“Okay.” He wasn’t eager to tell his family about her father sitting in prison, or about her mother being an alcoholic, and a small bit of irritation swept over him that he had to feel uncomfortable about something that he had nothing to do with.
Is that why you haven’t called them to tell them about Reese? Because you didn’t want to have to say anything about her background?
Shame at his reticence settled over him, but relief wasn’t far behind that it wasn’t his responsibility to tell them the negatives about Reese. Then he reminded himself that the choices her parents made weren’t her fault either.
They chatted a while longer, and after they disconnected, he decided to call his sister first.
“Avery, hi. It’s Brody.”
“What’s up? I haven’t talked to you in a while.”
He told her that he had met a woman who he had grown to care for deeply—he wasn’t yet ready to confess that he was crazy in love. “She’s going to arrive tomorrow, and while she’s here I want you to meet her.”
“That’s fantastic. Oh my gosh, Brody, I can’t believe it. How did you meet her? Where is she now? Tell me all about her.”
He laughed at her eagerness to know all, and he filled her in on the details.
“Have you told Mom and Dad?”
“Not yet,” he said. “I was going to call them next.”
“Okay. Hey, Brody. You should know that Kayla’s back from Europe.”
“Oh.” He thought about the pretty girl who was several years younger than him who was also the daughter of his mother’s best friend. A girl his mother had been talking to him about a lot lately, hoping they would get together once Kayla got back from the six months she was spending in Europe on a job assignment. He didn’t know Kayla very well, but he had always suspected she had a crush on him.
To placate his mother, he had agreed to go out with Kayla at least once when she got back. But that was before he had met Reese. Now everything was different. He just hoped his mother would understand.
“Yeah, so be ready for that,” Avery said with a chuckle.
“Will do.”
They disconnected a moment later, and Brody braced himself before calling his mother. He wasn’t certain she would answer—as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, she was extremely busy, and he often got her voice mail.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Grace Ford said after Brody greeted her.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be available to take a call.”
“I do have to run to a meeting in a few minutes, but they won’t start without me. How are you? Logan mentioned you’ve been out of town, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to see what you’ve been up to.”
“I took a little vacation to Yellowstone, actually.”
“Is that right? How wonderful.” She paused a beat. “Kayla’s back from Europe.”
Here we go. “I heard.”
“Well, now that you’re back too, you can get together with her like you promised.”
“Things have changed, Mom.”
“How so?”
“I’ve met someone.”
His mother was quiet a moment. “What’s her name? Tell me about her.”
Why do I get the feeling she wants to catalogue the differences between Reese and Kayla? And why do I get the feeling Reese will come up short?
Confident Reese’s sweet personality would win them over, Brody said, “I have a better idea. Why don’t we all have dinner together later this week and you can meet her. Her name’s Reese.”
“Reese, huh? Well, my week’s pretty busy, but I actually have some time tomorrow night. Would that work?”
He hoped Reese would be up for it so soon after her arrival, but he was eager to get his parents’ stamp of approval, so he agreed.
“I’m very interested to meet this girl, Brody,” Grace said.
But he heard the underlying words in her tone. The ones that said To see if she measures up. And he suddenly worried that in his mother’s view, Reese would fall short.
Six
Despite Brody’s suggestion that she should take her time, Reese drove with minimal breaks, driving until nearly midnight, finally stopping just south of Las Vegas to spend the night in a parking lot near a casino.
When she finally crawled into bed, she thought about Brody and how the last time she had slept in her bed, he had been beside her.
Tomorrow I’ll be with him. In his bed. In his arms.
A burst of love and desire swept over her, and she wrapped her arms around herself to try to contain her need to be with him. In her excitement to see him, she had trouble falling asleep, and she soothed herself with memories of the two weeks they had spent in Yellowstone. The two most glorious weeks of her life. Weeks that wouldn’t have happened at all if he had chosen to forget about her after her decision to leave Malibu.
I can’t believe I left him the way I did. What if he hadn’t come to find me?
Tendrils of despair and loneliness twined around her heart at the thought, and she knew she would never leave him like that again.
Bright and early the next morning she was back on the road. With four hours left to drive, she was eager to reach Brody. When they had spoken the day before, they had decided she would call him when she was half an hour away, and he would meet her in a secure parking lot his friend owned, a place where he had arranged for her to park her RV while she stayed at his beach house.
Though a part of her would have preferred to keep her independence and stay at the RV park where she had stayed before, it was expensive, and her bank account had been depleted by the repairs she had done. Besides, Brody had convinced her that because she had let him stay in her RV while they had been in Yellowstone, it was only fair that he return the favor.
You want to stay with him anyway. Admit it. Her lips curved in a smile of excitement. Yes, I do.
Brody pulled into the parking lot his friend owned, glad he had a secure place for Reese to park her RV. He knew how important it was to her that her home was safe, and he completely understood.
