Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
“Okay, so I thought what we could do is go to the Hill Country State Natural Area. Mitch told me about it,” Brodie said as they pulled out of the ranch.
“Apparently he’s friends with a game warden by the name of Jaidon Patience and once a month he does a talk about a particular animal that can be found in Texas Hill Country.
Today happens to be that day, and he’s talking about the red-tailed hawk. ”
Cerise had had to pick her jaw up off the ground when Brodie greeted them after they had arrived at the ranch.
He’d walked up to the car in jeans and, instead of a button-down shirt, he wore a T-shirt that looked like it had been painted on.
She hadn’t realized how muscular he was.
The material stretched tight across his shoulders and hugged his biceps.
He looked strong and virile, and she’d had to cross her legs in an attempt to soothe the ache between them.
“Yes, that sounds awesome. Do you think Mr. Jaidon will let me hold it?” Finn asked excitedly.
“I don’t know, buddy. Hawks have sharp claws and are wild. But we can ask. Mitch said he was going to call and let Jaidon know that we were coming.”
“That’s really nice of Mitch,” Cerise commented.
“Yeah, he told me about how he met Jaidon.” Brodie spoke quietly and she had to strain to hear what he said next. “Some sicko had taken Jaidon’s girlfriend, and she’d started a fire to try and get away from him.”
“Oh wait, I remember who you’re talking about now.” And she was grateful Brodie had lowered his voice so Finn didn’t have to hear what he said. “I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, flicking her a quick look before turning his direction back to the road.
“Last year in April there was a community event in Hunt. It was a fundraising event as well as a thank-you to the HVFD for all they did that day in rescuing Bridget and saving her life. That’s where Nadia and Mitch met for the first time.
I didn’t know it at the time, but Nadia helped Mitch when he had a PTSD attack.
They didn’t get together until months later.
I think the night of the tornado was the turning point in their relationship.
Nadia tossed her cookies in front of Mitch, and he fell head over heels in love with her. ”
A burst of laughter came from Brodie. “If Mitch hadn’t told me that himself, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
“Why? Would you walk away if I tossed my cookies in front of you?” The second she said the words, she wished she could take them back.
He reached across the console and picked up her hand where it was resting on her thigh. Her nerve endings jangled and tingles tiptoed up her arm. “Never. I’d hold your hair back until you stopped throwing up. Then I’d pick you up and get some water.”
Her heart melted. Was it too much to hope that Brodie was one of the good guys? She didn’t think he was faking his answers just to get on her good side.
“What else will we do, Brodie?” Finn asked.
Cerise swiveled in her seat and smiled at Finn.
He looked so little in the back of Brodie’s big truck.
The boy’s eyes had almost popped out of his head when he saw Brodie’s vehicle.
He’d rushed over and touched it as if it were made out of glass, not metal.
“How about he keeps it a surprise? I love surprises. How about you?”
The next instant all animation was wiped from his face, like a television screen going black. Immediately her heart dropped to her stomach, knowing that somehow she’d unwittingly hurt the boy. She wanted to reach over and pull him into a huge hug.
“What is it, Finn? What did I say?” she whispered and gripped Brodie’s hand a little tighter, grateful that he still held it.
“I don’t like surprises. Every time Aunt Poppy said she had a surprise for me, it was always her taking me back to the boys’ home.
She said that it was for the better because I would be back with my friends.
” Finn paused and Cerise held her breath waiting for what else he was about to say.
“What she didn’t know was that all the boys there were ones I didn’t want to be friends with.
None of them were like my best friend, Andy. ”
He turned his face to the window and Cerise had to look away, blinking rapidly to stem the flow of tears that threatened.
“I’m sorry, Finn. I promise I won’t talk about surprises again.” And she never would, not around Finn anyway.
“I know.” His voice sounded so little. So far away, not just a couple of feet.
Silence descended inside the car. Brodie had turned the music down when they’d started talking. Right this second she wished that he hadn’t. At least music would be a welcome sound.
Brodie gave her hand another squeeze and she looked over to him. They were stopped at one of the random four-way intersections that happened in the country.
“It’s okay,” he said in a low voice. “Finn knows you meant no harm.”
