Dutton #2
“Dutton is going to help me pick out my next book,” she announces over her shoulder. “And then we are going to find one for him to read.”
“That’s kind of him,” Sadie replies. Her sarcasm makes me snort.
“Now you’re both in the bookstore,” Hudson says, making his way to Sadie and pulling her in for a kiss.
It lasts longer than a public kiss should, so once again, I find myself searching for Brooke.
Her gaze flickers from the couple in love to me, but it doesn't last longer than a second before she looks away from me, too, with a forced smile on her lips.
I’d be lying if seeing my friends didn’t spark something inside me. Dating just isn’t my thing, and I don’t know if it ever will be. Sure, I’m not celibate, but relationships? I’ll pass for now.
“Oh!” Sadie says as she pulls her lips away from Hudson. “That book you had me order came in about an hour ago. Quinn wanted to read it, too, so I bought extra copies.”
“Really?” Brooke beams and steps out from the bookshelves with a smile that wasn’t there before. “I’ll take it.”
“It's a great book for you and Dutton to buddy read,” Sadie adds.
“Oh, no, no.” I hold up my hands.
“He’s not reading the same book as me, he’s just …” Brooke’s words trail off as Hudson grins at me, his left brow raising in question.
“You should totally buddy read it,” Sadie goes on. “You’ve been looking forward to this book, and the suspense would probably be something Dutton would enjoy. It’s no different from him watching some action movie with blood and guts and—”
“It’s different,” Brooke cuts her off.
Sadie presses her lips together to hold back a smile as she hands the book to her friend. “Right.”
Brooke seems to be avoiding looking in my direction.
She’s pretty defensive over a book she apparently is eager enough to read that she had her friend order it instead of just reading it on her Kindle.
Hudson wraps his arms around Sadie from behind and whispers in her ear. She laughs, and that’s my cue to give my full attention to Brooke.
I reach for the book in her hand.
Like a ninja, she pulls it back before I can grab it and steps away from me.
“No.”
It’s a full answer. Short and to the point, but fuck does it only encourage me more.
I nod slowly, a grin taking over my lips as I pivot and grab the same book from the stack Sadie left on the counter.
This time, it’s Brooke who tries to steal the book from me.
“Ah, ah, ah,” I say and hold my hand out so she can’t come any closer. “All you’re doing is making me even more curious.”
“You won’t like it,” is her argument.
“I might.”
“I don’t think you will.”
“Let me read the back cover and I’ll be the judge of that.”
I start reading, but Brooke decides that’s also a wonderful time to start talking. Loudly, might I add.
“You were only coming in here to help me pick a book. The book is picked, and now we can pick out your book, a different book, and then go back to finish our food and drinks and be on with our merry evening.”
I chuckle but go back to reading.
I only make it through the first line before I decide that we should, in fact, buddy read this book. It does sound slightly interesting, but mostly because Brooke doesn't want me to read it, and that only makes me want to know why. Since she won’t tell me, I have no doubt the book will.
“I’ll take it,” I tell Sadie and put them on the counter. “Charge hers to my card, too.”
“Oh my god, Dutton, no,” Brooke says and slaps the card from my hand.
I chuckle and pick it up off the floor.
“This is a fun side to you I didn’t know,” I say and make sure Sadie takes my card this time.
Hudson chuckles and then heads back to the bar.
Surprisingly, Brooke remains silent until the transaction is done and we are making our way back to our seats to eat.
“Thank you for the book,” she says quietly.
“You’re welcome.”
“You don’t really have to read it. I know you probably did that just to get under my skin.”
“One would think that, but I plan to read it.”
“You really don’t have to do that.”
Our food arrives just in time.
I pluck a fry from the plate and then ask, “Do you want text updates as I read it or just nightly check-ins when we hang out?”
She purses her lips side to side, then quietly says, “When the book is over is fine.”
“That’s no fun,” I say, but she doesn't reply.
I do catch the small wrinkle of her nose though.
Somehow, we manage to make it through dinner and small talk about hockey, which I’m surprised she follows.
Brooke only started to follow the sport because she was supporting Hudson back when he played, before his injury changed the entire course of his life.
