Brooke chuckled. “Yeah, well, last night Robert took me somewhere and we didn’t even have to leave the bed.”
Emily let out a loud laugh. “That good, huh? You didn’t mention anything today about last night.”
“Well, I was sort of playing Chase’s private nurse.” Brooke laughed. “I’m just kidding. I’m so happy for him and Anna. I was so honored they asked me to be there for the delivery. I just hope all those sweet angels pull through. I’m worried about Twinkle.”
“I can’t believe that baby has a nickname before her real name,” Emily said.
“Can’t blame me,” Brooke said with a laugh. “That one’s on Chase. And God help that girl when she grows up. She’ll be twenty-five before he lets her go on a date.”
Emily chuckled, then sobered. “I’m so glad Anna didn’t have to have a hysterectomy.”
“Me, too.” Brooke said. “Of course, I don’t think they’re going to want more after having an instant family.”
Emily just snorted.
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re right. They both want like ten kids. Not me. Two, three at the most.”
“I’ll make sure to tell Robert that,” Emily said.
“Robert? What’s he got to do with this?” Brooke asked. “Robert and I aren’t anywhere near close enough to be talking marriage, let alone babies.”
“I predict that will come to pass. You and Robert did catch the bouquet at Kate and Ric’s wedding, remember?”
Brooke smirked. “That doesn’t mean that we’re going to get married.”
Emily said, “But that’s when you started crushing on him a little bit.”
“Maybe, but he was more of a little distraction that day. I mean, Jamal and I hadn’t been broken up all that long.” She took a sip of wine. “No. I take that back. I think I would’ve noticed Robert even if I hadn’t broken up with Jamal.”
“Really? Why?”
“Now, don’t get me wrong, Superman is one tasty man, but it’s his personality that really caught my attention the first time we met,” Brooke said. “He was so polite and respectful. He’s more laid back than the other guys and he has a dryer sense of humor.”
Emily said, “He does have a different vibe about him. A good vibe.”
Brooke smiled. “You don’t have to sell him to me.”
TJ cried in the background and Emily said, “Time for me to put the little man down. Ty’s reading Hayley a bedtime story. I want more details about all this. Call me tomorrow.”
“Okay. Kiss both the kids for me,” Brooke said.
Emily promised she would and they hung up. Sipping on her wine, Brooke thought about Jamal. She hoped that he’d gotten the message. Before her blood pressure climbed any higher, she decided to put him out of her mind. There was no better way to do that than to call the new man in her life.
* * *
“Son of a bitch,” Robert said pleasantly through between clenched teeth.
Cletus planted his feet and refused to move. Robert had arrived home to find the mule eating the shrubs by the front door. He’d kicked down the top railing of a section of fence and had jumped over. Robert had been relieved that Precious hadn’t followed him out of the pasture.
He’d had to repair the railing and reinforce it because if Cletus sensed weakness in the same spot, he’d keep getting out at that location. Now, he was trying to get Cletus into his stall, but the mule had stopped at the barn door and wouldn’t budge.
Yelling at mules never accomplished anything except to make them even more temperamental. That’s why Robert kept his voice mild and tried to coax Cletus with pats and kissing noises. He also knew better than to tempt Cletus with food because it would only make Cletus think that bad behavior would be rewarded. He’d become a repeat offender in no time.
Robert had been trying to cajole Cletus into returning to his stall for over ten minutes. Finally, he decided to teach Cletus a lesson. He dropped Cletus’ lead rope and went to the tack room for a ground stake. He hammered it into the dirt barn floor and tested it. The mule wasn’t going anywhere. Then he put half a scoop of sweet feed in Cletus’ food box.
Cletus headed for his stall, but the ground stake brought him up short. He brayed and looked at Robert for help, but Robert ignored him and walked out of the barn. Cletus blew through his nostrils and carried on, but Robert just stood out of sight.
His cellphone rang and he almost ignored the call until he saw Brooke’s name on the screen. “Hi. Can I interest you in a misbehaved mule?” he asked.
