DAN’S KITCHEN LOOKED like a restaurant right before the buffet opened. He’d prepped all the chicken for the frying pan. A large bowl of batter rested on the counter beside the warm waffle maker. The mayonnaise and maple-syrup spread waited, already prepared.
He checked the clock on the oven. Thirty minutes until his friends arrived. Plenty of time to bring a plate to Brooke. Dan left the kitchen, convinced he was only returning her groceries and keeping his word. After all, he’d promised Brooke chicken and waffles, not a long-term relationship.
Brooke opened the door. Surprise lifted her eyebrows and her voice. “Dan.”
“You said you’d try my chicken and waffles.” You never said you didn’t want to get to know each other. Or to date. Dan lifted the plate higher, blocked that incessant voice and his heart. “Don’t tell me that you’re backing out now.”
“I didn’t think...” She glanced at herself, her voice trailing off.
She wore her usual workout pants and Dan’s sweatshirt. The one he’d given her to keep warm. She looked comfortable. And comforting.
She might be different from Valerie: grounded and practical. Traits he’d come to appreciate after his divorce. But that didn’t make Brooke or any woman good for him. He was committed to Ben and the life he’d built. Love and relationships weren’t on the menu. Not tonight or any night in the future. He said, “I also brought your groceries.”
She slipped her hands free from the arms of the sweatshirt and grabbed the bags.
Tucking her hands up inside her sleeves was her habit. Would she be less cold if he held her hand? No. Tenants didn’t hold their landlord’s hand. Neither did friends. And they were somewhere in between, somewhere in the no-complication zone. “If you promise not to feed the dogs your chicken and waffles, we can sit on the back patio and let the dogs wander around the yard.”
“Are you sure?” Her gaze searched Dan’s face.
The concern in her brown eyes made it impossible for him to look away. That scale slipped to the more personal. And the truth slipped from Dan. “My divorce shook my world six years ago. The end of my marriage hurt pretty bad. But I recovered and moved on for my son. This afternoon, I needed a moment to process Valerie and my brother’s return. I had that.”
She read him almost as easily as Ava. How was that possible? Maybe it was that Brooke was the first person Dan let close enough to really look at him in a long while. He had to stop letting her do that. He had to stop himself from spilling his secrets. Now.
He adjusted the two plates, reached down to pet Luna’s head and slid that scale back to the impersonal. This was only supposed to be a kindness to his tenant. “If we don’t eat soon, Luna is going to eat for us.”
Brooke lifted the grocery bags. “Let me put these in the kitchen.”
She returned and stepped onto the porch, Luna beside her. Dan said, “Sorry about your groceries. I was a little distracted.”
“You had every right to be distracted.” Her smile was sincere, her voice kind.
She never pressed him to dig deeper or share more. Even though he could have. Might have, but he reined himself in and remembered what this was.
Today, he’d revealed things to her he’d never told anyone. He’d been caught up in helping Rex, he assured himself. He’d always walked with a purpose. Toward a destination. Except Brooke had felt like the reason he was there. And the longer he stayed beside her, the more he’d opened up. Clearly, he had to stop walking with her and head back to the gym.
Dan tipped his head, keeping his voice light. “You really aren’t planning on feeding your chicken and waffles to the dogs, right?”
“No.” She laughed. “Though I’m still counting on Ben’s help to make those dog treats.” Brooke left the apartment door open and followed Dan to the paved patio area.
“Speaking of Ben, he wanted me to invite you to his soccer game tomorrow.” Dan handed her the plates and concentrated on brushing the leaves off the cushions on the chairs around the small gas fire pit.
Brooke sat, clutched the metal chair arms and stared at the food as if Dan had given her plates of worm-infested rotten apples.
“No pressure.” Worry shifted through him. What had he said? He sat beside her and smoothed out his voice as if she was a patient he had to calm before an IV stick. “You don’t have to go.”
She lifted her head, blinked at him like she’d only just realized he was still there. “I think it would be nice.”
Dan searched her face. Her gaze was clear, her mouth soft. No tension. No paleness. He hadn’t imagined her reaction, had he? “Really?”
She nodded.
Lightness spread through him like the sunrise after a difficult night at work, promising a new day and another chance. He frowned. She’d agreed to a soccer game, not a first date. Still, the pleasure wouldn’t dim. Why wasn’t that making him uneasy? A light-brown-and-black head peeked out of Brooke’s front door. Dan latched onto the distraction and whispered, “Look who’s coming to join us.”
