Destiny Ever-Changing (19 page)

"Would you like some company? I can't stay long, but I do have some time."

I shrug. "Only if you want to. I don't want to keep you from your run."

Instead of giving an answer, he situates himself on one side of my towel and pats the empty space beside him, so I sit back down.  He nudges me with his elbow. "You said your mom went swimming with the guy, so you want to swim? I swear I'll keep my pants on this time. Strictly G-rated, I promise."

I snicker. "Why not." I force myself back to my feet and pull my sundress off over my head, feeling a bit self-conscious. Instead of coming off in one easy motion, my hair tangles around one of the buttons, and before I can say or do anything, I feel Brooks's fingers at my back and freeing my hair. Then, in a strangely sensual way, he carefully slips the remainder over my head.

"Thanks," I say, repeating to myself that we are only friends.

He only nods as he folds my dress in half neatly, lays it out on my towel, and kicks off his shoes. "Let's go."

I slowly wade out, chills spreading in waves across my skin as I walk deeper into the cool water. "So, you mentioned that you can't stay long. What do you have planned today?"

Brooks sinks into the water up to his shoulders. "A better question would be what do
you
have planned today? Remember the get-together I told you about last night?"

"You're looking at my plans for the day. When and where?"

"Tonight at my house . . . probably around six. You'll get to meet my sister, Ashton. She flew in late last night. I didn't even get to bed until three this morning."

"Wow," I exclaim. "How are you even awake right now?"

He chuckles. "I don't exactly know. I woke up at seven, so I'll probably try to squeeze in a nap this afternoon, if I have time. I still have to go get all of the food, get everything prepared, clean up around the house, and shower, too."

"Can I bring something? I hate knowing you have all of that to do by yourself."

He shakes his head. "No, I like to. The busier I am, the less time I have to wallow in my own self-pity."

"I definitely know what that's like," I say, twisting my mouth to the side. "Okay, I can't put off this question any longer. Who else will be there?"

"Hmm . . . well, me, Will, Ashton, you . . ."

"Jacqueline?"

"Most likely, yes. Is that a deal breaker?"

"Not entirely, but I may not stay long if she's around."

Brooks dips his head under the water and resurfaces. "That's why I'm rarely there. She's usually on her best behavior when there's company, though, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Besides, if you hang out with Will, Jacqueline won't even speak to you, I'm sure. He's really been pushing her buttons lately. And, he just went through a break-up, too, so he could use some friendly conversation."

I can sense that there has been some scheming behind the scenes. "Why do I get the feeling that you're setting me up with Will?"

He jokingly pokes my shoulder. "Maybe because I kinda am. I'm not expecting you two to hook up or get married or anything. I just know that both of you can use someone to talk to right now."

I can only glare at him wordlessly.

"Don't give me that look, Laura Carey. I know you're not looking for a relationship with him. I'm just saying that maybe he can be there for you some when I can't be. And, who knows what the future may bring. Just get to know him and see what happens, okay?"

Nodding only half-heartedly, I agree. "Why are you even bothering with all of this? Isn't he only here visiting?"

"Will is my best friend, and you . . . are, too. I have never seen him treat a woman poorly in any way; women usually take advantage of him. I know with all of my heart that he will treat you the way that you deserve, and he will be protective of you, the same way that he's always looked out for me. And, being completely honest, if I can't be with you, I want to know that someone will take care of you and be there for you. I know that if you and Will hit it off, he'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, even if that includes moving here." Brooks looks around nervously and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Fine," I say, playfully poking him back. "But I won't make any promises."

"Good. Now, before things get too depressing, what's next on the list? I have to go soon."

I can tell that he is uncomfortable with setting me up with Will, but neither of us has to reiterate the fact that we'll never be able to have what we both want. "You don't have to stay and do all of this with me, you know. I never planned on that being part of the deal, too."

He swims in circles around me. "Nonsense. I still have time. What's next?" He flashes that playful grin that I'm beginning to love so much.

