“No worries. Whatever you have to do is fine with me, and I don’t want you to stress out about this all week. It’s just two friends hanging out and having fun. Don’t make it bigger than that in your head.”

That last part was what got her… He knew what she needed to hear. He understood. “I’d love to see you.”

“Great,” he said, sounding relieved. “I’ll figure out the details. Do you promise you won’t worry about anything?”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Trust me when I tell you that you have nothing at all to worry about where I’m concerned.”

“I know.”

“I mean it, Brooke. I don’t want you to worry.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

“Good. I’ll call you later?”

“Talk to you then.”

“No worrying!”

The phone beeped when he ended the call.

She remembered she’d missed a call from her mother while she was talking to him. Because Tracy would worry if Brooke didn’t call her back, she put through the call.

“Hi, honey. How’s it going?”

“Good, just between classes.”

“How’s everything else?”

“I know that you know about Nate, so stop trying to act so casual.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

“Because there was nothing to tell.”

“Brooke… Come on. There must be something to tell if he felt the need to bring it to Sam.”

“He shouldn’t have done that. We’re not at that point.” Weren’t they, though? Ugh, she hated the roller coaster of emotions that accompanied everything to do with him. “And I thought you wouldn’t approve.”

“Why not?”

“He’s older than me, for one thing.”

“Dad is older than me.”

“By three years, and you were twenty-five when you met him. Nate is seven years older than me.”

“You know what’s good about that?”

“What?” Brooke asked, shocked that her mother found anything good in the age difference that had been a big reason she’d kept him hidden from her family.

“He’s a full-grown man and not a boy pretending to be a man.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Tracy laughed. “I’m referring to his maturity level.”

“Which is a concern.”

“Sweetie…”

“I know what you’re going to say, and it’s nothing I haven’t told myself. Eventually, I’m going to have to be with a guy that way, and it may as well be with someone who truly cares about me.”

“Does he truly care?”

“I think he does. He’s very… kind.”

“That’s the most important thing. If I recall correctly, he’s also very handsome.”

“Yes, he is.” Her roommates called him McDreamy after seeing him on FaceTime calls. “Are you crying?”

“No, of course not.”

“Yes, you are. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just so happy for you that you’ve found a nice, kind, handsome man who makes you smile.”