Chapter 26

Phoebe drove home after the Do-Si-Do with her breakfast in a to-go container. No way was she waiting around to eat with Brody and his ex in the diner. She'd been curious, who wouldn't be, about Melanie, but she didn't want to get involved because it was no business of hers anymore… if it ever had been. Which, if she were honest, it hadn't, but it had changed the direction of her life.

She'd seen Brody's shock, which had turned pretty fast into anger when the beautiful woman had arrived at their table. Petite, with Ally's hair color, she was stunning. Phoebe had lived and worked in New York. She knew money and style when it slapped her in the face. Melanie, whatever her surname was, had it in spades.

Parking beside Caleb's car, Phoebe headed up the stairs and into the cottage.

"Clearly I didn't lock my door," she said to her brother and Jonathan.

"I heard from Klaus Becker that something went down at the school. Something you didn't tell me about," Caleb said, getting off her sofa. He then sniffed the air and walked to where she was placing her breakfast on the table.

"That's mine," she protested as he opened it and took a rasher of bacon.

"We share in this family," Caleb said with his mouth full.

"I'll make coffee," Jonathan said.

Phoebe picked up her phone as a text came in.

Blue: Nude yoga happening in ten out the back of the house. Bring Caleb and Jonathan.

Blue: It will help your uptight self relax. Come and join us. Finch is here. You had a thing for him before you only had eyes for Brody. I'll let you ogle him.

Phoebe snorted out a laugh.

"What?" Jonathan demanded.

"Blue just texted me something funny," Phoebe said.

Phoebe: Not happening. I'm not letting you tie-dye-wearing hippies corrupt me and my family.

Blue: Mom's making her famous raspberry and chocolate waffles after. She said if you don't come, we'll bring the class to you three.

Phoebe : I'm not doing naked yoga with your family and mine, and I definitely don't need to see the dangly body parts they have.

Blue: I was messing with you. It's not naked. Mom and Dad said if you all come, they'll keep their clothes on…. Please come for the good health of me and my brother. Seeing your parents naked is something children shouldn't have to deal with, even if you are a crazy McAllister.

She looked at her brother, who wore shorts and an exercise shirt. Jonathan was in the same. "We're going to do yoga next door and then have raspberry and chocolate waffles."

"Yes!" Caleb punched the air with a fist.

"It's like your intelligence level stopped maturing at ten," Phoebe said .

"Harsh but true," Caleb said, taking another bite of her breakfast.

Phoebe: Fine. But if you're messing with me, I'll make you pay. And there better be waffles.

"Let me change," Phoebe said. In her room, she shed her clothes and replaced them with exercise shorts and a tank. "Right, let's go." She grabbed her water bottle.

"I'm sooo excited about baseball," Jonathan said. "If big bad Brody will be there."

"There are more Dukes than Stanways, so like I've already said, we're moving on because we don't need trouble," Phoebe said.

She shouldn't have had sex with Brody; it complicated an already-complex situation. The problem was that she still wanted that man far more than was healthy.

"And what?" Caleb scoffed. "They'll come after us?"

Phoebe sighed. It was rare you could intimidate her brother.

"We're protective of you," Caleb added. "Considering how he broke your heart and then what happened in New York, you have to allow us that much."

"I understand that, but we were both young and foolish. I can look after myself… really," she said when they both looked over their shoulders at her.

The problem was, Caleb had seen her when she arrived in New York heartbroken. He and Jonathan had also been the ones to walk into that hospital room when she'd been hooked up to beeping machines and close to death.

"We're probably not going to change, just so you know," Jonathan said. "We're protective of you."

"I know." Phoebe sighed.

"But we will play nice on the outside, even if not on the inside," Caleb said .

"Good enough," Phoebe added.

They walked around the back of the McAllister house and saw Blue's butt in the air.

"If anything was going to turn me, it would be a fine ass like that," Caleb said. He then whistled. "Blue, you are looking hot, girl."

She looked at him through her open legs and smiled. "I love you, Caleb."

"Back at you."

Her people, Phoebe thought. Caleb, Jonathan, and Blue had helped her heal in New York. They'd gone through the court case that put her attacker in prison and been there when she most needed them.

"Hey, Caleb. Come to join the fun?"

Finch was tall, lean, and had the look of a military man. His shoulders were straight and his haircut short. He walked forward to hug her and Caleb, who introduced him to Jonathan.

"What's in the water in this town?" Jonathan whispered to Phoebe. "So many good-looking people."

"Welcome!" Meadow McAllister cried. She and Hamish wore multicolored harem pants with matching headbands and blue shirts.

"I'm getting us outfits like that," Caleb said.

"You'll be single again if you try," Jonathan muttered.

Mats were placed in three lines, and Meadow was up front on her own, which suggested to Phoebe that she would instruct them on what to do.

"You promised waffles," Phoebe said out the side of her mouth to Blue as she dropped onto the mat beside her friend. "If this is going to hurt, at least there's that to look forward to."

Gracefully, Blue moved into a seated position. "You'll get your waffles. "

Caleb and Jonathan took the mats in front of them beside Hamish McAllister, with Finch, Blue, and Phoebe in the last row.

