~
By the time Brooke finished her meal, she was absolutely stuffed. It was getting on towards evening and her ribs were aching from all the moving around. She sat and listened to everyone else visit, her mind wandering. It was hard to see the others move forward in a way. There was Joel and Anna, happily married and going home together tonight. Now Chess had his biological brother back in his life with a niece as icing on the cake.
Where was she? Feeling a bit like the third wheel when it came to either party. She realized it was mostly her problem, and she was certain none of the others felt the same way. But it was still difficult to shake.
A wave of loneliness flowed through her. She was relieved when Joel and Anna said they were about ready to leave. Brooke had caught a ride with them and welcomed the excuse to go home as well.
She shifted positions, holding back a grimace when her ribs protested. “It was wonderful to meet you, Nathan.” She reached over and gently held Mia’s hand. “And you, too, little miss. I look forward to seeing you both again.”
She turned and went in search of her bag. Brooke had closed the front door behind her and began to follow her friends when the door opened again, and Chess jogged down the steps to meet her.
“You don’t have to leave, Brooke. Come back inside and stick around for a while. I can take you home later.”
She was shaking her head before he was done. “I don’t think so. You guys should have some time to visit by yourselves. You finally found your brother. I’m happy for you.” She truly was, but her emotions were waging a war inside her. It was silly, but she was feeling more than a little sorry for herself. She glanced back at Joel and Anna who were already seated in the car waiting for her. “You’ve got to stop following me out to my car.” She meant it as a joke, but it fell flat. “I’m going to go home and relax. Besides, my side’s bothering me tonight. Go and get to know your real family.”
Chess’s expression hardened, and he gave her one of his exasperated glares. “I know what you’re thinking, Brooke. You are my family.” He paused at his own words and shoved his hands into his pockets. “You, Joel, and Anna and you know it. Nathan and Mia would be an addition to that. Don’t make me feel guilty because I found my biological brother.”
Brooke’s shoulders fell, and she closed her eyes slowly before opening them and taking in the wounded expression on his face. “You’re right. That wasn’t fair.” She wanted to leave it at that and escape to the car. But he was watching her in a way that always somehow coaxed her thoughts out of her head. Sometimes it was completely annoying. “I’m grumpy and I’m hurting. But that was no excuse. I’m sorry.” Ants had built up some red dirt in a crack in the driveway, and Brooke ran the toe of her shoe along the trail.
Chess moved closer, his shoes inches from hers. “Tell me what’s actually going on.”
He was close enough for her to catch a whiff of his aftershave. “I guess I’m unsure of where I fit in the whole grand scheme of things. Joel has Anna. You have Nathan and Mia. Everyone’s changing. But where am I? In the same place I’ve been since I was nineteen. I realize it’s childish, but I can’t help but feel that way.” Her confession resulted in warmth climbing her neck and flooding her cheeks.
“You still have Joel.” Chess’s gaze bore into her. “You have me. That will never change.”
“Let’s face it, Chess. You can’t be sure of that.”
To her surprise, he gently put his hands on her shoulders and bent until they were face to face. “I’m sure because I won’t let it change.”
His words were low and a little husky. They sent a shiver down Brooke’s spine, bringing goosebumps to her arms. What she desperately wanted was for Chess to pull her into a hug. She wanted to listen to the beat of his heart, feel his chest rise and fall with each breath, and have his protective arms holding her close. That’s what I want, God. Preferably forever. Is that too much to ask?
As if he’d heard her thoughts, Chess took a small step back. He searched her face for several moments before he broke eye contact. He cleared his throat. “I should probably get back in there.”
Brooke nodded.
“I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
She bobbed her head again and watched as he hesitated and then went back inside. The air whooshed out of her lungs. Her legs wobbled as she walked the rest of the way to the car.
“Are you okay?” Joel examined her in the rearview mirror.
“Not really.” It didn’t matter how hard she fought the sting of tears, one still escaped. She brushed it away. “Why does this have to be so hard?”
Anna got out of the car and moved to the back seat where she could reach over and give Brooke a hug. “I don’t know. I’m sorry you’re hurting right now.”
Joel started the engine and drove to Brooke’s apartment building. They parked, but no one moved to get out.
Brooke sniffed and groaned. “I’m tired of crying and trying to act like everything’s okay. It feels like every time Chess and I make progress, something happens and we take two steps back again.” She rested her head on the back of the seat and closed her eyes. “With everything that’s happened, maybe we’re destined to drift apart. What if it’s better that way.”
Joel shifted. When she opened her eyes, he was looking back at them, an arm hooked over the top of the driver’s seat. “Chess is stubborn. He gets too caught up in thinking he has to protect everyone, sometimes to the extreme.”
“You think?”
Joel tapped her knee to get her attention. “He’s got a lot on his plate right now. He needs to sort through everything with Nathan. And how he feels about you.”
“He’s made how he feels perfectly clear, Joel. That’s the problem.” Brooke let her head fall back and closed her eyes. “I’m in love with someone who doesn’t feel even a hint of the same for me.” She didn’t miss the look that passed between husband and wife. “What?”