Now, as he waited for her to arrive, his heart pounded in anticipation. It had been four days since he had left her in Idaho, and despite her promise to come to Malibu, in the back of his mind he had worried she would decide not to come after all. But she had called half an hour earlier to say she was almost there, so all his worries had fled. Except the niggling worry that his mother would find fault with her, if only because she had her heart set on him getting together with Kayla.
Sorry, Mom. It’s not going to work out the way you wanted.
He thought about Reese meeting his parents at dinner that night and wished he hadn’t agreed to it so soon. But it was done, and he wouldn’t cancel on them at the last minute.
With his mother on his mind, he watched for Reese’s RV, and a few minutes later it came into view. His eyes went to Reese’s face behind the windshield, and when he saw her radiant smile, a matching smile lit his face. But as she turned her RV to park in an empty space and her face disappeared from view, Brody’s gaze skimmed her thirty-year-old RV and he saw it through his mother’s eyes. Old, with rust in a few spots, it looked like it could be on its last legs.
That’s Reese’s home. It’s what she can afford. With a tiny cringe, Brody imagined the way his mother would look at it, and by extension, the way she would see Reese. And that’s before she knows Reese’s father is in prison.
With a sigh, Brody walked toward the driver’s side of the RV. The moment Reese came into view, wearing shorts and a Yellowstone t-shirt, he forgot about his mother and what she might think, and instead focused on the face of the woman he loved.
“Brody,” Reese cried before flinging herself into his arms.
His arms went around her, and a feeling of fierce protectiveness nearly swamped him. Nothing my mother says or does will come between us. I won’t let it. “Reese,” he murmured into her hair as he held her tight. “I’ve missed you so much.”
>
Reese snuggled against Brody’s chest as warmth radiated outward from the center of her chest. All the way here she had been thinking about this moment, this reunion, and being in Brody’s arms again was as sweet as she had known it would be.
“I’ve missed you too,” she said. “So much.”
He pulled away, and when their gazes met, the blue-green of his eyes that she had been picturing pierced her to the core. His hands went to her face, holding her still as he leaned towards her and pressed his lips to hers. Passion and heat swept over her, and her arms slid around his neck as she eagerly responded to his kiss.
After a few moments he pulled away, and with a husky voice, said, “Let’s head home.”
She knew what he meant, so she didn’t bother to point out that her home was right beside them. “I just need to get my things.”
He released her, and she climbed inside her RV and grabbed the three brown paper grocery bags she had filled with her clothes and toiletries before she had hit the road that morning.
When she held out a bag for him to take, his eyebrows drew together. “What’s this?”
A slight blush burned her face. “I don’t have a suitcase.”
An expression she couldn’t read crossed his face. “Oh.” He took the bag, as well as the two others she handed him.
Then, with her camera hung around her neck and her laptop bag slung over one shoulder, she climbed down the steps of her RV and locked the door behind her. “Are you sure my RV will be safe here?”
“Yes. My friend has good security. It should be fine.”
Trusting him, she nodded.
“My car’s over there,” he said, and gestured with his chin toward a black Porsche with the top down.
She remembered that car. The last time she had ridden in it, they had gone to the store to get groceries for the dinner party she had ended up ditching. Guilt at what she had done sliced through her, but she reminded herself that he had forgiven her and things were good between them now.
He popped the trunk and they placed her grocery bags inside, along with her camera and laptop bag, then he held the passenger door open for her and she slid into the seat.
They headed north on the Pacific Coast Highway, and as they passed the RV park, Reese’s gaze went to the RVs parked along the cliff, and memories from her last visit filled her mind.
“I’m glad you’re staying at my house,” Brody said, obviously noticing her looking at the place she had stayed before.
Turning to him with a smile, she said, “Me too.” And she was. Despite the fact that she had chosen to give up her independence, she was excited to be staying with him. She loved him and she wanted to be with him.
Moments later they turned into Brody’s driveway and parked behind a baby blue VW bug. Through the bug’s rear window, the back of someone’s head was visible.
“What the heck?” Brody murmured.
A moment later, a petite woman with long, dark hair jumped out of the car, and with a huge grin on her face, she scurried toward Reese.
Seven
With the convertible top down on the Porsche, Reese had a clear view of the woman who was approaching her.
“You must be Reese,” the woman said, her smile deepening the dimples on her face.
Reese glanced at Brody with a questioning look before facing the woman. “Yes.”
“I’m Avery,” she said. “Brody’s sister.”
“Oh,” Reese said, warmed by Avery’s friendly demeanor. “Hello.” Then she noticed that Avery had the same blue-green eyes as Brody.
“Hi, Ave,” Brody said as he got out of his car, then came around to where his sister stood and gave her a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
Avery laughed. “I couldn’t wait to meet Reese.”
“What about classes?” Brody asked, and Reese thought she heard a slight tone of annoyance in his voice.
“I had a little time between classes, so I thought I’d stop by.”
“Well, why don’t you come inside,” he said, then he opened Reese’s door and she stepped out.
Brody popped the trunk and they carried Reese’s things inside, setting them on the floor in the entry. The moment they entered Brody’s house, Reese’s gaze swept the kitchen, living room, and balcony, which was where she and Brody had spent time together. Memories swirled in her mind, but compared to the time they had spent in Yellowstone—which had been blissful—the memories from Malibu were somewhat insignificant.
