Chapter 3
The oddest thing happened. The more Pixie told him about the town, the more Brogan wanted to know, and somehow she ended up agreeing to show him around on her next day off.
And then she agreed to dinner, too.
Neither occasion would really count as a date, because they’d have the kids with them, and yet, it was the closest she’d come in a very long time and her anticipation was keen.
The following day, she and Andy had just gotten to the shop when her phone rang. She set Andy in the playpen behind the counter, kissed the top of his head, and dug out her phone. Seeing that it was Marlow, she swiped her thumb across the screen and put the call on speaker. “Good morning.”
“Am I calling at a bad time?”
“Not possible,” Pixie said as she placed the phone on the countertop. Marlow could call her in the middle of the night and she would make time for her. In many ways, she owed her life to her friend. More importantly, she loved her dearly. “We just got in. I can talk while I open up.”
“Shoot. I was hoping to catch you on the road so you could talk on the drive. I know how busy your mornings are with breakfast and getting Andy ready, and then setting up the shop for the day. The drive is your only semi-free time.”
“Andy and I both woke up spry this morning, so I figured I’d get an earlier start.
I wanted to make sure those new shirts were front and center before shoppers stopped in.
” They were barely into May, but the inventory of pastel-colored summer wear had just arrived, and she was anxious to show it off.
In the past, Pixie was often unsure of her designs, but this one she thought would be popular.
In stylized font was the saying: Peace lights up the skies at Firefly Lake.
Sprinkled around it were little glowing fireflies.
She thought the design looked especially sharp on the black shirts, but for summer she’d also chosen a rainbow hue of pastels with contrasting print.
She was in love with them.
“Any reason for feeling extra chipper today?” Marlow asked with a lot of innuendo.
Unable to suppress her grin, Pixie hugged a stack of shirts to her chest and twirled on her way to the front display window.
“Yes! I had such a great time with Brogan. He’s so good with Shayna—who, as it turns out, is not his daughter but his niece.
” She quickly explained the situation. “Isn’t that amazing? ”
“Thank God he got to her when he did.”
“Agreed. She’s the tiniest, sweetest little thing, Marlow. You’d love her.”
“I look forward to meeting them both when Cort and I are back. So your time with Brogan—is that all there was to it?”
“Literally. We sat at the lake house, drinking Cokes and talking while the babies got familiar with each other. Andy didn’t know what to make of Shayna at first. Next to her, he looks like a tank.
” She grinned as she said it. “Oh, but guess what? He fell asleep on the floor watching Shayna. Every little thing she did fascinated him. If she stretched, he got super alert. Whenever she made a sound, it startled him. He kept offering her toys, but didn’t understand why she wouldn’t play. ”
“Aww. That’s so sweet.”
“Then their naps synced up. Isn’t that wild? I doubt it will ever happen again.”
“And?”
“And what?” Pixie replied. “It was a nice, relaxing visit.”
“And?”
She laughed. “Fine. He asked me to show him around the town, which I’ll do on Thursday when I’m off. Then we’ll have dinner on the weekend at the Docker.”
“Dates! I love it.”
“No,” Pixie corrected. “Not dates. It’s just that he’s new and wants to get familiar with the people and places, since he’ll be here through the summer.”
“And he asked you to show him around.”
“I’m probably the only one he’s met so far.” She wouldn’t let herself make more of the invitation than that. It was bad enough that her heart seemed to beat faster anytime she thought of Brogan.
“Describe him to me,” Marlow said.
Andy called out to her, so she said, “Just a second,” and took the few feet necessary to check on him.
The shop wasn’t big by any stretch, but when Marlow had redesigned the interior, she’d set it up so every wall was filled with shelving and there were circular racks filling the central space, meaning Pixie had to dart and weave—and twirl a few times again—to reach him. Andy loved her antics.
Pixie lowered the phone. “Say hi to Marlow.”
Andy immediately grinned and said, “Fend.”
“Hello, sweetie.” Marlow made several kissing sounds. “We miss you.”
He made kissing sounds back and then repeated, “Fend.”
“Yes,” Pixie said, “Brogan is your friend,” to help Marlow understand.
“Ah, yes, a new friend. And did you meet a baby?”
Babbling fast now, Andy told her all about it in his excited little squeaky voice. Though she was sure Marlow had only under stood a few words, she was still suitably impressed.
Because Pixie never wanted to leave anyone trapped on a phone with a chatty toddler, she checked that Andy’s diaper was dry, then found him a few colorful indestructible books to enjoy and settled him in his playpen.
