steps in the backyard and flashed him a wan smile. “We have to stop meeting like this.”
He took her hand. “I was just coming to find you. Thought maybe you’d been kicking up your heels on the dance floor this whole time.”
“No, but it looks like Jake and the Flynns are still over in that area. We should visit with them before Kresley gets tired and has to bail. Actually, I might not be able to stay too much later myself. Meg and I probably need to take Mom home.” She tried to keep the weariness out of her voice, but could tell by the gentle concern in Giff’s expression that she hadn’t succeeded.
“I’m so sorry your parents are arguing,” he told her. “It must be difficult for you. But I’m sure they’ll have everything smoothed over soon.”
“You’re probably right.” Brooke bit her lip. “To hear Mom tell it, this fight is the big one, but then, that’s how she always sees them. Thank God we’ll never have to worry about this kind of angst and drama in our marriage! You’re so… stable. ”
“Wow. I sound very dashing,” he said wryly.
Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I meant it as high praise.”
“Brooke, you’re back!” Kresley had kicked off her shoes and was sitting at a table with her husband and Jake. “Jake was just telling us about how he got inspired to do his road trips.”
Taking a seat, Brooke glanced questioningly at Jake. He’d claimed before that he liked to go wherever the spirit moved him—she hadn’t known there was a specific inspiration behind it.
“When I was in the Middle East, I met a kid from Kentucky,” Jake explained for Brooke’s benefit. “He was from a town of about three hundred, had never been away from home before and was scared. Told me once that it would be ironic if he died for his country because he’d never seen any of it. We both made it back in one piece, and once I got home to Texas, I realized I was a lot like him.
“I’ve lived my entire life here, and while I’m in no rush to change that, I do want to visit all fifty states, make an effort to see the country I served. My next trip is to Tennessee. I have four consecutive days off starting Thursday, and a buddy of mine is flying me to Chattanooga. There’s a tourist spot there where you’re supposed to be able to see seven different states.”
“He’s already been to Alaska,” Kresley told Brooke.
“The military made that part easy,” he interjected. “I was on a base there for six months.”
“And he plans to go to Hawaii soon,” Kresley added.“With those two out of the way, the other forty-eight seem comparatively simple.”
Jake laughed. “Comparatively. People forget just how big this country is.”
“They do,” Kresley said, sitting straighter in her chair. “Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, you can know exactly what people a thousand miles away are doing every minute. You know, I think this would make an excellent human-interest piece for the lifestyles section! Local man, a community hero, no less—”
“Oh, boy, she’s on a roll now,” Dane said affectionately.
Ignoring her husband’s interjection, Kresley continued, “A former soldier, trying to get to know America.”
Jake’s eyes widened and he fidgeted uncomfortably, eliciting a laugh from Brooke. The man willingly walked into infernos but seemed nervous about having a story done on him.
He scowled in her direction. “You think it’s silly, don’t you? An article about me?”
“Not at all,” she hastily clarified. “I was laughing at…something else. I think the story could turn out really well.”
Giff was nodding his agreement. “Maybe you could even write it, Brooke. You’re always saying you love the opportunities to do more than weddings.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “The woman about to get married doesn’t like weddings?”
“I like weddings just fine,” she grumbled, trying toignore her earlier misgivings that she should be more excited about all of this. More
He took her hand. “I was just coming to find you. Thought maybe you’d been kicking up your heels on the dance floor this whole time.”
“No, but it looks like Jake and the Flynns are still over in that area. We should visit with them before Kresley gets tired and has to bail. Actually, I might not be able to stay too much later myself. Meg and I probably need to take Mom home.” She tried to keep the weariness out of her voice, but could tell by the gentle concern in Giff’s expression that she hadn’t succeeded.
“I’m so sorry your parents are arguing,” he told her. “It must be difficult for you. But I’m sure they’ll have everything smoothed over soon.”
“You’re probably right.” Brooke bit her lip. “To hear Mom tell it, this fight is the big one, but then, that’s how she always sees them. Thank God we’ll never have to worry about this kind of angst and drama in our marriage! You’re so… stable. ”
“Wow. I sound very dashing,” he said wryly.
Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I meant it as high praise.”
“Brooke, you’re back!” Kresley had kicked off her shoes and was sitting at a table with her husband and Jake. “Jake was just telling us about how he got inspired to do his road trips.”
Taking a seat, Brooke glanced questioningly at Jake. He’d claimed before that he liked to go wherever the spirit moved him—she hadn’t known there was a specific inspiration behind it.
“When I was in the Middle East, I met a kid from Kentucky,” Jake explained for Brooke’s benefit. “He was from a town of about three hundred, had never been away from home before and was scared. Told me once that it would be ironic if he died for his country because he’d never seen any of it. We both made it back in one piece, and once I got home to Texas, I realized I was a lot like him.
“I’ve lived my entire life here, and while I’m in no rush to change that, I do want to visit all fifty states, make an effort to see the country I served. My next trip is to Tennessee. I have four consecutive days off starting Thursday, and a buddy of mine is flying me to Chattanooga. There’s a tourist spot there where you’re supposed to be able to see seven different states.”
“He’s already been to Alaska,” Kresley told Brooke.
“The military made that part easy,” he interjected. “I was on a base there for six months.”
“And he plans to go to Hawaii soon,” Kresley added.“With those two out of the way, the other forty-eight seem comparatively simple.”
Jake laughed. “Comparatively. People forget just how big this country is.”
“They do,” Kresley said, sitting straighter in her chair. “Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, you can know exactly what people a thousand miles away are doing every minute. You know, I think this would make an excellent human-interest piece for the lifestyles section! Local man, a community hero, no less—”
“Oh, boy, she’s on a roll now,” Dane said affectionately.
Ignoring her husband’s interjection, Kresley continued, “A former soldier, trying to get to know America.”
Jake’s eyes widened and he fidgeted uncomfortably, eliciting a laugh from Brooke. The man willingly walked into infernos but seemed nervous about having a story done on him.
He scowled in her direction. “You think it’s silly, don’t you? An article about me?”
“Not at all,” she hastily clarified. “I was laughing at…something else. I think the story could turn out really well.”
Giff was nodding his agreement. “Maybe you could even write it, Brooke. You’re always saying you love the opportunities to do more than weddings.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “The woman about to get married doesn’t like weddings?”
“I like weddings just fine,” she grumbled, trying toignore her earlier misgivings that she should be more excited about all of this. More
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