Brian

by Tessa Frank

  Brian

  Second Chance for the Cop

  Tessa Frank

  Contents

  Tessa’s Gossip Column

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Tessa’s Gossip Column

  Thank you from Tessa

  Also by Tessa Frank

  Tessa’s Gossip Column

  The invitations are out for Brentwood High’s upcoming 10th reunion.

  I hear not everyone shares my joy. Former bad-boy turned cop, Brian Miller, is planning to skip the big event.

  Say it isn’t so, Brian!

  Lest we all forget, and how could you with me here to remind you, Brian’s ex-girlfriend is none other than consummate wedding and party planner Hadley Mitchell.

  Is Hadley the reason Brian is skipping the reunion?

  1

  Brian

  I stare at the reunion invitation. If heavy stock paper could burn, it would sear my hand. This had Hadley Mitchell written all over it.

  Hadley Mitchell. All blonde bubbly goodness on a petite frame with longer legs than you’d expect on a short girl. I’d been utterly entranced. First my brain, and then my heart, were hers. It’d felt so real. So shared. Mutual adoration. Mutual love. The kind to last a lifetime.

  Then I realized she was a daddy’s girl, and not in a good way. Nope, Hadley’s father had money. He was king of the town. And I was from the wrong side of the tracks.

  The town princess never ends up with the guy who’s parents are dead in their forties because of drunk driving. The scandal that erupted ripped my heart out in more ways than one.

  I went to the police academy. Hadley went off to a fancy, expensive liberal arts college no one in town had ever heard of. Now, in the irony of irony, she’s a wedding planner.

  I snorted, crumpling the invitation in my hand.

  “Reunion invite?” my partner, Damian, asks.

  Damian’s a young punk. Compared to my old ass. The comparison is entirely his. I don’t feel old. Unless I get a cruel reminder that a decade has passed since high school. I toss the invite into the trash.

  “Oh, not going.”

  “Seriously? You sound like a girl in a soap opera.”

  Damian smirks. “Old guys watch soaps.”

  I knock him into his locker as I walk past. “One point for the old guy.” The others in the locker room crack up. Damian’s main accomplishment since joining the department is to be a nuisance.

  Damian chases after me down the hall. “Seriously, man, you ain’t going. I hear it’s gonna be huge.”

  I roll my eyes. “Of course it is.”

  Damian hops around. I stride. Guy needs to figure out how not to look like a puppy.

  “I heard they’ve got this major party planner setting it up.”

  “I know.”

  Damian looks at me over the roof of our patrol car. “So why aren’t you going? It’s a party.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to party.” I slam my door.

  Damian slides into the passenger seat. “Lame man. Reunions are where all the action is.”

  I glare at him through my shades. “How in the world would you even know? You’re like barely out of school.”

  Damian sniffs, then shoots me an evil grin. “I got cousins.”

  I groan. “Not another cousins story.” When he opens his mouth, I cut him off. No way do I want to spend today hearing more of Damian’s crazy cousin stories. Those cousins make monkey fights in the zoo look civilized.

  2

  Hadley

  I suck in a deep breath of cool night air. That went better than I planned. I love it when a party goes off well. Tonight’s reunion did exactly that, despite a few false steps.

  Pulling out my phone, I check for a text from George. Nothing. Not for the first time, I huff in exasperation. I send a quick text: You should have been here. It went great.

  And.... nothing. No response.

  I lean my head back in my front seat. “George should have been here. You’re totally correct, Hadley.” Yeah, I’m talking to myself. Again. A sure sign of mental illness, if ever there was one. At least that’s what my brothers would say.

  I push the ignition button and put the car in drive. As I exit the parking lot, I finally decide. George and I need to talk. My fiancé should have been here tonight with me. His job as a professor at Trent University can’t always come first, even if my parents say that’s the way of things. Times have changed since they got married. Plus, mom never worked. I’ve created a successful business all on my own.

  Before I reconsider, I’m on George’s street. “Who’s car is that?” I can’t park in the driveway because there’s some ugly Corolla hogging it. I ease my car to a spot on the curb and walk up.

  “Crap.” My ankle twists under me and I nearly fall. “Stupid wet grass.” I slip off my three-inch heels and trudge, quickly, to the front door.

  I slip my key in the lock, open the door, and stop dead in the entry. George jumps off the woman on the couch. “Hadley, what are you... You’re supposed to be at your reunion.”

  My eyes are seeing the scene in front of me, but my brain is struggling to catch up.

  George walks toward me, pulling on boxer briefs. “You shouldn’t have come over without calling. That’s what we agreed to.”

  I stare at George, eyes barely seeing him. “What we agreed to.” The words come out calm, rational. My brain is switching on, connecting dots to something I wasn’t aware of until now.

  George lectures. That’s what he does. He’s a professor. But all these night lectures and study sessions…

  The dots form a picture. “You cheating...” I launch myself at George, hitting him with my shoes.