Anna gently nudged Brooke’s right arm. “I think he loves you, and he’s not ready to admit it to himself.”
Brooke had a real hard time believing that. “Well, he sure has a messed-up way of showing it.”
Joel frowned. “Don’t give up on him. A lot is shifting for Chess right now. Sometimes we’re unwilling to see things differently until we’re no longer comfortable in our lives.”
“Did I tell you I had the opportunity to share a little about our faith with him last week?” As Brooke relayed the conversation, the pain in her heart ebbed a little. When she was done, Joel and Anna both appeared hopeful.
“It’s more than we’ve been able to do since we’ve known him,” Joel said with a smile.
Anna nodded. “Then we keep praying for him.”
They all talked a little longer and by the time Brooke entered her apartment, she was feeling better. She took some medication, re-bandaged her cut, and went to bed. She fell asleep easily and dreamed about cooking with Mama.
Chapter Fourteen
Sunday evening, Chess’s mind continuously traveled back to the conversation he had with Brooke after the barbecue the day before. She’d looked lonesome and it’d taken every ounce of his strength to let her go.
When there was space between them, he knew keeping an emotional distance was the right thing. In the end, Brooke would realize that, too. Because one day, she’d meet a guy who could give her everything she wanted from the white picket fence to the house full of kids.
But in those moments when he was close enough to inhale her fragrance or touch her, a part of him wanted to do whatever it took to make things work between them. The thought of anyone else holding her was something he couldn’t even entertain. It seemed, no matter what he did, his heart was in constant conflict with his head.
He’d promised Brooke he would check on her today and it was getting late. Steeling himself and putting his emotions aside, he closed his bedroom door and called her.
“Hey, Chess.”
“Hey yourself. Is your side feeling better than
it was last night?”
Brooke moved something around in the background. “A little. How are you guys? Are Nathan and Mia settling in okay?”
“Yeah, they seem to be fine. I’m not sure what we’ll do tomorrow, but I thought I’d take them to check out the Dallas area for a while.” He paused. “We’d talked last week about my picking you up and taking you to get groceries on Tuesday. I’d still like to help if you’ll let me.” There was no sound on the other side of the connection and Chess checked to make sure the call hadn’t been severed. “Brooke?”
“Things are getting pretty thin around here. I’d appreciate your help.”
“Good. I’ll come by and pick you up at ten in the morning if that works.”
“Sounds great.” She was silent again for a few moments. “Hey, Chess? I’m glad you are reunited with Nathan. You’re a good brother, and he’s lucky to have you.”
Chess sat on the edge of his bed and let himself fall backward across the mattress. “I don’t know about that, but I appreciate it. Sleep well. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Okay. Bye, Chess.”
“Good night, Brooke.”
He hung up and stared at the ceiling. Hearing Brooke’s words, combined with the fact that Nathan didn’t seem to hate him for not being there when he grew up, made his heart lighter than it had been in a long time.
The next morning, Chess awoke to his alarm clock like he normally did. Even in September, it was still dark at five. It wasn’t until he’d stood and stretched that he remembered he didn’t have to drive in to work. It’d been a while since he’d taken such a long vacation. He decided it was way overdue.
He could go back to sleep, but there was no way that would happen now. He listened for any indication someone else was awake in the house and didn’t hear a peep.
Chess took a shower, went through his e-mail, and then made his way to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of orange juice. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose at the strange combination of tastes between the juice and the toothpaste he’d used. Nathan walked into the room just as Chess got himself a bowl of cereal. Chess raised a spoon in greeting. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Nathan grabbed another bowl and joined him.
“I hope you guys are comfortable in there. If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”
“We’re good. Mia slept straight through the night, which she doesn’t always do at home, if that tells you something.”
Nathan had brought in a portable crib to set up in Brooke’s old room where they were staying.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
They ate in silence for a while before Nathan set his spoon in his bowl, his expression serious. “I have a confession to make.”
Chess paused mid-bite. His little brother certainly had his undivided attention. “Oh?” He tried for nonchalant and had no idea if he was succeeding.
“I’d like to move up here. Outside my job, I have nothing waiting for me back in Miami. I even spoke to my instructor about it and got recommendations for two Brazilian jiu-jitsu academies in the Fort Worth area where I could apply for work.” Nathan sat up straighter. “I wanted to come up here and meet you first, see how you felt about the possibility. Truthfully, I have everything packed and a moving company scheduled to bring my stuff a week from today unless I call them tomorrow evening and cancel.”
Chess’s eyes widened. He still didn’t know Nathan well, but the idea of having his brother and niece living nearby held a lot of appeal. It had to have taken a lot of courage to fly all the way up here hoping things worked out the way Nathan had planned.
He nodded slowly. “I was hoping I could take you and Mia into the Dallas/Fort Worth area and introduce you to the city. We can scope out those academies and see what kinds of apartments or houses there are for you to rent.”
Nathan’s face transformed into a bright smile. “Does that mean you have no objections to my relocating here?”
“None. I’ll be glad to have you nearby, little brother.”
