Becoming Brooke (Quinn Valley Ranch Book 6)

by Kay P. Dawson

  Jared stood up slowly and walked toward Amanda, shaking as he fought against the anger that was threatening to explode from him. It wouldn’t be easy to keep wooing Brooke from a jail cell, so he refrained from putting his hands around the woman’s neck like he wanted to do.

  “Well, that’s something I can agree with. Dusty, we really should be thanking Amanda. I mean, if not for her, Brooke would have ended up married to a flaky swine who obviously can’t be trusted. It’s obvious he can’t think for himself and can be easily swayed by another pretty face. Thankfully, Brooke won’t ever have to be married to a man who we know would never be able to remain faithful to one woman.”

  Amanda’s face was red, and her eyes squinted as she clenched her fists at her sides.

  “Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? From what I hear, you’re nothing more than some kind of writer who most likely can’t even pay your own bills. That’s why you’re living with your aunt. You’re exactly the kind of man I’d imagine Brooke to end up with.”

  “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to, young lady? Honestly, I’m so glad you and Todd ended up together. You’re perfectly suited for each other.” Maude came marching out of Travis’s office as fast as her limp would allow, lifting her cane from the floor and pointing it at Amanda when she got in front of her. “My nephew is perfect for Brooke, and it’s not just because he’s a famous author. It’s because he’s a kind man who will treat Brooke the way she should be.”

  Jared kept his jaw clenched tight. Why did Maude always have to make him out to be more than he was?

  Amanda scoffed and shook her head. “Famous author. Who’s he supposed to be, Stephan King?”

  Maude leaned closer and Jared was afraid his elderly aunt was about to knock Amanda to the ground. “No, he’s J.D. Webber. You might have heard of him.”

  He heard both Travis and Dusty give a small gasp as Amanda’s mouth dropped open. “J.D. Webber?” Her voice wasn’t as shrill as it had been before. “The crime writer?”

  “Not that it should make any difference, considering a few seconds ago you were acting like I was nothing more than a speck of dirt on your shoe, but yes, J.D. Webber the crime writer.”

  Amanda’s lips slowly turned up into a dazzling smile as she came over in front of him. “Oh my goodness, I never even realized. I guess I’ve never really seen what you look like, so you can understand my mistake. I can’t believe we have a real author living here in Quinn Valley. Why didn’t Brooke mention anything about it when we met the other night?”

  The woman’s entire demeanor had changed as though now that she recognized his name, she needed to treat him nicer. Well, he didn’t care if she started oozing rainbows and sunshine, he wasn’t going to be taken in by her fake kindness.

  “Probably because it isn’t really that big of a deal. I’d like to think Brooke just likes me for who I am, and not because of a name she might have heard of before.”

  Amanda watched him for a moment, then gave a laugh that stood his hair on end. “She doesn’t realize who you are, does she? You never told her.” She laughed again and shook her head as she walked toward the doorway. “Well, isn’t she going to be in for a shock when she finds out. Let me know how that goes, her liking you for who you are and not because of your name thing.”

  Jared had always thought of himself as a calm person and not really someone who could hurt another human being, even though he did write dramatic crime fiction.

  But right now, as he watched Amanda walk away, so sure she had some kind of juicy gossip, he was already plotting a character just like her in his next book, so he could have her meet a gruesome demise. And he couldn’t wait to write that chapter.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’m so sorry, Brooke. I didn’t even think about the name when I booked it.” Brooke looked down at the file in her hand for her next patient. Todd Ewings. Of all the doctors in town, why did he need to come to her?

  “It’s fine, Melody. It isn’t your fault. You weren’t even working here when all that stuff happened with Todd, so you wouldn’t have known.” Her receptionist had only been with her for the past year since she’d set up her own clinic, and Brooke could never be mad at her anyway. She was just about the sweetest girl in the world and would never do anything to hurt anyone.

  “I know, but I still feel terrible. I would have told him you weren’t taking any new patients or something if I’d known.”

  Robyn came out of her office across the small corridor and joined them. “What’s all the whispering about?”

  “It would appear Todd has some medical ailment he needs me to look at.”

  Robyn’s mouth formed an “o” and then her eyes pulled together in anger. “He’s got a lot of nerve coming to you for anything. I’m going out there to tell him he’s not welcome in this office.”

  Brooke rolled her eyes at her sister’s temper. “No, Robyn, you don’t need to do that. We have a waiting room full of patients that don’t need to have a soap opera moment played out in front of them. Just forget it. I can handle Todd just fine.”

  “Well don’t let him play you, Brooke. Honestly, he doesn’t even deserve a minute of your time. At the very least, I hope you’ll tell him he requires a shot and you use the largest needle you can find.”

  “I’ll do my best to ensure he suffers some kind of pain while he’s in there.” She had to laugh at her sister and how dramatic she always was. “You can send him in, Melody.”

  Brooke walked into her office and waited, giving herself a few seconds to compose herself and to stop her hands from shaking. Other than that brief meeting in the restaurant with Jared, she hadn’t spoken to Todd since she’d received the text to say he wasn’t marrying her and that he’d fallen for Amanda.

