20. Brooks
CHAPTER 20
brOOKS
A t first I had no idea where I was when I woke up. Clearly, I was in Harlowe’s apartment, but what I was sleeping on and why my neck ached was a mystery until I sat up and remembered that I’d slept on Harlowe’s couch because she’d thought sharing her bed would be too personal.
More personal than my face buried between her legs, apparently. This was already getting old, but I told myself that I had to move slowly here. I had the feeling that Harlowe would run if I pushed her too hard.
But fuck, I was going to have to get to the field to get this kink in my neck worked out before the game. When I looked at my phone, I realized that I hadn’t set an alarm and had slept way too late. I’d have to leave immediately and grab something for breakfast on the go.
“Harlowe,” I called out when I didn’t hear her. The apartment wasn’t so big that I should’ve had a hard time finding her.
She wasn’t in the kitchen, dining area, or living room, as they were all attached. I went down her short hallway and checked the bathroom then saw that her bedroom door was open, so I peeked inside.
It was empty.
“Harlowe,” I called out again, but I got no response and my blood started to boil.
Yup. She’d fucking left her own apartment this morning—I assumed it was this morning—without saying a word to me when she’d literally had to pass by me to get out the door.
Such fucking bullshit.
And this was why I couldn’t just tell her I wanted to be with her. She’d run like a scared horse in a hurricane.
What could I say? There’d been a lot of hurricane coverage recently about one hitting Florida.
There wasn’t much I could do at this point, so I grabbed my bag and left her apartment, locking only the doorknob lock when I left since I didn’t have a key. As irritated as I was, I had to fight the urge to find her right away. She was at Cleats & Kegs. There was no doubt in my mind about that, but I had to go do my job first.
Before I pulled away from her apartment, I sent her a text because I needed to know she was all right. That was my singular focus. Then I got on the road and called Silas.
“Where are you, man?” he asked.
“On my way,” I told him. “Do me a favor. Grab me some breakfast. You’re at the field?”
“Yeah.” He sighed.
“Go to Gracie’s Cafe around the corner.”
“Yeah. OK,” he said, then he hung up. He’d know what to get because we all basically ate the same, but if I didn’t get my ass in gear, I was going to be running behind all day and that wouldn’t leave me any time to go across the street to find Harlowe.
I was out of my car with my bag almost as soon as I’d stopped the vehicle. Then I bypassed the clubhouse for the massage therapist. He was a guy not much older than I was, but his hands could work magic.
“Didn’t think there was anyone left,” he said when he saw me slip into the room. Tim was tall and muscular probably because of what he did for a living.
“Yeah. I’m running late, but I’ve got this kink or knot or something in my neck.”
He patted the table while I yanked my shirt over my head then hopped up and lay on my stomach. Tim ran his hands over my shoulders until he got to my neck then grunted. “I found it,” he said. “How’d you get that?”
“Slept on the couch last night.”
He pressed into it, which hurt but felt good at the same time. “You’re not married, right? What’d you do to piss off your girlfriend?”
I grunted as he continued to work the sore spot. “Nothing like that,” I told him. “No wife. Nor girlfriend.”
“Ah.” But he didn’t ask any more questions while I enjoyed him working the sore muscles.
Mom didn’t spare any expense when it came to keeping her team healthy. After all, without us at one hundred percent, how would they make money?
Ten minutes later, he gave my shoulder a pat and said, “That should do it.”
When I sat up and tried out my neck, he was right. That knot or whatever it had been had disappeared. It was still tender in that area, but nothing that would stop or interfere with my playing.
“Thanks, Tim,” I said, then I hurriedly threw my shirt on and jogged to the clubhouse, where I found my breakfast sitting at the bottom of my locker.
I dropped into the chair and opened up the container while checking my phone to discover I hadn’t gotten a text back from Harlowe yet. My hunger was worse than I’d thought. Silas had ordered me an egg white omelet full of vegetables, with a side of hash browns, and some turkey bacon. This would be good until we ate before the game.
“What had you running late?” Silas dropped into his seat next to me.
“Harlowe.” There was no reason not to tell him. He already knew about the baby, but he winced, showing his teeth and everything.
“Uh-oh.”
I shook my head. “No uh-oh . I fell asleep on her couch last night and didn’t set an alarm. She left without waking me up, so I overslept. Ended up with a kink in my neck, but I already saw Tim.”
“That’s a man who has magic hands,” he told me and I couldn’t disagree.
“All right.” I closed up the container because I’d scarfed that food down so quickly that I hoped I wasn’t the one throwing up today, then tossed it in the nearest can. “We need to get moving. Oh, I need your key to my house.” I held out my hand and waited.
“My key privileges are being revoked?” he asked with his face pinched together, but he grabbed his out of his locker and slid my house key off. “What’d I do to earn that?”
“Nothing,” I explained. “I’ll get you another copy, but I want Harlowe to have one so she can get in there any time she needs.”
A smug half-smile appeared and I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “You want to be with her? You want her to move into your house?”
