Gradually, the photo crew had everything back in place, bringing the sofa back in the house, and loading their vehicle. She waved at them as they headed down the drive to the main road.
Brooke was surprised when Logan and Decklan stepped up on the porch. She stared at them over the kids’ heads for a moment, noting their resigned expressions. Quietly she asked, “Ice cream?” They nodded and she smiled.
All of them silently accepted that their relationship would have to have boundaries if any of it was going to work. There was too much at risk, not the least of which were their reputations, to allow sex to ruin it.
Brooke was glad they were still willing to be her friends because she was going to need them to deal with everything coming once they started recording and touring. As grounded as she was, the life of a country star was unknown to her. She had people depending on her, who needed her to keep it together.
After she made huge BLT’s, she warmed up her fresh peach cobbler and scooped ice cream over it, smiling as the brothers took the bowls with a smile and groaned at their first taste. They took their time over the food, talking and laughing as if they’d all known one another for years.
Almost like a family, Brooke would think more than once.
That was the day two of country music’s most hell-raising bachelors became surrogate uncles to two sweet little girls who missed their daddy and a growing young man in need of male companionship.
It was the first time Brooke glimpsed who they were behind the public persona. Witnessed the humor, the kindness, the shared upbringing they had in common. Saw the men they might be one day behind the mask of the good-time cowboys with too much charm and money, dark male beauty, and an overabundance of sex appeal.
Sexually innocent but wildly curious, with a horrific sense of loneliness no one knew she carried, it was when Brooke realized she was going to fall in love with them, both of them, despite her best intentions.
And it was going to hurt.
A lot.
Chapter Seven
Summer 2007…
The members of Broken Bronco busted their ass in the studio and finished the last tracks for the new album over two exhausting weekends. As planned, Brooke picked up all the kids from school on Fridays and drove straight to Dallas, coming back late on Sunday night.
Without Jeanette, her assistant-slash-nanny, the schedule wouldn’t have been possible. She kept the kids safe and entertained all weekend so Brooke could focus on her new career.
A career she loved beyond all reason.
The brothers added a couple of her original songs to the album which had shocked her silent until she’d burst into tears. At first uncomfortable, they eventually didn’t try to hide that they were laughing at her but handed her Kleenex so she guessed that was something. They were Broken Bronco; she would have never considered asking to add her own songs. It moved her that they’d thought of her.
Every weekend morning, before they got started, Brooke brought her three siblings to the studio with her after an early breakfast at their hotel. They’d get there before everyone else and she’d play with them, all of them jamming on the nicer, newer equipment.
Logan caught them at it one morning and asked a tech to record them. He and Decklan went into the soundproof room and picked up their guitars. They did several covers of the kids’ favorite songs amid laughter and teasing.
When Jeanette took them out for the day so Brooke could get to work, she listened happily while the younger Kincaids told her all about the jam session. The girls were on cloud nine and Jackson was very proud of his sister.
The quiet and unassuming woman was a lifesaver in every sense of the word for the Kincaid family. Brooke owed her so much and her siblings adored her. Little by little, she was pulling her from her quiet shell. It was hard to remain isolated around the Kincaid kids. After almost three months of constant interaction, Jeanette was finally beginning to laugh out loud.
There was a wrap party the weekend after they finished the album and all of them took their time getting fancied up at the hotel. Jackson looked sharp in his dark brown suit and Brooke teared up a little at how grown up he was getting. The moment he was ready he started going insane with a pair of drumsticks on every hard surface of their suite.
Since Brooke was a bundle of raw nerves about her upcoming appearance, it was all she could do not to beat him to death with them.
The girls were beautiful in blue-green silk little girl dresses with fluffy layered skirts that made them look like wood sprites. While Brooke pulled on fancy silk stockings she’d never owned before, they danced on the tile of the hotel bathroom floor, loving the sound of their shiny dress shoes on the marble.
The moment they were released from the bathroom, they headed into the living room and passed the time dancing together. Jeanette got several photos of all of them. The Kincaids had realized weeks before that she was creating a photo journal of their summer and Brooke’s first tour. There wasn’t a more thoughtful person than the gentle woman they’d happily absorbed into their little family.
The oldest Kincaid wore a dress that had been picked by someone else and as she pulled it on, she realized it was gorgeous but not something she would have thought to get for herself. Also blue-green, it was a fitted bodice with spaghetti straps that flared into delicate layers of chiffon at her hips. The hemline was uneven and didn’t fall further than her knees. The shoes were four-inch matching stilettos.
It was a dress made for a grown woman and it was the first time Brooke truly felt like a woman. It was enough to give her chills since it was officially her eighteenth birthday. When Sidney, the brash young redhead Brooke had chosen as her stylist, pulled her hair into a sophisticated up-do, she felt beautiful.
Laughing at her look of awe, Sidney asked, “Are you ever going to cut loose and let me get crazy with your style?” Brooke shook her head with a shy smile and the other woman laughed, “Then I’ll have to keep trying, honey, because you are too pretty to be good all the time.”
With a wink she finished with the girls and Jackson before giving Jeanette a quick color lift around her eyes and cheeks against the shy woman’s protests. “Jeanette, you have a damn pretty figure. This sheath is perfect for you, classy and pretty. Accept your loveliness.”
