Chapter 3 #3
He stopped to look down at her, but also held a hand over Shayna’s head to keep the sun out of her face. “Is there something else you want to share?”
She could hear the sincerity in his tone.
“Not at all. I’m in awe of how easily you handle everything.
I know when I had Andy, Marlow and Cort were cautious about giving advice.
Neither of them had kids. But some of the parents in town weren’t the same.
They tossed out advice all the time, a lot of it conflicting.
I had a hard time sorting out what made sense to me and what I had no interest in. ”
“Give me an example.”
He’d said that to her once before, but he asked again with genuine interest. “One mother told me it was good to let a baby cry it out.”
He snorted.
“That’s how I felt. I never could stand to hear Andy cry. Her kids were all happy and healthy, so whatever she did worked for her, I guess. But I couldn’t do it.” In case he thought she was judging, she added, “I only have one and she had four, so I’m sure that influenced her approach.”
After smoothing Shayna’s little tufts of hair, Brogan kissed her on the head again. “I want her to have siblings, but I don’t see that on the horizon anytime soon. I need to get other things worked out first.”
Pixie barely knew Brogan, and he’d given no indication that he was interested in anything beyond a friendly association. And yet his mention of siblings for Shayna caused a pinch in her heart.
Andy would never have siblings. After the difficulties of his birth, which had resulted in a hysterectomy, she’d accepted that he’d be an only child.
To her, Andy was enough. And yet, Brogan’s casual comment stung.
He interrupted her thoughts by saying, “I should go. She’ll probably be hungry before I get home, and then she’ll get fussy. It bothers me a lot to hear her upset. If I could, I’d keep that from ever happening.”
“Not possible,” Pixie said softly. “But you’re doing a great job.”
He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway. “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”
Pixie watched him go to his SUV and carefully transfer the baby to her car seat before rushing to get behind the wheel and start the car. It took him a few more moments to settle in, and then he pulled away.
Strange, but she already missed him. With a sigh, she went back inside.
“Hubba, hubba,” Renee said the second the door closed behind her. “You should warn a girl. I almost swallowed my tongue when I walked in and saw him.”
Pixie nudged her with her shoulder. “I don’t think you’re the only one to react that way. He’s just so … big.”
“And gorgeous.” Renee transferred Andy to her arms. “And hey, the way he dotes on his daughter is enough to steal all the hearts.”
She didn’t correct the assumption that the baby was his daughter. After being busted by Marlow, Pixie wasn’t about to share with anyone else. If Brogan got around town enough, and it sounded like he would, he could tell people what he wanted them to know.
Then again, he was here for a limited time; by the end of summer, he’d go on about his life somewhere else, so none of that really mattered.
Andy laid his head on her shoulder and yawned. He was such an enormous blessing, she wouldn’t regret the lack of other children. Softly to Renee, she said, “I want to spend a few minutes getting this little guy settled again, and then I’ll finish the display up front.”
Renee followed her. “Not like you need to. The shirts are already selling.”
True, they were an instant hit. All but one customer this morning had purchased the new design.
Brogan wasn’t into pastels. She smiled and then put him from her mind to tend to her son and the shop.
Those were her top priorities at this time, and Pixie wouldn’t let herself backslide after making so much progress over the last year.
She vowed to stop thinking about Brogan and his adorable niece.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t easy to do because everyone was talking about him. During her workday, Pixie heard him mentioned over a dozen times.
Joann Dittmer, who ran the Dairy Bar ice cream shop, stopped in to ask Pixie what she knew about him. Sticking to her vow to keep Brogan’s business private, she confessed only to knowing he was renting the lake house.
Butler, the mayor of Bramble, and the owner of the town’s one—and only—inn, strolled into the shop for the first time that Pixie was aware of. He tried to pleasantly grill her about Brogan, but she shared the same information. The newcomer was a renter, that’s all.
Later, when Pixie drove back to Bramble, she stopped at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner. Gloria and Bobbi, older sisters who liked to force their help on people in the nicest way, trapped her in the fresh vegetable aisle.
Bobbi immediately scooped Andy from the cart to hug him while Gloria fired off questions. It was almost laughable the amount of curiosity Brogan had inspired.
Even when she stopped to refill her gas tank, people approached her.
By the time she got to her house, she was worn out from fending off the info seekers.