We’ll make new memories now.
Contentment settled over her like a warm fire on a chilly evening.
“Have you eaten lunch, Reese?” Brody asked.
Loving the way he took care of her, she shook her head. She had only taken a short break on the drive that morning, not stopping to eat.
“What about you, Ave?”
“Nope. I’d love one of your famous BLTs.”
Reese laughed. “Your BLTs are famous? I didn’t know that. I’d love one too.”
Brody smiled. “Three BLTs coming up.” He opened his fridge and began taking out ingredients.
Avery sat on a barstool, and Reese sat on the seat beside her. “What makes them famous?”
“It’s the way he browns the sourdough,” Avery said. “It’s perfection.”
Reese looked at Brody with a grin. “How come you never told me about these while we were in Yellowstone?”
He placed a pan on the stove and turned on the heat. “Maybe because I wanted you to do all the cooking while we were there.”
“You have to watch him,” Avery said with a wink. “Or he’ll let you do all the work.”
“Don’t believe a word she says,” Brody said as he placed slices of bacon in the pan.
Reese laughed, enjoying the banter between the siblings, which made her miss her brother, Seth. She hadn’t heard from him in several weeks and hoped he was okay—all she knew was that his unit was in the Middle East.
“So, Reese,” Avery said. “Brody tells me you’re a photographer. Tell me about some of the things you photographed in Yellowstone.”
As Reese began telling Avery about the amazing things she had seen, a feeling of fondness toward Brody’s sister enveloped her.
I really like her. I’ll bet the rest of his family will be the same way and I worried for nothing.
Brody turned the bacon over, glancing at Reese and Avery. At first he had been annoyed to see Avery at his house the moment they had arrived—he had been looking forward to some time alone with Reese. But as he watched the two women chatting, he was glad Avery had stopped by. Clearly, Reese felt comfortable with his sister, and his sister seemed to be hitting it off with Reese.
Thrilled to know his assurances to Reese about his family loving her had been accurate—at least where Avery was concerned—he smiled as he finished making their sandwiches, then carried them to the table.
“Hey, Ave,” Brody said after they had begun eating. “Tonight we’re having dinner with Mom and Dad so they can meet Reese. I think it would be nice if you could come.” It would be nice to have someone there who already likes Reese, to help contend with the negativity I felt from Mom yesterday.
“Sure, I’d love to,” she said.
Brody looked at Reese to see if she was happy Avery had agreed, but when he saw the look on her face—surprise, worry, fear—he remembered that he hadn’t told her about the dinner yet. Crap. I’ll apologize after Avery leaves.
Reese picked up her glass and gulped down some of her ice water as she tried to regain her equilibrium. Dinner with his parents? Tonight? She wasn’t sure why the idea shocked her so much—after all, a big reason she had come to Malibu was to meet his family. But it had never occurred to her it would be so soon. She had thought she would have a chance to get settled and spend time with Brody before she would have to face them.
“How’s your BLT, Reese?” Avery asked. “Best ever, right?”
She had lost her appetite, but she nodded as she picked up her sa
ndwich and took a large bite. After swallowing, she smiled. “It’s delicious.”
They chatted and ate—technically, Brody and Avery did most of the chatting while Reese tried to calm her growing panic. I’m not ready to meet them. Not yet. But maybe they’ll be as nice as Avery and I’m getting all worked up for no reason.
Her stomach roiled, and when she looked at the food on her plate, nausea welled up inside her.
“Are you okay?” Avery asked her. “You look kind of pale.”
“Uh, I’m just tired after my long drive.”
“Oh, well I should probably get going. My class starts soon.” Avery stood, carried her plate to the kitchen sink, then walked back to Reese. “It was super nice to meet you. I guess I’ll see you tonight?”
Reese stood and gave her a hug. “Yeah. It was nice to meet you too.”
After Avery left, Reese turned to Brody with a scowl. “Tonight? I’m meeting them tonight? Thanks for telling me before springing it on me in front of your sister.”
Brody rubbed the back of his neck as his face reddened. “I’m really sorry, Reese. I meant to tell you, but I guess I forgot.”
She could see he was contrite, but that didn’t stop the butterflies from zooming around in her stomach. “What did you tell them about me?”
“Nothing, really.”
That didn’t help at all. “Could you be a little more specific?”
He laughed softly. “Basically, I told my mother that I’d met someone and that your name is Reese.”
That really is nothing. But at least they won’t have any preconceived notions going into this get-together. “Avery sure seemed to know a lot about me.”
Brody smiled. “You’ve met her now, so I think you can understand why I’d share a lot more about you with her.”
Yes, Reese could see how it would be easy to talk to Avery.
“It will be nice to have her there tonight, don’t you think?” Brody asked.
“Yes. Thanks for inviting her. What about your brother? Is he back from his camping trip?”
Searching for Love: The Complete Story Page 21