Jeanette’s face was bright pink and she thanked Sidney softly. Sidney’s own dress was a sexy black number that highlighted her athletic figure and made her hair and eyes pop. More of a risk-taker, she went more dramatic with her hair and makeup, wearing tall black platform pumps that screamed ‘sex’. All of them were impressed when she emerged from the third bedroom with a grin.
“I so love parties. We’re going to have a blast!” Hands on her hips, she told Becca and Molly, “No rowdy drinking games tonight, young ladies. No gambling. No flirting with cute men. Are we clear?” Both girls were in fits of giggles.
A limo took them to the hotel where an enormous ballroom had been reserved by the studio. Media people were waiting, VIP rope held back spectators, and Brooke’s nerves jumped in reaction. Hesitating to get out, Logan and Decklan appeared outside the limo to help each of the kids, Jeanette, and Sidney out before taking Brooke’s hands and tugging her gently onto the red carpet.
Placing her hands in the bend of their arms, putting theirs over hers to keep her in place, they paused several times for photos as Jeanette maneuvered the kids inside. “Breathe and smile, Brooke. That’s all. Don’t worry about a thing. We have you.”
Relieved to get through the doors at last, the brothers told her to take a deep breath as they entered the main ballroom and at least a thousand people began to clap and cheer. Brooke started to back up only to have Logan and Decklan take a subtle but firmer grip on her.
Leading her directly to the stage, they performed two of the album tracks without giving her time to get nervous. It was the first time she hadn’t had to throw up before performing live. There were so many ovations she began to blush furiously which the monitor behind her
displayed beautifully.
They took turns dancing with her and leading her around to introduce her to all the people she’d never met before. Meeting Toby Keith in person had almost made her faint. He leaned down to kiss both her cheeks and told her the music industry needed a woman who still knew how to blush. Tilting her head up, he wished her luck and she stammered a thank you. He watched her with a toothy smile as the twins led her away.
Around and around she was spun and introduced and fawned over while being simultaneously awestruck. When she met Reba there were no words for how she felt. She literally went silent with her hands folded in front of her. With a gentle smile, Reba pulled her off to the side and they whispered quietly.
After a several minutes, she brought Brooke back to the Bradshaw brothers. “I like her so take good care of her, boys.” They nodded and she kissed Brooke’s cheek then left with a smile.
“I’m going to have a fit. I cannot believe…did that just happen? Did I just have a conversation with Reba? Am I dreaming right now because I think I’m in the hayfield. I must have bumped my head.” Laughing, the twins took her over to the kids and she grabbed the three of them. “Reba…Reba talked to me and kissed my cheek.”
Becca asked in awe, “Which one?” Brooke pointed and Becca touched it. “I’d never wash it ever. I’d let it get dirty and would not care.” Then she whispered, “I saw Toby Keith, Brooke. I did. He is huge in person and so cute.”
Jackson pulled them out on the dance floor to Baby Girl and they all switched up dancing together. Becca held her hands up and Brooke lifted her, singing along and feeling when her littlest sister fell asleep on her shoulder. They forgot they were in a roomful of people as she twirled Molly out with one hand when Jackson took Becca off her.
“She’s getting heavier,” Brooke told him gratefully.
He patted her back and went to sit with her until Jeanette got back from the restroom. Logan bowed to Molly and danced with her as Decklan took Brooke in his arms. When another song came on, they switched partners and then took her back to the table. “You guys hungry?”
“Sis, we’ve been eating the entire time. We’re fine and having a great time people watching. I have Becca and Molly so go do your thing, Brooke. You’ve worked hard for it.” Jackson winked at her and Decklan sat beside him.
Logan took her out to dance again and held her close. “How you doing, Brooke?” She nodded with a faraway expression on her face. “Look at me, sweetheart, you okay?”
“I…I miss my parents. Tonight especially.” Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked hard and willed them not to fall. Breathing deeply, she succeeded in getting control and he wanted her more than ever. “Thank you for everything, Logan.”
“No, thank you Brooke. You’ve already done so much for us, for the band. Our sales are skyrocketing with the news that you’re joining us. Travis said the website hits have tripled since we uploaded the photo shoot and the fan club is four times what it was. You’ve also changed a lot for us personally, given us a little group of people to worry about. That means something. Your folks would be so proud of you.”
He kissed her forehead and led her to the edge of the dance floor where Decklan was waiting to take her back out. “You look beautiful, Brooke. The girls are damn adorable and Jackson looks very much like the man he’s going to be one day. You do good work. Are you having fun?” She nodded and tightened her arms slightly around him. “You’re a natural, you know. Already a hit and we couldn’t be prouder.”
Her mouth curved slightly, “Y’all are very good for my ego, I can tell you that much.”
“You’re easy to compliment, Brooke, we don’t have to fake it with you, honey.” He moved her around the floor and when a faster number came on, he two-stepped with her, loving how well she moved.
Dancing with either of the twins was fun and exciting. They were relaxed and very good. Glancing around, Brooke noted Sidney was dancing with lots of different men and wasn’t in the least interested in any of them. The smile on her face was practiced and forced though not entirely unhappy.
