with Coy?”
Madeline panicked.
“ No. I swear.” Brook shook
her head again. Then said, “But I probably will.”
“ I don't want to hear
this.”
“ I was saying, I know you
must have, because I know how it is to want a guy. I can’t see you
being that way. You’re so distant.”
Madeline flinched. “I am?”
“ Mom, you’re not cuddly or
mushy. Jenna is always hugging and romping with Karla. You hold
back all the time.” Brook was silent a moment, then muttered,
“You’re conservative.”
Here Madeline was defending herself
again. “I’m not cold, Brook. I love you. I haven’t hugged you
lately because you’re mad at me all the time.”
“ Okay, I’ll give you
that—but back to Mitch.”
“ No. I have said all I’m
going to.”
Brook looked at her. Obviously, she was
not backing down. “Why didn’t you tell me he hurt you, instead of
hating them all?”
Madeline blurt before thinking, “They
all had a hand in it. Believe me, they’re not a family to mess
with.”
“ Did they treat you bad?
What?”
“ It doesn’t matter to me
now. It’s a lifetime ago.”
“ I think it does. I think
you’ve never gotten over him.”
Madeline snorted trying to regain some
of her composure. “That’s youth talking. Of course, I have. I am
telling you, Coy’s father is one of the worst. And if his
grandmother decides to rise up out of her sickbed,” Madeline could
picture it in her mind and grated, “if they hurt you—I’ll kill
them.”
“ Jesus, you’re so dramatic.
If I get hurt, it will be by Coy. I’m not letting anyone else
dictate or tell me things. I’m not crazy about the family. Just
Coy. He’s all that matters to me.”
Her chest ached. Madeline saw shimmer
in her daughter’s eyes and was terrified for her. It was the look
of a young girl in love. “I’m never going to be comfortable with
you seeing him.”
“ Because of
Mitch?”
“ A Coburn is a Coburn, no
matter which one it is. They make you think it’s love, until
something else comes along.”
“ Wow.” Her daughter stared
at her wide-eyed. She knew she had done a poor job of blowing it
all off as some childhood romance. She knew it when Brook whispered
softly, “He hurt you bad, didn’t he?”
“ It was a long time ago.”
Madeline played down the significance of the relationship. She had
contained what she had felt for so long that she could do it a
while longer.
Eventually, Madeline arose and hugged
her daughter, then stepped back offering, “I love you. I want much
more for you.” Her voice clogged with emotion and her eyes stung.
“If Coy hurts you, it could mess up the rest of your life, color
all your relationships. Your life is just beginning. All the
exciting, new, grown-up things. You’re first car, living in a dorm,
being responsible for yourself. That’s heady stuff. You need your
head on right.”
Brook‘s expression was just as intense,
her voice just as husky. “Now matters to me, Mom. Sure, I want all
those things, but now is very good, very exciting. If I don't have
it--it’s going to make a bigger gulf between us.” She chewed her
lip a moment then confessed, “I don't want second best or another
guy right now. The tiny bits of time Coy and me have are what I
want. I would like to relax around him, discover who he is. I can't
do that, sneaking around behind your back. Can‘t you understand
that?”
“ Oh, Brook…” She sighed,
hearing the emotion as though an echo of her old self. Aware she
was fighting a raging sea. “I don't want you to make my mistakes. I
don’t.” The tears in her eyes were obvious now. It was the first
time she had ever let her daughter see her as anything but strong
and steady.
Brook reached out and took her hand.
Both of their hands were cold, their fingers trembling. “They’ll be
my mistakes, not yours. I don't believe in sins of the mother and
all that anyway. Everyone makes their own mistakes. I’m not
pressured by Coy. Stealing the
Madeline panicked.
“ No. I swear.” Brook shook
her head again. Then said, “But I probably will.”
“ I don't want to hear
this.”
“ I was saying, I know you
must have, because I know how it is to want a guy. I can’t see you
being that way. You’re so distant.”
Madeline flinched. “I am?”
“ Mom, you’re not cuddly or
mushy. Jenna is always hugging and romping with Karla. You hold
back all the time.” Brook was silent a moment, then muttered,
“You’re conservative.”
Here Madeline was defending herself
again. “I’m not cold, Brook. I love you. I haven’t hugged you
lately because you’re mad at me all the time.”
“ Okay, I’ll give you
that—but back to Mitch.”
“ No. I have said all I’m
going to.”
Brook looked at her. Obviously, she was
not backing down. “Why didn’t you tell me he hurt you, instead of
hating them all?”
Madeline blurt before thinking, “They
all had a hand in it. Believe me, they’re not a family to mess
with.”
“ Did they treat you bad?
What?”
“ It doesn’t matter to me
now. It’s a lifetime ago.”
“ I think it does. I think
you’ve never gotten over him.”
Madeline snorted trying to regain some
of her composure. “That’s youth talking. Of course, I have. I am
telling you, Coy’s father is one of the worst. And if his
grandmother decides to rise up out of her sickbed,” Madeline could
picture it in her mind and grated, “if they hurt you—I’ll kill
them.”
“ Jesus, you’re so dramatic.
If I get hurt, it will be by Coy. I’m not letting anyone else
dictate or tell me things. I’m not crazy about the family. Just
Coy. He’s all that matters to me.”
Her chest ached. Madeline saw shimmer
in her daughter’s eyes and was terrified for her. It was the look
of a young girl in love. “I’m never going to be comfortable with
you seeing him.”
“ Because of
Mitch?”
“ A Coburn is a Coburn, no
matter which one it is. They make you think it’s love, until
something else comes along.”
“ Wow.” Her daughter stared
at her wide-eyed. She knew she had done a poor job of blowing it
all off as some childhood romance. She knew it when Brook whispered
softly, “He hurt you bad, didn’t he?”
“ It was a long time ago.”
Madeline played down the significance of the relationship. She had
contained what she had felt for so long that she could do it a
while longer.
Eventually, Madeline arose and hugged
her daughter, then stepped back offering, “I love you. I want much
more for you.” Her voice clogged with emotion and her eyes stung.
“If Coy hurts you, it could mess up the rest of your life, color
all your relationships. Your life is just beginning. All the
exciting, new, grown-up things. You’re first car, living in a dorm,
being responsible for yourself. That’s heady stuff. You need your
head on right.”
Brook‘s expression was just as intense,
her voice just as husky. “Now matters to me, Mom. Sure, I want all
those things, but now is very good, very exciting. If I don't have
it--it’s going to make a bigger gulf between us.” She chewed her
lip a moment then confessed, “I don't want second best or another
guy right now. The tiny bits of time Coy and me have are what I
want. I would like to relax around him, discover who he is. I can't
do that, sneaking around behind your back. Can‘t you understand
that?”
“ Oh, Brook…” She sighed,
hearing the emotion as though an echo of her old self. Aware she
was fighting a raging sea. “I don't want you to make my mistakes. I
don’t.” The tears in her eyes were obvious now. It was the first
time she had ever let her daughter see her as anything but strong
and steady.
Brook reached out and took her hand.
Both of their hands were cold, their fingers trembling. “They’ll be
my mistakes, not yours. I don't believe in sins of the mother and
all that anyway. Everyone makes their own mistakes. I’m not
pressured by Coy. Stealing the
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