Forever My Love: A Christian Romance (The McKinleys Book 2) Read online

  “Enjoy!” Amber said as she set Lucas’s in front of him.

  “Oh, we will.”

  Brooke looked at Lucas and found him watching her. She took a small bite of the soufflé and had to resist the urge to close her eyes and moan. It was that good. Rich, warm and everything chocolate should be.

  “Good, right?” Lucas said with a knowing smile.

  “More than good,” Brooke agreed as she took another bite. She ate slowly, as much to savor the taste as to make sure her stomach didn’t burst from eating so much.

  Plus, she really was in no rush for the evening to end. She loved Danny with all her heart and loved spending time with him, but this evening out had reminded her how much she also liked socializing with adults. Or in this case…one adult, in particular. She just had to make sure she didn’t enjoy it too much. The verdict was still out on if something with Lucas would be a good or bad idea at this point.

  Lucas watched Brooke scraped the plate to get the last of the chocolate soufflé. As she put the spoon upside down in her mouth, her gaze met his and her eyes sparkled with laughter. Though he’d tried to keep himself from considering this a date, it was moments like that when he wished it were.

  Several times over the course of the evening, he’d found himself second-guessing his decision to initiate things with BlackThorpe in looking for Lincoln. If his brother had really wanted to disappear, why should he try to prevent him from doing that? Particularly if his return would cause havoc for several people. How would Danny feel knowing that his father would rather disappear and never actually meet him? And what about Brooke? How would she feel if Lincoln reappeared?

  If he did return, Lincoln wouldn’t be able to ignore his role as Danny’s father any longer. Their mother would make sure of that. Several times since finding out about Danny’s existence, his mother had asked him what she’d done wrong in raising Lincoln that he’d found it so easy to ignore his own son.

  Lucas had had no answer for her. She’d raised him the exact same way, and he would never have done what Lincoln had. Of course, their father had had more of an influence on his twin, and no doubt that had played a role in Lincoln’s decision where Danny was concerned.

  He’d been fifteen when he’d discovered that his father didn’t view fidelity in quite the way Lucas had assumed one should when they were married. His father had assured him that he loved his wife but that he needed some variety. Some excitement in that area of his life just like he did in others. The whole conversation had sat badly with Lucas, and he vowed that he would never be like his father. Lincoln, on the other hand, had eagerly adopted Leon Hamilton’s philosophy and run with it.

  As he looked at Brooke across the table, he realized that they had that much in common. A father who had strayed from their marital vows. He got the feeling, however, that Brooke’s dad didn’t hold to the same philosophy as his father had.

  “I guess we really didn’t settle a lot,” Brooke said as she sat back, her hand resting on her stomach. “And I ate way too much.”

  “It’s hard not to here.”

  “It’s been lovely. Thank you.”

  She smiled at him, her eyes shining, and for a moment Lucas was ready to chuck every reservation aside and ask her out for a date. A real one. As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, her smile faded and the sparkling in her eyes was replaced by an emotion that Lucas couldn’t name, but it pulled at something deep within him.

  “How was everything?”

  Lucas closed his eyes for a second before plastering a smile on his face and turning to face Amber. “It was great. Just like I knew it would be.”

  She turned her smile on Brooke. “I hope you’ll be back again.”

  “Oh, I think you can count on that.”

  “Glad to hear it. And Thom said to tell you not to be a stranger.”

  Lucas smiled. “I won’t.”

  Amber stepped to the side when the waitress came to clear the dirty plates. “Tell Aunt Stella I said hi.”

  “I will. You need to come by some day. Bring your suits and go for a swim.”

  “Given how hot it’s been, I might take you up on that.” Amber glanced toward the front of the restaurant. “Well, I need to get back to work. If you need anything more, just let Suze know.”

  “I think we’re going to head out, actually,” Lucas said, reaching for his jacket.

  Amber pointed to the vase. “Don’t forget your flowers.”

  “Do you happen to have a bag or something?” Brooke asked. “They’re going to drip everywhere when we take them out.”

  “Sure thing.”

  By the time they got the flowers all bagged up, it was another fifteen minutes later. Lucas didn’t bother to settle up the bill as they had his credit card on file and knew what to charge.

  Apparently, Brooke noticed the oversight. “You don’t pay here?”

  Lucas pushed the restaurant door open and held it for Brooke. “They have my information on file.”

  “I guess you must trust them.”

  He smiled down at her as she walked past him out into the twilight evening. “I do. I’m a silent partner in the restaurant.”

  She gave him a startled look. “Really?”

  “Yep.” He laid his hand on her back to guide her to his car. “It started out as a favor to Stella, but it didn’t take long to realize it was a very worthwhile partnership.”

  Using his free hand, he pushed the button on the fob to unlock the door and reached for the handle as they got close. “Do you want me to put those flowers in the back?”

  “Maybe. I don’t want to crush them.”

  Lucas took them from her. “If they get crushed, I’ll buy you another.”

  When she smiled at him, Lucas knew that he’d happily buy her bouquets every single day. After she’d settled in the seat, he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He put the flowers on the back seat then grasped the handle of his door. He paused and took a deep breath before opening it.

