“I didn’t use to.”
“What’s changed?” She toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, not letting him go with her legs or her eyes.
“You.” He kept his arms rigid, his hands by his side.
“Explain.”
What could he say? That he was jealous? That he’d never been insecure of his looks until he met Brooke? He hated how he sounded like a pansy in his head.
“You two get along well.”
“It’s important to get along well with the people you work with and who work for you.”
“Sure.” He wouldn’t know. Writing was a mostly solitary business. He needed to get along with his agent and his editor but that was about it.
“You know what I think?” She rubbed the heel of her sneaker against his butt. “I think you got the wrong impression when you walked in and now, you’re having a little pity party.”
“I don’t have pity parties,” he lied. Because yeah, he totally was.
“I think,” she said, scooting closer to the edge of the counter, “I think you’re adorable.”
“Great.” He rolled his eyes and puffed out a loud sigh. “Just what every guy wants to hear. Would you describe Owen as adorable?”
“Not in the least. He’s got that rugged sex appeal thing going.” Brooke tightened her thighs around him when he tried to back away. “Drew.” She laced her fingers behind his neck so he had to strain not to lean into her.
“You’ve always said you’re into honesty, so if he’s who you’re interested in—”
“Cut it out.” She kicked his ass. Literally. “I’m teasing you. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. If you seriously think I have the hots for Owen, you’re ridiculous. He’s not my type.”
“The rugged sex appeal isn’t your type?” he said doubtfully.
“I loathe it, although I don’t loathe Owen. He’s a nice guy. Good recommendations.”
“Rugged sex appeal and a nice guy. Yeah, I can see why you don’t like him.”
“I didn’t say I don’t like him. I do. But not like I like you. I was surrounded by guys like Owen in the army. Some were douche canoes, others were nice. None were, are, or ever will be my type.”
“What is your type?” Feeling a little better about the way this was heading, he relaxed his neck and propped his hands on the counter on either side of Brooke’s hips.
“Well...” she started. “I never thought I had a type. Lately, however, I find myself smitten with the kinda shy, kinda insecure, super sexy, mysterious kind of guy.”
“Mysterious?”
“Forgive the pun, but you’re not exactly an open book.”
“There’s not much to know.”
“I disagree.” She stroked his neck and dropped her hands to his chest. “You’re a devoted uncle, which is a total turn-on, by the way. I love watching you with those kids.”
“Well then, I’ll offer to babysit more often.” He liked the grin that spread across Brooke’s lips.
“I love how you and your sister interact. It’s cute. You’re adorable.”
“Adorable? Guys don’t want to be called adorable. Rugged sex appeal sounds better.”
“Hmm.” She inched closer to the edge so the front of his jeans rubbed up against her.
There was no hiding how much her sex appeal turned him on. The main door to the mess hall closed loudly from the other room. “Sounds like your friend Owen just left.”
“We’re not exactly alone. Jeff and Pete are at the front end of the building replacing some rotten boards.”
“And if we were alone...?”
“You, my adorable, sexy, loyal, kind-hearted friend are tenacious.”
“Is that good or bad?” He didn’t wait for a reply and lowered his head to hers, sipping on her lips before claiming them. He moaned when she opened for him and he took the kiss deeper.
His hands found her waist and massaged their way up her torso, his thumbs rubbing gently under her breasts.
“You make it hard to say no,” she moaned into their kiss.
“Then don’t.”
Brooke slid her hands to his cheeks and looked into his eyes. “I’ve never done this before.”
Drew moved his hands a respectable distance from her breasts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”
“Sex, I’ve had.”
“Then...” He narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“I’ve never had a relationship. I’ve never hung out with a guy and dated for a while. Never met the family and played with the niece and nephew. I’ve never been a part of that before.”
Drew cupped her chin and kissed her softly, finally understanding. “This isn’t about sex. You know that, right? When we make love, it’s going to put us deeper into a relationship, not pull us away from each other.”
“I want to believe that, and I’m pretty sure I do.”
“Believe it. I’m not an expert on relationships. I haven’t had many in my life, either. This thing between us, though, it’s new to me as well.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
He didn’t like the insecurity in her eyes, so incongruous to her character. “I’m far from perfect, but I’m honest.”
“Okay.” Brooke rested her head on his shoulder and they stayed like that, him standing between her legs, arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace, and at that moment he’d never felt closer to anyone.
“My sister and her family and my parents are coming on Saturday for Fourth of July weekend. Will you stay with me, be a part of our family weekend? I promise not to pressure you into anything more. I have extra bedrooms and can put you up in one. But stay with us? We’ll go out on the boat and watch the fireworks from the middle of the pond. Eat. Drink. Be merry.”
“Wow.” Brooke lifted her head and chewed on her bottom lip. “Meeting the parents is scarier than sex.”
“Sex isn’t supposed to be scary.” If she’d had abusive relationships in the past or was assaulted he wanted to know. And if she wasn’t ready to tell him, he’d still take extra caution with her in the bedroom.
“Sex will only be scary with you.”
