Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Leif
I stared at Brooke, wondering if I was seeing things.
I remembered that long reddish-brown hair of hers.
Those hazel eyes had always captured me.
She was a little below average in height.
That was always a fun play against my six-foot-four frame.
She was also all curves in the right places and had only grown sexier in the time we’d been apart.
Was she truly here? This blast from the past?
I let out another breath and helped move the last box into the house, doing my best to keep my eyes off the woman that had haunted my dreams for far too long.
She held the clipboard, a pen in her hair, another in her hands, a third pen attached to the cleavage on her top.
I was doing my best not to think about that particular one.
She was organized, meticulous, and had been the fantasy of my dreams for too long.
“You’re staring.”
I looked over at my cousin and shook my head. “I’m just in awe over here. It’s spooky. I don’t understand.”
Lake snorted at my attempt to not sound like I’d been drooling in my own memories. “I’m the one who has questions, Leif. Not you.”
“I suppose that’s all right. Is she seriously your neighbor now?” I kept my voice low since Brooke was walking in, still staring at the clipboard, and I didn’t want her to think I was talking about her.
Even though, of course, I was talking about her.
The woman I’d shared a hot and steamy couple of weeks in Paris with was now living next to my cousin. The cousin who happened to be one of my best friends.
In all the places, in all the world, she had to show up here.
After all these years, after so many unending questions because I didn’t have her anymore.
She had just shown up.
I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and looked down at the kid who was staring up at me. I could feel his gaze boring into my side, so I tried not to act like a growly asshole.
“Hey, Luke, is it?” I asked
“That’s me. Luke. Why are you so big? And why do you have something on your face?”
I held back a laugh. “I’m big because I’m a grown-up and most of the guys in my family are all this tall. I have a beard. My dad has an even bigger beard.”
I knelt in front of him, my shoulders aching from the unexpected moving day.
I’d spent the entire morning working on a client’s back, bent over to get the perfect angle, so my client was comfortable.
It meant that I was the one with back pain at the end of the day.
One of my friends wore corsets these days to help with his stature, and I thought maybe I should try.
Maybe I would force Nick to do it with me, so I wasn’t alone.
I was sure my dad had even done it once before, but my dad’s torso was so long that he would probably have had it custom-made.
Either way, though, I was tired and a little out of my element.
I knew kids, and one day I wanted kids of my own. I was the oldest cousin by more than a few years. Hell, I had been a grown adult when my parents adopted my two younger siblings. I had been packing for my college visit when the call came through that my parents would be parents again.
I knew how to act around kids. And although none of my generation had started the next generation yet, I knew we would soon. I helped raise my siblings and cousins, and had been their designated babysitter for years. Hell, I still was sometimes.
And yet, why did I feel so awkward around this boy?
He was cute for sure. He looked just like his mom, with dark red hair and light eyes.
A mom that I hadn’t seen in years. Due to the timing, I knew this kid wasn’t mine, so it wasn’t like a secret baby situation, but I had still done the math just in case. It had been a shock to see Brooke standing there, her eyes wide, looking glorious and gorgeous as ever.
And here I was, kneeling in front of her son, wondering who the hell his father was and why it looked like she was here alone.
Not that I was going to do anything about it.
I couldn’t do anything about it.
I was going on a dating moratorium, at least that’s what I told myself. The date with May had been okay, but the lack of sparks had killed my desire to try to date again.
Especially with a woman that clearly hadn’t wanted me before, no matter how hot our time together had been in Paris.
And she had enough baggage that she wasn’t going to be looking at me and wanting more. I wasn’t even sure why I was thinking about it.
I was just the big, bearded, tattoo artist, art-school dropout in other people’s eyes. It didn’t matter that the word artist was in the name. Most people didn’t think of me as such.
I was fine with that. My friends and family were, too. But many of the women I had dated hadn’t been.
I didn’t even know what Brooke would think, but that wouldn’t matter.
I was just the stranger with the beard that this kid looked curious about.
As if he had never seen a roughneck like me.
“Can I feel your beard?” Luke asked, and I shrugged.
“I guess it’s okay. If it’s okay with your mom.” I looked up as Brooke looked down at us, something in her eyes I couldn’t quite read.
