Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (9 page)

Brooke was just putting her earrings in when Karissa tapped
on her bedroom door and then walked in.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “You look gorgeous. Absolutely
gorgeous.”

She twirled her finger in the air, indicating that she
wanted Brooke to do a complete turn-around. Brooke turned in a circle, showing
off her assets. Her dress, white and form-fitting, hugged every curve of her
body.  It was strapless, and clung to her breasts and hips flatteringly,
stopping at the middle of her thighs. A strip of golden skin was exposed on
each side where the dress was slit from just above her hip to just beneath her
underarm. She wore gold sandals, the straps wrapping around her ankles. The
pretty gold hoops were the perfect finishing touch. Her dark tresses cascaded
down her back.

“You don't think it's too much, do you?” Brooke asked.

“Absolutely not, honey. It's perfect. Every man there is
going to be fighting over you.”

“Well then, it's too bad that I'm not looking for a man,
isn't it?” Brooke couldn't have been more truthful. She was tired of men and
relationships. She wanted some peace in her life. More peace, less drama. It
was just too bad that it always seemed to be the other way around. She took one
last look in the full-length mirror before giving herself a nod of approval,
and turned to her sister. “Let's do it.”

When Brooke pulled her car into a vacant parking space in
the lot next to the club, it was only 9:00.The place was jam packed. The music
could be heard from outside. It was deafening. “I don't know if this was such a
good idea,” she said, beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Karissa grabbed her hand
and dragged her inside.

Brooke didn't think she'd ever seen so many bodies crammed
into one place at one time. She glanced over at Karissa, and her sister
explained, “A live band is a big thing around here. It brings everyone out.”
She smiled. “You're gonna have a great time, you'll see.”

Somehow Brooke doubted that. They squeezed their way in at
the bar to order their drinks. There were elbows everywhere, and Karissa was
nudged forcefully into the guy next to her. He was tall, and his arms came
around her as she fell into him. They were strong, well-muscled arms, Karissa
noticed. And tanned. Her eyes were level with the broad, muscular chest that he
had to go with the great arms. He wore a blue cotton V-necked shirt.

“I'm so sorry,” she exclaimed, and looked up to see Seth
staring down at her.

His arms were still wrapped around her and their bodies
pressed close. And it was one hard body, Karissa discovered. She could feel the
heat rush to her cheeks.

Oh God, how mortifying.

 Seth noticed her blush, and thought he could feel her body
humming with nervousness.  A body that was soft and warm, he noticed. He liked
the way she felt in his arms.

“You can throw yourself at me any time, sweetness,” he teased.
She laughed nervously, and he let her go. She was just a little bit
disappointed. “Who are you with?” he wanted to know.

Karissa tugged on Brooke's arm, who had her back turned to
Karissa while some bulked-up guy flirted with her. Brooke excused herself,
thankful for the getaway. She beamed at Seth.

“Well, hey there handsome,” she said.

“Hey, Brooke,” he shot back, not in the least bit affected
by the compliment. He knew she didn't mean it suggestively. They'd always been
just friends. Brooke had always belonged to Logan, and that's simply the way it
was. “Where are you ladies sitting?”

“We just got here,” Karissa answered.

“Why don't you hang with us?” Seth offered. “We have a table
in the back, out of the way. It was the last one.” He smiled unapologetically.

Brooke and Karissa looked at each other in silent agreement.

“That sounds great,” Karissa said.

Seth nodded, and led them through the club to a corner in
the back. The table was empty at that moment. Brooke spotted Chase at the pool
table, a buxom blonde draped over him. He seemed to be enjoying himself just
fine. Brooke looked around, and saw no sign of Logan. He'd never been into the
bar scene, anyway, so she assumed he wouldn't be there. She was relieved.

She took a seat across from Karissa, who had already seated
herself next to Seth.
Hmm
, she thought to herself. She'd gotten
comfortable and sipped her drink, watching Chase annihilate his opponent at
pool. His blonde bimbo, who she'd heard Chase call Candy, headed to the ladies
room, and Brooke wondered who she was exactly. Surely not his girlfriend.

Brooke was enjoying the music the band was playing, and was
beginning to think that the night wouldn't be so bad after all, when a sudden
movement to her right had her glancing over just as Logan slid into the seat
next to hers.