  As he backed out of the parking spot, he said, “Should I call my mom to let her know we’re on our way and to have Danny ready?”

  “That might be a good idea. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

  He glanced at her. “Time flies.”

  “It does indeed.”

  Using his Bluetooth, he placed a call to his mom and she agreed to have Danny ready to go. It wasn’t long before they were pulling to a stop in front of the mansion. The door opened, and Danny and his mom appeared.

  Brooke got out so he did as well and followed her up the stairs to where his mom and Danny stood. “Thanks so much for entertaining him, Mrs. Hamilton.”

  “Please, just call me Sylvia. And it was absolutely not a problem to have him here.” She looked down at him and smiled. “I think we had fun, didn’t we?”

  Danny nodded. “We ate and swam and watched some videos.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time. Ready to go?”

  After getting back into the car, Danny held up a one-sided conversation as he expounded more on what he’d done with Lindsay and his grandmother. Lucas was glad to hear that he’d had a good time. He knew spending time with two women might not be every young boy’s idea of fun. Thankfully, Brooke had apparently raised Danny to be respectful, and he seemed to easily adapt to the people he was around.

  Once they got to the house, he debated leaving right away, but he squelched his common sense and got out with Brooke and Danny. He retrieved the flowers from the back seat and followed them into the house.

  “Bedtime, buddy,” Brooke said as soon as they were inside. She looked at Lucas. “Bring those to the kitchen, please. I think I’ve got a vase there.”

  He laid the bouquet on the counter and watched as she opened a cupboard to reveal a glass vase. She glanced over her shoulder at him and then pointed up to the vase. “Can you get that for me?”

  “Sure thing.” He walked to where she was and reached up for it. “There you go.”

>   Their fingers brushed as she took it from him. “Thanks.”

  Standing this close, he could see the dark flecks in her blue-green eyes. And again that emotion from earlier showed in her gaze. Was she feeling the same pull that he was?

  “Mom? I’m ready for bed.”

  “Okay, sweetie. Be right there.” She set the vase on the counter without looking at Lucas. “I’ll be right back.”

  While he waited, Lucas decided to make himself useful and began to unwrap the bouquet. The cellophane crackled beneath his fingers as he removed it from around the flowers. He would have just filled the vase with water and stuffed the stems into it, but something told him that Brooke would treat them with a little more care.

  He sat down at the counter and stared at the flowers. What was it about this house—this home—that called to him so much? It couldn’t have been more different from how he’d grown up. But there was a hominess to it that he hadn’t ever thought would attract him.

  The appliances were old. The countertops were laminate not granite as was so popular these days. The linoleum looked worn in spots, and the carpet had definitely seen better days. No doubt the windows weren’t the latest in energy efficiency either. And yet for all that would make it unappealing to a lot of people—particularly ones in his position—it spoke of family and love and belonging in a way the mansion never had.

  He could even understand why Brooke wouldn’t want to move. She had made a home for her and Danny that went beyond the building itself. Their life was here—in this house. In this neighborhood. He wasn’t sure how he could get her to use the inheritance to better their lives when in reality—in all the ways that mattered—they had it all right there.

  “Earth to Lucas.”

  He blinked. She had returned while he’d been off in his thoughts. “Sorry. I didn’t put the flowers in the vase in case there was a special way to do it.”

  She smiled as she opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. “Not sure it’s special, but I usually trim the stems before I put them in water.”

  He watched as she added water to the vase then quickly snipped at the stems. She put each flower into the vase arranging them as she went. “This is a truly beautiful bouquet. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Not sure what else to say, Lucas lapsed into silence. He had lots he would have liked to share with her—the stuff Trent had found on Lincoln’s computer, for example—but she was too involved to be able to just listen and not allow it to complicate an already complicated situation.

  “So time at the cabin? Did you want to set it up for next Thursday?”

  Lucas pulled his phone out and quickly brought up his calendar for the month. There was nothing on the schedule that he couldn’t take care of before he left or put off until he returned. “That should work for me, and I’m sure it will be fine for Mom. Lindsay…I’ll check with her. Is there anyone in your family that might like to come along? We’ve got plenty of room.”

  “My family?” Brooke put the last stem of greenery into the vase. She grabbed a cloth from the sink and wiped the stems into her hand. After dropping them in the garbage, she turned back to him. “My folks might enjoy it. Not sure Eric would be able to get off work so soon after taking his honeymoon.” She grinned. “And I’m not sure Staci will be keen to leave him this soon after getting married.”

  “Well, the invitation stands for all of them. Just let me know so we can have the cabins prepared and the boat brought over to the main dock.”

  “Cabins?” Brooke paused and then said, “So, this probably isn’t a cabin-type cabin, is it? Kinda like how your mom’s house isn’t really a house but a mansion.”

  “It’s not that big,” Lucas said with a grin.

  “Is the cabin bigger than this house?”

  He glanced around. “Yeah.”

  “Is it rustic?”

  “The décor is rustic.”

  Brooke laughed. “Just tell me all about it.”

  “It’s on an island.”

  The laughter faded from her face, replaced by incredulity. “You own the whole island?”