He stretched out on his stomach to “read,” which meant playing with the book and enjoying the colors.
“I’m back,” Pixie said, again putting the phone on the counter so she could return to work.
“Andy is sure taken with Brogan.”
“It was wild, how quickly they bonded.” She rearranged some shirts, trying to decide whether they should be hung by color or size.
“I think it might be because Brogan has the same type of presence as Cort. You know, quiet and confident.” Until the occasional memory disturbed him.
“Brogan probably seemed familiar to Andy, since he and Cort are close.”
“Mmm, now I’m doubly intrigued, so let’s hear the description.”
Closing her eyes, Pixie could almost see him again.
“He’s tall. Even taller than Cort. Dark blond hair—like almost brown with some sun highlights around his temples.
Cut military short, but not too short. He has these intense gray eyes.
Really direct. Big shoulders, big hands”—big everywhere, from what she could tell—“but he’s gentle with the kids. ”
“Go on.”
Pixie laughed. “Lecher. That’s all I know. He seems to favor worn jeans and plain shirts.”
“He sounds delicious, and I think you should go for it.”
While straightening the shirts, Pixie said, “Go for what? I have a baby, remember. And he has an infant. The only thing we could go for, if he was even inclined, would be a quick kiss. But,” she stressed, before Marlow could weigh in, “that’s not on the agenda.
” Yes, Brogan made her think things, but she hadn’t lost her senses.
She was still working on herself, a never-ending process, now that she was a mother.
She wanted to be the best parent possible for Andy.
That left little time for entertainment of any sort, especially the big, hot male type of entertainment.
Priorities. Andy first, then his future, and of course her own continued improvement.
But for the first time in a long time, she was tempted.
“Anyway,” Pixie said, getting her mind back on track, “aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”
“We’re at the pool. I’m relaxing in the shade with a juicy novel while everyone else is eyeballing my husband.”
“Everyone?”
“Women with interest, I’m sure, and guys with envy. Oh, Pixie, he looks so fine in his trunks. I’m just sitting here under an umbrella, taking it in and glowing. How did I get so lucky?”
“It’s not luck, it’s reciprocal awesomeness. You two deserve each other in all the best possible ways.”
“Yes,” Marlow said softly. “It’s so ironic that Dylan’s bad choices brought us all together. Do you ever think about the quirks of fate, or heavenly intervention, or whatever?”
“All the time,” Pixie admittedly softly. If she hadn’t made such a huge, awful mistake with Dylan, if her pregnancy hadn’t been so problematic, if she hadn’t hit rock bottom and come to Marlow for help—if, if, if …
She and Marlow had both gone silent, so when a tap sounded on the big window, Pixie jumped. Hand to her heart, she looked up, and there was Brogan smiling at her through the glass, with Shayna held in a carrier on his chest.
At first, she just stared at him; then Pixie rushed forward to unlock and open the door. “Hey, there.”
“Am I too early?” He glanced at the sign on the door stating the shop hours. “I am. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I open in just a few minutes.”
“Pixie?” Marlow asked. “You there?”
Oh, good grief. She’d forgotten all about Marlow.
“Sorry, yes.” She gave Brogan a “come on in” wave as she rushed back to the counter, picked up the phone, and said, “Brogan is here.”
“At the store?” Before Pixie could answer, Marlow said, “Don’t let him in yet. Let me say something to you first. I want you to have fun. You deserve that, Pixie, more than anyone I know. So go for it, okay?”
Horrified, because Brogan had followed her, she said, “Marlow—”
“But don’t take any chances until you know him better. Don’t be alone with him. Don’t—”
In a horrified whisper, she choked out, “You’re on speaker and he’s standing right here.”
With only a two-second pause, Marlow said, “Hello, Brogan.”
Amusement put a crooked grin on his face. “Good morning, Marlow. I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“No, no, it’s fine. The store opens now anyway. There will be a crowd in no time at all.”
Proving he wasn’t the least bit fooled, he said, “Would you feel better if I stepped back out and Pixie relocked the door?”
“Of course not. Pixie is a great judge of character, and she’s told me only nice things about you.”
“Oh?” He propped a hip on the counter. “Such as?”
“You’re military, like my husband; you’re great with your niece; and you’ve bonded with Andy.”
He glanced at Pixie. “All that, huh?”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks. “She’s Cort’s wife, and you’re renting from him, so she was naturally curious …”
“I didn’t mean to share so much,” he said, his gaze still holding Pixie’s.