Authors: Mariah Stewart
“They do, but I think she can wear a small heel. She’s thirteen now.” Steffie began to pour wine into the plastic cups.
“You’re right. I should have thought of that. Don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with my future stepdaughter.” Dallas made another note in her pad.
“Was that a sort of pun?” Brooke asked. “Shoes? Wrong foot?”
“A poor attempt at best.” Dallas took the cup of wine that Steffie handed her and took a sip. “Oh, this is yummy. Where’s it from?”
Brooke picked up the bottle and read the label. “Oh, Ballard Vineyards. I didn’t know they were putting out such nice wine.”
Steffie sat and picked up her glass. “Let’s toast the upcoming wedding.”
“And Brooke’s new relationship.” Dallas took a sip. “I think we need to celebrate that as well.”
“Okay, and we should also …” Steffie paused and looked across the table at Vanessa. “Is there something wrong with the wine, Ness? You haven’t touched it.”
“I guess I’m just not in the mood for wine.” Vanessa tapped her fingers on the side of the cup and looked everywhere except at one of her friends.
“You are always in the mood for wine.” Stef put her own cup down. “Are you sick?”
“No.”
“Are you … depressed?”
“No.”
“Then are you—” Steffie stopped midsentence. “Vanessa Keaton, look me in the eye.”
“No.”
“Talk,” demanded Steffie. “We’re your best friends. If something’s wrong, we can help you. Did someone say something that upset you? We’ll … why, we’ll …” She thought for a moment. “We’ll beat them up for you, right?” She looked to Dallas and Brooke for confirmation and they both nodded.
Vanessa sighed. “It seems as if … that is, I got one of those little test things … and … and …”
“Oh my God.” Stef reached across the table. “Are you pregnant?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled and she nodded. “It appears as if I am.”
“Why, that’s wonderful! A little baby Nessie or Grady!” Steffie pulled Vanessa from her chair and hugged her. “Aren’t you thrilled?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel,” Vanessa said.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Dallas asked.
“Well, for one thing, you guys might remember that Grady and I are not married.”
“Have you told him?” Brooke reached out and took Vanessa’s hand.
Vanessa nodded. “He’s over the moon. He can’t wait to get married and …”
“And …?” Brooke coaxed her to finish.
“And what if he only wants to marry me because I’m pregnant?” Vanessa sniffed back tears.
“Are we talking about the same Grady Shields who’s been talking marriage for the past six months?” Steffie tugged her friend back to her chair. “The same
Grady Shields who sold his house in Montana and moved his business here to be with you? The same guy who flies back and forth between here and the great American West a couple of times every month so that he can keep his business
and
live with you?”
Vanessa nodded.
“So when Grady asked you to marry him … when did that happen, anyway?” Steffie frowned.
“Thursday night.” Vanessa sniffed back tears that Brooke thought she was awfully close to shedding.
“And you said what, sweetie?” Brooke asked.
“I didn’t say anything. I just cried. He figured that meant yes, because he said something about talking to Beck and Hal … you know, ask for my hand or whatever it is guys do with the men in the woman’s family.”
“Awww, that’s so sweet,” Steffie cooed. “How could you not say yes to a man like that? How could you not say yes to Grady? You’re totally head over heels in love with him.”
“Could I remind you all that I was married before?” Vanessa looked from one to the other. “Not once, but twice? Neither of those turned out so good.”
“Well, duh. Husband number one was an old man who you married to get away from a crazy home situation, and husband number two was an abusive psychopath you married to get away from husband number one. Neither of those relationships has anything in common with what you and Grady have,” Steffie assured her. “Didn’t you tell me that you’re happier now than you’ve ever been in your life? That Grady is the best thing that ever happened to you?”
Vanessa nodded. “Yes, but—”
“There are no
buts
in love. You and Grady belong together. Sometimes you just have to trust, Ness. This is one of them.”
“You’re right. Of course you’re right. You’re all right,” Vanessa said. “I’m being goofy, that’s all.” She pushed her chair back and stood up. “I think I’ll go home now, if we’re through here.”
“Go home and make sure Grady knows the answer was yes.” Brooke stood and hugged her.
“A resounding yes.” Dallas waited her turn to give Vanessa a hug, too.
