Page 55 of Lucky in Love
He wondered if she was upset about the kissing. He still wasn’t sure why he’d done that—twice. The first one, in the cabin, was part wanting to stun Alex and part an effort to shut Blossom up. Brody didn’t like her snide little digs at Alex. Apparently, he was just as susceptible as Alex to letting Blossom push his buttons.
The second kiss, in the restaurant, was…what? Sure, it felt good to stick it to Blossom again, but also, he’d just…wanted to.
Alex clearly hadn’t appreciated his dedication to the bit, and he’d gotten the silent treatment since. Eventually, they’d have to talk. He’d give her space until she was ready.
Nose to the grindstone, he mostly kept to himself. The few times he ventured into town, he became the subject of curious speculation. Alex had been right that their subterfuge wouldn’t go unnoticed or unscrutinized. With so little going on, Brody and Alex’s potential love connection was the hot topic of the week.
Patrons at the diner thought they were whispering, but Brody heard every, “Think they’ll get married?” “They’resocute together,” and “It was only a matter of time.” It was like the town’s volume knob had broken off on “way too loud.”
Perhaps that’s why Alex was keeping her distance, to avoid adding fuel to the fire. Thankfully, no one approached him directly for information. He’d wait and follow Alex’s lead on how to deal with it.
By the weekend, he was ready for a fun excursion with his new friends. Nick drove—he had the only rig that would fit all six of them—and Faith was nice enough to give Brody shotgun.
He wasn’t informed until they were halfway to Boston that this trip would include a salon visit. According to the women, all the “good” nail shops were in Boston.
Nick read Brody’s mind and preemptively offered an explanation.
“Don’t look at me. I’m just the chauffeur.” Nick shrugged. “This got added on behind my back.”
“We’re getting pedicures,” Faith said as they pulled up to the curb in front of the salon. “You guys wanna come?”
“No,” Brody and Nick said together.
“It’s not a big deal,” Tess said. “Men get them all the time.”
“Not real men,” they said again in unison.
The women laughed. “Suit yourselves.” Faith kissed Nick goodbye. “Pick us up in an hour?”
To kill time, Nick and Brody grabbed a beer at a nearby bar.
“You guys come to Boston much?” Brody asked.
“Few times a year. Faith shops while I visit an old friend.”
“Someone from the bureau?” Nick had mentioned he used to work for the FBI, so Brody assumed that’s what he meant.
“Sort of,” Nick hedged. “My partner was killed in the line of duty a couple of years ago. I try to check in on his widow and kids every now and again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” Brody said. Nick nodded, and they sat in silence for a second.
“So,” Nick said, changing the subject. “Any truth to the you-and-Alex rumors? Faith says no, but…”
Brody shook his head. “I’m just waiting to get details on our breakup. Hopefully, Alex lets me keep my dignity, and I don’t turn out to be a cheating asshole or something.”
“Guess I won’t ask about a kiss at The Rusty Nail?” Nick waggled his eyebrows.
“This is leaning dangerously close to junior high girls’ locker room talk,” Brody said, and Nick laughed.
“Touché. I spend too much time around women. Let’s see, what manly things can we discuss? How’s the new career search going?”
Brody smiled. “I’m gonna start a video blog first. You know, with travel tips and reviews of my favorite destinations. Once I get that up and running, I’ll look at writing a book or two.”
“Sounds like a solid plan. How long do you think you’ll stay in Green Valley Falls then?”
“Not sure yet,” Brody said. “I was traveling so much, I never bothered to get my own place. Just stayed with friends or in hotels between assignments. Eventually, I’ll have to find a real home.”
“You have family close?”