"Well, we don't have time to hunt down a hotdog cart, so how about an apple? Then, we could walk back, and I'll look for seashells along the way."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll drive you home on my way into town."

We begin wading toward the shore. "Brooks, my house is not on the way into town."

"I know, but it's not far out of the way. No one will be at my house, either, so you have no reason to worry. Jacqueline is shopping in Norfolk, and Will is about to take Ash back to the airport to pick up her luggage. The airline couldn't find it last night."

"Fine, you win." I plop down on my towel and reach for my bag, extracting the two apples and extending one to Brooks. The first bite I take sends a trickle of juice down my chin, and he swiftly wipes it away with his thumb and winks.

After finishing our meager lunch, we gather up my things and head back, walking along the water's edge to search for interesting shells. I find several shells that are multicolored, some having a pearl-like sheen to them. Brooks finds only broken shells or plain brown ones.

"Do you have enough, or do you want to keep looking?" Brooks asks as he stoops to dig through the sand.

"I was hoping to find a conch shell. My mom's journal says that they're special."

"I've always heard that, but I'm just not seeing any, sorry."

"Oh, it's fine," I shrug, not wanting to admit my disappointment. "I have plenty. Let's get going."

For the first time, Brooks invites me into his home. I could tell by looking at the outside that the house is quite extravagant, but it certainly exceeds my expectations. Nana's house would fit inside the formal living room easily. The kitchen is filled with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and every amenity one could dream of. The living room boasts vaulted ceilings and is drenched in pristine white throughout, making me afraid to touch anything.

"Make yourself at home," Brooks says as he opens the fridge. "Can I get you something to drink?"

I perch myself up on a bar stool, not brave enough to set foot anywhere else. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

He laughs at me as he rounds the corner of the bar, grabbing my elbow and gently tugging. "Come on. I'm not going to let you sit here in this kitchen while you wait. Come into my room, and you can wait there."

I resist his urging. "I would be more comfortable here than in the bedroom you share with Jacqueline, I promise you!"

"When I said, 'my room' I meant it," he explains, finally convincing me to follow. "We shared the master bedroom upstairs for the first few days we were here, but then I started sleeping in one of the guest rooms."

"Oh . . ."

Once we turn down the broad hallway, he opens the door to the first room on the right and stops to allow me to enter first. The room is slightly bigger than mine is, but just as homey. It isn't at all like the rest of the house. The rich brown comforter on the neatly made bed contrasts beautifully with the pale green walls, and the simple furnishings and wood floor emanate an inviting feel. "Have a seat. The TV remote is on the nightstand."

When he walks into his closet, I seat myself on the hard, narrow bench at the foot of the bed and cross my legs, pulling my dress down neatly over my knees. He steps out of the closet with his clothes draped over his arm and pauses to shake his head at me. "Nope. Not there either."

"What do you mean? I'm not sitting on your bed and getting sand all over it. Not to mention the fact that it's all made up, and I would destroy it."

He carefully lays his clothes beside me on the bench, and he silently points to the bed with a teasing scowl on his face.

"Can't make me," I joke, which was the wrong thing to say. And a slight flicker of mischievousness on his face tells me so. He takes one step toward me and picks me up effortlessly, throwing me over one shoulder. With his free hand, he yanks the blankets back causing one of the pillows to rocket across the room, and he tosses me onto the bed. Not willing to give up so easy, I try to stand again, but he blocks the side of the bed. Thinking fast, I spin my legs around in the other direction to get off on the other side, and he bounds over the bed to stop me. I squeal loudly as he catches me, and we both tumble back onto the bed. Both of us are laughing so hard that we are practically incapacitated.

"Now look at what you did. You messed up my bed!" He pretends to be annoyed.

"Isn't that every girl's dream?" I am only half joking as I poke him in the ribs.

"Your dream, maybe," he kids. "You're the one that dragged me into bed."

I elbow him in his side. "Oh, geez. Don't you have a shower to take?"

"Now look at you," he says as he rolls over to face me, "trying to get me in the shower."

"That's
your
dream," I mock.

