by Addison Cole
“I told him he can’t meet her. I’m afraid to let him. What if Layla adores him and then we break up?”
“I think you mean what if you adore him and then you break up, too.”
Brianna dropped her eyes. “It worries me. He’s a little too good to be true.” She leaned forward, and her mother met her halfway across the table as she whispered, “We could have…you know…and he knew that I was worried about getting too involved because of Layla. So we didn’t.” She leaned back, then admitted, “He wouldn’t.”
Her mother’s jaw dropped. “Brianna!”
“What?”
They both laughed, and Brianna covered her face with her hand.
“Oh, honey. It’s okay. You’re allowed to…do that.”
“I know, Mom, but if I get close to him and it doesn’t work out, then what?” As the words left her mouth, her heart squeezed. She realized for the first time how very badly she wanted to be with Hugh and how she’d been blocking those feelings because it’s what she’d told herself she needed to do for so very long. Please tell me it’s okay. Please, please. I want to be with him more than I want almost anything else in the world.
“Well, I don’t know anything about any of the men you’ve dated over the past few years or how it worked out with them.” She narrowed her eyes, and Brianna knew she was expecting an admission.
“None. No one since.” She nodded toward the playroom.
“No. That can’t be.” Her mother shook her head. “I thought you were just being careful about telling me or letting Layla know. No one? Not once?”
Brianna shook her head. “I was planning on waiting until Layla was eighteen so I didn’t complicate her life.”
“Oh, honey. I take back every thought I ever had about me being a good mother. I’m a terrible mother if that’s what you’ve been doing. Brianna, you can’t be the best mother you are capable of if you aren’t fulfilled, too, and fulfillment comes from all angles.”
“So you want me to sleep around?” Brianna teased.
“No!” She leaned forward again. “But you don’t have to be a nun. Enjoy life a little. Date. Go dancing. Hang out with Kat more than just at work. Layla’s almost six. She’s not a toddler. I can take her sometimes. Good Lord. Eighteen? That’s twelve more years. I promise you, if you do that, you’ll spin around in twelve years and wonder what the heck you accomplished.”
“But our lives are so complicated. I work all the time, and I need time with Layla.”
“You do, yes.” Her mother tapped her finger on the table with an unfamiliar glint in her eye, and the right side of her mouth lifted in a mischievous smile. “But you also need to honor your own feelings and your needs as a woman. If you feel this guy…what’s his name?”
“Hugh Braden.” Saying his name made her heart race.
“Hugh Braden. If you feel he’s not a gigolo of some sort and he treats you well, go on a date or two. See how it goes. I’ll watch Layla, and she won’t have to know until you decide she should.”
“No one says gigolo anymore, Mom.” Brianna laughed, but inside she was both relieved and terrified. She’d been counting on her mother to talk some sense into her and talk her out of following her heart. She’d felt her heart opening to Hugh already. What would it do if they became intimate?
Chapter Sixteen
HUGH ROUNDED THE bend at the bottom of the hill and ran at a quick pace beneath the colorful poplar and maple trees that lined the road in front of his house. He’d been too edgy after spending the day with Brianna to sit still in his house, and it was too late to go to the track. He finished his four-mile run with a sprint up the driveway. He stretched and headed to the back door to spend an hour in his home gym. Just walking by the garage made him think of Brianna and the way she’d leaned over the console to kiss him and then pressed her bare skin against his. She was so sexy that he’d been ready to take her right there in the driver’s seat. It was probably a good thing her phone rang. Sex in the car might have been hot, but it was not where he wanted to make love to Brianna for the first time. He’d envisioned her beneath him in his bed ever since they’d been intimate on the couch, and after spending the day together, his attraction to her had only become stronger, deeper, more layered.
He worked his biceps and triceps in front of the mirror. His T-shirt was drenched with sweat and stuck to his body like a second skin. He ran his hand through his hair and slicked it back away from his face. His massive quads were even more pronounced from the hard run. Hugh loved the adrenaline rush of working out, but as he pumped his arms with each heavy lift, he thought about how he’d rather be spending the hour with Brianna.
