Joy’s ruffled diaper cover was a pink-and-white blur as she scooted across the floor. “Ma ma ma,” she said, reaching up for Brooke.
Brooke crouched and held Joy close. “Good job, Joy. I’m so proud of you.” A tangle of emotions crashed into her. Pride, sadness, delight and grief. But when her gaze met Audy’s, there was an altogether different emotion struggling to break through. With effort, she shoved it aside. Brooke wasn’t naive, her emotions had been put in a blender until all her reactions and feelings made no sense. They certainly weren’t reliable—just because she felt it, didn’t mean she should believe that it was real. The momentary weakness they’d both succumbed to in the kitchen was a perfect example of that. In what world would she and Audy ever be attracted to one another, let alone have feelings for each other.
There was nothing to worry about—nothing serious or permanent. It wasn’t like she’d ever let herself fall for Audy, she was too practical for that. The very idea was...ridiculous.
* * *
AUDY WASN’T SURE what to make of things. His shoulder hurt. His arm hurt. But neither of those was the problem. This was something different. Unfamiliar territory.
It was a sort of pang. An ache. A hollow sort of...yearning.
This was no heartburn. He’d chewed a couple of antacids to make sure. Not a lick of help.
Whatever was troubling him, he couldn’t shake it. He wanted to—it made him all kinds of unsettled. But it had a hold of him and hung on tight. And since the aching-yearning-tugging thing got worse every time he heard or saw a certain person—the brown-eyed, on the judgy side, silky-soft-skinned, feisty and beautiful loving person feeding Joy bananas—he was pretty sure he knew the cause of it.
Maybe he’d hit his head harder than he’d realized. Maybe he had a concussion, like Beau. It’d explain why nothing’s making sense.
“Not hungry? Did you eat at the rodeo?” Tess hadn’t stopped smiling since he’d arrived. She was smiling so big, Audy’s cheeks hurt just looking at her. “You’re missing out. Brooke makes the best chili.”
“Just taking my time.” He broke open his cornbread, refusing to look at Brooke—since she was the problem here. He took a bite of cornbread.
“Ba mm ga,” Joy announced.
“Banana.” Brooke used a different tone with Joy—all gentle encouragement. “Yummy, huh?”
Audy chewed diligently on his cornbread, his gaze landing on Joy.
“Mana,” Joy repeated, holding up a piece of banana.
Miss Muffet looked so proud of herself, Audy had to smile.
“Yes, banana,” Brooke said.
Joy nodded and ate the banana.
“You okay?” Beau whispered. “You seem...awful quiet.”
“Good.” He scooped up a spoonful of chili. “Great.” He reached for the basket of cornbread, instantly regretting it. The snap of pain had him dropping the basket and pulling his arm in to his chest. All eyes were on him, he felt it.
“Ba na na?” Joy asked, holding out her banana for him.
“For me?” Audy asked, eyeing the piece of fruit warily.
“Na na.” Joy ate the banana.
“Thank goodness,” he chuckled. No one else did. “Sorry ’bout that.” He glanced at Beau and Tess—but not Brooke. “Guess I didn’t count on how heavy that was.”
“It’s okay.” Tess put the cornbread back into the basket. “Is...is your arm okay?”
“What’d you do?” Beau asked, leaning back in his chair.
“What’d I do?” Audy turned the table, dodging what would likely lead to another argument with Brooke. Right now, the less interaction with her, the better. “How’d you wind up getting hit with a football?”
Beau’s face went scarlet. “We were just...having fun. Got the sun in my eyes...”
Audy almost looked at Brooke for confirmation but caught himself. He didn’t need confirmation from Brooke to know he was trying to save face. His brother was laser-focused on the field—a truly gifted player. He could read the field, anticipate throws and he was surprisingly light on his feet. The sun in his eyes? He didn’t buy it. “Playing up at the school?”
“No.” Beau stirred his chili. “Stephen was helping his mom get ready for the Ladies Guild meeting, so a bunch of us helped and hung around to play in the field.”
