Brooke & Ben: Before Fate Interrupted (32 page)

Brooke stopped
at the driver’s side door and caught Tasha looking over her shoulder. “Get in.”

Tasha dropped
her head and opened the door.

They both climbed
inside the hot box and shut their doors. The quiet felt good, making it easier
to think.

Tasha rolled her
window down and cocked back the soda-pop.

“Wait! What’re
you doing?”

“I’m throwing
this out.”

“Please don’t
litter out of my car, or anyone’s car for that matter.” She started the engine
and backed up, hitting the brakes to allow an ambling older couple to pass by,
grumbling beneath her breath as they took their sweet time crossing the parking
lot.

When it was
clear, Brooke swung out of the spot and shifted into drive. She and Tasha
screamed at the same time when Matthew’s red face filled Tasha’s open window.

“Where’re you
going?” he panted, fingers curling around the edge of the door.

“Home,” Brooke
responded, giving it some gas.

He hung on and
followed.

“Shit,” Brooke
hissed as a black Nissan Rogue cut her off, forcing her to stop again.

“You’re just
going to leave without me?”

“Yep,” Brooke
replied, gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Don’t ever
call her again or I will cut your balls off.”

“Here,” Tasha
said weakly, handing him the fountain drink and brownie.

The Rogue
finally got the hell out of the way and Brooke snatched the brownie before he
could lay a finger on it. “I’ll take that!” She buried the gas pedal, shaking
Matthew loose and leaving him standing in the dust holding his drink.

Tasha stared at
the brownie in Brooke’s hand.

“It’s for Ben,”
she explained, setting the box in the console. “Guy is putting a serious drain
on my sugar and flour reserves.”

Tasha cooed out
loud and covered her heart. “That is so sweet! You’re like a desperate
housewife now.”

Brooke laughed
and got into the gas, heading for a change on the horizon with the wind at
their back and a sparkle in her eye.