The Practically Romantic Groom (Cobble Creek Romance Book 2)

by Maria Hoagland

  Brooke rolled her eyes. “I don’t indulge cheaters.”

  “You’re way too competitive, Trout.”

  She nodded once. “Get used to it,” she challenged. “Just wait until we pull out the bows and arrows.”

  “What are you talking about, ‘bows and arrows’?” Isaac feigned innocence.

  “I recognize that fancy backpack of yours.” She started her horse forward again and he followed, keeping Clyde shoulder to shoulder with Bonnie.

  “Archery’s your thing, is it?” Isaac never would have guessed. “Your hair isn’t red enough for me to call you Merida.”

  “Stop talking and get ready.” Brooke leaned forward and held her reins as if ready to take off any moment. The woman knew what she was doing.

  “Hold your horses, hold your horses,” he muttered. Isaac pretended to fumble with his reins but nudged Clyde a fraction of a second behind Brooke. She ended up ahead of him on the trail, which was fine by him. He’d follow her anywhere.

  Chapter Twelve

  The mountain meadow Isaac chose for their lunch setting couldn’t have been more picturesque. With a line of pines on one side of the clearing and a grove of aspens around the rest, the grassland cove was a small slice of private heaven. It had almost been a shame to trample the tall green grasses, but it made for a nice cushion under their quilt. Unfamiliar wildflowers dotted the greenery with mesmerizing color. She’d have to learn these flowers’ names—they would be a perfect addition to some of her arrangements.

  Despite their race ahead, Isaac and Brooke hadn’t been settled long before Cody, Gemma, and Danielle trotted into the meadow. If they stopped back on the trail at all, it hadn’t been for long. Cody pulled Passport to a stop, and Isaac jumped up from the quilt to stop Oakley.

  “Ready for some lunch, Gem?” Isaac asked, reaching out for Oakley’s reins, but Oakley didn’t stop. Had Gemma guided her around Isaac?

  “Let her go,” Danielle urged, allowing Rembrandt to stop, but not making a move to dismount. “I’ll be ready to catch them if she takes off, but I don’t think she’ll go far.”

  Teeth gritted and looking absolutely miserable, Gemma guided Oakley in a circle around the meadow this side of the tree line at a slow but steady pace. By the time she made it back to where the other horses stood, Oakley had decided she’d had enough. She stopped softly and stood patiently while Danielle tried to convince Gemma to dismount.

  It took a good ten minutes and a solemn promise that she would get to ride again after the meal before anyone could convince Gemma to get off the horse and walk over to the spread-out quilts and kid-friendly food Brooke had packed. Gemma’s reluctance to abandon Oakley, and the longing nuzzle she gave her when she finally did, communicated her feelings about the experience more than words could have.

  * * *

  “Lunch was so good. Thank you, Brooke.” With a satisfied smile, Isaac patted his stomach, but he was overdoing it. There was nothing special about fresh fruit and cold fried chicken, even if they were homemade.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls.” Even if that were true, Brooke appreciated the grateful sentiment.

  “He does,” Danielle agreed. “But he also shows his appreciation by doing the dishes.” Danielle pointedly looked from Brooke to Isaac and back. “You know, just FYI.” Everyone had to have known what she was hinting at, though the only reaction was the warning look Isaac sent her.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I’d rather cook than clean any day.” Brooke could do her own hinting. It was also more fun to cook for someone, since new recipes were rarely worth all the trouble for one person.

  “And Brooke’s an excellent cook,” Cody said, to Brooke’s surprise. “Eclectic at times, though, because she’s always trying something new.” A breath of a laugh escaped. “Oh, but do you remember the tikka masala fiasco?”

  Leave it to older brothers to throw in a jab where they could. “That’s because I let you make the curry sauce. I think you burned the spices.”

  “Eh, maybe. Or maybe adding extra to make it hotter backfired on me.” Cody didn’t even have the sense to look chagrined, but then he got that faraway look in his eyes. “Oh, man, but speaking of good food—” He rubbed his tummy. “—that brisket you made on Sunday, Danielle, I can’t say enough—so, so good.”

