It was showdown time.
Brandi had imagined the moment at least a hundred times over the months, and she waited a beat for an onslaught of emotions to hit her at seeing him again.
And waited.
However, the fiery anger she used to push past the burning in her lungs as she jogged all those cold winter days didn’t ignite. Nor did the vengefulness she’d summoned to propel herself through endless calisthenics surge through her body.
Instead, she couldn’t stop the fit of laughter bubbling up in her throat.
She’d put herself through all kinds of hell over him.
Brandi took a good hard look at the man who had loomed large in her mind since he’d dumped her. Not only was he shorter than she remembered, it seemed the pounds she’d busted her butt losing had taken up residency on a new spot—his burgeoning gut.
“Hello, Brandi.”
His eyes flitted about the room nervously. They hadn’t seen each other since the day before their own wedding, and her missing last night’s rehearsal dinner had left no opportunity for them to break the ice before having to walk down the church aisle together.
“Wes.” She dabbed at the corner of her eye with a finger to keep the tears of laughter forming in her eyes at bay.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
But a more important question entered Brandi’s mind.
Why did she ever allow herself to settle for Wesley? The inner voice she’d allowed to be shushed far too long roared in her ears.
The same voice had whispered you can do better only to be drowned out by the kudos she’d received for being lucky enough to land a college-educated, professional black man with a good job and no children.
“Hang on to him, girl.” The well-meaning words and a barrage of similar ones had rained on her like confetti in a victory parade.
Even her mother had thrown some rare praise her way. “You’re lucky. He works for a well-known business magazine,” she’d said. “The best one of my friend’s daughters could do after she cracked thirty was a divorced factory worker with three kids.”
“Brandi, did you hear me? I asked you what was so funny?” Wesley repeated.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Just a private joke.”
Then finally, the overwhelming wave of emotion she’d braced herself for since she saw her ex washed over her. Only it wasn’t any of the ones she’d expected.
All Brandi felt was a tremendous sense of relief.
Relief he hadn’t shown up on their wedding day.
Relief she wasn’t his wife.
And relief she’d finally had someone who loved her “as is.” Not once had she had felt like she had to bend, shape or mold herself to try to catch, please or hold on to Adam.
“You look good.” Her ex’s eyes skimmed over the once breathing-room-only maid-of-honor dress, which now fit easily. “Really good.”
She thanked him for the compliment, which didn’t seem to matter as much as she’d envisioned it would.
“So, how’s married life?” Brandi asked and then couldn’t resist. “Did you bring Tasty along with you today?”
“Um, it’s Candy,” Wesley corrected. “We didn’t want to make things any more awkward, so we decided it would be best if she stayed in Atlanta.”
Her mother came over. Jolene frowned at Wesley before telling them the ceremony would be starting soon.
She took Brandi by the arm. “I can’t believe you invited that playboy neighbor of yours,” she hissed. “I just saw him in the sanctuary.”
“Oh, good,” Brandi said, relieved to know Adam had made it to the church. She’d been so occupied helping Erin and her mother with the last-minute wedding checklist and then getting dressed herself, she’d only talked to him briefly on the phone since they’d parted at the airport earlier.
Thankfully, her mother was pulling double duty as both wedding coordinator and mother of the bride and was called away before she could comment further.
Wesley looked down at the carpet before looking back at her. “I know this is too little, too late, but I’m sorry for the way I handled everything. I should have told you about Candy sooner. I’d always planned to break it off with her before the wedding, but when I went to do it, I realized I wanted the bad girl more than I loved the good one.”
Brandi bit back annoyance and found herself in the position of nearly feeling sorry for Tasty…Candy or whatever her name, because she’d been the unlucky girlfriend to land this booby prize.
“Don’t try to rewrite history, Wes. You didn’t have the guts to tell me face-to-face. Your poor mother told me and apologized for you.”
“But I’m apologizing myself now.”
Brandi was saved from telling him exactly what he could do with his sad excuse of an apology by the return of her own mother telling them it was time to start.
Minutes later, the players were all in place at the altar in front of an audience of three hundred well-wishers. Spotting Adam in the church pews looking especially handsome in his tux made the walk up the aisle on Wesley’s arm bearable for Brandi.
She glanced at her sister. To say Erin was a beautiful bride would have been an understatement. Her hair and makeup were perfect, and the sequins in her fitted dress shimmered in the candlelight.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” The reverend started the preamble leading up to the vows.
Brandi continued to look at her sister. Had Erin thought about anything she’d said to her earlier? When her sister looked at Maurice was she truly thinking about spending the rest of her life with him?
Brandi’s gut said no, and the temptation was strong, very strong, to grab her baby sister by the arm and drag her up the rose-petal-strewn aisle they’d just marched down.
But Erin was a grown woman, and she’d made her choice. All Brandi could do was live with it.