~
Brooke held her grocery list in her left hand as she marked another item off. At least she was being useful since Chess insisted on pushing the basket and gathering almost everything off the shelves. It was sweet, though. It took little for her ribs to cause her pain, and she was grateful for the help. She glanced over at Chess when he tossed a box of cereal into the shopping basket and looked at her expectantly. “What’s next?”
Still, it would’ve been less awkward if she could’ve gone shopping by herself. Of course, there was the small issue of not having a vehicle to drive. She frowned.
“Did I get the wrong kind?” Chess retrieved the cereal and double checked the front.
“No, that’s the right one. Thank you.” Okay, she needed to quit wallowing. Regardless of how weird it was between them, Chess was doing her a big favor by taking her grocery shopping. It couldn’t be any easier for him. “Canned fruit is next.”
Now it was Chess’s turn to frown. “Stay here, and I’ll be right back.”
She watched as he jogged down the aisle and out of sight. She doodled on the paper, drawing a likeness of the basket and its contents. Five minutes later he returned triumphant and held a box up for her to see.
“An electric can opener?”
“Yep. Now you won’t have to strain yourself opening the cans. One bad twist and those ribs won’t heal as quickly.” He set the box in the basket. Before she even had time to object, he put his hands back on the handle of the shopping cart and pushed it. “And I’m buying it for you.”
Ugh. He knew her too well. She was trying to conserve money and purchasing an electric can opener, no matter what it cost, wasn’t a necessity. But she knew better than to argue with him when he took that tone. “I appreciate it.” Suddenly, a memory from the first year they were all together came to mind, and she chuckled. “Do you remember when you bought that fancy vacuum cleaner?”
Chess tipped his head back with a laugh. “You and I argued for a week about why we should or shouldn’t buy it.”
“I thought it was frivolous. We had that little one that still worked.”
He looked at her in mock seriousness. “If you want to call making enough noise to wake the dead and emptying the canister every five minutes working.”
She grinned. “When you brought that new one home, I was furious.”
“Until I showed you how it worked for the first time.” He raised an eyebrow.
“When I got done vacuuming in a third of the time, I finally had to concede you were right. I didn’t feel bad when we threw the other one away.” Her gaze rested on the electric can opener. Even back then, Chess was buying or doing things that helped to make her life a little easier.
He startled her when he tapped a finger against her grocery list. “That’s incredible. I’m serious, you’re good at this.”
She studied the doodle of the shopping basket and absently hit the end of her pen against the shopping cart.
They turned onto the canned fruit aisle, and she was thankful for the distraction. They continued shopping for a half hour before Chess spoke. “Nathan’s going to move here.”
“Really? That’s great.” Brooke dropped her pen and before she had the chance, he got it for her and handed it back. “When?”
“We went to Fort Worth yesterday. His instructor in Miami had given him a referral to someone who owns an academy there. We stopped by, and he has an interview with them tomorrow along with another appointment at an apartment complex. I’ll be watching Mia all day while he goes to those.”
“Wow! That’s fast.” She picked out several apples and placed them in the plastic bag Chess was holding for her. “How do you feel about it all?”
“Well, it turns out he’d packed everything up hoping this would work out. Movers are bringing his things by on Monday.” Chess twirled the bag, put a tie on it, and set the apples in the basket. “I’m glad he’s moving here. He says he won’t be leaving anything bu
t his job. I got the sense he was sad about that. I guess this instructor took him under his wing when he was a kid.”
Brooke was happy he’d not only found the brother he’d been searching for, but that Nathan and Mia would be moving locally. Funny how this time last year, it was just her, Joel, and Chess. Now there were six in their little group. Seven if you counted Epic.
Maybe that’s what Brooke needed — a pet. The idea had some merit. After her ribs healed, and she had a vehicle again, she might seriously consider it.
She focused on what they were doing and found Chess watching her closely. “Are you getting tired?”
“A little. Mostly I’m zoning.”
“Let’s get this finished up, and I can take you home. What else do you need?”
She double checked the list. “Bell peppers, bananas, and then bread and we’ll be done.”
With a nod, he headed for the peppers. A moment later, he shot her a teasing grin. “I could move stuff around and you can ride in the basket if you get too tired.”
“Not in a million years.” She reached for a plastic bag and handed it to him. When he tried to get it, she moved it away at the last minute.
Chess raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make me tackle an injured woman in the middle of the produce section.” His eyes dared her to keep at it.
Brooke’s face warmed from her neck all the way to the top of her head. She’d been trying to keep the lighter mood going but now worried he thought she was flirting with him. Even worse, maybe she was.
She moved the bag within his reach and his hand grasped hers to hold it still. The familiar tendrils of energy made their way down her arm and into her bloodstream. Her pulse skyrocketed and no matter how much she wanted to turn away, his gaze kept her rooted.
Chess took a step closer, and then another, never letting her hand go. With his other, he took the plastic bag. The corners of his mouth quirked. “Good choice.” He released her hand and moved away.
Someone to Trust (Life Unexpected Book 2) Page 11