Page 59 of Falling for Brody

They both ran through the living room toward the front door. Brody thought he saw his mother turn from the stove to stare in horror at them as they rushed for the front door.

They'd done this before when they were kids and friends were coming over for a party. But it was probably quite another thing to see two adults running through the room, with their shoes on, trying to beat each other to the front door.

Brody reached it first, but that didn't stop Rachel from slamming into him from behind.

"Oof."

"Let me get the door, doofus."

Rachel tried to reach around him, but he hunched his back and pushed off of the door, moving her back far enough so that he could swing the door open.

He wrenched on it before he realized that the door was locked.

Damn.

With one hand braced on the door frame, he twisted the lock open and turned the doorknob.

As the door swung open, Rachel jumped on his back. "Hey!"

Rachel started to slip and slung an arm around his neck, almost choking him.

"Hi, there!"

Brody saw three different expressions on their doorstep. Chip was smiling from ear to ear as Brody's face started to turn blue. Rhea looked like she'd had a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. And Missus Hardy?

She had one brow lifted up and as he stood there, she folded her arms across her chest.

"Well," Missus Hardy shook her head, "some things never seem to change."

* * *

Rhea felt her stomach drop.

That gorgeous brunette nurse from the clinic was clinging to Brody's back.

He wasn't exactly fighting her off.

Breathe, Rhea. Breathe.

She was chiding herself and struggling to pull herself together as she stood there on the Armstrong's doorstep with meatballs and spaghetti in a dish. Would it be so bad if she went for a walk around... the town?

"Well," Bea shook her head, "some things never seem to change."

"Wow... who is she?"

If Rhea didn't have both hands securely around the warming container, she would have clamped a hand around Chip's mouth.

Bea put a hand on Chip's shoulder and gestured at the doorway. "Chip. You know Brody, but do you know his sister, Rachel?"

Sister?

His sister. Rachel.

Why did she feel a little lightheaded? Even a little sick to her stomach?

She had no reason to be jealous of Rachel.

She hadn't introduced herself to Rachel at the clinic. All she'd seen was a beautiful woman lean in and kiss Brody.

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