“Maybe Rex will make it past the front door with you here.” Brooke handed Dan one of the plates, her movements slow.
Dan kept his voice low to avoid startling Rex. “Should I call him over here?”
“Let’s go with no pressure.”
That approach worked well for Dan, too. Easy. Casual. Everything the night was supposed to be. Although something like anticipation swept through him. “Sounds good to me.”
“I can eat this in any order I want, right?” Brooke unwrapped her plate. “And take my time trying a bite of chicken and waffle and syrup together?”
She could take all night. Dan uncovered his plate. “But it’s delicious as one bite.”
Brooke eyed him, then her food.
“Seriously, eat it any way you want.” Dan toasted her with his fork. “No one is here to judge you.”
“Then I’ll go for it.” Brooke cut off a piece of chicken, added a corner of the waffle and dipped her fork in the syrup. She took a moment to chew and taste the bite like a judge on a TV food show. “There’s something strangely satisfying and pleasing about this dish.”
He could tell her the same about being with her. But the night was about chicken and waffles, not relationship building. “Then you like it?”
“I do.” Brooke put together another bite on her fork.
“I told you so,” Dan teased.
“You were right.” Brooke concentrated on her plate.
The sun dropped away, granting the evening its turn, and time slowed. Enough for Dan to appreciate the moment.
When Brooke had finished half of her chicken and waffles, and his plate was almost cleared, Dan propped his feet on the edge of the round brick-and-stone fire pit. Cupid jumped onto one of the empty chairs and cleaned his paws as if he’d sampled the chicken and waffles, too. Luna stretched out in the grass. Rex lingered in the doorway, more out than in.
Brooke leaned back in her chair and glanced at him. “Are you really okay?”
Dan wiped a napkin over his mouth. Not to hide his frown. He was more confused that her question hadn’t irritated him. The night was supposed to be casual. His mind had other ideas and once again forgot Brooke wasn’t his confidante. “In some ways, I guess I knew this day would come. That didn’t make it any easier, but I’m all right. Ben was too young for a broken heart the first time Valerie left us. It won’t be the same this time.”
Brooke leaned toward him and reached out.
Her hand almost connected with his arm, his heart almost skipped inside his chest.
But then Ava’s sudden voice warned from the other side of the fence, “You better have enough chicken and waffles for everyone, Dan.”
Dan set his plate on the side table and stood up. His friends, led by Ava, strolled into his backyard. Ava clutched her wedding party planner. Sophie brought in two tall thermoses and cups. Brad carried a cooler. Kyle walked in last, grocery bags in both of his hands.
Ava gave Dan a one-armed hug and leaned back to study him. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
No, he hadn’t forgotten. He’d lost track of time. When was the last time that had happened?
At his continued silence, one red eyebrow arched, and Ava added, “It’s Friday night. We’re meeting here for the coed bash planning.”
This was the part where Dan told Brooke he had to follow his schedule. This was the part where Dan let Brooke escape back inside her apartment. This was the part where their time together ended, as he preferred.
“It’s okay.” Kyle punched Dan’s shoulder. “We’ve got you covered with appetizers, drinks and dessert. But first I need to know if there really is more chicken and waffles.”
“Upstairs.” Dan dropped into his chair as Kyle and Brad fist-bumped their delight. His friends introduced themselves to Brooke quickly and simply: Brad was Sophie’s other half. Kyle was engaged to Ava. Which gave Dan no chance to prove he could be a polite host.
Brooke started to stand. She reminded him of Rex: wide-eyed and ready to lunge back inside his kennel. Dan opened his mouth to tell Brooke she didn’t have to stay. His friends could be overwhelming, but they meant well.
Sophie chimed in first. “Brooke, you can’t leave us. We might need your vote against the guys.”
“That’s true.” Ava waved Brooke back into the chair. “Please stay.”
Brooke sat down slowly as if still unsure. Dan wanted to take her hand and protect her from whatever spooked her.
“Can you fix me a plate, please?” Sophie cradled Cupid and grinned at Brad. “I have a new friend.”
“Me, too, please.” Ava added several air-blown kisses in Kyle’s direction.
“Who’s getting married?” Brooke pulled her legs up onto the chair and wrapped her arms around her knees.
“Mia and Wyatt.” Ava stole the last bite of waffle from Dan’s plate. “Mia is a photographer and Wyatt is an ER doctor at Bay Water Medical, where Dan works, and I used to.”
