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Nick nodded, still smiling.
“You didn’t ask me if we’re free,” Brooke grumbled.
Her mom’s face took on a patient look. “I knew you would be. You don’t have a shift at the rescue center, and I know for a fact Ally is working today. I called Ember to see if she’d like to join us, but she’s busy.” Her mom raised an eyebrow. “And don’t bother trying to tell me about all this college work you have to do. You can do it tomorrow. You deserve a treat, and I want to give you one. I’m your mother.”
Arguing with her mom was like pulling hard at a Chinese finger trap. The more you struggled, the deeper she pulled you in. Anyway, the thought of getting outside of these four walls held its own appeal. After yesterday’s catastrophe, a change of scenery might be good for her.
“Okay,” Brooke agreed, still wary. “I’ll come, but you have to promise I can choose my own dress. I don’t wear satin and I don’t wear pink.”
“Of course, dear.”
“And I get to pay for lunch.”
Lillian’s lips pursed up. “I don’t want to eat at McDonalds.”
“That’s rude. I can afford to buy us lunch at somewhere that doesn’t give you a plastic toy with your meal.”
“You can?”
“Yes. I’ll even take us somewhere we get to sit down and order. How elegant does that sound?”
“You’re teasing me.” Her mom wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t you?”
Brooke bit down a smile. “Yes, I’m teasing you. Now if you could do me a favor and get out of here, Nick and I would like to get dressed. We’ll see you at the house in half an hour.”
“Half an hour? Is that long enough?” Her mom looked pointedly at Brooke’s hair. “Let’s
make it an hour. I’ll have Laurence take us in the Mercedes.”
Brooke put her hand on her mom’s back, and steered her toward the front door. “Yep, whatever you say. I’ll see you in an hour. Now go and get yourself ready, too.”
“I am rea—. Oh, you’re teasing me again.” Lillian let out another huff. “I do wish you’d stop doing that.”
Yeah, well sometimes it was her only defence against Lillian Newton. Brooke had an inkling she’d be teasing her mom a lot in the next few hours.
* * *
She’d never been a believer in retail therapy, but there was something to be said for getting lost in a good dress. Brooke stared at herself in the mirror, liking the way the light blue fabric clung to her upper body and flared out at the waist to a short, floaty skirt. It was sexy without being too obvious – and clearly very expensive. Out of her price range for sure.
“You look beautiful, dear.” Her mom peeked around the curtain separating the changing rooms. “With your hair up, you’ll look outstanding at dinner tonight.”
Brooke whipped her head around. “Dinner? You didn’t say anything about that.”
“Oh, didn’t I?” Lillian widened her eyes in innocence. “Silly me.”
She wasn’t even worth fighting with right now. Brooke looked back at the mirror, a wistful expression on her face. Once upon a time she was the sort of girl who would wear a dress like this. One who would attend dances at the Beach Club, and let her parents pick out a suitable partner. One who did as she was told and made them both proud.
Hah! Look how that ended up.
And suddenly, the dam burst and all the thoughts she’d been blocking out came rushing in. The memories of yesterday. The way Aiden had looked at her when she told him the truth. As though she was the girl everybody said she was.
She could take it from all the others. But not from him.
Reaching behind her, she tugged at the zipper, arching her back to pull it all the way down. The dress fell to the floor in a lake of pastel blue. An assistant bustled in – Brooke hadn’t even known she was there – and picked it up, sliding it onto the thick wooden hanger.
“Put it on my account.” Lillian nodded at the assistant. “And have somebody take it out to my car, please.”
“I don’t want it.” Brooke grabbed her jeans, shoving her legs into them. “It’s pretty and all, but I can’t afford it. Plus I have nowhere else to wear it to. It’ll hang in my closet and feel sorry for itself.”
