14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
T he second Brooke walked down the stairs to join the party, everything inside Cody screeched to a halt.
Wow! Just, wow!
His heart started pounding as he took her in.
Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Absolutely mesmerizing.
He wasn’t the only one to notice. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Neither could anyone else. Self-assured, she glided across the room with a soft smile, her lips tinted a deep berry color. In contrast, her eyes were lined in black with a subtle pink shadow. Her dark hair fell in layers around her face and down her back and made her cheekbones and green eyes stand out all the more.
Perfect.
He’d seen a hint of this woman when she came to his office to discuss business just before she left for school. But this…he never saw coming.
Cody wanted like he’d never wanted anything more. It opened that crack in his chest, the one that opened when he’d touched her in his study at the picnic. Something wanted to come out, but he tried to hold it back. If he let it loose, it could ruin everything.
He’d spent too many years taking care of Brooke, treating her like a best friend. Because that’s what she was. Now? She’d changed. Maybe he’d changed, too. Because he shouldn’t feel this kind of pull toward her.
And he definitely shouldn’t feel the possessive punch to the gut when he caught other men staring at her in that little black dress. Strapless, her breasts rounded softly above the top.
Too tight. Too short, even if it did hit her long legs just above the knee and looked absolutely perfect on her.
Brooke wasn’t supposed to look like that. Men weren’t supposed to watch her while she walked by.
Charlie wasn’t supposed to stand that close, or smile at her like some horny teenager.
He better shut it down before Cody put him face down in the Caesar salad platter.
Cody’s chest shouldn’t tighten when she smiled. His blood pressure shouldn’t rise when she laughed at something Charlie said. He sure as hell shouldn’t feel the tug and pull pushing him to go to her, but he did.
God, look at her. So confident. All he wanted to do was tell her how amazing she looked. And keep her all to himself. He didn’t want all the men in the room looking at her. She was his.
No, she’s not.
She stopped by her mom, who took Brooke’s hands and held them out, so she could admire Brooke all dressed up and looking fantastic. Susanne smiled with pride and released her, so Brooke could take her plate out to the tables on the veranda.
He caught her eye, but instead of making her way to him, she acted like she still didn’t see him. What the…
Why?
He didn’t like it. It hurt. More than it should. The distance she put between them made him ache. And worry. What did this mean?
“Cody was the perfect addition to the board at the children’s hospital. He’s got all the others trying to outdo him in bringing in donations and top talent. I knew he was the right man for the job,” the governor gushed about him.
Cody could care less right now.
Kristi beamed beside him. “There’s no one better.”
Governor and Mrs. Harris nodded their agreement. He barely noticed or cared what they thought. He did what he did for the hospital because it mattered, not to get people like the governor and other influential people in the room to pat him on the back. But he’d take it with a smile, because that’s what it took to keep men like Governor Harris happy—because they thought you owed them, even though he was the one busting his ass. “Thank you for the praise and continued support.” A diplomatic statement given expectation.
“You’re going to do big things.”
Funny, he thought he was already doing pretty damn well for himself.
Except Brooke still hadn’t looked his way. Not once.
Mrs. Harris tilted her head toward a couple across the room. “The Hendersons have just arrived. Let’s go say hello.”
The governor and his wife made their way across the room.
He caught Brooke kissing his ranch manger, David, hello. Then she almost lost her plate when another ranch hand grabbed her from behind and hugged her to his chest while he kissed her bare shoulder and teased her about something.
He saw red at the way the guy manhandled her and had already taken two steps to put a stop to it when Kristi’s hand snaked out and caught his forearm in a viselike grip. Her smoldering blue eyes told him she wasn’t happy about something.
He’d become accustomed to receiving that look.
Lately, she wasn’t happy with him about anything. He couldn’t blame her. Work had never seemed busier. He had cases piling up at his office. The ranch had one problem after another, including the loss of a few key people. He needed to hire more workers for the ranch, so he wasn’t filling in on his off hours.
He needed some relief from all the stress, not Kristi constantly hounding him.
“Where’re you going, honey?” Her sweet tone conflicted with the anger building in her eyes.
