Chapter 6

Thud.

"You almost got it!"

Brooke lay flat on her back, seeing spots against the sky. She blinked rapidly, then looked over at Kelly, who was standing just next to her. Behind Kelly, Ian was laughing. "Almost?" Brooke asked Kelly. "That didn't feel like I almost got it. It felt like the last seven times I've fallen."

Ian walked up and held out his hand. He had to use his cane to balance as he pulled Brooke up. "I wonder if I could help," he suggested to Kelly. "I could help her, uh, balance." Though he sounded completely innocent, he ran his fingers lightly up and down her spine. Brooke reached back and swatted his hand away, insisting she could do it without his help.

"I'm gonna have to go with Daddy on this one," Kelly said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Sorry, Brooke."

Brooke shook her head, while Kelly gave her father instructions on what to do. Brooke was amazed on how grown-up the seven year-old sounded. She could tell that Ian was humoring his daughter as he she told him what to. He grinned and nodded his head, but the moment Kelly looked away, he winked at Brooke. She rolled her eyes.

"You're bad," she said as she set herself up as Kelly instructed. She moved forward, putting her hands to the ground and swinging her legs up into the air. Ian caught her ankles and held her steady.

"You have great legs," he commented. "Do you run?"

"Daddy!" Kelly said. "Stop flirting and put her down!"

Brooke laughed as Ian held on for a moment more before gently guiding her legs to the ground, and then moving one hand to her side as she came up. His hand remained on her side as she stood up straight. Regardless, she smiled; for the first time, she was on her feet after an attempt.

"There you go!" Kelly exclaimed. "Now you've only got to do it like, twenty more times until you don't need help."

Ian's hand curled around her waist. "I'm happy to help."

"Daddy, this is serious," Kelly stressed.

"Oh, I know, very—very serious." He ran his fingers up Brooke's spine, but his daughter didn't seem to notice. Brooke stiffened, but didn't swat his hand away. She turned her attention back to Kelly.

"Good—ready to go again, Brooke?"

"Heck yeah!" Brooke replied. She set herself up again, and Ian and caught her and guided her again. After repeating that motion about ten more times (taking a few breaks so Brooke didn't get too dizzy), Kelly told her father to stop guiding her. Brooke fell once, but after another try she completed a full cartwheel all by herself.

"Woohoo!" she exclaimed as she both feet hit the ground and she straightened up. "I did it! My first cartwheel!" She kneeled down and held her arms open. Kelly jumped forward and hugged her tight. "Thank you so much Kelly! You're an amazing coach."

"You're welcome—now do it again."

Brooke was made to do about fifteen more "perfect" cartwheels all by herself. She probably would have had to do more, but they were interrupted by Bobby, the pizza guy. He called hello from the fence of Brooke's backyard. Felicity jumped up from her shady spot under the tree and ran over, tail wagging. Brooke wasn't much for cooking (she could cook fairly well, but often didn't have the time) so she, Felicity, and Bobby knew each other well. The golden jumped up on the fence, and Bobby reached over to scratch the dog behind the ears.

"Hey Bobby!" Brooke greeted, walking over with Kelly riding piggy-back.

"Hey Brooke, how's it hangin'?" Though he was smiling, she saw his eyes wander to Kelly, then behind her (assumingly at Ian), and back to Brooke. His smile remained, but his expression changed momentarily.

"Pretty good—what's the damage?" Brooke watched carefully as he glanced back and forth from her to Kelly."

"12 bucks even."

Ian step forward and insisted that he paid. "Pizza for elephants and cartwheels, that's a fair trade, right?"

"Sounds good to me, Daddy!" Kelly said, loosening her grip and sliding off Brooke's back. Brooke smiled and agreed.

When Ian and Kelly walked away toward the picnic blanket they had set up near the tree Felicity had been napping under, Brooke turned to Bobby. His eyebrows were raised as he watched as they began to set it up. He noticed her hard look and shrugged.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's not something you see everyday."

"You are aware it's the 90s, right?" Brooke snapped, disgusted. "As in the 1990s, not the 1890s?" She shook her head and walked away. Maybe it's time to change pizza places.

x-x-x

After dinner, Kelly demanded dessert. She said she was really "in the mood" for some "ice cream-y goodness". When Brooke and Ian agreed, Kelly demanded that Ian was the one to get it (even though Brooke knew the area better), and he agreed without question. Brooke wrote down directions as well as both her and Kelly's orders.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Brooke asked as she handed him the paper and a five-dollar bill.

