The Lemon Sisters (Wildstone #3)(24)

The choked sound from behind him meant Brooke had gotten a good look. He turned back to find her gaze unabashedly still on him.

She didn’t have a false sense of modesty in her, never had. She’d always been very comfortable in her own skin, something he’d found extremely attractive. He loved a woman who owned her sexuality. In fact, the two of them had discovered their sexuality together, and she’d rocked his world and changed his life. He used to think she’d changed it for the better, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“How’s Ann?” she asked.

He stilled, surprised she didn’t know.

Taking in his expression, her eyes widened. “Oh no,” she murmured softly. “When?”

“Two years ago.”

“I’m sorry, Garrett. I know what she meant to you.”

“I’ve lost people I love before.”

She looked away for a beat and then turned back to him, eyes shadowed. “I was hoping we could talk about that.”

He shook his head.

“But—”

“Leave it alone, Brooke. It’s best that way.”

Her eyes were guarded now, mouth grim. She was, what, twenty-eight? Almost twenty-nine? And yet she still looked the same as when she’d been twenty-one, the last time he’d seen her.

She was running her finger along the outside of the measuring cup, right at the eight-ounce mark, back and forth, back and forth. He hadn’t been sure if she still needed things in even numbers. Not that she’d ever told him about her OCD. As far as he knew, she’d never told anyone. Brooke just did as she did—accepted that she was different, and kept to herself about it.

“Thanks for the milk,” she said.

He nodded. “So you’ll be sticking around a little bit longer.”

“Until Mindy’s back. As you heard, she needs a few more days.”

And she’d given them to her. “That’s . . . kind of you,” he said. “And selfless.”

“Well, we all knew I had to grow up sometime, right?” She looked away. “And anyway, I don’t really mind. The kids . . .” She glanced down at the kid monitor hooked on her belt. “They’re pretty amazing.”

He nodded, something warming for her deep inside without his permission.

“Anyway, thanks again,” she said, toasting him with the milk. “Maddox won’t eat his cereal without it in the morning, or at least that’s what I think he was telling me with all the barking.” She turned to go, and he let his gaze run hungrily down the body he’d once known as well as his own, feeling a soul-deep yearning to reach for her and remind them both of what they’d been missing.

“Now who’s looking at whose ass?” she asked as she walked off into the night.

He heard his own rough laugh, because that’s exactly what he’d been doing as she left him alone with his thoughts. Staring at her and trying to land on how he felt. He knew how he’d felt about her in the past.

He just had no idea how he felt about her in the here and now.

THE NEXT DAY, Garrett was outside Mindy and Linc’s kitchen, cutting tiles for the master bathroom. During a lull from the loud tile cutter, he heard an angry voice coming through the open kitchen window.

Brooke.

“Don’t you judge my nephew on my past behaviors,” she was saying, clearly on the phone. “So I was a handful, I get it. But Mason’s not, he’s an angel—” There was a pause. “Okay, yes, I get it, he’s wearing his sister’s dress. But if it’s okay with her, then I don’t see what business it is of yours— No, you can’t take this up with his mom. I’m in charge right now, so you get to deal with me, and I say the kid gets to wear what the kid wants to wear—” She paused. “Oh,” she said, much softer and without attitude. Almost . . . apologetic. “No, I didn’t realize today was horseback riding. Yes, I can see why a dress probably wasn’t the best choice. Sure. I’ll send him better equipped tomorrow.”

Garrett had to laugh as he started to go back to his work, but the total and complete silence coming out that kitchen window was filled with a strained sadness he couldn’t ignore.

Don’t do it, man. Be smart. Just go back to work.

He didn’t go back to work. He entered the kitchen, which was empty. He couldn’t have said why, but he went in search of the prickly, frustrating, irritating woman who could still drive him crazy, and found the living room glass slider open. Stepping out onto the deck, he surveyed the large yard. Mindy and Linc hadn’t done much with the land, although he and Linc had sure managed to make the most of it, creating the huge Slip ’N Slide for the kids. It was an ongoing project, getting bigger weekly.

Past that, the place was lined in the back with huge overgrown oak trees. The previous generation of Lemons had added lemon trees as well, and then there was a hill that led down to a valley of wineries and vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see.

At the base of one of the lemon trees sat Brooke, knees up, arms hugging her legs as she stared out at the view. He was about twenty feet from her when she spoke without looking at him. “Go away.”

Yeah. He really, really wanted to do that. Instead he moved closer still and crouched down at her side, balanced on the balls of his feet.

“You never listen.” Her voice was low and, dammit, quavering. She had dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted.