Chapter 10 #2
The way Cort said it, Brogan guessed that he already knew.
Cort clapped him on the shoulder. Voice low and respectful, he said, “I lost men, too. I came home and they didn’t. I can’t say it gets easier, because it doesn’t.”
Renewed pain twisted in his guts. “I didn’t think it would.”
“Being with Marlow, having Pixie and Andy in our lives, that helps to balance the memories. I don’t relive them as often as I used to.
The pain is still there, always will be, but I know they’d be happy for me now.
They would love Marlow as much as I do.” Cort smiled.
“And if they were here, they’d all be after Pixie. You’d have your work cut out for you.”
Brogan found himself smiling back. “No doubt.” Giving Cort one small admission, he said, “I didn’t expect her to be so pretty, but that’s not even the biggest part.
” If Pixie was only pretty, if it was merely a matter of avoiding her big blue eyes and shy smiles, he could handle that.
“It’s seeing her with Andy, hearing her talk about you and Marlow.
Her laughs.” Everything, really. “It’s how she is … with me.”
Cort was quiet a moment; then he straightened away from the counter.
This time, when he spoke, his voice was loud enough for both women to hear.
“Which is why you need to stay here with Pixie, or with Marlow and me. If Ruth comes back, there’s no way you can deal with her and take care of Shayna, too. ”
Seeing Pixie stand, followed quickly by Marlow, Brogan wanted to groan. “If I leave, she’ll have to find me first.”
“And she will. Look at you and look at her. You think she’s above crying that you mishandled her, that you bullied her? What will the cops say if she calls them?”
“She wouldn’t …” Or would she? Ruth surely had her own reasons for wanting to avoid the law, but would she risk it to hurt Brogan? He couldn’t rule out the possibility.
Pixie silently joined them.
Beside her, Marlow gave a quiet “Ha.” She frowned up at Brogan. “From what I saw, that woman would dare anything.”
“She would,” Pixie agreed.
Cort held out his hand and Marlow went to him. “If that happens, you need a witness.”
“Brilliant,” Marlow agreed. “I would make an excellent witness, but so would Cort.”
“Me too,” Pixie said.
They all three stared at her.
Brogan shook his head. “I don’t want you anywhere near her, Pixie.”
Propping her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “I dealt with her in the store and handled myself just fine.”
“That’s not the point.” He didn’t remind her how shaken she’d been by the confrontation.
As Cort had said, Pixie was strong, at least in spirit.
But in other ways, she was incredibly soft and delicate.
The idea of Ruth badgering her, or God forbid, putting hands on her, was more than he could take.
“I agree with Cort that my first consideration has to be Shayna. The same is true for you with Andy.”
Pixie gave him a brilliant smile. “Perfect. Then you won’t even consider running from her—”
His back stiffened again.
“—and you’ll stay put so that, if necessary, Cort can be your backup.”
“And I can be a witness to anything that happens.” Marlow nodded. “Done and done.”
Locking his hands behind his neck, Brogan paced away from them, but that wouldn’t do. Confused as he was, he knew he had to face them. “I don’t understand this.” He dropped his arms. “I don’t understand any of you.”
Marlow stepped away from Cort and hooked her arm through Pixie’s. “I trust Pixie, and she said you’re a very nice person.”
Cort said, “And the little one is now family—of a sort.”
Brogan shook his head, not in denial, but in disbelief.
“See,” Pixie said. “Told you they were wonderful.”
“So, what’s it to be?” Cort stood behind the women, waiting.
Brogan swallowed heavily. “Pixie, could I talk to you a moment?”
She practically launched herself away from Marlow, her head held high and her shoulders back as if ready to challenge him. “We’ll go to the porch.”
Things were suddenly happening, good things, she thought, but would Brogan agree? He looked tortured at the moment. She wanted to hug him; she wanted to promise him that everything would be okay.
Thinking back to how wary she’d been when she’d first come to Bramble, lost and afraid and so uncertain, she knew her assurances wouldn’t mean anything—yet.
Telling someone something was far different from showing them.
Her first month in Bramble, she’d discovered a lot about herself. She’d found her heart and her dreams. Her sense of self-respect. A core of emotional strength.
She doubted Brogan suffered any of her weaknesses, but he had a store of his own. With any luck, he’d stay long enough to find his inner strengths, too.
Quietly, she went past Shayna so she wouldn’t wake her, pausing only long enough to smile down at the sleeping infant.
That sweet little face was extra precious to her, now that Pixie knew just how unfeeling and harsh Ruthie could be.
