Page 74 of The Scent of Happiness

“Me? I didn’t touch her. As soon as she saw me, she started wheezing like that.” He turned to Dixie. “Nice try, lady. You’re not fooling anyone.”

Dixie’s hands dropped to her knees. “Please.”

“I don’t think she’s faking,” Mom said.

“Of course she is. Don’t fall for it.” Theo continued to hold a struggling Brooke while blocking the door with his bulk. “All we have to do is keep her here until the police show up.”

“You called them?” Mom asked.

“Not yet,” Theo said. His arms tightened around Brooke. “Been a little busy.”

“Don’t bother,” Brooke growled. “I can handle her myself.”

Her mother stood with hands on hips, giving them both the parental stare of disappointment. “You are unbelievable.”

“Why?” Theo asked. “You know you have every legal right—”

“To what?” Mom asked. “To destroy her?”

“To detain someone who has broken into your residence. And yes, a freestanding building on your grounds still counts. I can make that case.”

Mom tried to push past Theo but didn’t even get an arm through the door. “Call the police if you must, but in the meantime, we need to see what’s wrong with her.”

“I’m sure it’s just the smell in here,” Theo said. “It gets to us all.”

Brooke stiffened and inhaled a sharp gasp. “What do you mean by that?”

“Not what you think I mean. Not like that.”

“Really?” Brooke asked. “Because it sounded like you—”

“Stop it.” Mom took hold of Theo’s cheeks and turned him toward Dixie. “Look at her. Look.”

Dixie pressed a hand to her chest. She was shaking, still trying to breathe. Her face was shiny with sweat and her eyes were giant glass marbles in her colorless face.

“By the time the police get here, she’ll be passed out on the floor,” Mom said. “Or worse. Is that what you want?”

Brooke bit her bottom lip, trying to hold onto her ebbing anger. Every part of her body was tense, from her forehead to her toenails. She leaned into Theo, making and unmaking fists. She couldn’t look at her mother and she especially couldn’t look at Dixie.

This wasn’t fair. As much as Brooke hated her, the last thing she wanted was for Dixie to die in her parents’ garage. That would be bad. Her thoughts raced toward doom. Police, funeral, murder charge, her whole family in jail. Theo too.

Mom was right. They needed to help Dixie first. Then Brooke could slap the ever-living shit out of her.

She patted Theo’s arms and tried to twist out of them. “I’m not going to touch her. You can let me go now.”

He loosened his hold a little bit, and when he saw that she wasn’t going to rush Dixie, he opened his arms, releasing her. He unzipped his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Until that moment, Brooke had forgotten she was wearing nothing but a robe and flip-flops. She put her arms through the sleeves, enjoying Theo’s leftover body heat and the comforting scent of him.

She rolled her shoulders, then touched her forehead, pressing her fingers into her temples, reaching for calm.

Mom nudged Theo and amazingly enough, he stepped aside. She entered the garage and Brooke scooted in behind her.

Theo’s crack about the smell of the garage bothered her. She doubted that was Dixie’s problem—a soaper worked with fragrance all day—but something was wrong with her. Her eyes were closed now and she seemed deflated as she hugged herself and took shallow breaths.

Mom put a hand on her shoulder. “Dixie? We’re going to help you.”

“I’m okay,” she gasped. “I’m okay.”

“Clearly you’re not,” Mom said. “I’m thinking we’ll need an ambulance. Brooke, get your phone.”