“So you think Rafe will understand how I feel about Beth?”
Douglas nodded. “He probably already knows how you feel. I hate to break it to you, son, but I doubt there’s anybody in this family who doesn’t know you’ve got feelings for Beth. If it concerns you, talk to your brother. Let him know how you feel. Yeah, I know it’s not manly to talk about feelings. Don’t let stupid stereotypes and fools make you believe for one second your feelings, your emotions, don’t count. That’s a sure path to unhappiness.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Brody stood up and brushed the loose pieces of hay off his jeans. “I have to ask. Things between you and Uncle Gator, did they change after he met Elizabeth?”
Douglas shrugged, and walked beside Brody toward the open barn door. “At first there was some awkwardness. I had to go back to Germany. Gator stuck around New Orleans. A couple of weeks after I left, I got a call from him. He and Elizabeth got married in a quiet little ceremony. I was the first person they called, because they didn’t want them being together to keep me and my brother apart. Gotta admit, I was hurt. Said some things I wished I could take back the moment they left my mouth, but I was a stubborn fool, and shoved my foot so far down my throat, I figured there was no turning back from it. Took me a couple of weeks to figure out it wasn’t my heart getting broke that bothered me. It was my pride. Once I came to terms with being a big, fat jerk, I wrote to Gator and Elizabeth, let them know I regretted how I’d reacted, and I was sorry for the things I’d said.”
“They forgave you?”
Douglas chuckled. “They named their son after me. Jean-Luc Douglas Boudreau. When he went into the service, he got the nickname ‘Ranger’ after me too. We made things right, me and Gator, by not being stubborn and letting our pride blind us to the fact we’re family.”
Brody hugged his father, feeling his father’s arms wrap around him, enveloping him in the warmth of family he’d felt from the day he’d moved in with Douglas. As usual, his father was right, which was why he’d come to him for advice. He’d talk to Rafe, let him know about his feelings for Beth.
“Thanks, Dad. For everything.”
“Any time, Brody. I’m always here for you. Always.”
He headed back toward the house, a lightness inside that had been missing for far too long. Things were finally looking up.
CHAPTER THREE
Jamie raced through the front door of the cottage, her trilling laughter filling the air. Beth stood behind on the front porch and watched her daughter spin in circles on the hardwood floor, her excitement matching Jamie’s, but she reined it in, knowing she had to keep Jamie calm during the move. The rest of the Boudreau clan would be along any minute with the remainder of her things, and she needed that time to simply breathe. Though she loved Shiloh Springs, the whole ordeal with Evan, the move, and then finding out she was broker than broke—well, that tended to put a damper on everything. But she wasn’t about to spoil Jamie’s excitement. Maybe some of her infectious enthusiasm would rub off.
“Sweetheart, what you think of the new place?”
“Mommy,” Jamie raced up and flung her arms around her mother’s waist, “do we really get to live here?”
“Yes, honey, we really get to live here. Your Aunt Tessa is going to live at the Boudreau house with Douglas and Ms. Patti until she marries Uncle Rafe, and she’s going to let us stay here. Isn’t that great?”
“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” Beth was pretty sure Jamie’s excited shouts could be heard down the entire block, but before she could shush her, the sound of a car pulling into the drive had her spinning around, her heartbeat ticking up. Brody’s pickup stopped behind her small sedan, dwarfing it on the gravel driveway. She crossed her arms over her chest, and drew in a deep breath. Something about Brody Boudreau pulled to her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever. She shoved the feeling down deep, unwilling to even entertain the thought of exploring any attraction to Brody. The ink was barely dry on her divorce decree, because Evan had fought tooth and nail to keep the divorce from happening, even from behind bars. She’d yet to figure out why he’d fought so hard to stay married, because the idiot had to realize once she knew the truth about his despicable actions, there wasn’t a chance in hades she’d stay married to him. He’d planned to kill her. Murder her for money. A chill raced down her spine at the thought. How could she have been so wrong about the man she thought she loved?
Giving a mental shake, she started down the steps, headed for Brody’s truck. She watched his tall frame unfold from the driver’s seat, and her breath caught at the sight of sunlight glinting off his sandy-brown hair before he placed his black Stetson atop his head. His quick grin caused a fluttering in her stomach, and she placed her hand against it, silently willing the feeling to go away.
Not going there, nu-uh. Brody Boudreau is off the menu, no matter how delicious he looks.
“Uncle Brody!” A whirling dervish of skinny legs and flying ponytails raced past Beth, and dove straight at Brody. Her daughter’s giggles increased when Brody swung her up in the air and caught her, spinning her around. The breath caught in her throat with the realization Jamie’s father had never done that with their little girl. Then again, there were a lot of things Evan had never done. In hindsight, the marriage she’d thought picture perfect turned out to be little more than paper posies, easily tossed aside when the lure of something new and shiny
