Brooks smiles at him and passes a dish to him. “I’m having too much fun working for Hunter.”
“Really? Out at the tree farm?” Mom asks.
Brooks nods and takes a helping of green beans onto his plate. “I started helping him with his website. He’s got some great ideas. I’m really liking it.”
“You’re good at what you do.” Jane pats Brooks on the arm.
Conversation is light as everyone piles their plates high with food and digs in. Every bite is delicious. The perfect dinner with the best company.
After all the dinner dishes are cleared, I grab the dessert and bring it out for everyone.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Brooks,” I tell him as I spoon a bite of the chocolatey dessert into my mouth.
“We might have to move home just to have you cook for us,” Mom says.
“I don’t know if even that’s a big enough draw to get her home in the winter,” Dad says. “But it’s tempting.”
I wave them off. “You love the sunshine too much to move back.”
“Maybe we need to move down there. Now that Brooks doesn’t need us,” Jane says.
“Really?” Brooks asks, dropping his spoon down onto his plate. “You want to move to Florida?”
Mike shrugs a shoulder. “We’ve thought about it. Wedidn’t want to leave when you were going through everything. But now?”
“Now we’re not as worried about you.” Brooks’s mom smiles at the two of us. “It’s so nice to see you doing so well after the divorce, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Brooks tells her. “All Charlie.”
Brooks leans over and gives me a sweet kiss. Hearing his words has a warmth spreading through me. I would do this again in a heartbeat to see Brooks this happy.
“Aww, Nancy. Do you think we can start planning their wedding now?” Brooks’s mom asks my mom.
“You’ve always imagined a Christmas wedding, haven’t you, Charlie?” Mom asks.
“Mom. Brooks just got divorced.”
“Besides,” Brooks interjects, “I have no plans on getting married again. Problem solved.”
“What, really?” Jane asks. “You don’t want to get married again?”
Brooks shakes his head at his mom. “Is this something we really need to be talking about right now?”
“I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Really?” Brooks asks. “I don’t think it’s that surprising considering I just got divorced.”
“But Charlie.” Jane turns her attention to me. “You want to get married, right?”
“I mean, I always planned on it.”
The only problem was that I never found someone I wanted to get married to. Now I have Brooks. Who is adamant about not getting married again.
Brooks pins me with a pleading look, wanting to explain himself. But why would he?
Logically, I knew this. But I don’t think I ever let myself comprehend it.
Eggnog curdles in my stomach. Do Brooks and I have an end date? Whenever I pictured the two of us together, thatwas it. When Brooks fell in love with me, we’d be together forever. We rushed into this, and I never really stopped to think about what would happen if it didn’t work out. I never thought that our feelings toward marriage would get in the way.
