The rest of Christmas break flew by way too fast for Brooke, mostly because it was spent caring for a sick Melody.  The cold symptoms invaded Brooke just in time to return to school.  She felt like a zombie upon her return but daytime cold medicine became her saving grace.

Silence had overcome her phone over these last few weeks after New Year's. A message here and there dinged while Brooke and Melody were sick, but with a fuzzy, congested brain, she forgot to respond. When she did remember, Brooke was too embarrassed that she took so long to respond.  Now, silence.

Presumably, Lincoln went back to his life in San Diego now that the busy holidays were over but why wouldn't he call? Or at least text again? This is what Brooke feared.  He said she wasn't a tryst, yet when she turned out to be more challenging, once she told him a few of her life's burdens, when it was back to regular life he moved on. So many times Brooke opened a text to reach out but stopped herself. 

It was time for her to be chased, not do the chasing.  If Lincoln wanted her, he could initiate.

By the weekend, Brooke was happily snuggled in her pajamas watching endless princess movies and pony episodes to appease Melody in order to rest.  When the doorbell rang, Brooke peered out the living room window blinds with a groan but perked up when she saw Leena's car parked in front of the house.  Wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket like a cocoon, Brooke answered the door.

"Ohh..." Leena groaned, reacting to Brooke's very red nose and puffy eyes.

"Hi to you, too," Brooke replied dryly, opening the door more.

"Tita!" Melody cheered, jumping up and down in addition to clapping with enthusiasm.

"Heeey." Leena greeted back with a wide grin.  "I brought you some of my moms adobo."

Brooke's eyes widened as she snatched the tupperware.  "I love your mom!" Quickly plopping back down onto the couch, a congested squeal bubbled out.  "Ohhh! And her chow mein! Yum!"

"Do you know why you got sick?" Leena asked vaguely, eyebrow quirked as she sat across from Brooke on the couch.

Returning the quizzical look with an eyebrow curve of her own, Brooke shot a sideways glance toward Melody.  Her eyes rolled and closed in a pleasant distraction of filipino bursting flavors on her tongue.

"Don't blame your daughter!" Leena waved dismissively.  "It's because of all the stress of the last few months!" Brooke shrugged, taking another ravenous bite.  "You know what you need? A weekend away."

"That would be so nice," Brooke mumbled, her mouth full of food until she swallowed the bite.  "But I can't afford it."

Leena's lips spread into a devious grin.  "What if I told you... it's already taken care of?"

"When? Where to? And who will babysit Melody for a whole weekend?" Brooke asked sarcastically, knowing full well a weekend away just by herself was impossible. 

There were too many factors and things that could go wrong.  What if Dorian found out? He had been so testy lately and kept threatening to take her to court.  True it was unlikely, but there still existed a sliver of possibility. He could never be underestimated.

"Next weekend, Big Bear and she can stay with me," Leena answered. "Or I can stay here.  Whichever you are most comfortable with."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Melody cheered clapping again, obviously eavesdropping.

"You're serious?" Pausing her chewing, Brooke met her friends gaze not missing the glint of mischief in her chocolate eyes.  The prospect of a weekend away to rejuvenate was incredibly tempting. Leena nodded. "I'd have to take next Friday off... write sub plans..."

Resting her chin on her fist as her elbow leaned on the couch, Leena batted her eyelashes, tilted her lips into a smirk, and waited for the problem with that statement.

Brooke's own lips lifted into an excited grin.  "OK."

****

Winding her way through the curved mountain roads, Brooke couldn't help but feel a pressure lift off her shoulders this lovely Friday afternoon.  Never had the opportunity to get away been possible. Busy with single parenting, work, planning and everything else, a break never seemed plausible.

So much had happened in the last few years, yet Brooke hadn't really had a chance to let it process.  From her marriage taking a tumultuous turn and leading to a very messy divorce, her world was shaken violently.  Less than a year later, it shattered with the sudden death of her dad. 

That led to a successful yet isolated and lonely three years away from family and friends she had depended on as her support system. Then more news that rocked her world, yet not for the better.  Her mom became sick.  Shortly after Brooke's return to her childhood home, her mom passed away. 

All of these events, snowballing, growing, shattering everything she had leaned on, crashed, bottoming out from beneath her.  Ever armed with a mask of positivity for the sake of Melody, Brooke had many moments of stifling suffocation.  Emotions crashing around her, stealing her breath painfully from her lungs.  She bore many scars that would rear their ugly heads, effectively crippling Brooke with ghosts of the past and fears for the future's uncertainty.

