Brogan smiled. “Nice.”
“Beyond nice. Incredible, even. Brogan, she accepted me. She and Cort both. Other than an aunt who took me in when …” Pixie stumbled over her words. She was dumping enough onhim already, without going into the failings of her parents. “She raised me when my parents couldn’t. But other than Aunt Mary, I never had family. Definitely not close family. Now I do because they’re it.” They wereeverything. “There’s not much I wouldn’t do for either of them.”
Thoughtfully silent, Brogan pulled into the lot and parked the SUV a good distance away from the entrance in the only open spot he could find. After a few seconds while Pixie fairly held her breath, unsure how he would react, he pulled off his sunglasses and gave her a smile.
His gray-eyed gaze held her. “Sometimes, when we run out of options and we have no idea what to do, the most unlikely answer turns out to be the right one.”
Before she could sort that out, he continued.
“I’m glad Marlow was there for you. It’s like a lesson, right? Good people really do exist, and fate helps us find them when we need them the most.”
The sincerity of his words made Pixie wonder if he was talking about himself now. Had he run out of options, too? She thought of the scars she’d seen, the occasional look of yearning in his stormy eyes.
Maybe he meant that Shayna had come into his life when he’d needed her most. She wondered what experiences he’d had in the military, and if he might have faced a lack of options. As a child, he had been shut off from his father. He hadn’t yet said much about his mother.
This time, she reached for his hand. “You were there for Shayna when she needed you. I’d say that so far, fate hasn’t let her down.”
He glanced into the back seat. “They’ve gotten quiet. Do you think they’re falling asleep?”
Far too often, Brogan changed the subject on her; but then, they weren’t really even friends. They were acquaintances. She had no right to expect confidences from him just because he’dlet her share part of her past. “Andy?” she said, checking whether he was getting sleepy.
“My baby.”
Pixie laughed at his reply.
“You should laugh more often.” With that cryptic comment, Brogan got out and opened the back door. “I’ll get the tank if you want to get the lightweight.”
“Sure.” She enjoyed holding Shayna. “You realize people are going to do more talking.”
“I have a plan for that,” he said. “I’ve been keeping a low profile, so with luck they’ve forgotten all about me. And if not, we’ll ignore them. Other than a quick nod if I’m spoken to, I won’t engage with anyone. Soon they’ll decide I’m not worth gossiping about.”
Pixie snorted. “You don’t have to engage. You don’t have to do anything. It won’t matter. You’re just … you, and that’s enough.” She straightened with Shayna in her arms, gently kissed the baby’s forehead, and got the blanket from her car seat.
He stared at her over the roof. “And you’re just you,” he said with conviction. “More than enough.”
“What—ouch!” The question was interrupted when Shayna grabbed a hank of her hair. “Little girl, I’m going to have to wear a bun around you.”
“Now that would be a shame.” Brogan grinned as he circled the car to assist her. “Your hair is fascinating, so I can’t blame Sugar for wanting to get a handful.” He held Andy in one arm as if he weighed nothing, and deftly loosened Shayna’s damp fingers.
Pixie quickly pulled her hair to one side, then went still when Brogan helped, smoothing it down over her shoulder and away from his niece. When she remembered to inhale, her breath shuddered.
He smiled and stepped away. “I hope they have high chairs.”
“They do, for toddlers and younger babies. If Shayna isn’t comfortable in the infant seat, we can bring in the stroller.”
He paused, undecided, then said, “I’m going to bring it just in case. I need her diaper bag anyway.”
“If you don’t mind, I could put one of Andy’s diapers in there, too. Then we won’t need both diaper bags.”
Since he was agreeable, they ended up combining their supplies. Bibs and sanitizer wipes, bottles and a sippy cup, extra blankets and sunscreen. A few toys to keep the kids occupied, as well as books.
Pixie had to laugh. “Well, this won’t confuse anyone.”
Very seriously, Brogan said, “We’re not going to worry about that, okay?”
Right. Sure. Clearly, this man doesn’t know how small towns work.
It was a few minutes more before they entered the restaurant and were greeted by a waiter—and a lot of curious stares. Brogan kept his attention on the young man offering them an option of indoor or outdoor seating, but Pixie smiled at the people she knew.