He set the weights down to answer his cell phone.
“Hey, Treat.”
“Hugh. How’s it going?”
It was good to hear his brother’s voice. Hugh had been so young when his mother died, and Treat, as the oldest, had been eleven. Treat had taken it upon himself to ensure each of his siblings knew what their mother was like, and to Hugh, those stories became real, as if he’d been there to experience them himself.
“Great. I’m in Richmond, and you know, keeping it real.” Hugh had always tried to play things casual with his brothers, and they called him on it as often as Savannah did. “How’s Max?”
“She’s great. Your last race of the season is next weekend, right? Max and I want to come down for it.”
“Really? Man, that would be awesome. It’s in Daytona. Are you sure you can make it?”
“Hugh, have I ever said I’d make a race and not made it?”
Treat always kept his promises. Always. “No. I’m heading down Friday night.”
“I know you can’t stay out late or anything Friday night, but we can get together after the race, can’t we?”
Hugh’s mind was already racing. He wasn’t like Treat. His family was used to him taking off right after awards and races, usually to avoid the media rush, but he was already thinking about flying back to Richmond right after the race. He hated to blow off his brother if he was taking a trip just to see him, but the thought of blowing off Brianna was even more painful. “I’m not sure if I’m sticking around after the race.”
“Do you have another event?”
He heard the disappointment in Treat’s voice, and guilt sucked the enthusiasm from his voice. “No. No event.”
“Then why not hang out?” Treat pushed.
Hugh sighed. “I met someone here in Richmond, and I’m thinking about coming back to see her.” He closed his eyes, ready for the razzing his family had always given him.
“What’s another date with another model compared to spending time with family?” Treat’s voice had become serious.
“She’s not a model, Treat, and she’s not a fan either.” If it had been any of his other brothers, he’d have joked his way out of a serious conversation, but Treat had never steered him wrong and he was less judgmental than the others. He called Hugh on his crap, but he offered advice instead of just judgment. Right then, Hugh could use a little advice. In his brother’s silence he read disbelief.
“It’s the truth, Treat. She’s a single mom, and I like her. A lot.” Hugh sat down on the weight bench and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“A single mom.”
Maybe Hugh had given up his hand too early. He detected something akin to judgment in Treat’s voice.
“Yeah, a single mom. She has a daughter.” Hugh sat up straighter.
“Hugh, what are you thinking? Single moms have responsibilities. They can’t be out until two in the morning drinking, and I doubt she’ll want her daughter around a guy who dates a different woman every night.”
Hugh pushed to his feet. “You don’t know me that well, Treat.” Anger crept into his voice. “I haven’t dated like that in months.”
“Months?”
“Yes, months. I know how it seems to all of you. I’m the irresponsible youngest Braden, the one who you all laugh about when I leave family gatherings e
arly because you know it’s just who I am. I get it, man. I created that image, but it’s not me any longer, and it hasn’t been for a long time.”
“Months,” Treat repeated.
“Yes, months.”
“Really? Months? Well, I thought you meant, you know, a few weeks. How could I not have known that?”
“Despite what you think, you don’t know everything about all of us, Treat. Even with your ability to make a phone call and learn all the dirty details of people’s lives.”
“Hugh, I’m looking at an Enquirer from two months ago with my brother on the front, on the arm of a leggy model.”
He heard the smirk in Treat’s voice. “You believe those ridiculous magazines?”
“Not usually, but this sort of fits your rep, bro.”
“Yeah, it fit the rep I had. Look carefully, Treat. Do you see where it says 2012 Parade on the sign behind the blue car? The idiots didn’t Photoshop very well, did they?”
He heard paper crumbling.
“Why are you reading that garbage anyway?” Hugh asked. “Don’t you have better things to do with your time?”
