All the kids leave, and I tell Michael I’ll meet him in the dining room to help him study, and then it’s just me and Dylan left. He’s on the couch, and I’m sitting on the floor with my legs folded Indian style. He’s sitting with his long legs stretched out in front of him, and one insanely muscular arm stretched out resting on the back of the couch. I can see a hint of a tribal tattoo on his upper bicep and find myself wanting to trace it, well, all of them really, with my tongue. I have to stop this train of thought.
“The puppy seems to be adjusting well.”
He laughs. That puppy sticks with Gabby at each meeting and the entire family is smitten. “Yeah, it was a great idea, Brooke.”
“I’m glad.” I stand up slowly. I’m hoping he’ll keep talking, but he’s been quiet today for some reason. He hasn’t even invited me to dinner, which he usually does as soon as I walk in the door.
“Okay, I’m going to help Michael study his word list.”
He stands, and he’s standing so close to me that I can barely breathe. It’s amazing the effect this man has on me. “You staying for dinner?”
I know I shouldn’t, but I know I will. I smile up at him. God, he’s tall. “Are you planning on amazing me again?”
“Of course.”
And just because the man smells so damn good, I inhale deeply and get enough of his scent to tide me over while I’m working with Michael at the dining table. I quiz him for an hour, and then Dylan calls out that dinner is ready.
Michael hops up excitedly, “Yes! I’m starving.” He turns to me, “Are you gonna stay?”
I stand up, “Uh, yeah. All this brain work has made me hungry.” I move and start setting the table with Michael while the others file in.
While we eat, we make plans for Saturday, which is the day of the spelling bee. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It looks like he’s going to have a big fan section. I love how pumped he is about it and how confident he is. This is like the Super Bowl for nerds. Then a great idea comes to me. “How about I ask Trevor and Alex to come too?”
I swear I see Dylan’s lip twitch in irritation when I say that, but I’m sure I’m mistaken. I mean he just had a boy’s day with Trevor, and according to Trevor, it was a pretty good time. Michael gets even more excited, “Yeah! I’m going to have the most people there cheering for me out of everybody!”
I laugh, “That’s what I’m counting on.”
After dinner, I head home, and when I get there, Alex and Trevor are eating at the kitchen table. Trevor stands up and pulls a chair out for me to join them. I look at the food, spaghetti, salad, and breadsticks. “Wow. Who cooked?”
Trevor smiles, “We ordered this.”
I shake my head, “You guys know how easy spaghetti is to make?”
Alex takes a sip of wine, “No, and I don’t want to know.”
Trevor pours me a glass of wine, and I take a drink. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I sit and visit with them while they finish eating. Alex tells me that she got a call from her mother. “She’s super pissed that we won’t all come down for Thanksgiving, but I told her we just can’t do it for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“I’ll have to work the next day, unlike Christmas where I have a few days off.”
“I know, and I told her that. She just really misses us all, but I think I calmed her down.”
“Trevor and I were talking, and we decided since we can’t go to Florida the three of us should have Thanksgiving. Sound good?”
I nod, “Of course. I’ll cook.”
Trevor laughs, “We were counting on that.”
“Okay, so Thanksgiving dinner here. Hey, do you guys have plans Saturday?”
Alex nods, “I have to work during the day.”
I turn to Trevor, “You?”
“Nada. Why?”
“Well, I’m going to Michael Monroe’s spelling bee. I’ve been helping him prep like crazy, and it’s finally here.”
“A spelling bee?” He fake sleeps, and I smack him.
“It’s going to be fun.”
He pats my leg under the table and lets it linger a little too long, but then says, “You know I’m in for you, Brooke.”
Alex has a huge grin on her face, “Aw, that’s so sweet.”
I’m still confused why Trevor continues to flirt so hard after I told I wasn’t going to have some casual fling with him. I want to think it’s just because he can’t help but flirt, but sometimes I swear he is about to make a move or something, and I dodge it quickly. I try like crazy not to send mixed messages because I want no part of it.
“Okay, we can ride together. It starts at 2:00 and I don’t want to be late.”
