Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,19
the back. “It’s the reason I can never find anything around here. She’s always rearranging.”
My mom rolled her eyes but still smiled at him with a smile I had seen my entire life. She smiled at him that way every single time she saw him. Even if she was angry, he’d always end up making her smile. “He’s just getting old and senile and blaming it on me.”
“Son.” My dad looked to me for support. He was right, of course, but there was no way in hell I was saying that to her.
“I’m not getting in the middle of this.” I crossed my arms and watched Brooke as she watched my family.
“You must be Brooke.” My dad made his way across the kitchen and placed a kiss to the top of my mom’s head before he pulled Brooke into a hug.
Brooke grinned at me over his shoulder, and I couldn’t help smiling back at her with my over-loving parents. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“Lord, don’t call me sir. I’m Jim.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and turned them both to face me. “Now tell me how my knucklehead of a son over there managed to convince you to date him.”
“You two do know that I’m standing right here, right?”
“We know.” My dad chuckled before letting Brooke go and grabbing a couple beers out of the fridge. “Brooke?”
“No. I’m good. Thank you.”
He tossed one of the beers in my direction without asking.
“Mrs. Gentry, is there anything I can help you with?”
My mom was still stirring something on the stove as she looked up at Brooke. “Oh, no. You just had a long drive. You must be tired. Go relax.” She waved her off as she always did. That woman rarely let anyone help her do anything.
“I’m okay.” Brooke walked to the sink and started washing her hands. “Just tell me what to do.”
My dad raised his eyebrows at me, but I ignored him. I was too busy watching her.
“Well, have you ever made biscuits before?” My mom wiped her hands on her dishtowel before grabbing the flour.
“Not even once.” Brooke chuckled but saddled up next to my mom. “But I can learn.”
My dad nodded his head toward the door and slipped out before I could say anything.
I watched Brooke and my mom laugh as Brooke sprinkled flour out on the counter and my mom talked about family secrets to making the best biscuits. I absolutely fucking hated it. And not because they seemed to be getting along or that my mom seemed to really like her, but there was some part of me that liked seeing her there.
I walked up behind her and her back straightened as my skin touched hers, but my mom was too busy scooping out more flour to notice. “I’m going to go talk with my dad a bit. You good?”
“She’s fine,” my mom answered for her as she continued to work.
Brooke nodded her head with a smile on her face. A smile that dropped the moment I pressed my lips against her bare shoulder.
She looked over at me just as I heard the slight uptick of her breath, and there was something about the way she was looking at me through her lashes that suddenly make me want to bend her over the counter without any thought of repercussions.
We hadn’t even been here for ten damn minutes, and already she was fucking with my head.
I couldn’t help staring at her as I backed out of the kitchen. My mom was talking to her in a soft voice that I couldn’t hear, and Brooke was laughing without a second thought of my lips touching her skin.
I needed to get my shit together.
“So, how are things?” My dad leaned back in his old leather chair and stared over at me where I still stood watching Brooke.
I made my way over to the couch and sat down even though the urge to stay right there with her was overpowering. Brooke wasn’t going to slip up and say something to my mom. She was smarter than I gave her credit for.
“Everything’s good. Both the restaurant and the bar have been busy every night. I have no complaints.”
“That’s good to hear. You aren’t working yourself into the ground, are you?” My dad had been a hard worker all of his life, but one of the things he had instilled in me a long time ago was that all that work wasn’t worth a thing if you didn’t leave