Love at the 20-Yard Line (26 page)
Read Love at the 20-Yard Line Online
Authors: Shanna Hatfield
A quick count of eggs revealed Brody and Haven had the most.
“She cheated!” Tom said, pointing a finger at Haven. “You know she did. She always does. And she’s got her personal bodyguard on duty helping out.”
“Oh, quit your bellyachin’ and be a good sport,” Wes said, giving Tom a shove.
“Yeah, be a good sport, Tommy,” Haven said, sticking her tongue out at him. Brody worked to hide a smirk at the sibling rivalry.
“What’s the prize, Mom?” Hale asked, anxious to see what the winner would get.
“Actually, there are three prizes and you all win. Your father and I just wanted to watch you fight over the eggs like old times,” Rachel teased, giving each team a basket.
Hale and Tom’s basket contained two of everything, including two tickets to a monster truck show and two big chocolate rabbits.
The baskets she gave the two couples had a few pieces of candy along with movie tickets and gift certificates for dinner at a nice restaurant.
“These are great, Mom. Thanks so much,” Haven said, hugging Rachel.
“Thank you, Rachel. This is really nice,” Brody said, hugging the woman who patted his back and made him miss his own mother. “And the egg hunt was fun, too.”
“You kids are so predictable,” John said. “Although Brody carrying Haven across the finish line was new. Thanks for throwing in that unexpected touch to the finale.”
“Anytime. Glad I could be of service.” Brody grinned as John thumped him on the back.
They visited for a while then the women set out dessert. Brody zeroed in on what appeared to be a chocolate cream pie, one of his favorites.
After accepting a piece, he ate slowly, lost in sugar-induced bliss. Haven sat beside him and offered him an occasional look or grin as he enjoyed his dessert.
“Like your pie?” she asked as he forked the very last crumb to his mouth.
“I think it may be the best I’ve ever eaten.” Brody looked with longing at the few pieces of pie left on the counter. Still full from brunch, he didn’t think he could hold one more bite, but the pie was so good.
“You can have another piece if you’d like,” Haven said, starting to get up to bring him one.
“I’d love another one, but I can’t eat another bite right now. I’ll probably kick myself later, but I’m going to pass.”
“Suit yourself.” Haven shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of her cheesecake.
“Mom used to make pie when I was a kid. It was kind of a special celebration thing for us. I haven’t had chocolate cream pie in years.” Brody squeezed Haven’s hand beneath the table.
A short while later, Brody and Haven were on the road back to town. He helped carry her things into her apartment, then they sat and talked for a while about fun memories from their childhood.
Brody’s childhood was so different than hers had been, without anyone except his mom. Haven wondered what it would have been like to grow up without her rowdy brothers or her dad. All of them could be ornery and teasing, but Haven couldn’t picture life without them in it.
“Did you talk to your mom yet today?” Haven asked as Brody took a piece of candy from the basket still sitting on her coffee table.
“I called this morning, but she was working so I left her a message. I’ll call her when I get home.”
“I have something I thought you might like to send her.” Haven picked up her cell phone and sent a text to Brody.
He opened it to discover a photo of him carrying Haven with the basket of eggs. Both of them laughed and the photo clearly showed the love they shared as they looked at one another.
“This is awesome. Mom will love it.” Brody grinned at Haven.
“Mom said she couldn’t resist taking it. I’m glad she did.” Haven looked at the photo on Brody’s phone as she sat next to him. He moved so he could wrap his arm around her and she cuddled against him. “I’m so glad you came with me today.”
“Me, too. It was the nicest Easter I’ve ever had.” Brody gave Haven a smile that made her limbs turn languid.
Her heart hurt to think Brody didn’t have any great Easter memories as a child. She assumed his mom probably spent a lot of them working. She could picture him as a boy, sitting home alone with a tiny little basket of treats, maybe not even that, with no eggs to find or loved ones to keep him company.
She bit her cheek to keep the tears filling her eyes from spilling then rested her head on Brody’s chest and released a sigh.
“What’s wrong, doll?” Brody asked, easily reading her emotions. He knew she thought of something that made her sad.
“It’s just… I was thinking that if today was the best Easter you ever had, how sad the ones you experienced as a boy must have been.” Haven wrapped her arms around Brody and held him tightly.
He rubbed her back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t be sad. My holidays weren’t all bad. Mom most always worked, but she usually brought home a bunch of great leftovers. The Easter Bunny always brought me something, even if it was just a package of those marshmallow chicks. I don’t think I’m scarred for life or anything. Today was special because I got to spend it with you.”
“Brody,” Haven whispered, looking up at him as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb then kissed each cheek before he gave her such a soft, tender kiss, she was sure he could hear her heart sigh with contentment.
“I think I better go home, though.” Brody kissed her forehead before getting to his feet. He pulled her upright and she handed him his Easter basket, walking him to the door.
“You’ll have to let me know who you’re going to take to dinner and the movies with the certificates you got from your mom.” Brody pointed to the basket sitting on the floor by the couch.
Haven feigned disinterest, pretending to study her fingernails. “Maybe I’ll take Mom or Allie.”
“Sure, that sounds nice.” Brody kissed her cheek as he opened the door. “You should have a girls’ night out.”
