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Brooke’s joy bubble burst. “He regretted it. He even said kissing me was a bad idea.”
“Why?” Arabella looked perplexed. “You’re both single. You’re both Christians and you’re both fantastic people.”
“He thinks he’s too old and I’m too young.”
“Get out of here!”
“It’s true. Maybe I’m not right for him anyway, all things considered. He has a son. Being the nanny is one thing, but what if I were with A.J. all the time?”
“What if?”
“You know what I mean, Arabella.” A lump rose to her throat. “I can’t live with another loss like that.”
“Nothing is going to happen. Lucy’s death was a tragic accident. You’re so overdiligent with A.J. the child can’t breathe without you getting giddy from his carbon dioxide.”
Brooke grinned a little at the silly, but mostly true, analogy. “Caring for a toddler is a big responsibility.”
Arabella widened her eyes. “Tell me about it! Try potty training three at a time.”
Brooke chuckled, then glanced at the clock over the fireplace mantle, a lovely antique piece Grandma Clayton’s mother had brought from Switzerland. “I should get moving. I have a playdate with Macy in a bit.”
“And I need to check on the girls. They’ve been quiet way too long.” She cast a motherly eye toward the stairs. “Before you go, I want to ask about Macy’s mother. I saw her yesterday in town. She’s really ill, isn’t she?”
“I think so. She puts on a good face at church, but from what Macy’s said Darlene sometimes hurts too much to get out of bed. She takes a lot of medications, too.”
“That’s awful. Poor thing. And little Macy. That sweet child must be worried.”
“She is. The more we’re together, the more she talks about her mom’s condition. I asked what’s wrong, but she couldn’t remember the name. She says Darlene goes to a doctor every week.”
“Reverend West put her on the special prayer list.”
“I’ll add her to mine.” Considering the past few days, now might be a good time to start spending more time with her Lord. He’d been on the back burner for too long.
Getting up to leave, she hugged Arabella. Her cousin clung a moment too long and Brooke knew, regardless of her outer calm, she still ached over Jasmine’s announcement. “Are you going to be okay? Macy and I can come back here if you need the company. Or we can call Deanna and go for another pedicure. Macy would love that.”
“I wish I could, but not today. Too much work. Once I get busy, I’ll be fine.” Arabella offered one final, hard hug. “What about you? Are you going to be all right alone at your house? If you have a stalker—a real one instead of an annoying cousin—you could be in danger.”
Brooke suppressed a shiver of foreboding. She didn’t have a stalker. Her tormentor was the same bully he’d always been.
Wasn’t he?
The school gym echoed with the squeak of rubber soles against wood flooring and the rhythmic bounce of a basketball.
Having finished work as early as possible, Gabe moseyed inside to watch the handful of kids doing basketball drills under Brooke’s watchful eye.
He’d known she’d be here with Macy, but the other kids surprised him. They barely noticed his entrance as Brooke took the ball, demonstrated a correct chest pass and fired one toward a boy with braces. He caught the ball and shot it back to her. She nodded and said something that brought a smile to his face.
Macy spotted Gabe and waved. Brooke turned and waved, too. Then she said something to the kids and jogged toward him, leaving them to the drill.
Gabe’s stomach took a nose dive. He could stand here all day and stare at Brooke Clayton. Last night’s kiss was probably a mistake, but he would gladly make that mistake over and over again.
“Hi.” Dressed in gray gym clothes, her hair in a bouncy ponytail and skin glistening from the workout, she put her hands on her hips and twisted her back from side to side until it popped. “How are things at the Lucky Lady?”
“Okay.” He hitched his chin toward the court. “You’re good with them.”