Brooke’s pretty laugh made him smile. “Only if I can interest you in a pain in the ass ex-fiancé.”
A jolt of surprise ran through Robert. “You mean Jamal?”
“Yeah. Maybe we could send them both off into the sunset together,” Brooke suggested.
“That could be arranged,” Robert said. “Did Jamal call you?”
Brooke replied, “Pfft! I wish he’d only called, but he doesn’t have my new number. I changed it when I told him to leave. He had the nerve to show up at my door tonight.”
Robert shoved a hand in his jeans pocket and leaned against the corner of the barn he stood by. “What did he want?”
“I’m guessing to give things another try. That’s a complete nonstarter,” Brooke said. “He just doesn’t want to admit defeat.”
Self-doubt crowded Robert’s mind, but he acted nonchalant. “Sounds like it. Well, he had his shot with you and he blew it. His loss and my gain.”
“That’s right.” Brooke’s voice took on a sexy tone. “Definitely my gain, too.”
He tried to keep the huge grin on his face out of his voice. “I’m glad you think so.”
“After last night, I hope that you believe me. Robert…I’ve never had a man make me feel like that,” she said.
Robert’s ego gave itself a high-five. “Really?”
“Really. But it’s not just that you’re red-hot in bed,” Brooke said.
Manly pride threatened to bust Robert’s chest wide open. “Oh? There’s more?”
“Don’t be so smug.”
“Who, me? Never. I’m not known for smugness.”
Cletus had quieted down, so Robert started walking back to the barn door.
Brooke said, “You may be humble, but I hear the caveman in your voice.”
Robert chuckled as he entered the barn. Cletus stood staring at his stall. Robert unhooked the lead rope from his halter and the mule trotted over to the stall door. “Continue to sing my praises,” he said.
He grinned at Brooke’s exaggerated sigh. “I’ve created a monster. You’re a unique combination of manly, sexy, and gentlemanly. It’s rare to find a guy like that.”
Robert opened Cletus’ stall and he hurried inside. “It’s how I was raised. Dad’s a minister and taught us to be humble, kind, and how to treat a lady.”
“I didn’t know your dad’s a minister. Oh, no. Were you one of those rebellious minister’s kids that raised hell?” Brooke asked.
Robert closed Cletus’ stall door and started for the house. “No, that was the rest of my siblings. Well, they rebelled first, and then I rebelled later.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m the baby of us five kids, and I was the most well-behaved. I did everything that was ever asked of me, but it still wasn’t good enough,” Robert said. “My two brothers and two sisters pulled every stunt in the book; drinking, sex, taking the car for a joyride. You name it, they did it.”
Robert stifled the old hurt as he mounted the back-porch steps. “They got the lion’s share of the attention while I was barely a blip on Mom’s radar. Of course, it probably didn’t help that I was a fat geek who was awkward and shy.”
“Oh, Robert. I’m sorry. How could a minister act like that to his son?” Brooke said.
“Easy. I wasn’t Mom’s. Dad gave in to the temptations of one of his parishioners, and I’m the result. She was young and scared. About a week after I was born, she left me on their doorst
ep with a note explaining who I was.
“Mom went through the roof, but Dad begged her forgiveness and convinced her that raising me was the right thing to do. She never really loved me, though,” Robert said. “Dad gave me as much love as he could, but he always felt so guilty that it was hard for him.”
“So, you were treated like an outcast for something that wasn’t your fault.” A hard edge tinged her words. “All too common I’m afraid.”
Robert shrugged and sat down on a porch chair. “I’ve let go of most of the bitterness. My siblings all straightened up and went into the ministry. Mom and Dad expected me to do the same, but I couldn’t since I don’t really believe in God.”
Brooke was quiet for a moment. “You don’t?”
“Not in the traditional sense of the word. I believe that there’s a higher power, but I don’t think that any one religion can really define exactly what or who it is,” Robert said. “Religions all over the world have similar creation stories and gods who are also similar. Who’s to say who’s right or wrong?”