“To say hello to Brooke. I’ve barely seen her the last few days.”
“You live in the same house. You’ve seen her plenty. I’m sure she’d like to spend time with her old friends. Seems she’s drawn attention from many of the male guests. It’s nice to see her spreading her wings and her social circle.”
He got the hint. Kristi didn’t like Brooke taking up his time. They’d already had this conversation upstairs.
Brooke was his friend. She’d always be his friend.
Kristi should understand that by now.
“I wonder if she’s got a boyfriend back at school.”
He recoiled at the thought and his gut tightened painfully. No way.
Why not? Look at her, she’s gorgeous.
He didn’t want to think about her making someone else feel the way she always made him feel. Special. Needed. Wanted. “She’s too busy studying to date.”
If she had a boyfriend, he’d know about it.
They told each other everything.
At least, that’s what he’d thought until this past summer when she’d…pulled away.
He didn’t think they would end up like this, where she turned away instead of coming over to talk to him. Had she been avoiding him since she got home? No. He’d just been busy working. She didn’t want to interrupt. Right? Fuck. He didn’t know. And it hurt. He was surprised by how much. But he shouldn’t be. Brooke was…more important than he realized.
Fuck .
That night she came home late right before she was headed back to campus to start the new year of school came back to him. He’d confessed that he missed her. He’d wanted her to know that despite how busy and distracted he’d been, he cared and regretted not spending time with her.
The house wasn’t the same without her here. Texts weren’t the same as sitting atop their horses in the middle of the property, just the two of them, talking about everything and nothing.
He missed her spunk and the way she made him laugh.
He missed the way he was when he was with her. Relaxed. Unburdened.
Brooke laughed again, drawing his attention to her across the room.
Too damn far away.
Charlie was talking to her again.
Kristi put her palm to his cheek and made him look at her, instead of staring at Brooke. “Honey, you went to college. Don’t tell me you spent all that time studying. I’m sure you haunted many a party on a Friday and Saturday night with at least one girl on your arm and a beer in your hand.”
Cody reluctantly nodded, hating thinking about Brooke being the woman on some other guy’s arm.
Back in the day, he’d taken them back to his dorm room for no-strings-attached sex. Just two people out for a good time. As long as they both had the same idea, the next day was business as usual—classes and friends and waiting for the next Friday-night party to begin.
The thought of Brooke laughing with some guy at a party and ending up a notch on his dorm room bedpost made Cody seethe. The thought of some guy touching her set his teeth to grinding. His hand clamped so forcefully around his tumbler, it was a wonder the glass didn’t shatter like his self-control was about to.
“Look at you, so upset.” Kristi tsked. “She’s young and free. Of course she’s having fun being on her own, no one watching her.”
Cody gulped his bourbon, relishing the burn.
Brooke should be concentrating on her studies, not warming some guy’s bed after a night of drinking. He wanted to go over and give her the talking-to of her life. She shouldn’t be giving herself to every random guy she met at a party.
Wait .
He went still.
All of a sudden reason returned. He was being ridiculous.
That wasn’t Brooke.
That wasn’t the girl he knew.
But the girl he watched grow up wasn’t the woman standing across the room. He had to accept she’d changed. How much, he didn’t know.
Still, he had no idea if she was seeing anyone, let alone sleeping around. She wasn’t that kind of girl. At least, he hoped she wasn’t, because then…
What?
What are you going to do?
You love sex. Why shouldn’t she?
I want it to be me.
Oh God. What was he thinking?
“Thank God your party days are over.” Kristi interrupted his consuming thoughts. “I much prefer the upstanding lawyer you are now to the rowdy frat boy you used to be back on campus.”
Kristi put her hand on his forearm. “You can’t seriously think Brooke spends her weekends studying in the library. She’s a pretty girl. I’m sure more than one college guy has noticed.”
Anger flashed hot and swift through his system.
Kristi recognized it. “Oh, come on, Cody. Playing big brother now is a little like closing the barn door after the horse is already out. Wouldn’t you say? I mean, she’s all grown up. I have to say I prefer this mature version of her to the little girl who chased after you, unmercifully embarrassing you in front of friends and colleagues.”
