by Jess Buffett
Bri sat up on the bed, swinging her legs to the side. "Yes, I received some bad news and I didn't react well, but as you can see, I'm fine now. And I am pregnant. Josh is the father."
"Oh, I know and I'm so happy for the two of you," she gushed. "Josh has never made his desire to settle down and have children a secret. I've gotta tell you all the women in town will be devastated. But honestly, I never thought any of them were good enough. They all just want his money and the right to call themselves Mrs. Kell."
Bri knew the doubt would continue to eat away at her unless she just asked. "So you and Josh have never…ah…dated?"
The other woman appeared stunned at first. "Me and Josh? Oh lord no." She laughed lightly. "Josh is more like a brother to me, I assure you."
In that moment Bri realized her concern over Melanie had no foundation.
"Sorry, it's just that Josh and I are still getting to know each other. I wasn't really sure if you had a past with him, and I admit the idea bothered me. With everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours, including finding Josh, and the phone call this morning…it's all just making me a little crazy," she babbled.
Melanie sat beside her on the bed and held her hand. "All right. I think I'm getting the picture here. Now that you feel a little more comfortable around me, let's take care of one thing at a time. I want to give you a quick check even though I think you're fine, and then maybe you and I can have a chat. Is that okay?"
"Yeah," she said, letting out a shaky sigh. Her emotions were so erratic and powerful lately, she sometimes feared they would knock her over if she stood.
"Don't worry, Bri. On top of everything else that's going on here you have to remember your hormones aren't helping you. Even the coolest and calmest women in the world struggles with them when they're pregnant." She gave Bri a sympathetic smile, patting her hand.
Twenty minutes and a hundred questions later, Mel had finally finished, and set up an appointment for Bri to come and see her in another two weeks at her office in town. "So, now that I've officially cleared you, I think we should discuss whatever set off your panic attack this morning, don't you?"
God, Bri didn't want to go anywhere near the topic. She'd have to have this conversation with Josh, so she gave Mel a quick rundown instead. "To keep a long and painful story short, two years ago I was attacked by a man named Timothy, and I just received a phone call from my sister telling me he had escaped from prison."
Mel kept her face and voice clear, "Okay, so we're going to have to keep an eye on things like stress and blood pressure. I have to ask, were there any permanent physical injuries from the attack?"
Whether it was Melanie's approach to the topic, or the woman herself, Bri appreciated the doctor making it easier for her to discuss what had happened to her.
"I have some scars, not in anyplace most people would see. Other than that, I'm fine. I recovered from the rest over time."
"Over time? So the damage he inflicted was extreme enough it took you a while to recover fully?"
"Yes," she whispered, her voice strained.
"Well I'm glad you told me, and I'm guessing you saw someone about what happened, though I'm thinking that didn't quite work."
"Not really. I thought I was doing okay, but when I met Josh, I had too much to drink and woke in the morning next to a man I didn't recognize…"
"Which caused you to panic." Mel nodded in understanding.
Bri's laugh was hollow. "You could say that. When I woke, everything Tim had done to me came back, so I left before Josh got up." Bri let out a sigh, the guilt of her decision that day weighing heavily on her. "When my sister told me about him I tried to find him, but he was gone. Six weeks later I found out I was pregnant, and it took me another eight to find him."
God, what a mess. Why did the past have to come back and haunt her now, when she already had so much to deal with? If she were honest, Bri feared Josh would see her as too much trouble. She didn't doubt he would be there for his child, but at what point did a man say enough is enough and a woman really isn't worth it.
"All right, for now, I want you to focus on the baby and on your time with Josh. I do recommend you speak to Josh about everything you have been through. I'm not saying it won't be difficult, but talking about what happened might help. And the more Josh knows, the easier it will be for him to support you."
Bri's shoulders slumped but she nodded her agreement.
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Josh said quietly from his position in the doorway.
His voice was like a balm on her nerves, yet it also brought forward all her insecurities—a disconcerting feeling.