  Words tumble from my lips. I’m screaming and yelling, hitting him as he ducks away. I’ve got no idea what I’m saying. It tumbles out without reason or logic. George has always been big on logic.

  I hear the sirens. See the flashing lights. But I land one last blow as the cops enter the house. “I am not marrying you. Not ever. I don’t care what my parents say.” My foot lashes out, kicking George hard in the side. I don’t remember him falling.

  Strong hands wrap around my arms, hauling me away from George. “I wish you were dead, you jerk.”

  Suddenly I’m outside, sucking in air like a drowning victim. “Tonight sucks.”

  “I’ll bet it does.” The voice is deep, warm and only slightly hinting at a desire to laugh. I look up. “Brian.” And, despite everything that happened between us, I throw myself into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”

  3

  Brian

  Tessa’s Gossip Column

  While Hadley Mitchell pulled off a successful reunion, this reporter heard the cops were at her fiancé’s house for a domestic disturbance. Maybe he is second guessing skipping the reunion now.

  Or maybe not?

  ‘“I’ve missed you,’ really?” My brain definitely stopped working about 15 seconds ago. Right at the moment Hadley jumped into my arms like I was saving her from drowning.

  Her baby blues look up at me, arms still wrapped around my neck — even though I am half-heartedly trying to disentangle. “I didn’t see you at the reunion.”

  I purse my lips together. “Is that really what you want to talk about?”

&nb
sp; Hadley expels a burst of air, stepping away and pushing her hair out of her face. “No.” She points at the house we’re in front of. With her middle finger. “But that’s not a happy subject.”

  I glance inside the door. Damian can handle the man and woman by himself. “Lover’s spat?”

  Hadley lets out an unladylike snort. My brows rise. “Your mom know you do that?”

  “Right now my parents are on my list.”

  Ok. My brows aren’t coming down after that. I place a hand on her elbow, steering her toward the patrol car.

  “My shoes are still inside.” I radio the message to Damian. Hadley sighs. She leans against the patrol car to stare up at the sky. “Can you believe it's been ten years already?”

  I offer a sound — neither agreeing nor disagreeing. I need her to talk, preferably without me asking questions.

  “My parents love George as much as they hated you.” Harley bites her lip. “I really tried, you know.” That lower lip trembles. “We’ve been together for seven years now. Engaged for the last five of them. Met in college.”

  Her eyes return to the sky overhead. “I just can’t bring myself to set a date.”

  “Date?” I don’t know why I spoke. I know exactly what she means.

  “For the wedding.” A sudden grin sparks to life, I shift closer — moth to flame style — before I check myself. “I plan weddings for a living.” She taps her chest. “I’m a wedding planner.” Her mask shatters in an instant. “And I can’t even pick a decent man to marry.” Her hand flails about, waving at the house behind me. “I picked that. That creep who couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

  Damian arrives. His eyes wander over Hadley. “Guy claims she broke in...”

  Hadley jerks a set of keys from out of nowhere. “I have a key.”

  “... he claims she’s a crazy ex who’s stalking...”

  ”Stalking!” Hadley’s voice hits an octave I’ve never heard before. A painful one.

  “... him and his girlfriend.”

  If jaws could hit the ground, Hadley’s would have. She couldn’t even get a word out. Gurgling sounds were it.

  “Is he filling charges?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained on Hadley.

  “Declined.” Damian stares at Hadley. “What’re we gonna do about her?”

  Hadley’s eyes fix on Damian, a crazy gleam lighting them. “What’re you going to do about me? I’m not the lying two-timing cretin here.”

  Damian’s about to answer — an answer that will help no one. “We know.” I hold my hand out. “How about we drive you home tonight?”

  Hadley sends a side-eyed look at the patrol car. “In there? Am I under arrest?”

  “He declined—“

  “No.” I cut Damian off. “You’re not under arrest. But I figure you probably don’t want to drive after that scene.”

  Hadley huffs out a breath. She points at Damian. “Fine. But officer baby-butt isn’t driving my car.”

  “Hey—“

  “I can agree to that.” Hadley slams her keys in my hand and stalks to her car. She flips off the house as she goes, then slides into her passenger seat.

  “She shouldn’t be calling me—“

  “Just call it in, Officer Baby-butt.” I’m grinning wider than I can remember. Damian grumbles, but he takes it. Perks of being the senior officer.

  I suck in my pride before I slide into Hadley’s car. This will be hard, no matter how I play it. My heart is beating way faster than it should for the girl, now a woman, who tried to remove it all those years ago. “Play it cool.” Not that telling myself that will make it happen.

  4

  Hadley

  Brian drives me home in silence. I’m grateful he’s not asking me a zillion questions — like any of my girlfriends or worse, my mother, would.

  We get to my little rental downtown. “Nice.” Brian leans forward to rest his forearms on the steering wheel as he looks at my cottage. “Strangely, I expected something bigger.”

