He pursed his lips.
My bonnie lies over the ocean. Oh, bring back my bonnie to me.
Bonnie laughed.
“Come on,” she said, indicating he should follow her with a crook of her head and began to walk toward the elevator. “Before security asks you to leave for incessant whistling.”
Joy. Relief. Now, Bonnie felt nervous as they rode up in the elevator.
“How is Kayla?” he asked.
“She was very quiet all weekend, but she engaged with me and the boys. She came to the table without me having to harass her, and last night she watched television with us. I think she was nervous about going to school today, but she didn’t fuss about it. I think she knows she’s walking on thin ice after sneaking out Friday night. She’s a little afraid to push me too much.”
The elevator doors opened, and Brandt fell into step beside Bonnie heading toward her office. She closed the door after they entered, and when she turned around Brandt had already sat down in front of her desk and was in the process of taking off his sunglasses.
Indecision ran through her. She wouldn’t have minded a hello kiss, but maybe they weren’t to that point. Or, would they ever reach it?
She walked around to her desk and sat down. Folding her hands in front of her, she leveled a calm stare at him. “I want to start off by saying how much I appreciate what you did last night. But I want you to be truthful with me.”
He didn’t reply, just watched her.
“You’re sneaking in here and replacing these flowers.”
He didn’t break eye contact, though the flower arrangement he’d given her was on the far corner of her desk.
“Well?” she asked.
“I’m waiting for your question.”
“I rewrapped the wire on the stem of one of the roses, and it’s different this morning. I want to know how many times you’ve broken in here to change the flowers.”
He hooked his elbow over the back of the chair. “Four, but this will be the last time I do it. From now on, I’ll let the florist deliver them.”
Bonnie sighed in frustration—both because he’d admitted to breaking in here four times and by his confession and his offer not to do it again, he’d robbed her of her righteous indignation.
“Another question. And I want you to be truthful about this one, too.”
Brandt nodded.
“Are we dating, or is this a collaboration to find your brother?”
A chuckle escaped him. “I like your direct approach.”
Irritation prickled at Bonnie. “I don’t like the way you avoided the question. It makes me think it’s a collaboration with benefits.”
Brandt straightened and lifted his hands in surrender. “Bonnie, I’m in uncharted territory here. I’ve not been involved with someone like you before.”
“Someone like me.” She nodded. “A boring forty-one-year-old mother of three, you mean.”
“No, yes, yes.”
“What?”
“Not boring, no. You’d think you’d be boring, but you keep surprising me. I don’t like that because I can usually predict people’s moves, but the unpredictability intrigues me, and I keep thinking about you.”
“Oh.”
“Do you think it’s time for me to meet your kids?”
Talk about unpredictability. Bonnie sure didn’t see that question coming. “Just because you helped out with Kayla, which I really appreciate, doesn’t mean I’m ready for them to meet you. I don’t even understand this…this whatever it is. What am I going to tell them about you?”
“Curtis thinks I’m an angel.”
“What?”
“He was in your room the other night. On the floor on the other side of your bed.”
“Oh, no. Oh, my gosh.” They had been kissing. What had Curtis seen? What if they had gone beyond kissing?
“So, you and I…whatever this is…you probably need to figure out what you’re going to tell him, and the other two if he tells them there was an angel in Mom’s room one night.”
“An angel? Where did he get that?”
“He saw me outside of the house. He thought I was a guardian angel. I told him I was just a regular person, but he didn’t think a regular person would be able to get in his mom’s bedroom in the middle of the night.”
Bonnie raised her hands to her face in disbelief. “He was there when… Wait a minute. He and Andy were talking about angels smoking. But that was days ago.”
“Yeah. I got back Tuesday and came by for a few hours to keep watch, but then I got called out again for a consulting job.”
“A ninja job.”
He shrugged and nodded.
“You’ve been watching the house?”
“It seemed something that was needed. However, I think you need to look into a security system. It will alert you if any doors or windows are opened when the system is on. That way, you can tell if Kayla sneaks out or if someone else sneaks in.”
“Including you.”
“Well, depending on which system it is, I can bypass it. Some are easier than others to get around. I can give you some recommendations for the most secure, if you like, so that not even I could get in without you being aware of it. And anyway, with Curtis knowing about me and with what’s going on with Kayla, I promise not to come in the house anymore unless it’s by invitation and with their knowledge, if they’re in the house. I don’t want to cause any problems with your kids, Bonnie.”
Her heart flip-flopped at his words. If she could believe what he said, he was putting her children’s welfare above his own wants.
A definite turn-on if ever there was one.
“Thank you for saying so. Yes, I would like to know what security systems not even a ninja could fool.”
Brandt smiled. He stood up and indicated the chair. “May I?”
Bonnie nodded and he lifted the chair and settled it next to hers behind the desk. “You okay with me using your mouse and keyboard?”
She moved them across the desk in front of him, aware of the fluttery feeling in her chest because he was close enough she could see a shadow of a beard beginning.
“What time did you go to sleep?”