  “Hello, Brooke. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

  Her breath caught as that familiar voice reached her ears. She looked up and smiled, nodding her head for him to sit in the chair next to her desk. “Hi, Todd. What can I do for you today?”

  She wasn’t about to sit here and pretend to make happy small talk with him like she might with any other patient. No, she was just going to get to the point and get him out of here as quick as she could.

  He laughed quietly and gave her that smile that used to melt her heart. Right now, all it did was make her want to slap his face. But she didn’t think it would look good to put that in his medical records under any treatments she’d performed while he was there.

  “Aren’t you even going to ask how I am? I’ve thought about you so much, even more since seeing you that night at Quinn’s. I was so shocked to see you, I’m afraid I didn’t really get the chance to say much to you.”

  “Well, I will ask how you are from a medical standpoint, but other than that, I don’t really care. I’m seeing you as my patient, nothing more than that. So if you came here to chat about our past, you may as well leave right now.”

  Todd’s smile slowly faded, and he looked down at his hands. “I’m so sorry, Brooke. I know I messed things up badly, and I should have told you in person. But Amanda just seemed to have me tied up in some kind of knot and I wasn’t thinking straight. I need you to forgive me.”

  Brooke took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. It was obvious he wasn’t here for anything medical related. “If that’s what you need, then fine. I can forgive you. But that doesn’t change anything. I will never want to be around you or Amanda ever again. I’ve moved on with my life and I’m finally happy again. I won’t let you ruin that.”

  “Are you really happy, Brooke? I know ever since the day I left, all I’ve done is think about what could have been with you. I would give everything I have if I could go back and do things different.” His eyes lifted to hers, trying to pull her into them like he always used to do. “Please tell me it’s not too late. Let me have another chance.”

  Her stomach twisted as she struggled with what to say.

  “Todd, how can you even think there would
ever be another chance for us? I might have been bowled over by your good looks and charm while we were dating, and maybe wasn’t able to see through to who you really are, but I’m not the same person you walked away from two years ago. There is nothing…nothing…you could say that would ever make me want to try again with someone like you. And besides that, you’re married now, or have you already forgotten that? I think you should leave, Todd.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come in here and blurt everything out like that. I really didn’t want to upset you.” He thrust his fingers through his thick hair, leaving it in a mess that she used to find charming.

  “I mean it, Todd. I’m over you, and in fact, I’m so glad we didn’t end up getting married. I was able to spend some time discovering my own strength and finding out that I didn’t need any man to make my life complete. And then when I was ready, I found someone who has shown me what respect is, and how a woman should be treated.”

  “Right, I forgot about your new boyfriend. What’s his name again?”

  Brooke didn’t like talking about Jared to Todd. It was none of his business.

  “Oh yes, Jared Webber. Or J.D. Webber as his fans know him.”

  J.D. Webber? Brooke didn’t read crime fiction, but she’d heard of J.D. Webber. He was almost a household name. What was Todd talking about? For some reason, he believed he had something that would hurt her image of Jared, but she wasn’t about to let Todd think he had the upper hand with her or that she’d be angry with Jared.

  “Listen, Amanda mentioned that she was talking to Jared the other day and that it turns out he is actually a well-known author, but she also said he hadn’t even bothered to tell you who he really is. I’m just worried about you. I still love you, and I hope you realize that sometimes people aren’t who you think they are. I know I don’t deserve another chance, but maybe just don’t throw me away so quickly without thinking about it first.”

  “Get out of my office, Todd. I don’t ever want to see your face again. One thing Jared has over you is the fact that he would at least be man enough to break up with a woman to her face—not send her a text two days before her wedding to say he’d decided he was in love with her best friend. You have a lot of nerve coming in here and trying to trash talk him under the pretense that you just care about my well-being. You never cared about anyone’s well-being other than your own.” She stood up, shaking with anger, finally letting out all the words she’d always wanted to say to him.

  “And now, you think you can waltz in here and try to make me doubt what I have with another man because you can’t stand the fact that I’m not still just sitting around pining over you.” She pointed her finger at his chest as he stood up to face her, his eyes wide in shock that this quiet, little mousy girl was actually speaking to him like this. She knew there were likely people in the waiting room who could hear every word, but she was past caring.

  “Well, let me tell you something. I wouldn’t go back to you if you were the only man on earth who had a water hose and I was on fire. I would rather spend the rest of my life tied to a pole while wild birds pecked my eyes out than to ever spend another minute with you.”

  Todd’s cheeks were bright red as he turned to open the door. “Fine. But a word of advice. You might think your new boyfriend is a step up from me but let me assure you that all men are the same. If you think any man can spend his life with just one woman, you’re crazy. And I’d think if he was someone you could trust, he’d have told you the truth about who he was in the first place.”

  He slammed the door behind him and she sunk into her chair, swallowing hard against the dryness in her throat. Her heart thumped so hard she could hear it echoing in the small room.

  She sat in her chair, shaking as she looked out the window to the parking lot. Todd strode out to his car confidently, putting on the perfect show of being completely together. No one would ever see Todd Ewings rattled because he wasn’t the type of man to care enough. How had she never noticed that about him before now?