“Adorable, not rugged, and now scary sex. I’m getting mixed signals here.”
“Sometimes I’m too brash with my words and don’t exactly think about what I’m saying.”
“So I’ve learned,” he said lightheartedly.
“Sex with you is a huge step. It will either make us or break us. Meeting your parents is kind of the same thing, only more pressure.”
“You’re a natural with my family. My parents are as easy to get along with as my sister. I’m the difficult one. They’ll all tell you that. So, you’ve conquered the most challenging of the Becketts. The rest will be a breeze.”
“I’ve conquered you, you say?” She squeezed her knees against his thighs. “I like the sound of that.”
“So do I,” he said between kisses. “So do I.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Meeting Rose and Jason Beckett hadn’t been as painful as Brooke had thought it would be. They were as fun as easy to get along with as Katie. After an afternoon on the boat, Glen, Drew, and Jason played down by the water with the kids while Brooke, Katie, and Rose sipped sangrias on the deck.
“I haven’t seen Drew this happy in a long time,” Rose said, holding out her stemless wine glass in a salute to Brooke. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I can’t take any credit for that. He’s in his glory because his book is coming along so well.”
While she put in ten-hour workdays at the camp, he put in more than that writing. He stayed up until the wee hours of the night and wrote all day until she came over for dinner. Often, he was tired, but insisted she stay and eat with him.
They had a good routine going, each respecting each other’s work, even though Drew continued to drop the not-so-subtle hints that he didn’t think opening the summer camp was a good idea.
“I respectfully disagree,” his mother said. “Normally after
a day in the sun with the family, he’d use the excuse of a deadline and hide up in his room to write.”
“True story,” Katie chimed in. “We always feel guilty infringing on his writing time, but the guy needs a break. And a life. Seems like you’re giving him both.”
“I’m glad I can help in that department then.” Brooke laughed.
“My son tells me you served in the army. Where were you stationed?”
“For the first few years, I was in Virginia and then in Germany. I was in Afghanistan for a while helping to rebuild. Very little of my time was in actual combat.”
“I’m sure it was still dangerous, though.”
“There were times.” Brooke had feared little. There wasn’t anything to lose or anyone to return home to, especially after her grandmother passed away. “With no plan or dreams for my future, the army gave me a sense of... belonging. I didn’t want to waste my life away on meaningless dead-end jobs, so enlisting was the best thing for me.”
“Your family must have been very worried and quite proud.” Rose reached for the pitcher and refilled their glasses.
Brooke swirled the chunks of strawberries and apples around in her glass before taking a sip. She really didn’t want to dredge up her pathetic family life, but she didn’t want to be rude, either.
“My mother passed away when I was ten. My grandmother raised me until I left for the army. She died this past winter.”
“And you have no other family?”
Brooke shook her head.
“Oh, honey.” Rose pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “Let me hug you.”
“It’s okay. I’m—”
Rose stretched out her arms. “The hug is for me.”
“One thing you need to know, Mom loves her hugs. I’m glad she has the kids, and now you, to lay them on. She can be quite smothersome,” Katie teased.
“Shush, you. Come here.”
Brooke obeyed and stepped into her arms. It felt nice. Similar to Helen Sherman’s hugs, only hers were more grandmotherly. Rose’s arms were younger, stronger, and her hands rubbed against Brooke’s back in a soothing motion.
“There now.” Rose dropped her arms and rolled her shoulders back. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” She sniffed and returned to her seat.
“Another thing to know about my mom, she cries at the drop of a hat. Happy tears, sad tears, scary tears. She cries. You’ll get used to it.”
She’ll get used to it, meaning they accepted that Brooke would be around for a while. A lovely warmth wrapped around her heart as she settled back into her chair and tucked her feet under her.
They talked about the weather and Christmas and family traditions, making Brooke feel part of the conversation. The sun dipped behind the mountain, darkening the backyard enough for the fireflies to come out. Toby and Vanessa ran around in circles, chasing the little snapshots of light.
“Mommy! I caught one.” Toby came running up to Katie, his hands cupped together and his face bright with excitement. “There are ten million fireflies tonight, and I caught one!”
They each took a turn peeking in his hands.
“I can ask Uncle Drew if he has a jar to put it in.”
“Don’t kill it,” Toby whined. “Uncle Dew said fireflies are magic. If you kill them, the magic goes away.”
“I don’t want to kill magic.” Vanessa pulled at Toby’s hands until they opened, freeing the bug. The children chased it, running and laughing, trying to catch more magic.
“Do you remember the story your father told you and Drew about the fireflies?” Rose asked.
“I do.” Katie sipped her wine and picked up a cracker from the plate in front of her. “He said they represented innocent children. That catching them was a magical wonderland and meant the possibility of adventure.”
“Yes. Children see magic all around them because they come from a knowing place where anything is possible.”
“Especially when Grandma is in town,” Katie joked.
“I have no qualms with that. Children don’t worry if their dream is too big or too fancy. They come from a place where magic is whispered in the winds. Where a snowflake is a doorway to a whole new world.” Rose laced her fingers together and held them under her chin as she watched the kids run and squeal. “Fireflies represent hope. They’re a strand of light when someone feels alone. A strand of light appears, and they come back to life, and hope again.”