“Come on, I’ll walk you out,” Steffie told her.
“No need. I’m parked right out the back.” Vanessa kissed Steffie on the cheek. “You really are the very best friend I’ve ever had.”
“Of course I am.” Steffie walked with her to the back door and unlocked it.
“I love you guys, too,” Vanessa called to Dallas and Brooke.
“Love you, Ness,” they both called back.
“Isn’t that nice? Another wedding to look forward to.” Steffie came back with a huge smile on her face. “And a baby. That’s the first baby for our little group. It’s exciting.”
“ ‘There are no
buts
in love’?” Brooke deadpanned. “Seriously, Stef?”
“It was the first thing that popped into my head.” Steffie looked sheepish. “Okay, I admit it wasn’t my best.”
There was silence for a moment, then Brooke and Dallas began to giggle. Steffie looked wounded for all of about five seconds before she joined in.
“All right, it was bad.” Steffie picked up the wine bottle and refilled the three cups. When she finished, she raised her cup and said, “To happily-ever-afters for all of us. To beautiful weddings and beautiful new babies and beautiful new beginnings and for finding love when we least expect it.” She grinned and because she just couldn’t resist, added, “No
buts
about it.”
The following evening, while Brooke was studying for one of her exams, her phone rang.
“Bing Cherry Barrister,” the voice on the other end said.
“Excuse me?” Brooke asked. “Who is this?”
“It’s Stef. The ice cream for Mr. Enright’s birthday party is going to be Bing Cherry Barrister. I was trying to think of something really good, and I remembered that he always asks for chopped-up cherries on his ice cream when he comes in to Scoop.”
“That’s terrific, Stef. But are you sure you’ll have time …?”
“I’ll make time for him. He was my mom’s cousin Horace’s attorney. You know, the Cousin Horace who left me his house in his will? So no, it won’t be a problem. Just let me know how many people we can look forward to serving.”
“As soon as I know, you’ll know. The invitations only went out a few days ago, though.”
“I’ve never met a guy yet who would think that’s a problem.” Steffie laughed and hung up.
Brooke sat for a moment with the phone in her hand. Finally, she dialed Jesse’s number.
“Stef’s on board to make a special flavor for your
grandfather’s birthday,” Brooke told him when he picked up. “Bing Cherry Barrister.”
“That’s great. Thanks for asking her. I was going to stop down earlier today, but the day got away from me and then I took my grandfather to dinner.”
“Think he’ll be surprised about the party?”
“Oh, yeah. There’s no way he’d ever suspect. It’s going to be very cool.”
Brooke could sense him grinning, could almost see the dimples and the dancing light in his eyes. He was obviously tickled about the whole idea of surprising his grandfather.
“I guess you haven’t had any RSVPs yet.”
“Actually, I did have a few via return email.” He paused. “I think there might be more than one surprise that night. I hope he’s okay with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I invited a few … relatives he hasn’t seen in a long time. I hope he’s glad to see them, if they show up.”
“Maybe you should have talked to Violet before you mailed them out. Or your uncle Mike.”
“Mike’s in Florida, but I’m not sure he would have been the best person to ask. I did speak with Violet, though, and she thought it was a good idea, so I’m trusting her. We’ll see.”
“Sounds mysterious,” Brooke said.
“I’ll tell you about it sometime.” Jesse paused. “Actually, if you wanted to come over right now, I could tell you tonight.”
“Are you trying to lure me over with the promise of revealing family secrets just to get me into your lair?”
“Yeah. Is it working?”
“Not tonight, I’m afraid. I have an exam tomorrow and another one on Thursday.”
“Damn. That pretty much takes care of the week.” Jesse sounded genuinely disappointed. “And I had such plans for us this week.”
“Good plans?”
“You betcha.”
“Will they still be good next week?”
“I have a trial that’s supposed to begin next Monday,” he said thoughtfully. “The prep might tie me up most of the weekend. But if there’s a break, or if the trial is postponed, I’ll let you know.” He paused. “If nothing else, we can at least get together for dinner one night, okay?”
“Sure. After Thursday, though.” Brooke thought of all she had to do this week. She could barely keep up with her cupcake orders. “Maybe Friday night.”
“I’m writing you in for dinner at … where do you want to go?”