“Ah.” Audy nodded, getting a clearer picture. “You a member of the Ladies Guild, Brooke?”
“No.” Brooke sighed. “But, after today, I’m thinking of joining.”
“What happened after we left?” Tess asked. “Alice and I heard how upset they got over Mr. Devlin’s deal selling Der erste Baum and the park.”
“Oh, really?” Audy leaned back in his chair. “You mean Martha Zeigler didn’t know? I imagine there were all sorts of fireworks.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.” He could hear the smile in Brooke’s voice. “If Miss Ruth, Hattie Carmichael and Dorris Kaye hadn’t managed to get her keys away from her, I fear Martha might have done something dreadful to Lance Devlin, regardless of their relation. I have never seen Martha that upset, never.”
“She has every right.” Audy nodded. “I thought the sale was just talk.”
“Hattie said Tyson said there’s been some phone calls between Lance and an Elsa Nash, who is the Quik Stop & Shop development officer.”
That had Audy looking at her and, once he’d gotten past the fearsome tug in his chest, he asked, “Quik Stop & Shop? As in, the big blue box that price gouges all the small businesses out of business Quik Stop & Shop?”
“The very one.” A deep crease formed on Brooke’s forehead. “It’s...it’s unimaginable.”
That was one word for it but Audy could come up with a whole list of more aggressive, less appropriate descriptions for the man willing to forever change Garrison for profit over the community’s long-standing traditions, heritage and well-being. “If this doesn’t get Devlin kicked out of town, I don’t know what will.” The worry on Brooke’s face drew Audy up short. “What’s got you so worried, Brooke?” Audy leaned forward, put his right elbow on the table. “You honestly think Garrison would let Devlin get away with something like this?”
“Times have been testing some folk—financially. I’m not so sure everyone will be as against it as we think.” Brooke cut more banana and placed it on Joy’s high chair tray.
“But, Brooke, don’t they understand?” Tess asked, her smile fading for the first time since Audy had arrived.
“A lot of people see big business coming into town as a way to see the community grow. But people like me—” she looked at Tess “—it’s a real danger to our livelihood. Most of those Quik Stop & Shops have in-house salons. I doubt we could compete with their costs.”
“So, it’s the Garrison Ladies Guild to the rescue? I have to say, I don’t think there’s a more likely group to bring this whole scheme down. Especially with Martha leading the charge.” Audy did his best to give Brooke a reassuring smile. He knew how important her salon was to her. It had been her mother’s shop, and her grandmother’s before that. It was a sign of her family’s resilience, hard work and independence. “I have a feeling Martha will rally the troops. No one will touch a single limb on The First Tree.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Brooke lifted her iced tea.
Tess, Beau and Audy followed suit.
“To the Ladies Guild running Lance Devlin out of town,” Audy said, winking when Joy held out one of her teething biscuits. He tapped his tea glass to the biscuit, earning him a giggle from Joy. “See, Joy isn’t worried. This will all work out just fine.”
“I think you’re right, Audy,” Tess agreed. “I can’t imagine anything happening to The First Tree.”
Audy saw the look that flashed between Tess and Beau, and for the first time, he saw more than two kids infatuated. Maybe he was reading too much into it. Maybe
it was because Brooke was so scared. Or maybe it was because the way they looked at each other reminded him of Kent and Dara... But something told him this wasn’t an infatuation at all.
His gaze swiveled around and met Brooke’s.
Her brows rose and she wore a see-what-I-mean sort of expression, but he could tell she was concerned. The thing was, he’d always been a little jealous of Kent and Dara. The two of them had had such faith in one another. They never questioned each other, never doubted each other, they just knew. They were each other’s best friend and biggest supporter. A part of him, one he didn’t pay all that much attention to, wondered what that would be like.
Would that be such a bad thing? For Tess and Beau to have that?
Yes, they were young. There was no denying that. But that just meant they had more time together. Surely that wasn’t a bad thing?
