6. Brooks
SIX
Brooks
I’m not interrupted by Clover this time. As I turn around to the sound of footsteps while sanding another table leg, it’s her dad who catches me off-guard.
“Hey, Leo. Wasn’t expecting you to stop by.” I set down the sander and wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. “Get you a drink?”
As I cross the shed to the small fridge I have tucked into the corner, Leo nods with a smile.
“Of course.” I snag the two bottles of my budget’s finest beer, and Leo takes his and pops it open with his wedding ring. “And you know me, just checking in on ya. Seeing as you can’t be bothered to take it easy like the doc said.”
I wave him off, going up to the built-in bottle opener I installed on the wall to open my drink. Turning back around toward him, I lean against the workbench at the back wall and take a swig.
The refreshing liquid quenches a thirst I wasn’t aware was so bad. But I’m shitty at remembering that kind of thing, if I’m honest. Forgetting to eat or take a break to pee is a Brooks Lowe standard.
“I’m fine, Leo. Besides, you should know me well enough by now to know that I’m not one for sitting on my ass and ‘relaxing.’”
He chuckles while rolling his eyes at me. “Yeah, yeah. I know you plenty. How’s my kid helping out with that? She’s been here a week now, so you gotta have some idea.”
Nodding, I let my stare drift to the floor, considering how Clover has been doing. “It’s been…great, actually. I mean, I’m pretty sure feed bags are going to kill her one of these days, but Darby loves her.”
Leo laughs, much harder this time, and his hand goes to his chest as he collects himself.
“Oh, Lord. Well, you’re not wrong about the farm life. I knew that would take Clover some getting used to. But it’s good to see that I also wasn’t wrong about how good she is with kids.”
“No, I suppose you weren’t. Darby has really opened up to her. It’s…nice.”
My mind wanders a little as we both take swigs of our beers. It’s hot as hell today, a norm for this time of year in Red Lodge. But it’s still a welcome break to lean back with a drink for a minute.
Clover is definitely no pro when it comes to ranch work or taking care of animals. But…aw hell, she’s amazing with Darby .
It’s easy to recall incidents between the two of them that show how they’re getting along. Darby does homework with Clover almost every night, and he’s never been so good at being all set for school in the morning.
I try to be there for him as much as I can be with a ranch to run, and I have to admit that knowing he’s not just sitting there alone when I have to work eases an ache in my chest that’d been there for ages.
He should have someone like that—like a…mother.
My chest pinches, and I clear my throat, not wanting Leo to pick up on where my head’s at. The last thing I want to do is talk about Leah.
That’s the last thing I’ll ever want.
“Well, that’s damn good to hear. I know Clover, and I know that she’s always had an affinity for children. Always wanted her to have one of her own. You know?”
All I can do is nod. Parents aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. Leah, for example. The woman was a mother for two days too long, I suppose, and just took off and left me alone with a newborn.
And it would have been one thing to leave me. That sucks, but it’s a normal part of life sometimes. It’s another to abandon your child.
Darby has been messed up about that since the beginning. He’s never trusted adults much, especially any women who’re looking to be a part of his life. I’ve shied away from dating because I can’t bear the thought of him attaching to someone just for them to leave.
I mean, sure, I also stopped dating because I’m not looking for a sequel to Leah’s horror show. No thanks .
“Clover’s young. She has time. If she wants that for herself.”
Meeting Leo’s stare, he nods, turning the corners of his mouth down. “I think she does. But I’ll admit that she doesn’t talk about it much. She’s so wrapped up in her work usually. With everything going on with that right now, though…yeah, hopefully that all works out.”
Leo hasn’t mentioned much about why Clover was looking to get out of the city so desperately. He’s only mentioned that it had something to do with a problem at work. Still, he insisted that it wasn’t his business to tell, which I got.
However, if we’re talking about admitting things, I know that I have a big one that I’m not looking to deal with any time soon.
Clover has been…great, honestly. She’s a delight to watch with Darby, almost as much fun as it is to prod at her. I don’t know what it is, but while the two of us butt heads like a pair of damn goats, it’s not without tension .
And not the bad sort. Oh, no, that’d be too easy. It’s the sort that has my blood heating and my jeans fitting too tight around the crotch.
Come on. You can’t be thinking like that. Especially not with her fucking dad right in the damn room .
Clover is Leo’s daughter, and that’s more of a no-go than anyone else I’ve ever remotely been interested in, and I’m not interested in her anyway.
It’s just a…it’s just that she’s this new, shiny thing—a button I haven’t seen and can’t help but want to push. Clover is off-limits, and I’m not about to risk my friendship with Leo because it’s been a while since I’ve gotten laid.
Because that’s all that this is. Just a little curiosity. And I don’t need to be reminded that’s what killed the fucking cat.
And even if I was looking for someone, which I’m not, I’d need someone who is actually cut out for ranch life.
And that ain’t Clover.
“Well, enough about that. How’s the arm? You likely to get that cast off any time soon?”
I snap back to reality with a sigh. “I’m confident that I’ll have this damn thing off by the six-week mark. I’m not looking to wear it any longer than I absolutely have to. Just gotta play my cards right.”
“Ha!” Leo laughs, throwing his head back before gulping down another hearty drink of his beer. “Whatever you say, buddy. Might want to consider actually following the doctor’s orders, then. You know, actually, take it easy?”
“I’m taking it as easy as I can.”
Leo narrows his eyes at me, and I return the expression. We stare each other down for a long moment before Leo steps forward and extends his hands.
“Eight weeks.” I take his hand and shake it once. “No sooner than eight, Brooks.”
“Six.” We shake again, and the bet is struck. “I’ll be out of this damned nuisance in six.”
There’s another pause where we both act like idiots, squeezing each other’s hands enough to make it sting, but then we pull apart with a laugh. Smiling, I clink my bottle against his, and we both finish up the lagers.
“So, you gonna fill your spare time with anything else? Or are you gonna stick with sanding table legs for the foreseeable future? I mean, you could be out there dating, for Christ’s sake.”
“Oh, no.” I shake my head, stepping back to drop my bottle in the recycling and pick up the sander again. “I’m very happy with my sanding. I’m not looking to date any time soon. Or ever for that matter.”
“Come on, Brooks. Handsome man like you? You should be out there. Don’t want to spend the rest of your days alone, do you?”
“I’m perfectly content on my own.”
The words sound confident, partly because I know that I am pretty content alone. I have Darby, and that’s all I really need.
But that’s the funny thing about this shitshow called life. I might be all I need, but some part of me isn’t convinced it’s all I want.
Are you kidding yourself? Date? Cuz someone is going to want to shackle herself to you? You’re a single dad and a fucking mess. No, no one wants that.
Heartbreak seems the much more likely outcome of all that, and I’ve had my fill of that.
Leo squints at me. “You say that. But as someone who’s lost his wife, let me just tell you that I don’t regret a single minute. The best years of my damn life, Brooks. And I’ll remember them fondly until it’s my turn to join her.”
My chest pinches at that thought, and I try not to consider the fact that the first person who popped into my head when Leo mentioned dating was his fucking daughter.
“I hear you, Leo. I’ll…” I see Clover’s stormy blue eyes in my head. “…think about it.”
“Good. Now I best be going. I have some farms to look at. Wish me luck.”
Shaking again, we pat each other on the shoulders. “Good luck, Leo. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I need you to take my advice, but I’m a patient man.” He claps me on the shoulder once more and then heads toward the door. “See you soon, bud.”
“See ya.”