“I am.” He was better than okay. “I’m sorry for Brian, but he was literally a stranger to me.” He thought to ask, “How’s Ruth taking it? Any idea?”
“That’s the other reason I’m calling. She’s gone. Took off.It’s been two weeks since anyone has seen or heard from her. The state will be burying your father, it seems.”
Damn. Ruth couldn’t even stick around for the funeral?“She hasn’t seen Brian at all?”
“The hospital had been trying to reach her, but her phone number was reassigned. She’s gone, Brogan. I checked, but she’s taken all of her stuff from the house.” Cautiously, she suggested, “Since you gave me power of attorney, I’d like to change the locks to make sure she doesn’t pop back up, then hire a crew to clean the house so we can put it on the market. You okay with that?”
Just then, Pixie pulled into the driveway. Seeing her, Andy quickly stepped out of the pool, ready for a mad dash toward the driveway. “Sorry,” Brogan said again to Erin as he dropped the phone to catch Andy before he got too far.
Shayna had wiggled enough that she was almost in the grass, so Brogan grabbed her, too, and then greeted Pixie with wiggling kids in his arms. Not a bad thing at all. In fact, these days he felt like the luckiest man alive.
“Hey,” Pixie said, already out of her car and hurrying to lend him a hand. Her shirt stuck to her chest and wisps of her hair clung to her temples.
“You look wilted, babe. Everything okay?”
“The air-conditioning in the shop died. There aren’t enough fans in Bramble to make a difference.” She took Shayna from him. “Great idea on the pool, but Andy’s soaked, so he’s all yours.” After saying that, she leaned forward to give her son a hug and a kiss, then went on tiptoe to kiss Brogan, too. “Mmm, you smell good. I’m melting and you look delicious.”
Yes,this. The kids, the yard, the fresh air—the woman he loved kissing him when she got home. Or when he got home.
Honestly, life couldn’t get any better.
“I’ve got Erin on a call. Mind taking over for just a minute?”
She set aside her purse. “Of course not.”
He put Andy back in the pool, then reminded him, “No splashing Mam, okay? She isn’t in her swimsuit.”
With an impish expression, Andy immediately splashed anyway. “Legs only, Andy! Legs only,” Pixie said while laughing; then she added, “Actually, that feels amazing.”
He returned to the phone. “Sorry again, Erin. You know how it is with little ones.”
“No,” she said, stretching out the word. “Actually, I don’t, but after hearing all that, I want to.”
“You’d love it,” he assured her. “They’re amazing. Have I told you that Shayna is sitting up on her own now? She’s even trying to crawl.” Two months had made a huge difference in her development. Now she needed an actual baby bed, even when “camping out” with Pixie and Andy. “I’m anxious to see what she’ll do next, and at the same time I don’t want her to change.” The thought of her walking, possibly getting into mischief, scared him. He laughed at himself. “Pixie told me that she’s always felt the same about Andy.”
“Crawling,” Erin said in disbelief, and then with determination, she asked, “Do you think I could visit?” She rushed on, saying, “The last time I saw Shayna, she was basically still a newborn. It took me a little while to get over losing Connie. I was so used to seeing her here at the office, to shopping with her and sharing stories about my dates—especially the disappointing ones. My family is great, but Connie was like a sister, a best friend, and a confidant rolled into one.”
“I know,” Brogan said softly. “Connie included you in a lot of her notes. She loved you, too.” He realized he’d not only let down Connie, he’d been unfair to Erin. “I’m sorry that on top of grieving, you had to catch me up to speed, and then handle all the legalities, too.”
“No, that was my pleasure. Besides, I’m a person who always needs something to do. If I hadn’t become obsessed with tracking you down and gaining your cooperation … I don’tknow, Brogan. I might have just fallen apart.” She huffed out a sad laugh. “I know Shayna has changed a lot, and I’m intrigued by the idea of her brother.”
Another amazing role model for Shayna? Count me in.“A visit would be great. Pixie would love to meet you in person, and I guarantee the kids are worth the trip.” His lease on the lake house would be up after Labor Day weekend, but he hoped to have a permanent residence worked out by then. Regardless, he’d always make room for Erin in Shayna’s life. “You’re welcome to the area anytime. Unfortunately, neither house has a lot of room for overnight guests, and I don’t know if I’ll be settled in a new place by then.”
With a smile in her voice, she said, “I’d be happy to get a room nearby.”
“Butler, the mayor, owns an inn. I can hook you up.”
“Listen to you, friends with the mayor.”
Brogan cracked a grin. “It’s not like that. This town is so small I could jog from one end to the other without getting winded. Everyone knows everyone.” He wasn’t an official part of Bramble, but he was accepted, even liked. Before Pixie, he wouldn’t have welcomed such friendship. Now he relished it.
Hopefully, it’d work in his favor when he put forth his plans.
“Butler had a really outdated security system on the place. The building is old, and it’s only busy on the weekends, so he hadn’t bothered with it in years. I helped him update everything so it wouldn’t cost him too much. He’s been calling me ‘son’ ever since.”
Erin snickered. “I take it that’s an honor?”
“From Butler? Yes.”