“I’m at a doctor’s office, and it was here on the table. Now it’s in their trash can.”
“Doctor? Is everything okay?” Hugh sat back down. His father had a heart issue a little over a year ago, and now Hugh’s chest tightened at the thought.
“Yeah. Max wasn’t feeling well. We’re waiting to see the doctor.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Hugh let out a loud breath. “I don’t mean that. I thought it was Dad. I hope Max feels better.”
“She will. It’s not Dad; don’t worry. I’d have led with that if it were. So tell me about the woman you met.”
He heard Max in the background. “Hugh met a woman?” He pictured her pulling out her cell phone and blasting a text to his entire family and their significant others: Alert! Hugh met a woman he actually likes! There were no secrets in the Braden family. Their grapevine ran strong and often.
“Bree.” Hugh paced again. “She’s…I don’t know, Treat. She’s different from anyone I’ve ever met. She’s more real. She’s responsible, sweet, careful. She’s very careful.” He paused, and when Treat didn’t fill in the gap, he knew he was waiting for more, but he couldn’t define what it was about Brianna that tweaked his heart. He just knew that she had.
“Where’s the hot, sexy, awesome in bed stuff you always spout off?”
“Come on, Treat. She’s not like that. We haven’t even done that stuff. I mean, she’s beautiful, and she’s beyond sexy in a wholesome, natural way.” He paused again, thinking about Brianna’s smile and the way it lit up her eyes. “She’s nothing like the women I’ve dated. She’s better in every way.”
“Hugh, I’m sorry, man. I didn’t realize you were serious. What about her daughter?”
“I haven’t met her yet. I actually could use some advice on this, Treat, and I really don’t have anyone else to turn to. I really like Bree, and yes, it surprises me, but I can’t turn away from the way I feel. I haven’t known her that long, but when I took her to her apartment, I didn’t like the feeling I got. Some scuzzy guy was eyeing her, and I wanted to protect her. I mean, scuzzy guys look at women all the time, but I’ve never felt like I wanted to threaten one for looking at a woman I was with until I met Bree. And it worries me a little.”
“What part of it?”
“It’s fast. It’s a strong feeling. We both think I shouldn’t meet Layla—her daughter—until we’re sure about us. It all worries me. I’m not exactly the most patient man on earth.”
Treat laughed, a deep, hearty laugh that made Hugh smile. “You can say that again. Well, what’s your plan right now?”
Hugh headed for the stairs. “For the first time in my life, I don’t have a plan. I’m here until next Friday night; then I’m in Daytona. I want to come back Saturday night. Layla’s birthday is next week, and even if I haven’t met her by then, I want to be nearby in case Bree needs anything.” He laughed. “That’s weird, right?”
“No, Hugh. That’s growing up.”
“Right. Whatever. Then we have Savannah’s party the next weekend, and I already don’t want to be away from Bree again for that.”
“All I can tell you is that when fate steps in, you have no choice. You do whatever it takes to follow it.”
He heard Treat kiss Max, and it made him long for Brianna. He’d been waiting to call her, not wanting to smother her. And now, hearing her voice was all he wanted to do. His phone beeped with another call coming through.
“Hey, Treat. I have another call. Wanna hold on a sec?”
“I can’t. The nurse just called us in. I’ve got to run, but we’ll touch base before next weekend. Love you, Hugh. And don’t worry. You’ll figure it out, and I’m here if you need to bounce something off of me.”
“Love you too, Treat. Thanks.”
He clicked over without looking at the screen. “Hello?”
“Hugh?”
Hugh froze; then a smile crept across his lips. “Bree?”
“Yeah, hi.”
“Are you okay? Why are you being so quiet?” He went into the living room and eyed the couch where they’d made out. He had to turn away. Just thinking about it aroused him.
“I’m at my mom’s, and I’m out on the porch. I just didn’t want Layla to hear me.”
“Is she okay? How did she like the play?”