“Mia took the adorable photographs of the rescues at The Pampered Pooch.” Brooke tucked her hands up inside the sleeves of the sweatshirt. “Evie told me about her.”
Now Dan could stop focusing on holding her hand.
“We’re finalizing the details for their joint bachelor-bachelorette party tonight.” Sophie raised her arms to give Cupid the space to make himself more comfortable on her lap. “Wait until you see Kyle’s place.”
Dan looked at Brooke. “His place is a man cave on steroids with all your favorite childhood games thrown in.”
The group spent several nights a month at Kyle’s place, challenging each other for bragging rights. All generations included, from Ava’s mom to Evie and Dan’s dad, to Ella and Ben. Currently the Prime Timers, as the parents referred to themselves, held the top score on Ping-Pong and air hockey. Claimed it was all about finesse. Dan and Kyle claimed it was all about their craftiness.
“You’re invited, of course,” Sophie said. “It’s next Friday.”
The sincerity in Sophie’s voice indicated her offer wasn’t offhand or given out of politeness. Sophie was genuine and earnest, as if she and Brooke were already good friends.
Dan stared at Brooke’s empty doorway. Rex had disappeared inside. Dan should’ve let Brooke leave, too.
“I’m not sure I’ll be here,” Brooke said.
Nothing Brooke said wasn’t true or fact. Dan was merely disappointed he’d finished his chicken and waffles. Disappointed Bay Area Pioneers—his football team—had lost last weekend. However, he was not disappointed Brooke would be leaving. After all, friends encouraged each other to do what was best for them. Leaving was best for Brooke. He’d support her like a friend should.
“You have an open invite, anyway,” Ava said.
Dan added, “You should come if you’re here.”
Brad and Kyle returned with twin plates, both piled high with waffles and chicken. Kyle frowned at his plate. “We had to fry more chicken. I’m not sure we did it exactly right.”
Brad shook his head. “You can’t fry anything wrong. Just add more syrup.”
Silence—the good kind, not the Valerie-just-returned-unannounced kind—surrounded the backyard. Twenty minutes later, stomachs full, Kyle collected the empty plates and tossed them in the trash. Brad refilled everyone’s drink cups.
Ava picked up her party-planning binder and set it on the small table beside her. “This evening was scheduled to be about final party plans. But we already know we aren’t going to be productive with the elephant in the room.”
Tension sharpened the silence.
Dan kept his focus on Ava. He’d only just admitted he liked Brooke. That wasn’t the elephant Ava referred to. And that wasn’t elephant-sized news. Valerie and Jason’s return certainly qualified. But how had she found out? He said, “You talked to my dad.”
Ava winced. “Your dad told my mom that Valerie and Jason were back.”
Sophie opened a container and took out a brownie. “Then Evie dropped off brownies at Ava’s house this afternoon and Ava’s mom told Evie.”
“Both Wyatt’s mom and Mia’s mom got the full story from Ava’s mom during their weekly afternoon tea-and-coffee meet-up,” Kyle explained.
Dan left the brownies untouched and handed the tin to Brooke. A sugar rush would only confuse his already twisted emotions. His father was excited his son was back home. His dad no doubt wanted to share the news. Dan wanted to analyze the situation and figure out Valerie’s agenda. He wanted to figure out if he still had a brother. Then he’d decide if he wanted to celebrate.
Ava glanced over at Brooke, her tone ominous, as if their parents predicted the future correctly, too. “Our parents have the market cornered on grapevine gossip.”
Kyle shuddered. “It’s disturbing really and I’m marrying into this.”
Brad cradled the brownie tin and leaned away from Kyle. “It’s not too late to get out.”
Ava slapped Brad’s leg, grabbed the brownies and handed the container to Kyle. “It’s way too late. Our wedding date has been decided.”
“No one is getting out of anything.” Sophie brushed brownie crumbs off her hands. “The problem with the parents is that none of them thought to tell any of us.”
“How did you find out?” Brooke set her elbows on her legs and leaned forward as if intrigued.
Dan was more interested in Brooke’s reaction to his friends than the gossip train. Had he helped her relax?
“By accident. Like we always do.” Ava grimaced.
“I called Rick earlier tonight to ask if he’d consult on an arson case.” Brad looked at Dan. “Your dad answered the phone, called me Jason and told me he couldn’t find the restaurant. I told Rick it was me. We talked about the case and let the name mix-up slide.”
