Searching for Love: The Complete Story

by Christine Kersey

  “I’ll fly back today,” he said into his phone.

  Alarm bells rang in her mind. If he was willing to leave her after the conversation they had just had, it had to be serious.

  He disconnected the call and turned to her with a grave expression. “My dad had a heart attack and he’s in the hospital. My mother says they’ve stabilized him and they think he’ll be okay, but I need to go.” He frowned.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “You need to be there.”

  “Yeah.” He used his phone to search for flights, and booked one that left that afternoon. “I’m sorry I can’t meet your mother, Reese.”

  “No, it’s fine. I understand.” But she was disappointed.

  He kissed her, then stood. “I’d better get going.”

  She nodded, then stood as well.

  Brody gazed at her. “I’m going to come back as soon as I can.”

  As much as she wanted him with her, she didn’t want Grace resenting her for taking him away from his family as this critical time. You’re going to be his family soon. Pleasure at that realization swept over her, making it easier to tell him what was on her mind. “You don’t have to rush back. You need to be with your family.” She smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

  His gaze locked with hers, then he smiled. “You’re just proving what I said earlier.”

  “What?”

  Stroking her face, his voice softened as he said, “That you’re amazing.”

  Her smile grew. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” And it did. Each time he told her how wonderful she was, she began to believe it more and more. What would I do without Brody in my life?

  Tugging her into his arms, he leaned towards her and pressed his lips to hers for a passionate kiss, then said, “I’ll be counting the hours until I’m with you again.”

  Hating that he had to leave, especially now that they had made such a huge commitment to each other, she held back a frown. “Me too.”

  With a final kiss, he left her RV, climbed into his car, and drove away.

  Sinking onto her couch, Reese stared at the closed door, struck by how much her life had changed in just a few hours. When she had woken up, she had been devastated to know that she had sent Brody away. Then after learning she couldn’t help her mother, she had found out she was pregnant with Brody’s child. And now she and Brody were engaged.

  Shaking her head in disbelief, she secured her belongings, then started her RV and headed out to pick up some food before going to her mom’s place.

  “You brought food again?” her mother said when she opened the door to let Reese inside her trailer. “I’m not a charity case, you know.”

  With Brody’s love buoying her up, her mother’s comments bounced off of her. “I just brought it to be nice, Mom.”

  Grunting, her mother walked into the kitchen and took out two plates, then set them on the scarred wooden table. “Well, I am a little hungry, I guess.”

  Reese knew that was the most thanks she would get. Setting the burgers on the plates, Reese asked her mother how she was feeling.

  “Like crap, if you really want to know,” she said as she sat at the table.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Wishing she had some good news to share, she realized she actually did, although she wasn’t sure how her mother would react to it. “I’m engaged, Mom.”

  Her mother looked at her through narrowed eyes. “To who?”

  Not able to hold back her smile, Reese said, “His name’s Brody, and he’s amazing.”

  “And when do I get to meet this dream man?”

  Wishing Brody had been able to come, Reese said, “Soon, I hope.”

  Her mother took a small bite of the burger. “I might be dead before then.” She set her burger on her plate. “What makes this man so amazing?”

  “He’s smart and kind. And he’s very handsome.” Deciding not to mention his wealth or how sophisticated his family was, Reese left it at that.

  “What does Seth think of him?”

  Reese had yet to mention Brody to Seth, but now that her future felt more solid, she would tell him. “He hasn’t met him yet.”

  With another grunt, her mother continued eating.

  “Mom? I was wondering if you would let me take your picture today.” Reese gestured toward the counter where she had set her camera. “I brought my camera.”

  Frowning, her mother said, “I don’t like to have my picture taken.”

  Knowing that her mother liked to please Seth, Reese used that to her advantage. “I’m sure Seth would really like to have a current picture of you.”

  She seemed to think it over. “Well, I guess one picture would be okay.”

  “Good.” A little hurt that it had taken the mention of her brother to get her to agree, Reese tried to push aside her feelings and focus on the time she had with her mother.

  After they finished eating, Reese had her mother sit in her favorite chair while she took several pictures. When she was done, she put her camera away and sat on the couch. “Thanks for letting me take your picture, Mom.”

  “I’ve never understood why you’ve always liked pictures,” she said as she pulled the handle on her recliner to put her feet up.

  Wanting her mother to know her better, Reese said, “When I see something that makes me happy, I want to freeze it in time. To be able to come back and look at it again and recapture the way it made me feel.”

  Her mother nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

  Grateful that her mother hadn’t torn her down over that or said something snide, Reese smiled.

  Her mother stared at her lap, then looked at Reese. “Have you thought anymore about…well, about giving me a piece of your liver?”

  Crushed to know that wasn’t an option, Reese decided to tell her the truth. “I wanted to. I even went to see Dr. Bingham and had a blood test done.”

  Her mother seemed wary. “But?”

  “But, I…it turns out I’m…”

  “Just spit it out, girl.”