  “Mmm . . . and mashed potatoes,” Isaac joined in. So apparently they’d had a little family dinner and invited Cody. More points—but to which of them?

  “Speaking of mashed potatoes,” Danielle jumped in, “you were supposed to take the leftovers home with you, Isaac. I should have just thrown them out. You know I don’t do leftovers.”

  Cody stopped and stared. If Brooke knew anything about her brother, he was startled by the mention of throwing out mashed potatoes. He looked at Brooke and she nodded once, knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

  “Leftover mashed potatoes?” Cody asked. “Do you guys like gnocchi?”

  Danielle looked confused and Isaac, lost. Danielle turned a questioning eye Cody’s way.

  “Brooke and I could make gnocchi for dinner tonight, if you want . . .”

  Isaac’s exuberant “Yes!” obliterated Danielle’s “Can you teach me?”

  “Tonight, then?” Cody asked Danielle and Isaac, but his eyes followed Gemma building a fort with twigs and twisted grasses. While technically still sitting with them, her back was to the group, and as always, she was in her own little world.

  “Do you mind if we do it at my house?” Danielle asked. “That way if it gets late, I can get Gemma to bed on time.”

  With the details ironed out, Cody and Isaac lapsed into planning the lineup for their upcoming rec league softball season.

  Brooke leaned back on two hands, her legs spread out in front of her and crossed at the ankles, the slight breeze lifting locks of her hair and shaking the aspen leaves on the trees around her. It was as if the air were filled with anticipation. Anticipation of what exactly, she couldn’t be certain, but in her heart, she knew what she wanted it to be. Yet how could she communicate her changing feelings toward Isaac? What if he didn’t feel the same? Was it worth risking the friendship they’d rekindled to find out he didn’t want anything more? She’d done that already, been rejected exactly that way by him.

  Brooke closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of the sun on her cheeks and watching the reddish glow of the sun through her eyelids. It must have been near the end of their junior year. Their jazz ensemble had made it to state and done fairly well. Everyone was in a great mood, and Brooke had finally allowed her good friend, a saxophone player, to put out some feelers if Isaac would be interested in Brooke at all. That had fallen flatter than a freshman playing a cold trombone.

  A lull in the lighthearted debate between Cody and Isaac over who else to have join their team brought Brooke back to the present. She opened her eyes and turned to them, briefly catching Isaac looking at her before he turned his attention to Gemma. Cody apparently had gotten distracted by Danielle as she leaned toward him and whispered something in his ear. He chuckled at whatever she said and turned to respond, his eyes so full of love he looked like he might kiss her right there. Brooke turned to watch Isaac and Gemma, but her mind was on Cody. She couldn’t ever remember going on a double date with her brother, and it was interesting to say the least. He could be pretty dang romantic on his own. She wasn’t sure why she’d been worried about it. She just wondered if Isaac recognized it the way she did. Whether or not it would count for Brooke’s bet with Isaac, the picnic portion of the double date seemed to have scored Cody some serious points with Danielle.

  “I’m game if you are, but you have to ask your mom first.” Isaac gave his niece a go-ahead chin tip and gathered their trash from lunch, seeming to signal that he wasn’t going to ask for her.

  A hesitant Gemma seemed to struggle with the choice, and Isaac turned his attention to Brooke. “I think my Gemma should be Emerald today, don’t you think, Brooke Trout?” Isaac asked. “Si
nce all the plants are so green today . . .”

  With everyone’s attention on the speaker, Gemma was finally able to move her feet. She chose a circuitous route around the lunch party so she could get to her mom’s side and steer clear of Cody. She didn’t seem to be afraid of Cody necessarily, but maybe more like she didn’t want to disturb him. It would be interesting to know what was going through the child’s mind.

  Gemma leaned into her mother, mirroring the exchange Brooke had witnessed between Danielle and Cody, but with very different results.

  “Practice your brave talking, honey. Remember, we’re building those brave muscles,” Danielle said gently. She tucked a strand of long, brown hair behind the seven-year-old’s ear.

