After All (Cape Harbor #1)(85)

When she had found out she was pregnant, she had gone through a barrage of emotions all at once—scared, happy, sad, over the moon, and confused. She and Austin hadn’t been safe, and she had usually spent every month staring at the calendar, waiting for her period to start. They had been careless and had been together so long that either marriage was going to happen, or a child was bound to come at some point.

They had been fighting the last night she saw him. In fact, they had been fighting most days. Neither was happy with each other or their lives. Brooklyn wanted to move back to Seattle and had reminded Austin that his five-year plan was about to expire. He was supposed to take his fishing boat to Puget Sound while she attended nursing school. She had saved enough money to enroll, thanks to her job with Seacoast Construction. However, when she had brought it up one evening, he had told her he wasn’t going. It didn’t matter how much she pleaded; he refused to budge. Business was good for him, and he didn’t feel right asking Grady to move. Bowie had encouraged Brooklyn to go, to follow her dreams, but she wouldn’t leave Austin. Her whole world had revolved around him since high school, and she couldn’t imagine it without him, but Austin had other plans, ultimately leaving her no choice.

Brooklyn’s phone rang out. She pulled it out quickly and silenced it before the staff gave her scorning looks. When she saw Rennie’s name, she smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey you, just letting you know that I’ll be up in a couple of hours.”

“What? How?” Brooklyn stammered.

“Graham, by way of Bowie.”

“Oh.” Despite everything going on, her heart soared. He had thought enough to find a way to reach her best friend, knowing she would need her.

“Ren, Carly’s dying. She doesn’t have long.”

“I know, hon.”

“That’s not all . . .” Brooklyn paused. “Bowie is Brystol’s father.”

Nothing but silence.

“Say that again.”

“You heard me, Rennie.”

“How? I mean I know how, but how?”

“Carly suspected and had a DNA test run when Brystol was little and kept the results a secret until now.”

“And now she’s dying?”

Brooklyn sighed heavily. “She collapsed the morning after the bonfire and was brought to the hospital by ambulance. She has cancer. Stage four.”

“And you’re just now telling me!”

“Sorry, Ren, I’ve been sort of busy trying to piece my life back together after these two major explosions. God, I don’t even know what day it is right now. I need you, though, to look over her will.”

“I’ll be up after work to help you out. Now tell me, what are you going to do?”

“Be with Bowie, raise our daughter, and run the inn.” She said those words as Simone and Brystol came into view. Brystol would need everyone around her after her grandmother passed. Here, Brystol had everyone, including another set of grandparents, who were probably going to have heart attacks when Bowie informed them who she was. There was also Simone, who had helped raise Brystol since she was a baby. And Brooklyn’s own parents weren’t far from here and could come visit whenever they wanted. It made sense to stay.

“You’re going to stay!”

Brooklyn smiled. She would have her best friend close again, and that made her very happy. “I am. I’m going to stay. I’m going to work to revitalize the area, maybe buy some houses and turn them into rentals. Bowie and I could do some flips. I don’t know.”

“I’ll write your contracts for you,” Rennie said.

“I expect nothing less,” she said, laughing.

As for her career, she and Bowie could easily team up and start their own business. On the drive to the hospital, she had noticed numerous houses that had been abandoned. They could start flipping properties together, or she could retire and run the inn. The possibilities were endless. And the idea of finally putting down some roots, enrolling Brystol in school, where she could make some friends, outweighed everything else. She wanted to give her daughter the same experiences she’d had: homecoming, bonfires on the beach, prom, and a graduation with kids she’d known for longer than a few months. She wanted her daughter to grow into the teenager she was meant to be. She and Rennie hung up once she finally agreed that Rennie needed to be in Cape Harbor as soon as possible.

She went over to Simone and Brystol and sat across from them. “What are you ladies looking at?”

Brystol held up the newest issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Brooklyn blanched when she saw the cover, causing Brystol to laugh. Brooklyn had forgotten that she’d given them an interview. It was months ago when a photographer showed up and took photos of her in a kitchen she had recently finished.

“You look good, Mom.”

Brooklyn smiled. “Thanks, kiddo. How are my answers?”

“They’re the usual.” Brystol shrugged.

“I particularly like the tips,” Simone added. “I could’ve used these when I was repairing the kitchen.”

“You did an amazing job on the kitchen, Simi,” Brooklyn stated. “I’ve looked it over. I’ve checked the wiring. Everything is ready to go.”

However, Simone didn’t look convinced.

“Tell you what—I’ll have Bowie look too. We’ll make sure everything’s in working order before we open.” This seemed to placate Simone a bit.