The First Time Again: The Braddock Brotherhood, Book 3

by Barbara Meyers

  “I’m pretty good with the toaster,” Trey offered.

  “Go for it.”

  A few minutes later they loaded their plates and went out to the porch. The sun was up, and while it was cool under cover, the day held the promise of heat.

  Trey had given up the fight and downed a couple of ibuprofen. The headache hovered around and behind his eyes, but it looked like he was going to survive. He’d noticed the empty whiskey bottle in the garbage can.

  The breakfast was edible, but eating it reminded him of Baylee. After a couple of bites he contemplated the food on his plate before he gave up.

  “Thanks, Dad,” he said, pushing his plate away.

  Andy glanced up from his own meal. “Seems like you’ve got more going on than just a hangover.”

  “She left.”

  “Baylee?”

  Trey nodded.

  Andy grunted. “Where’d she go?”

  “Went to see about a job in Florida is all I know.”

  “You can find her. If you want to.”

  When Trey didn’t say anything, Andy pushed his plate away and sat back. “Do you want to?”

  “I miss her.”

  “You know why she left?”

  “When we got pulled over, she looked at me like she’d been waiting for something like that to happen. Like she knew I was too good to be true or something. She called me a liar.”

  “Did you lie to her?”

  “No.”

  Andy ruminated for a minute. “You know what they say. When you point a finger at someone and accuse them of something, there’s three fingers pointing back at you.”

  “What are you saying? She was lying to me?”

  “Maybe she’s been lying to herself.”

  “Wow, Dad. That’s deep.”

  Andy flashed a smile. “Told you I could teach you a thing or two. I learned most of it from your mother, but if you tell her I said so—”

  “You’ll deny it.”

  “Right. Woman knows more about human nature than the two of us put together. I’ll tell you what thirty-five years of marriage has taught me. People say things in the heat of the moment they wish later they hadn’t. You can’t take them back, and sometimes you don’t know how to apologize or you’re afraid your apology won’t be accepted. Sometimes you’re so scared you’re going to lose the thing you want the most, you don’t know how to deal with it. You willing to leave things between you and her the way they are?”

  Trey could barely get past the fact that Baylee was gone. But now that his dad had asked the question, he knew he wasn’t going to let it go. He wanted to have it out with her. If she was going to dump him, she could damn well do it to his face.

  “No. No, I don’t think I am.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got some work to do.” Andy pushed his chair back and stood. “I cooked. You can clean up.”

  Trey smiled. “Sure thing, Dad. Thanks.”

  Andy braced his hands on the back of the chair. “You know, you’re not the only one who screwed up.”

  Trey looked at his father. Something passed between them that couldn’t be put into words. “So are we good here?” Andy asked.

  “Yeah, Dad. We’re good.”

  As soon as his father left, Trey tried Baylee’s cell again. When her voice-mail greeting came on, he disconnected and put in a call to Ryan.

  “She shouldn’t be hard to track down,” Ryan told him over lunch at the Mountainside Diner. “I have an investigator I can call. It will probably take him a day or so to check into it and get back to us. If she’s employed, it won’t take long.”

  “Your wife’s her best friend. You sure she doesn’t know where she is?” Trey pressed.

  “Jenny’s as put out with her as you are. Can’t believe she just up and left. She hasn’t returned calls or texts, except she told Jenny to knock it off and she’d be in touch soon.”

  “This is all a bit out of character for her, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I’d say it’s more than a bit out of character. According to Jenny, Baylee’s barely set foot outside of North Carolina her entire life. The two of them have been closer than sisters since they were kids. So for Baylee to take off and not tell anyone exactly where she is? It’s definitely out of character.”

  As much out of character as it was for me to run to a bottle after all this time? Trey wondered.

  “Call your investigator. Tell him it’s worth it to me for him to make it a top priority.”

