Chapter Ten
Brooke walked briskly out of the studio and straight into Mia’s SUV. A woman towing two young girls detoured away from the building and arrowed toward Brooke, who nodded her head and gave a small wave while at the same time saying through clenched teeth, “Don’t make eye contact with her. Just drive.”
Mia did as directed, easing the Escape past the woman and children while keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. She turned onto the side street heading toward the main strip. “I thought Bean Time?”
“Yeah. Sure. Maybe we can take our drinks to go though. It’d be nice to walk in the park. I could use the fresh air.”
“What the heck happened in there today? You’re not normally this frazzled,” Mia said, glancing over to her friend.
Outwardly, Brooke was as neat and composed as ever. Her long blonde hair swept back into a tidy bun, her makeup subtle, and a sky-blue leotard and short wrap skirt showing off her lithe body.
“It’s been a day. I don’t want to get into details because it was so, so gross, but let me just say there’s a stomach bug tearing through the kids right now. I hate to throw blame on the parents but, you know what? If your daughter is pale and has a fever, maybe don’t bring her to my studio.”
“Oh. Wow. Okay then.” Mia sniffed the air. “Did you get a new perfume? It’s sort of .…”
“Chemically? That would be Lysol. I feel like I’ve practically bathed in the stuff since this morning.” She waved a hand in front of her. “Anyway. Enough about me and vomit. How’re you doing?”
Mia paused, and her eyes flicked to Brooke’s face then away. “Um … I’m fine. Well, mostly. But we don’t need to talk about that right now. You’re the one who needs some TLC. Let’s get you a nice sugary, caffeinated drink and sit you under a shady tree. I can fan you and also feed you small pastries if you think it would help.”
“Wait a second. Something’s wrong. I was so into myself I didn’t even look at you but now that I do, I can see it.” She fisted a hand over her heart. “And you came to me. Aw, I don’t think you’ve ever done that before. I’m touched. Sincerely. And I want to hear it all. Every single thing. But let’s wait until we get to the park for full, focused attention.”
“Sure. It can wait. So, other than puke, how’s it going?” Mia asked as she pulled into a street spot close to Bean Time.
“Pretty darn great. Business is booming this summer. My best ever.” They got out of the SUV and walked into the coffee shop.
“What about Trevor? Still good?” Mia prodded.
After putting in their drink orders, they moved to the pickup counter. The café was humming with customers. Practically all the tables were filled, mostly people in their thirties and forties focused on laptops with a sprinkle of grey-haired couples mixed in.
Brooke’s smile bloomed large. “Oh, yeah. Really good. It’s nice to be in a relationship again. It’s been a long time for me, you know? And even though things are sort of complicated what with Melody and sharing custody with his ex-wife Patty, it seems to be working. At least right now.”
Mia squeezed her arm. “I’m so glad. You deserve to have someone amazing in your life. And Melody is seriously adorable. Do you want children of your own?”
Brooke exhaled and nodded. “Yeah. I really do. Someday. But we’re not close to that stage yet. We’ve only been dating for a couple of months. Still, I’m not gonna lie, it’s totally on my mind.”
“Do you think Trevor is open to having more kids?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, early days, and I haven’t broached the subject with him.”
A barista with short purple hair and too many piercings to count set two drinks on the counter. She called out, “Mia, iced chai and iced mocha latte,” and they each grabbed a cup and walked back out to the Escape.
“I tell myself I need to wait and see, but a part of me knows I’m just being a big old chicken,” Brooke said while Mia backed the SUV onto the street and pulled away.
“I get why you’re feeling that way, and like you said, early days but … it’s kind of an important question, right? Because if kids are a deal-breaker for you, it would be better to know sooner than later. I mean, you don’t want to waste a bunch of time on the wrong guy.” When she glanced over and saw the distress on Brooke’s face her heart crumpled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I warned you before, I’m kind of new to the whole friendship thing.”
Brooke heaved out a breath and shifted in her seat to face Mia. “I’m glad you said it. That’s what friends do; they tell one another the truth even when it hurts. And you’re absolutely right. I need to figure this thing out because I’m not getting any younger here and the dating pool is freaking shallow in this town.”
“But Walkerton and Nashville aren’t far, right? Lots of men to be had there. I mean, if it doesn’t work out with Trevor.”
