Chapter 32
Two days after the nightmare that he didn't think he'd ever really get over, Brody still hadn't spoken to Phoebe. She was avoiding him and hadn't responded to any of his texts or calls. He'd been to the cottage, but she'd not been there. He'd picked up Ally today from school, and Phoebe had already left when he went to her classroom.
You wouldn't think that in a town the size of Lyntacky, it would be so difficult to get her alone. It was.
"Dad!"
"What?" He looked at Ally across the breakfast table.
"I was talking to you. You always get really mad at me when I don't listen to you, but you're not listening to me."
"Sorry. I was just thinking. You doing ok, kiddo?"
"Yeah."
With her typical attitude to most things, unlike him, she wasn't showing any sign that what happened to both her and Phoebe, would have any lasting effects. JD had rung him earlier, with the name of a councilor Ally could talk to if she needed it, but she had plenty of family around her, and Brody knew every one of them would keep an eye on her.
"I know we talked through all the stuff with your mom and grandparents yesterday, but if you want to discuss it again just tell me."
She nodded solemnly. "I will. I think maybe one day I'll want to meet her and them, but not yet. Not after they came to town being mean to you and stuff."
He looked at this kid who was his world and wondered how he'd got so lucky.
"Have I told you how proud I am of you, and how much I love you lately, Ally?"
She smiled at him. "I get told by you and at least two members of my family every day how much I'm loved, dad. I'm one of the lucky ones, Bobby told me they don't talk about feelings in his house."
"That's a shame," Brody said, not sure what to add to that.
"I tell him though, and his ears go red, but he's getting used to it."
Brody felt a lump of emotion choked him. His girl was the best.
"Ms. Stanway was really preoccupied in class today, dad. Neil Baron asked her why camels have three stomachs and had to ask it twice before she answered."
"What was her answer?"
Ally did that head tilt she sometimes did that reminded him of Zoe as she studied him. "That it has one stomach with four separate chambers that are for different stages of its digestive process."
"Gross. I didn't know that," Brody said.
"It was Ms. Stanway's last day, and she brought cake and balloons. "
He hadn't known that, either, and it pissed him off.
"So, who is your new teacher, and why hasn't there been a note home about it?"
"I forgot to give it to you?"
"What else have you forgotten to give me?"
"Nothing. I give you everything."
"You better."
"Do you like Ms. Stanway, Dad?" Ally said quickly.
"Of course. She's very nice."
"You like her a lot, don't you?"
Brody picked up his coffee and cradled it in both hands. "I do."
"Then why don't you ask her out?"
"You'd be okay with that?"
"Of course. I mean, it's a bit yucky because she was my teacher, but not now. Plus, I think she likes you."
"Why do you think that?"
"She looks at you like Bobby looks at Cindy Lee."
"How does Bobby look at Cindy Lee?" Brody laughed as Ally did a crazy-eyed look.
"So, ask her out, Dad."
"Who told you to say that to me?"
"No one." Ally licked her lips, which was a sure sign she was lying.
"Uh-huh, no one."
"Aunty Zoe said that you and Phoebe have grown up now and should give things another go."
He looked at her. "She said that, did she?" His kid nodded. "I want to give it another go. Are you good with that?"
"Yes!" Ally clapped her hands.
"The problem is, kiddo, she is avoiding me."
"Why? "
"It's complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it."
"How about I give that a try?"
…
The opening of Ryder's cafe was crazy. It was so busy that Brody and Ally were enlisted to work. His kid cleared tables, and he made coffee, seeing as Brody was the only other Duke who had actually learned to use the coffee machine when Ryder gave them lessons. He also kept his eyes on the door as people streamed in. It was two hours later that he watched Phoebe walk in with Caleb and Jonathan. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here, but as Jonathan had her arm looped through his, Phoebe had to enter.
"Oooh, Ryder! This is so exciting," Birdie said, slapping an order onto the strip of sticky stuff in front of Brody on the coffee machine. "I'm so proud of you!" She then kissed Ryder on the cheek and hurried away to take orders from those seated.
"Hey, you three," Ryder said to Phoebe, Caleb, and Jonathan as they reached the counter. "We're serving here, or you can take a seat and Birdie or Sawyer will serve you."
"Sawyer's serving?" Caleb looked around and found him scowling at Larry Limpet, who used to own the building when it was a bakery.
"People love his charm," Brody drawled, steaming milk with his eyes on Phoebe.
She wore a long, silky deep blue skirt that went to her calves, a white tank that stopped at her waist, and white sneakers. She had dark smudges under her eyes, which suggested that like him, she wasn't sleeping.
"Hey, Phoebe," he said.
"Hi, Brody." She raised her hand and then lowered it quickly, but she didn't meet his eyes .
He'd thought she was avoiding him, and she possibly was, but looking at her, he thought there was more to her going into hiding. Something was off. He could feel it.
"I'll order coffees, and you two go find a seat," Caleb said, waving them away.
"Try upstairs," Ryder said.
Brody watched her walk away, and then, to his surprise, Caleb walked around the counter to where he stood.
