by Tanya Agler
“But I might have lost my job. Maybe a lot more, too.” She loved helping kids like Emmie, teaching the GED class and planning groups like Mimosas and Masterpieces. “I walked out on Mr. Whitley when I found out Izzy and Tina were at the hospital. Our meeting is now Monday afternoon at one.”
His jaw dropped, and he drew her close, his freshly shaved cheek near her ear. “You did that for me?”
She separated from him and nodded. “Of course.”
“You’re amazing.”
The look in his eyes was gratitude, and she remembered everything about his parents and how their work was the most important part of their lives. “I promise that I will always put my family above my work.”
Hollydale and Jonathan were part of her family now. If he wanted her, that was.
His throat bobbed. “Brooke, I love you.”
“Then again, if I’m let go on Monday, I won’t be able to help you with your investigation anymore.”
“You don’t know, do you?” He pulled away and met her gaze. “The sheriff and I executed a search warrant at the home of the previous director when his son took off in his car. He crashed into Aunt Tina’s SUV.”
Chills wracked her body. “The former director’s son is behind the fake ID scheme?”
Jonathan nodded and rubbed the fleshy part of her hand, breaking through the numbness that had settled into her. “He wasn’t hurt in the crash. He was checked out and cleared at the scene. Now he’s confessed and is awaiting his bail hearing.” Jonathan launched into the rest of the story. “Once I figured out the keys were the missing factor, everything fell into place.”
Keys? The blood rushed to her ears, and she gripped the table.
“Thank goodness you told him about the phone call.” She hadn’t heard Colin open the back door, but she turned and there he was, his hands in his hoodie pocket.
“What phone call?” Jonathan released her, and his face hardened to stone.
“Mom?”
“I was going to tell you about it last night, but with one thing and another...” Brooke swallowed, her breathing shallow. “A while back, someone called my office, and Colin answered. The person never identified themselves, but he asked Colin for the keys to the center. My son hung up.”
How would Jonathan take this? Would he see this as a betrayal? A sign she still didn’t trust him? One look at the harsh set of his mouth answered just that.
“I originally didn’t tell you because you’d just accused Colin of trying to use a fake ID. I didn’t want him exposed to the same assumptions and pressures I endured as a teenager. I was scared.”
Jonathan scooted his chair away from her and stood. “My daughter was hurt in that accident.” His voice sounded faraway, like it was coming through a tunnel. “I saw her, immobile in the back seat.”
Colin moved toward the living room. “I’m going to take Daisy home while you and my mom work this out.”
Was there a way for them to do that? Brooke had just told Jonathan she loved him, and now they seemed worlds apart. In a second, their bond seemed to have shattered like those Christmas ornaments on the tile floor of the supply closet. The same way her world had shattered when her mother hadn’t supported her when Brooke told her she was pregnant.
She’d moved to Hollydale for a job, but had found so much more. Aunt Mitzi’s kindness and encouragement, the camaraderie of great friends, and Jonathan’s love.
“You helped me live again,” he said.
There was an unspoken but in Jonathan’s words. Everything she didn’t know she needed had been at her fingertips, and now there was a chasm there instead. “But it’s not enough,” Brooke finished his sentence.
Ever since she’d read that pregnancy stick, she’d had to maintain her composure. Grow up fast and take care of herself as best she could and a mother who partied and drank too much. Until now, she never dared risk everything out of sheer fear.
Some part of her held back in the community center’s parking lot and last night in Aunt Mitzi’s driveway, and now that mistake had cost her.
“I don’t know. I need time to think.” He leaned back against the counter and glanced away.
Brooke rose, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. She’d lose her job on Monday, and she lost any chance of a future with Jonathan now. “I don’t need time to know I love you. I can’t imagine why you’d ever put your heart on the line for me. Not after you suffered one moment that took so much from you, and another, today, might have taken even more.” She stopped, her voice cracking. She reached for her coat and threw it over her arm. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”
On her way out, she glanced at Izzy, still sleeping in the chair. The girl’s trust had been slow in coming, unlike her father’s. He seemed to trust Brooke right away. She’d had his love, and now?
She hadn’t trusted him enough when she should have, and it was time to live with those consequences.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
FORGET ABOUT RUNNING between raindrops. When the skies opened their floodgates like this, there was nothing to do but sprint to his squad car and stay dry. During his Monday morning shift, his first since the accident, vehicles had obeyed the speed limit, observing extra caution on this cold, damp day, as he monitored their speed with his radar gun. Worst of all, he’d done nothing except think of how he’d left things with Brooke.
Brooke. He felt pain at the silence between them over the weekend. Guilt struck him. She’d been carrying around the weight of the past and hadn’t trusted him to help her. Then again, her mother and Colin’s father had never supported her or allowed trust to flourish. It was understandable. Brooke had built a life for herself and Colin on her own, unlike him. When he’d started over, he had a support system that looked after him and his daughters.
Love was precious, once in a lifetime. If he was fortunate enough to have someone as terrific as Brooke in his life, was he throwing everything away because he had a genuine grievance? Or was he stuck on his pride once more?