“We’re friends,” he said to explain the way Brooke behaved. She thought she loved him. It had been cute most of the time, and annoying some of the time. She had a way of looking at him and knowing just how he felt, and what he was thinking. She knew when he needed to bend her ear, and when he needed her to bulldoze her way past his temper and make him laugh.
He was an asshole for taking all her adoration and pretending he didn’t see how he hurt her when he didn’t reciprocate. He simply didn’t know a better way to handle it.
So he let it go and took the easy way out to preserve their friendship.
So she wouldn’t turn away from you. Like she is now.
His chest ached with that too-true thought.
Kristi’s face turned red and her anger boiled over. She actually snapped at him. “Friends don’t flirt.” She took a deep sip of her wine and seemed to calm herself. “She’s finally realized you love me. I like the way things have been the last few days that Brooke has been home. She’s stopped being your shadow. She’s backed off, and I appreciate it. You should, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Kristi. Brooke is part of my life. She always will be.”
Too busy watching Brooke say hello to some young guy, Cody ignored Kristi’s scowl.
I’m jealous and I shouldn’t be. I chose Kristi. I’m with her. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking out for Brooke.
Kristi stepped into his line of sight and held his gaze, hers frosty. “Take a step back, Cody, like she has. Put the relationship on the level it should be now. Stop acting like you can’t stand seeing her with those guys. They’re her friends, too. She’s known them for years, and here you are acting like they’re going to take her away from you.”
That would never happen. They were family. Sorta.
“I know you two are close, honey,” Kristi said, echoing his thoughts. “But, please, let her loose. She has her own life. You have yours with me . I know you like being the only man in her life, but you can’t expect that to always be the case.”
“I don’t.” Something shook in his chest when the words left his lips.
Liar!
Fuck.
He did expect to be the only man in Brooke’s life.
He liked being the man Brooke loved. He didn’t want to see her pour out her affection for someone else. He didn’t want to lose what they shared.
He didn’t want to lose her. Ever.
She could be yours if you stepped up.
How would that work?
He couldn’t take her away from school. Long distance would only make things harder.
He and Kristi were a good match. She was here and understood the demands on his time.
So would Brooke!
He tried not to let Kristi see how all this affected him, but her eyes narrowed and flared with anger again.
He had plans with Kristi. He needed someone present and connected to the people around him. Someone who could handle the high stress and very public role. Kristi was that person. Everyone loved her. They loved her with him.
Being with Brooke would be complicated. It would create gossip. He didn’t care what people said about him, but he’d care if it hurt Brooke.
With Kristi, he didn’t have to worry about that. She knew how to play the public game and she loved it.
Brooke was too private. She’d support him, of course. She’d do anything for him. He just didn’t think she’d be comfortable in that role.
You sure about that?
Right now his thoughts and feelings were all over the place.
And Kristi wasn’t helping. Probably because they hadn’t seen much of each other lately. That was his fault because he’d taken on a very demanding case that needed his undivided attention.
If he was stalling her on the whole marriage thing, it was only because he wasn’t ready to take that major step into the next part of his life.
He’d seen his father’s marriage to Cody’s mom break and how it hardened his father and made him bitter and distrustful. Cody wanted to be sure his marriage would withstand the tough times.
Kristi always supported him. She took upsets, date cancellations, and him either rushing through sex because he was tired or not showing up at all when she wanted him to stay at her place in favor of getting a good night’s sleep at home. But lately she’d been passive-aggressively dropping comments about all of it, letting her unhappiness show.
Again, he took the blame. Work, the board, the ranch, other obligations kept him busy. None of that was going to change.
Was it too much for her to handle in the long run? He wondered about that all the time.
So he’d wait and see, because he really did want to get married and have a family.
When the time was right, he’d be happy to buy the ring and propose, knowing he was walking into the life he wanted.
Just not yet.
They had plenty of time.
Kristi kept a fake smile on her lips for everyone around them to see so no one knew they were fighting. Again. “You do expect her to adore you and only you forever, and you know it. What man wouldn’t like to be worshipped by a beautiful young woman?” She put her hand to his cheek and made him look at her. “You have me, honey. I love you. We have a good thing and it’ll only get better. Don’t ruin it by trying to hold on to her when you really don’t want her.”