  Baylee walked out of the restaurant into warmth and dampness. What she hadn’t remembered about Orlando, which apparently was the norm for most of the state of Florida, was that it rained almost every day during the summer. She’d been caught in the rain a couple of times and had discovered her portable umbrella was not much of a shield against it.

  Oddly the downpour never lasted long, and when it was over the temperature had dropped from the midnineties to somewhere in the high eighties. During the day steam rose off the pavement, but in the evenings there was a soft, lush quality to the air. She breathed in the heat and moisture, so different from the crisp coolness of a North Carolina summer evening.

  She’d landed the job James Falcon had discussed with her, plus she hostessed a couple of nights a week at a steak-and-seafood restaurant. Three days after she’d arrived in Orlando, Trey had finally called her. When she saw his name on the list of missed calls, panic had set in. Although she wanted more than anything to hear his voice, she was afraid of what he might say. It had taken him so long to call, to acknowledge her apology, she’d had the thought that his belated effort was too little and too late. She’d listened to his voice-mail message, but she hadn’t called him back. Not then and not after the other two times he’d called. She’d ignored his text messages in which he also asked her to call him. Maybe she’d waited too long, because he hadn’t called or texted in two days.

  She approached her car with her keys in her hand, to see a male silhouette leaning against the hood, arms crossed. She wisely had made sure to park as close to one of the light poles as possible, and she could see the glints of gold in his hair. Trey.

  Her steps slowed as she approached. His stance didn’t change, but she knew he knew she was there. She stopped a couple of feet away. She wanted to run to him, throw herself in his arms, hope he’d forgive her, give her a second chance, but she was afraid he wouldn’t. She was afraid she’d lost him forever. But if that was true, why was he here?

  Though only a few feet separated them, it felt like a much wider gulf neither of them knew how to cross.

  Was Trey waiting for her to say something? She didn’t know what to say. But she couldn’t stand the silence between them. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you.”

  Duh. “Why?”

  “You promised you’d give me two weeks’ notice before you quit.”

  Baylee stared at him. Her leaving without notice couldn’t possibly be the reason for his presence here now.

  “I’m sorry now that I gave you a decent job reference, since you left without telling me,” he said.

  Baylee didn’t know what to say. She had the sense that Trey was toying with her, but she didn’t know why. Why would he bother?

  “Why didn’t you return my calls?”

  Shame washed through Baylee. She claimed to want a real, adult relationship with Trey, but she’d been acting like a sulking teenager, unwilling to acknowledge her own part in creating this distance between them. “I should have called you back. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Baylee saw the first sparkles of the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks display. From her bedroom window she could view a different fireworks display put on nightly at one of the other amusement parks. She thought of that long ago wish of hers to live in Cinderella’s Castle, to create her own magic kingdom.

  “Baylee?”

  She took a deep, shuddering breath. The very least she owed Tr
ey was the truth, even if it was a truth she didn’t want to acknowledge to herself. “I didn’t call you because I didn’t want to talk to you.”

  “Oh.”

  “I was afraid you’d tell me it was over. Even though I knew it was—if I didn’t talk to you, it wasn’t official. I could still—hope.”

  “Oh.”

  Baylee wished Trey would put her out of her misery and get it over with. Instead he said, “I’ve always thought that if you’re going to dump someone, you should do it in person.”

  Baylee stared at him. She licked her lips. Her mouth had gone dry. “I understand.”

  Trey inclined his head and locked his gaze on her even tighter. “Are you sure?”

  Baylee nodded. Uncertainty made her voice tremble. “It’s really decent of you to come and do this in person.”

  “Do what in person?”

  “Dump me.”

  “That’s why you think I’m here?”

  “I said such horrible things to you.”

  “You were upset.”

  Baylee lifted her chin. “I was scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “You. Myself. Afraid I’d never get what I really wanted.”

  “What is it you want, Baylee?”

  “You. Just you. You’re all I ever wanted.”

  “Well, darlin’, I’m yours.”