He jumps up off the bed and grabs his clothes. "I'm not going to go there." He winks and disappears into the hallway after closing the door behind him.

Friendship with the opposite sex sure can get frustrating. I roll over on my side and bury my face in his pillow. Pretending that his charm doesn't have an effect on me is exhausting, but as I lie here in his bed, my resolve is weakening. As painful as it is for me to admit to myself, I would have thoroughly enjoyed messing up his bed with him and having the opportunity to feel his strong body against me and his soft lips touching mine.

The thoughts of his touch send goose bumps all over my body, so I pull the sheet up to my shoulders and snuggle down into his pillow. I close my eyes and breathe in his inebriating scent, completely enjoying a moment that would only be more perfect if he were sharing the bed with me. I suppose I'll have to settle for cuddling with his blankets.

"Laura." A deep whisper rouses me from a semi-unconscious haze as a gentle touch caresses my arm.

"Oh, hey Brooks," I mumble sleepily. "Are you ready to go?"

He chuckles. "I've already been to the store, but I'll take you home if you're ready."

"What? When did you go?" I sit up so fast that my head spins.

"You were asleep when came back in, so I let you rest. Did you know that you talk in your sleep?" He looks at me with a knowing grin.

"I can't believe I fell asleep! What did I say?"

"I couldn't understand everything you said, but . . ." he leans closer to whisper in my ear, "let's just say that it took everything I had to
not
get in that bed with you."

I let out an exasperated moan and bury my face into my hands.

Brooks chuckles and ruffles my hair. "No worries. I thought it was kinda cute." He takes one of my hands and pulls me up off the bed. "Come on, let's get you home. You have a cookout to get ready for."

Chapter Fourteen — Hard Truths

Brooks:

I finally drag Laura out to my truck, so I can take her home to get ready for the cookout tonight. The short ride over to her house is quiet, but I know she isn't upset with me this time . . . she's embarrassed. She doesn't even have much to say when I drop her off, just a quick goodbye.

"Hey," I yell out the window, "if you don't show up, you know I'll come looking for you. Six o'clock . . . if you're not there, I'm sending out a search party." I watch her as she stops short of the garage, spins around, and walks half the distance back to my truck.

"I'll be there, and I'll even act like I'm happy about hanging out with Will."

"Ha ha," I pretend to laugh. "Tell you what, how about I send him to pick you up."

She walks up to my open window. "No, that's not necessary. I'll drive myself."

"I'll have him here at six sharp, so be ready. He'll be driving my truck. You know that I'll win, so there's no use in arguing with me."

She stomps her foot on the ground. "Ugh, sometimes you drive me insane! You're impossible!"

"Now, is that any way to talk to your best friend? I'm just looking out for you." I can tell that my broad smile is affecting her; she is trying hard to maintain her look of fury.

"Who said you were my best friend, anyway?"

I just smirk. "See you in a couple of hours."

As I drive back home, I should be making a mental to-do list, but all I can think about is Laura. I found it quite entertaining to find her asleep in my bed when I got out of the shower earlier. I could hear her unconscious muttering as soon as I walked into the room, so I sneaked around the bed to see if I could distinguish anything. The majority was unrecognizable, but what I did hear blew me away.

She has hidden her attraction to me fairly well these last few days, but her sleep talking confirmed that she is struggling with the same desires that I am. When she said, "Brooks, please . . . just hold me . . . I don't want Will, I want
you
," I sat down on the floor beside the bed, reeling in her words. That tiny peek into her subconscious made me want to give in to the furtive longing that I have for her.

As soon as I walk into the house, Ashton darts into the kitchen to greet me, giving me a firm bear hug. "Hey there, big brother! Where did you take off to so early this morning?"

I return the embrace. "Nine o'clock is hardly early. I went for a run. Hey, did you get your luggage?"

"Sure did," she says. "I even did a little shopping on the way back."

"
Will
took you shopping? Seriously?" I know my friend, and you can't pay the guy to even drive through a department store parking lot.