by Rose Wulf
Looking over at her brother, Angela replied, “You of all people shouldn’t have to ask me that. You’re barely even dating Brooke, and look what happened to her.” She switched her attention to her parents again, completely oblivious to the surprise on her brother’s face. “Eric and I have been together for over a year now. If you didn’t trust him, you’d never let me bring him to family dinners, right? And yeah, I had been thinking about waiting. But now I think keeping him in the dark just puts him in more danger. He needs to know!”
“If that’s how you feel,” Lillian began carefully, pursing her lips for a moment before she added, “then of course you can tell him. I would have felt the same way if I were you.”
“Before you talk to him,” Christopher interjected, “keep in mind that you’d be giving him a lot of information very quickly. Take it from me, hearing all of this for the first time is somewhat overwhelming. But you’d be telling him more than your mother ever had to tell me. It could be a lot for him to take in.”
Angela frowned in frustration, though her tone was far from accusatory when she asked, “So you’re saying I shouldn’t tell him? Or do you think I should tell him in pieces?”
“I just think you should be careful about how, and when, you tell him,” Christopher said. “If he seems frustrated, or short-tempered, maybe that isn’t the best time. This isn’t just you telling him about your family. You have to tell him that, by being close to you, he might be in life-threatening jeopardy.”
Slumping back against the couch, Angela crossed her arms and released a heavy sigh. “I understand what you’re saying,” she assured them. “But I don’t know what to do. Every minute I put it off could be one minute too many!”
For a long minute, her family said nothing. Lillian and Christopher exchanged knowing looks. Blake glanced at his parents before returning his focus to his sister. It was easy for him to put himself in her place.
As Angela’s head rolled back so that she could stare blankly up at the ceiling, Blake bit the proverbial bullet and forced out the words that left an odd, unpleasant taste in his mouth. “The way I see it…” He kept his eyes on Angela though he sensed his parents shifting their own gazes to him. “The only person who needs to be sure that this is the right decision is you.”
Angela’s eyes widened, and she turned to look at him, startled by his words.
He continued before either party could pull together a response. “Eric may not be my favorite person, but I’m your brother—I’m not supposed to like your boyfriend. And more importantly, I trust you.” He paused to let his words sink in. “Besides, I didn’t consult anyone before I told Brooke about us, and we weren’t even dating. It hadn’t even occurred to me that they might go after her, and as a result she got hurt. I have to live with that.” It was odd to talk so openly about his relationship with Brooke, even if the mention had been miniscule. And technically, he and Brooke hadn’t had that conversation yet. They’d had too many other things on their minds at breakfast.
Slowly, Angela pushed out a breath and offered her brother an honest smile. She got up, crossed to the other side of the large couch, and then leaned forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Holding him close for a long moment, Angela whispered, “Thanks, Blake.”
Blake returned the hug easily. “Anytime, little sister.”
Angela pulled back and paused to glance at her parents. “I’ll be in my room.” She turned and scooped up her backpack as she ran toward the stairs.
When Angela was out of sight—and earshot—Lillian and Christopher turned their attention to Blake, who was suddenly feeling awkward. He hadn’t meant to overstep, but it suddenly felt like that was exactly what he’d done. “Uh, I’m sorry,” he began. “I suppose I shouldn’t have said it quite like that.”
“No,” Lillian said, shaking her head lightly, a small smile curving her lips. “You said the right thing. And I think, since she knows that none of you really like him, it meant more to hear you say that than it would have had we said it.”
Blake sighed, his eyes shifting toward the stairs thoughtfully. “Yeah … and it’s not like I said anything I didn’t mean.”
Christopher shifted in his chair, lacing his fingers loosely across his lap and grinning faintly as he said, “So, Blake, talk to us about Brooke.”
Blake’s head whipped around until he was once again facing his parents. “What do you mean?”
“She seems like a nice young woman,” Lillian declared calmly, a strange smile lighting up her eyes. “She’s perfectly sweet.”
“I’m … glad you like her,” Blake said slowly, knowing his parents were going somewhere else with this. He knew his family well enough to know there was something odd in the expressions on their faces. And he didn’t think he was going to like it.
“The question is,” Christopher continued casually, “just how much do you like her?”
There it is, Blake thought even as his stomach contorted strangely and his throat swelled. His parents had never gone out of their way to grill him about a girl before. Or at least never both at once. Clearing his throat self-consciously, Blake replied, “We haven’t really had the relationship conversation yet…”
Christopher lifted one eyebrow disbelievingly. “Yet you never told any of your other girlfriends, if memory serves.”
They were right, of course.
He knew that his impulsive need to tell Brooke, with so little consideration and even less hesitation, meant something. And he was even beginning to suspect what that something might be, but he was in no way ready to tell his parents that. First he had to admit it to himself.
“Blake,” Lillian called, pulling him from his thoughts and dragging his attention to her. Her blue eyes were gentle and understanding—encouraging, even. “Do you love her?”
The question hung in the air as Blake contemplated his answer. The mere fact that he didn’t immediately say ‘no’ had him hesitating. He swallowed heavily as he realized that the truth was, at this precise moment, he didn’t have an answer to that question. So he settled for the best answer he could provide. Gaze dropping to the coffee table, he said quietly, “Not yet.”