"Problem?" Brody poured milk into a perfect latte and placed it on the counter for Birdie to collect.
"We don't have long, so listen up," Caleb said, leaning in so only Brody could hear. "My sister says she's all right, but she's not. I think you could change that after what I've seen happening between you two. But if you hurt her again, I'll destroy you."
"Fair enough. What's going on with her?"
"You know about what happened in New York?"
"I do."
"I think she's struggling after that business with Ally, but she's denying it. Plus, I think there's the conflict concerning her feelings for you." Caleb looked like those last words tasted sour as he'd spoken them. "She's hiding out at Dad's or the cottage. We dragged her here today, and she's not happy about it."
"I won't hurt her again, Caleb. I love her, and if you tell her I told you that before I've actually declared my feelings for her, I'll call you a dirty liar."
Caleb smiled, and it actually reached his eyes. He then slapped Brody on the back. "Make my sister happy again, Brody, and I'll forgive you for almost everything."
"I need to get her to talk to me first."
"In fifteen minutes, I'm going to send her to the car to get my phone. That's the only chance I'm giving you," Caleb said .
"How do you know she'll go get your phone?"
Caleb smirked. "My sister will do anything for me." He walked away before Brody could answer.
He worked and watched the stairs. When Brody saw Phoebe coming down, he told Ryder he needed to do something.
"What?" his brother demanded, looking flustered. "Who knew there were so many people in Lyntacky and each one would decide to come into the cafe on opening day?"
"Who knew? Mom!" Brody caught her attention. "I need you to make coffees. Don't burn the milk or the coffee, okay?"
"Got it." She patted his cheek. Ryder moaned.
Brody rounded the counter just as Phoebe walked out the door. He followed, expecting her to go to Caleb's sedan. Instead, she kept walking to the river, disappearing over the ridge and down the bank.
He followed. When he reached her, she was sitting with her knees up, looking at the mountains beyond.
"Hey."
Her eyes shot to his and away.
"I'll be back inside soon. Tell Caleb."
"I'm not here for him. I'm here to talk to you, Phoebe." Brody dropped to a crouch before her, resting his hand on her knees.
"What are you doing, Brody?"
"I love you, Phoebe. I always have, but it's taken you coming back for me to see just how deep that love is. How much I want a life with you."
Her mouth opened and closed again.
"I know we had years apart, and I know there is a lot we need to talk about, but since you've come back, I realized what has been missing in my life. The one person I needed to complete me. You."
She shook her head. "No… Brody, I can't?—"
"Why can't you?" He cupped her cheek. "Talk to me, Phoebe."
She dissolved into tears then and lowered her face into her hands. Brody sat and took her into his arms, pulling her onto his lap. He rested his head on top of hers, surrounding her.
"I'm broken," she whispered. "I thought I-I wasn't, but after what happened with Ally, it all came b-back."
"I've only slept a few hours since you and Ally were taken from me, Phoebe. I wake up and walk into my kid's room and simply watch her. For two days, I've had to leave work just to check on her. I rang the school so many times, they started ringing me to let me know Ally was all right."
"Really?" The word was a whisper, but he heard it.
"I went to see your father and asked him if you were okay because you were avoiding me."
He felt her sigh, and then she tilted her head back to look at him.
"He told me you were hurting, but that his girl was tough. He also said that I needed to tell you I loved you or leave you alone."
"He said that?"
Brody ran a finger down her cheek. "He loves you and wants you to be happy and thinks I can help you with that."
"I was so scared, Brody," she whispered. "I thought they were going to hurt Ally and she would suffer like I had. That we were both going to end up in the hospital or worse. I felt helpless, and after what happened in that classroom, I vowed I'd never be helpless again. "
"You weren't helpless, Phoebe. You were strong, and you saved my daughter. You fought a knife-wielding man. Those are the actions of a brave woman, sweetheart, not a weak one."
She rested her head on his chest, and he held her closer. Brody wasn't sure how long he sat there with Phoebe, but he knew he didn't want to let her go.
"So, about that love," he said into her ear. "How about we give it another go?"
She looked up at him again. "I try to be brave, Brody, but sometimes it's not easy, so I protect myself from things and people that could hurt me."
He leaned in and kissed her softly. "I understand that you felt you needed to, but you don't have to do that with me. I love you and only you, Phoebe. I won't ever willingly hurt you again, and I'm not the selfish man I was anymore."
He held her eyes as she looked at him, willing her to see he meant what he said.
"Phoebe—"
"Yes," she said.
"Just yes?"
"Brody, I've loved you since I was Ally's age. I have never not loved you. I may have told myself I did, but coming back here and seeing you, I knew the truth, and that scared me."
Humbled that he hadn't destroyed this beautiful woman's love for him, he cupped her face. "Don't be scared."
"What about Ally?"
"She was the one who told me to ask you out, Phoebe. We have her approval."
She smiled, and it reached her eyes this time.
"And now we need to go back inside the cafe because my mother is behind the coffee machine, and if Ryder wants return customers, I need to take over from her."
He lifted her to her feet, then rose to his. Holding out his hand, she took it, and together they walked back to their families and into the future.