She got that Bramble was a quiet town without a lot of excitement.
Anyone new was deemed interesting. Someone like Brogan? He could probably make front-page news.
Now that she was home, she fell into her routine of playing with Andy, walking down to the lake with him for a bit so he could get some fresh air, and then fixing dinner.
It wasn’t until she was giving him his bath that he put his little hands to her face and asked, “Fend?”
“I’m your mama.”
He kissed her, said, “Mama,” and then asked again, “Fend?” followed up by lifting his hands and looking around.
“Ah. No, he’s not here, honey. He’s at home getting the baby ready for bed.”
“My baby.”
She wrapped a big towel around him and lifted him from the tub for a hug. “She can be your baby for a little while, but not forever. Now, how would you like a story?”
“Bears!”
“Bears it is, but a diaper and pj’s first.”
Somehow, asking about Brogan and Shayna turned into a thing over the next couple of days.
While at the shop, Andy kept watch for Brogan, and each night during his bath, he asked about the man.
Pixie could distract her son with games, books, and sometimes just talking about something else, yet Andy didn’t forget.
Twice, they ran into Brogan on walks, even though she walked Andy in the opposite direction. Apparently, Brogan did like to jog and he had a special stroller for Shayna. The motion seemed to rock her to sleep.
Andy spotted him again on the last night before her day off. They’d already had dinner, and the kitchen was clean. The days were getting longer, and with spring flowers everywhere, it was too beautiful to stay inside. Given how Andy kept looking out the window, he could use a little fresh air.
It was slightly later than she usually walked, so she doubted they’d run into Brogan this time. It would be interesting to see how Andy reacted to that. He always enjoyed walks, but even more so, now with Brogan and Shayna in the picture.
For a change in scenery, she went up the main street, pushing the stroller at an incline, which made her calves ache. They saw more wildlife, including a few chipmunks and a massive hawk that swooped down over a field, no doubt looking for mice.
After Andy spotted a bunny, too, she finally turned the stroller and headed back home.
Though the evenings could still be cool, tonight it was mild.
A fresh breeze came off the lake, rustling the leaves of the mature trees in the wooded areas.
She had her head down, lost in the lyrics of a song she softly sang for Andy, and then suddenly he was squealing, “Fend! Fend!”
She looked up and there was Brogan, grinning as he smoothly jogged closer. Shirtless. In shorts and running shoes. Her heart was suddenly pounding against her ribs.
High on his right shoulder was a tattoo. At first, she couldn’t make it out, but as he got closer, she recognized an eagle, an anchor, and a spear. It was similar to a tattoo that Cort had, and yet it was different, too.
As he neared, she also saw several scars, some small, many larger.
The injuries were healed but not old, and in no way did they detract from his physical appeal.
Still, she hurt for him. The wounds had to have been agonizing, especially the longest one that slashed across his ribs.
Knowing he’d served made her immediately think of battle wounds.
Good God, she was staring at his body in the rudest way.
She was about to apologize when she saw that his attention was on Andy, not her.
They met at the intersection as Brogan pushed Shayna’s spiffy three-wheel stroller alongside hers and knelt down to muss Andy’s hair. “Hey, bud. Sorry, I can’t hold you. I’m sweaty.”
Beads of perspiration clung to his forehead and temples, and his upper chest and shoulders gleamed. He might be ignoring her, but Pixie couldn’t take her eyes off him. Until she realized he was lavishing Andy with attention and she’d barely looked at Shayna.
Guilt had her turning quickly to the infant.
Shayna was wide awake and grinning at her, showing off two shiny bottom teeth.
She wore one of the new outfits Brogan had bought from the shop with a lightweight blanket over her.
Surreptitiously, Pixie felt the material of her outfit and knew he’d washed it more than once for it to be so soft already.
“Hello to you, too, Shayna. Thank you for that beautiful smile.” Unable to stop herself, she stroked the back of her finger along the baby’s cheek. So soft. “You are such a cutie.”
In answer, the little girl kicked her legs and cooed.
Andy announced, “My baby.”
“Yes, sir,” Brogan said in a crisp military tone, and dutifully pulled the stroller back enough that Andy could see Shayna.
Her son kissed the air and even blew a few kisses at Shayna, making both Pixie and Brogan laugh.