“Hmm. I never thought of that way,” Brooke said.
Corky scratched on the screen door to be let out and Robert complied with his request. Sketch ambled out behind his buddy. “Neither did my parents. They weren’t happy when I expressed my views when I was sixteen and refused to become a minister. My brothers and sisters took their side, so I really was an outcast in my own house.
“I worked hard in school, got a scholarship to Colorado U, and left the day after graduation. I earned my business degree and worked at some firms in Denver, but then I met Kate and later on, her fiancé Phil. We became the best of friends and moved here when Kate opened her practice a few years ago.”
“I don’t know what to make of you.”
Robert let out a short laugh. “What’s that mean?”
“You’re a fascinating man. Sort of like a good cozy mystery novel.”
“Okay. Not liking that comparison. They’re pretty bland reading,” Robert commented.
Brooke chuckled. “Not the really great ones. You’re like a compelling plotline. Just when you think you know who the killer is, it turns out to be someone you never suspected. That’s what you’re like. There’s more to you than meets the eye. Just like a good superhero.”
“We’re back to that, huh?” Her explanation reassured Robert that she didn’t find him boring. He hated the lingering insecurity.
“That’s right. You’re just like Clark Kent. You show the world one thing, but there’s another side to you. One that only a few people see,” Brooke said. “I hope I get to see more of your secret side.”
Secret. Robert blocked out the words that reverberated inside his mind. “We’ll see,” he teased. “So, how about you go climbing with me tomorrow morning?”
“What? Oh, no. I’m terrified of heights.”
“There’s a really small wall that’s perfect to learn on,” Robert said. “I’d never let anything happen to you, Brooke. You can be Wonder-Woman to my Superman.”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a rock climbing outfit.”
“Just a pair of jogging tights or some sort of shorts is fine,” Robert said. “We’ll do just one quick climb and then go out to breakfast.”
“Are you trying to tempt me with food?”
“Is it working?”
“Yes.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at eight,” Robert said.
“Okay. Night.”
He loved how easy their banter was. “Night, honey.”
Hanging up, Robert tried to quell his disquiet about Jamal, but it was hard. It was never a good thing when an ex started sniffing around again.
Robert sighed as he got up from his chair and went inside. Too keyed up to go to bed, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and settled on the couch with his laptop. He spent the next couple of hours catching up on world events, which always relaxed him.
His thoughts turned to the night of passion with Brooke and desire pulled at him. Although it wasn’t their fault, the arrival of the McIntyre triplets had upset his plans for the weekend. All their dates had gotten interrupted. If Anna hadn’t gone into labor, he and Brooke would be enjoying each other right then.
Was the universe conspiring against them? Could that be why Jamal had suddenly reappeared in Brooke’s life? Robert channeled the anger that burned in his heart into resolve. He loved Brooke and he wasn’t going to let some asshole who’d hurt her drive a wedge between them.
Robert knew that he’d lost his heart to Brooke too soon, which was why he’d be patient. He’d reveal his feelings for her at some point, but only when and if he sensed that she was falling for him. He might have made her feel incredible in bed, but that wasn’t any basis for a lasting relationship.
As he drank his third beer, Robert decided that since what he was doing with Brooke was working just fine, he’d stay the course. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be ready to chart a new course, but why panic until there was a problem? He smiled as something Chase always said popped into his mind. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Feeling confident again, Robert finished his beer, put his laptop away, and went to bed.
Chapter 14
“Keep going. You’re doing great.”
Brooke had only climbed ten feet, but she was terrified of falling. She’d never climbed trees or ladders as a kid. She preferred a good book. She was only doing this because she wanted to further understand Robert and thought that maybe learning about climbing would help her do that.
“Find your next hold,” he said from below her.
Brooke searched the craggy rock face of what Robert had assured her was an easy climb. She tested a couple of places, but she didn’t think they’d hold her. “There aren’t any. How am I supposed to go anywhere? How do I get back down?” Her stomach soured with fear.