“Maybe I will.” She tossed Brody an inviting glance with a coy smile. “Unless you happen to be available.”
“I might be able to work it into my busy schedule. I’ll have my people give your people a call,” Brody teased, stepping outside and backing away from her.
“You just do that.” Haven grinned at him as he almost tripped over a parking curb. “I’ll be waiting for that call.”
“Love you, doll,” Brody called before climbing in his truck.
“Love you, more,” Haven replied, then shut her door before Mrs. Humphrey could come outside and scold her for yelling across the parking lot.
“Are you sure I’m doing this right? Fred doesn’t really seem to like it,” Brody asked as he brushed the old horse.
“Oh, Fred’s too old to care, but yeah, you’ve got the hang of it. Just give him a few more strokes on that side and you can be done,” Haven said as she finished brushing her horse and patted the mare’s neck. She led the horse through the barn and turned her out in the fenced pasture, watching the horse shake her mane and trot off in the direction of the other horses.
When Brody finished brushing Fred, she led the old horse to a stall, making sure he had plenty of feed and water before closing the door.
“One of the other horses picks on Fred, so Dad decided to keep him in here for now. I don’t think Fred minds at all. He gets extra feed and attention.” Haven rinsed her hands at a sink in a far corner of the barn and wiped her hands on a paper towel. Brody washed his hands and turned to find Haven leaning against the wall, studying him.
“Where’d you get that hat, cowboy?” Haven watched as Brody pushed a straw cowboy hat back on his head. She knew he had a pair of cowboy boots from seeing him wear them before, but the hat was a surprise.
“It’s mine. I don’t usually have anywhere to wear it.”
“Are you more country than you led me to believe?” she asked, giving him a probing look.
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.”
Haven looked like a cute little country girl in her form-fitting jeans, scuffed boots, and soft, summery blouse. She wore her hair in a long braid down her back, but curls escaped and bounced around her face, captivating Brody.
“I know one way to find out,” she said, holding out her hand.
“What?”
“Your phone, if you please.” Haven wiggled her fingers his direction.
“My phone?” He dug it out of his pocket and handed it to her.
She scrolled through the apps until she found his downloaded music, then grinned.
“Ha! Just as I suspected. You’ve got more country tunes on here than anything else,” she said, handing the phone back to him.
“So. Your point is…”
“That you’re not this bad boy from the big city like you want everyone to think you are. You’re a small town country boy. I’ve got you figured out.” Haven shook a finger at him while smiling flirtatiously.
“If you’ve got me figured out, then you probably know I like to dance to a good country song once in a while.” Brody picked a song and turned up the volume on his phone.
He took Haven in his arms, dancing her around the aisle of the barn while Easton Corbin sang
Lovin’ You is Fun
in the background.
“I love that song.” Haven grinned at Brody as he twirled her around. “It makes me think of you.”
“It does? Why?” He dropped her into a dip and pulled her back up with a kiss.
“Because loving you
is
so much fun. Allie thinks we’re doing something wrong because we aren’t fighting and making up all the time, but I like the even keel of our relationship. I know when I’m with you we’ll laugh and have a great time. You’re fun to be around and you make me happy.”
“I’m glad you think so, Haven. I agree. Loving you
is
fun and one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”
“Where’d you learn to dance?” Haven asked, impressed with Brody’s moves, even if they were in the barn and the music was playing on his phone.
“Mom taught me. It was something we could do for entertainment that was free. We spent a lot of evenings dancing around our little living room.” Brody was grateful his mom made him learn how to dance.
“She did a great job teaching you.” Haven twirled into Brody’s chest and hugged him as the song ended. “Speaking of your mom, did she like the Easter picture?”
“No.” Brody picked up his phone and shoved it in his pocket before taking Haven’s hand in his as they walked out of the barn. The afternoon sunshine was bright and warm, and fields sprouting with green covered the gently rolling hills as far as Brody could see. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, especially since he spent it with Haven.
At her dejected look, he grinned. “She didn’t like it, she loved it. She said you’re a beautiful girl and she could tell from our faces that you care for me.”
Haven smiled and let out a breath of relief. Although she’d likely never meet Brody’s mother, she still wanted the woman to like her. “I’m glad she loved it. How’s she doing?”
“Really well. She’s working at a high-end restaurant these days with better hours and makes a lot more in tips. I’m glad she doesn’t have to work so hard.” Brody stopped to pet Minion and Gru, the two family dogs. “I try to help out, but she’s refused to take any money for a while. When I go to visit her, I buy things she needs instead.”
“Like what?” Haven asked, scratching Minion behind his ears. The dog wagged his tail so hard, Brody thought the animal might beat himself to death with it.
“You know, just stuff. Like when I was there for Christmas, her old fridge was about to die, so I bought her a new one. I also had a new front door installed.” Brody hunkered down to give Gru a rub on his belly, missing the tender look Haven gave him.
Haven’s heart melted into a puddle at her feet as she listened to Brody talk about his mom with such love and concern.
“You’re a good guy, Brody Jackson. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Haven stepped behind him and hugged him around the neck while he pet the dog.
He stood up before she could move and gave her a piggyback ride to the house, making her laugh.
“And you’re a sweet girl, Haven Haggarty. Don’t you ever forget it.”