Standing, Mel gave Bri's hand another squeeze. "Well, I'm heading off." She must have sensed Bri and Josh needed some time to themselves. "Josh, make sure you bring Bri to see me in another two weeks, or if anything happens before then just call me. Other than that, she seems to be okay and all that's left is for you two to have a good talk."
Mel packed up her things and made her way to the door.
She paused, leaned in toward Josh and whispered, "You make sure you take care of that woman. She's been through too much and she needs you. If the vibes I'm getting are right, she's your one, so make sure she knows it. I think it'll go a long way in helping her recover."
Josh nodded, a small smile playing on his handsome face. When Mel left, he turned and locked his gaze with Bri's. She thought she could truly fall in love with a man who looked at her the way Josh did. His honey-golden eyes held heat and lust, yet they were tempered by a softness and comfort, and underneath, a much stronger feeling.
Her stomach coiled at the feelings he evoked in her and at the thought of the conversation they were about to have. "I guess we need to talk," she lamely commented.
Walking farther into the room, Josh lightly closed the door. Stepping up to the bed, he cupped her face with one hand, brushing her hair back with the other. "I didn't want to rush this, honey. I'm sorry, with these turn of events I thought it best to give my friend, Noah, a call. He's the sheriff here and I think he's gonna have to know. "
"You're right, I know. Besides, it's probably best that we get this done now. No good can come of secrets, right?"
"That's right." Josh slid onto the bed next to her, reaching over to grab her hand, holding it tight in his firm, calloused grip.
Taking a big breath, Bri let it out slowly, then started. "Two years ago, I met Timothy Nelson. Seemed like a nice guy—attractive, good job, ran in the same social circles as my family, acted like a gentleman. When he asked me out, I thought, why not?" She shook her head and shrugged. "The first couple of dates went okay, but I didn't want to take the next step." She met Josh's gaze again. "That's just not me, if you can believe that."
Josh nodded, giving her hand a little squeeze. "I do, but I take it he didn't appreciate waiting?"
She looked away and choked out a laugh. "You could say he didn't. I was ready to break it off. By the third date, I realized how self-absorbed he could be. But he asked me to dinner at his place, said he wanted to cook for me, and to show me what a catch he would make." She glanced back toward Josh. "I accepted so I could tell him in person, and I did. He took it okay and invited me to stay and have dinner as friends. It was a sweet thing to do and I thought I'd maybe judged him a little harshly, you know?"
Bri tensed and her breathing quickened. She hated reliving the worst time of her life, but she just needed to get the story out and be done with it. She didn't want to be trapped any longer.
"He offered me a drink and I took it. I mean he was a friend, right?" Her voice broke a little. "It wasn't long after the drug he slipped in took effect. I knew what was happening, but couldn't do anything about it. He was angry I had ruined his plans. He needed me to get to my father and I had screwed that up by wanting only to be friends. I guess he figured he could convince me, hurt me enough that I would just break and do whatever he wanted. I may not have been able to fight back physically, but I refuse
d to give in. I think maybe he wouldn't have been so brutal if I had just given in."
"None of it was your fault, Bri," Josh cut in. "So don't even go there, honey."
"I know, I know. But it's hard. There was so much anger and possessiveness coming from him. I remember him saying he had always loved my eyes, and they belonged to him." She pushed forward, desperate to finish, and terrified Josh wouldn't look at her the same way anymore. "He had me for three days before he just let me go."
Josh's head shot up, his eyebrows raised in clear confusion. "He let you go?"
"Yeah. He thought he had convinced me to play his game, that it would be safer for me." Bri raised her eyes, looking directly at Josh. "Plus, he figured he got the job done and I would be forever tied to him."
The frown on Josh's handsome features didn't last long when understanding dawned. "You were pregnant?" At her hesitant nod, he asked, "How did he know so soon?"
"I think he hoped, and he was right, but I wouldn't know for certain until later." Embarrassment and shame filled her. "All rationality seemed to have fled him by that point. When he let me go, I was bleeding heavily from the injuries he had inflicted. I made it down the block before I collapsed from blood loss and who knows how much other damage he had caused while he held me."