“Don’t panic. I got you. I won’t let you get hurt,” Robert said. “Close your eyes for a moment and take a deep breath.”
Brooke clung tighter to her current holds, but her left calf threatened to cramp. “Close my eyes? Are you crazy? No way. I don’t want to fall.”
“Brooke, close your eyes.”
His firm tone made her roll her eyes. “Fine.” She shut them. “Now what? Picture my happy place?”
She couldn’t resist smiling when she heard the warm chuckle she was coming to love. “No. Just let your mind settle and tell the mountain that it’s not going to beat you.”
Brooke’s brow wrinkled. “You want me to talk to the mountain?”
“Yeah. Believe it or not, rocks, trees, plants; all of them have energy and are capable of sensing ours,” Robert said. “There are forces at work against us, including nature sometimes. We can’t let these other forces defeat us. So, tell the mountain that it’s not going to win.”
“You said that you’re not religious.”
“I’m not. I’m more spiritual, I’d say.”
Brooke snorted. “You sound like Chase.”
“I guess so. Anyway, focus and do what I’m telling you.”
“Okay.”
Brooke took a breath, inhaling the cool morning air, redolent with jasmine and pine.
“Feel calmer?”
Opening her eyes, Brooke said, “Yes, I do. Thanks.”
“Good. Now, look around for your next hold, but take your time.”
It took over a minute before Brooke spied a likely handhold, but she saw a good hold for her foot right away. Growing excited, she stepped up a couple of feet.
“Way to go. Find a crack for your next nut.”
Brooke couldn’t help giggling. “Doesn’t that sound funny to you?”
“Of course, it does. Kate and I make jokes the whole time we climb,” Robert replied.
Brooke took a nut off the ring at her waist and tested out a couple of small fissures until she found one that worked.
“Good girl. We’ll make a climber out of you yet.”
Brooke smiled and found her next hold. Foot by f
oot and sometimes inch by inch, she made it to the top of the low rock wall. Elation swept through her and she almost let go of one of her handholds to throw a triumphant fist in the air. She settled for letting out a rebel yell.
“Woohoo! I did it, Rob!”
“You sure did! I knew you could. Great job.”
Robert’s praise made Brooke glow with pride. She looked around, amazed at the view her vantage point provided. The winding dirt road they’d come up disappeared into a copse of evergreens and elms that stretched towards the horizon. In the far distance, white peaked mountains stood out against the powder blue sky.
A few houses were partially visible through the tree branches and a hawk floated on updrafts over the shallow valley. It was gorgeous and so far from her everyday life that Brooke almost felt like a different person. With a flash of insight, Brooke understood why climbing appealed to Robert and Kate.
Adrenaline flowed through her, giving her a euphoric, natural high and she wanted to go higher. “Can we keep going?”
She looked down and laughed when she saw Robert’s heart-stopping grin.
“Not here we can’t. There aren’t any more holds up there. This is just a training place for beginners. Besides, I think you’ve had enough for one day. You’ll feel this tomorrow,” he said.
Thinking of the way her calf had almost cramped a few minutes ago, Brooke decided not to argue with him. “Okay. How do we get down?”
Robert expertly guided her and soon she neared the ground. She felt Robert take hold of her waist.
“I got you. Just let go,” he said.
Her trust in him was so complete, that she immediately complied. She found herself in Robert’s arms, held tight against his hard torso. The sun turned his eyes a wonderful toffee shade. Golden flecks danced in their desire filled depths. Carnal hunger made her stomach drop pleasantly and she wanted Robert so much that she couldn’t think of anything else.
Wrapping her legs around Robert’s waist, she cradled his face in her hands and lowered her lips to his. She gasped into his mouth when he grasped her thighs and let her slide down his body a little. The friction against the V at the juncture of her legs created a faint ache inside.
Need Me (Coopers Creek Book 4) Page 12
