Page 27 of Falling into Place
The way Carly looked at him in that moment had him second-guessing his choice of words, but no one else seemed to notice.
“Lighting outside is perfect right now.” Cam peered through his bedroom window. “Can we go out back?”
They filed through the house to the back door, where Carly caught his arm. “Can Oreo go outside? He doesn’t seem to want me to put him down.”
Brooks ran a soft hand down Oreo’s back, accidentally brushing Carly’s fingers. “He doesn’t go outside much. I think he’ll be fine once the other two are out of the house. He just doesn’t like a lot of people around, but apparently he already considers you a friend.”
She did a cute little thing where she pursed her lips and lifted her brows. “Oreo, you flatter me.”
“Brooks!” Sasha yelled. Startled, he looked up to find Cam holding the door open, watching them, and Sasha glaring at him through the window.
He grunted and took Oreo from Carly, depositing him on the couch before ushering her outside.
Sasha pointed. “Go stand over there.”
“Careful to keep those shoes clean,” Carly added. “It rained last night.”
“Two more steps back,” Cam said. “A little more. Stop.”
Brooks swung his gaze between the three of them, a little taken aback at being simultaneously ordered around by three women.
No wonder his mom had been so ruffled before her own cover photo shoot—a morning he remembered like it was yesterday. She’d been so nervous about her makeup and what to wear that Macy and Sasha had stepped up to help her get ready while he and his dad had offered to make breakfast. They made a huge mess in the kitchen, attempting to make Belgian waffles from scratch, and hadn’t produced anything edible. His mom had said she was too nervous to eat anyway, so they all packed up for the photo shoot and went out for brunch after. The cover had turned out perfect, of course, and was one of the three displays at Macy’s house.
Cam approached him and turned his body this way and that, taking a few test shots, instructing him to relax a little more, lean on his back foot, and smile as if he wasn’t in hell right now.
She took several photos and immediately lowered the camera to review the images. As Sasha crowded next to her to look and give her input, Brooks leaned back against the tree and noticed Carly bending over his garden a few yards away. She had her phone out and it looked as if she was taking pictures.
Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Cam was there, walking him to a different location and taking more pictures.
“Brooks!” Sasha wasted no time redirecting his attention. “Smile!”
He took a deep breath and resisted the urge to throw in the towel and cancel this whole thing here and now.
“Not like that, you’re forcing it. You’re supposed to look happy to be Oklahoma City’s most eligible bachelor!”
It’s just four months. A few meals and a few articles. You know how to place an intraosseous IV line, surely you can do this.
“Seriously,” Sasha said after he tried again. “You’re killing me.”
“God, Sasha,” Carly called from her spot by the garden. “I’mabout to slap you and I’m not even the one you’re yelling at.”
The expression on Sasha’s face was so comical, he looked straight at Carly.
And he smiled.
Chapter Seven
Brooks
“Those poor kids.”
“Which ones?”
“The Martin siblings. Over there, by the meat counter? Lost their mom last year. Accident on I-35 during that storm. Haven’t seen the dad out in public since. I heard at the nail salon he’s so depressed he barely speaks. I think the older sister’s taking care of the other two. Such a shame.”
—Whispered in the baking aisle of Homeland grocery store, sixteen years ago
“It’s go time.”
