Chapter 8
Something had changed, though Brent wasn’t sure what it was. He left the skating rink with a heavy heart. There was no way he was waiting until Tuesday to decipher what was going on. He gave it an hour, hoping that was long enough for Nicole and Tony to get home and settled before calling her.
She answered on the second ring. “Hey.”
“You guys make it home okay?”
“Yeah. Tony’s on his second bowl of cereal then he’s going to bed. Tonight wore him out.”
“I’ll bet.” Brent had gone over several conversations in his head over the last hour. But even now, with her on the line, what was he supposed to say? He finally opted for a more direct approach. “I was wondering if you and Tony would like to go somewhere Saturday evening. Maybe see that new Marvel movie in the theater.” He held his breath as he waited for her response.
“Brent…”
“It’ll be fun. Tony mentioned how much he liked those movies. Did you guys see it yet?” As if prolonging her opportunity to speak would change what she was about to say.
“This isn’t a good idea.”
There it was. Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. “I’ve thought about you a lot. For years. And I should’ve done something about it before now. I care about you, and I’d like to continue spending time with you.” His stomach tightened in response to her silence. “What is it, Nicole?”
“Look, I don’t know how much you know about my life. But Tony’s father left him — left us — when Tony was a baby. By the time Tony was six, I’d accepted that it needs to be the two of us. I’ve done it on my own, and I’m okay with that. I always have been.” She paused. “I’ve done everything in my power to make sure Tony never has to face that kind of rejection again. Because he shouldn’t have to.”
He wished they were speaking in person so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. Then she’d know just how serious he was about what he planned to say. “I wouldn’t do that. To you or Tony. I’d like to think you know me well enough to believe that.”
“I’m not sure I can risk that with anyone. I have to put Tony’s needs first.”
“So, you’d rather push people away and be alone. To protect Tony?” Brent didn’t believe for a moment that was the only reason. “Or to protect yourself?” Her silence told him he’d hit the nail on the head.
“I’m not alone. Tony and I: We have each other.” Her voice sounded strained. “It’s better if I avoid any complications.”
Brent flinched when her words stung like a slap to the face. Hadn’t he shown her that he accepted Tony? Enjoyed being around him? “If you could give this a chance…”
“I can’t.”
Those two words deflated the balloon of hope Brent had been grasping. Maybe calling her hadn’t been a good idea. If he’d brought it up to her in person, he could’ve convinced her how serious he was about both her and Tony.
“Brent?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
Yeah, so was he.
The phone call ended, and Brent resisted the urge to send his phone flying at the wall in frustration. He pictured it in pieces on the floor, mirroring his hope of a future with Nicole and Tony, and his heart ached.
~*~
On the outside, Brent’s weekend was relatively quiet. He finished painting the trim on the house when weather allowed and went over the extensive list for the festival. On Sunday, he even relaxed and finished a dystopian book he’d been reading by AJ Powers the last couple of weeks.
But no matter how busy he kept himself, it didn’t stop him from replaying their conversation repeatedly in his mind. He kept searching for things he could’ve said to change her response. It’d made it nearly impossible to focus on anything else.
In the end, though, he realized that he’d done everything in his power. If she wouldn’t give him the chance to prove how felt… The ball wasn’t in his corner, as much as he wished it were.
He found his heart couldn’t wait to see them on Tuesday, while his mind dreaded how difficult it could be to work with her after everything that’d transpired at the end of last week.
If it was a distraction he needed, Monday more than obliged. Hattie, who always helped organize the festival, tripped on some stairs and broke her leg. Her daughter came from Salem to pick Hattie up and take her home for a few weeks while she recovered.
While Brent was incredibly sorry for her and the pain she was going through, it also left him scrambling to pick up where poor Hattie left off. He’d have to remember to send her flowers and thank her for all she did – she had no idea how invaluable she’d been.
Now he was making phone calls and taking bites of his sandwich in between. Even Stormy had sensed he needed the space and wasn’t begging for a bite of his lunch.
By the time Tuesday rolled around, his to-do list had only grown. A call first thing in the morning revealed a mix-up with the booths and the way they were set up at the town square. As soon as help arrived for the day, Brent needed to go over there and get it worked out in person.
The proceeds from the festival were going to play a huge role in whether the rescue center remained open through next year. Its success now rested largely on his ability to keep things under control in Hattie’s absence. Brent was trying hard not to let that extra responsibility weigh his spirits down.
Walt walked in with a wave. “Good morning, Mr. Todd.”
Brent breathed a sigh of relief. “Hey, Walt. How are you today?”
Walt frowned. “Actually, I needed to talk to you about something. With this being my last year at the university and all, things are getting hectic. I can’t seem to catch a breath.” He paused, and Brent steeled himself for what he knew coming. “I’m going to give my two-week’s notice. You know I’d stay if I could, but…”
“Don’t worry about it, Walt. You’ve been a huge help, and we couldn’t have made it this far without you.” Brent stuck his hand out. “I get it. Your classes need to be your priority. And I appreciate the two weeks to get everything straightened out.”
