“Of course. Harland loved you like you were his. And your mom…I can’t imagine how hard it is to live without the man you love.”
It’s hard. Really, really hard.
“She’s doing better, too. She’d love to catch up with you, I’m sure. And you know she’s going to want to not only see some baby pictures but get her hands on Lucy soon, too. You should bring her over to see the horses sometime.”
“I will. Thank you. You know she loves them.”
“Just like I do.”
Gloria squeezed Brooke’s forearm, then headed off, to find her husband most likely.
Brooke took one last look at Cody, abruptly turned, and headed for the buffet table.
He’s not yours.
Before, she’d have made a beeline for Cody and sidled up to him to steal a kiss on the cheek. On Cody’s part, kissing her hello was purely a friendly gesture. For her, it had been a way to touch him and be close.
Now, she gave him space to be withher.
Kristi had his full attention these days. He’d barely spared Brooke a glance since she arrived home. Tonight it seemed he was blinded by Kristi to anyone else in the room. Including her.
Brooke sighed. Sometimes, life wasn’t fair.
“Hey beautiful, where’ve you been all my life?” Charlie smiled down at her with a strange look in his eyes. His gaze roamed over her before landing on her mouth.
They’d known each other forever, but he’d never looked at her quite like that.
To dispel any notion she was interested, she rolled her eyes and scoffed, then went with sarcasm and reminded him of their history. As friends. “Shoveling manure right beside you.” She handed him a plate with a smirk and took one for herself.
Heavily laden platters and brimming bowls of decadent food covered the buffet table. Little Santa, elves, and angel figurines sat in between the abundant fare with twinkling white lights wound around evergreens. She loved Christmas and all the trimmings.
Her mother had helped Cody plan the party, using Brooke’s contacts for catering, decorations, and the invitations. It was basically the same guest list from the summer picnic.
“Nah. The girl who worked beside me in the stables was a skinny kid with stringy hair, baggy jeans, and chapped lips.”
She planted one fist on her hip and gaped at him. “Are you saying I’m not skinny anymore?”
He eyed her up and down again. “You filled out in all the right places.” He winked at her.
For real. A wink.
Laughing it off, she filled her plate with pesto pasta salad and a slice of prime rib. She expected some attention, but not like this. Not from a guy who’d given her noogies and teased her like a kid sister.
Maybe she should look at Charlie in a different way, too. She discreetly gave him a once-over. Cute. Tall and lean. His dark hair a little long, just right for sliding her fingers through the soft-looking strands. But there was no spark.
Still, she appreciated that he’d noticed her and flirted with her.
Her confidence swelled.
Every bud opened into a flower. She’d just taken a little longer to bloom.
Chapter Fourteen
The second Brooke walked down the stairs to join the party, everything inside Cody screeched to a halt.
Wow! Just, wow!
His heart started pounding as he took her in.