I’ve been a fan since I was little but was never gifted at it.
I pay the bill with a lot of disputes on Brooke's end, but she eventually caves and lets me.
I hold the door for her as we leave, ignoring the looks of locals as they watch us together, and Brooke starts to walk off toward her car.
“Same time tomorrow? Your house again?” I call out to her, ignoring the small part of me that wouldn’t mind if we were going to hang out for a little while longer.
She spins quickly, and the surprised grin on her lips is contagious.
“You want to hang out again tomorrow?”
I shrug. “Yeah, why not? Are you busy?”
Someone steps out of the bar, causing her to sidestep and giving her a moment to think over her answer.
My stomach starts to dip. She’s going to say no.
“Okay. See you then.”
“See you then. Night, Books.”
“Brooke,” she corrects.
“No, I mean books,” I say and hold up the one in my hand.
She bites her bottom lip as she shakes her head.
“Good night, Dutton.”
I watch Brooke until she's safely inside her car, buckling and pulling away down the street toward her house, before I climb into my truck and head back to the lodge.
I should go home, get some rest, and prepare myself for another day just like today, including seeing Brooke again. Sad as it is to admit, that might have been the best part of today. Of my last couple of days.
Sure, I meet with the boys here and there, and we have our boys’ nights, and we do our basketball thing, but that’s a random weeknight, grabbing a drink and catching up for an hour or a little more.
Sometimes it's nice to just get away from the responsibility of life.
And as I drive down Main Street, away from the town and up the winding road that leads to the hill where the lodge sits, I think about how, if I'd have been doing this more, maybe I could have repaired my relationship with the town sooner.
I can only do better from here. Is that what I want?
To do better? Am I going to continue like this once I am in charge of the lodge?
It was nice to get out. Maybe I need to really think a couple of things through, but I’m sure as hell not going to tell Brooke she’s the reason I’m thinking about this.
I might not know her very well, but I have a pretty good hunch that she would gloat if she knew she did this to me.
I pull into the lodge's parking lot and head inside to grab a couple of things to look into once I get home.
The lobby is quiet when I enter, and the receptionist waves quickly before returning to whatever she’s doing on the computer.
“Dutton,” a familiar voice says, coming from the direction of the lodge's restaurant and bar.
I turn to find Preston King striding toward me in an expensive suit, his dress shoes clicking on the floor with authority.
My family and his family have been friends since before I was born.
Our parents were best friends as kids and never grew apart.
While the Richfords are only known for the lodge, the Kings own far more companies than I can keep track of, and Preston has put in the work to take over all of them one day.
But seeing as how he’s here, he must need to get away from something.
“Preston.” I shake his hand. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too.” He lets out a breath. “Life was getting a bit wild there for a moment, and I needed a change of scenery.”
Ah, yes, I’ve read some of the articles printed about him lately. They're starting to turn his bachelor lifestyle into one with a bad light, and I can’t imagine how that would feel to have the entire world watching your every move, waiting for you to fail.
But if anyone finds out about Henry, I have a hunch I'll find out far too quickly. Which is another great motivator to make this work with Brooke.
“Well, you came to the right place,” I tell him, because despite my father’s actions, Lovers Lodge will always offer exclusivity for those who need it.
Preston rubs the back of his neck.
“Is, uh, is your sister around?” he asks nervously.
I chuckle.
“You mean the one person here who is never happy to see you arrive?”
“That’s the one.”
“She went home for the night.”
“Good.” He nods repeatedly. “That’s good. Have a good night, Dutton. I’ll be here for a week, so let’s get together."
“You got it,” I tell him and continue on to my office.
I grab what I need, pausing when I see the sticky note on my computer screen. It’s Grace’s handwriting.
Recruiting Brooke to help you was a dick move. Genius, but dickish. Don’t hurt her.
I repeat the last three words in my head.
Hurting Brooke is the last thing I want to do. In fact, I’m still wondering who had her in tears just a few days ago.
Looks like I’ll be asking Brooke about that tomorrow.
And just the idea of knowing I get to see her again makes me smile all the way back to my truck.