Page 33 of Falling for Brody

It felt good to breathe the cool night air.

It felt good to be in Fallport.

"Rhea?"

Her breath, that she'd just pulled into her lungs, was gone.

The moonlight shining down from the sky showed her what her ears had already told her.

It was Brody, moving across the green.

"Brody."

He smiled at her just before he passed under the massive tree that stood in the green between all of the Armstrong homes. It was something to see during the day but at night it had a kind of magical feeling.

When Brody reached her side, she was looking up at the sky.

"I didn't take the time last night to look up at the sky."

He turned beside her until they were shoulder to shoulder, and he looked up at the sky overhead as well.

"Is it always like this?"

She swore she heard him smiling.

It was a silly idea, but there it was.

A feeling that she couldn't shake.

Much like the way she leaned in closer to his warmth.

"You know, I don't think I look up at the sky all that much. But... it is beautiful."

"It is." She felt it down to her bones. "In the city it's hard to see stars. If the moon is out, it's harder. But I think sometimes I see a planet. Those are brighter so it's easier. At least that's what I've read."

"Astronomy wasn't something I paid attention to. Joshua and Gabriel earned the Merit Badge. I think I was sleeping through that part of camp."

"Merit badge?"

He laughed softly. "I was a Boy Scout," he admitted. "All three of us were. And Kay and Rachel were Girl Scouts."

Rhea moved to the steps and sat down on the deck, leaving her feet on the cool grass and earth. "I didn't do scouting, but I think from what I've heard, I would have liked Cub Scouts more than Brownies. The only thing that would have made me want to do Girl Scout stuff was the cookies."

Brody moved over and sat down beside her, his feet a little darker in the grass.

Her own were pale, but she rarely went outside without shoes or socks.

"I like the cookies," he agreed. "We have at least one Girl Scout unit here in Fallport, so if you want cookies, I can hook you up."

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand so she didn't make too much noise.

"What did Boy Scouts sell?"

He shrugged. "I only went to meetings because I caught a ride with my cousins. My dad and mom thought it would be good. And it was." He sighed and leaned back, bracing his elbows on the deck. "I got a lot out of it, but mostly because my cousins pulled me along with them. I owe them a lot for their help."

A moment of silence fell between them before he turned toward her leaning heavily on his elbow.

"Have you thought about putting Chip in Cub Scouts?"

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