Walt let out a shaky laugh and shook Brent’s hand. “No problem. Thanks for understanding.”
“Of course.” Brent’s mind went into overdrive as Walt got to work. He’d been worried he might not have the money to keep Walt on after the end of the year. He should be relieved. But he also just lost one of his best helpers, and that was going to hurt.
More than ever, he relied on the festival being successful. He not only needed it to bring in funds for the rescue center, but to find a record number of homes for the animals waiting as well. So much for not letting the pressure get to him.
What if, even after everything people did Saturday to help Finding Forever, he had to close the center? Mr. Rice probably would’ve understood, but it felt like failure nonetheless.
He tried to shrug off the worry and doubts. They still had the festival. Claire was coming to help and take a few of the critters back with her, too, if necessary.
There was a lot more hope for Finding Forever than there had been a couple of weeks ago. And it was almost all thanks to a cute little redhead who’d captured his heart. He thought about their kiss for the hundredth time. So much for being busy enough to keep their phone conversation from haunting him.
Speaking of Nicole. The door chime sounded as she and Tony came inside.
He swallowed past the lump in his throat and forced a casual smile. “Hey, you two. I’ve got to run over to the square and sort out some problems we’re having with the booths. Nicole, would you mind keeping an eye on the farmhouse? With the festival coming up, not many people will be by. And you have my cell number if something comes up and you need me to come back for an adoption.”
Nicole’s eyes widened. “No problem. Anything else we can do?” She looked uncertain as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.
Brent took some satisfaction in seeing he wasn’t the only one affected by the weird situation between them. “No, it’ll just be a huge relief knowing you’re here helping Walt keep an eye on the place. I’ll be back before one.” He ignored the twinge of pain in his heart as he left.
He’d gone back and forth between looking forward to seeing them and dreading the changes their conversation was sure to have on their friendship. He wished he didn’t have to leave the shelter immediately, yet he wasn’t sure he could handle being around her for hours with things the way they were. But when he got to the town square, he was glad he’d gone there in person. With the help of several volunteers, they finally got everything figured out. The large park area in the center of town was bordered by streets on all four sides of it. Usually, most of the booths were kept on one side of the street, but there were more entries than ever before. A great problem to have, but it meant going through all the right city channels to have three streets blocked off.
That meant they could use white paint to denote where the booths would set up along the border of the park.
Brent stood in the gazebo and peered out over the area. There was still a lot of work to do, but there was no doubt about it: This festival would dwarf all the others before it.
~*~
Nicole found the week full of mixed emotions. For one, she hardly saw Brent. She should be glad. There was no time for the awkwardness she was sure would exist. After talking on the phone a few days ago, she’d been determined to keep some distance between them this last week of volunteering. But with his crazy schedule, she didn’t even have to worry about that. Where there should’ve been relief, disappointment reigned. The familiar tendrils of loneliness pushed their way in.
On top of that, Tony seemed more and more depressed the closer they got to the festival. He said he was fine, but based on the time he spent with Costello, she was certain he was dreading having to say goodbye to the giant dog. The knowledge hurt Nicole’s heart because, if she had any way to keep Costello, she’d let Tony take him home. She’d grown attached to the guy herself and often checked on him to see how his leg was doing. Not that she’d admit it.
Brent was right. They had few visitors all week with everyone in town getting ready for the festival. Apparently, most of the issues had been worked out, and they’d be ready when the festival started at nine Saturday morning. She and Tony had promised to help at the adoption tent, for which Brent seemed thankful.
Nicole was in with the cats when Brent returned from running errands on Thursday. “Everything on track for Saturday?”
“Yep, I think we’re a go. My cousin, Claire, will get here sometime this evening. She’ll help me set up the adoption tent first thing tomorrow and transfer the animals to the festival on Saturday morning.”
Without meaning to, Nicole’s gaze went to Callie. She remained hunched in the back of her crate, peering at them from the darkness. “What do you need Tony and I to do?”
“If you guys could be at the tent at eight thirty, we’ll be ready for when everyone comes by. Then stay as late as you want, but don’t feel obligated to work all day. Between the three of us, Claire, Walt, and Stacie, and some other people who have volunteered, we’ll have the tent covered.” Brent rubbed the back of his neck before letting his hand fall to his side. “I can’t thank you and Tony enough for all you’ve done the last few weeks.”
What neither of them were saying weighed heavy in the air. Nicole shuffled her feet a little and clasped her hands together behind her back. “We’re happy we could help.”
Brent glanced at the door to the hallway and stepped closer to Nicole. “I’ll miss you. Both of you.” He reached out and held her elbow in his hand. “I wish you’d reconsider. I want to keep seeing you after this weekend.”