  Her breath caught. “Really?”

  Trey grinned. “Really.”

  She didn’t consciously cover the space between them, but the next thing she knew, she was in his arms. “I’m sorry, Trey. I’m so sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “You don’t have any furniture,” Trey noted when they arrived at the one-bedroom apartment she’d rented.

  “I have a bed, which in some cultures is considered the most important piece of furniture in the home.” She took his hand, and he followed her into the tiny bedroom. The queen-size mattress and box spring set took up most of the space. An open suitcase held an assortment of clothing and toiletry items, as did a couple of boxes pushed against the wall next to the bed.

  Baylee started to unbutton her shirt. “Want to take a shower? After an evening at the restaurant, I always feel like I smell like food when I get home.”

  “Yeah, sure, but, could you hang on a sec?” He looked around somewhat uncomfortably before his gaze came back to hers. “This isn’t exactly how I planned to do this, but...”

  Baylee’s brow furrowed. “Do what?”

  “Could you sit down here a minute?” Without waiting for a reply, he maneuvered her so she was sitting on the end of the bed. He tried to keep his focus on her face instead of the distraction of the unbuttoned shirt, which offered him a glimpse of a lacy white bra.

  “Trey…”

  He pressed a finger against her lips.

  He braced himself with both hands on either side of her and awkwardly dropped his left knee to the floor. An unwilling “Ouch” escaped his lips.

  “Trey, you don’t have to—”

  The look in his eyes quelled her interruption.

  “I do have to. Because the truth is, I don’t think I can live without you. I found that out the hard way, which is the same way I seem to find out everything important in life. Usually, I don’t figure it out until it’s too late. But I’m trying to change that. Hang on.”

  He dug in the right pocket of his jeans and withdrew a ring. He held it out to her. Baylee gasped. Trey grinned. “Apparently I did something right.”

  He sobered quickly, though. He picked up her left hand and held it in his, rubbing his thumb along the back of it. “Baylee, will you marry me?”

  “Really?” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Really,” he assured her softly.

  She swiped a knuckle under her eyes to brush away the tears and gave him a watery chuckle. “I think I know how Cinderella felt when Prince Charming finally tracked her down.”

  “Is that your way of saying yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Can I put this ring on you now? My knee is killing me.”

  He slid the ring onto her finger, then braced himself once again on either side of her until he was in her space, forcing her back on the bed.

  “Shower,” she suggested as he undid the rest of the buttons on her shirt and kissed her tummy. “I’m pretty sure I smell like fried shrimp and filet mignon.”

  He unzipped her pants and dragged them off. “What do you know? Two of my favorite things.”

  Hours later, after a reunion that had blown Baylee’s socks off, followed by a steamy shower, they were lying in Baylee’s bed. She stretched out against the length of him, and his hand played idly with her damp hair. “Why Orlando?” Trey asked. “What made you come here?”

  “Besides the only decent job offer I’ve had in months, you mean? I was trying to get as close as I could to the happiest place on earth.”

  “Did you?”

  She poked him. “Yeah. About twenty minutes ago.”

  “Ow.” He grabbed her hand and turned on his side so he could look into her eyes. “You want to know where the happiest place on earth is for me?”

  “Where?”

  “Wherever you are.”

  Epilogue

  The horse-drawn carriage drew up to the formal gardens of the Grand Floridian Hotel. Baylee flashed her father a quick smile. He, in turn, squeezed her hand. As the carriage drew to a stop, a string quartet began to play “I Can Only Imagine.”

  Baylee’s grin widened, her heart ready to burst with happiness when she saw Lisa and Jenny. Her sister and best friend were wearing simple silk dresses in a sunny shade of yellow. Both clutched bouquets featuring a sunflower surrounded by yellow roses and greenery trimmed with navy-blue ribbon.

