Page 97 of His Heart

Brooke

Work was crazy.Joe had decided to give Olivia a chance at reopening the café, and she’d attacked the project with gusto. We spent our time searching for deals on furniture and décor to spruce up the place, comparing suppliers and costs, and trying to get Joe to sign off on the new store layout. He had some very particular requirements and didn’t want to budge. It was no surprise he hadn’t been using the space efficiently. It was hard to get it all organized to his satisfaction.

We’d been hoping to get the first events going before the holidays, but things had taken longer than we’d anticipated. It was mid-December, and there was still work to do. But Joe hadn’t minded waiting, and the store was getting more business as people shopped for gifts.

This week the chaos had settled to a dull roar. Olivia was in Phoenix to visit her parents and sell some of the things she didn’t want to move. Charlie couldn’t go because of work, so he’d been pouting since she’d left. The first night, Sebastian had declared him impossible to live with, so he’d come to my place.

He’d been staying at my house all week. I didn’t mind. I loved falling asleep next to him every night, and waking up to him in the morning. I think we were both starting to realize it was something we could get used to.

The house was empty when I got home after work, but Sebastian texted me minutes later.

Sebastian: We still on for our date tonight?

Me: Yes! What are we doing?

Sebastian: Movie? New horror flick is out.

Me: OMG WE ARE THERE

Sebastian: Done. Already checked times. Should we do 9?

Me: Sounds perfect.

Sebastian: I’ll be at the library another hour or so. Finals are going to be brutal.

Me: Come straight here when you’re done. I’ll make us dinner.

Sebastian: Have I told you lately how much I adore you?

Me: Yes, but you can say it again.

Sebastian: I’ll tell you with my tongue later.

Me: Promise?

Sebastian: It’s either a threat or a promise. You can tell me after you’re done begging me to stop.

I laughed and set my phone on the counter. If he kept talking like that, I was going to have to change my panties. I thought about sending him a dirtier text—maybe see what it took to get him to pack it in and come here now—but I decided to try it another time. He’d been studying his ass off for finals. If he needed another hour, I shouldn’t mess with him. He’d have time to make good on his tongue threats later.

My phone rang, so I grabbed it. Mary. That was strange. I hoped everything was okay with Olivia.

“Hi, Mary.”

“Hi, Brooke,” she said. Her voice was serious, putting me immediately on edge. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Did Olivia make her flight?”

“She did. She should be landing in about an hour,” she said.

“Okay, good,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Well, there was an accident on one of the freeways, just outside Phoenix,” she said. “The driver who caused it was killed.”

My heart felt like it was in my throat and my hands trembled. I didn’t understand why she was telling me this. Car accidents happened all the time. Why was this one important?

“Um, okay.”

“The driver who caused the crash was intoxicated,” she said. “I think that’s why it made the news. That and the fact that multiple cars were involved with only one fatality. But… honey, the driver who died was your mother.”

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