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Startled, Brooke handed the baby back to her mother. “Of course, I am. Anyway, no husband, no baby. I’m not brave enough to try and raise one on my own. Connor was three when Adam passed and that was hard enough. If it hadn’t been for my mom, I don’t know how I would’ve coped.”
Charlie’s smile slipped. “Well, if you’re looking for a father for your future babies, you should really talk to Gavin...”
Brooke was ready to change the topic when someone spoke from behind her.
“Please tell me you’ve found your phone?”
Brooke turned around quickly. Lindsay and her mom were behind her.
“It’ll be somewhere. I finally have time to unpack now.”
“Why don’t you just phone Gavin and talk to him?” Charlie asked.
Combing her hair back, Brooke groaned out loud. “Seriously, you guys are relentless. Okay, let me tell you what really happened between Gavin and me. We’ve never really dated. We decided on a fake relationship to get you to back off. You were driving both of us crazy.”
A shocked silence met her words. Brooke froze. She hadn’t really said that out loud, had she? But the expression on the three women’s faces confirmed her fears. In her frustration, she’d spilled the beans. But maybe it was for the best.
She threw up her hands. “You were pestering us on and off since Lindsay and Blake got married. We were both so tired so of trying to explain that we were just friends, to no avail. So, we came up with the idea of a fake relationship until Gavin left for Seattle.”
“And the two nights he stayed with you—was that part of the fake plan?” Charlie’s smile was gone, her voice frosty.
Brooke shook her head. “No...that...that was a mistake and should never have happened. He’s moved on and I’ve put the whole thing behind me.”
“Really? Is that what your new paintings are about?” Lindsay asked. “Putting a fake relationship behind you?” She didn’t even try to hide her sarcasm.
“I...” But a huge lump had formed in Brooke’s throat, making it impossible to talk. She couldn’t cry in front of her mother, her friends; they would know immediately...
Her mother nodded. “You love him, don’t you? That’s what your new paintings are about. The colors, the harsh strokes, the emotion—you’re hurting because you love him, and you’re under the impression you’ve lost him.”
Both Charlie and Lindsay stared at her mother before their gazes swiveled toward Brooke.
“You love him?” Charlie asked.
“I knew it!” Lindsay declared smugly. “It was so obvious to me.”
Brooke swallowed a few times before she was able to talk. “It doesn’t matter what I feel. For him it was only a temporary thing. He’s left.”
Charlie frowned. “He had a commitment in Seattle, as you very well know. And remember, you’ve lost your phone and haven’t even tried to contact him. You don’t know what he wants to say to you. Just talk to him?”
Brooke shrugged. “There isn’t anything left to say. The whole thing was built on a ridiculous notion. A fake relationship. I’m the one who forgot about the ‘fake’ part.”
Lindsay touched Brooke’s arm. “I agree with Charlie—you two should really talk.”
“And say what? I’ve fallen in love with him?”
“Why not?” her mother asked. “What have you got to lose?”
“My dignity, for starters.”
Her mom rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically. “Dignity, my dear child, is a cold bedfellow. But it’s your life, your decision. Your exhibition is in a few days. You’re still leaving for Seattle day after tomorrow?”
Brooke nodded as they all moved into Charlie and Logan’s house.
Charlie was walking in the direction of the kitchen. The long table was already laid. “Grab a chair. I’ve made a quiche. I was hoping we could all have lunch together. Linds, send Blake a message to tell him we’re having lunch at our place, will you?” She put Ellie in a high chair standing next to the table.
With her hand protectively over her abdomen, Lindsay also sat down. “Oh, this is a busy, busy baby.”
Staring in awe at Lindsay’s protruding tummy, Brooke sat down next to her. “May I?”
