Page 10 of Falling for Brody

Chip looked up at the sound of Brody's voice and grinned. "Hey, dude!"

Rhea winced at that. "Dude?"

Chip looked a little sheepish at that. "Man or Sir sounds weird with 'Hey.'" He shrugged. "So, I tried dude."

Rhea shook her head, but her gaze was filled with love. "What about Mister Armstrong."

If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed it, but both Chip and Brody had nearly identical looks of distaste on their faces.

"No?"

Brody and Chip shook their heads, and she knew she had to get out of that room soon.

"Do you think it would be okay with your mom," Brody looked at her and then turned his gaze to Chip, "if you called me Brody?"

Chip turned his head to look at her and she nodded. "Sure!"

Brody chuckled from his place beside her. "Cool!"

Chip looked at Brody with something akin to hero worship in his eyes. "Coool."

Oh boy.

Not even a day in town and she'd already met a man who'd already lifted Chip's spirits and started to open her heart.

To be fair, the second part wasn't Brody's fault.

She was old enough to be... a mom.

And he... if he didn't already have a pretty brunette girlfriend, there was no single woman in this town who wouldn't be more than eager to date him.

She realized that the room had gone quiet around her and she looked up at Brody. "Sorry."

His look of concern changed to a smile. "You keep apologizing."

She let out a breath. "I'm apologetic."

He shrugged. "You don't have to be around me."

There was something in his eyes.

Something earnest and...

The double doors opened up and Rhea turned her head to see a beautiful blonde walk in, her hair unbound, keys in her hand. "Brody! Hey! How is Avalon."

"We got her stabilized and here." Brody gestured to her. "This is Rhea, my new partner. And that's Chip."

Rhea watched as the woman turned to look at Chip and instantly smiled at him.

"Hi, Chip! I'm Kay. Brody," she jerked a thumb at Brody, "is my cousin."

Rhea was quickly putting the pieces together. "You're Joshua and Gabriel's sister."

"Yep." Kay grinned at her. "I'm also your ride."

Rhea looked up at Brody. "Did you call?"

"Actually it was my uncle. Or, really, my aunt. They brought Roya back to their house to treat her and while Uncle Howard was doing a full exam, Aunt Louise called and said your car was still out at the side of the road." She jingled her keys. "So I have been sent to take you back to your car so you can get back to town."

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