“Fuck yes, but she’s not going to do that. For now, I just want her to have somewhere she can grab what she needs. Fuck. I don’t know. I just want her to have it.”
He snorted as we left the clubhouse. “A key isn’t going to make her fall in love with you, man.” He slapped my back twice.
“That’s not what this is. It’s just a key. I have other skills to make her fall in love with me.”
Silas’s loud laugh followed us down the hallway.
The team didn’t have a break until just after eleven. It wasn’t long, but it would be enough for me to run over to Cleats & Kegs to find Harlowe. Then I’d have to be back for warmup, afternoon meal—felt weird calling it “lunch” since it was at such an odd time—and then the game.
I hurried over there and once I was through the door, I scanned the place until I saw her copper hair peeking up from behind one of the booths. My sister was on the other side. They were clearly in conversation, but I needed to do this. Then Camden glanced up, saw me, and said something to Harlowe, which made her look over.
That was my cue.
I marched up to the table and set my eyes on Harlowe, who was looking down at the almost-entirely-uneaten burger in her hands. “Camden, give us a minute.”
“I’m eating.” She pointed at the half-eaten burger in front of her, a move I only saw out of my peripheral vision because I wasn’t looking away from Harlowe. She had to know she’d fucked up this morning and that was why she wasn’t looking at me.
“Go,” I snapped.
Camden turned her eyes back to Harlowe. “Are you going to let him talk to me like that?”
Now, I swung all of my attention to my sister. “Don’t put that on her. Go.”
Camden sighed as she slid out of the booth, taking her plate with her over to the bar, where she climbed onto a barstool while I slid into her spot across from Harlowe.
Harlowe’s eyes were wide in surprise for a split second before she shook her head. “I’m going to have to answer for that, you know.”
“For what?”
She motioned toward my sister, who was watching us as she ate a french fry. “The way you were just speaking to her.”
“I’ll handle Camden,” I promised. I’d been harsh and it hadn’t been Harlowe’s fault. Well, she was who had me angry, but I’d chosen to speak to my sister rudely. “You were gone when I woke up,” I told her.
“I had things to do.” But her hazel eyes still didn’t meet mine.
“You need to stop leaving without saying anything. Goodbye , at least. Plus, I was in your apartment.” I tapped my index finger on the table for emphasis.
It was her place. I should’ve been the one leaving if she’d had to go.
Harlowe narrowed her eyes on me. “Don’t you have a game?”
“I do, which is why I shouldn’t even be here, but you didn’t answer my text, so…”
Her eyebrows pinched together as her hands patted the table, then the bench, and went behind her back like she was searching for her phone, then she closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s in the office,” she said. “I was working in there and didn’t grab it, I guess. The only time I used it was to call Camden and it’s been in there ever since.”
“Well, let’s try to keep it with us, yeah?” I said. She nodded. “I don’t want to keep track of you, but I want to know you’re all right. Does that make sense?” Again, she nodded and at least had the decency to sigh heavily as her mouth turned down before she scrubbed a hand down her face. “My house tonight.”
“What?” She acted like this was the first mention of her staying with me. Sure, we hadn’t talked about tonight specifically, but I’d told her I wanted her to stay, so it shouldn’t have surprised her.
I took my house key out of my pocket and slid it across the table.
“What is that?” she asked, as if she’d never seen a house key before.
“Key to my house. Don’t freak out. I want you to have it because if I’m demanding that you stay there, you should be able to come and go as you please.”
She pursed her lips as she said, “‘Demanding’?”
“Suggesting,” I countered. It’d been the wrong word to use.
“We don’t have to spend every night together for you to feel like you’re part of this, Brooks. I’ll tell you everything.” She took a breath then swallowed and as I focused on her throat, I noticed a red patch peeking out from under her shirt.
It took everything in me not to smile or be proud of myself because that was a mark I’d made. I wasn’t normally into leaving any kind of marks on a woman, but Harlowe was the exception. The idea that others would see it and assume she was taken started to make my dick harden under this table.
“For example,” she continued, “I have a doctor’s appointment today at one.”
Fuck. We had a game tomorrow, so depending on when it was would determine if I could go. Double fuck. Today, I couldn’t go at all. We had extra team meetings leading into the playoffs.
“I can’t go. We’re scheduled all fucking day.”
“I know,” she said and there was no animosity in her voice. “I’m not upset by that. It’s just to touch base because I’ve been so sick. It’s not even a regular appointment. I’ve scheduled those for early in the day so you can go.”
There was a worry inside of me that this would be a reminder to her as to why she had to stay so fucking independent. If I could’ve been there, I would’ve been and I didn’t care the reason for the appointment, either.
“You coming to the game?” I finally asked because I had to get back to the park.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Camden hasn’t asked me to and if she’s still mad, she won’t, which is fine, so I hadn’t thought about it. I could buy some bleacher seats.” She gave me a wide, toothy grin.
“The fuck you will. I’d rather you be in my dad’s season tickets spot. That way I can keep an eye on you.”
“Then I’m definitely not coming to the game,” she said right away.