There was no missing his intention. He was watching her, his emotions on the surface. She didn’t know what to say. Her heart begged her to shout yes. But what if Tony was uncomfortable with the idea of her dating Brent? She couldn’t do it. Not right now. She swallowed and blinked back the tears. “Brent, I…” Her voice faltered.
Disappointment flashed across his face before he stood straighter and brought his hand back to his side. “If Tony has decided which dog he’d like, let me know, and I can be sure to keep it here.”
Nicole nodded.
Brent pointed to the calico. “It still amazes me she won’t come out. She waits in that cage, convinced it’s the safest place for her to be.” His voice sounded sad. “She’d rather hide for an indefinite amount of time than see what might happen if she took a chance.” His gaze went back to Nicole’s. “I need to check on the farm animals. I’ll see you on Saturday.” With a tight smile, Brent turned and left the room.
Nicole let out a shaky breath and crouched down in front of Callie’s crate. “Is that true, girl? Are you afraid to take a chance? Would you rather sit in the back of your crate forever? If you came out, you might find someone to adopt you. You could have the forever family you deserve.”
Her voice caught. What if that’s exactly what Nicole was doing? Was she using Tony as her excuse to keep her heart buried? Would she rather hang back and live her life the way she always had because she was afraid to take a chance?
Goosebumps peppered her skin, and she held herself around the middle. Was it possible to have the happy family she’d always dreamed of?
~*~
Nicole was determined to talk to Tony about Brent tonight. But first, she wanted to ask him if he’d decided which dog he wanted to adopt. She made them both a mug of hot chocolate and waited for him on the living room couch.
Tony walked in, his brown hair still damp from his shower, and paused warily. “Uh oh.”
She laughed. “No lecture or anything like that. Can’t a mom make her son some hot chocolate?” She patted the couch to show him she wanted him to sit down.
Tony appeared amused. “You kidding? Anytime.” He did as she suggested and reached for the mug closest to him. “But something tells me there’s more going on.” He sipped his hot chocolate and then blew on the liquid a little.
The boy was smart. “I was wondering if you’d decided which dog you’d like to adopt after the festival.”
His smile disappeared, and he shrugged. “I’ll wait to see which dogs are left.”
“Because you want Costello.”
He shrugged again, and Nicole’s heart went out to him. “You know there’s a good chance Costello won’t be adopted. If that happens, maybe we could keep volunteering once a week. That way, you can see him regularly.”
Tony looked a little more hopeful. “Yeah. That would be good.” He paused for a moment, staring into his drink. “Do you think Mr. Todd will send Costello with his cousin?”
Nicole chuckled. “I doubt it. His cousin is driving. I can’t imagine there’ll be enough room in her car for Costello.” She laughed, glad to see Tony’s eyes light up as he joined her.
“You’re probably right.” He took another drink. “Can we really keep volunteering?”
“Absolutely.” She hadn’t even bothered taking a sip of her hot chocolate yet. Truthfully, she was way too nervous. “What do you think of Brent?”
“He’s awesome! It’d be great to own a place like Finding Forever and help animals like he does.” He cupped his mug with both hands. “All the guys on the team think it’s great how Brent let us paint and help with stuff.”
Nicole wanted to smile but was too busy weighing her next words. “So, you wouldn’t mind if he was around more often?” She watched as Tony’s eyes slowly widened with realization.
He tossed a look her way that landed somewhere between wary and curious. “What do you mean?”
She’d rehearsed all of this in her head a dozen times since they were at the shelter that afternoon. “I like Brent a lot. But I would never even consider dating him unless you were one hundred percent okay with it.” Her voice caught, and she took a moment to focus.
Tony set his mug back down on the coffee table with a clunk. “Mom…”
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I just want you to be honest and tell me…”
“Mom!”
Nicole’s eyebrows lifted, and she stopped.
Tony gave her a smile. “It’s okay.”
“What is?”
“If you and Brent date. He’s a good guy. You deserve to be happy.”
Nicole shook her head. When had her little boy grown up this much? Her eyes misted over, and she blinked rapidly to bring Tony’s face back into focus. “Are you sure?” The question came out as more of a whisper.
“Yeah.” Tony reached over and patted her arm. “I’m sure. Besides, if he does anything to hurt you, me and the whole team will go rough him up a little.”
Nicole burst out laughing at that. “You’re something else, kiddo. You know that? I’m proud of you.” She pulled Tony into a tight hug.
“Thanks, Mom.” Tony’s voice was muffled against her shoulder. “I can’t breathe.”
She released him and they both laughed.
Nicole’s hope soared. Everything she’d worried about suddenly seemed less pressing. She longed to talk to Brent tonight, but it was late. Plus, Claire was supposed to be at the rescue center first thing tomorrow morning, and Nicole didn't want to interrupt their reunion. She’d waited this long, she could wait another day and see if she had the chance to talk to him after the festival.
She only prayed it wouldn’t be too late.