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I flipped the card over.
I would have recognized what was right in front of my face the entire time. Grace, I see you. I’m sorry it took me so long.
Love,
Brooks
I looked up to the ceiling, tears streaming down my face. “Oh, Momma, I wish you were here. Do you know what this reminds me of? Remember when Felicia thought Frisco was dead and she married the man who’d tried to kill him? But then Frisco comes back, and Felicia gets amnesia, which makes her realize that Frisco is the man for her. So they get remarried even though Felicia hates that Frisco is a spy and leads a dangerous life. Okay, maybe my situation isn’t exactly like that. But remember how happy we were every time we watched those reruns? Remember when you said there was nothing like a second-chance love story? Is that true?”
I lowered my head, angry with myself. Pretty words and flowers shouldn’t be swaying my resolve. Brooks was my past. I was going to look forward to the future. Alone.Chapter Twenty-FourI opened the door, happy to see two of my favorite people. Tom and June were cute as could be standing on the front porch, him clinging to his walker and June’s hand resting on top of his.
“Come in,” I sang.
“Darlin’.” June smiled. “I’m just dropping off this old geezer. I’m going to be late to my spray tan appointment if I don’t hurry. Momma needs her some color.” She pecked Tom on the cheek. “Be good and don’t cheat.”
“If you’re not ch . . . cheating, you’re not trying hard enough.” Tom slyly stole a kiss on her mouth.
Old love was the best and, at my rate, the only kind I had a hope of obtaining.
She swatted his butt. “See you later.”
“D . . . Don’t excite me like that, honey,” Tom laughed. His speech was getting better all the time. Maybe he just needed some sexy talk to up his game.
“Bye, June.” I waved.
“Give the men hell tonight.” She waved back.
Oh, I planned on it. I was so thrilled when Tom had called and asked if we could reinstate poker night. I wasn’t sure his mind was up for it. However, it was normal, and I needed normal after the last month. I wanted my routine back again. Except no more fried food Friday. I was proposing fish Friday or maybe fajitas with whole wheat tortillas and fruit on the side.
I grinned at Tom. “You look good.” His face was slimmer, and he looked like he was in a smaller size of pants. Plus, he had this glow to him that I hadn’t seen in twenty years. I wondered if it had more to do with June or the fact that Brooks had been over the last couple of nights. Which, of course, meant I had stayed away. Not only had I wanted to give father and son some time, but my heart needed the distance from Brooks. I was curious, though, how it was going with the two of them. My plan was to get the scoop while we played poker.
Tom’s ears pinked from the compliment. “No mushy stuff t . . . tonight. I plan on winning.”
I playfully shrugged. “We’ll see.”
Tom, with effort, maneuvered his walker over the threshold and walked in. I made myself not help him. He didn’t like to be babied. He had snapped at me a couple of times on our walks to his mailbox and back. Of course, he was quick to apologize, but he hated feeling like less of a man.
Daddy came out of the kitchen carrying a tray filled with fruits and veggies, and glasses of water with lemon. No more beer and chips during poker night. Besides, I could use some fiber in my life after all the sugar I’d been consuming, trying to force myself into a carb coma in hopes of forgetting a certain someone. Which wasn’t going so well, considering I’d kept all the beautiful flowers he’d sent. I hated to waste them. I mean, peach roses were my favorite. Julian’s I’d tossed in the garbage. I’d also blocked the moron’s number after he kept calling and calling, begging for me to give him another chance, saying what we had was special. Um. No. It was all a lie.
“Steve,” Tom rumbled in greeting.
“Tom,” Daddy’s voice cracked a bit. Daddy wasn’t an overemotive guy, but I knew he’d feared for a while that he would lose his best friend.
“Ready to lose some money?” I tried to give the men an emotional out.
“Not tonight, G . . . Gracie girl,” Tom chided. “I have a secret weapon.”
My brow quirked. “If you think I’m going easy on you because you’ve been sick, think again.” I pointed to my lucky I’m Magically Delicious shirt.
Tom painfully walked toward me with an impish grin. “I’m not sure you’re l . . . lucky sh . . . shirt is going to cut it tonight.”
