Chapter Fourteen
Brooke opened the front door, hoping Ben hadn’t left a mess in the living room. Yes, Reggie had already been over once, but that time she’d just cleaned the house and known it hadn’t been a wreck before she invited Reggie in. Since then, her life had spiraled out of control, and keeping the house clean seemed like a bridge too far.
“Everything okay?” Reggie asked.
Brooke stepped aside, deciding to surrender to whatever mess might greet them on the other side of the door. “Don’t judge me by the way my place looks.”
“No judgment here. My apartment looks like a college freshman has been bingeing for exams. Lots of empty take-out food containers and Post-it notes on every surface.”
“And here I thought you were an index card kind of woman.”
“I’m full of surprises.”
Reggie winked and Brooke warmed to the flirting, her resolve to keep her distance melting away. Who was she kidding? She’d invited Reggie for dinner, and it wasn’t simply to thank her for serving as her private transport. She wanted to spend time with her, away from the courthouse and all the chaos of the trial. Reggie was the first person she’d been attracted to that she’d introduced to her son in years, and even if the introduction was the result of accidental circumstance, she had no regrets.
She led the way to the kitchen and pointed at the small table. “We have a rule in this house that we have to at least start our homework before dinner, so break out the books, Miss Private Eye.”
“Seems like a fair rule,” Reggie said, sliding into one of the chairs. “What about you?”
Brooke gestured to a backpack hanging over the back of one of the chairs. “Believe it or not, that’s mine. Yes, I carry a backpack. Unlike my spoiled middle-schooler, we don’t have lockers at Richards University.”
“Actually, I was referring to your title. I mean, I know you’re going to school, but what’s the end game?”
“Are you asking me what I want to be when I grow up?”
“I’m not an advocate of the growing up part, but at the risk of sounding corny, what’s your major?”
“Great question. I’m still working on that one. Right now, I’m working on getting the basics out of the way. I’m leaning toward a business degree, but I have a passion for liberal arts, and I’ve thought about teaching.” She shrugged. “Then some days I wonder why I even bother. By the time I finish whatever degree I decide on, there’ll be a bunch of other, much younger job candidates lined up to take the first spots.”
“Life experience beats youth every day of the week.”
Brooke smiled. “Remember that when I apply for the job of running your very successful PI business.”
“I will.”
Brooke stared into Reggie’s eyes, looking for something, anything, to signal this woman was too good to be true. She was beautiful and sweet and chivalrous and smart. She was great with Ben and didn’t seem to mind eating sandwiches or omelets or doing homework around a tiny kitchen table. All her observations led to one solitary thought, and she blurted it out before she could stop herself. “Why are you single?”
Reggie looked shocked at first and then she burst into laughter. “Why are you?”
“You first,” Brooke said, determined to get an answer now that she’d gone down this path.
“I don’t know. I’ve dated plenty, but I guess I haven’t found the right person.” She touched her shoulder. “After the shooting, I decided to focus on myself. I quit my job and applied for my license and then there wasn’t any extra time for meeting new people.”
“Yet here we are.”
“Yes.”
The air was heavy with the words they weren’t saying until Brooke finally felt compelled to break the silence. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
“And I’m sorry I resisted at first.” Brooke waved her arm in a circle. “This can be a lot for some folks. Built-in family and all.”
“I get it. And you probably don’t introduce your son to new people right off the bat.”
“Definitely not in hospital emergency rooms,” Brooke said with a grin. “You must be some kind of special.”
Reggie stood and walked to her side. “I don’t know about that, but I definitely think you are.”
“Add charming to the list.” Brooke’s breath quickened as Reggie drew closer and whispered in her ear.
“You think I’m charming?”
“Among other things.”
“As much as I’d love to hear more, I’d rather kiss you.” Reggie leaned back slightly and looked directly in her eyes. “If that’s okay.”
“If you don’t, I’m going to come out of my skin.”
Brooke barely got the words out before Reggie’s lips were on hers. Soft, yet firm, she kissed her slowly at first—light, tender touches, each carrying the promise of more. Brooke kissed her back and their pace quickened. She was hungry for Reggie’s touch and opened her mouth, inviting her in. Reggie’s tongue met hers and she melted against the touch.
Somewhere in the distance a buzzing sound edged into her consciousness, and she brushed at the air with her hand as if swatting away a fly, but the noise continued until she couldn’t ignore it any longer. Reluctantly, she eased out of Reggie’s embrace. “Do you hear that?”
Reggie’s eyes were hooded and dark and her lips were swollen. “What?” She looked around. “Oh, wait. It’s your phone.” She pointed at the table. “It’s buzzing.”
Brooke jerked out of her own haze when she saw Ben’s picture on the screen. She grabbed the phone. “Ben, are you okay?”
“Sure, but have you seen the news?”
“What?” She couldn’t compute why her twelve-year-old son was asking her about the news and it wasn’t just because she was high from Reggie’s kiss. “What’s going on?”
