The feel of a warm hand on her shoulder abruptly interrupted her thoughts..
"Jake? How did you…," Brooke began."What are you doing here?"
Cohen took a seat beside his friend. One look at Brooke told Cohen why he had recieved an urgent phone from Sam Prescott a little more than an hour before. Cohen inwardly sighed, as he put his arm around her.
He had been emotionally standing back, waiting for explosion in one form or another to happen between Brooke and Prescott, since Prescott's return. He knew both parties too well to think that they could live under the same roof after everything that had happened and not buckle under the pressure of either the past they shared or the issues they faced in the present.
"Sam called," Cohen said. He frowned as he rubbed her hands with his."You're like ice, Brooke. Let's go up to Flynn's and get you warmed up."
"I'm fine Jake," she said stubbornly. "Sam shouldn't have involved you in this. Go back to William and enjoy what's left of the weekend. The poor man must have had his fill of my life crisis's interrupting your time together-"
"Will is an incredibly generous and patient man. Besides, I'll make it up to him when I stop on the way back and bring him back some homemade coffee cake from Rachel's for Sunday breakfast."
Brooke shook her head.
"Go home Jake."
"Brooke, the man is worried sick about you," Cohen said as he removed his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "If you don't want to talk, I won't push. But, either you go inside with me or we freeze out here together."
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"How much did he tell you," she asked as the waitress left with their order.
Cohen shrugged his shoulders as he surveyed the room. The popular bar and grill that was usually packed during the evening was all but deserted. Only the bartender, a waitress and two men who appeared to be weekend fisherman, sat at the bar watching the afternoon game.
Brooke followed his gaze.
"What are you doing," she asked.
"Just making sure you won't get more unwanted press,"Cohen admitted. "I saw the Ledger this morning. I think you're safe here, though. I don't see any camera's and with that storm coming in, it would have to be a hell of a telephoto lens to make get anything other than blur."
Brooke stared for a moment, the mrong paper a distant memory. After a moment, she nodded.
"Good old tabloid journalism. Where would we be without it," she said cynically, as the waitress set down two cups of coffee and departed.
Brooke picked up a packet of creamer as she continued. "So, how much did Sam tell you?"
"Not much," Cohen said as he reflected on the unexpected phone conversation."He said you two had words and you had left the house pretty upset. Figured you'd be with me. When you weren't, he asked if I do some checking. He didn't want to call your brother and worry him, so-"
"You didn't," Brooke asked sharply, as she brought the cup to her lips.
Cohen shook his head.
"Naw, wanted to try a few of your hiding places first. Besides, Sam was reaching. I know you wouldn't go to Andy this. Not when he's Sam's biggest supporter these days."
"Thanks," she said softly. "You know Jake, if we could just get passed the fact you prefer a hairy chest to a bust line, you'd be the perfect man for me."
Cohen's laughter filled the room as he wiped drops of coffee from his mouth.
"If only," he replied, amused. "Obviously this isn't about the case. Not with you making remarks like that. Maybe I should give Jack a call-"
"No," she said, almost in a panic."Jack's the last person I want to talk to right now."
Cohen watched her while she drank her coffee and stared out the window. When he reached for the sugar dispenser, he noticed her injured finger. He frowned, as he picked up her hand. While he inspected the jagged cut, it suddenly occured to him what was supposed to be there and wasn't.
"Oh Brooke," he said squeezing the hand that was missing a ring Cohen knew had come to symbolize so much for her. "I hate to see you hurting like this. Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what happened."
Cohen listened as his friend recounted the morning's events. Two cups of coffee and three tear filled napkins later, he sat back, feeling like he had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
"It should go without saying, you are being too hard on yourself. But, knowing you as I do, it has to be said," he replied with a wink.
Brooke smiled sadly at her friend.
"You really should do defense work. You have a heart big enough to justify anything, if it involves someone you believe in."
"You give me too much credit," he said glibly. "I'd have a harder time justifying the actions of a child rapist, than a woman whose been broadsided more times in the last two months than I have in the last decade. Brooke, you're only human. So is Sam. I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner."
"Yeah, well spending most of my nights at the office until midnight kind of helped lessen the chances,"she said miserably."God Jake, I can't even do betrayal right…I mean I let it happen and then I called Sam 'Jack', and at the most intimate moment possible. How messed up is that?"
"I'll give you, it wasn't what I expected," Cohen admitted. "I'm sure it wasn't what Sam expected either. But betrayal? Come on Brooke. You might have betrayed your own parochial sense of morality, but you didn't betray either one of them."
"Parochial? Gee Jake…I didn't realize remaining faithful to your lover – or your husband – were such out of dates ideas. Maybe I should just buy a bigger bed and-"
"What about being faithful to yourself," he asked ignoring her sarcasm. "You had to know Brooke. You had to see how far your feelings ran for Sam."
"I think that's what they have shrinks for, Cohen," she said, as she looked at the finger that felt so bare. "God, Jake what a mess... I've managed to hurt both of them. On top of that, Sam could go to prison for a murder he didn't commit and Jack…Jack's shot at a second term could be destroyed with all the bad press and fallout from the trial…not to mention the fact before this is all done the last thing Sam and I will probably do together is file for chapter seven protection."
Cohen started to tell her she was over reacting, exaggerating, but knew that would be a lie.
"My God it must seem like your life has been torn apart…personally, professionally, brick by brick. But you've survived worse. Sam's death, the miscarriage and you've always managed to pick yourself up. This time will be no exception."
Brooke nodded as she picked up her purse and stood.
"Thanks Jake. I appreciate you coming all the way down here to rescue me one more time. But, it's getting late. If you want to hit Rachel's before you go back to the Hampton's you better get a move on."
Cohen stood as well leaving some money on the table. He put his arm around her shoulder as they moved towards the door.
"Actually, Will's waiting for me at my place. Come help me pick some coffee cake before you head back. I'll even buy you one of Rachel's sinfully delicious brownies."
As they walked from the boardwalk to the main avenue of the quaint oceanfront village, rain began to steadily fall from the sky. In an effort to avoid becoming soaked, the pair made a dash for the door, nearly knocking over the tall grey haired figure clad in a green all weather jacket and jeans.