So when presented with an opportunity to break away and be free of everything, even if for just a couple of days, for the sake of her own emotional and mental health, Brooke took that opportunity to get away and breathe.

One of the newest factors causing turmoil was Lincoln Flores.  He had come barreling into her life spouting opinions Brooke had thought her sturdy inner walls would fervently protect against.  He had begun to crack through those walls and made her feel things she hadn't felt before for a very long time.  Done things to her that awoke yearnings left dormant.  Yet nearly two weeks had gone by and no word.

The sun was setting behind the glorious lush mountains sending a breathtaking orange, violet and pink glow across the sky. Brooke rounded the curve to pass through the small lake town, continuing down the streets following the directions as dictated by her phone.

Leena had insisted she and Trenton make all the arrangements including a key being hidden under a planter on the front porch of the cabin rental.  Loaded with bags of groceries in the trunk, Brooke bit her lip in excitement and followed the road around the glistening lake.

Making her final turn, Brooke found herself on a dead end street that ended in the driveway of the rental.  Her jaw dropped at the beauty.

"How did they manage this?" Brooke muttered as she stepped out of her car. This rental must have been expensive!
This wasn't a cabin! It was a mansion! Whatever term defined the dwelling, it was breathtaking.  Log siding matched the craftsman style porch, displaying its warm welcome with rock clad pillars. As Brooke slowly walked toward the door, the bright reflection off the lake blaring into her eyes. 

"Ohh, wow!" she exhaled, peering past the side of the house to catch a glimpse of the lake view she would get from the opposite side of the house.

A chilly wind blew, cutting through her thin hoodie.  Brooke hastened toward the car retrieving her satchel, the small rolling suitcase, then returned to gather the canvas grocery bags to bring inside. Sure enough, there was a key hidden under a planter beside the large wooden door. Hanging on the key ring looked like a button for a garage door.  Brooke pressed it and the garage door to her right and it began to roll upward.

Quickly deciding to move her car, Brooke felt better about concealing it from any weather that could unexpectedly hit.  Winters in these mountains could be brutal. The garage was wide enough to fit three cars across and made her small sedan look teeny. 

Back at the front door, Brooke was ready to go inside this beautiful cabin home. With a deep inhale to calm her excitedly fluttering heart, she turned the key and pushed the door in.  No lights were on so Brooke fumbled around for a switch.  She found a lamp and twisted the knob successfully illuminating the small room.  A sharp gasp of air invaded her lungs at the sight.  The room was by no means small.

From where Brooke stood after wheeling in her suitcase and bringing in the grocery bags, she took a moment to look around in appreciation. The log lined foyer was lit brilliantly with a large chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.  A grand staircase with branches for a railing led upstairs on her left. The light extended to the formal dining room with a long wooden table with seating for ten on her right.

Rays of light stretched forward, hinting a glimpse at what Brooke guessed was a living room.  Leaving her groceries and luggage behind, she continued forward, turning on another lamp just past a set of french doors.  The small, private living room was elegantly decorated with a beige loveseat, rock face fireplace and two matching arm chairs.

Upstairs, a set of double doors called Brooke's attention.  She flipped on a lightswitch and a wide grin spread across her face. A squeal of sheer delight sounded as Brooke scampered forward. She threw herself on the king sized bed.  The beige comforter felt incredibly soft against her skin.  A fur blanket laid temptingly across the foot of the bed.  Brooke rolled onto her side, smothering her face into its delicate softness.

Another large fireplace lined with rocks faced the large bed and floor to ceiling windows filled the adjacent wall. Logs of wood lined the walls, continuing the cabin theme.

Now giddy with excitement, Brooke rushed into another door, nearly fainting when she saw the master bathroom.  Tan stone lined a clear shower, granite countertops framed a double sink but the real gem was the large pearl white soaker tub.  She let out a groan of ecstacy, very excited to let her body relax in that gorgeous tub.

The large walk-in closets on either end of the bathroom made Brooke groan in envy. A spacious deck enclosed in glass took her breath away. Brooke decided this is where she would set up her painting and sketching materials the following morning.  The view faced the darkened lake but it would be breathtaking during the day.

Deciding to bring her suitcase into the bedroom then put the groceries away, the kitchen made Brooke groan out loud as well. This was the first room to lack the log walls. Travertine floors, off white cabinets and walls with charcoal gray counters and stainless steel appliances.
It was a true chef's kitchen.

