoulders that filled out that navy uniform. Even better, he respected the uniform and the duties that came with it. There was something about a person who followed through with his commitments that was especially sexy to her.
The fact that he was a great dancer only sealed the deal. Dancing, kissing and laughing. Was there nothing this man couldn’t do? Maybe that was one reason she found herself falling for him.
Forget falling. She already cared for this family man who had shared his concern about turning into his parents but was nothing like them. Devoted to his daughters, he spent quality time with them. Jonathan was a bit charming and a bit serious in a way that screamed trust.
And she did trust him. With her life and her heart.
If she let herself, she’d fall in love with him in a heartbeat. Maybe she already had fallen in love with him.
She strode across the room and brushed her lips against his, the familiar mix of soap and sandalwood quite intoxicating. “Hello.”
“Next time I’ll stay away longer.” He stepped aside and licked his lips. “Mmm. You taste like pie.”
It was her turn to retreat. “Is that all you have to say?”
He closed the distance between them once more and silenced her with another kiss, this one deeper, sweeter, a moment that could spark a lifetime. Breaking away, she realized an invisible bond already existed between them. “I know what you’ve put on the line since you’re still at the start of your six-month trial period. A public display with a police officer in uniform, no less. You’re telling the world you’re serious. The only thing is, you’re not alone.”
The magnitude of their potential sank in, and she leaned against her desk. “I think that dance pushed us past the point of no return in terms of letting the world know.”
“You dance even better than you kiss. But business first, then pleasure.”
So, she’d been a part of his thoughts as much as he’d been a part of hers. That hadn’t been the only thing on her mind, not with Colin’s phone call still between them. That ended now. Honesty and communication were integral parts of any relationship. “As an officer, how do you separate what’s important from something trivial?”
“Brooke, what’s going on between us isn’t trivial. I know it’s hard to believe that a catch like me wasn’t snatched up.” He grinned, but then his face became more serious. “All kidding aside, the hardest moment of my life came when I realized Anne was in that car. For a long time, I kicked myself. What if I’d seen the driver sooner? What if I’d arrived at the scene quicker? Maybe that was the reason I’ve held myself back. Maybe not. Maybe it has to do with the right person coming into my life, a person who has a tough exterior with the heart of a lion and a kind, compassionate soul. Someone I very much want to kiss again and again.”
She’d seen his calm steadiness as a police officer and his caring wit as a dad, but this romantic side? Her heart melted, and love poured in.
Over the past couple
of weeks, she’d fallen in love with everything about Jonathan Maxwell.
She’d best set him to rights about the secret call. “I wasn’t talking about work.”
His shoulders relaxed, and the biggest grin came over his face. “That’s a relief. I’m glad we can be open with each other and talk about something other than work. I’m not going to lie. Before now, I was convinced I was becoming my parents. Workaholics for a good cause.”
This wasn’t going the way she had planned. Still, it would be even better. Getting everything into the open would make their next kiss all the sweeter. “This investigation—”
“Has taken a new turn. That’s why I’m here.”
Perhaps he’d already apprehended whoever had called Colin. That would save her the trouble of explaining why it had taken her so long to speak up. She settled into a chair and motioned for him to do the same. “What happened?”
He sat next to her. “Another license has come to light, so I’d like your permission to try a couple of new strategies. Tomorrow, I’m joining your gym so I’ll have an excuse to be here undercover in the mornings. I’m also increasing patrols at night over the next few weeks, both here and at some local convenient stores. Have you heard back from the security companies? If they install outdoor cameras, I could then review the feed to maybe get a line on the suspect, if that’s okay with you.”
Her mouth went dry. After the police apprehended the suspect, she’d have to explain to Mr. Whitley why she hadn’t confided in him. Her future hinged on the chief benefactor and chairperson of the board understanding the promise she’d made to Jonathan. “So you’ll be here even more often?”
“Yep.” He grinned.
“I’m interviewing one security company tomorrow.” She rose and crossed to the door. “Can you show me the best position for outdoor cameras?”
They walked out to the parking lot, where only a few cars remained. Something gnawed at her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It must be guilt.
“I’m thinking here and over there.” He pointed to the most distant part of the lot, where her car occupied the last spot.
I grabbed a copy of the weekly newspaper... Just came in... I want to get started after dinner. Mo’s words echoed in her mind, and she turned to Jonathan, folding her arms to ward off the chill that had nothing to do with the gray overcast evening and falling temperatures. “How did Mo see Colin’s picture in the paper if he hadn’t opened it yet?”
“What?” Jonathan shrugged and walked over to her. “I thought we were discussing the best angles for the cameras.”
Brooke blinked and tried to remember what Jonathan had told her about the case. “When you came here looking for the laminator, you talked about an underage teen who tried to buy cigarettes at a convenience store with a fake ID. Was it Mo’s Gas and Bait Stop?”
He came over and laid his hand on her arm. “You’re shivering. Why don’t we go inside so you can get warm?”
“Don’t change the subject.” She repeated her question, and his protracted silence provided the answer. “Mo had seen Colin’s picture.”
Chills having nothing to do with cold weather and everything to do with Jonathan, or rather, Officer Maxwell, wracked her body. “Brooke...”
Only Jonathan had ever said her name with such intensity that caused her veins to hum. She couldn’t catch her breath, and she wrenched her arm free from his grasp. “Without asking me or Colin if he’d ever been to Mo’s Gas and Bait Stop, you showed the man a picture of my son, didn’t you? Where did you even get his photo?”