  I snort and unfasten my belt. “You’re obviously confusing me with my mother.”

  “Obviously.” A grin hovers on his face for a moment. It fades. Probably as a memory of what dating me was like sets in. My parents were awful to him. I wasn’t mature enough to handle it all.

  There’s no point in talking about what happened. It’s in the past. I sigh then get out of my car.

  Brian springs into action, rushing around the front of my car to open the passenger door. It’s the first time a man’s done that for me in a really long time. “Thanks,” I say with a smile.

  “No problem.”

  My cell goes off with the sounds of a wedding march. I wince. “I definitely need to change his ring tone.”

  Brian chuckles.

  The screen shows George’s text in all its arrogant glory. My teeth gnash together.

  “What does he want?” Brian asks with what I’m sure is only simple curiosity.

  My blood is boiling. “His ring back.”

  Brian shrugs. His partner approaches. I paste a super fake smile on. Fake is something I’ve honed into an advanced life skill. Dealing with my parents requires it for survival. Doesn’t hurt for wedding planning either. “He can wait for the pit in hell to freeze. That ring is mine.”

  The partner, who’s name I never caught, opens his mouth to argue. I’m sure he’s got a point. Not that I care what it is. “Listen, Officer Baby-butt, he gave it to me on Christmas Day while standing under mistletoe with at least twenty people watching. That makes it a gift.” Hand on hip, I lean toward him. “And that means I do not have to give it back.“

  Baby-butt shifts to eye Brian, who only shrugs. “Drop it.”

  I pat Brian’s shoulder. “Listen to your superior on this one, Officer Baby-butt.”

  Baby-butt’s face goes red. “Stop calling me that.”

  “Ouch. Hit a nerve.” I turn and head for my house, waving behind me as I go.

  Brian follows me. Baby-butt heads to their car alone. “Hadley...”

  I turn, tilting my head up for a kiss that doesn’t come. I shift away, swallowing. Dang. I need to get ahold of myself. No throwing yourself at men you haven’t seen in ten years. Thank goodness I don’t say that out loud.

  Brian offers me a card and my keys. Humor flickers in his eyes. “If you need anything, call me.”

  Sighing, I promise that I will and Brian leaves. I head straight to my liquor cabinet. This is a double shot kind of night. Maybe a triple.

  Hours later I shoot off the couch, griping my head against the cruel yapping sound of my mother’s voice. “I wish I’d never given you a key,” I mutter, heading to the kitchen for a glass of water and Tylenol.

  “How could you let this happen, Hadley? I’ve been telling you for years to get the papers signed. Years!” Goodness, I hate her screeching. “And now look at you! Dumped and single at 28. You’re going to die an old maid and it's all because of that stupid business you insist on running.”

  Wait. It’s not her screeching I hate, it’s actually her. “Dramatic much, mother?”

  Mom glares at me, fake tears on her cheeks. “What am I going to tell your father?”

  As I stand in my kitchen, a kitchen my hard work pays for, I can’t feel even a smidge of remorse. Hungover? Yeah, I feel that. Eight shots is six past my limit. I’m sure I was channeling Bridget Jones at some point.

  I don’t feel at all upset to be free of George. So I shrug and tell her to tell my father the truth.

  Mom’s eyes narrow. I’ve rarely shown such disregard for the wants of my parents before. “And what exactly is that, young lady?”

  I stand tall to face her. Mom is taller than me by four inches. I don’t know where my shortness comes from. “That, for the first time in ten years, I’m happy and he’s not going to get his country club son-in-law anytime soon.”

  Mom blinks twice. Her hands flap about. “I’m not interested, Mom.” I push her toward the door, pulling my house key from her hand as we go. “I’m
going to bed for the next few hours and then I’m going to work.” I open the door to my house and push her outside. “Tell Dad what you want. I will be happy regardless of what you think.”

  I slam the door gently shut in her shocked face. I throw the privacy bolt for good measure. I’ll have to deal with them both later, but for now, I will sleep off this infernal hangover.

  5

  Brian

  The flying bundle that is my nephew slams into my solar plexus with a cry of “Ninja death jump!”

  I grunt, wincing in pain, and roll to the side, knocking the brat to the floor. “You’re annoying.”

  “Mom says you’re oversleeping again, and it’s your turn,” his high voice replies without a hint of concern. Probably because he’s popped up off the ground already and preparing for another run.

  This time, I’m able to grab him as he launches himself into the air. “You’re a menace.”

  “No. I’m your favorite nephew.” That ends in a squeal of laughter.

  “Keep it down,” a cranky voice says from the doorway.

  I look over to see my twin sister, Brooklyn, staring at us through tired eyes and a wrinkled uniform. “Morning, sis.” Technically it’s late afternoon. I worked the night shift. Brooklyn’s back from a Sunday spent at the rehab center she works at.