  “Yes, it’s been in the family for several decades.”

  “Running water? Electricity?”

  Lucas nodded. “Cable. Internet.”

  “Well, I can see why you’d enjoy going to the cabin.” She made air quotes as she said the word.

  “There are also three smaller cabins on the island. The caretaker lives in one, but if Eric and Staci can make it up, they can use one of them and your folks can use the other. Give them a bit of privacy.”

  Brooke’s mouth dropped open. “This is taking some getting used to. All this money.”

  “Don’t ever get used to it,” Lucas said.

  She tilted her head. “What do you mean by that?”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  LUCAS waved his hand at the kitchen and surrounding space. “Money can give you the feeling that you’re providing for your family in all the ways that matter, but that’s not true. My dad gave us a house to live in and my mom tried her best, but what you have given Danny here? Yeah, way more than we ever had—even with all our wealth.”

  For a second her beautiful eyes seem to liquefy. “Thank you. It hasn’t been easy, and I always felt like I had to try to make up for the fact that he didn’t have a dad around.”

  “Sad to say, I think if Lincoln had been active in Danny’s life, he would be a much different boy and not necessarily a better one. I hate to speak ill of the…of my brother, but I think you know that it’s the truth.”

  Brooke nodded. “I never would have denied Lincoln the right to be a father to Danny. But I will admit, even though it has had some hard moments as a single mom to a boy, I’m glad for how it turned out.”

  “Once again, Lincoln solved the problem the way my dad did by throwing money at it. You, on the other hand, took that money and used it to create a stable, loving home environment for Danny. You’re a terrific mom.”

  She beamed at his words, her whole face transformed by her wide smile. “I love being a mom. When I was younger, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. I wanted to have like twelve kids. Then our family went through that huge upset, and it was as if my heart had been ripped out.” She traced a pattern on the counter. “We had just taken in a couple of orphaned babies to foster. I fell in love with them instantly and desperately. They were my babies. I helped with them as often as I could when I wasn’t in school. And then…everything fell apart. Not only was I forced to leave the only place I’d ever called home, but I had to leave my babies behind, too.”

  Lucas watched as a tear slipped down her cheek. He reached out and brushed it aside with his thumb, his fingertips touching the side of her face. She pressed her cheek into his palm for a moment, her eyes closed. Tears sparkled on the ends of her eyelashes. Then she lifted her head and opened her eyes. Lucas lowered his hand, his gut wrenching at the pain he saw in her gaze.

  “That had been bad enough, but later when I realized exactly why we’d had to leave…I hated my dad for that. Who knows what kind of life those baby girls ended up having all because my dad couldn’t stay away from that woman. You hear the horror stories of girls like that in places like Africa.” Her hands clenched into fists. “I hate him.”

  It certainly explained a lot about Brooke. The seriousness with which she took her role as mother to Danny. The apathy bordering on disdain she had toward the male gender. And his brother hadn’t helped any when he’d chosen his own wants and desires over his son.

  Lucas wanted to show her that it could be different—that he was different—but until his doubts regarding Lincoln were settled, he couldn’t get involved with her. He couldn’t tell her about his concerns which was what he’d have to do if they were involved. She would hate him if she found out he’d kept this from her. As it stood, she still might.

  Brooke’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to dump all that on you. All that to say, I love being Danny’s mo
ther and maybe, in other circumstances, I might have had a lot more children.”

  “It’s not too late for that,” Lucas said.

  She looked at him, her gaze still damp, a vulnerable look on her face. “Most men out there that I’ve come in contact with are not interested in me with one child let alone going on to have a bunch more.”

  “Most men, maybe, but not all. You need just one who is interested.” His gaze held hers as the silence that followed his statement grew heavy.

  Then Brooke blinked and picked up the cloth from the counter. “That is true. A bit like a needle in a haystack though, and I’d rather spend my time being a good mother to the child I already have rather than trying to find a man to father future ones.”

  Lucas figured he’d better make himself scarce. He was so close to asking her to give him a shot at being that man. He’d never really thought about having a family. Oh, it had crossed his mind over the years, but there had never been a moment when he’d looked at a woman and thought I want her to be the mother of my children. But sitting there across the counter from Brooke, he could honestly say that he had just had that moment.

  “Well, I’d better go.” He pushed up from the stool. “I’ll give you a call to firm up details about the cabin and don’t forget to extend the invitation to your family.”

  She stared at him for a moment then nodded. “Thank you again for a lovely dinner. And the flowers.”

  “You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure.” He turned away from her, not certain she would follow him this time. But as he reached the door, he discovered she had, and when he stepped out onto the porch, she did as well.

  “Please thank your mom and Lindsay again for spending time with Danny. It sounded like he had a wonderful time.”

  Lucas turned toward her. “They’re trying to make up for lost time, but I told them not to spoil him too much.”

  “Thank you. For everything.”

  “You can stop thanking me, Brooke.”

  “I just feel like you’ve done nothing but give to us since you arrived on our doorstep.”

  “Nothing could be further from the truth.” He took a step toward her then stopped. “You’ll never know all that you and Danny have given me.”