  Reese’s lips compressed into a straight line. “Brody and I are expecting a baby.”

  Several emotions raced across her mother’s face—surprise, disappointment, anger.

  Wanting to explain, Reese said, “That disqualifies me from donating an organ.”

  Her mother’s mouth puckered, then she said, “You’re young, Reese. You can have lots of babies. But if I don’t get a new liver soon, I’ll die.”

  Shocked at what her mother was suggesting, Reese instinctively wrapped her arms around her abdomen. “I’m not going to kill my baby.”

  Her mother gave her a hard look. “Then you’re no use to me.”

  Deeply hurt, Reese felt tears fill her eyes. She had mistakenly believed that she and her mother were finally starting to build a relationship. I should have known better.

  “I guess I’ll go then,” Reese said, her voice soft. She stood, hoping her mother would tell her to stay, that she didn’t mean it. But when she didn’t, Reese said, “I wish you well.”

  Her mother scowled. “You don’t need to come back.” Then her face brightened. “Unless you change your mind, of course.”

  Disgusted, Reese shook her head, then grabbed her camera and purse and bolted for the door.

  Seventeen

  When Brody parked his car at the hospital parking lot, he warred with himself over whether he should speak to his mother about what she had done to Reese. But as he walked out of the elevator and towards his father’s room, he knew this wasn’t the right time to get into that. Instead, he needed to focus on his father, as well as give his mother the emotional support she needed.

  But I will find the time to talk to her. There’s no way I’m going to leave it up to Reese to handle on her own.

  “Brody,” his mother said with a smile as he walked into the hospital room. She stood and embraced him. “Thank you for coming.”

  His gaze went to his father, who was sitting up in bed and looking at him with a half-smile.


  “Sorry to drag you all the way here,” his father said as he adjusted the blanket. “It really wasn’t necessary.” He glanced at Grace. “I’m going to be fine. In fact, I’m heading home first thing in the morning.”

  Brody went to his father’s bedside and sat in one of the two chairs. His mother sat in the other. “Of course I came as soon as I heard, Dad. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  He laughed. “Me too.”

  “I’m glad you’re here too,” his mother said. “Your family should always be your first priority.”

  Bristling at his mother’s comments, especially in light of what she had done to Reese, he almost told her that he was about to have a new family, but he held back. He wanted to keep his promise to Reese to keep their news private for now.

  Regardless, he wanted to make clear to his mother that she hadn’t gotten away with anything. He turned to face her. “We need to have a conversation. Soon.”

  His expression must have been more fierce than he had meant it to be, because she seemed to shrink back slightly. “Of course, Brody.” Her lips turned up into a smile before she turned her attention to his father. “But right now we need to focus on your father and getting him well.”

  “That’s right,” his father said with a laugh, obviously not noticing the tension between Brody and his mother. “I have a lot of work waiting for me. I don’t have time to be sick.” Then he looked at Brody and his face turned serious. “Speaking of sick, your mother tells me you were in Indiana with Reese, and that her mother’s quite ill.”

  “That’s right. She has cirrhosis of the liver.”

  “That’s too bad,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Brody said. “It is.” He decided it was not the time to bring up Reese wanting to donate her liver.

  “Well, let us know if there’s something we can do,” his father said.

  Appreciative of his father’s words, although he wasn’t sure if his mother was on board, he said, “Thanks.”

  They chatted for a while longer, and when his father’s dinner arrived, he said his good-byes and drove to his place in Malibu. After letting himself inside, he walked to the guest room and stood in the doorway.

  This room will look a lot different with a baby in it. His lips lifted in a smile. But I’m actually kind of excited about it.

  With a final look, he walked to the bedroom he hoped to be sharing with Reese soon, then sat on the bed and dialed her cell phone.

  After Reese had left her mother’s place, she had stopped by the RV park and checked out. Knowing there was no point wasting time feeling sad about the way things had turned out with her mother, and not wanting to delay getting back to Brody, she had decided to start the drive back to Malibu right away.

  Now, as she drove west, her thoughts turned to Brody and the challenges she would face once she reached Malibu. To be more specific, she focused on the challenges she would face with Grace. With no idea how to change Grace’s mind about her, she contemplated Grace’s potential reaction to the news that not only was she going to marry Brody, but that they were already expecting a baby.

  Groaning with a mix of despair and frustration, Reese turned on the radio, hoping some music would take her mind off of her problems.

  A few minutes later her phone rang, and when she saw it was Brody, she immediately answered. Thrilled to hear from him, she asked how his father was doing.

  “He’s doing fine. In fact, I was thinking of booking a flight to come back to Indiana tomorrow.”

  A huge smile curved her mouth. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

  “Because, as we speak, I’m driving to you.”

  He laughed. “That’s awesome. But what about your mother?”

  Remembering the visit she had had with her mother, Reese’s jaw tightened. “I guess she doesn’t want me there.”

  “Oh. Do you want to talk about it?”

