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Brooke pulled the steaks out of the oven and grinned when she saw the perfect browning. She loved the broiler... especially when it was too rainy for the grill.
She checked the baked potatoes and saw that they were almost done, along with the green beans. She looked on the counter and grinned at the pecan pie. Everything was turning out perfectly.
She pulled two plates down and set them on the table with their place settings before she picked up one of Neal's lighters and lit the cinnamon candles on the table's simple centerpiece.
Glancing at the clock, she knew that Neal would be home any time now. She would wait for the sound of the dogs barking and running to the door before she started to plate up the food.
Right on cue, there they went... Sixx's excited whiny-bark, special for his daddy, and Einstein's 'Beagle bay', echoed through the front of the house as they launched themselves toward the door at the scratch of Neal's key in the lock.
"Hey, guys! Back it up..." Neal's voice carried to the kitchen from the front hall as he pushed his way past the greeting committee into the house. Setting his guitar case down just inside the living room, Neal leaned against the wall to tug off his boots, sniffing the air appreciatively.
"Momma's been busy, huh..." Neal murmured, stooping down and ruffling each dog's ears gently. "Better go find her and say hi as well..." Straightening up with a slight groan, Neal raised his arms above his head, stretching and twisting with a huge yawn before padding toward the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck.
Brooke heard the dogs and grinned, plating each of their dinners before cleaning the small bits of food off of the counter. She turned as she heard the sound of Neal's boots on the floor.
This was the first time that she had gone all-out, making dinner and dessert for Neal since they had been together... Biting her lip, she waited for his reaction.
Neal paused, just inside the doorway, his eyes sweeping over the spread before him. "...Wow..." he murmured softly, meeting Brooke's eyes with a smile. "Smells wonderful, Brooke..."
Brooke walked over and smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. "I hope it tastes as good as it smells," she said, and pulled him toward the table. "Let's eat, shall we?"
Neal grinned, allowing Brooke to pull him to his seat. "If it smells this amazing, there's no way it could taste bad," he murmured, bending forward to inhale deeply over his steak. "God, that's..." He shook his head, his mind drifting back to his mom, broiling steaks for the two of them for those special occasions when they were home alone, and didn't have a care in the world... "Wow," he repeated softly, squeezing Brooke's hand.
Brooke smiled and leaned down, kissing him softly. "I made pecan pie too... I called Andy to find out what your favorite was."
Neal smiled broadly at Brooke, shaking his head again in wonderment. "God...you have no idea how much I needed this today..." he murmured, splitting his baked potato to add butter, sniffing again at the scent released by the butter's melting.
Brooke slipped into her seat and looked at Neal from across the table, letting her foot rest on top of Neal's. "What happened...?"
"Tryin' to work out all the arrangements today with Dave and Andy... Good Lord, I don't know when Dave went all hip-hop and shit on me, but... Damn, tryin' t' talk some sense into that boy's head...I'm the musical director for a reason, right? I know his sound. Putting samples into his work? That's..." Neal made a frustrated sound, tugging at his hair lightly. "Seriously. Crazy-fuckin'-talk."
Brooke frowned. "Is it because of the writers that he was working with this time around?"
"I have no idea," Neal shrugged, and cut into his steak, bringing the first morsel up to his nose to sniff it deeply, his eyes sinking closed with a smile.
Brooke speared a green bean and bit into it as she watched Neal. "Have you tried to talk to him about it?"
"Spent a couple of hours doin' that t'day..." he murmured, and shrugged, chewing the piece of steak with a blissful expression on his face.
Brooke didn't say any more...just taking in the sight of Neal enjoying the food. "So, no food poisoning then?" she teased.
Neal cracked an eye open at her, smiling faintly. "Nope, not at all...tastes as good as it smells...just like mom used t'make..."
Brooke let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Is that a good thing, then?"
Neal cocked his head at her, opening up his other eye to study her face. "Yeah, it is," he replied softly, reaching over to grip her hand gently. "...Better, in fact...she's off in New Mexico, and you...you're right here with me."
Brooke smiled softly. "I just wanted something that would make you feel better... I knew from your texts today that you were having a rough day..."
Neal threaded his fingers through Brooke's, returning her soft smile. "Yeah, I was...doesn't seem nearly so bad anymore, though. This..." he waved his fork at the food in front of them, "...is just...'amazing' is the only way to describe it. The steak is perfectly broiled and seasoned...the potato is baked to perfection...the green beans taste so good...and God, I can't wait for that pecan pie. It smells delicious from here..."
Brooke couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her face at hearing Neal describe the dinner. "That's the whole point... Just making the day better..." she whispered, still holding onto Neal's hand.
Neal swallowed hard over the lump forming in his throat. "Love...for me...every day is better for having you in it..."
Brooke ducked her head as she felt the heat in her cheeks. She stood up slowly and walked over to him, cupping her hands over his cheeks as she leaned down, kissing him softly. "I agree with that so completely," she whispered. "Love you...so much..."
Neal reached up and threaded a hand into Brooke's hair, pulling her down for another gentle kiss. "Love you too," he murmured against her lips. "Now, about that pie..." He pulled back slightly, his lips curving into a mischievous smile. "...Please tell me we have whipped cream left from last night."
Brooke laughed and then grinned wickedly. "Are you going to use it on the pie this time?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow up at him.
"We'll see, Brooklyn," he murmured, kissing her again. "...We'll see."