woman great sex, and she expects a favor in return.”
“Excuse me, but I think I gave you great sex, so I’m asking a favor in return.”
“You’re my boss. I think I have to do everything you say.”
Laughing, she leaned to kiss him, and the kisses turned passionate.
“Whoa!” she said at last, gasping. “We can’t do this again. I have to sneak back to my own bed.”
He groaned and rolled away. “This sucks.”
“So . . . what would you think if I moved into the apartment over the bakery?”
He lifted his head and stared at her. “You’re considering that?”
“Just considering because I have to also consider my mom’s health. But I think it would be pretty good to fall asleep with you sometimes,” she added, wearing a sexy smile.
He sat up. “I think you’d be shocked at how male and gross I am in the morning in my skivvies.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Tuesday morning, Brooke texted her invitation to the Chess Club for a Friday afternoon riding instruction, a sleigh ride, followed by a bonfire. By Wednesday, Steph excitedly responded back that everyone was in.
Brooke was just telling Adam about it when Tyler’s mom, Wendy, drove up to drop off her son. Instead of racing away when the teenager hopped out, she leaned toward the open door and peered out.
Her smile was tired but genuine. “Hey, Brooke, I can’t thank you enough for asking Tyler to work here. He’s having a good time and learning so much.”
“Glad to help, Wendy.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Tyler was already walking toward the barn. “How’s Cody?”
That was a mistake. Wendy’s gaze dropped, and she turned to grip the steering wheel. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think he’s learned a lesson, other times . . . that he’s given up. I guess I can only wait.”
She drove away, and Brooke stood there wincing at her own stupidity. If she were in Wendy’s place, she wouldn’t want people ignoring the existence of her older son, who’d made a mistake, paid the price, and was starting over. But Wendy had two sons in trouble, even as she was struggling to support them without their dad’s help.
With a sigh, Brooke turned around, wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, and saw Adam and Tyler together, leaning on the corral fence looking at the horses, talking. She liked looking at them together, and it made her think of Adam as a dad. The sweet tenderness of it shocked her, and she knew she had to put it out of her mind, before she started angsting over him leaving town.
As Brooke moved closer, Adam glanced over his shoulder at her. “Tyler here has volunteered to be your assistant Friday night. I told him it would be okay to enjoy his time with his friends, but he disagrees.”
Tyler scowled. “Look, they all know I’m here for community service. I’m not hidin’ anything. And they’re not really my friends.” He stalked into the barn.
Brooke raised an eyebrow at Adam, who only said, “He’s embarrassed. That’s a good sign.”
“If you say so.”
Friday was a half day for school, and after lunch a caravan of cars and pickups started dropping off teenagers, a dozen in all. A couple of parents stayed to help chaperone and prepare hot dogs and s’mores for the bonfire later. A few unloaded their kids’ horses from trailers.
As Steph was helping call in horses from the pasture, Brooke found her.
“Before you can say anything,” Steph began, “this kind of exploded. I thought maybe five kids would come, but they told their friends and . . . I hope you don’t mind. I’ll help teach, too.”
Brooke slung an arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “I don’t mind at all. I prayed for good weather all week, and here we are, in the forties and sunny. The more the merrier!” Then she lowered her voice. “How’s Tyler?”
Steph grimaced. “You see him more than I do. I can’t because of my dad, you know. And Tyler doesn’t talk to me much at school. I think he doesn’t want to get me involved with the guys he used to hang out with.”
“Used to?”
“He’s trying to stay away. They’re still around, but he’s grounded and can’t go out at night. This is his first party since he got arrested. I was worried his mom wasn’t going to let him come.”
“He volunteered to be my assistant today. Maybe it’s easier for him to keep busy.”
“I hope so,” Steph murmured.
Another car drove up, and