“I just texted you the link. Isn’t that the lady whose trial you’re on?”
Brooke punched the button to put her phone on speaker and laid it on the table while she scrolled through her texts. Ben had sent her a link to a live newsfeed with a reporter on the scene at Shirley Mitchell’s house in Highland Park. Brooke couldn’t tell at first what was going on, but after she read the caption at the top of the screen, she knew she wanted Ben home. Right now. She spoke carefully, so as not to alarm him. “Thanks, Ben. You better get on home. It’s time for dinner.”
“Okay, Mom,” he said, disconnecting the line.
“What is it?” Reggie asked.
Brooke pointed at the screen and turned up the volume.
“Returning live to our reporter in the field, Bruce Tasco who is at the home of Shirley Mitchell, the developer currently on trial for fraud. An intruder broke into her home earlier this evening. Bruce, what can you tell us so far?”
“Not much, Suzanne. A neighbor called in the report and, although the Mitchell residence has a registered security system, the intruder would have eluded detection if the next-door neighbor hadn’t happened to see him from their upstairs window.”
“Were the police able to apprehend the suspect?”
“According to my sources, the intruder escaped, but the police cordoned off the house and called for a crime scene unit.” The camera panned to the street and zoomed in on a CSU van. “It’s my understanding Mitchell wasn’t home at the time, but her children were here with their nanny, although I do not know if they were in the area of the house where the intruder broke in.”
“Any word on a motive or if this break-in has anything to do with the pending trial?”
“That remains to be seen. I’ve spoken with several neighbors and shock is the common thread of their responses. Break-ins aren’t common in this neighborhood, and the general feeling is this has to be an anomaly.”
“Thanks, Bruce. We’ll come back to you later to see if there are any updates.”
Brooke closed the app and checked her texts. Nothing. She checked the time. Ben had stayed after school to do some extra credit work with Mr. Lawrence who’d promised to drop him at home when they were done. School was a five-minute drive from here. If they’d gotten in the car right after she’d talked to Ben, they should be pulling up to the house right about now.
“Brooke?”
She jerked around, half surprised to see Reggie still standing there. “Sorry, stuck in my head.”
“Ben’s going to be okay.”
“He should be home now.”
Reggie pointed at the phone. “We don’t know if that has anything to do with Harry Benton.”
“Come on, Reggie, you know we do. Do you think it’s a coincidence that someone tried to break into Shirley Mitchell’s house the same day that Benton threatened her? You of all people should know what he is capable of.”
Reggie flinched slightly at the comment and Brooke regretted going there, but she stood by her point. “I do. That’s why I made sure Ben has an officer watching out for him.”
Brooke stepped closer and put her arms around Reggie, leaning her forward against hers. “I’m sorry. That was a shitty thing to say.”
Reggie tightened their embrace. “You’re worried. I get it. You have every right to be and I’m right there with you.”
The creak of the front door opening caused them both to turn in that direction. Brooke slipped out of Reggie’s arms and raced to the door to find Ben shrugging out of his backpack.
“Hi, Mom. Did you watch the video?”
She wrapped him in her arms, ignoring his plea that she was squeezing him too tight. “I did. What made you think to send it to me?”
“I dunno. I recognized the name. If someone broke into her house, is someone going to break into ours because you’re involved in the trial?” He looked over her shoulder. “Hi, Reggie! Are you staying for dinner?”
“Hi, Ben.” Reggie looked directly at her and cocked her head as if she thought the invitation might be revoked. When Brooke didn’t respond, she said, “Not sure about dinner yet, but if not tonight, maybe some other time.”
Brooke turned his words over in her head while he regaled Reggie with stories about his day. Despite not knowing about the threat on his own life, he’d connected the trial with danger and why shouldn’t he? She should be the one protecting him, not some random cop that didn’t even know him. Yet, here she was, standing in the kitchen kissing Reggie like she didn’t have a care in the world. She needed to get her head straight and that meant no more distractions. And Reggie Knoll was a huge distraction.
“Ben, go clean up for dinner and let me talk to Reggie for a minute.”
He groaned at the words “clean up,” but scampered out of the room, telling Reggie he’d be right back. She stared after him for a moment before turning back to Reggie.
“I should go.”
Despite the declaration, Reggie stayed in place and this was the perfect opportunity to tell her no, she should stay, but as much as she wanted to be back in Reggie’s arms, giving in to her own desires felt like a betrayal of her parental duties. “I’m sorry.”
Reggie placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up toward her. “You have to stop staying that. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“It’s bad timing.”
“I get it.”
“I wish it weren’t, if that makes it any easier.”
Reggie glanced away. “Easy is overrated.” She turned to go, but paused with her hand on the door. “You deserve all the things, Brooke. I hope that someday you realize that and give yourself permission to have them.”
She watched as Reggie walked away, wishing she had the courage to call her back. But her life was already full of things she could barely handle and a woman who could turn her to Jell-O with one kiss would only divert her focus. She was doing the right thing. She was sure.
Mostly.