Ian nodded. "Oh yes…" he paused and lowered his voice. "I think that, uh, Kelly wants to talk to you." He chuckled at the bill she had handed him and slipped it into her front pocket. He hooked his finger around the fabric, tugging gently. He smirked, and Brooke bit her lip. Not tearing her eyes away from his, she shook her head and removed his hand from her pocket.

"We still need to talk, too," she told him.

"We will," he replied.

"Go," she told him. "I can only handle one Malcolm at a time." She glanced out the window and into the backyard, where Kelly and Felicity were running around.

"Technically, uh, she's a Curtis."

"She's half of you, she's Malcolm enough," Brooke replied, looking back at him.

"You can't deny there's something here," he said. One hand went to her side. "There's been something here since the moment we met."

"I'm not denying anything," Brooke replied. She placed her hand over his on her side. "But it's complicated. Go get the ice cream." She removed his hand and walked away, heading out the back door.

Felicity ran up as soon as Brooke walked out, and Kelly was not far behind. The little girl flung herself into Brooke's arms. Brooke caught her and swung her around. She slowed, stopped, and placed Kelly back on the ground. Kelly asked for a piggyback ride, so Brooke bent her knees, and was promptly jumped on.

"You're a monkey!" Brooke exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the little girls' legs to ensure her safety. Kelly wrapped her arms tightly around Brooke, laughing as she urged Brooke to run.

"Hold on tight!" Brooke urged. She let go of Kelly's legs and stuck her arms out wide like an airplane and ran around the backyard. Kelly let out a loud "WAHOO!" and Felicity chased them, barking at their heels.

Out of breath, Brooke and Kelly collapsed to the ground. Both of them were laughing, doubled over and holding their sides. Brooke looked at the young girl as she sat up slowly. It had been just about 24 hours since they had officially met, and she was already quite fond of her. Kelly was like the little sister she never had (and truthfully, never really wanted, either). She reminded Brooke of herself at that age: easily excited, exuberant, observant, and humorous. She wasn't just "bright", she was extremely intelligent. Her intelligence gave her maturity; perhaps that's why she could stand her.

Usually, Brooke wasn't that great with children. It wasn't that she didn't like them; she just wasn't as natural or intuitive with them as she was with animals. But with Kelly, it was easy. She thoroughly enjoyed her company.

Then again, it's only been 24 hours, Brooke thought to herself. Give yourself some time to see her other sides.

When the laughing subsided, Kelly crawled over on hands and knees and sat in front of Brooke. She took Brooke's hands and started to swing them gently until Brooke joined in. "Can we talk?" she asked.

"Of course," Brooke replied.

"Are you going to ask permission?"

Brooke almost asked "For what?" but instead was able to reply: "Your Daddy and I have some stuff to talk about."

"Is it OK if I don't give you permission?"

Brooke nodded. "Of course, Kelly. That's what we agreed on. If you don't give me permission, I will absolutely respect that." She paused. "Can I ask why?"

"You're so nice. I like you. I don't want you and my Daddy to hate each other, then I'll never get to see you again."

Brooke sighed and shook her head. She held Kelly's hands a little tighter. "Kelly, my relationship with you will not be determined by my relationship with your father. You and I can still be friends, even if your Dad and I aren't. You're the little sister I never had. I will always be here for you, no matter what. And I think your Dad will respect that, no matter what."

"No matter what?" Kelly clarified.

"No matter what."

Kelly stood up and hugged Brooke tightly, resting her chin on Brooke's shoulder. Brooke sighed and squeezed back. She didn't regret her promise to the little girl, but it did make her wonder: What have I gotten myself into?

Brooke scooped Kelly up and carried her into the house. The two sat down on the couch and Brooke turned on the television. Kelly lay down on top of Brooke, her head resting gently on her chest. It was as if she had reverted back a few years, and Brooke wondered what exactly her home life was like. She seemed desperate for someone—not necessarily another parental figure, more like a friend.

The slam of a car door outside caused Brooke to look up suddenly. Kelly followed her glance, and they both watched Ian climb out of his sports car. Kelly tapped Brooke's shoulder, bringing attention to her big brown eyes.

"If I give you permission, do you promise to keep your promise?" she said quickly, her eyes glancing back and forth between Brooke and her father out the window. Brooke smiled down at Kelly and nodded.

"No matter what," she said.

"Okay," Kelly said. "You make my Daddy smile so much, and it's only been, like, a day. He likes you a lot, I can tell."

Brooke smiled and patted her hair gently. "I don't know what's going to happen—" the door opened, so Brooke dropped the tone of her voice. "But thank you. Having your permission means a lot. I hope you know that."

