do some of it.”
The bell above the front door rang. “I’ll be back.” Monica went to deal with a customer.
“That’s nice of Adam to help Josh,” Emily said, between bites of salad, “considering you guys must be keeping him busy at the ranch. Do you enjoy working with him?”
“We get along okay,” Brooke said, opening a container of her mom’s coleslaw.
“You two seemed pretty . . . friendly last night.”
“We’re friends,” Brooke said, then filled her mouth with a forkful of coleslaw. When she still couldn’t meet Emily’s eyes, she knew her friend was watching her.
Monica came to sit back down, picked up her sandwich, then looked from Emily to Brooke with suspicion. “What did I miss?”
“She stopped looking at me after I asked about her and Adam,” Emily said slowly.
“There’s more going on, isn’t there?” Monica demanded.
Brooke swallowed. So now she was supposed to lie to her best friends? With a groan, she briefly covered her face. “I can’t talk about it.”
“You’re sleeping with him!” Monica hissed in a low voice.
Brooke winced.
Monica gasped. “You can’t even deny it!”
“Okay, okay, keep your voices down,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the empty showroom. Someone walked by the front windows and paused to look at the display before moving on.
“It’s true?” Emily cried. “Nate never said anything—”
“He doesn’t know! And you can’t say a word, neither of you.”
“You’re not dating him, but you’re sleeping with him,” Monica said, sitting back in disbelief. “I don’t know what to think of this modern, twenty-first-century woman.”
“We just couldn’t keep our hands off each other—that’s all it is,” Brooke admitted at last.
Monica closed her eyes. “Oh, God, that sounds so sexy.”
“Why haven’t you said anything?” Emily asked in bewilderment. “Why the secret?”
“Because I’m his boss! Do you know how that would look to my family? The first guy we hire that’s my age, and I jump him?”
“Did you?” Monica asked with a giggle.
“No!” She hesitated, then smiled. “Not exactly.”
“But Brooke,” Emily continued, “people have office romances all the time.”
“Their offices aren’t their family business. How would sleeping with an employee look to my dad, my brothers? And besides . . . I’ve really enjoyed having this—relationship, or whatever you want to call it—all to myself, you know? It’s like my private little thrill.”
“So you like being with him?” Monica asked softly.
“I do. Even when we’re working together. He’s funny, and we never run out of things to talk about.”
“Sounds like it’s more than physical,” Monica pointed out.
“Because it is—it’s friendship. And it feels good.”
“As long as you’re happy,” Emily said, regarding her with worry.
Brooke grinned and touched both their arms. “I’m happy,” she insisted. “He makes me feel incredibly sexy and beautiful.”
When a customer entered and approached the counter, Monica got up to help. Soon she was opening coolers, displaying various bouquets that the rushed man could choose from. After ringing up the purchase, she sat back down and toyed with her celery sticks. “So I guess you didn’t appreciate the date with LeVar?”
“It wasn’t a date, and you know it,” Brooke said, wearing a mock frown. “You ambushed, then deserted me.”
“Well, I didn’t know you already had a guy in your bed,” Monica pointed out.
“And then Adam showed up at the pool tournament,” Brooke confessed. “It was pretty awkward.”
“Sounds like it would have been fun to watch,” Monica told Emily. “Guess I left too early. Did they fight over you?”
Brooke just blinked at her, then they all burst into laughter.
Monica saw to a couple more customers, and when she returned, Brooke started packing up. “I can’t stay much longer. Tyler will be coming after school.”
Emily sighed. “Okay, I’ll admit it, I feel bad Steph didn’t come to me for help with Tyler’s community service.” She lifted a hand. “And yes, I know, he probably wouldn’t have enjoyed working in a bakery.”
“No, he wouldn’t have,” Brooke insisted gently. “She really wants to help this kid, and I can’t help admiring her. I think she’s gaining a lot of maturity from this, maybe seeing how good she’s got it with a loving family.”
“True,” Emily admitted. “How’s Tyler doing?”
“It’s only been one day. I’m just teaching him about horses for now. But he’s been sort of respectful, and that’s a good thing. It probably helped that Adam worked with us, too.”
“Not one of your brothers?” Monica asked curiously.
“Nope. I admit, I was surprised. I didn’t think Adam would want to be involved with a punk kid, but he’s incredibly patient, yet firm.”
“He was a sergeant in