****
Brooke stepped into the dining area in time to see her new favorite person, accompanied by his three brothers, enter the diner. She was en route to deliver drinks to another table, so she was forced to be satisfied with a smile and a nod when their eyes met. As soon as he returned the gesture, Brooke altered course slightly and shifted her focus back to what she’d been doing.
She delivered the drinks to the college girls she didn’t know, took their orders, and then moved two tables over to greet the Hawke brothers. “Good evening, boys.” She smiled as she came to a stop at their table. They had claimed a center table this time, and since each brother had his own side, she came to a stop at the corner between Blake and Logan.
“Hey,” the brothers chorused as they looked over at her. Logan, Dean, and Nate all offered her honest, friendly smiles of varying sizes, but Blake’s smile was different. Warmer.
Wishing she had time for small talk, Brooke asked, “What brings you all my way tonight?”
Dean smirked, his gaze switching to Blake for a moment before returning to her as he said, “It seemed like the place to be.”
Blake rolled his eyes before looking up at Brooke and asking, “How’s the new window?”
Brooke’s smile was easy and genuine as she replied, “Fits like a glove.” Her attention shifted to Logan. “Thanks again.”
Logan shrugged. “No problem.”
“Well,” Brooke began as she flipped to a new page on her notepad, “I have an order to run back, so how ‘bout I pick up your drinks along the way?”
The brothers easily complied, and in no time Brooke had slipped into the kitchen. She was in the process of putting up the order when, from several feet behind her, a sudden round of heavy cursing filled the air. It was followed almost immediately by the unmistakable sound of food hitting
the trash.
Concerned, Brooke turned and moved up to the half-wall that separated her from the actual cooking area. Her eyes immediately landed on the diner’s head chef, Ed, as he moved toward the large sink and tossed in a dirty knife. He was still muttering curses as he turned back toward his station and therefore her.
“Everything okay, Ed?” Brooke asked gently. For as long as she’d been working there, she had never heard him talk like that. And though she wouldn’t claim to know him overly well, she was pretty sure she knew him well enough to tell that this was unusual behavior.
Ed paused mid-step, and his eyes snapped up to hers. He clamped his mouth shut and a flicker of embarrassment shone in his faded brown eyes before he finally sighed and gave a half-shake of his head. “Just having one of those days is all,” he said.
As Ed stepped up properly to his station and began working on something, Brooke asked, “Is there anything I can do?”
“Nah,” he replied with another head-shake, this time keeping his eyes on his work. “I just got a little distracted in my head and put the wrong ingredients in. But I gotta hurry to get it done now.”
“All right, then,” Brooke said, always one to take a hint. She stepped back from the divider. “I hope your night gets better.”
“Thanks, Brooke,” Ed called without lifting his head.
Brooke said nothing more as she stepped from the kitchen. She could tell he was still upset about whatever it was that was bothering him, but there really wasn’t anything she could do to help. We all have those days, she reflected as she moved to the drink station.
Georgia was suddenly behind her, a grin in her voice as she said, “I notice your favorite customers are back.”
Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Brooke said, “Does this mean you’re closing tonight?”
“Yep,” Georgia replied. “But, hey, better tonight than this time next week.”
Brooke let out a small laugh, setting the last glass on her tray, and turned as she said, “I hear you.” She paused and raked her eyes over her friend. “I thought you’d gone blonde for the month?”
Georgia lifted one perfectly manicured hand and tangled it in a loose strand of her red hair. “I thought so, too. But I decided I missed the red. It gives a little color to this place, you know?”
“That it does,” Brooke agreed as she carefully maneuvered around her.
“Have fun!” Georgia called after her as Brooke moved toward the dining area.
Brooke ignored her and made her way easily back toward Blake’s table. When she reached her destination, she noticed the atmosphere was entirely different than it had been when she’d left. A different type of concern settling over her, she asked quietly, “Something wrong?”
Chapter Twelve
Nate was rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache, eyes closed and one fist clenched on the table. Dean had pushed back in his chair, arms crossed, glaring a hole through the table in front of him. Logan had one elbow on the table, mouth a thin line, with both fists clenched. He flicked his gaze up to her when she spoke, acknowledging her words, but made no effort to speak.
Blake sighed in frustration, moving his arms as Brooke set down his drink. “Not exactly.”
Dean shot forward in his seat, but he managed to keep his voice low as he hissed, “How can you say that? What’s not wrong about this?”
Brooke’s attention had shifted to Dean when he’d spoken, but she was feeling incredibly confused. As she continued setting down their drinks, she asked, “Why do I feel like I’m missing something?”
Again it was Blake who answered her question. “Angela’s decided to tell her boyfriend about everything. I was there when she made the decision, so I got to tell them.”
She straightened as he spoke. “Um, maybe I’m still missing something, but … why is that such a bad thing?”
“We don’t even know if he can keep a secret,” Nate pointed out.
