Page 107 of Falling for Brody

Rhea followed her inside.

* * *

Chip skippedup to the front door, full to the brim with excitement and lots of stories. He'd barely hit the porch when the door opened up. "Aunt Bea! I'm home!!"

Aunt Bea leaned down for a kiss and chuckled when she got that kiss and a big, squeezing hug. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

He wiped his shoes off on the rug and stepped inside, taking his bag into his room and setting it down before he turned around and almost vaulted into the kitchen. "You know, I feel like having some cookies, Aunt Bea! Do we have any cookies?"

Playing her best role every, Bea clapped her hands together. "We do, in fact, have cookies!"

Chip nodded, pondering the world’s deep issues...

Not really.

He pondered his next question. "And, do we have milk?"

It was Bea's turn to wonder over the answer and with an impish smile, she answered. "Why yes, we do have milk!"

As Chip's eyes sparkled with joy, Bea picked up a tin from the counter. "Why don't you take this tin outside, and I'll bring out two glasses of cold milk?"

"Super cool!"

Chip took the tin from her hands and skipped to the back door.

Bea had shown him how to open the door carefully and he took great care not to slam it open, but the hardest part was closing it with the tin in his hand, so he lifted his foot and slid it closed.

Chip set the tin on the table and turned around to help his aunt with the glasses and napkins.

* * *

Standingoutside the gate to the backyard, Margo Russell stood next to her nephew, Blake. "Now you remember what to do?"

Blake sighed and shook his head. "I got it, Aunt Maggie."

She hissed at him. "It's Margo. You know I hate it when you call me Maggie."

He shrugged. "Whatever. So I grab the kid and put him in the car. Meet you at the gas station on the highway and then I'm done, right?"

"Yes, yes," she sighed, agitated. "You hand him off and then you're done."

"With my money, right?"

She tensed up at that moment.

Blake narrowed his eyes at her. "I get my money when you get the kid, right?"

They stared at each other, neither backing down.

Until she broke, glaring at him as if one look could reduce him to ash. "You'll get your damn money."

He grinned at her. "That's what I wanted to hear."

* * *

Rhea satin the gallery of the court room waiting for her case to be called. Keely was outside in the hallway making some calls.

In her purse, her phone buzzed silently, and she looked around to see if anyone was looking.

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