He shook away those thoughts a good deal more easily than the wet chill invading his bones. He drove into town. Opening the door of The Busy Bean, he came close to bumping into Fabiana, who held her head high and passed by without saying hello, very unlike her.
Fabiana opened a leopard-print umbrella, and he held the door for Hyacinth, who passed him with a silent shake of her head. She huddled under the umbrella with Fabiana, and they hurried away. He hadn’t progressed another step when his aunt crossed the threshold.
“Aunt Tina! Should you be out of bed yet?”
She popped open a black umbrella with a pink ribbon supporting breast cancer research. “You sound like your uncle. I’m feeling better, and I don’t go back to work until next week. I needed to get out of the house, or your uncle and I were going to have words about how he’s treating me like a delicate butterfly. You can’t keep a good woman down. When you pick Izzy up from school, tell her I love her, and I’ll drop by tonight.”
She blew him a kiss. He’d started yet again into the Bean when Mitzi and Betty ran outside. He stood back to let them pass.
Mitzi simply looked at him and exhaled a deep breath. “I’m glad Izzy’s on the road to recovery. As far as you and Brooke, I’m staying out of it,” she said with a huff. “If two people can’t tell they’re meant for each other and see how precious love is, far be it from me to interfere and put in my two cents to tell them otherwise. But I will say, Officer Maxwell, you can get your hair cut at Chantal’s from now on.”
For Mitzi, that was strong language.
What did they want from him? He was the one whose child was injured in a car accident. Brooke had kept secrets, vital information that might have helped him crack the case sooner.
Because she hadn’t ever been around people who eyed her with anything less than distrust and suspicion.
She’d c
ome to town, a blank slate, full of enthusiasm for turning around the community center. And she’d done just that, providing a special place for encouragement and growth. In addition, she’d kept her promise to him that she wouldn’t tell anyone, even Whitley, about what was in that locker.
What had he done? He’d taken a picture of her son and put him in a photo lineup. That was his job, and he’d stand by that decision, but he could have been the one to tell her.
She protected her son by withholding the details of a conversation where neither she nor Colin knew the identity of the caller. Since Hinshaw had a stash of burners, Jonathan wouldn’t have tracked him down.
And Colin had hung up as soon as he realized the caller had ill intentions.
His pride had kept him from speaking out when Brooke stood in the kitchen. He’d had all the clues in front of him and yet he hadn’t followed up about Ray. And he didn’t realize the importance of keys until it was almost too late.
“Jonathan.” He glanced over at a small bistro table and found Mike talking to Aidan. “Just the person we wanted to see.”
Should he stay or should he go to the center and check on Brooke? Her rescheduled appointment with Mr. Whitley was a mere half an hour away. She’d risked her job to be by his side.
Reciprocating wasn’t just evening sides. She deserved his loyalty. It was the right thing to do for the woman he loved, the woman whose presence he was fortunate to have in his life and his kids’ lives.
“I have to go.”
“You got the job.” Mike waved him over and pointed to the open chair.
Jonathan furrowed his brow and navigated his way to the table. “What are you talking about?”
“The detective position.” Mike stood and clapped him on the back. “It’s yours.”
“Thanks for letting me know, but I have to be somewhere else. Let’s discuss this later.”
A weight lifted off his shoulders. He wasn’t his parents, and he never would be, detective or not. He was simply plain old Jonathan. Well, not so old and not so plain, he hoped. At least not in Brooke’s eyes, and that was all that mattered.
Someone tapped on his shoulder, and he turned around to find the owner, Deb, standing there with two disposable cups. “Just my regular blend, but tell Brooke her next cappuccino’s on the house.”
“How did you know?” He held up his hand and then accepted the cups instead. “Never mind. I don’t want these guys to get the impression you’d make the best detective in town.”
“Though I would.” Deb smiled, and he returned her smile, his first since Brooke left his kitchen.
“Yeah, but I’ll keep it our secret and give Brooke your message.”
If he wasn’t too late.
* * *
BROOKE PLACED THE last book into the box and dusted the shelf. She glanced around her office and willed herself not to cry. She’d been in bigger scrapes before and had always found a way through. This time, however, she’d also fallen in love.
How would she be able to stay in Hollydale and see Jonathan two, three or even more times each week? It had been hard enough being on the receiving end of glares of people she didn’t care about. To see Jonathan upset with her because she’d kept the call to herself? That would truly be awful.
Somehow, she’d manage. She’d become attached to this town. The pumpkin patch had been her first real taste. Deb at The Busy Bean memorized how much steamed milk she liked in her favorite cappuccino, her reward on Saturday mornings when she walked Daisy downtown. She loved every minute of trying on bridesmaids’ dresses with Lucie and Ashleigh and getting to know them better.
She’d find some job, any job, so she wouldn’t break her promise to Colin that he’d graduate from high school in Hollydale. Aunt Mitzi had been kind enough to extend their living arrangements, even after Brooke told her about ditching Mr. Whitley and the probable consequence of that decision. Later this afternoon, she’d hit the pavement and apply for positions at every establishment in Hollydale. She wasn’t too proud to work in Aunt Mitzi’s salon or even at Mo’s Gas and Bait Stop.