  Dan exited the carriage first and helped Baylee down the steps. Her gown was simple and strapless in a pearly shade of white trimmed with a navy-blue band. Her bouquet mixed yellow mums with white roses surrounding a sunflower.

  Jenny reached for her hand. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Baylee understood what Jenny was trying to say only too well. Ever since Trey had arrived in Orlando, she’d been pinching herself. She’d stopped waiting for something to ruin her happiness. Today was going to be perfect.

  Even Lisa was smiling. Trey had insisted she take advantage of the hotel’s spa along with Baylee and Jenny, and Lisa hadn’t argued. The three of them had spent two days being massaged and waxed, buffed and polished, and generally spoiled by the luxury surrounding them. This morning they’d had their hair done and makeup professionally applied while they’d enjoyed a room-service champagne brunch.

  Baylee looked beyond the entrance to see white chairs arranged in neat rows on either side of a brick walkway which led to a gazebo adorned with more flowers and greenery intertwined with navy-blue and yellow ribbon.

  She stepped back behind a large hibiscus bush as Trey and his groomsmen approached the arched gazebo entrance, where a podium was set up. Ryan and Andy wore dark blue suits. Trey in a black tuxedo nearly took Baylee’s breath away. She couldn’t help but sneak peeks at him from her hiding place.

  “You’ve got the rest of your life to look at him,” Lisa drawled. “Get a grip.”

  “Are you ready, ladies? It looks like everyone else is,” Dan said.

  The musicians had paused after the end of the tune. An expectant hush descended on the small group of guests. Josh and Jonah were there, Baylee knew, and she could only hope they were behaving themselves. Trey’s mother, as well as several of his aunts, uncles and cousins, filled the groom’s section. Her father had invited a woman he’d met through AA to be his companion. After some finagling on Matty’s part, Jasmine and her parents were also in attendance.

  Lisa and Jenny took their places as the musicians began the traditional wedding march.

  Baylee tucked her arm beneath Dan’s. He patted her hand. “Are you sure about this, honey?” he whispered as they prepared to take the first step along the walkway.

&nbs
p; Baylee’s gaze caught Trey’s at that moment. Her answer was there, in his smile, the look in his eyes, and the way he said, “Wow,” out loud and made all the guests chuckle.

  But her answer, when it came, came from her heart. “I’m sure.”

  About the Author

  Barbara Meyers is the author of The Braddock Brotherhood series of contemporary romances published by Samhain Publishing—A Month From Miami, A Forever Kind of Guy and The First Time Again—as well as the independently published novels Not Quite Heaven and Scattered Moments. Her short story, “Katy’s Place”, will appear in the 2013 Novelists, Inc. anthology.

  Under the pen name AJ Tillock, Meyers ventures into off-the-wall comedic fantasy with The Forbidden Bean, the first in the Grinding Reality series.

  When not writing fiction, Dr. Seuss-like poetry or song lyrics, Meyers disguises herself behind a green apron and supplies caffeine-laced substances to addicted consumers for a worldwide coffee company.

  Meyers enjoys (in no particular order) premium coffee, inexpensive white zinfandel, reading, Bejeweled Blitz, bicycling and playing tennis badly. Still married to her first husband, she is the mother of two fantastic children and one almost perfect dog. Originally from southwest Missouri, Meyers currently resides in central Florida.

  Visit her at www.barbarameyers.com

  Follow her infrequent posts on Twitter @barbmeyers and @ajtillock

  Read her blog at barbmeyers.wordpress.com/blog

  Buy links to her books:

  www.barbmeyers.com/where

  Look for these titles by Barbara Meyers

  Now Available:

  The Braddock Brotherhood

  A Month From Miami

  A Forever Kind of Guy

  Is he the real deal, or just another regret waiting to happen?

  A Forever Kind Of Guy

  © 2011 Barbara Meyers

  First on Hayley Christopher’s list to get her train-wreck life back on track: stay away from men. Especially the ones who cause a ripple effect of bad decisions.