“That’s beautiful,” Brooke said, touched by Rose’s sentiment. She’d never thought of the glowing bugs as anything more than... bugs.
“I also think of them as camera flashes. Time seems to move quickly the older you get. I can’t believe I’m old enough to have two grandchildren. Those flashes of light are pauses in time, protecting those precious children from what’s to come. If I could jar up ten million fireflies and keep you all young and innocent, I would.”
Rose’s story moved Brooke. Fireflies, the protectors of innocence.
“You got that from a song.” Katie pointed her finger at her mom in jest.
“It’s a good song.”
“Daddy said we can go out on the boat to watch the fireworks and eat Grammie’s brownies,” Toby said, out of breath with excitement.
“But the Fourth of July isn’t until Monday,” Brooke said, confused.
“People around here set off fireworks from their docks the weekend of the Fourth. Since everyone will go back to work on Tuesday, the best shows will be tonight and Sunday.”
“That sounds fun. And you float around in the middle of the water to see the show?”
“Every year. Come help me gather blankets while Katie and Glen get the kids ready for the boat,” Rose said, offering her hand to Brooke.
She followed her downstairs where there were three bedrooms, a bathroom, another living room, and a walkout patio that was nestled under the deck. The living room was decorated in cozy camp paraphernalia and children’s toys. Drew’s family had occupied the entire floor while he put her backpack with her change of clothes in the guest bedroom across from his two floors up.
Brooke had only been down here once when Drew gave her a tour a few nights ago, and she marveled at the layout of what used to be their family summer place. She couldn’t imagine how grand their other place was if this was the second home.
“It’s a warm night, so we shouldn’t need too many. It gets cool out on the water, though. And it’s nice to snuggle.” Rose piled two blankets in Brooke’s arms and carried two more herself.
“Will this be enough?”
“Oh, we’ll share. I figured one for each couple and one for the kids.”
Couple. They considered her and Drew a couple. Butterflies she didn’t know lived in her belly until she met Drew fluttered about.
By the time they got back outside, Drew and Glen were on the boat and Katie was ushering the kids down the dock.
“Here. Let me,” Jason said, taking the blankets from Brooke and Rose. “You beautiful ladies go make yourself comfortable on the boat.” He kissed Rose’s cheek. He’d done that a lot throughout the day—shown affection, complimented her, and rubbed the small of her back.
Drew had a hell of a role model and if he ended up being anywhere close to as enduring as his father, Brooke would be one lucky woman. Not that she was thinking about them long-term. One day at a time was all she could handle. Long-term was meant for the camp, for a career, not for relationships.
Brooke would have said something to Rose about her husband if she didn’t think it would turn into a relationship discussion. Since she and Drew hadn’t exactly figured out what was going on between them, she didn’t want to attempt to explain it to his mother.
“You ready?” Drew held out his hand to help her onto the boat.
“Is this something I need to be ready for?” she teased.
He didn’t let go of her hand and kept her at his side while he started the boat. “You’re about to be trapped on our pontoon with my niece and nephew, sister, brother-
in-law, and parents. There’s no escaping now.” He dipped his head and dropped a quick kiss on her lips with a smile before he moved a lever that backed up the boat.
“When are the fireworks gonna start?” Toby asked from the front.
“Not for another hour, honey. We have to wait until the sky is completely black,” Katie told him. “Want to wear your glow necklaces?”
The kids cheered while Katie opened packages and connected the glowing sticks, making bracelets and necklaces for the kids.
“You want one, Grammie?” Vanessa asked Rose.
“I’d love one.”
Brooke climbed up on the seat next to Drew in complete content as she watched Vanessa walk around the front of boat putting a glow bracelet on her grandparents and parents before walking to the back of the boat where she and Drew were.
“Want a bracelet?” She held up a bright yellow one to Brooke.
“Thank you so much.” Brooke beamed and held out her wrist so the adorable little girl could put it on.
She did the same to her uncle before going back to the front of the boat to climb onto Glen’s lap.
“She’s so cute.”
“And quite the daddy’s girl. She’s got him wrapped around her little finger.” Drew stood in front of his captain’s chair—if that’s what they called it—driving the boat around the water.
“I’d say she has her uncle wrapped around her finger as well.”
“As if.”
“Please. I bet Vanessa gets whatever she wants when she visits. Don’t think I didn’t see you smuggle her an extra popsicle this afternoon.”
“It was hot.”
“And go back inside to replace the red one with a purple one.”
“I was heading back inside anyway.”
Brooke snorted and bumped her shoulder against his arm. “I think it’s adorable.”
“You keep using the same word for me as you used to describe a four-year-old little girl, by the way. This isn’t good for my ego.”
“Hm.” Brooke slid off her chair and stood next to Drew, pressing her body slightly into his. “Would you feel better if I told you how sexy it was watching you interact and bend over backward for your niece and nephew?”
Ten Million Fireflies (Band of Sisters) Page 17