Brodie laughed. “Will do.”
ChapterForty-Eight
Brodie went straight to Maeve’s house. He was unexpectedly nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time he was nervous about seeing a woman, probably never.
He rang the bell. He’d brought a gift for Zoey but he should have brought flowers for Maeve. He would usually think to buy flowers. Before he could do anything about it, the screen door banged open and Zoey hurled herself into his arms. “You’re back!” she cried.
He staggered, unprepared, but as quickly righted himself and wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “Iamback. I’m sorry I had to go.”
“It’s okay, Mom said you’d be back.”
Brodie frowned with surprise at the news. “She did?”
“Oh, yeah,” Zoey said, nodding profusely, not taking her big eyes off him. “I was worried you’d left us again but she promised me right away that you hadn’t and Mom doesn’t make promises she can’t keep.”
Brodie couldn’t quite process the news. It felt enormous, but there wasn’t time to think it through properly because Zoey was saying, “Where did you go? You know I went to Bella and Logan’s and I helped look after the sick horse? Logan thinks I’d be a real good vet. Mom had a milkshake. Your one—a Mudslide.” She rattled off seemingly everything that had happened since he’d been gone.
Brodie nodded along, listening, but also thinking that Maeve had promised Zoey he’d be back.I believe in you.
Zoey slid out of his arms to the floor and, spotting the bag in his hand, said shyly, “Did you get me anything?”
“Did I get you anything?” Brodie pretended to think for a second. “Do you think there might be something in here?” He held up the bag. “But don’t get your hopes up too much.”
Zoey bit her lip in anticipation.
Brodie reached into the bag and pulled out a bright yellow sweatshirt with the words Jackson General Hospital written in a white arc on the front.
Zoey gasped. “My own one!”
Brodie tipped his head. “Your own one.” Amazed how someone could be so thrilled with a hospital branded sweater, but pretty thrilled that only someone who knew her would know she’d love it—someone like her dad.
Zoey immediately pulled it on. It came down to her knees. “I love it. Thank you.” She thew her arms around his waist, cheek pressed to his stomach. “I’m glad you’re back,” she said, looking up at him with her big brown eyes.
“Me, too.” He bent down and wrapped his arms around her. “Me, too,” he whispered again into her hair.
ChapterForty-Nine
Maeve would have known Brodie was in her house even if she hadn’t heard Zoey squeal from the back yard, even if she hadn’t been able to smell his aftershave or hear his laugh. When Brodie was in the house, she just knew. She could feel him, his presence, his energy. Having him there was like turning the lights on, throwing open the doors in summer, or lighting the fire in winter. He gave the place life.
Still, it made her suck in a breath to see him down on one knee, hugging Zoey tight. His big arms wrapped around her tiny frame.
When he saw her, he let Zoey go and stood up. Before he could say anything, Zoey went, “Mom, look at my sweater!”
“That is a great sweater, Zo!”
“I know!” Zoey grinned then looked back at Brodie who was looking at Maeve, and narrowing her big eyes, said, “Are you okay, Brodie?”
He nodded quickly. “Yeah, fine.”
Zoey led him into the living room to watch TV, then playUno, then make bracelets, which they stopped pretty quickly because Brodie kept dropping his beads. When it was bedtime, he read Zoey her story, but Maeve heard Zoey say, “Brodie, I think you’ve missed a page.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry!”
Maeve waited for him in the kitchen. When he came downstairs, she said, “It’s a really nice evening, do you want to sit out the back?”
He nodded, uncharacteristically quiet, and followed her outside. The air was warm and the sweet scent of the orchard drifted in on the breeze.
Maeve grabbed a couple of sodas from the fridge and gestured for him to sit where she usually sat, on the wide back step. “I do have a table and chairs,” she said as she sat down, “but they’re in the shed and the best view is from this step.” She pointed out to where the orchard trees stood in rows, like sentinels, and the mountains loomed, silhouettes carved from the blanket of navy sky.
