Page 85 of Paging Dr. Summers

“Show me what you got, Dr. Summers,” Brooke challenged me.

“Quit stalling,” Eden cut in, launching popcorn in my direction.

Laughter rippled through my entire family. They were all thrilled when I’d returned with Brooke on Sunday. My mom had even put a call in to our old neighbors, and they were able to work it out with the management company for Brooke to stay in the stone cottage through summer’s end, as originally planned.

On this particular night, we were crossing off bucket list item number two. I’d promised I would sing some Sinatra for Brooke. I remembered that first time in my truck when I’d told her about my past and big band days. From that moment on, she had been bound and determined to hear me sing. I should have known she’d get her way.

Sure, I’d sung a camp song in front of her, but this was different. This was me proving to her and myself that I could be vulnerable. Theentire new bucket list centered on how to show Brooke she belonged in my life. That I wanted to make a life with her. I wanted no walls, no pretense coming between us.

I didn’t know if singing for her in front of my family would prove it, but I was going to give it a shot. Besides, Brooke had loved the idea and thought we should make a karaoke night out of it. Of course, she thought I should go first.

“You got this,” Brooke mouthed, giving me the shot of courage I needed.

With a deep inhale and exhale, I clicked play on Sophie’s lavender karaoke machine, and the classic tune of “Fly Me to the Moon” filled the great room.

Brooke kicked her legs and squealed like she was my biggest fan before I even sang one note. She had no idea what it meant to me. With my focus solely on Brooke, I channeled Ol’ Blue Eyes and belted out the number I’d sung dozens of times—but this time it was different.

It wasn’t for the applause of a crowd; it was for the love of a woman.

“Oh. My. Gosh!” Brooke patted her heart. “Hello, Swoonatra!” she called, cutting through the melody as I hit the chorus.

My family, on the other hand, sat frozen, wide-eyed, as if they didn’t recognize me. It made me realize I’d been keeping up a certain persona well before Erica had entered the picture. It was a sobering thought and a mistake I didn’t want to repeat. Why hadn’t I shared this part of me with them or Erica? If I had, would Erica have felt more comfortable sharing her real self with me? Sadly, I would never know the answer to that.

As soon as I sang the last note, Brooke shot up from her seat and rushed toward me. Before I could fully process what was happening, she was in my arms, her legs wrapping tightly around my waist and her arms locking around my neck. Her bubbly laughter tickled my ear while she pressed several kisses to my cheek in between saying, “This was the best thing ever. You’re the best thing ever.”

“The feeling is mutual.” I captured her lips and pressed a chaste kiss to them, given our audience.

“Oh, the PDA with these two,” Eden teased from her seat. Herplayful jab elicited chuckles from everyone in the room except my mom, who was wiping tears off her cheeks like she’d missed out on something. It made me wish I’d done this sooner.

Brooke blushed and slid down my frame. It was regrettable, but soon enough, we would be alone and pick up where we’d left off.

I grabbed her hand, holding her by my side. “Now, it’s your turn.”

“All right. Everyone, get ready to take a ‘Journey’ and become a small-town girl in a lonely world,” Brooke shouted.

I loved her energy.

Lola jumped off the couch, holding up her phone. “Actually, I was hoping you could sing a different song.”

Brooke smiled. “Okay, what are you thinking?”

Lola tiptoed her way. “Well, um ... when you invited me to karaoke night, I had a thought. What if I could turn one of your mom’s songs into a karaoke song?”

“Lola,” Brooke breathed out, obviously touched by the gesture. “That is the sweetest thing ever.”

“I actually neededFather Dearest’shelp with it. He had a friend remaster it for you.”

Brooke gripped my hand. She hadn’t heard anything from Maxwell, and she wasn’t sure if she would—or if she wanted to. But she knew she had to confront what he’d done, whether face-to-face or in her heart. Eventually, she was going to have to come to terms with it, because if she stayed in Aspen Lake, they would inevitably run into each other. And there was Lola, a huge connecting piece between Brooke and Maxwell.

I couldn’t imagine how those worlds would not collide. I just hoped that when they did, Brooke would realize it was he who wasn’t worthy of her, not the other way around. And that she would know she didn’t need to be anyone other than herself to belong in Aspen Lake.

Brooke stood dumbfounded for a moment, trying to stay composed. “What song?” she asked.

“‘Rebel Heartbeats,’” Lola carefully replied. “You mentioned once it was your favorite. It was Papi’s favorite too,” Lola’s voice shook, seemingly embarrassed to have shown any affection for her father. “I mean, you know,Father Dearest, the pendejo,” she quickly corrected.

I felt for Lola, as I knew Brooke did too. It had to be difficult for her. I could tell she was looking for any reason to believe in her father again. It made sense. She’d loved and respected the man her entire life. That would be a hard thing to let go of, and I didn’t think anyone expected her to—especially not Brooke.

“He knows this doesn’t make up for anything,” Lola emphasized. “But he wanted to do this for you all the same.” Her eyes stayed fixed on Brooke, trying to gauge her reaction.

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