"Why did you keep running? Why not call out for help?" Josh asked before his eyes softened, shining with understanding. "You wanted to bleed more, cause more damage. If you were pregnant, then maybe you might end up miscarrying."
"Yes." She felt like such a terrible person for wanting something like that, and she had never truly forgiven herself for it, especially after what happened next. "After being treated, the police were called in and I told them what I could. Timothy was arrested. He didn't even run, and I remember how surprised he was that I testified against him. In the courtroom he started shouting that we were tied together and that I wouldn't forget 'our time together' as he worded it. Not long after, my world completely caved in."
Josh squeezed her hand so tightly, it started to go numb, but she needed it.
"What happened? What did that bastard do?"
"Oh, God. He didn't. It was me, my fault. I wanted to get rid of it so badly those first few weeks, but as the months dragged on, I began to feel differently—especially after the trial. It wasn't the baby's fault, my baby, and I had made a decision to raise him or her and love them, but…" She trailed off on another sob.
"You lost the baby."
He made it a statement, so she felt no need to answer. But guilt wormed its way into her heart.
"Honey, it's not your fault. You had every right to feel the way you did. But in doing so, you did not cause yourself to miscarry, you hear me?"
"But what if it happens again? I don't regret this baby, our baby. I want our baby." Bri sobbed uncontrollably as she kept repeating the words. Maybe if she said them enough it would keep her and the baby safe. “Christ! I had never felt weak or helpless before then. I was confident, strong. I was so sure of what I wanted and where I was going. Now I feel like I fell down and can’t get back up. I’m fumbling, and I hate it.”
"Now you listen to me, Bri. We're going to do everything we can to make sure you're safe, okay? We'll play by Mel's rules and we'll do it together. The sheriff will be here soon and I'll have a chat with him. We can do this, lavender." He cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him. “And you are strong, you aren’t weak. You didn’t just fall, you were pushed. Hard. And you will get back up again.”
The man sounded so certain as he enveloped her into his warm, solid embrace, she felt they truly stood a chance at something pretty great. Josh's large, calloused hands rubbed up and down her back, warmth seeping in where it had once been cold. Slowly, the warmth turned into heat and a moan slipped past her lips. Bri didn't have a chance to be embarrassed, feeling Josh's hot breath as his husky chuckle and firm lips caressed the side of her neck, making her shiver.
"Josh?" Bri's voice wavered.
"Hush, lavender, just feel," he whispered into her ear, sending tendrils of pleasure and hunger through her. God, her hormones couldn't stay on one track long enough to let her focus.
He dragged his lips along her jaw, bringing them to her waiting mouth as he used one hand to cup her neck and the other pulled her tighter to him. He ran his tongue across the seam of her mouth, asking for entrance. At any other time he would demand it, but for now, he took it slow for her. Allowing access with a moan, Bri arched forward, desperate for more contact.
Bri doubted an ounce of fat existed on her cowboy, his body firm and chiseled. She became soft and pliant against his hard form, her curves molding to his hard muscles. His groan when their bodies and tongues tangled excited her. Pulling away for breath, Bri wanted to beg for more but someone knocked on the door.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt guys, but the sheriff is here." Caleb's amused voice sounded from the other side of the door.
Josh let out another groan, decidedly less appreciative than the last. Easing back slowly, he licked his lips then reached to hold her hand.
She lost her heart just a little bit more each time he showed her small affections.
"Sorry, lavender, I didn't mean to get so carried away. It's just what you do to me."
"Feeling's completely mutual, cowboy." Her lips twitched in amusement.
Her eyes had to be puffy and no doubt red from crying, and yet it felt good to feel so light-hearted for once. Her euphoria faded when the reality of why the sheriff had come sank in.
Josh squeezed her fingers. "How's about I take you to dinner tonight. We don't have many fancy places like the city, but the steak house in town has a section away from the family area."
