Because she was—he knew it like his own name.
Brodie darted a look at Rachel and he saw her suck in a breath. He watched how she added two and two and somehow ended up with sixty-five.
Brodie lifted her hands and stepped back. “I am being inexcusably rude, I’m so sorry.” She gave them a smile as fake as this date.
“But you said you needed to talk,” Kade reminded her. “I’m sure Rachel will excuse us.”
“Please... It’s really not important,” Brodie insisted and jammed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “I’m so sorry to have disturbed your evening. Good night.”
“Brodie.” Kade didn’t want her to leave.
“Good night!” Rachel called, turning and walking back to the table. He watched, irritated, as she picked up his full glass of wine to take a healthy sip. She cradled the glass between her ample breasts and sent him a speculative look.
Kade stopped by the coatrack and pulled her bag and jacket from a hook and held them out to her.
Rachel put down her wine and cocked her head. A small, regretful smile tilted her wide mouth upward.
“Well, that sucks,” she cheerfully stated, suddenly looking a lot warmer. Kade scratched his forehead in confusion. But before he could ask for an explanation, Rachel spoke again. “Want to tell me why you are doing the dating thing when you are completely besotted with your matchmaker?”
“I am not besotted with her!” Kade responded, thoroughly disconcerted by the observation.
“Well, something is happening between you two.” Rachel slipped into her shoes, then walked over to him and took her jacket and purse from his hands. “Pity, because I rather like you.”
Kade rubbed his hand across his forehead. “Look, I enjoyed our evening...”
Rachel laughed. “Oh, you big, fat liar! I’ve never worked so hard in all my life to impress someone and most men are easily impressed!”
He had to smile and was so damn thankful he wasn’t dealing with the drama queen he’d expected her to be. “I’m so sorry. I’m really not besotted with her but it is complicated. And these dates are...” Could he trust her not to spill the beans?
“A publicity stunt?” Rachel had guessed before he could say more. “I figured that out as soon as I saw the look on your face when you opened the door. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”
Kade let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you.” He bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I really appreciate it. I’ll take you home.”
Rachel patted his biceps. “I’ll call a cab and you can go and find your girl so that you can sort out your complications.”
Kade watched her walk out of his loft, resisting the urge to deny there was anything between him and Brodie besides some great sex and a couple of laughs. There was nothing to sort out, nothing to worry about. If that was the case, then he shouldn’t be desperate to find out exactly what it was Brodie wanted to say.
He was just curious, he told himself. It didn’t mean he had feelings for her. He wasn’t besotted with her.
Besotted? What a ridiculous word! He wasn’t... He couldn’t be. He didn’t do besotted. But he would admit to being curious, that wasn’t a crime.
* * *
Brodie left the rain forest and the Willowbrae Trail and walked onto one of the vast, sandy beaches characterizing this part of the west coast of Vancouver Island. She stared at the huge waves rolling in from Japan and slipped out of her sneakers, digging her toes into the cool sand.
This place—Poppy’s cabin—with its magnificent sea views, was her hideout, the place she ran to every time her life fell apart. She and her family had spent many holidays here, in winter and summer and the seasons in between. This was where she felt closest to them. After the accident, she’d spent six weeks up here, to recuperate. Her body healed quickly but her heart never had.
Despite the memories, she still wanted to run up here when life threw her curveballs. Here, if she didn’t think too much, her soul felt occasionally satisfied. This was her special place, her thinking place.
Two days had passed since she’d left Vancouver and she’d spent all that time thinking of Kade, and trying not to obsess about what happened between him and Doctor Delicious after Brodie left.
The thought of him and another woman so soon—was six weeks soon?
And she still had to tell him about the pregnancy. Brodie placed her hands on her stomach and sucked in a breath. She also needed to tell him she intended to keep this child, to raise it on her own.
Poppy was right. Keeping the baby would take courage and sacrifice and...well, balls. Brodie also knew her parents would have wanted her to keep the child, to care for the next generation of Stewarts as they’d planned to do.