"Let's all sit cross-legged," Meadow said in a melodious tone. "Breathe deeply and bring awareness to your body. Check in with yourself."

Phoebe used to do a lot of yoga but hadn't for a few weeks since arriving in Lyntacky. She felt stiff moving through the positions Meadow instructed, but her muscles began to soften in the warm midmorning air, and slowly she relaxed.

"Is that a smile?" Blue hissed.

"Blue Jay, we cannot be at one with our body if we chatter," Meadow censured her daughter sweetly. "You must focus."

"Sorry, Mom."

Caleb collapsed to his knees while doing a downward dog pose. He then let out a groan/wheeze, not unlike Barry when he collapsed onto his dog bed.

"We all know who holds the title of the most supple Stanway now," Phoebe whispered. He raised a middle finger.

Sage and Basil, the McAllister golden retrievers, who had been watching the proceedings and thanking their furry butts they didn't have to do yoga, let out loud, excited barks. They then sprinted away.

"Drat, Mom, it sounds like someone has arrived. We'll have to call it a day," Finch said with total insincerity.

"We are nearly finished. Whoever has arrived will be happy to wait. Come down to child's pose and then walk your hands forward," Meadow said, still in her calm voice.

Caleb moaned again but did as he was told.

"Be right with you!" Meadow called minutes later. Phoebe spun to look behind her and fell. Dammit! Sawyer and Brody were standing on the back deck. She caught Brody's eyes running up and down her body and turned away to look at Meadow again.

"I really want to hate him, but that face," Jonathan whispered.

"Try harder," Caleb wheezed.

"You two, behave," Phoebe hissed.

"Bring your hands together at your heart, lower your head to your heart, and acknowledge yourself for showing up to your mat today," Meadow said, dragging their eyes forward again.

"My mat is an asshole for inflicting pain," Caleb muttered.

Phoebe let Blue and the other McAllisters greet the Dukes. She then followed with Caleb and Jonathan.

"Come inside everyone. We are having waffles," Meadow said.

"Thanks, Meadow, but we can't stay," Sawyer said. "We just need to have a word with the Stanways."

That had Phoebe looking at Brody. Why does he want to talk to us when I just spoke to him? Is it something to do with that woman Melanie?

"You both seem tense," Meadow said to the Duke brothers. "A cup of rose and sage tea to purge the negativity from your auras. I'll brew you both some now. Finch, Blue, and Hamish, you come and help me get it and the waffles ready."

Finch slapped hands with the Dukes, and she heard him mutter, "Run now and I'll create a diversion," before he followed his family into the house, leaving the rest of them facing one another.

"Sawyer and Brody, this is Jonathan," Phoebe said when the silence stretched.

Both Dukes stepped forward to shake hands .

"What do you want?" Phoebe asked Brody.

He ran a hand through his hair in a gesture she knew well because he always did it when he was uncertain. What had happened with Melanie?

"Caleb told Sawyer you were a family law attorney, Jonathan. Is that true?

"I am, yes," he said.

Brody exhaled slowly, and Phoebe put two and two together and came up with why he may be here.

"He needs help," Sawyer said, jabbing a finger his brother's way. "We'll pay you for it, but it's got to happen now."

"I told you I had this," Brody snapped at his brother. "And telling them instead of asking with a please or thank you thrown in isn't going to help my cause."

"Yeah, well, now I have it. Just get to the point. It's easier for all concerned, especially as you're not on the Stanway birthday card list anymore," Sawyer said.

"I like a man who is direct," Jonathan said. "I don't like a man who hurts people I love however."

Phoebe sighed. "Let it go, Jonathan. This is clearly important."

Brody looked at her and then nodded, showing she was right.

"Fine. What do you want, Brody Duke?" Jonathan asked.

"Tea!" Meadow yelled. "Everyone, come inside!"

"You"—Jonathan pointed to Brody—"and you"—he pointed to Sawyer next—"come with me to the cottage now, and I'll hear what you have to say. You two"—he pointed to Phoebe and Caleb—"can stay and eat waffles."

They left before Meadow came outside to find out why they were not coming in for some kind of earthy-tasting herbal tea .

"I want to know what Brody is talking to Jonathan about," Caleb said.

"We can't all leave," Phoebe whispered.

"Fake an illness," Caleb hissed.

"What? No! Why me?"

Caleb pinched her arm, hard. Phoebe shrieked.

"What's happened?" Meadow ran outside.

Caleb stood on Phoebe's foot.

"I-I—my stomach," she rasped.

"I'll take her back to the cottage, Meadow. Thank you for the yoga, and we will be back for the waffles soon," Caleb said, hustling Phoebe away.

"The waffle batter will freeze!" she heard Meadow say. "I'll send something over for Phoebe's stomach!"

Caleb dragged her down the path toward the cottage.

"I'll have bruises," Phoebe said.

"All for a good cause. Now move your feet," Caleb said. "I want to know what the bad Duke wants with my man."

"Brody," Phoebe snapped.

They entered the cottage to find the three men seated around the table and to hear Brody speak the words, "No one is taking my daughter away from me. You need to tell me how I can stop that."

"Make coffee, Phoebe, love, we need it, and bring me a pad and pen," Jonathan said as he noticed them. "And you"—he pointed to Brody again—"tell me everything."