Page 72 of Falling for Brody

She shook her head. "No. They didn't even call to say if they'd come to his birthday party. And they were all a no-show. That was when I decided we needed a fresh start. The opening for the EMT job here caught my eye. I'd seen this TV Show about-"

"Bigfoot?"

Brody sounded so incredulous that they both started laughing.

"Yes. What? Is it so weird? My roommate in college watched old episodes of the X-files and there was always something creepy in the woods."

"And you came here thinking there might be a bigfoot in the woods?"

She sighed. "No. I didn't think there was one here, but the footage showed so much beauty in the area around town that I had to look it up online. When I read more about the town it sounded like a 1950s TV show. Idealistic. Quaint. A great place to raise Chip."

Brody tugged on her hand drawing her closer to his side. "It's a great place to raise kids. My family certainly thinks so."

"Your family would be great raising children anywhere. But that's the difference between you and me, Brody. I needed a place like this. A chance to build a community around Chip. You already have a community. Family who would do anything for you. For your children, when you have them. You've got what you need. I... I'm still building that for myself. You and I? We're not in the same place and we'll never be there."

* * *

He pulled on her hand,leading her to the front steps of his part of the triplex.

He flicked off the light that was on above his front door and pulled Rhea into the circle of his arms.

"Yes. We're different, Rhea, but that's not something that should keep us apart. It's the very thing that should bring us together. You want a community around Chip. You say that I'm lucky because I have one.

"Use it. Become a part of my family. You're already here. My family thinks you're wonderful. They love Chip. I bet we're going to have a veterinarian on our hands."

He felt her breathing with her chest rising and falling against his. Her hands lifting to settle on his arms.

"I can be your partner, Rhea. Not just at work, but at home. I can give you someone to stand by you and lift up your spirits when you're struggling. Rhea, I-"

"You're young, Brody. You-"

"I'm young, okay. Is that supposed to be a reason for me to... what? You're barely a year or two older than-"

"More," she shot back. "I don't know exactly, but I can guess and-"

"So what? You're not exactly one foot in the grave, Rhea. It doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me, Brody." Her laugh was hard, and he felt it push against him as if it was trying to climb out of her body. "It might sound like fun now, but that doesn't mean it's going to be fun later on."

"Is that what you think I want from you, Rhea? Fun?"

She leaned back looking up at him. Even in the half dark, with only a silver light cast over their features from the moon, he could see her frustration in the line of her jaw and see the ache in her eyes.

She'd never looked so gorgeous. He'd never felt her strength like this. And all because she was trying to push him away.

"Isn't that what you want? You have your whole life ahead of you, Brody. Years and years of fun and it's all going to be yours. You should-"

"You should tell me what you want for yourself, Rhea. Don't you want some fun? Don't you want laughter? Family?"

"I have a family, Brody."

"I have one, too. And based on everything I've seen when you're around my family, you and Chip fit right in."

"Brody-"

"What, Rhea? Why are you fighting this? Why can't we just try?"

"Try? You can try because you don't have to worry about a child right now. You can date. You can have sex. You can wait and see how things will work out. And when you're ready to settle down. You'll have everything you want."

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