She took a deep breath and let it out, smoothing her wrinkled suit jacket that she hadn’t bothered to iron this morning. Mr. Whitley would be here in a few minutes, and then she’d carry the boxes out to her car and start over. She’d done it before. She’d do it again.
But wait, was she giving in? She talked a good game about not quitting, and yet the boxes proved the opposite. She’d begun unloading the first one when she heard a commotion in the lobby. Brooke hurried out and found Mr. Whitley unbuttoning his gray overcoat with a circle of women closing ranks on him.
“Brooke Novak is the best thing to happen to this center, and I’ve worked here since it opened, so I should know.” Betty waggled her finger at him.
“Brooke brings a melodious harmony to everyone who steps foot in the center.” Hyacinth adjusted her sunflower scarf that topped her bright yellow coat with rainbow leggings beneath. “She cares about a person’s artistic bent and every aspect of their well-being in constructing a total outer shell that matches the beautiful spirit...”
Fabiana tapped Hyacinth’s shoulder. “A feisty spirit that would have been a perfect match for my Carlos, except she fell in love with a police officer instead.”
“My nephew’s not bad-looking. He’s quite nice.” Tina smiled.
Mr. Whitley raised his black umbrella and brought the tip down on the tiled floor of the lobby. “Ladies!”
“We’re the Mimosas.” Aunt Mitzi raised her chin high. “And you know why? Because Brooke listened to us. We needed an outlet for our creativity, and she provided that.”
“The Matchmaking Mimosas,” Fabiana corrected her before smiling in Mr. Whitley’s direction. “I want grandchildren while I can spoil them rotten and send them home loaded up with sugar from my tres leches cake.”
Brooke’s heart swelled, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly. Who’d have guessed the teenager who had people whispering behind her back would have these shouts of love? These five wonderful ladies were standing up for her. She cherished each of them, and it was time to stand up for herself.
There’d never be a better opportunity than now. Heck, there might never be another opportunity, period.
“Look within yourself, Brooke Amber.” Aunt Mitzi only called her that when she wanted Brooke to pay special attention. “Now’s the time to meet your struggles. No more running away.”
How did her aunt do that? Know what she was thinking and say precisely what Brooke needed to hear.
“Mr. Whitley, thank you for returning for the third time in the past week.” She found her voice, and Hollydale helped contribute to that.
“Ms. Novak, you seem to have quite a few supporters.” He gestured at the women, who were smiling and high-fiving each other.
“I’m their biggest supporter. They’ve given me strength to confront my mistakes and do what I can to fix them.” She might never get another chance with Jonathan, but she deserved a chance to finish what she’d started at the center.
“And do you make that many mistakes?”
“Mr. Whitley, I think this conversation might go better in private. We can finish what we started last Friday.”
“So you admit you were wrong to walk out like that?” He arched an eyebrow, his tone challenging.
“I admit nothing of the kind.” She tilted her chin upward, the same way as Aunt Mitzi. “When a family emergency comes up, that will always take precedence. For a while, I was lucky to believe I might be part of Jonathan’s family. Which I messed up, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less special in my life.” She loved him, and the ache in her heart throbbed.
Tina came over and placed her arm around Brooke’s shoulders. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Tina squeezed before releasing her.
“Mr. Whitley, before we go upstairs, I wan
t you to promise that you’ll keep the Mimosas and Masterpieces art class going. These ladies helped me with the very successful Heartsgiving celebration, and they deserve this forum.”
“I don’t think you’re one to speak about promises, Ms. Novak. When I hired you, I trusted you’d inform me of any wrongdoing associated with the center, and you failed in that regard.”
“No, she didn’t.” Jonathan’s assertive voice was loud and clear.
Brooke stared at him standing there with Izzy. Jonathan placed two disposable cups on Betty’s desk. Mr. Whitley tapped his umbrella two more times on the lobby floor. “Excuse me? Have we met?”
“I’m Officer Jonathan Maxwell of the Hollydale Police Department. I asked for Brooke’s cooperation and swore her to secrecy. It was an official request, if you want to get into the semantics.” Jonathan wound his arm slowly around Izzy, carefully avoiding the purple cast. “In my time serving this town, I haven’t met anyone as responsible and reliable as Brooke. When she makes a promise, she delivers on her word.”
Brooke went over to Izzy. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“The school nurse said I needed some rest and Daddy came and signed me out for the rest of the day. When Daddy said he was coming here, I asked if I could tag along. I wanted to see you. I didn’t get much of a chance to the other day.” She yawned and shrugged, then yawned again and chuckled. “Good thing I have, since I probably need another nap soon.”
Jonathan gave his daughter a quick nod and let go. He stepped forward, snagging Brooke’s gaze. He focused on her and her alone now. “Brooke, I know my wanting to control what I can’t has led to some mistakes, but my feelings for you aren’t a mistake. Life is too short not to act on something real, and what we have together is real. I didn’t follow you out the door on Friday when you needed reassurance, and I’m sorry about that. I blamed you for someone else’s actions. That was all wrong. I love you.” He broke the gaze, hurried to Betty’s desk and returned with two cups in his hands. “I come bearing gifts.”