  What she wanted was to curl up in Brody’s arms and feel the security he always brought to her. “Maybe when I get there.”

  “Okay.”

  They talked for a while longer, and Brody promised to arrange for her to park her RV in his friend’s secure parking lot again.

  “Drive carefully, babe,” he said.

  Now that she knew about Megan and the way she had died, she was more sensitive to his comment. “I will. I promise.”

  “Good. I love you.”

  She pictured his blue-green eyes and his handsome face and could hardly wait to be with him. “I love you too.”

  They disconnected, and Reese drove on, trying to focus on seeing Brody, and trying to forget about dealing with Grace Ford.

  Eighteen

  When Brody woke up Saturday morning, he knew he had to talk to his mother that day. Besides the fact that Reese was on her way, he hadn’t slept well the night before as he had imagined the consternation Reese must have felt when his mother had offered her twenty thousand dollars to get out of his life.

  The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became, and he knew the only way to move past it was to speak to his mother. His father was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital that morning, so he would go to his parents’ house that afternoon under the pretense of visiting his father. It wasn’t that he wanted to ambush his mother, but he had the sense that if she knew why he was really coming, she would find a way to avoid the discussion.

  He spent all morning working, and after checking with his mother to make sure his father was home from the hospital, he asked if he could come by to see them.

  “Of course, Brody,” she said. “You’re always welcome.”

  “Great. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  As he drove to his parents’ house, he reminded himself of the things he loved about his mother—that was the only way to calm himself enough so that he wouldn’t burst into their house and immediately go on the attack.

  She’s always supported me one hundred percent in whatever I’ve wanted to do. He frowned deeply. Except now. With Reese. What is up with that? Shaking his head, he forced himself to list more positives. Even as busy as she’s been with her job, she’s always made an effort to be there for me, Avery, and Logan. Even when we’ve done stupid things, she’s never given up on us.

  His frown deepened. Is that what she thinks I’m doing with Reese? Being stupid? And she thinks she’s just trying to help me out? But why? Why would she think that?

  Not feeling any better about the situation, he pulled onto his parents’ street, then into their driveway. A moment later he knocked on the door, then let himself in.

  “Hello?” he called out. “It’s Brody.”

  “In here,” his father called out, and Brody went into the living room to find his father sitting on the couch with his feet propped up, watching a baseball game. “Join me,” he said. “It’s not often I have time to watch a good ball game.”

  Brody sat in a chair near his father. “I guess that’s one good thing about this.” An affectionate smile curved his mouth. “It’s forced you to slow down for a few days.”

  “That it has,” his father said as he muted the TV.

  They talked sports for a while, but during a lull in the conversation, Brody asked where his mother was.

  “In her office.” His father narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on with the two of you?”

  About to stand, Brody stilled. “Why do you ask?”

  “She seemed a little…oh, I don’t know. Nervous, I guess. About you coming over today.” He chuckled. “And that’s not like her.”

  Not wanting to get into the details of what his mother had done, Brody shrugged.

  “It has something to do with Reese,” his father said. “Doesn’t it?”

  Clenching his jaw, Brody looked at his father a moment. “What do you think of her?”

  Tilting his head, his father’s eyes went to the window that overlooked the backyard, then he met Brody’s gaze. “I know her background’s a little rough, but I d
on’t hold that against her.” He paused a beat. “She seems like a nice girl.” Then he smiled. “Avery seems to like her.”

  Go, Avery. Glad Reese had met with his sister’s approval, Brody was also relieved his father seemed open to her, and that he didn’t blame her for the mistakes her parents had made.

  His father shifted on the couch. “Are we going to have the chance to get to know her better?”

  Most definitely. “Yes. She’s actually on her way back from Indiana. She ought to arrive sometime tomorrow.”

  His father’s eyebrows rose. “She’s on her way back already?”

  Brody heard the implied question. She’s leaving her mother now? When she’s so sick? “Yes. She didn’t tell me the details, but evidently her mother prefers to be by herself.” Wondering what exactly had happened, Brody left it at that.

  “I see.”

  Ignoring the unasked questions—questions he didn’t have answers to, Brody stood. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling good, Dad.”

  His dad smiled. “Believe me, so am I.”

  Brody returned his father’s smile, then he went to find his mother.

  Nineteen

  “Mom?” Brody said as he reached the open door to her office.

  “I’m in here,” she called out.

  The image of her handing a cash-filled envelope to Reese, then telling her to never show her face again, filled his mind. Blood rushed to his head and his hands curled into fists.

  Calm down. You won’t get anywhere with her if you’re upset.

  He drew in a lungful of air and slowly released it before entering her office.

  “Hello,” she said, a bright smile on her face as she swiveled her chair to face him.

  Smiling tightly, he said, “Hi, Mom.”

  She gestured to a plush chair in the corner. “Have a seat.”

  Nodding, Brody settled into the chair, his mind racing with what to say.

  “It’s been nice to see you two days in a row,” she said. “I’m just sorry it’s not under better circumstances.”