  But he’d left her rattled. The words he’d spoken about Jared being a famous author who hadn’t told her the truth replayed over and over in her mind. Why would he have kept that from her? It’s not like it would have made any difference. She wasn’t the type to care for someone because of their name. She wanted to believe the best of him, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  Todd had placed enough of a worry in her heart that Brooke knew it would eat at her until she found out the truth. What if he was right?

  What if no man could be trusted?

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Uh-oh, looks like Maude is going to have some competition with this one. Where on earth did they find an inflatable reindeer that big? Looks like I might have to make a trip into Lewiston this weekend to get a few more things for her yard.”

  Jared stopped his Jeep in front of the house they were driving past, taking note of the decorations. They’d been driving around the town, sipping on hot chocolate they’d picked up at Fresh Brew while they got into the Christmas spirit looking at all the lights. The town judging would happen next week, before Christmas, so he still had time to add some more to Maude’s.

  Brooke laughed and shook her head. “A month ago you couldn’t understand why anyone would waste so much time decorating, and you thought too many lights would look awful. Yet, here you are now saying you need more. Between the decorating you’ve been doing at Maude’s, and then at my clinic, I’d have thought you’d be done.” She looked at him for a moment, then down at the cup in her hands. “Besides, it likely isn’t giving you much time to write. You must have deadlines you need to meet.” She lifted her eyes back up and he sensed she wanted to say more but was holding back.

  She’d been quiet ever since he’d picked her up earlier and he wasn’t sure what was going on. He’d hoped taking her to look at the lights would cheer her up a bit, and he had a surprise he wanted to show her. Maybe he should just head there now.

  “Well, that’s the good thing about being a writer. I can set my own schedules. I do have a book that needs to be at the editor by the middle of January, but that’s still lots of time. Right now, I’d rather spend my time with you.” He pulled away and drove toward the spot he’d been spending the past few days getting ready. He peeked back over at Brooke who was staring at her cup again as though she was afraid it was going to fall from her hands.

  “Brooke, do you want to tell me what’s bothering you? I thought you would love looking at all the lights tonight, and I have something I wanted to show you. But I can’t stand seeing you like this. Have I done something to upset you?” He racked his brain trying to remember if he’d said something wrong or maybe if he’d forgotten something he was supposed to do, but there was nothing he could think of.

  She sighed and shrugged slowly. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day and I’m a bit tired, I guess.”

  He didn’t believe her for a minute, but he hoped once she saw his surprise, she’d smile. As he came around the next bend, he grinned in anticipation. “OK, you need to close your eyes.”

  “What? Why are you making me close my eyes?”

  “Just do it. Don’t argue.”

  Brooke’s eyebrows pulled together in suspicion, but she finally closed her eyes.

  “I know you’re peeking, Brooke. Put your head down into your hands.”

  She huffed loudly in indignation as she opened her eyes and glared at him. “Uh, I wasn’t peeking, Jared.”

  He just pointed with his hand for her to cover her eyes and put her head down in her hands.

  “Fine. But you better not be planning anything that’s going to embarrass me.”

  “I’m hurt that you think I’d do something like that. I promise, you’ll like it.” He drove around the corner, immediately seeing the reflection of the lights in front of them. He glanced over at her to make sure she wasn’t peeking, then stopped and shut off the engine. “Now, keep your head down until I come around and get you out.”
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  He kept his eyes on her as he jumped out and raced around to her door. “OK, now keep your head in your hands and step out. I’ll help you.”

  “Jared, this is ridiculous. Just let me lift my head up. I promise I’ll keep my eyes closed.”

  “Nope, I don’t trust you. Here, just step out and I’ll hold your arm.” He helped her get out of the Jeep and led her around to the front, turning her to face his surprise. “All right, you can look now.”

  His eyes stayed on her face as she lifted it to look at the massive tree in front of her. It was lit with so many lights, the orange glow reflected on her skin. Her mouth dropped open and her hands came back up to cover it in surprise. She stood for what seemed like forever, just staring and taking it in before finally letting her hands fall back down and turning to face him.

  His chest squeezed with emotion as he noticed the tears in her eyes.

  “Jared, it’s beautiful! But I don’t understand…”

  “Well, I know you said you’ve always wanted to see the big tree at Rockefeller Center but since I can’t really take you there right now and leave Maude alone, I thought maybe I’d try to bring it to you.” He looked up at the tree that stood in front of the Quinn Valley Senior Center and shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. Most men would get their girlfriends jewelry or chocolate, but no, Jared Webber got his, a giant Christmas tree.

  “I know it’s a bit silly, but I was talking with Joel the other day when he stopped by the clinic about how I’d like to do something… I was outside hanging your lights and we got talking, and well, I just thought this would be nice.” He’d planned this big speech about how much he cared about her and just wanted to make her happy, and now he was having trouble putting two words together.

  Brooke slowly walked toward the tree, her eyes wide and a smile covering her face. That was what he’d wanted to see.

  “It’s obviously not as big as the one in New York, and some day I’d really like to take you there for real.” Stop talking Jared. She can see it isn’t as big as the one in New York without you telling her!