Dan shook his head. “I keep telling my dad to check the caller ID before he answers the phone. But he claims he always knows who’s calling so he doesn’t need that new technology.”
As if his father really could see into the future. Dan wished his dad possessed that skill, then Dan would know what to expect and how to shield Ben from any potential harm.
“Sounds just like Rick.” Ava’s gaze zeroed in on Dan. “So, it’s true? Valerie and Jason are back in town?”
Dan exhaled into the evening air. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten the second chicken-and-waffle sandwich. “They were waiting on the front porch when Brooke and I returned from the grocery store today.”
“No announcement? No forewarning?” Sophie raised her hands like a magician about to pull a rabbit from a hat. “Just poof. Here we are.”
“Pretty much,” Dan said. Although in hindsight, he had a premonition. All those phone calls and texts he hadn’t replied to surely contributed to this mess.
He should’ve prepped Ben better. Yet each year that Valerie failed to surprise them with her return, complacency set in and Dan built a life where he was everything Ben would need.
More questions from the gang ensued. Most answered by Dan. Some fielded by Brooke, to Dan’s appreciation. Nichole had stepped in to take Ben for the night. Now Brooke stepped in to support Dan. But he wasn’t reading more into Brooke’s support than the friendly gesture it was.
The inquiries rolled to a stop with Dan’s statement: he didn’t know Valerie’s plans or her intentions.
That led to several minutes of speculation.
Sophie suggested that Valerie was tired of traveling and missed her home. Except that was Sophie’s inner family side speaking about her own need for roots.
Kyle wondered if Jason had encouraged Valerie to come back. That was Kyle speaking as an older brother who adored his sisters and wanted his whole family within walking distance. Kyle kept encouraging his own sister to move back from England.
Ava added that Valerie’s mom might be ill. That was Ava’s loyalty to her own mom coming out—she was battling MS.
Ava’s suggestion might’ve had merit if Dan hadn’t dropped Luann Bennett—a healthy and happy seventy-four-year-old—at the airport for her cruise. And received the subsequent photographs she’d forwarded to her grandson of herself on the ship—ballroom dancing and winning bingo. They weren’t pictures of an ill passenger.
But Dan’s friends circled back to the very heart of the matter quickly.
Brad asked, “What about Ben?”
“What can we do?” Sophie touched Dan’s arm. “How can we help?”
Dan valued his friends. Their constant support, given freely and without expecting any sort of payment, filled his life. Dan looked at Brooke. He didn’t need more friends, did he? He said, “I’m not sure what to do.”
“Well, we’re here.” Kyle claimed another brownie and stood up. “For whatever you need.”
“Even if you just want to lose at Ping-Pong,” Brad offered.
Laughter eased through Dan and his argument. “I wouldn’t have lost if you hadn’t convinced Ava to tilt the table at the last round.”
“Winners don’t get distracted.” Brad stood up, too. “We have singular focus.”
“Until your wife walks by and smiles at you.” Kyle earned a high five from Dan.
Brad leaned down and kissed Sophie, openly and honestly. A man not afraid of his feelings. Dan almost envied him. Almost.
Sophie asked Brooke if she could visit Rex. The women disappeared inside the apartment. Brad and Kyle walked over to the basketball hoop in the corner of the yard. Ava followed Dan inside to clean up. And like that, the evening returned to normal as if his friends understood Dan needed that the most, even without asking.
Dan walked into the kitchen and shook his head. He hadn’t considered it possible for Kyle and Brad to make more of a mess than he already had.
“This is not helping you to not become a statistic.” Ava picked up the monkey bread and coffee cake on the kitchen table, then dipped her chin at the fried chicken. “Did you know Hank is retiring?”
“Hank never mentioned it when I saw him.” Hank had five children to support. The stress of the job almost killed him. A career overhaul made sense for Hank.
“Have you considered a change?” Ava turned on the faucet, drizzled soap over the stack of prep dishes and started washing.
Dan had not. He was fine, handling the stress and balancing his life. Maybe he slept even less than usual most days. And some calls—even the minor ones—stuck to him a little longer, leaving deeper imprints that were proving harder to shake. But a decade in the rig was bound to do that to a person. The exhaustion and cynicism were typical.
“I have enough change going on around me with a new tenant and now my brother and Valerie back home.” Dan set more pans beside the sink, grabbed the disinfectant wipes and scrubbed the counter.
