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After we cleaned up, we returned to the living room. It was still early, and I wanted to make the most of our evening together. Brooke talked about a short trip she’d be taking with her sister to buy some gardening supplies during an annual flower festival in two months.
“I can join you,” I suggested.
“Jace, you’d get bored.”
I couldn’t tell if she really meant that, or if she simply didn’t want to make plans for us so far in advance. But I wanted her to be certain about one thing. “I disagree. I find everything you do fascinating.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled shyly, and I remembered she’d been through a disappointment not too long ago. I wanted to erase any hurt, any bad memories, make sure she wouldn’t go through either again.
“By the way, I’ll watch your away game with my sister. She’ll probably shoot me for making her watch a soccer game, but that will only last until I tell her all about you, and then soccer-watching will turn into Jace appreciation. It’ll take her mind off her troubles.”
“You’re using me,” I said in mock indignation.
“Totally.”
We debated flicking through TV channels before deciding I still had a lot of Game of Thrones to watch.
As we settled on the couch, I pulled her close and asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Working.”
“In the evening, smartass.”
“No plans yet, why?”
“Spend the evening with me. After the home game.” I scrutinized her expression, my heart pounding insanely fast. I didn’t know how much pushing was too much, if she even wanted to spend as much time with me as I wanted to spend with her.
“I like the sound of that.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Nowhere. How about I cook something for you? I happen to know far more than ten recipes, and I can’t wait to impress you with them. You’ll be too exhausted to go out. I’ll take care of you.”
I nodded, dipping my head to her neck, kissing it before speaking against her skin.
“I’d like that.”
I couldn’t remember the last time someone I wasn’t related to said that to me, and her words brought on a feeling that was so new to me, and yet so unexpectedly fulfilling that I didn’t know what to do with it, except pull her even closer, settling in for a night in with my girl.
Chapter Twenty
Brooke
On the evening of Jace’s away game, I had popcorn, guacamole with chips, and wine ready. In other words: everything that was bad for our hips but oh-so-good for our soul.
Franci arrived before the game began, and we carried the goodies to the living room together.
We called Dad, as usual, to wish him luck.
“How are my girls?” he asked.
“Ready to cheer for the Lords,” I said. “Go get ’um.”
We never spoke more than two or three minutes, because Dad was a man of few words. Yet, these calls were important to him.