“I really didn’t.”
Brodie lifted their connected hands to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “We’ll make this better for him. That’s my promise to you.”
That’s my promise to you.
Brodie’s words echoed in her mind. He didn’t strike her as the type of man who would say something and not follow through on it.
But could she trust him to not let her down?
Over her life she’d had too many broken promises handed to her.
Foster homes that promised to be the best but turned out to be horrid.
Brodie wasn’t a foster home though. He was a man who had opened his arms to a boy he didn’t even know and was now determined to make good memories with him.
Once it was clear to go, he redirected his attention back on the road in front of him.
There wasn’t much around them except bush and grassy plains.
Although there were pockets of wildflowers starting to spring up.
Peak season would be in a couple of weeks and she was sure there was a wildflower festival in Hunt.
She’d have to check because that might be a fun thing to do with Finn.
Why couldn’t she have met Brodie last month?
Or even last year? Although that would have been impossible since he’d only arrived in Hunt recently.
But still, if only she had known him longer than a couple of weeks.
He was doing and saying all the right things.
If they were in a relationship, then perhaps she could’ve convinced him to help her with her adoption plans.
As it was there was no way she could do that to him, even though the thought had been going on a constant loop in the back of her mind ever since her appointment with Gordon Woods, the adoption lawyer, the previous day.
Eventually the silence got too much for her ,and she reached out and turned the radio volume up in the truck. She knew she was taking a liberty she didn’t have, but it looked like Brodie didn’t mind as he tapped the fingers of his free hand on the steering wheel in time with the music.
Fifteen minutes later they turned into the entrance of the natural area.
“Look, there’s a deer,” Finn shouted, his excitement returning now that they’d arrived at their destination.
Cerise turned enough to see it bounding away. “Yep, I’m pretty sure you’ll be seeing more of those as we go. Not to mention many other animals and birds.”
“I bet we see plenty of bugs and spiders too. Spiders are so cool.”
Cerise shuddered. The only good spider was a dead spider, but she wouldn’t say that to Finn. The last thing she wanted to do was upset the boy again.
“I take it spiders aren’t your favorite bug?” Clearly Brodie had seen her shiver of revulsion at the mention of spiders.
“Umm, no, definitely not.”
Brodie chuckled. “I promise I’ll keep you safe from the eight-legged creatures.”
“You’re making a lot of promises there, Mr. Spelling, I hope you can keep them.”
Brodie tipped his hat in the classic cowboy move. “I always do, ma’am.” He finished with a wink.
She rolled her eyes. “That’s enough of the ma’am, thank you very much.”
Cerise had a feeling that today was going to be wonderful and when she got home, she was going to be farther down the road of falling for Brodie Spelling than would be wise at this point in her life.
Brodie listened as Jaidon explained the unique features of the red-tail hawk that was perched on the heavy glove that covered his hand.
Beside him Finn was leaning forward, his attention fully on the bird.
On Brodie’s other side sat Cerise, her hand still entwined with his.
He couldn’t deny how good it felt to be connected to her like this.
His thumb brushed across her soft skin and every time he did it, he noticed the hairs on her arm stood to attention.
She was so responsive to a simple sweep of his thumb, what would her response be if he kissed her all over?
Massaged her breasts. Would she sigh or moan out her desire?
His body responded to his wanton thoughts and he shifted, cursing himself for thinking those things when she was right beside him. Not to mention Finn as well.
A loud shrill rent the air, causing them all to jump. It sounded like they were about to be attacked by some velociraptors. Brodie looked up hoping not to see any prehistoric creatures zooming in on them.
“That got your attention, didn’t it?” Jaidon commented, laughing.
“The red-tailed’s shrill is often used in movies and TV shows to depict the sound a raptor makes.
But I can assure you there are no dinosaurs in the park.
” He paused as the small crowd chuckled.
“Not that I’m aware of,” he finished with a wink which caused everyone to laugh louder.
“He better be joking,” muttered Cerise.
“As I said earlier, Sparkles, I’ll keep you safe.”
“How about me, Brodie? Will you keep me safe?” Finn asked, his faced turned to him, innocence and hope shining in the little boy’s eyes.