Page 68 of Falling for Brody

Shaking her head, she looked at Misty and lowered her voice. “The only other man that I've loved died years before his time. He left a gaping hole in my heart and Chip's. What I feel for Brody... it's friendship. And he's my partner. I can't make the mistake of hurting anyone by opening my heart to someone I just met."

Misty moved her hand down from Rhea's arm to her hand, squeezing it in support.

"You know what love is like," she nodded. "I don't know what it's like to love someone like you loved Chip's father and to lose him."

Misty gasped in a breath and Rhea lifted her free hand to cover Misty's where their hands were already holding each other’s.

Misty swallowed hard. "I can't imagine what I'd do if Gabe was taken from me, but here? Now? I think you have a chance at happiness again. I just don't want you to miss out on that."

"I don't know what I feel, right now. I just know that I made the right decision to move to Fallport. Chip is happier here. We don't have the constant reminders that his father's family walked away from us as soon as Charles was... was gone. He's lost so much more than I did. Charles' family was never all that accepting of me. They played nice because of Charles. Once he was gone... they just stopped pretending, I guess. I just thought," Rhea dropped her chin down toward her chest, "that they'd still care about Chip. But I was wrong."

"Rhea?"

Her head shot up and she turned to her side.

Brody was standing beside her, his arms free.

A quick look told her that Thomas and Kay were headed across the yard toward their house.

It was harder for kids at events like this. All that energy.

"H-how much did you hear?"

Brody crouched down beside her chair, looking up at her. "Honey, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."

She looked around when he called her honey, but with the exception of Misty, who was looking everywhere but at them, no one was within earshot.

"I didn't know. I didn't know about your family."

"They're not my family." It made her ache to say the words, but Charles' family had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with Chip. That couldn't be denied. "It's their loss."

"Yeah." Brody smiled up at her. "Definitely their loss."

Howard, Brody's father stood up beside his wife at the end of the table. "I've got to head in and check on a few of my patients, Chip?"

Rhea saw Chip sit up, getting to his feet to look at Brody's dad. "Yeah?"

Rhea caught his eye and Chip grimaced a little. "Yes, sir?"

The family chuckled a little as Howard held out his hand. "Want to come and see them with me?"

"Oh boy! That's super cool!" Chip started to move and then turned to look at his mom. "Mom? May I?"

Rhea's heart swelled in her chest. She nodded. "Listen to Doctor Armstrong."

"Of course!" He stopped short and looked at Misty next, lowered his gaze to Roya. "Um..."

Misty reached out her hand and gave Chip's arm a gentle squeeze. "Go ahead. I have to get Roya back home for bedtime anyway."

"Thanks, Misty! Roya's super cool!"

"You are too, buddy. You are, too."

Chip was off like a shot, almost tripping over his feet to get to Howard's side.

Brody stood up and called out to his dad. "We're going for a walk. Call me when you've done your rounds."

Howard nodded to his son. "We'll be a bit."

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