  A look of pure torture accompanied Gemma’s wide-eyed expression, the only thing that communicated back to Danielle. After a moment of a power struggle, Danielle shifted her weight, turning away from everyone, and invited Gemma to lean in for a very private conversation. Gemma’s whispered words were like snowflakes melting as soon as they fell.

  “Yes, you may go on a walk with Uncle Isaac to see the horses,” Danielle said. She glanced toward the horses grazing by the side of a small creek. “I’m almost ready to go again, but I need a couple more minutes.”

  The girl slunk away, again circling the quilt and meeting Isaac on the opposite side. She slipped her hand into his and tugged him away from the group, leaving Brooke alone with the adorable couple. Since she clearly wasn’t invited to walk with Gemma and Isaac, should she go for a walk of her own? She started to get up, but Danielle settled her.

  “Stay. If you want.”

  Brooke turned to see that Cody had lain back on the quilt. If she stayed, she wouldn’t be interrupting anything. “It looks like Cody needed the rest, not you,” Brooke joked. Cody smirked at her without opening his eyes. Typical older brothers.

  Brooke followed Danielle’s suggestion and remained sitting. The perfect bliss of the situation kept her rooted to the spot. If only she could bottle the feeling and take it with her everywhere—something about the warm sunshine after a cold winter, the belly filled with good food and laughter with friends, the peaceful quiet of the wind rustling tree leaves, and the promise of new . . . she couldn’t call it love, could she?

  Brooke’s eyes trailed after Gemma and Isaac, the girl becoming more animated when they entered the copse of trees. Perhaps she felt more protected from others’ judgments there? Brooke could relate. They stopped to look at something, Gemma pointing to the ground, and Isaac explaining something. Perhaps she’d discovered an animal track of some sort.

  “We’re all working on building those brave muscles,” Danielle mused, and Brooke wondered if she was even talking to her. “I never thought I had anxiety or even felt social pressure—until Gemma started her struggle with it. When that happened, I found myself plunged into a world where I was being judged every day for the choices I make in regards to her. ‘Just make her talk,’ people suggest. As if I haven’t tried that. I’ve also tried bribery and punishment, therapy, and even ignoring it completely. This is a learning process for all of us—learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

  Danielle quieted and the words settled around them. Without raising his head or even opening his eyes, Cody reached over and took Danielle’s hand and caressed it softly, and Brooke’s heart melted. She would so have to tell Isaac about that—total points for her—except, it was so sweet, so genuine. This wasn’t a game for them. And she no longer wanted it to be a game for her and Isaac either. Secretly, she wished Isaac would do the same sweet kinds of things for her that Cody did every day for Danielle.

  “Like any mother, when she was little, I could pick out Gemma’s voice in a crowded room. I recognized her coughs, her sobs, her laughs. When those sounds suddenly disappear, you become desperate to hear them again.”

  “That must be awful.” Brooke wrapped her arms around her knees.

  “It is what it is. I mean, does the parent of a diabetic child worry she’s done something to cause her child’s pancreas to go kaput? Do the parents of a teenage rebel wonder where they’ve gone wrong after years of trying their best to guide him? Does the parent of a child with a learning disability hope they are doing everything they can to help their child reach their full potential?” Danielle sighed. “All I can do is keep doing my best. In the words of Tucker from the movie Racing Stripes, ‘Don’t look back, leave it all on the track.’ We just keep moving forward. And she’s doing better. A lot of that is thanks to Isaac. He’s a much better uncle than I would have predicted when he locked me out of the house when I babysat him once.” Danielle chuckled, probably remembering the details of that night. Brooke would have to get the other side of the story when she got the chance.

  “Speaking of annoying little brother turned decent human being,” Danielle continued, “what’s going on between you two?” Danielle quirked an eyebrow at Brooke.

  Was it her imagination, or did Cody shift, turning his head as if he were trying to hear the answer as well?

  “We’re friends.” Brooke kept her voice light—successfully, she thought—despite her heart pounding out a Morse code SOS that she wanted, needed, more. “It’s been fun reconnecting after all these years.” Understatement of the year.

  A twig snapped behind them, and Brooke turned to see Gemma and Isaac heading back their way, both with goofy grins. Something was up.