He shook his head as his fingers flew across the keyboard. A website for a security system appeared on the monitor.
“You haven’t been to sleep yet?”
“No. When I’m working, I usually sleep in the mornings, but something came up earlier, so I took care of that instead.”
“You must be really tired.”
“I’ll sleep later.” He dismissed her concern, but winked at her to soften the blow. “This company is local. They are a little more expensive, but the service is worth it.”
“Can you bypass this one?”
Brandt shifted his gaze to her; a sly grin creased his face. “Yes, but Rex won’t be able to.”
He walked her through several systems from different companies.
“I can see why you can get by with calling yourself a consultant. You’re knowledgeable, about security companies, at least.”
“We’re sort of on the other side of security, so the more we know, the better.”
“Maybe you could become legitimate and start working in security.”
“Who says we’re not legitimate?” He slid her keyboard back toward her.
Bonnie arched an eyebrow at him. Maybe he did pay taxes, and maybe he had taken her to his office—wherever it was—but she still wasn’t sure what he did was legal. He’d given up sleep to watch over her house, he’d gone with her to get Kayla, and he’d given her advice about keeping her kids and house safe. He hadn’t brought up the subject of his brother, but Bonnie was sure he wanted to know if she’d done any searching. She opened a drawer and withdrew a folder and placed it on the desktop.
“I’ve been looking for Marshall.”
“Marshall?” He blinked at her, as if he couldn’t believe her words.
“I don’t know much, but I found something.” She o
pened the folder and slid it toward him. He picked up the paper and began to read. “There was an incident in October, but it was a year earlier than you said. Is it possible you were six when you and Marshall were taken away from your mother?”
“No. I had to be seven. That was when I went to my first foster.”
“Well.” Bonnie shrugged. “I looked through every newspaper for the months of September through November of that year, and I didn’t see anything that fit. However, the previous year, I did find something and I researched it. Are you sure you weren’t six?”
Brandt ran his fingers through his hair. “I always thought I was seven. The Myers were my first foster, and I came from the system to them.”
“I requested the police file for what I think is when it happened. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but this is pretty compelling. Look at this.” Bonnie reached over and turned over a page. “Child Protective Services was called in because of two children at the residence. Both boys. One child was placed in temporary foster custody, and the other one was taken to the hospital. You say you don’t remember anything after you and your brother were separated. It seems one of you went to the hospital. I’ve met with CPS, but unfortunately, their files were destroyed when the basement flooded about fifteen years ago. But if you were the one who went to the hospital, you can go in and request your hospital records. You’ve got the date, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get if they still have them.”
“But which hospital? There are four in this area alone.”
“Yes, but only Community and St. Joseph’s were around back then. But I’m betting it’s St. Joseph. They have the children’s wing of the hospital, so if a child was in distress, it’s likely they would go there, especially if CPS was involved because St. Joe deals with indigent and charity cases since they’re not-for-profit. If you were injured that night, it might make sense why you don’t remember anything.”
“Because of HIPAA, only you can access your own records legally.” Bonnie cast him a meaningful look. “If it was your brother who went to the hospital, you’ll probably have to have a court order to obtain the record, even though as his closest living relative, they may let you have it. I don’t know.”
“I saw from the notes you gave me you had talked to a case worker about several of your foster families and didn’t come up with anything. Another option is to look at mental health or group care facilities. If there was no foster care available—and if the facilities had room—a child could be placed there until other arrangements were made. Even if one of you went to a medical hospital first, after discharge, you guys should have been put together. But who knows what the system was like forty years ago?”
Brandt studied the papers carefully, took off the reading glasses he had been wearing and placed them on top of the open folder, then he turned to Bonnie. He gazed at her for a long moment. Finally, he reached forward, gathered her in his arms and kissed her. All of it was so unexpected, she laughed against his mouth. She felt his own lips turn up in a smile. He broke the kiss.
“I knew you could do it. I knew you were the right woman for the job when I heard about you.”
The hope emanating from his eyes made Bonnie uneasy. She straightened her glasses, which had been knocked askew in the kiss. “Now, wait a minute. I haven’t done much, and we haven’t found him.”
“You’re going to, though.”
“Maybe so. Maybe not, Brandt. I’ve got a whole drawer in the filing cabinet over there of people I haven’t been able to find, and most of their cases are a lot newer than yours.”
“In two weeks, you’ve found out more than I have in five years.”
“I just built on what you’d started. But this isn’t going to be easy.”
Brandt leaned forward and kissed her one more time. “The Bloodhound.”
“I don’t want you to get your hopes up because we may not find him.”
“Too late. Listen, I’m going out of town tomorrow, but I’ll be back Saturday morning. Can I take you out for breakfast?”
She could go out for breakfast without worrying about the children since they’d be at Guy’s this weekend. “I suppose so, or you could come to the house, and I could cook.”
“You’d let me come for breakfast?”
“Sure. The kids will be at their dad’s.”
Brandt’s smile fell.
