Page 85 of Falling for Brody

While Rhea had given her okay for him to remain, he wanted her to talk about anything and everything without wondering what he might think.

There would be years ahead for them to share whatever she wanted to tell him, but the most important thing at the moment was keeping Chip where he belonged. With Rhea.

The office door opened up and Brody got up on his feet, his gaze trained on Rhea the moment she stepped outside.

She looked... shaken, but hopeful.

He didn't like the first, but he liked seeing the hope in her eyes.

She deserved to be happy.

She deserved the world.

"Thanks for coming into Richmond tonight. I know it was quite a drive, but I have every confidence that this is going to be a win for you, Rhea. I'll contact the people you listed for me from your old neighborhood and Chip's day care programs. That will give us a good start. And I know Nissi well. The support she says that you have in Fallport? That's good."

Brody wrapped his arm around Rhea, settling his hand on her hip.

He wasn't sure that she knew that she'd leaned into him, but it felt good to be there for her.

Keely looked at him with a smile. "Brody? Before you two leave, could I talk to you in my office for a moment?"

"Sure." He turned and walked Rhea to the couch he'd been sitting on. "You going to be okay out here?"

Rhea looked up at him and nodded. "I have a lot to think about."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and followed Keely into her office.

Keely gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Do you mind if we just sit down together?"

He looked back at the closed door. "Sure. I want to get back to Rhea."

Keely looked at him and he wondered what she saw when she looked at him.

She crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands in her lap. "I think this is going to be pretty straight forward as cases go. I have requests in for any kinds of official paperwork that they have on Chip, her husband, Charles, and Rhea herself. I'm not sure what kind of case that the Russell family thinks they have, but that's not something you have to worry about. I want to know what your commitment looks like in this case."

Brody gave her a smile even though he wasn't all that sure of what she was asking. "Is this like the equivalent of someone asking me my intentions toward Rhea and Chip?"

She thought about it for a moment before she answered. "Basically. In a perfect world," she explained, "we'll get a judge who will take one look at this case, see it for the crazy it is and dismiss it with prejudice."

He must have had a confused look on her face, because she explained. "That just means that the case is over and as my favorite law school professor said, 'they won't get another bite at the apple.'"

Brody rubbed his palms on his thighs. He was still wearing his uniform since they hadn't taken the time to change before they got in his Tahoe and headed out.

"And," she nodded at him, "if this continues, we'll have to see what reasons they're giving for wanting to transfer custody to Charles' family. That should be an interesting discovery period. I just wanted to touch base with you and see if this thing between you two is something you're sure about."

He narrowed his eyes at Keely. "I'm sure. I might work with Rhea, but this," he put his hand on his chest, "this isn't just some kind of crush or a passing interest. I haven't really had relationships before. There were women I could have dated. Some I did, but there was never a real connection with them. I didn't feel like they were everything to me. I didn't feel like I wanted to invite them to family dinners and have them in my life forever. As far as I'm concerned Rhea and Chip are going to be my family. So you should know that I'm in this for them. I'll be here to support them every step of the way."

She sat quietly for a moment and then she uncrossed her legs, setting both feet on the floor.

Keely stood up and he stood up with her. "I'm a very good judge of character, Brody. I've based my career on it. I don't take people as clients if I don't like them. People make jokes about lawyers," she smiled, and it was a wry twist of her lips, "I've heard thousands, just about as many jokes as I've heard about blondes." She tipped her head to the side and a few of her curls brushed back behind her shoulder. "So I choose my battles, quite literally, because I like to help people and... I like to win."

"Well, I'm hoping that we win, too. Chip is everything to Rhea and I love him like my own. I want to be the man he looks up to for the rest of his life, and the man who is there to cheer him on when he needs it and to be a shoulder he can lean on. I know I'll never replace his biological dad, but that doesn't mean I'll love him any less." He held out his hand and she took it, giving it a good, solid shake. "If you need anything. If there are fees that we need to cover I'm happy to pay."

She moved to the door and put her hand on the doorknob but spoke before she opened it up.

"That's something you should discuss with Rhea. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking she wouldn't like you doing that behind her back no matter how good your intentions are."

He smiled and nodded. "I think you're right."

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