“He was so cool, Mom, he just took the pen and he signed and they took a selfie, I was just like wow!” Zoey couldn’t get enough of the topic.
Maeve followed her through to the kitchen. “That sounds very exciting.”
Brodie glanced up, the corner of his mouth tilted in a wry smile as if he knew she thought it was anything but. “Can I just say the whole thing lasted less than a minute! The rest of our day was spent doing very educational things, wasn’t it, Zoey?” It seemed important to him that Maeve knew this. Because of course, she wassensible.
Oh, for goodness’ sake!What was wrong with her? She didn’t want him unsettling her life, but then she wanted him to be there when she got home. She didn’t want his flirtatious attention, but then she didn’t want to be seen as sensible. He was driving her crazy.
She went to make herself a cup of coffee just to calm herself down.
Brodie stood up from his chair.
He was leaving?
“We went to the museum, didn’t we? And we went to the library?—”
Zoey wasn’t having any of it. “And then when we were in the park the lady came right over with her piece of paper and a pen, it wassupercool.”
Maeve switched the coffee maker on and turned back to face them. Brodie was waiting, watching with his hands in his pockets. “Didyouhave a good day, Maeve?”
No one ever asked her that, not that she needed it, but it threw her off-balance. “I did, thanks for asking.”
He shrugged a shoulder like it was no big deal. Then he said, “Okay, kiddo, I’ve gotta go.”
For a second, Maeve thought about asking him if he wanted to stay for dinner. Then she thought if this was all an elaborate plan, it was working.
Zoey had gone back to her clay modeling. “Bye, I’ll see you at the weekend.”
Maeve frowned. Her shifts at the hospital were so frantic at the moment, she barely knew what day it was. “What’s happening at the weekend?” she asked, puzzled.
“It’s the Redemption River Fair.”
Maeve went to look at the calendar on the fridge. “Is that this weekend?”
“Yes, Mom!” Zoey said, exasperated by Maeve’s inability to keep track of such deeply important events. Then she pointed at Brodie and said, “Brodie’s running it.”
To which Brodie waved a hand modestly and said, “I’m not running it, Zoey, I’m emceeing it. I’m the ringmaster—I introduce stuff.”
Maeve laughed at the idea. “You are not!”
“Such little faith.” Brodie raised a brow. “I’ll have you know that Mrs. Hernandez asked me very politely the other day and I, of course, agreed.”
Maeve tried to keep a straight face. “It seems very un-you.”
“And what, pray tell, isme?” he asked dryly.
“Not emceeing the Redemption River Summer Fair! I just can’t see you introducing the jelly competition and the costume parade. More likely running a mile the other way.”
Brodie kept his eyes on Maeve, a flicker of amusement in his deep blue gaze. “I find that very insulting. I’ll have you know that I love nothing more than the Redemption River Summer Fair.”
Maeve tried her hardest not to smile back. Not to let it radiate out her eyes. The casual banter in her kitchen with this man feeling more and more natural every day.
“I’m going to go as a duck,” Zoey piped up.
“What an excellent idea,” Brodie replied, still with half an eye on Maeve.
As they walked down the hallway, Maeve plucked up the courage to say, “Did you want to stay for dinner? It’s only fish sticks but…”
“Love a fish stick,” he said, “but—” he winced “—I’ve got plans.”