What if I do?
She softened her tone and stepped closer. “If it’s more attention you need, I’m more than willing to give it to you.” She pressed close and trailed her fingers down his neck to rest on his chest. She shifted slightly and rubbed her breasts against him. “Spend more time with me and less with your cases and the ranch and I will give you everything you need,” she purred.
This was more like the Kristi he fell for in the beginning.
His hands went to her hips and he pulled her closer. He liked her this way. He wished she were like this more often. “Work has been crazy. Several of my cases are moving to court at almost the same time. I’m swamped. We’ll have more time together soon.” That was a lie. His career was taking off faster than even he expected. There would be more cases. He’d have less time.
Kristi didn’t understand that. She didn’t want to hear it. “Maybe step away from the ranch business and focus on being a lawyer.”
“What? No. I’ve already given over most of the running of the place to the manager. But I like working the ranch when I have time. It gives me a physical outlet and time to not think but just be while I’m tending the animals or riding horseback through the fields.”
She squeezed his arm. “I want more time with you.”
“I want that, too.”
She tilted her head and studied him. “Do you?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” But he didn’t want to give up the ranch.
Because it will give you an excuse to be with Brook?
Kristi let out a soft sigh and seemed to gather herself. “I understand how hard you’re working to build a career, and a life, for us .”
He already could more than support them.
He made good money as a lawyer and he loved the challenge and how he was building a name for himself. Not that he needed the money. His father had left him a wealthy man.
“After Brooke graduates, she’ll help me with the ranch, and I’ll have more time.”
Another thing he and Kristi didn’t see eye to eye on, because a piece of the ranch and his wealth had also gone to Susanne and Brooke. She thought it all should have gone to Cody. He didn’t mind that his father left Susanne, his devoted, loving wife, a share. But it really irritated Kristi that Brooke got a share, too. It made Kristi jealous and angry that there would always be a permanent link between him and Brooke through the ranch, the home, that tied them together.
Cody didn’t mind. His father had wanted to be sure that Brooke never had to rely on anyone to take care of her. After her own father left, she and Susanne struggled. Now Brooke would never have to rely on anyone for anything. It eased Cody’s heart, just as much as it did his father’s, to know that they’d provided that sense of safety and security to both of them.
It made him happy and secure to know Brooke would always call the ranch home.
Cody wanted to make Kristi happy, but he also wanted to make sure every guy in the room stopped hitting on Brooke.
Kristi grabbed his arm again, pulling him back because she didn’t want to share him. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave me to go to her. She’s fine. You'll see her tomorrow morning at breakfast.”
He gave her a quick peck on the forehead and extricated his arm from her grasp. “I told you upstairs I wanted to catch up with Brooke tonight. I’ll just be a minute.”
She frowned and her eyes narrowed to a cold glare. By the look in her eyes, she was building up to an explosive argument. Another one.
He didn’t want to fight with her. He wanted her to understand that Brooke was a part of his life. He shouldn’t have to choose when Kristi knew he was with her and Brooke was just a friend.
Cody pointed to his left. “Look, there’s your mom and dad with your boss. Maybe seeing you here will help him make up his mind about who gets the promotion at work.”
“Maybe. He’s traditional. He thinks young women aren’t dedicated to their jobs and that their husbands want them at home. If you’re with me and tell him how much you support me working, he’ll see that I’m dedicated to my job.”
“Okay. I can do that. Go say hi. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Cody, please. Stop putting your stepsister before me. It’s not fair, and I’m tired of feeling like you don’t trust me and can’t confide in me the way you do with her.”
“You know that’s not true.” Another lie. The guilt soured his gut. Talking to Brooke was easy. He didn’t have to carefully choose his words or rein in his emotions the way he did with Kristi, so as not to upset her or make things worse. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” He walked away before she argued even more.
He just wanted to talk to Brooke and make sure things were as they had always been between them. That’s all he needed to know, then he’d be the doting boyfriend and talk up Kristi to her boss like she always did for him.