Of course he would be here,
she thought.
This is
fate playing a cruel trick on me.

He held his hands up in the air as if to proclaim his
innocence. The look on his face was comical, and Brooke couldn't help but
laugh.

“Is this your idea of us maintaining our own personal
space?” he wanted to know.

“Funny,” she said. “I didn't know you were here. I don't
remember the club scene being your thing.” She was only mildly annoyed with him
still for his behavior the day before at the stream.

“It's not.” He took a swig of his beer. “I only stop in once
in a while with the guys.”

She raised a brow in question, and he said, “I got sucked
into celebrating with Seth and Chase tonight. Seth just landed a big contract
that's been in the works for almost a year. It's huge for him.”

“That's great,” she said, genuinely happy for Seth. Glancing
across the table, she noticed that Karissa and Seth were deep in conversation
and laughing together. Her sister was obviously having a good time.

Logan leaned a little closer. “I don't remember the club
scene being your thing either, yet here you are.”

He watched her closely, enjoying the view. She was gorgeous.
All he could see were long dark waves and lots of exposed golden skin. The
combination was sexy as hell.

“Rissa dragged me here,” she said, “mostly against my better
judgment.”

Chase, having beat the pants off his opponent, made his way
back to their table. He took one look at Brooke and mimed a thudding heart with
his hand.

“Holy hell, you're smokin hot,” he said, eyeing her
appreciatively. “What are the chances of you and me getting out of here
together?” he asked, a wicked grin on his face. She laughed, and standing up,
kissed his cheek. 

“Slim to none, honey,” she said, and winked at him.

She headed for the bar on legs that were tanned and endless.
All three of them watched her, as well as a dozen other guys who were standing
around. There were a few loud whistles, and some catcalls. She ignored them
all. None of it sat well with Logan. His mood darkened a little, and he
imagined that it would feel good to knock some of their block heads together.
He brooded into his beer instead.

For the past half hour, Brooke had been making her way
around the club, stopping to chat with old friends that she hadn't seen in
years. Everyone was so nice and friendly, as if time hadn't passed at all. She
heard someone shout her name, and turned to see Paige Foster waving and heading
in her direction.

“Oh, my goodness,” Paige said, hugging Brooke. “It's so
wonderful to see you.”

Brooke hugged her back tightly. “It's great to see you,
too.” Paige had always been a genuinely nice person. Brooke had been lucky to
have her for a friend. Brooke stood back and got her first good look at Paige.
“Oh, you're expecting! How wonderful, Paige! Congratulations!” Brooke kissed
one cheek, then the other. She was truly happy for her childhood friend.

Paige had been Brooke's best friend while growing up in
Angel Ridge. They'd spent endless amounts of time together. In high school,
Paige and Tyler, who were the most adorable couple in school, had spent a lot
of time with her and Logan. The guys had been the best of friends.

So, Paige had married her high school sweetheart, and they
were still happily married and expecting their first child. It made Brooke
hopeful that happily-ever-after really did exist.

“Thanks,” Paige said, squeezing Brooke's hand. Her other
held a glass of....something, Brooke noticed.

“Ginger ale,” Paige said, holding it up to her lips and
taking a sip. We normally don't hang out here, but Tyler's cousin is in the
band and he asked us to come. We haven't been out in months, so I plan on
having a good time tonight.” She winked as she said it. “This pregnancy is
really kicking my butt,” she explained. “I can't believe you're really here.
I've missed you so much, Brooke.” Paige's eyes filled with tears. She waved it
away. “It's the pregnancy hormones,” she said, laughing. “They're brutal.”

“So tell me, what's going on with you? I want to know
everything
.”
Brooke had heard things here and there from Rissa, who kept her updated on what
was happening in Angel Ridge.

“Well, after college I came home to Angel Ridge, and I've
been here since. I landed a position at the school, where I teach second grade.
Let's see, then Tyler and I bought our dream home just outside of town. We've
lived together since coming back,” she added. “We were married last year, and
now here I am, as big as the Pillsbury Doughboy,” she laughed. Brooke couldn't
help but notice how radiant she looked.