Something told him Brooke wouldn’t see it the same way. She had big dreams for her sister—and he respected that. But being in love with Beau didn’t mean Tess had to give up on any of those dreams. It just meant she would have Beau there to help her reach them.
Then again, Audy didn’t know if Brooke and Tess shared the same dreams for Tess’s future. But that was a conversation he knew he had no right to be involved in. Considering the way he was feeling right now, the best thing he could do was stay out of it. Things with Joy and Brooke were complicated enough without him sounding off on Tess’s future.
“So did the Ladies Guild come up with a plan?” Beau asked. “I might be able to get some of the clubs at the high school involved? For fundraisers or posters or whatever we can do to help.”
“That’s a great idea, Beau.” Tess was all smiles again.
“So far, Mrs. Zeigler suggested storming city hall or chaining ourselves to the bottom of The First Tree. But both ideas were tabled, for now, anyway. Hattie said she’d try to find out exactly what sort of deal Devlin is considering.” Brooke offered Joy more banana but the baby shook her head. “The land is public land, so there is a question about whether the city has the rights to sell it.”
“It’s been quite a day.” Audy found himself looking a little too long at Brooke. He knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he didn’t seem to have much choice. That was the thing that bothered him most. He didn’t seem to have control over the situation, it had control of him. More like she had control of him.
“I’ll clean up the kitchen,” Tess offered, carrying her bowl to the sink.
“I’ll help.” Beau stood and started collecting dirty dishes.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You know, the whole concussion thing?” Brooke took the pink-and-white wet washcloth Tess offered her for baby cleanup.
“It won’t hurt a thing,” Audy said, pointing back and forth between Tess and Beau. “He’s not slurring his words or tripping over his feet. I’d say he’s on the road to recovery.”
“I’ve got it.” Tess took the dirty dishes from Beau. “You should rest. Just to be on the safe side.”
Beau just stood there, staring down at Tess. The two of them fell into a trancelike state, completely oblivious to everyone and everything around them. For a minute, it looked like Beau was going in for a kiss but caught himself. Instead, he carefully moved the braid from Tess’s shoulder to her back.
“How about we get you set up on the couch again?” Brooke offered, pure panic lining her voice. “Audy?”
“Can do.” Audy stood, placed his hand on Beau’s shoulder and steered his brother back to the couch in the front room. “You’d best watch yourself around Brooke. She’s having a hard time with this whole you-and-Tess thing.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Beau sat down, avoiding Audy’s gaze.
“You keep telling yourself that, kid.” He sat beside his brother and propped a foot up on the coffee table. “She the reason you got hit in the head?”
Beau didn’t say anything.
“You caught sight of her and lost sight of the ball?”
“Yep.” Beau shook his head. “I didn’t even know it was coming.”
Audy had to chuckle at that. “I hear that’s the way it happens. Minding your own business, and out of nowhere, it’s like a bolt of lightning.” He used air quotes for extra emphasis.
“I don’t know about lightning... But I definitely saw stars.” But Beau was smiling now.
“I know you’re my brother—” he gave Beau a stern look “—but you treat that girl right, you hear me?”
“I hear you.” Beau wasn’t smiling anymore. He looked mad. “I know you have experience with women, but this is different. I’m still figuring this out. I want to be with her. I can’t explain... If she’s not interested, I won’t like it but I’ll respect it. Whether or not she cares about me, I—I’d never do anything to hurt Tess. I know she’s special.”
Audy looked up to see Brooke pause in the doorway. He didn’t know how much of their exchange she’d heard, but there was no doubt she’d caught the last of it. Brooke Young wasn’t a romantic. She didn’t want her young sister to fall in love. She was trying hard not to like his brother. But Beau had just made it impossible for her to not like him. Beau had said exactly what he should, not because Brooke was listening but because that’s how he felt.