“She’s great, and she loved it. I’m actually calling because my mom offered to keep Layla again tonight, and I wondered if you were free. I know you’re probably busy, but—”
“Bree, I’m free. I’m definitely free, and I want to see you. But I thought you couldn’t make time.” He headed for the bedroom, already thinking about where to take her.
“Well, let’s just say that my mom convinced me that a twelve-year plan might not be the smartest thing for me to do.”
“I love your mom already.”
She laughed, and Hugh felt like the luckiest man on earth.
“Is there anything specific you want to do? When can I pick you up? Should I pick you up at your mom’s?” Words fell fast from his lips. He pulled his shirt over his head and turned on the shower.
“I need to shower and change. I don’t have anything specific I want to do. I just wanted to spend time with you,” she said.
“Okay.” Hugh’s mind raced. He had a great idea for their first date, but it would require pulling some major strings, and it was a weekend, which meant he needed to also collect on most of the favors owed to him—and then some. “How about I pick you up at seven thirty? What time do you need to be back?”
She didn’t answer.
“Bree?”
He read her answer in her silence. “Oh. Okay, then. I’ll see you at seven thirty. Hey?”
“Yeah?” Her voice was tentative, and Hugh imagined her tucking her hair behind her ear, looking away with her gorgeous eyes.
“No pressure here. Just because we can doesn’t mean we have to.” Hugh never imagined he’d be the kind of guy who would say anything even remotely similar to that. His feelings for Brianna were peeling away layers of his old self, and he liked the man who was emerging.
BRIANNA STARED INTO her closet. “Come on. Come on. Come on,” she said as she sifted through her clothes. She pulled open her dresser drawers and stared at the jeans she’d been wearing for three years. The same sweaters, the same blouses. She finally threw her hands up in the air and called Kat.
“What do girls wear on dates nowadays?” She paced the bedroom floor.
“You’re going out with Patrick—Hugh?”
“Uh-huh.”
Kat squealed so loud that Brianna had to pull the phone away from her ear.
Chapter Seventeen
HUGH HADN’T PLANNED a date since his high school prom, and even then his sister had helped him do most of the planning. He called in favors, groveled, and paid three times what he should have, but it would all be worth it. He
hoped tonight would be a night that Brianna would never forget.
His heart thundered in his chest as he took the steps two at a time up to Brianna’s apartment. Why am I so nervous? He took a deep breath and adjusted the gifts he’d brought before knocking at the door.
She opened the door, and Hugh lost his breath as he raked his eyes slowly down the navy blue minidress that hugged her breasts and hips like a second skin. Blousy sleeves cuffed at the wrist, and a simple neckline ignited the perfect combination of naughty and nice. The dress stopped midthigh, revealing her long, lean legs and ending in a pair of sexy black heels.
“Brianna, you are stunning.”
She dropped her eyes in that embarrassed, adorable way she had, and Hugh juggled the gifts to free his hand. He lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. Some people wore their hearts on their sleeves. Brianna hid hers in her eyes, and Hugh had spotted it the first night they’d gone for coffee. “I’m right here, not down there.” He kissed her softly, lingering with his lips against hers for a moment longer to make up for the time they’d been apart.
“What is all this?” She dropped her eyes to the package and flowers in his hands.
“These are for you.” He handed her a bouquet of red roses.
“Thank you.” She took the flowers, and Hugh followed her inside, closing the door behind him. “These are gorgeous, Hugh. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I never do things because I have to.” He watched her put the flowers in a vase; then he handed her a large silver box covered with glitter and a big silver bow. “This is for Layla. You don’t have to give it to her until you’ve decided about me, and if you decide we’re not right for each other, then you can say it’s from you. I didn’t put a card in it.”
“Hugh.” She shook her head. “She doesn’t need anything more.”
“I know she doesn’t.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “But sometimes girls need things just because, and how could I leave here in good conscience knowing she’d see the flowers and feel left out?”