Later that night, JC was sitting at home in front of the Christmas tree, staring at the lights.
"What's wrong?" Heather asked. JC jumped at the sudden sound of her voice.
"Nothing," he said mechanically.
"That's a laugh," she said. "You haven't said five words since you got back from Brooke's. I can tell something's up."
It sounded weird to him, although JC knew his sister was right. When he was on tour, he had to hide his feelings and it had become normal for him to not tell anyone if something was wrong.
"Did you know about Brooke?" he finally asked. Heather nodded. "I didn't. I had no idea what had been going on with her for the last six years. Six years. That's a damn long time and I didn't even try to get in touch with her. I mean, before I left, I was falling in love with her." Heather gave him a look. "Okay, I was in love with her. I should have called her. And then I screwed up when I went to see her."
"What happened?"
JC told her the story from when he asked if Brooke was babysitting Jonah to him saying rape and Brooke freezing up on him.
"Why don't you go out with Brooke and then see how stuff is?"
"Go out? What is she going to do with Jonah?"
"I'll baby-sit him. That kid's a cutie. Much better looking than you," Heather laughed.
"Funny," JC said but he was smiling. "Do you think that she'll agree to it?"
"Only one way to know," Heather told him and tossed a cordless phone at him from behind her back.
"My God, you had this whole thing planned, didn't you?"
"You know it." Heather stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna go talk to Mom and Dad." She started to walk away.
"Wait!" She turned around. "What's Brooke's phone number?"
Heather grinned and JC punched in the seven digits as she rattled them off.
"Thanks," he said as the phone started to ring.
"Anything for my little bro in love."
Chapter 8
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