Page 80 of Brooke's Bliss
Would she be here when Hope’s baby came?When Nell’s?Whatever happened she would fly home for Rachel’s due date and stay in herspinster house and she and Paige could have sleepovers and take care of theyounger boys while her brother’s bonded with the new baby.
Of course that would be hard to do if she had Bay and Shanewith her.Or would it?It would only be weird if Paige kept taking out theirshins.It was a nice place, if crowded, but they all fit on the bed, and thatwas the important part.
Stella poured coffee into Brooke’s cup.“Well, Miranda is asweetie, but those boys are a handful.I heard Hope’s having a boy.There’sgoing to be a whole pack of them on the G running wild.”
She turned and started to pour some into Mark’s cup, butbefore she could, he put a hand over it.
“I’ll take a seven-pump vanilla soy with twelve scoops ofmatcha green tea latte, and make sure it’s exactly 180 degrees,” Mark ordered.“Not a hundred and seventy-nine.Not a hundred and eighty-one.”
Stella sighed and looked Brooke’s way.
Brooke yawned.“Stella, this is my former boss.You know,the one who stole my designs and fired me, but not before asking for a blowjob.”
Stella’s brows rose in surprise.“Any particular reasonyou’re sitting here with him?”
Brooke shrugged.“Curiosity.”
“Ah,” Stella said.“He can fuck himself then.I’ll get youthe usual.You let me know if you want to graduate your membership to a realone, baby girl.You know I’m always ready.”
Brooke gave her a thumbs-up.
“What did that woman mean about membership?”Mark watchedwarily as Stella walked away.
“Oh, just a woman’s club.”She didn’t mention that Stellawas talking about her membership in the I Shot a Son of a Bitch Club.Not thatshe’d actually like blown a dude who deserved it away, but she had hit one witha water gun when she was eight because he was complaining that The Trading Postwas terrible and Marie should be fired.So Brooke tried to take him out, andthen she’d been made a provisional member of the club.Mostly because Mariethought it was cute and Teeny thought she needed to learn gun safety.
Mark didn’t need to know that charming story from herchildhood.
“Well, she was rude and so were you,” Mark complained.“Youknow some things should be kept private.Also, I thought you signed an NDA.”
“I would have to have been offered compensation to sign anNDA,” she pointed out.“I can say whatever I like.Tell all of my truths toanyone who would like to know.Now why am I here?”
Mark frowned.“You know I have some truths of my own.Dothese people know how your brothers live?”
She managed to not emit an entirely unladylike snort.Sheleaned over.Caleb Burke was sitting at the counter with a plate of bacon andeggs in front of him.“Hey, Doc.Did you know my brothers are married to thesame woman?”
Caleb’s head turned and he frowned her way.“Of course I do.Who do you think did their vasectomies?Not in time to spare the world anotherof Max’s spawn, though.I’m pretty sure those two quiet boys in the middle areRye’s, but Paige is pure Max.”
He went right back to his breakfast.
“No one cares here.”Brooke was finding it kind ofsatisfying to see this man so out of his element.
“I’m sure no one who matters cares,” Mark replied.“We’re inthe middle of nowhere and some random man doesn’t care.I assure you there arepeople who will.She’s going to get my order wrong, isn’t she?”
Oh, Stella would have already forgotten he existed.“Youwon’t be getting any orders here.Stella hates you.”
“Who is Stella?”Mark asked, glancing around.
“She owns the café, and her husband owns a company calledTalbot Industries,” she explained.
“Any relation to Stefan Talbot?The painter?I thought hewas the heir to Talbot Industries.”Mark always did know who the rich andpowerful people of the world were.
“She’s his stepmom.Now Stef is actually married to onewoman.”
“Jennifer Talbot.She did the series of watercolors thattook the New York art world by storm.That’s his stepmother?What was hisfather thinking?”
“Uhm, that he loved her.Also, the guy at the counter whodoesn’t matter is Dr.Caleb Burke, but he goes by his mother’s maiden name.Sommerville is his real last name.The ChicagoSommervilles.His brother is a sitting senator.Oh, and he’s married to a woman named Hollyand has a partner who’s a former Russian mobster.Now Alexei is fully reformedand has a deep belief in nonviolence, but I bet he would be willing to take atrip down memory lane if you want to insult his wife and partner.”
Mark’s head shook as though it needed clearing.“I’mconfused, Brooke.You never mentioned you had ties to such interesting people.I knew you were from this tiny town in Colorado.I would have assumed if youknew anyone important, you met them in the city.”