Paige was careful not to mention Logan because she wasn't
sure exactly what Brooke's relationship with him was. All she knew was that
things had ended badly between them. She was curious, though, especially since
she'd seen them sitting together earlier. “I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting
as your life. Moving to the east coast to attend Harvard, becoming a
doctor
,
living in California, traveling, schmoozing. Ooh, have you met any
celebrities?” She feigned an exaggerated sigh.

Brooke laughed. “A few,” she said. “
And
, my best
friend is a celebrity, of sorts.”

“Who?!” Paige asked, waiting expectantly.

“Ashley Breeland,” Brooke said.

She watched the light come on in Paige's eyes. “
The
Ashley Breeland? The romance novelist?” Paige asked, excitedly.

Brooke nodded. “The one and only.”

Paige squealed, and Brooke laughed. “Oh my God, that's so
awesome!” Paige had always loved to read, Brooke remembered. The two of them
would steal romance novels from Paige's mother's bedroom and take turns reading
them. They had to sneak them because they were only fourteen at the time, and
their parents would never have allowed it. Everything they'd learned about sex
they'd learned from romance novels.

“Well, it seems like you have everything you've ever
wanted.  I couldn't be happier for you, Paige.”

“Thank you, Brooke. I have no complaints, no regrets.” She
became more serious. “I love my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

Brooke thought about her own life, which was pretty great,
for the most part. But it was missing the most important things, the things
Brooke had always longed for ~ a man who loved and adored her, and the children
they would make together to fill up their home with. Paige had the life Brooke
always imagined she and Logan would have. It made her realize what she was
missing, and sat heavily on her heart.

After a few more minutes of chatting, and both women making
plans to get together for lunch one Saturday, they said their goodbyes.

Brooke was attempting to make her way back to the table when
a small group of guys stopped her. They were a few of the football players from
high school, she remembered. She chatted with them briefly, listening to them
talk about which of them had gotten hitched recently, whose wives were
expecting, what they did for a living. One of them, Chris Hart, who'd been the
captain of the varsity football team, grabbed her arm when she tried to say her
goodbyes. He was drunk and obnoxious, and reeked of alcohol.

“Where are you taking off to so soon?” he slurred. “C'mon,
hang with us for a while. We'll show you a good time, honey.”

“I really have to get going,” she insisted, attempting to
loosen her arm from his death grip. His beefy fist was like a band of iron, and
Brooke was helpless to do anything but struggle. She heard a couple of the
other guys tell him to let her go, but his grip only tightened on her arm. “Let
go of me,” she ground out, enunciating each word. He did, suddenly, and she
stumbled backward just a bit.

“Bitch,” he seethed. Then he turned his drunken attention
back to his buddies.

Rubbing her sore arm, she turned to walk back to the table
when she saw the MacKennas, all three of them, heading in her direction. The
looks on their faces told her that they'd seen the exchange, and there was
going to be hell to pay. Logan had murder in his eyes.

Brooke stopped them at the halfway point, and tried to
diffuse the situation before it actually became one.  After a couple of minutes
and some reasoning, she'd managed to calm them down. Well, two of the trio
anyway. Logan was not easily placated. She practically had to beg him to let it
go. She seemed pretty upset over the idea of him fighting, so in the end, he
reluctantly shrugged it off.

He'd watched her from the time she'd gotten up and made her
way around the bar, socializing. He had to admit, even if only to himself, that
he'd been insanely jealous. Not that she'd been flirting, but he didn't like
one bit the attention she received from the opposite sex. It pissed him off.

“I never liked that asshole,” he grumbled.

“Big asshole,” she put in, and flashed him a smile. He
looked down at her and chuckled, his stormy mood lifting a little. She'd never
been one to use profanities, so it struck him as funny.

The band had just taken a short break, and a slow song came
on. Brooke linked her fingers with his and led him to the dance floor.

“Dance with me,” she commanded, draping her arms around his
neck and moving her body in close to his. After a few seconds, he gave in and
placed his hands on her hips. They listened to the lyrics as they swayed to the
music, each of them content with the silence. Over the speakers, Trisha
Yearwood belted out a beautiful ballad about love, and wondered how she would
ever live without her man. Brooke tipped her head up to look at Logan.