“No problem.”
Saturday arrives, and I drive Trevor and myself to the school for the Johnson County Elementary School Spelling Bee. When we arrive, I immediately spot Dylan and Jackson. They are hard to miss in a room full of older yuppie parents, but you just have to follow the line of sight of all the women in the room, because they do stand out. We join them as well as Cassie, Gabby, and Luke. Cassie gives me a big hug. The guys all greet Trevor with what I call the bro hug. Luke and Jax seem much more relaxed with Trevor than Dylan, who seems tense. We all sit, and somehow I end up between Trevor and Dylan. Perfect.
The competition starts, and I see Michael walk out and sit in his assigned chair. He looks so handsome in dress slacks and a button down shirt, and Dylan leans over and whispers into my ear, “He obsessed over what to wear. We almost had to call you.”
His lips skim my ear, and I can barely form words to answer him back. I swallow a little too hard and turn to face him. I quietly answer him. “Well you could have, but he looks great.”
He grins, and then we both turn back to pay attention to the spelling bee. Being this close to him is torture, and for the next three and a half hours, I’m feeling fidgety.
Michael ends up with second place, and afterward, he walks over to us all as we stand in a big group waiting for him. He has his head down and looks disappointed. Dylan musses his hair, “Great job, man. You were awesome.”
Everyone agrees, but Michael keeps his head down and just shrugs. I step closer to him and lift his chin with my finger, “That was amazing. You should be proud of yourself,” I look around, “I know we all are.”
Luke pats him on the shoulder, “Hell yeah, I’m proud. There’s no way I could have done that.”
Dylan and Jackson both nod, and Trevor, who hasn’t even met Michael before smiles over at him, “You know if I were as smart as you at your age I would have had a lot more girlfriends.” Everyone laughs, even Michael, and I silently thank my friend for bringing him out of his temporary funk.
I laugh, “That’s probably true.”
Playfully he bumps my hip, “Thanks a lot, but I know it’s true.”
Michael laughs, “Thanks. Who are you?”
I introduce the younger kids to Trevor. After visiting a while, Trevor and I have to say goodbye because he has a gig tonight. Alex and I are planning another girls’ night since she had a full day at the salon today.
Tuesday comes fast, and at the end of the day, I head over to the Monroe house. I love that there is no sense of dread anymore as I drive there, now there is only excitement. Not just to see Dylan, but the entire family. I ring the doorbell, and Dylan answers covered in muddy paw prints, and I do mean covered. I laugh, “What happened?”
“Luke let the dog out in the rain and then let him back in without cleaning him up.”
Luke walks over equally covered. “I didn’t know he was going to get so damn muddy.”
“Dirt mixed with water makes mud, genius.” Dylan counters.
I laugh again. Neither one of them is mad, plus they both have goofy grins on their faces. I walk in and see puppy tracks everywhere. “Alright, you two go clean up, and I will help the kids clean this mess,” I order.
Dylan closes the door behind me, “Thanks, Brooke.”
I just sha
ke my head and watch him saunter down the hall to his room before diving in to help scrub the mud off the floor, the door, the walls, the sofa; pretty much every surface. The guys get back as we’re finishing up. After we finally get everything put away and settled back to normal, we take our usual seats in the living room. “Well, that was fun,” I say.
Gabby has a massive smile on her face and her now a clean puppy, is lying on her lap. We catch up on everyone’s week. Afterward, Dylan and I sit in the living room, “How was your weekend,” I ask him.
He leans back on the couch, “Relaxing. We just hung around here, played with Toby. Total domesticated bliss.” He says sarcastically. “I do have something I need to ask you, though.”
I raise an eyebrow, oh no. “Okay and what’s that?”
He sits up, leaning forward and almost looks nervous, “Well, you know Thursday is Thanksgiving.”
Ah. Okay, I see where this is going. He needs help cooking. I nod my head slowly, “Yes. Go on.”
“Well, it’s just, shit, Brooke, Thanksgiving was just a huge fucking deal to Sylvia. I mean huge. She went all out, and she was an amazing cook.”