Jeanette sat at their table sipping water. She preferred keeping a close eye on Becca and Molly, so she was never far from them. Brooke knew she was incredibly shy around men and wondered how to pull her out of her shell. Someone so generous with herself deserved a person who loved and appreciated them.
A little while later a bonus track from their CD started playing that Brooke had never heard. Jackson listened to several notes and woke Becca up. A huge screen at the front of the ballroom showed the Kincaid family during one of their jam sessions in the studio. All four of them plus Logan and Decklan were doing a cover of The World, the little ones’ favorite song.
Jackson pulled Brooke to him tight with his hand around her waist, each of them with an arm around a little sister. All of them were shaking with emotion. As it came to an end, the place erupted with applause and Becca whispered, “Are they…is everyone clapping for us?” Brooke nodded teary-eyed and turned to the Bradshaw brothers. She hugged them hard as she cried and they hugged her back, crushing her between them.
The emcee called them all to the stage and they made their way up slowly. The brothers strapped on guitars, Jackson went to the drums, Molly the piano, and Becca took a tambourine from a stage hand with a nervous little giggle and a curtsy.
As Brooke picked up her fiddle, the brothers nodded and winked at her. They did a rocking cover of We’re from the Country and thrilled everyone in attendance. Begged to play another, Brooke had no choice but to follow Jackson’s drum intro to Devil Went Down to Georgia. She knew she had never played so hard in her life. Decklan led and all of them joined in on the chorus.
On the last note there was a moment of stunned silence before howls and cheers exploded around the room. Knowing the celebrities attending, Brooke felt a moment of intense clarity about her future with Broken Bronco. For the first time she knew she was going to be alright.
As the clock struck midnight, they sang Happy Birthday to Brooke who was at last a legal adult. The Bradshaw brothers welcomed her officially to the band and the label but more importantly to the family of country music. Then she did cry a little and her family huddled around her.
A few more rounds of mingling and she gathered her brother and sisters to head back to the hotel. Logan and Decklan walked them out to the limo and kissed her cheeks as she got in. They’d asked if she wanted them to follow her back to the hotel but she could tell they had other things on their mind and wanted to stay. She smiled and let them off the hook, trying not to pay attention to the pain in her chest at the guilty faces they wore as they turned to head back inside.
The siblings and their entourage filled the limo with happy laughter; the three women chatting animatedly and not discussing the twins in any way. The minute they entered the suite, every one of them stripped out of their party clothes, pulled on pajamas, and crashed hard.
For the first time in a very long time all of them slept late. It felt amazing.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Brooke opened the laptop Travis had insisted on giving her. Her screensaver was the day of the photo shoot when they were all playing in the water together.
She wrote a personal check to an elderly woman back home in Idabel and tucked it into the shipping box Jeanette offered to take downstairs for her. Miss Harmon was in poor health and wasn’t wealthy but had helped Brooke on two separate occasions when she’d needed urgent repairs on her old truck. Her grandson had driven out to the ranch with the parts and repaired it in her barn. Brooke had never forgotten it and it had felt good to send her a beautiful, hand-crafted quilt and a check for double the amount she felt she owed.
Checking the news and weather, she saw a picture in the local celebrity section of Logan and Decklan leaving the party the night before with a lovely brunette with a caption that read, “Lucky Girl”. It hurt her but she pretended it didn’t and let it go. She didn’t have any claim on the Bradshaw brothers an
d she never would. That was reality.
She copied the picture and put it in a file labeled ‘Logan & Decklan’ as a reminder that the Bradshaw brothers could never…would never…be hers.
Eventually everyone stumbled out of the bedrooms looking groggy but happy. They went for brunch close to noon and two young women asked for Brooke’s autograph. Shyly, her surprise at being recognized evident, she gave it to them then posed for a picture. They looked about her age so she exchanged email addresses. She told them she’d welcome their emails on the road since she was bound to get bored.
They headed to the studio and she was working with the techs for almost two hours before the brothers showed up. They sipped coffee and watched her work through bleary eyes. Brooke controlled her thoughts, refusing to let them race over the many reasons they were so exhausted. Logan tried to rub her shoulders and she subtly stepped away pretending to need water.
From their first true studio session together, Brooke had known she would always work harder than they did but she didn’t mind. She had more time to make up, more people to support on the money she earned. There was more at stake for her and she had to make sure her inclusion in their band worked out.
Putting a little bit of distance between them was better for her personally and professionally.
Three days after the album wrap party the local radio stations started playing their first single. Within forty-eight hours the fan mail started arriving. The label was forwarding it from Nashville to the satellite studio in Dallas.
Brooke got Jackson to help her sort through it. There were envelopes with letters and cash, photos of potential suitors, jewelry, stuffed animals, and plane tickets to visit people she’d never met. It was surreal.
He helped catalogue everything and she created a thank you template on her computer. She returned the jewelry with a personal note, donated the stuffed animals to a local Dallas shelter that helped families with small children, and divided the cash between a charity for military veterans and the ASPCA.
Yes to Everything Page 6