Ike’s Pumpkin Patch.
She backed away from Jonathan, not wanting to look at those warm hazel eyes that had, at one time, assessed her son and found him lacking a conscience. “It was the photo you took at the pumpkin patch, wasn’t it? And the only reason you’d show it to Mo is if you believed Colin was a criminal.”
“I have to protect the community.”
“I have to protect my son.”
A few minutes ago, she’d fought with herself about whether to tell Jonathan about a phone call Colin didn’t instigate, one that could sound incriminating to someone who didn’t believe Colin was a good kid. She wouldn’t subject her son to the same glares and stares she’d endured when others judged her and found her wanting.
If Jonathan didn’t believe in Colin, how could he believe in her, the woman who raised Colin? How could trust sustain a relationship when there was no trust? The one man who had seemed perfect for her was, in fact, not.
“I’d have done the same thing if I thought Izzy or Vanessa committed a crime.” The catch in his voice left her little doubt he told the truth, but that didn’t provide comfort.
It only provided her an excuse to stop the madness she experienced every time he entered the room, feelings that ended now before she got hurt. Except that it was too late. This hurt was raw and complete and consuming.
“That may be the case, but Colin is my responsibility, as is this community center. Have your person install the cameras tonight, and text me with updates.”
The second she turned, Joe and Betty left the building, and she hurried over before they locked her out and her keys inside.
The cold nip in the air froze the tears to her cheeks. At least she didn’t have to wipe them away.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
BROOKE WAITED FOR Aunt Mitzi in front of Odalie’s Closet and thrummed her fingers against her thigh. She only had forty-five minutes remaining of her lunch break to try on the contenders for the bridesmaids’ dresses her aunt had chosen for her, Ashleigh and Lucie.
Her aunt ran up and hugged her. “I know, I know. You’re in a hurry. Odalie’s waiting for us, but Lucie had something come up, and Ashleigh’s in school. That’s okay, though, we’ll have some time together until they arrive.”
Aunt Mitzi shuttled her inside, where Odalie greeted them and then disappeared to retrieve three dresses for Brooke’s inspection.
“You, Ashleigh and Lucie have such distinct personalities, it was difficult to narrow my choices. Then I said to heck with it. Y’all are different, and let’s celebrate that.” Aunt Mitzi went on, but Brooke only half listened.
Aunt Mitzi touched Brooke’s arm and, without thinking, Brooke recited the last two sentences she’d heard. “See? I was paying attention.”
“Honey, when are you going to admit you’re plain miserable and kiss and make up with MCG?”
Mysterious Cute Guy. The cute guy part fitted Jonathan to a T. Mysterious? Not so much as everything about him was open and warm and funny and charming. Everything except his distrust of her son.
Brooke sighed and then reclined in the overstuffed chair in Odalie’s bridal parlor area. “Betty broke it to me. The Mimosas know it’s Jonathan.”
“I already knew that.” Mitzi waved her hand across her chest. “I wanted to hear you say it. What do you think? Is Jonathan cute? Is he the right person to be by your side?”
Brooke shifted under the uncomfortable gaze of her aunt. What if Brooke agreed? It wasn’t like she was going to let herself get involved with someone who would think the worst of her and her family.
“Yes, he is, but anything between us was like caramel, warm and gooey at first but rotten for the teeth afterward.”
“Whoa there, honey. Those are pretty powerful feelings.” Aunt Mitzi leaned forward in her chair. “Whatever happened between you two, you need to talk to him. Does this have to do with your mamma, God rest her soul?”
“My mother has nothing to do with this, although he knows about her.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Mitzi shook her head. “I know it’s your nature to guard your feelings, but it’s okay to talk about them.”
Brooke looked at her aunt, who’d always been more like a surrogate mom to Brooke. “I envy how you’re always so free and receptive. It’s hard for me to know who to trust. Wh
en I was pregnant, even my best friend’s mother banned her from talking to me.”
Mitzi squeezed Brooke’s hand, her eyes full of love. “You’ll always have me.”
Brooke shifted in the chair. “We’re here to celebrate your wedding, and that reminds me. I need to contact a Realtor and find a rental for Colin and me.”
“Why don’t you stay in my house? I’m moving to Owen’s, and you and Colin can stay put.”
“As long as we make it official and you let me pay you rent and utilities.” That was one weight off her shoulders at least. “As far as Jonathan and me...”
“What about Jonathan? Is he different than what’s on the surface?”
Unlike her, he was exactly who he was on the surface, a caring father, an observant officer, a smooth dancer. Every time she was around him, her heart beat a little faster, and she was a little happier. “He’s up-front and honest.”
“Sounds good to me. What’s the problem?”
“It’s not that simple.”
Aunt Mitzi let out a chuckle. “Oh, darlin’. You might be more mysterious and guarded than Jonathan, but your face is saying plenty. Honest and cute guys don’t come along every day.”
“Okay, he’s cute.” More than cute. He smoldered, and his shoulders were as strong as his heart.
“Then why haven’t you talked to him?”
“He doesn’t trust me.”
Their gazes met, and Brooke knew exactly from which side of the family she’d inherited her stubbornness. Odalie stepped into the room with a tray holding two glasses of bubbly. She glanced at Mitzi, then Brooke, then Mitzi again. “I’ll leave the champagne on the table and let you two settle whatever’s going on.” She backed away and then smiled at Brooke. “The dresses aren’t that awful, I promise.”