I stop him. “It’s okay, Dylan. I can help you cook.”
“Really? No fight?”
I nod my head. This is totally acceptable, right? I can help him prepare dinner for the kid’s first major holiday without their mom. “No, no fight. I can come over early and help you get everything started and then give you instructions to make sure everything turns out perfect.”
His face drops a little, “So you won’t stay for dinner?”
Of course, he wants me to stay. And damn I want to, but surely this is where I need to draw the line. “Well, I don’t know.”
Oh no, here comes the charm. “Brooke, it’s just Thanksgiving dinner. A totally platonic dinner. This is really important to them, and to me.”
Would it be so bad? It’s just like every other time I joined them for dinner. I was helping the family adjust. I relent, “Okay, I would love to join your family for Thanksgiving dinner.”
I can tell he’s pleased. “Excellent.”
I stand up, and I start to walk to the door, and then I remember Alex and Trevor. “Oh shit, I can’t.”
He immediately looks disappointed. “Damn, that was fast. Think of an excuse already?”
“No, it’s just I promised Alex and Trevor that we would have a dinner. I’ve had Thanksgiving dinner with their family for years, and this year their parents moved to Florida, so we agreed to have dinner together this year. It’s tradition.”
He scratches his chin, “Okay, so invite them too. The more, the merrier. That was always Sylvia’s philosophy.”
I look at him like he is crazy. “You’re kidding right?”
“Nope, just please come. It will mean the world to the kids.”
I agree, “Okay, we will be here.”
“Great. So Thursday, bright and early, right?”
I nod, “Very bright and early.”
“Well, you could always spend the night,” He suggests seductively. Oh, the temptation.
I laugh him off, even though I know he was serious. “Down, big guy.” I steer back toward the dinner. “Alex and I were supposed to go shopping tonight, so I’ll get everything we need. What are some of everyone’s favorite dishes, especially desserts?” I ask.
He shakes his head, “You don’t have to. I’ve already bought everything with the kids on Sunday. I just need help preparing it, and believe me; we will have enough.”
Wow. He’s getting good at this domestic thing. “Okay, then. Thursday it is. Call if you can think of anything else.”
“Thank you, Brooke.” Have I mentioned I love the way he says my name?
I leave and drive straight home praying that this isn’t going to turn into a big deal or another butting of heads with Alex. I walk in, and she’s waiting for me on the couch, “Finally, we have to get to the store.”
I sit on the couch, “Well actually, we don’t.”
She raises her eyebrows at me, “What do you mean? Oh, did you have time today at lunch or something because that would be awesome. I hate shopping for groceries.”
I laugh, “Yeah, I know. No, but um…” Okay just spit it out. Act like it’s no big deal, because it’s not. Liar. “Well, because we are going to be joining Jackson and the Monroes for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Jackson and the Monroes?” She asks with her famous one-eyebrow raise. I never did master that.
I purposefully put Jackson’s name first because of her attraction. “Look, it’s the kids’ first holiday without their mom and dad. They need it to be spectacular, and we can help with that. This is the time for giving, and we can make a difference.” Okay, now I’m just laying on a thick guilt trip.
Which she totally catches. She chuckles lightly, “Wow, Brooke, you are getting damn good at bullshitting. But, okay, it sounds fine. I mean just the three of us was kind of pathetic anyway, and there will be a lot of people surrounding you and Dylan. Don’t think you can get into any trouble that way.” She just won’t quit.
I nod my head and bite my tongue, so this doesn’t go south on me. I don’t want to have to decide who I’m going to have dinner with because I’m scared I would make the wrong decision here. I don’t want any more drama. Just nice a simple Thanksgiving. These kids deserve it.
This is a good thing, and it’s all going to turn out fine, right?
Chapter 19
Dylan
It’s Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving. All day we’ve gone back and forth making sure I have everything needed for her to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for everyone. She even took the time this morning to come over and decorate the dining room with Cassie. Luke and I had gone to the shop for an unexpected delivery of a car for a client from Nebraska, so I had missed her. I called to thank her, and that spurred the phone tag we were playing. To be honest, I’m calling to hear her voice. She’s spent most of the time laughing at me because she thinks I’m in a panic, but we all know how much I love her laugh.