She smiled and slid her hand over her son’s head. “Of course, you can. If it’s okay with Mr. Montgomery.”
I raised a brow, wondering if I liked being called Mr. Montgomery out of a mouth that had once been wrapped around my cock. Maybe I did.
“There’s a lot of Montgomerys around here, Brooke. Maybe he should call me Leif.”
She cringed and I wondered what that was about.
“I guess you’re right. Although, it’s kind of odd if there are so many Montgomerys, I run into you here.”
There was a deafening silence, and she cleared her throat while I just stared at her, wanting answers, wanting more. Knowing I couldn’t have it. Again.
“Sure, Luke, honey. You can feel his beard. Just be gentle, please, and don’t pull.”
That reminded me of the time she had pulled because she had been tugging me closer to her pussy.
That was enough of that.
“Okay.” Luke patted my beard and smiled. I lowered my head slightly, so he didn’t have to reach as much. “It’s soft.
“I use beard oil. It’s always good to have good beard care.” I winked at him, and he giggled.
“Will I have a beard?” Luke asked, his eyes wide and curious.
“When you’re older, sure. I don’t see why not.” I looked up at Brooke again, ignoring the tightening in my gut. “What do you think? Will the kid look good with the beard?”
Brooke looked at me, blinked, and smiled. “I think you would look quite dashing with a beard, Luke. But you still have a few years to go. Remember, you are not supposed to grow up too quickly. You need to give Mommy some time to get accustomed.”
“What’s acc-ustomed-ed?” Luke asked, sounding out the word.
“Accustomed. Getting used to it. So you have to give your mom time before you grow up and get a huge beard.” I roughed up his hair slightly and he grinned at me, smiling his mom’s smile.
“I can wait. I think it will be a while until I am as big as you. But Mom’s not big. Maybe I’ll be like her.”
“I think your mom is just the right size,” I said without thinking. When I clamped my mouth shut, I stood up, stretching my back. “So, what do you think? Does everything look good? Did you empty the truck?” I asked, trying not to act as if this was awkward.
Brooke let out a soft breath. “Yes. Thank you. You honestly did not have to do all of this. I am forever grateful.”
“We are always here to help,” Lake put in.
She had been mysteriously silent for the entire conversation, and I knew she would have questions.
Of course, the other woman would have questions.
If I weren’t careful, she would bring those questions to the rest of the family, and then they would be a cacophony of Montgomery intrusiveness.
I loved my family. I honestly did. I loved how we were always there for each other. Only sometimes, it was almost a little bit too much. Because yes, we could keep secrets, of course we could keep secrets, yet we all wanted to help one another so much sometimes that it felt almost overwhelming.
Sometimes, despite myself, I had to remind my own mind that I was a Montgomery as well. Even after over twenty years of being immersed in this family, growing up with it and remembering that I hadn’t been born into it. Maybe by blood, but not by situation.
“Seriously though, you guys have no idea how much it helped.” Brooke put her hand around Luke’s shoulders as the kid leaned into his mom.
It was so strange to see Brooke as a mom.
She was good at it from what I could tell in the little amount of time I’d seen her at it.
She had kept one eye on what she was doing, one eye on making sure that Lake and I and the movers knew where to put things, and a random third eye that must only exist for parents on her kid the whole time.
Luke had been safe and secure and had snacks when he needed them.
She was a wizard, just like my mom was.
It was still just so odd to see Brooke in that situation.
“You’re Lake’s new neighbor. We were not going to let you do it by yourself.” I nearly growled the words, and I ignored the pointed look from my cousin.
Brooke just blinked at me and shrugged. “With the timing, we ran late, and the movers were early, so I’m glad it all worked out.
I would’ve been able to do it myself, as I did when I moved to California, but I am truly grateful.
And now my house is full of boxes, and I only know for sure where my son’s sheets are for his bed, but that’s about it.
I would offer to cook you dinner or something to say thank you, but I don’t think that will happen since I don’t know where my pans are. Maybe another time.”
She was looking at Lake as she spoke, not looking at me at all. I had to wonder if that was on purpose. I had seen anger and surprise in her gaze when I had pulled up, but why would there be anger on her part?