Before he stood, she cupped his face in her hands, leaned forward, and kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry you lost both your babies.”
Tears welled in his eyes. He looked at her sad, bloodshot eyes. “I miss them both, but I’m so glad I still have you.” Tears slipped down his cheeks. He’d never hidden anything from Brooke, so he let his guard down now.
She saw through the mask anyway, down to the pain he tried to hide for her sake. “You’d have been a really great dad.”
“I will be a great dad. And you’re going to be the best mom any kid could ever have.”
She didn’t know it yet, but he was going to make sure they had another chance. They would have a family, and he’d have her. They’d have each other. And so much love, she’d be happy all the time.
Chapter Fourteen
Drawn back to Cody, Brooke walked into his study through the French doors. He sat at his desk, talking on his cell phone. His deep voice filled the room. So soothing. So familiar. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him smiling at her, his blue eyes focused on her. She could have gone through the patio doors and through the living room, but she’d come this way because she wanted to see him. She didn’t analyze her thoughts or reasons.
She’d been working on instinct and survival since waking up in the hospital, and she didn’t want to think Cody was part of that survival. She didn’t want to need him in order to feel anything good.
But he did make her feel a spark of happiness every time she looked at him.
She felt even better when he stood and came to her. He carried on a conversation she didn’t tune in to as he kissed her on thehead and rubbed his hand up her good arm to her shoulder before going back to his desk and looking at some papers.
Feeling a bit better after the sunshine and Cody’s attention and affection, she aimlessly walked out of the study and slowly worked her way up the stairs to her room.
“Brooke.” Kristi walked from the kitchen into the living room. “I’d like to have a word with you, please.”
Just the sound of Kristi’s voice made her angry. Seeing Kristi in Brooke’s home reminded her of Kristi’s place in Cody’s life.
Brooke ignored Kristi and continued to carefully make her way up the stairs. One step at a time, just the way she took every second of the day. Her ankle was stable in the brace, but sore, making it difficult to maneuver the stairs. Especially after the long walk to the stables and through the garden.
Kristie huffed out a breath of frustration. “Brooke. I’m talking to you.”
Brooke ignored the peevish tone.
“Kristi. Let her be,” Cody ordered. “You have nothing to say to her, unless it’s to express your condolences on the loss of our daughter.”
Not likely. Kristi didn’t have any sympathy for Brooke. She wanted to fight over Cody.
Brooke didn’t have it in her, and she’d already lost Cody, so why fight about it.
Kristi’s silence spoke volumes.
“I have to finish this call, and then we’ll talk.” Brooke recognized the warning in Cody’s voice that he was barely in command of his temper. “Leave her alone. She’s having a rough day.”
“Aren’t we all?”
The snide tone set Cody off. “Was your daughter murdered while you carried her inside you?”
Cody’s words hit Brooke hard.
Kristi pouted. “We lost a baby, too.”
“And you were so upset about it you waited weeks to tell me about it, like it barely mattered to you, because, hey, we still had a wedding coming up.”
Brooke felt the hurt in Cody’s words wash through with another wave of grief for all he’d lost. She stared down at him from the top of the stairs.
He glanced up at her, an apology in his eyes for upsetting her and Kristi making a scene.
He turned back to Kristi, his phone still held against his chest. “I need a minute to finish this call. Then you and I are going to talk.”
Brooke wouldn’t want to be Kristi right now. Cody sounded like he’d reached his limit.