He had to concentrate on Ben. His son was going to have a big change now that his mother was home. Dan didn’t need to be altering his career, too. One that would put him behind a desk and into a classroom. How much help would he really be? If he was behind a desk, he wouldn’t be available for Ben throughout the day. Like now. He’d have to say no to the last-minute school projects, the volunteering and being present for school events. He hadn’t said no since Ben had entered school. And he’d never used work as an excuse to get out of helping. A daytime shift would change everything.
Still, he’d have his weekends. Wouldn’t be on call for twenty-four hours. And he’d have a regular work schedule. Did he even know how to sleep at night anymore? He’d been working nights since his first year on the job. Dan scrubbed the counter as if it would suddenly reveal an answer like a crystal ball.
“Not all change is bad.” Ava handed him a stainless-steel bowl to dry instead. “You don’t have to fight it so much.”
“I can change,” Dan argued. Choosing not to wasn’t a sign of his resistance. “I walked this week with a dog.”
Ava turned off the water and leaned against the counter. “How was that?”
Refreshing. Freeing. He’d opened up to Brooke more than he had to anyone in a long time. And yet he hadn’t resented it. He said, “It was fine.”
“It was more than fine.” Ava shoved him in the chest with her wet hands. “I saw how you looked at Brooke out there just now.”
“It’s too dark outside to see much.” He picked up the clean frying pan and avoided looking at his best friend.
“It was light enough to notice your gaze lingering on Brooke,” Ava challenged. “You even smiled whenever Brooke smiled.”
Dan concentrated on putting away the dishes. “I was engaged in the conversation that included Brooke’s participation.”
“You watched her even when she wasn’t talking,” Ava countered. “She’s gotten under your skin.”
Like a splinter. As soon as the fragment was removed, the irritation stopped. The inflammation healed. Brooke was the furthest thing from an irritation. That was the problem. She would leave. Dan worried he wasn’t as immune as he wanted to be. Brooke’s absence would linger inside him. And he didn’t know how to fix that. “It’s nothing.”
“I told myself that, too, with Kyle.” Ava lifted her left hand, revealing her diamond engagement ring. “Look how it turned out.”
Ava had fallen head over heels in love. Dan wasn’t that foolish. He’d never rush into love. He only ever rushed out in the field, where he was trained and prepared. “I’m not interested in Brooke like that. I’m just grateful she was there today with Valerie and Jason.”
“Me, too.” Ava opened the coffee-cake box. “I would’ve told Valerie to leave. That she wasn’t welcome here.”
Dan handed a butter knife to Ava. “I considered it.”
“But it isn’t the right thing for Ben.” Ava cut a small piece off the coffee cake and popped it into her mouth. A muffled hum flowed from her. She swallowed and cut another piece. “This is divine.”
“Valerie brought that over and the monkey bread for my dad.” Dan grinned. “The coffee cake is a favorite of mine.”
“Now I touched this, so I have to eat it.” Ava chewed the second piece and glared at the coffee cake. “I suppose it was considerate of Valerie to remember your favorite things.”
He only really wanted Valerie to remember her son and his favorite things. “That’s Valerie.”
“What happens next?” Ava shut the coffee-cake box and set the monkey bread on top of it.
“I’m going to shoot a few baskets with Brad and Kyle.” Dan mimicked the perfect basketball shooting form.
“Not what I meant.” Ava walked to the back door.
“I know.” Dan followed her outside. “But I don’t have any answers.”
“Well, maybe Brooke will.” Ava nudged her elbow into Dan’s side. “Because I also noticed how she looked at you.”
“Aaaa-va.” Dan scrubbed his hands over his face and stretched out her name.
“I’m in love.” Ava poked him again. “Don’t blame me for wanting everyone to be as happy as I am.”
“We have other single friends, like Kyle’s sister. Spread your joy on Iris,” Dan said.
“Fine.” Ava laughed and headed toward the rental apartment. “But don’t think I’m giving up on you.”
Dan was happy. Maybe not the blissful, cloud-nine kind that Ava floated around on. But clouds dispersed and dissolved. Then he’d face-plant right back into reality. He was satisfied with his feet on the ground and his kind of happy.
Dan intercepted a pass between Brad and Kyle, shot and scored a basket. He high-fived Brad, then joined their debate about what to wager. This was the only kind of happy he wanted.