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NINETEEN
BROOKE
I was still tryingto process what happened with Adam when the twins got home.
“Are you the only one here?” Bryan asked when they walked in the front door.
Your mother made a bad judgment call and now your friend isn’t coming back. I’d have to work on that answer. “You were expecting someone else?”
“Adam,” Paige said. “To help us.”
Three days and he was part of their lives. I should be grateful I’d never tried to date before now. Not that Adam and I ever made it to the dating. This was so messed up. “Maybe next week.”
They both shrugged, made sure I was set, and then they were off doing their own thing again.
I felt like I should be able to shrug things off as easily as they just had, but here I was asking myself if it was me.
I shrugged off the cloud enough to give my family my attention through the evening and into the next day, but the self-doubt and questions lingered in the back of my mind.
Saturday was the day of the high school Sweetheart’s dance. As noon crept up and then rushed past, I felt an empty pit in my chest at the realization I wouldn’t have Adam’s company today.
Or Deacon’s, since he seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth since I hurt my ankle.
Fortunately, distractions were on the way. Carly arrived a little after two, to help Paige and Jamie with their hair, and Daria came with her so we could all hang out and ooh and ahh over my babies going to one of their last dances before they graduated.
Bryan grumped around the house through most of the makeover process, grumbling aboutgirls, but as soon as Aubrey showed up with their outfits, to make sure the three of them were all wearing things right, he was all over getting into his suit.
I wasn’t sure if his excitement was about the suit or Aubrey. Hopefully it wasn’t the latter—I wasn’t prepared to deal with my teenage boy falling for a woman in her thirties.
While the kids were getting dressed and Carly and Daria were taking care of other things, Aubrey approached me. “Can I ask you something?” Her voice was quiet.
“Sure.”
“You and Deacon…”
Oh.Oh.My answer lodged in my throat, carried on the doubt of the last day. “We’re just friends.” I’d waited too long to say it—it didn’t sound believable.
She fiddled with her watch, sliding it up and down her arm. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely positive.” I managed to sound convincing this time, and Deacon had driven home over and over how muchjust friendswe were.
“I can’t figure out the fringes.” Paige flounced into the room, interrupting the conversation.
Aubrey moved away from me to help Paige, Jamie, and Bryan. She stayed on hand while I took a billion pictures, and left when the kids did.
“I’m looking forward to dress shopping with Alana when she’s old enough for dances,” Daria said. “But I amnotlooking forward to the drama and the boys.”
Carly pulled three hard lemonades from the fridge. “Make your men deal with the boys.”
Daria took a bottle from her and twisted off the top. “Tanner might invite them to watch movies with us.”
“If Colin likes them, you know you’re safe.” I had a pretty high opinion of my younger brother. “Problem solved.”
Daria snorted a laugh and helped me hobble back to the couch. “You’re lucky yours are still angels at seventeen.” She handed me my drink.
“They’re not angels. They’re smart little demons who are lovable enough to get away with it.” Though, I really was lucky my kids were as good as they were.
“So are cats,” Carly said. “I’d rather have the cats.”