She knew Brogan would safeguard the baby, but now Pixie felt driven to offer her own protection.
She could just imagine what a big, badass, heroic Navy SEAL would think of that.
Smiling to herself, she went out to the porch, striding to the far end so they wouldn’t be heard. Windows bracketed the corner and gave a view of fireflies twinkling off and on over the lawn and down the slight slope to the lake.
Dim light filtered in from the moon and the security lamps outside. The couch was right there, but she didn’t sit. Instead, she turned her back to the field of fireflies, folded her hands together, and faced Brogan in the heavy shadows of the unlit interior.
He approached slowly, stepping up beside her to look outside. “They remind me of twinkle lights at Christmas.”
Forcing herself to stay still wasn’t easy. Pixie had to fight her natural inclination to move closer to him. “Last December, with Andy, Marlow, and Cort, was the first time I’d helped to decorate a Christmas tree since my aunt died. When it was just me, it didn’t seem worth the effort.”
“I see them in commercials and movies, and whenever I was off duty in the winter, they were in shop windows.” He shifted restlessly. “I don’t want to talk about holidays, though.”
Ignoring that, she said, “You’d like the holidays here. The Dry Frog Tavern, where Marlow waitresses, has a lot of parties for the locals. It’s fun.”
That got his attention. “I thought Marlow owned the boutique in Lankton.”
“She does. And she also waits tables at the tavern. She had that job first, before she settled on a site for Marlow’s Whimsy. By then, Herman was already a friend, and she loves waiting tables and chatting with everyone, so she does both.”
“And Cort rents out property?”
“Plus, he’s a handyman, and the local hero.
” Cort would deny that last part if he could.
“Herman has a photo of him in his uniform hanging at the tavern. Cort’s mother gave it to him before she passed away, and Herman hung it with pride.
” That was a long story, though, so she summarized.
“People in Bramble can be sentimental. They loved Cort’s mother, so they love him by extension. That’s how it works here sometimes.”
Somehow, while they spoke, they drifted closer together. Pixie didn’t know if she’d moved, or he’d moved, but only a few inches separated them now.
She looked up at Brogan, seeing the glimmer of his eyes beneath the level line of his eyebrows. So serious, so resolute.
So alone.
Lifting a hand, she touched his jaw, highlighted by moonlight, and whispered, “Stay.”
His fingers curled around hers … then lowered her hand to his chest, cradling it protectively. “I’ll put a cramp in your routine.”
Even through his shirt, she could feel his heat. Breathing became more difficult, especially when every inhale filled her head with the scent of him. “I promise it won’t.”
His thumb moved over her knuckles.
And sent a shiver through her. She cleared her throat.
“There’s, um, only the one bedroom and bathroom.
” Looking around as if she hadn’t seen the house before, she tried to sort out the logistics.
“Andy sleeps in the room with me—you and Shayna could sleep anywhere else.” This close to him, she felt tiny.
“You’re a big man.” When amusement caused a slight shift in his lips, she quickly clarified. “I mean, you’re bigger than the couch.”
“This enclosed porch is nice. Far enough away from the bedroom that if Shayna wakes up, it shouldn’t disturb Andy.”
“If you want to shower, you could—”
“Tomorrow I’ll get hold of Ruth, but for tonight, it would worry me to leave you alone. Even before Cort suggested I stay here, I was dreading leaving you.”
She hoped that was true. It’d be easier if they weren’t coercing him, if he actually wanted to stay. “It worries me, too.”
“A woman and child alone would be bait to Ruth.”
Now that she’d seen her in action, that didn’t seem at all far-fetched. “You really wouldn’t mind staying?”
His smile went crooked. “Thank you for letting me. I have a strong need to know that you and Andy are okay until I can get Ruth out of my hair.”
Relieved to have that issue settled, Pixie stopped fighting herself and hugged him.
He said against her hair, “It’s getting late. Do you think Marlow and Cort could hang out fifteen minutes while I run up to the house to get a few more things?”
“Knowing them, they’ll insist on waiting until you’re done.”
His hand moved up and down her back. “Is it okay for me to leave Shayna here?”
“There’s no reason to wake her.”
“Good. Soon as I get back, we should both try to get some sleep.”
She nodded, but didn’t release him. She’d spent so much time celebrating her newfound independence and applauding herself for being on a better, more financially stable track for Andy’s future, she hadn’t really considered anything else.
Like meeting an appealing man.
Maybe wanting … more?