“Yeah, sure. But I want it to work out with him. I really like him. A lot. Maybe inching over into love. And Melody is nothing but a bonus to our relationship. I could honestly do without Patty. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not oozing evil or anything but … they have that history and Trevor will be tied to her forever because of their daughter.”
“Well, let’s not start worrying yet. And for what it’s worth, I’m rooting for Trevor. He’s a really great guy. At least he seems to be,” she hurried on.
“Wait. Hold the phone.” Brooke leaned across the console toward Mia. “What do you know? Did you get some kind of flash from him? OMG, I’ve just had the most brilliant idea. You could ask him about kids and then do … whatever it is you do to see into people and read if he’s open to having more?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That seems wrong somehow. Like maybe this is a step you have to go through, and it will make the relationship even more solid. If you skip doing the work, you’ll miss out on the upside.”
Brooke slumped back against her seat. “You’re probably right. Why am I so scared?”
“I think being scared is good. It means it matters. If you were only so-so into him, you wouldn’t have any problem asking about kids. And when things or people matter, we have to just grit our teeth and do the hard, scary parts.”
“Like when you told Roman about being psychic?”
“Yeah. Exactly. And see how well that turned out … okay, not at the time, but eventually. At least I hope so.”
Mia put on her indicator and turned into Carlton Park. Despite the hot and humid conditions, there were a number of cars in the lot, and across the open field she could see kids swarming on the play structure.
“What do you mean you hope so?” Brooke asked.
“It’s been a rough few days.” Mia picked up her iced latte and bringing the straw to her mouth, drank deeply. “So much yum. Bean Time knows what they’re doing. Where to?”
Brooke waved her arm vaguely. “Let’s walk a little then find a nice shady spot and grab a squat.”
Outside, it was cloudy, which cut down on the blazing sun factor, but to Mia, the atmosphere still hit like a warm, wet blanket. Brooke leapt into the air, her legs flashing, all the while managing not to spill any of her drink.
“I love summer.” She beamed a smile at Mia. “The heat makes my muscles feel loose and I always have so much more energy.”
“Get away from me, weirdo. I’m over here counting the days until winter. I wouldn’t mind a taste of some cool and crisp. Or as crisp as it ever gets in Tennessee. Though we did have a couple of minor dumps of snow last year, so hope springs.”
“To each her own, I guess.” They began strolling around the edge of the field, sticking close to the shade of the tree line. “No more stalling, Missy. Whatever’s going on, you’ll feel better talking it through.”
“I know. Okay. Let me lay it out. It’s one of those situations where on the surface, it doesn’t seem like it should be such a big deal, but it actually is. You know I sometimes help Roman with his cases?”
“Sure. You guys are a great team. And it’s cool that you can work together. Wait? Is that it? Too much together time?” Brooke asked.
“No. But good guess.” She paused and reached out a hand to brush against the trunk of a nearby tree as she passed. “It’s the job itself that’s the problem. I’ve told you about my past … how I was before. And how I’m trying to stay away from the darkness and be a better person. I’ve set up my new life to embrace the light and the good. To have a quiet and peaceful existence where I create jewelry that makes people happy. Where I always tell the truth.”
Brooke nodded. “And you’ve made a beautiful life for yourself. You should be really proud. I guess working on the cases brings you face to face with the darker side of things. If you’re worried you’ll go back to that, you shouldn’t. You’re a good person. I feel it.”
“Aw, thanks. I hope I am. And no, I don’t think I’d ever want my old life back. It’s more … it’s hard to explain.”
“Let’s sit.” Brooke motioned to a bench, and they walked over and sank down. “I can see you’re getting upset. If it’s too much to talk about right now, that’s okay, Mia. I’m here for you either way.”
“I think talking it out would be good since everything just keeps going around and around in my head and driving me crazy. Okay. I guess the first big point is I don’t want to be near the darkness. Like, at all. Yesterday, we interviewed this girl who’d lost someone close to her. The grief was … awful. And a lot of times when I see someone in that much pain, I can’t stop myself from helping. The girl was a mess inside, and I went in and gave her a boost. It’s only temporary, but I figured she needed a break. And the idea that the death of her friend was maybe a murder, it just makes me so mad.”