  Cody sat up and stretched as if he’d had a twenty-minute power nap rather than roughly twenty seconds of downtime. He’d heard the sound as well, and placed a hand on Danielle’s knee. “What do you say you and I take Gemma to that outcropping of rocks?” Cody pointed off to the west. “Didn’t you say she wanted to climb on them?”

  By the time Isaac and Gemma made it back to the quilt, the other three had everything stowed away in the picnic basket and the quilt rolled up to tie on the back of Rembrandt’s saddle again.

  Without a word from either of them, Gemma and Isaac continued toward Brooke, still with those grins. Something definitely was up.

  Brooke wanted to engage Gemma in conversation, but everything that occurred to her started with a question. Finally, Brooke decided on “I heard there’s some good fishing over there. I bet it was beautiful.”

  With no response from either of them, Gemma walked over, took one of Brooke’s hands and one of Isaac’s, and joined them, leaving Isaac and Brooke awkwardly holding hands as Gemma walked over to her mom.

  Danielle smiled, but otherwise didn’t show any response to what had just taken place. “The three of us are going to take a ride to the rocks over there.” She pointed, showing Isaac. “See you later.” They headed back the way Isaac and Gemma had come to claim their horses, leaving Brooke alone with Isaac, loving the gentle feel of his palm next to hers despite the disappointment that the action hadn’t been of his own choosing.

  Or was it?

  Hyperaware of every skin cell touching Isaac’s, Brooke was about to drop his hand when he changed the grip, interlacing their fingers. She tried to mask her surprise with a question. “So what was all that about?”

  Isaac led Brooke to where he’d left his archery backpack leaning against a tree trunk. “Gemma told me she wanted to see the horses—and she did—but I also think she wanted to talk about you.” He squeezed her hand just before he let it go to unzip the pack. Instantly, she missed holding his hand. Would she have that opportunity again?

  “Oh, really?” Brooke’s heart accelerated, wishing she could have overheard the conversation. Or did she really want to know? “What did she say about me?”

  “Basically that she thinks you’re pretty and that she thinks I should hold your hand like Cody holds her mommy’s.” He stood, and at his gaze, Brooke felt suddenly nervous.

  Her mouth went dry, but she wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity, especially since he’d held her hand longer than was strictly necessary with Gemma around. “And what did you say?”

  Isaac drew out the
anticipation by stepping close to her, the hint of his aftershave tantalizing. Without a word, he handed Brooke the bow and a quiver of arrows, never breaking eye contact as the load transferred from his hands to her arms. He looked determined, calm even.

  “I told her I agree,” he whispered as his hands slipped around her upper arms softly. Was he going to lean in for a kiss?

  He seemed to consider it, but after a breath or two, he turned away. A moment of disappointment transformed into building anticipation. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was saying he was interested. She felt more tingles and butterflies than her eighth-grade self had when he’d kissed her backstage all those years ago. His kiss had probably improved over the intervening years.

  Isaac unfolded a small fabric target and looked around. “While Gemma and I were walking, I saw a thicker tree down by the stream—” He stopped himself and looked at Brooke sideways. “Unless you’re going to lose my arrows in the water . . .”

  “Oh, just for that . . .” Brooke stomped off playfully, leaving him to follow, though she wasn’t sure where he and Gemma had gone. After a few steps, she allowed him to catch up. “You fancy yourself some kind of Robin Hood? Well, we shall see . . .”

  “Yes, we shall, Maid Marian.” Isaac’s grin was wider than the free-flowing stream bubbling along beside them. “I would even suggest we place a wager on it, but keeping up with our bet over Cody and Danielle’s relationship and the even deeper debt you have on gin rummy . . .” He shook his head. “You’d find yourself in such a hole . . .”

  Ooh, the guy could trash-talk, but he had no idea. “I’m feeling lucky today.” In more ways than one, if anyone was asking. “I’m game. But just to be clear, if I beat you—best out of five in archery right here, right now—you forgive all the movie tickets and popcorn you’ve racked up playing cards. Clean slate. You in?”