“That’s all I needed to hear.” Audy tore his gaze from Brooke and did his best to ignore the growing hollow ache in his chest. As much as he’d like to believe these new Brooke-inspired sensations were caused by tonight’s accident, he had a sinking suspicion that it was something far worse. When he woke up tomorrow, he’d still feel this way. And likely, the day after that and, possibly, all the days that followed. Because she, Brooke, was special, too. To him, she would always be special. And there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. He was a fool. A fool who was wholly in love with Brooke Young.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HALF DAYS CAME to an end and the renegotiating began.
Audy was nervous about keeping Joy overnight—at least until his shoulder healed—so he’d suggested bringing Joy home to sleep each night and being there first thing in the morning when Joy woke up on his days. Brooke hadn’t held out much hope that he’d stick to their schedule but she wasn’t about to send Joy off on overnights when Audy wasn’t ready. So, she’d agreed.
Audy had been as good as his word. It was one of the few times she’d been happy to be proven wrong. Audy’s arm healed but, since that was working out so well, they agreed to stick with it awhile longer.
The new normal was anything but normal. Instead of seeing Audy less and settling into their long-term plan, things were more confusing than ever. With Audy, anyway. He was always around. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t remember a day that she hadn’t seen him. If it was her day, he’d drop by to see if she needed anything or check in on Joy’s crawling or teething—there was always a reason. On his days there was the morning and bedtime routine and the occasional lunch, coffee or tea drop-off he’d make—unannounced. It was all so...thoughtful and disorienting.
She knew there was talk. Audy Briscoe came to town to go drinking at Buck’s or to rodeo, but that was about it. And yet, in the last three weeks, Audy had been seen in town daily. These unusual Audy sightings were due to Joy but the good people of Garrison were determined to turn it into something it wasn’t. Namely, Audy Briscoe was courting Brooke Young.
“I think it’s funny,” Brooke said, glancing at the women, busy at their own workstations. The third Saturday of the month meant staying a bit late for inventory, a thorough shop clean and a whole day off to look forward to. She finished counting the bottles of hair color and noted the amount on her inventory sheet. “Anybody who really knows us knows how ridiculous it sounds.”
“Why ridiculous?” Myrna asked, wiping down her stylist’s chair with disinfectant wipes.
Because...well, because... Why didn’t a mile-long list of
reasons immediately spring to mind?
“People change. They do.” Portia was folding and stacking the freshly washed towels along the back counter. “Audy Briscoe didn’t have a baby girl before. That’s enough to change a man. Trust me, if you’d met my husband before we had our kids... You wouldn’t recognize him.”
“I don’t blame you for thinking it’s ridiculous.” Inez sprayed glass cleaner on the illuminated vanity mirror at her station. “I know Audy is something to look at, but that boy is nothing but trouble. Brooke would be better off with somebody else.” She stood back, wiped at one tiny streak, then another, before she seemed satisfied.
“Not that I’m looking,” Brooke added, doubtful anyone was listening.
“No? You might want to rethink that and Audy better get ready for a little competition. People are talking about Mikey Woodard being more than a little interested in our Brooke, here.” Myrna was far too excited over this information. “Mr. Ellis, over at the feedstore, said something about overhearing a conversation between his son, Tyson, and Mikey. Something about Mikey making sure that Tyson was okay with him asking Brooke out. I think that’s very decent of Mikey, since they were friends.”
Again with Mikey. He was a sweetie. Always had been. It did sound like something he’d do. But she was having a hard time believing it. They’d known each other for years and he’d never once acted like he was interested in anything more than friendship. “Which is all Tyson and I are. Friends. Like me and Mikey.” Brooke turned back to her inventory. This conversation had gone completely off the rails. To hear people talk, she had a riveting personal life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Forget Tyson. Mikey Woodard. Now he’s a catch,” Portia gushed.
Brooke shot her a look.
“What?” Portia asked, stowing the laundry basket beneath the cabinet. She hopped into her stylist chair and spun to face them. “He’s handsome. And funny. A good guy. And he’s tall.”
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