if you knew she didn’t need you. She does need you—you know that, right?”
He focused on her lovely face, the tension she didn’t hide. The cheering crowd seemed to fade away until there was only the two of them. “What makes you think I’m leaving?” he asked softly.
“You came because you thought she was ill,” she said, her expression confused and wary. “Now that you know the truth—”
“I’ve been staying for you, too.”
He saw the way her eyes softened and shone with tears that glittered under Christmas lights. She caught her lip between her teeth.
“Really?” she whispered.
“I’m gonna kiss you right now.” They stepped toward each other, then he grimaced. “Let’s go find your parents first.”
“But—”
He caught her hand and tugged her with him until they found Doug and Sandy standing together. Sandy leaned against her husband like he was all the support she’d ever need.
“Mr. Thalberg—I mean Doug,” Adam began. “I’d like to date your daughter.”
He heard Brooke gasp, but he didn’t let go of her hand.
“If you want me to get another job,” Adam continued, “I’d understand, her being my boss and all.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Doug gave a loud sigh even as his wife laughed.
“I win!” she told her husband. “Now pay up.”
Brooke gaped at her parents. “You were betting on whether we were dating?”
“Hell no, we already guessed that,” Doug said in a grumpy voice, pulling out his wallet. “We were bettin’ on when you’d finally admit it.”
“I guessed you’d tell the truth before Christmas,” Sandy said smugly. “I didn’t think you’d be able to wait, what with all the gift-buying.”
Adam and Brooke stared at each other, and his relief changed over to a kind of excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time, the excitement of new beginnings and hope—and even the spirit of family at Christmas.
Adam pulled Brooke into his arms and kissed her, right in front of everyone. He imagined the cheering might even be for them.
Everyone converged on the Widows’ Boardinghouse after the protest, and Brooke was grinning so much she felt like her cheeks would soon break. The town council had ruled that Leather and Lace wasn’t pornography and could apply for a permit to do business.
In the living room, Grandma Palmer was already hard at work on her tablet computer coordinating the next phase of their attack.
“Nice iPad,” Adam said dryly.
Grandma Palmer gave him a saucy grin. “I hid it because I wanted you to think I was behind the times, as well as feeble.”
He rolled his eyes.
Brooke kept her hand in his, even as she asked his grandma, “So what’s the preservation committee’s plan?”
Grandma Thalberg and Mrs. Ludlow clinked beer mugs over the head of their roommate, who laughed.
Grandma Palmer said, “I think we’ll be orderin’ some Christmas gifts from Leather and Lace for the women on the town council, as well as the wives of the councilmen. They all deserve a nice thank-you.”
Josh raised a beer. “Here, here! The store better get its permit because I’m already working on orders for it.”
“Tell me details!” Brooke demanded.
Whitney Winslow appeared out of the crowd and tugged Josh away by the elbow. “That’s proprietary information,” she called over her shoulder. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Brooke winced. “Do I even want to know?”
“Of course you do,” Adam said, laughing. “But you’re sneaking around on your own.”
Brooke pulled him closer and pointed. “Look, there’s Steph—with Emily! Have you ever seen such an animated conversation? My brother is doing his best not to look bored, so it must be wedding details.”
“It’s about time,” Adam said. “All this fuss because of a teenager.”
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to say that! And I’d rather see Nate bored than giving us dirty looks, now that we’re out in the open.”
Adam shrugged. “It wasn’t too bad. He gave me the big-brother speech, but his handshake was firm enough, and I thought he was hiding a smile.”
“That’s good,” Brooke said with relief.
Tyler appeared through the crowd. “Hey, Adam, I didn’t get a chance to thank you for standing up for me with the Chess Club. They let me back in on probation. Maybe you can talk to Mr. Sweet about Steph . . . ?”
“Forget it,” Adam countered. “Only you can prove yourself to a woman’s father.”
Tyler grumbled halfheartedly as he walked away.
Brooke felt all mushy inside as she smiled up at Adam. “You’re pretty good with kids.”
He tugged her toward the front hall, where they had a little privacy. “So are you.”
“I know. I