She thought it over. Maybe someplace out of town, away from the prying eyes of her neighbors. That Steffie had figured out that there was something going on between her and Jesse didn’t bother Brooke. Stef was a friend, as were Vanessa and Dallas, and she probably would have ended up telling them on Sunday night anyway. But not everyone in St. Dennis needed to know.
“How about Stop Four over in Ballard? It’s a beautiful old place with lots of fireplaces and everyone says it has wonderful food.”
“I’ll make reservations first thing in the morning. Is seven good for you?”
“Seven is perfect.”
“I’ll see you then.”
“I can’t wait,” Jesse said.
She wanted to say,
Neither can I
, but she couldn’t get the words out. Instead, she said, “Good night, Jesse,” and hung up.
She tried to concentrate on the notes she’d taken all semester, but her mind insisted on wandering back to Saturday night and Sunday morning. She sighed and forced the images from her mind. Thinking too hard about Jesse right now would be a little like staring too long into the sun. She’d be blinded and unable to see anything else, unable to think about anything else. Best to focus on the task at hand, which was doing well on her exams this week, getting her degree, and all the cupcakes she’d have to bake between now and tomorrow morning. Of course, if he should slip into her dreams again tonight, the way he had the night before, well, she wasn’t responsible if her subconscious wanted to replay their night together over and over. And if that same subconscious insisted on looking forward to other nights and other mornings, she had no control over that either, right?
And yet, as much as she tried to keep focused on her notes, she found her mind wandering to things he said and things they did, and she couldn’t deny the longing that stirred inside her. Jesse had awakened emotions she’d stopped feeling, had come to believe she’d never feel again. She was painfully aware of the promises she’d made to herself, that she’d never let herself be devastated by love again. But for the first time, she wasn’t sure it was a promise she’d be able to keep.
It wasn’t just lust, she insisted. It wasn’t just about sex, though that had been outstanding. It was more about heart—and the fact that Jesse had more than any man she knew. And wasn’t that what every woman was looking for?
Brooke sighed. It certainly worked for her.
“Wow.” Jesse was standing in the living room of the Madison farm talking to Brooke’s mother when Brooke came into the room. “Like the dress.”
“Thanks. Ready?” Brooke flashed a smile she hoped would knock him out. It appeared to work.
“Sure. Yes.” He turned to her mother. “Good talking to you, Mrs. Madison.”
“It’s Hannah, and it was nice talking to you as well, Jesse.” Hannah nodded and went into the kitchen.
“Well, that was awkward,” Brooke told Jesse after they’d gotten into the car. “I haven’t had a guy come to pick me up at my parents’ house since I was in high school.”
“Tell me about it. How long do you think it’s been since I had to make nice with my date’s mother?” Jesse laughed. “You said you’re moving into your house when?”
“Hopefully sooner rather than later.” She fastened her seat belt. “Clay said Cam’s coming out on Tuesday with his carpenters to start replacing the windows before it gets too cold, then they’re going to move on to remodeling the kitchen and building the
new first-floor powder room and the laundry room. Then they’ll work on the new bath upstairs and they’re going to build some closets. He’s going to have the roofers working at the same time. Cam says the entire project won’t take too long because his guys need the work right now and if he can keep them all busy for a while it’s good for everyone.”
“Like how long?”
“I guess a few months at the most.”
“Can’t you live there while the work is being done?”
Brooke laughed. “Maybe I should have picked you up at your place.”
“We’ll try that next time.”
“Did you mind so terribly?” she asked. “My mother’s really harmless.”
“I didn’t. Especially when you look like that.”
Brooke smiled to herself. She’d realized last night that she didn’t have anything to wear. Everything in her closet was either too dressy or too casual. She put the matter aside until after she finished her exam, then fled straight to Vanessa’s shop.
“Something I can help you with?” Vanessa asked politely while writing up the sales for another customer, then winked at Brooke. “Anything in particular you’re looking for today?”
“I need a dress,” Brooke told her. “Something terrific, but not too dressy. Easy lines, but nothing too casual. A little bit low, a little fitted, but not slutty.”
Vanessa had continued talking to her customers but pulled the black knit dress with the low cowl neckline off the rack and handed it to Brooke.