Bonnie got it. He wanted to meet her kids officially. “Don’t pout. We haven’t even had a first date yet.”
“I flew you to Bellini.”
“Yeah, and you gave me a rain check for lunch and left me in the clutches of Sheri, who doesn’t seem to like me very much. I’ve never had a…male friend, so I want to be cautious about this, especially where my kids are concerned.”
“I’ll take you to lunch right now.”
“Lunch was about three hours ago, and I have to get back to work.” Bonnie stood up.
Brandt raised his face, grinning at her devilishly. “You’re really bad for my ego.”
Bonnie ignored the tingles his sexy smile sent through her body. She motioned for him to stand and pointed to the door. “Go on. You may call me later.”
He pushed away from the chair and meandered toward the door. “You playing hard to get just makes you more enticing, you know.”
Bonnie finished out her workday and picked Kayla up from band practice. When her daughter entered the car, Bonnie noticed her set expression.
Uh-oh.
Kayla put on her seatbelt and sat back.
Curiosity got the better of Bonnie. “How bad was it?” she asked.
“It wasn’t that bad. Rex was acting really weird. I thought he would be mad, but he wasn’t. He said he was sorry for everything.”
Of course, he was. Bonnie bit her lip to keep from commenting.
“Catherine Towns is in study hall with me. She and Rex used to go out, and I asked her about it. She…umm…she said she got tired of him controlling her. The night she broke up with him she had worn a shirt he told her he didn’t want her to wear because she looked like a slut in it, and he grabbed the shirt and ripped it. Her parents heard them fighting and told him if he got near her again, they were going to have him arrested.”
Bonnie drove the car through the parking lot and headed toward home.
“He tells me what to wear, too. I liked it at first because I thought he was paying attention to what I looked pretty in, but, you know, I think he just didn’t like other guys looking at me. But…I should be able to wear what I want, and I don’t own any slutty clothes because you won’t buy them for me anyway.”
“That’s true.”
Bonnie drove the route and waited for Kayla to say more.
“He doesn’t like my friends either, but I think it’s just that he wants all my time. He told me he’d break up with me if I went to Hannah’s party. Not like I could go now anyway since I’m restricted.”
“When did he tell you that?”
“Friday night. We were actually having a fight about it when you got there. Today he barely spoke to me other than to apologize. I think he was embarrassed because that man took him down. Rex plays left tackle, so he’s not used to someone jumping him. He’s used to being the one to jump someone else. I wonder who that guy was.”
“Someone who knew we needed help.” Bonnie wanted to ask Kayla if she was done with Rex, but figured she wouldn’t push it.
“I’m sorry for sneaking out. I guess you’ll never trust me again.”
“You’ll have to earn back my trust. When is Hannah’s party?”
“Friday night. I guess you’ll tell Dad what happened so he’ll know I can’t go.”
Bonnie didn’t answer. Usually those kinds of conversations ended up with Guy criticizing Bonnie’s parenting skills. Like Guy was parent of the year. He’d given Kayla a case of Mountain Dew for her birthday.
After arriving home, Bonnie began preparing supper and sent Kayla over to get the boys. As Bonnie suspected he would, Curtis came in the kitchen
to help.
“Hey, buddy,” she said. “How was your day?” She retrieved a vegetable peeler from the drawer and the potatoes she had rinsed.
“Good.” He opened the dishwasher and reached for the silverware.
“Wash hands,” she reminded him.
He did so without complaint, pushing a chair to the sink to stand on it.
“So,” Bonnie cleared her throat. “I heard you met my friend Brandt the other night.”
Curtis soaped up his hands. “Yeah.”
Bonnie sat at the table and began to peel off the skins. “What did you think of him?”
“He’s nice.”
“What did he say?”
Curtis rinsed his hands and turned off the faucet. He shook the water from his hands and jumped off the chair. “He said he’s trying to quit smoking, but it’s hard.”
“Oh.” Did Brandt smoke something other than a pipe?
“If he’s not our guardian angel, how come he watches over us?”
“He was…doing a favor for me.”
“Because of Kayla and Rex.”
“Is there anything around here you don’t know about?”
“Nope.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rita and Bonnie sat across from each other in the cafeteria. Both had brought their lunches today. Sheila had told them she’d be a few minutes late meeting them, and Alicia was buying today, so she hadn’t joined them yet.
Rita pulled out a sandwich encased in plastic from her bag and began to unwrap it. “Hey, let’s get the girls together Saturday night. Your kids are at Guy’s, right?”
Bonnie considered how she could break it to her friend that she was hoping to be with Brandt Saturday night. If she could make him breakfast Saturday morning, she could suggest he provide the evening meal. That was only fair, wasn’t it?
Rita’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
Bonnie shrugged and looked away, trying to play it down. “Nothing.”
“Do you have a date Saturday night? Oh, my gosh, you do, don’t you? With Brandt. Bonnie, that’s wonderful!”
“I don’t exactly have a date with him Saturday night. He’s coming over for breakfast, and I’m hoping we can eat supper together, too.”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 105