Page 12 of Brooke's Bliss
A public place.Where they could be as well.
He kind of wished he’d heard when that party was supposed tostart.
Bay’s lips curled up as though he was thinking the wholeplan through.“And we have tomorrow off.”
Shane held up a hand.“She’ll probably turn us down, and weneed to be ready for that.”
Bay looked back, and Brooke was sliding into the booth.Hestared for a moment, and there was a determined look on his face.“I’m readyfor anything.I want a shot with her.I haven’t been able to get that girl outof my head for years.It’s always been the wrong time.”
“Let’s hope it’s the right time now,” Shane said.
Bay nodded and stood, putting his hat on his head andturning toward the exit with a resolute expression on his face.“Then I shouldprobably start being polite to her family.”
They were always polite to Rachel Harper, and mostly to Rye.Max would be a new experience.
Brooke looked up as they approached the table, and her eyeswent wide.Not scared wide.Nope.Her eyes were like a kid in a candy store,and she was wondering how much she could eat before someone stopped her.Herbreath seemed to catch, and she bit her bottom lip.
“Miss Brooke,” Shane said with a tip of his hat.“Good tosee you again.Mr.Harper.Mr.Harper.”
Max turned like a hawk scenting prey.Oddly, so did thatbaby boy in his arms.Father and son both stared at them with narrowed eyes.“You two.What are you doing here?”
“We came into town to pick up some parts for the mower.We’re clearing the back field for hay,” Bay explained, and didn’t even say adamn thing about how Max could use a haircut or how he should understandbecause he was so old he could probably use a few new parts, too.
Max frowned.“Yeah, it’s getting to be that time.You boysshould head back to the G.”
Shane nodded his way.“Will do.Miss Brooke.”
“Just Brooke,” she said in a breathy tone, and then sheseemed to realize how she’d sounded.She shook off the sex-kitten voice andsounded more normal.“It’s nice to see you, Shane.And Bay.”
Rye Harper sipped his coke and looked from his sister thenback to them.“Shane, could you tell Trev we got Beth’s saddle in?I’ll bringit out for our session tomorrow.”
The boss’s wife had ordered a custom saddle for her ridinglessons.She’d driven her husbands a little insane by requesting the Harperbrothers teach her instead of one of them.Rye Harper had been coming out for acouple of weeks, teaching her how to ride and take care of her gentle mare.
“Will do, sir.Have a nice day, Brooke.It’s good to see youin our town again,” Shane said.
“Hey, what do you mean by our town?”Max asked, and Shanecould have sworn the baby nodded as though he wanted to know, too.The kid wasthe spitting image of his dads, with golden brown hair and serious eyes.“Youboys are going to be out of here by summer, right?”
Bay simply tipped his hat Brooke’s way, giving her a slightsmile.“Y’all have a nice afternoon.”
“And what the hell did he mean with that bullshit misterstuff,” Max was saying as they started out the door.
“I do believe we call that a polite hello,” Rye replied witha chuckle.
“Those two assholes are planning something,” Max declared.
His brother looked back as he walked through the door.“Toldyou.”
Shane wasn’t listening.He was aware that Brooke watchedthem.The whole way.
They had their shot, and they were going to take it.
Chapter Two
Brooke sat back in the somewhat broke-down limo.Itwas more of a town car.Roomy, but certainly nothing like the limos shesometimes got to ride in when she was following the boss around.Before Markhad taken over, she’d worked for a nice woman who had been a true mentor toher.She’d treated Brooke like someone she was teaching, and that meant takingher to a lot of meetings and letting her share in the experiences.
Mark had shut that shit down and told her that her place wasin the office making sure things worked well for him.He’d shrank her role tothat of barista and errand girl, but hadn’t minded stealing her designs.
“Air okay for you, Miss?”Bobby asked from the driver’sseat.The seventeen-year-old had shown up exactly where she’d asked him to andhad been politely on time.