Ian walked into the room and smiled when he saw Brooke and his daughter lounging on the couch. "What a picture," he said, placing the brown bag of Carvel down on the coffee table. Plain vanilla for Ian, chocolate-strawberry swirl for Kelly, and chocolate chop cookie dough for Brooke.

Within minutes, the ice cream was devoured. Brooke was expecting the result to be a hyperactive seven year-old running rampant with an equally hyper retriever. It had the opposite affect though, and within a half an hour, Kelly crashed on the couch. Brooke looked to Ian and raised her eyebrows.

"I suppose now would—would be the time to talk?" he asked. She nodded. "Do you have a guest room?"

"I have a study," Brooke replied. "I would suggest putting her in my room, but there is a water dragon and a boa in there so if she woke up…"

"It wouldn't be pretty."

"We can go to my room so she won't be disturbed."

Ian's eyebrows raised and he smiled. Brooke rolled her eyes and ignored the look. When he put a hand on her waist as she led him down the hall, she pushed it off quickly. She opened the door to her room, flicked the light on, and made sure the door stayed open. She motioned for him to sit on one side of her bed. She sat down next to him, but with about two and a half feet in between them.

Ian reached out to touch Brooke's upper arm, but she moved away from him. "Listen, Ian," she began. "I know we obviously have chemistry, like I said before I'm not denying it. You're attractive, intelligent, and witty…but I'm not so sure about this."

"What aren't you sure about?" Ian asked. He slid his hand over Brooke's, and this time, she didn't pull away.

"What it is exactly that you want out of a relationship," she replied. "I'm not into frivolity. I've been there, done that. I know you have too. But I'm passed that stage in my life. My life is crazy enough already. I need something steady. Steady means slow, steady means exclusive. I would love to give it a try with you, but if you're not a steady kind of guy, I'm not going to try and make you one."

Ian's eyes softened from a mischievous sparkle to genuine concern. His smirk turned into a small smile. "I see where you're coming from," he murmured. "I understand. And you understand my—well my usual intentions well. But, uh, you see, if the options are either to try 'steady' with you or to not have any part of you, I, well, I want to try steady. I'm willing to give it a try."

"Are you willing to take it slow?" Brooke asked, trying to hide the fact her heart was racing in her chest. "I mean, a couple of real dates to get to know each other first before anything—"

"Ah, but we've already had a first date," Ian pointed out.

"Your daughter tagged along," Brooke reminded. "That totally doesn't count."

Ian's fingers brushed gently against the skin of her forearm. "All right," he murmured. "Dinner tomorrow? I'll make sure to—to get a sitter for Kelly."

"Sure, that would be lovely," Brooke replied, glancing down at his hand. When she looked back up, Ian's face was just inches from hers.

"I'll pick you up at 6?" he asked. Brooke could feel the warmth of his breath, she could smell the vanilla. She looked from his lips back up to his eyes. Her heart was practically throwing itself against her ribcage.

Ian closed the gap between them, and Brooke let out a sigh of content as their lips met. It was electric. Fireworks seemed to explode around them. Something primal unleashed inside of Brooke, so quickly she almost wasn't able to stop herself. She put her hand on Ian's chest and pushed herself away slowly. Ian leaned forward again, this time aiming for her neck. She evaded him and moved back to the edge of the bed.

"Slow," she repeated. He looked slightly disappointed, so she reached out and took his hand. "Please?"

Ian nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "Slow," he said. "Okay."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Kelly and I should probably get going, then before I, uh, I can't stop myself." He didn't hide the way he looked her up and down. "God, you're beautiful."

Brooke blushed and thanked him for being respectful of her wishes. They rose from the bed and headed toward the living room. Before they reached it, Brooke stopped him and looked up. With her index figure, she motioned for him to lean over. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him one more time, very gently. He cupped the back of her head in one hand, fingers applying slight pressure to her scalp.

"Goodnight," Brooke breathed as she pulled away.

The mischievous sparkle had returned to Ian's eyes when he smiled down at her. "Goodnight," he murmured.

Brooke watched as Ian very gently picked up his daughter in his arms, holding her "firefighter style". It was amazing to see someone so physically large be so gentle with something so slight. He gave Brooke one last smile and wink as she held the door open for him. She watched him limp to his car and place his daughter very gently in the back seat. She waved one last time and then closed the door.

She released her hair from her pony rail and ran her fingers through it. With her free hand, she touched her lips gently, expecting to feel a static shot. Her cheeks were on fire, and her stomach was doing summersaults. Despite it all, she smiled, and walked over to the phone.

"Hey, Jen?" she said when her friend picked up on the other line. "We're going to need to head to the mall again. I've got a date tomorrow."

"With who?"

"The rock star."