Right now I’m on the phone with Brooke standing in front of an open refrigerator. It’s almost 8, and the kids are fed and are all relaxing around the house. They got out for Thanksgiving break yesterday and don’t have to return to school until Monday.
“Do you have heavy cream?”
“Yeah, I got that too.”
“Okay, and sweet potatoes?”
“Yes, sweet potatoes. I have everything on your list, all I need now is you.”
I close the fridge and bang my forehead on the door. Did I really just say that?
I hear Brooke’s sweet laugh on the other end of the phone, “Well, I will be there at 7 A.M. And I’ve told Trevor and Alex to be there around four since dinner will be around 5.”
I still can’t believe I invited not one, but two cockblockers to Thanksgiving. Jax was going to be bad enough on his own. I just wanted Brooke here. I don’t even have any intentions of making a move; I just want her company. Wow, that doesn’t make me sound like a pussy at all.
At least, we will have most of the morning and afternoon alone, other than the kids. I told Jax that dinner would be around 5, and the kids will probably want to sleep in since they are on break. “Yep, sounds good.”
I leave the kitchen and head into my room stretching out on my bed to settle in for what’s hopefully going to be a long conversation with Brooke and isn’t going to involve preparations for tomorrow. I’m not ready to hang up yet, and thankfully Brooke is on board and continues with conversation. I settle against the pillows and soak in her voice. “So how is Michael doing after the spelling bee?”
“He’s good. Still wanted to get first place. He doesn’t get how fucking awesome it was to get second place in the whole county. It’s a big fucking county.”
She laughs again. That shit is music to my ears. “Yeah, it is. He’s insanely smart.”
“Yeah, just needs more confidence.”
“Well, I’m sure you and Luke could help him with that.”
“Oh, yeah, how’s that?”
“Because you and Luke have what I call the Monroe swagger. You guys walk around like you own the world. So confident and sure.”
“Do stop, Ms. Porter. I already know how awesome and sexy I am.”
“And pretty. Oh, and sweet. Don’t forget sweet.”
“Okay, okay, stop right there. I’m not pretty or sweet. I’m hot and brooding.”
“That’s it. You’ve totally got that bad boy vibe going on that women just fall all over themselves for.”
If only I could get her to fall over herself. I have a huge grin on my face that fades when I hear a male voice in the background, “Brooke, come on. We are starving!”
I try not to growl audibly. I fucking hate that that asshole is in her apartment, and I’m across town in my house. “Dylan, I’m sorry. I’ve got to get going, but I will be at your house tomorrow morning.”
That thought provides a little comfort. I just hope he keeps his hands off of her tonight. “Okay, I’ll see ya tomorrow, Brooke. Thanks again for helping me.”
“It’s no problem. I’m excited, and I’m glad you invited all of us.”
“Me too. It should be fun.”
“Yeah, it will be. Night, Dylan.”
“Night, Brooke.”
I hang up the phone and lay it next to me on the bed. My thoughts are drifting to all things Brooke. The thoughts range from what she is doing right now to what I would love to be doing to her right now.
I must have drifted off to sleep after I got off the phone with Brooke because I wake up and look over at the clock next to my bed. 5 A.M. Wow. I went to sleep a little after eight at night and woke up at 5 in the fucking morning. I am a regular party animal nowadays. Shit, it was only four months ago that I was crawling into bed at 5 A.M. praying I could get a couple of hours of sleep in before I had to drag my ass out of bed and go into the shop.
I stand up and stretch before heading to grab a shower. I dress casually since we’ll be cooking all day and go to brew a pot of coffee. Toby greets me happily in the kitchen and then bounces to the back door to start pawing at it. I laugh and open the door letting him outside into the backyard. Back in the kitchen, I mess with my phone while I drink my first cup of coffee. I go through a few text messages from clients and a roll my eyes when a message from Joy wishing me “a very Happy Thanksgiving.” Man, that girl is desperate as fuck. I delete the text.
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