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She gave me a sheepish look. “Sorry, I overheard and couldn’t help but chime in.”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t sure what to say.”
“Parenting is hard.”
“So hard. Sometimes I feel like I’m screwing everything up.” It felt good to be honest with her.
“That’s natural. Abby feels the same, especially because she’s single parenting it most of the time. Her ex spends some time with Hunter, but he doesn’t handle any of the daily decisions. He’s not shaping him into a man. It’s a huge responsibility.”
I wanted to confide in Brooke. Tell her it was all on my shoulders, too. “Cammie’s mom died a few months ago.”
Brooke sucked in a breath.
I avoided her gaze, knowing I’d see sympathy swimming in her eyes.
“She was mugged walking home from work.” It still felt strange saying the words. It didn’t seem real.
Brooke moved closer, resting her hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry.”
I gazed at the dirt at my feet. “We weren’t together at the time, but Cammie lost her mother.”
“It’s unthinkable,” Brooke murmured, the warmth of her hand a brand on my arm.
“I’m trying to be everything for her.”
She moved even closer, enough that I could smell the honeysuckle scent in her hair, and squeezed my bicep. “Not everything. You’re doing your best to be her dad. She sees that.”
“Does she?” I promised her I’d work fewer hours when we moved here, but that hasn’t been the case. I leaned on my parents, taking the free babysitting services they were all too happy to provide.
“All you can do is your best.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Then Brooke laughed. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, it was just—it was pretty funny when she socked him in the mouth.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Relief flooded me. That kid was being a jerk. Whether the mom thought so was another matter.
Brooke let go and erupted into giggles. “He deserved it.”
I smiled, enjoying her relaxed stance, her face filled with happiness. “Just don’t tell Cammie that.”
Brooke finally recovered. “No. Definitely not. But I’m sure you’re secretly proud of her for shutting him up.”
I smiled. “A little bit, yeah.”
“They just kept saying it over and over. If she didn’t punch one of them, the kid who struck out would have.”
“Yeah?” That made me feel better.
“I think so.”
“Thanks for following us, for making me feel better.” That had never been our relationship before.
She squeezed my bicep again, and my brain short-circuited. “That’s what friends are for.”
Were we friends? I never thought of her as anything more than a rival. Then there was her hand on my bicep, warm and comforting. I wanted to pull her closer, to feel her body against mine, but it was inappropriate in more ways than one.
Instead, I stepped back from her, and Brooke seemed to realize how close she was standing. “I’ll let you get on with your day. See you later,” she said.