What was even better was all the pots and pans, skillets and dinnerware Brooke would need to cook her own meals. As she put her cold groceries away in the fridge, her brow furrowed seeing a few fresh groceries already in it.  Shrugging it off as perhaps the owner of this rental added basic groceries, Brooke put the rest away.

After making a turkey sandwich, Brooke nibbled at it while she explored the rest of this breathtaking house. A quaint breakfast nook sat off the side of the kitchen, another smaller dining room connected as well.  If Brooke owned this house, it would be a painting studio or playroom for Melody.

Next to the smaller dining room was a larger living room. Floor to ceiling rock surrounded another fireplace that faced a long couch, loveseat and arm chairs. A pool table sat in the corner and a large flat TV screen mounted to the wall hung above a sleek cabinet Brooke discovered was full of movies.  The tall, double wide bookshelves were packed with a wide variety of novels and other texts.

She even found a laundry room and fully stocked pantry across from the kitchen, connecting to the garage. Overall, it was a fantastic house. This would truly be a very relaxing weekend.  Alone, in the mountains with a couple of books, paints and quiet to heal in.

Laying in bed later that night, Brooke felt like she would be swallowed whole by the absolute silence.  If was deafening.  No Melody snoring beside her, no cats meowing or purring, no cars, alarms, nothing.  Not a sound.  Deafening silence.

She rolled over and checked the time. It was barely 9:30.  Brooke decided to go shower and sleep at her normal time despite her "vacation" and hoped to get an early start to paint the sunrise. After tossing and turning for an hour in bed, followed by an hour of reading, she gave up and threw the blankets off.

The darkness of the hallway consumed Brooke but she still confidently made her way to the kitchen.  Warming some milk along with a cookie or two, should help her be able to sleep. Her bare feet padded along the cool tile as she maneuvered around the kitchen softly humming to herself.

****

Lincoln pulled up into the dark driveway, tugging his weekend duffle from the front seat. Jingling his keys into the lock, he shoved it open, closing it with a slam.  It had been a busy and frustrating two weeks with no word back from Brooke.  Had he scared her off?  This weekend he would use the solace to figure out what he had done wrong and how to fix it with her. Trenton suggesting a weekend at his cabin was an excellent idea.

Brooke heard the front door slam and she froze in place.  Grateful she hadn't turned on any lights, she tiptoed her way from the kitchen into the living room, hoping to get to her bag and mace.  The heavy male footsteps from the intruder seemed to be heading that way.

"What the..." a baritone voice muttered. 

The bed was in disarray but empty, too far to hide in.  Her phone laid on the nightstand and suitcase on the bench at the foot of the bed.  Both too far to reach.

Who was in this house?

Gripping the neck of the lamp tightly between her hands, Brooke awaited the intruder.  Her assumption had been correct.  He went for the bedroom first, probably assuming no one was there and would steal what he could.  When those steps came hurriedly back to the living room, Brooke grabbed the first thing she could use as a weapon.

As soon as the intruder stepped foot back into the living room, Brooke let out a loud shout and swung the lamp with all her might.  Not the most athletic person in the world, it was a pure miracle she even hit the guy who broke into this cabin.

The lamp shattered on contact with the head of her invader, followed immediately by a deep, loud shout of pain and a string of curses. With a resounding thud, the body fell to the ground hard.  Breathing heavily with the exertion, Brooke scrambled over the man rolling in pain, making a mad dash for the bedroom.

Full of frantic panic, Brooke dug through the pockets inside her bag.  She was so focused on her search, Brooke didn't notice the man had fumbled up the stairs. He'd drunkenly made it into the bedroom, switched on the light then peered around the room.

She froze where she stood, hunched over, elbow deep into her suitcase, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights.  Lincoln leaned onto the doorway, anger pouring off of him as he clutched his bleeding forehead. When he got his hands on the person who just assaulted him in his own home!

The bright invasion of light filled the room illuminating the culprit.  Eyes opening wide, Lincoln's anger evaporated when he saw the person in his cabin master bedroom.  Clad in a long, dark cotton nightshirt that barely covered that delectable ass, was none other than...

"Brooke?" he asked, voice gruff from the throbbing pain in his head but surprise not hidden in his tone.

"Lincoln?" Brooke questioned at the same time, voice also clearly revealing her confusion.