“Why the hell not?” And what the fuck did I say to make her come to that decision.
“If you’re keeping an eye on me, then you aren’t focused on the game and those balls and bats are flying all around. You’ll get yourself killed and I don’t think the baby is on your life insurance policy yet.”
I snorted. She was right about that and it was a good reminder to call my lawyer. Some things had to be changed because she was right. My job wasn’t without risk, but I was more concerned about the risk of daily life. If anything did happen to me, I wanted her and the baby to be well cared for.
“Just come to the game. I won’t keep an eye on you.”
She shook her head. “Depends on what Camden wants. First, if she’s still super pissed at me—which I don’t think she is—but she is still upset, then I don’t want to be in her face.” She swallowed hard. “Second, I don’t want everything to change all at once. Me going to the game because you want me to, you asked me to… It sends a different message and I don’t even know if your family all knows yet.”
“They don’t.”
“Then there you go.”
“Well, we’ll have to tell them and I’ll get Camden to ask you. Will that make you happy?”
“I’m not sure she was planning on going tonight.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Do you think I can’t get my sister to change her plans?”
She nodded with a small grin. “All right.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.”
I pushed up from the table and fought the urge to kiss her goodbye. At least later, in the privacy of my own house, I might get the chance depending on if her hormones were raging or not. That was where we were for now.
“I’ll see you there,” I told her before walking over to my sister.
“Can I help you?” Camden raised an eyebrow as she hardened her jaw.
Yeah. Harlowe wasn’t the only one she was pissed at.
“How long is this going to last?” I asked her, assuming she’d know what I was referring to.
“I don’t know, Brooks. How long is my best friend going to be pregnant by you?”
I sighed. “I’d guess the standard nine months.”
She growled and it was hard not to laugh. The guys and I were really good at getting that sound out of her. It was her ultimate irritation sound. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I do.” I rubbed the back of my head and took a step closer. “Look, you can be mad, but your anger isn’t going to get you anywhere, Camden. Trust me. I’m older than you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re practically a grandpa.”
I snickered at her attempt to insult me. “Not quite, but I am close to being a dad.”
Camden sighed again and her shoulders slumped. “Why did it have to be my best friend?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Do you really want to know? I mean, I can list all of her outstanding qualities but I don’t think you’ll like everything on that list.”
Her lips curled up in disgust. “Can you not?”
“Yeah. I can not , but you need to work through this. Harlowe didn’t do this to hurt you.” I glanced back at Harlowe trying really hard not to watch our interaction, then focused back on my sister. “No one made any choices to hurt you. It just happened.”
Camden rolled those hazel eyes again and sighed, reminding me so much of when she’d been a kid, I couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. Fine. I won’t be mad, but you’re not taking away my best friend. I don’t even care if I have to share her because she’s your baby mama. She’s my friend first.” I scowled at her and she threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Fine. She’s my friend second after the baby. But you’re third. Last. Whatever.”
“That, I can work with.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean ‘work with,’ Brooks?” When I didn’t answer, she set her hand on my arm, like she was going to stop me from leaving. “Brooks.”
“Can I tell you something, Camden? Something you’re not going to tell anyone else, especially Harlowe?” I asked. She nodded. “First answer this: Does everyone in our family know about this?”
She shook her head. “What was I going to do? Run and tell Mom and Dad? Not a chance. I haven’t said anything to anyone other than what you heard when we were waiting for your bus.”
“Good.”
I glanced over my shoulder again and this time, Harlowe wasn’t paying either of us any attention.
“Oh, no,” Camden said, like she’d just found out that her favorite actor was really an awful person, but it got my attention. “You’re into her, aren’t you? You love her. That’s what you were going to tell me.” Anger burned her eyes. I guess it was one thing for Harlowe to have my baby but a completely different thing for us to be together.
“Camden,” I warned.
“What?” she snapped. Yup. She was pissed. “That’s what you were going to tell me that I couldn’t tell anyone else, isn’t it?” she prodded. When I didn’t answer right away she continued. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to admit it. I know already.”
“Camden.” I set both my hands on her shoulders. “Harlowe is going to reinforce every wall she’s built over the years if you tell her that. I’m counting on you to let me handle this.”
“Yeah, yeah. But she’s too good for you.”
“I know that too.” I leaned in a little closer. “But what I need you to do is ask her to the game tonight. She won’t come if you don’t ask her. Me asking wasn’t good enough.”
My sister let out a loud laugh that made me back up to save my ear drums. “God, I love that woman,” she said once she could speak.
Yeah. Me too, but why that was her reaction to what I’d just said was a mystery.
“I’ll ask her,” she promised. “We’ll be there even though I didn’t think I was going tonight and I don’t think this is going to work for you.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
And that was one thing I could trust. Actually, I was trusting Camden with a lot right now and she was normally an excellent secret keeper. Lord knew she kept many of ours over the years, though my stomach tightened at the idea that she might have told all that shit to Harlowe.
Didn’t matter. I was a man on a mission to make my sister’s best friend fall in love with me.