He kept his eyes locked on their entwined hands, possibly just as nervous as she, and that gave her courage to be playful with him. She also got to put off meeting the sheriff a little longer.
"Are you asking me on a date, cowboy?" Before he could respond, she added, "'Cause if so, I'd love nothing more."
"It's a date then," he said, his lips curling up at one side. "Be ready by six."
Dropping a light kiss onto her lips, Josh let go and stood, walking out of the room to find the sheriff.
Reaching for her phone before she did anything else, Bri dialed her parents' number. It only rang once with her father answering, “Brianna, sweetheart? Is that you?”
“Hey, Daddy.”
“Good Lord. We’ve been going out of our ever-loving minds trying to contact you. Then your sister tells us you’re on some ranch with a man I do business with.”
Her father continued his spiel and Bri just listened. His voice may be angry, but she knew what he really felt was concern and fear. “I’m okay, Dad,” she offered when he finally quietened down. “Yes, I’m with Josh on his ranch. And while that is a conversation we will need to have, there are more…pressing things,” swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat every time she thought of Timothy.
Through the phone, her father sighed. “I know. I just worry, and now…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. With Timothy on the loose, she was threatened once again, and she was his little girl. No father should have to feel that fear once let alone twice.
“I’m safe here, Dad. Josh, his brother, the men here. Hell, one of Josh’s best friends is the Sheriff.”
Her father grunted. “Still, don’t you think you should come home?”
“No. I want to stay here. I will come and see you, but…”
“Do I even want to know what sort of relationship you have with this man?”
“This man has a name, Dad. It’s Josh,” she reminded him. Bri knew this would happen, which was why she had suggested the whole engagement. Brian Evan’s was not a man who forgave easily, and once he discovered the truth about Bri and Josh, all hell would break loose. “Listen, I’m actually dealing with all of this fairly well. Okay, maybe not well, and maybe not at first, but I am now. I promise to come and see you and mom soon, but right now, th
is is where I need to be.”
“Bri.” She could hear the tension in his voice, and then her mother’s voice in the background. Bri smiled when she realized Margaret Evans was snapping at her husband to leave their poor daughter alone.
“Dad, I have to go, but I will call if something else happens. I’ll come for dinner soon, okay? We can talk more then.”
“Just keep your phone on you, okay?”
Bri bit her lip to stop her laughter. “Yeah, Daddy, I can do that.”
It was the least she could do for causing the man so much stress.
“All right. I expect you for dinner soon though.”
She said goodbye to her father, shaking her head as he stuck in one more that man comment.
Speaking of…that man would be waiting for her soon.
Bri had butterflies roaming around inside, anxious for their first date. Letting some excitement build, she held back a squeal of delight and went to her bags—when had they arrived?—and dug around until she found the dress she'd worn the night she met him. She loved the way it accentuated her eyes.
She really wanted to make tonight special. The weight of the conversation she would have with the sheriff felt lighter on her heart, and Bri planned to enjoy their date. She'd told Josh everything, and he didn't see her differently, still wanted her—past and all.
God. What a catch, huh? She should have just walked right up and said, "Hey remember me? I'm the girl who took off on you before you woke and guess what? I'm pregnant and a hormonal mess. Oh, and my daddy is also your brand new client and he could easily pull out of the contract and would most likely have your business, your ranch, and your balls in a vise when he finds out the baby I'm carrying is yours." Hell, just another twenty-four hours later and she could have added, "I'm also a complete basket case with a physically violent stalker who might be coming after me."
Oh yeah. Great catch. Cue sarcasm.
Chapter Nine
It had taken some time dealing with the sheriff, and Josh hated having to make Bri repeat herself when the man insisted he needed to hear it from her. Noah Launders was a good man and once he had as much information as possible, he promised to send frequent patrols around the area and to get in touch with Dallas PD. Noah figured maybe if they worked together, they would stand a better chance at making sure the guy didn't get anywhere near Bri, who excused herself to get some much need rest and sleep. The poor thing needed it.