Page 104 of Falling for Brody

The looks that she was giving his mom made him wonder if they'd had a fight that he didn't know about.

Near the end of the family dinner, he saw his aunt walk his mother inside earlier than normal.

He was tempted to go in and ask them what was going on, but Chips' energy had sunk early as well and Brody was beginning to worry if Chip and his mother were both coming down with the same cold.

He excused himself and offered to find Bea a ride home with one of the others, but she happily went with him as he bundled a half-asleep Chip in his Tahoe. Giving Bea a boost into the passenger seat as they started home.

"I hope you won't mind if I come in with you when we get to the house."

Bea looked at him with soft smile. "You're always welcome, Brody. Besides," she laughed softly, "I can't carry him myself, young man."

Brody smiled at her. "True." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Did you get the feeling that something was going on tonight?"

Bea gave him a look that said he was sweet and oh so stupid.

"I missed it."

"Yes, dear. You missed it." She gave him a curious look of her own. "Where were you earlier? You said you had some errands to run?"

Brody smiled as they drove along, coming ever closer to Bea's house. "I went in to pick up a package at the post office."

"Oh?" Bea sounded more than a little excited. "Did you get out of there unscathed or did the boys badger you into staying awhile?"

Brody grinned. There were a few people in Fallport who could call Otto, Authur, and Silas 'the boys' and not sound a little funny.

"It was a small package that's why I asked them to hold the package there. I also had to sign for it. The insurance on it is staggering."

"May I see?"

Brody thought about it for a moment and then dug into his shirt pocket and pulled out the box he'd been holding.

He held it out to her. "Please," he begged softly as he looked up in the rear view mirror making sure that Chip was asleep before he handed it over, "that's very, very precious."

Bea held it like it was very precious indeed.

When she opened up the box she gasped. "Oh, Brody, it's beautiful. Magnificent."

He grinned and turned to take a quick look at it. "It's a Brazilian Opal surrounded by diamonds to look like lace. It was the first ring that really caught my eye when I was looking. I remember something that you taught us when we were studying weather in school."

"OH?" She tilted her head and looked over at him. "What was that?"

"We were studying rainbows and it was after a storm. Or at the tail end of the storm and one of the kids complained that she was waiting for the sun to come out so we could see a rainbow. And you told us that the only time you can see a rainbow-"

"Is when you're looking into the storm."

He nodded at her words. "I know she's been through a lot and with this custody case, it must seem like a lot of dark clouds in her sky." Brody put on the turn signal and slowly turned into her driveway. Once he was in park he turned to look at Bea. "I'm hoping that our lives together will be that rainbow for her." He grinned. "Too... sappy?"

Bea closed the ring box and handed it back to him. "Not sappy, Brody. Romantic. Very romantic."

He helpedher down out of the Tahoe and reached into the back to get Chip. When they got into the house, Bea offered to check in on Rhea, but he said he'd do it. Mainly because he had to see for himself that she was okay.

Chip was already sleeping, but Brody woke him up enough to use the rest room before helping him change his clothes and tucking him in bed.

Just before he left the room he heard Chip turn over in bed. "Brody?"

"Yeah, Chip?"

"Thanks for bringing me home."

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