The reverend’s voice droned as he addressed Maurice “…For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And forsaking all others, be faithful only to her so long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Maurice confirmed.
He wasn’t a bad guy, Brandi thought, as he smiled down at her sister. Maybe over time he’d grow less domineering. Besides, if Erin could roll with the way he bossed her around, she’d have to roll with it, too, especially now that he was moments away from being family.
“And do you, Erin Marie Collins…” the reverend began and ended with the question, “so long as you both shall live?”
The corner of Erin’s mouth holding up her smile twitched, but otherwise she remained motionless and silent as seconds ticked into minutes.
“Erin,” Maurice whispered, nudging her with his elbow.
“I…I don’t think I can do this,” Erin whispered.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Maurice hissed through a clenched-toothed smile. “You’re just nervous. Just say ‘I do’ and we’ll go enjoy our reception.”
Brandi held her breath until she saw her sister’s face take on the contrite look it always did right before she agreed to do whatever Maurice wanted.
“Well, Erin, what do you say?” The reverend gave an uncomfortable chuckle.
“No.”
The softly spoken word echoed off the church’s high ceilings, setting off a collective gasp inside the sanctuary, and all eyes were on Erin as she ran back up the aisle.
“Not again,” Brandi heard her mother cry out.
She wasn’t sure how Adam managed to get through the throng of people abandoning the church pews, to either check on Jolene or get to the vestibule and fire up their cell phones to spread the latest Collins gossip, but Brandi was grateful to find Adam at her side.
“You okay?”
Stunned, Brandi could only nod, but as her
brain caught up to her eyes she smiled. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said. “And I believe my sister is, too.”
“What can I do to help you right now?”
Brandi touched a hand to his chest. “Thanks, but there’s nothing for you to do here,” she said. “I need to make sure my mom and sister are okay, and then I’ll meet you at home.”
“Are you sure?”
Brandi nodded, and he kissed her before disappearing into the crowd. She stood there for a moment trying to decide whom to go to first. Her mother seemed to be surrounded, so she opted to look for Erin.
“Brandi.” A hand on her arm stopped her, and she shrugged it off.
“What do you want, Wesley?” she asked. “I need to find my sister.”
“That guy, kissing you.” There was a hint of surprise in his voice she guessed wasn’t from Erin’s hurried exit. “How in the world do you know him?”
Brandi rolled her eyes skyward. Did her ex think he was the only one who could move on?
“Is that who you were with in Paris and couldn’t make it to the rehearsal dinner?” Wesley pressed.
Remembering she was in church, Brandi bit back a snarky retort. “Yes, I went to Paris with him,” she said. “What’s it to you?”
“My reporter’s been trying to get an interview with that guy for over two years.”
“What?”
“As you undoubtedly know, your boyfriend’s family owns one of the region’s largest corporations. He’s worth millions.”
She burst out laughing. “Wesley, you’ve obviously got him mixed up with someone else. He’s not whoever you seem to think he is,” Brandi said. “The man you just saw is…”
“Adam Ellison,” Wesley finished. “As in Ellison Industries.”
* * *
Adam hadn’t wanted to leave Brandi, but gave her the space she needed to focus on her family.
He grabbed the television remote and flipped through the sports channels. He settled on a basketball game, although it was little more than white noise.
Tonight he planned to finally fill Brandi in on his background. He’d briefly considered putting it off, especially after today’s events, but the longer he waited the harder it would be for her to understand why he hadn’t been up front with her sooner.
Adam heard a light knock on the door and switched off the remote. He took one look at Brandi, who underneath her coat was still dressed in her wedding finery, and wished he had stayed at her side.
Her eyes were red-rimmed as if she’d been crying.
The aftermath of her sister’s flight from the altar must have been more grueling than she’d anticipated, Adam thought, pulling her into his arms.
The soft body that usually melted into his embrace stiffened. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. It had been a very long day for her.
“How’s your sister?”
“Erin’s fine. She’s spending the night with her girlfriends.” Brandi followed him to the dining room, but didn’t make a move to unbutton her coat or sit down.
“And your mother?”
“Last time I saw her she was leading a conga line at what was supposed to be Erin’s reception.”
“So things turned out okay, right?”
“For them,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’ve answered your questions, now how about you answer mine?”
“Yeah, sure,” Adam said, puzzled by her odd behavior.
Brandi reached into her bag, pulled out a sheath of papers and shoved them into his hands. Damn, he thought, flipping through the results of a Google search.
His gaze returned to her face and what he saw in them was worse than anger or hurt. Disillusion.
“Who are you?” Her eyes and tone held none of the warmth he’d grown accustomed to.
“The same person I was before you decided to do an internet search on me.”
