Page 12 of Broken Boundaries

Aspen

“You’re so lucky,” Jazz whines after I tell her I’ll be leaving with Brooks in a minute to go to town.

I chuckle. “Why? You want to go to town? Don’t you live here?”

She laughs. “No, you’re lucky you get to go with Brooks.”

“Why?” I ask again, even more confused now.

“Are you kidding me, Aspen? Surely your eyes are working, aren’t they? Brooks is hot.”

“Oh,” I say, finally understanding what she means. “He’s my boyfriend’s dad. I haven’t really looked at him like that.”

“Well, you’re missing out, honey, because Brooks Calloway is a gorgeous man to look at.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it. Isn’t he like forty? Kinda old for you.”

She shakes her head and smiles. “He’s not forty yet, and besides, age is just a number.”

My laugh comes unexpectedly. “Well, he’s all yours. Count me out of that competition.”

She winks. “Good to know.”

“Are you good to watch the desk until we’re back? Shouldn’t take long.”

“Yes, ma’am. Just got one more cabin to clean at three.”

“Got it. We should be back by then.”

A guest walks up to the desk, and Jazz shows me how to check them out and then how to email the invoice for their stay. As soon as we’re done, Brooks appears at the desk, asking if I’m ready to go.

“Yep. Do I need anything?”

“Nah. Just you.”

Jazz lets out a small exhale when he says that. I turn to her with wide eyes to tell her goodbye. She wriggles her eyebrows at me as I follow Brooks. I shake my head and stare forward. Unfortunately for me, I’m walking behind Brooks, and my eyes inadvertently glance down his body.

Damn, he does fill out a pair of Wranglers well.

My cheeks heat, and I try to look anywhere else besides my boyfriend’s dad’s ass. Oh my god. It’s only been two days, and Jazz is poisoning my mind already.

Brooks opens the door to his truck for me, and I have to grab the handle and hoist myself up to get into it. I don’t miss his quiet chuckle at my struggle.

He keeps the radio on during our drive so we don’t have to talk much. Brooks seems like a nice guy, but I don’t take him as someone who appreciates small talk.

Blue Haven Town Hall is smaller than I thought it would be. The brick building is two stories and could easily be confused for a storefront instead of a government building.

I follow Brooks inside to the clerk's desk.

“Hello, Ms. Dorothy,” Brooks says with his Southern twang as he shoots her what can only be described as a flirty smirk.

Ms. Dorothy looks to be on the cusp of eighty years old, but she still blushes when she looks up to see Brooks. It seems Jazz was right, and I’ve completely missed Brooks’s appeal.

“Oh, hello there, Brooks. How’re you doin’ today?”

“Better now that I get to see you.”

She waves him off. “Oh, stop. You find yourself a girlfriend yet?”