“I can’t imagine how tough it is holding someone else’s grief. I don’t think I could carry the weight myself.”
Mia blinked and glanced over at her friend. “You actually get it. That’s exactly what it feels like. A massive weight. And right now, I’m struggling to get out from under it and take a damn breath. I know it’ll fade over the next few days, but jeez Louise, it’s still hard.”
“Stop working the cases.” Brooke took her hand and squeezed. “If it’s asking too much just shut it down. Roman can do his thing and you do yours. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“I wish. It’s not that simple because of my special abilities. I can solve cases faster and sometimes even figure out the impossible. If I want to walk the walk about being a good person, shouldn’t I use what I’ve been given to help in any way I can?”
Brooke let go of Mia’s hand, set her drink down on the bench beside her, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Um … no. Not if it’s ruining the quality of your life. Should a doctor, nurse, or EMT work twenty-four/seven and never retire just because they know how to save lives?”
“It’s not the same thing. Lots of people can train to be in that field. Most people don’t have my ability. At least, I haven’t met very many who do.”
“Okay. Fair point.” Brooke nodded once. “But still. You’re not Jesus Christ. You don’t have to crucify yourself for the good of mankind.”
“I guess not. But how do I find my balance? I keep thinking okay, I’ll just help on this one last case. Except then there’s another one. And another. It’ll never stop as long as I’m with Roman. I keep wishing he was an accountant, or a mechanic, or basically anything else.”
“Wow. When you put it like that, it sounds sort of impossible. But it’s not. It can’t be. Because you love Roman and he loves you. True love always wins,” she finished all in a rush.
Mia stared at her for several beats. “Does it, though? We aren’t exactly star-crossed lovers or anything, but this situation sure ain’t good. At least not for me. And even though I hate to admit it, a part of me is pissed off at him. So much for love being patient and kind or whatever.”
“Hey. Cut yourself some slack already. I think it’s understandable to be pissed right now. Can’t you .…” Brooke glanced around the park as though the solution was somewhere nearby. “I don’t know, help part of the time or not go all in or something? What about only getting involved if Roman gets stuck?”
“Yeah. I could try. Bottom line, though. I really don’t want to do any cases. Ever.” She paused and blew out a breath in an attempt to steady herself. “I never thought I’d have someone like Roman in my life. He’s so good and kind, and he gets such a kick out of helping people. It totally feeds him, you know? Lights him right up. And all it does for me is suck me dry. But at the same time, I don’t want to take it away from him. I mean, it’s his life’s purpose.”
“Oh, sweetie.” Brooke slid over to Mia until they were hip to hip. “This is hard, but I have faith you’re going to figure it out somehow. Maybe Roman should go back on the police force. Then he couldn’t pull you in nearly as much, right? Otherwise, it’d be weird.”
Mia’s heart beat faster. “That’s a totally great idea. OMG. You’re brilliant.” She turned and wrapped her arm around Brooke’s shoulders. “He lost his mojo with the whole Tony situation and that’s why he quit in the first place. Now though, he’s solved a couple of tough cases, and I can see his confidence coming back. If I decide I absolutely can’t handle the PI stuff, maybe I can convince him to ask for his old job back. That way he still gets what he wants and needs, and I get my peace back.”
Brooke leaned her head against Mia’s shoulder. “See. We’ve already figured it out. And all it took was one short coffee break. Look out, world, because Mia Reeves and Brooke Adams are an unstoppable force.” She sighed and rubbed Mia’s arm. “And you’ll feel okay about not spending your life racing around and using your psychic powers to right every wrong in the universe?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine with it. Doesn’t mean I can’t lend a hand from time to time but knowing the pressure is off and I’m not disappointing Roman will make all the difference. I feel so much lighter now. Like I could float away on one of those clouds. Or maybe it’s the exhaustion talking. I think I only got about three hours of sleep last night.”
“Poor baby. You should go home and rest. And I should get back to the studio and see if anyone else has thrown up while I ducked out.”
“Yeah.” Mia sighed. “But maybe we could just sit for another couple of minutes?”
“Of course. Anything for my bestie. I’m glad we won’t have to cancel the wedding.”
“Me too, because I’m stupid in love with Roman. Also, I don’t think I’ll get my deposits back.”
“And that, right there, is reason enough for getting married.”