Brandi shook her head. “The thing is I actually believed you were an honest, direct, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy. It never occurred to me to search you,” she said, “until my ex informed me the man I knew as an unemployed, aspiring pastry chef was actually a multimillionaire with a stake in the region’s largest corporation.”
“Most women wouldn’t consider it a negative,” Adam replied. “In fact, most women would be thrilled to learn the man who loved her had millions at his disposal, and she could have her heart’s desire.”
“Up until a few hours ago, I thought I’d already had my heart’s desire—a man who was impeccable with his word. One I could trust enough to open that same heart to, because he never lied to me. Turns out you’re like all the rest, and I simply hadn’t caught you in a lie yet.”
“I never once lied to you, Brandi. I have been living off my savings, money I worked hard for despite my family connection to the corporation. I was indeed an executive for a household-goods company, and I left to pursue my long-held dream.”
She shook her head. “In my book, sidestepping the truth is still a lie. A lie of omission is still a lie.”
Adam wouldn’t fight her on it. In her position, he’d feel the exact same way about someone averting the truth. Like Zeke had done with him.
“And to think, all this time I’d actually admired you for having the guts to walk away from your job. But you didn’t quit a soulless day job to stop humping for the man. You are the man.”
Up until now, Adam had only felt deep regret over hurting her, but her last words really got under his skin.
“The man?” he asked her incredulously. Brandi didn’t know the half of it. “My late father was what you would refer to as the man, and as his firstborn son I was expected to work ten times harder and twenty times longer than anyone else in his empire.”
She poked a finger against his chest. “But I shared it all with you. I told you about my father and my grandmother, getting dumped at the altar, my business. And it turns out you shared nothing with me.”
He caught her hand and held it against his chest. “True, I didn’t share my background or financial status with you, but I did share everything that was truly important to me. I’ve dated many women, but you’re the first I’ve ever introduced to my grandmother.”
“So why didn’t you tell me?” Brandi whispered.
“Would you have banged on my door at three in the morning to tell me off if you had known I was one of the Ellisons? Would you have shared all those things with me if you had known my financial status?”
She dropped her chin to her chest before looking up at him again. “I’m no gold digger.”
“I know you’re not, sweetheart, but can you honestly say you would have treated me the same if you had known? Or would you have written me off as someone from a different world who would never fit into yours?”
“I don’t know.” Brandi drew her hand back. “You never gave me that chance.”
“You’re not the only one who carries baggage from the past. You had a bad breakup. I’ve had a lifetime of people with their own agenda trying to get close to me,” he said. “You were so refreshing, so different. I fell for you from the first moment I saw you. And I wanted you to see me, just me, and decide if you wanted me, too.”
“But in Paris, after I told you I loved you. Why didn’t you trust me enough to tell me then?”
“I didn’t want to ruin the moment. I was going to tell you tonight. You believe me, don’t you?”
Brandi reached into her other coat pocket, placed his SUV key on the dining room table.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.” She turned away from him and walked out of the door.
Chapter 20
Thanks to the sheer exhaustion brought on by jet lag and drama, Brandi slept well into the afternoon the next day.
But as the deep, dreamless sleep ended, reality came c
rashing back. She and Adam were through, and it made her heart physically ache.
There would be no solace in chocolate this time. It was now synonymous with a man that up until yesterday she believed she had a future with.
Brandi reached for her workout gear. A run followed by a torture session with Heather would leave her too exhausted to think about him or anything else.
The shrill ring of her home phone shattered the silence. Brandi heaved a sigh, and picked up the cordless in her bedroom. She could only put off the real world for so long.
“I’m trying to reach Brandi Collins,” the crisp voice on the line said.
“This is she.”
“Please hold for Ms. Todd.”
Brandi dropped the sneakers she was holding in her other hand. Yesterday, she’d been so consumed with Erin’s wedding and discovering Adam’s true background, she had completely forgotten to return Lina Todd’s call.
Seconds later, the woman whose career and designs she’d long admired came onto the line and briefly introduced herself. Like Lina Todd needed any introduction, Brandi thought.
“The staff at my foundation reviewed over a hundred applications and videos, but yours was the one they brought to my attention. Like them, I’m impressed with what you’ve done with Arm Candy, and I think it’s time we got it out of your spare room,” she said.
Still trying to absorb the fact she was actually having a conversation with Lina Todd, it was all Brandi could do to squeeze a thank you beyond the lump in her throat.
“As you know, my foundation is dedicated to giving talented women fashion entrepreneurs the financial leg up they need to succeed when banks aren’t an option,” the designer said. “We’re offering you a thirty-five-thousand-dollar microloan, and I’ll be checking in with you once a month for the first year. Maybe I can help you avoid some of the potholes I stumbled into when I was first getting started.”
“Thank you, Ms. Todd. I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Brandi said.
Taste for Temptation (Kimani Hotties) Page 18