“More than that,” Dean insisted lowly. “It’s not like he’s gonna stick around forever. He’s not right for her, but she won’t see it, and lord only knows how he’ll treat her after this!”
Meeting his brother’s angry gaze, Blake said, “He’s never done anything to hurt her, Dean. We have to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Dean leaned back in his chair once again. “I can’t believe you’re okay with this.”
Brooke tried not to smile as Blake heaved a sigh and opted not to respond to his brother’s statement. It’s amazing that girl even has a boyfriend, she reflected as her eyes moved around the table once more. It was obvious to her they disliked Angela’s boyfriend for one simple reason: she was their little sister, and more than likely no man would be good enough.
Still, she felt the overwhelming urge to diffuse the situation, so she said, “I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I’m sure it’ll all work out just fine.”
A long stretch of contemplative silence followed her declaration before Blake lifted his gaze back to hers and smiled faintly.
****
It was the last day of school before Spring Break—for Brooke at least—and she smiled to herself as she stepped into the parking lot after class. She had nothing specific to be happy about, but the weather was nice, and she didn’t have to work for a few hours still. In that moment, it was enough. She knew if she actually got to thinking about the workload she had ahead of her, she might rethink her good mood, but she had the time to put off those depressing thoughts for a couple of days.
Her car was in sight when someone called out to her. The voice was male, and faintly familiar, but not one she could place off the top of her head. Still, she stopped walking and turned slightly to the side, looking for the man in question. And then she saw him, jogging toward her with an easy grin on his lips.
“Hey, Josh,” Brooke said when he was standing before her. Josh was in her last class of the day, and the two of them had been paired together for an assignment that had been due that afternoon. They had shared other classes together sporadically over the past couple of semesters, but rarely talked.
Josh’s grin broadened slightly. “Hey. I’m glad I caught up with you.” He paused to take a breath and lifted one hand, gesturing vaguely as he spoke. “Me and some friends are gonna grab a couple drinks tomorrow at that bar downtown, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?”
For a moment, Brooke found herself speechless. Well … I didn’t see that coming. “I’m sorry, Josh, but, uh, I’m meeting my boyfriend after work tomorrow. You’ll have to go with someone else.” Okay, so they didn’t actually have plans, and she had no idea if Blake thought of them in boyfriend/girlfriend terms, but it was a good excuse. That was what mattered.
Josh’s grin faltered a bit, though it didn’t outright disappear. “Well, damn. Maybe we could hook up when you’re not working sometime? We could grab burgers or something if you’d rather.”
Brooke smiled politely even as she shifted her weight, preparing to take a step backwards. This guy didn’t know how to take a hint, apparently. “The truth is, Josh, I’m just not interested.” Sometimes you have to say it like it is. Still, she hoped it hadn’t come off too harsh. She was going to have to see him at least twice a week for almost two more months.
Grin remaining strong this time, Josh shrugged and said, “Well, let me know if you change your mind.” He turned to walk away, pausing to lift one hand in a small wave. “See you around.”
Brooke held her ground, and her tongue, until he had walked past another row of cars. Then she sighed and shook her head even as she turned to resume her walk. Some guys… But she stopped after taking only two steps as her eyes landed on the male figure leaning casually against her Civic.
“Hey,” Blake called without removing his hands from his pockets. And dang did he look good like that.
Her lips twitched, and Brooke quickly crossed the final row of cars until she was standing before him. “Hey,” she said. “How long have you been standing here?”
/>
He shrugged. “Not too long. I’d have said something, but I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Brooke groaned. “You saw that?”
His grin was apparent in his voice as he replied, “Yep. Heard it, too. Was I not supposed to?”
Brooke rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, it was a hugely private conversation. I can’t believe you eavesdropped.”
Blake chuckled and pushed off of her car. “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but we hadn’t gotten around to making plans for tomorrow night yet, had we?”
Brooke’s own lips curved into a mischievous grin as she said, “You’re not wrong. But Josh didn’t know that. I was hoping it’d be an easier out.”
“Gotcha.” Blake’s eyes danced to match his grin. “Well, don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He even threw in a wink for good measure.
Laughing, Brooke asked, “What happened to your last class?”
“He let us out early for good behavior,” Blake replied with an almost-straight face.
Brooke let out a brief laugh. “How lucky!”
“I thought so.”
As Brooke dug out her keys, she asked, “Hey, how did the boyfriend thing go?” She was suddenly incredibly self-conscious using that word directly toward him after what he’d overheard. What he overheard and didn’t correct … or comment on at all. She didn’t know what to make of that.
His grin faded, and he sighed almost inaudibly. “Don’t know yet. I imagine I’ll find out this afternoon.”
“Ah,” Brooke replied. “Sorry, I know it’s not my business. I was just curious.”
Blake slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. “No apologies necessary. You are my girlfriend, after all.”
Brooke’s heart tripped in her chest, and her lips lifted in an automatic smile. She nearly forgot she was probably expected to comment. “True,” she finally offered, still smiling.
Blake leaned around and pressed his lips briefly over hers before releasing her altogether. As he stepped back enough to let her access her car, he said, “Well, I’ll let you go. Catch up with you later?”
