in securing grants. Adam, I’m surprised Renee didn’t mention it to you.”
Brooke wasn’t surprised at all. Surely his own grandma knew how little he wanted to talk about his life in the Marines.
“No, ma’am,” Adam said, his voice neutral. “But it’s good to help people who need it.”
But he didn’t need anyone’s help, she guessed.
Later, Adam insisted on clearing the table before he left, enduring teasing from Josh. When Adam was gone, and Brooke felt like she could breathe again, she joined her mother in the dining room to work on the decorations for the Thanksgiving table, little candy and cookie turkeys made with a flat chocolate cookie, a chocolate kiss, and mini M&Ms for the feathers. It was amazing how they actually stood up like little birds. Surely she wouldn’t enjoy this as much as she did if she really was restless, looking for something else in life. With the snow falling outside, and gossip she and her mom exchanged, she felt a peaceful sense of the approaching holiday.
She’d been lucky that her parents had always been involved in her life. Before she knew it, she was telling her mom about the science fair years ago, when Adam’s drunken mom had treated him so horribly.
Sandy put down the frosting she was using to keep the chocolate kiss and the cookie together. “That is just terrible. No wonder the poor boy thought so little of himself in those days.”
“Thought so little of himself? I think he had the opposite problem.”
“That’s just what he showed the world, sweetie. He was proud even then.” She hesitated. “It’s hard to forgive his parents. They were pregnant at seventeen, and instead of trying to make a better life for their son, they wallowed in their self-pity. I don’t think either of them held a job down for long, and the way they used that boy to control Renee? Just terrible. Your father kept trying to help by giving Mr. Desantis work now and then, but . . . he had no discipline, could never last long. He’d either get too drunk to come to work, or lose his temper over something trifling. I wasn’t surprised when Adam got into trouble himself. Who knows what would have happened if Coach McKee hadn’t taken a chance on him. It’s simply remarkable what Adam has accomplished.”
Brooke reached out and took her mother’s hand. “I was so lucky to grow up with the two of you.”
Sandy blinked her suddenly wet eyes. “I know what you mean, sweetie. I feel very lucky, too.”
Brooke would never do anything to disappoint her mom—no restless need for a change was worth that.
Brooke didn’t want to be on the ranch when Adam moved in the next night—her family would help unload his pickup, giving her even more of a chance to look at him strangely or be caught alone with him. So she arranged a movie night with Emily and Monica.
That evening, she was walking across the lit porch when she saw Adam’s truck arrive. He should have gone right to the bunkhouse, but instead he swung around in front of the porch, left the engine on even as he got out to look up at her with open admiration. He gave a low whistle, and she flushed with embarrassment and a secret thrill. Standing still, she let him look. She was wearing a dark sweater dress and leggings with knee-high boots. Her short wool coat was bright red, and her hair tumbled free around her shoulders. She always loved to dress up. She’d added more makeup than the mascara and lip gloss she normally wore to work.
“Damn, you clean up good,” he said in a husky voice. “Who’d have guessed?”
“I’d throw a snowball at you if I didn’t mind getting my gloves wet,” she said, pretending to take offense.
“I like your hair down.” He came to the bottom of the steps and reached up a hand as if to help her so she wouldn’t slip.
Her heels were high, so she accepted the help. She still had to look up at him once she reached level ground. Even that made her feel all weak inside. There weren’t many men she had to look up to. She disengaged her hand.
“You’ve seen my hair down,” she said in disbelief. “I wore it to school that way . . . sometimes.” Hadn’t she? As an adult, she always let down her hair when she went into town for an evening’s entertainment. But she’d been far less