Was saved when Cassie threw open the door.
“Sandra!” she exclaimed, beaming. “I wasn’t expecting you. And who’s this—oh, my.”
“Hello,” Brandon said. He turned to Sandra. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yes,” Sandra said in a rush. “Yes, this is my friend Cassie. Cassie, this is Brandon. Brandon, you remember Cassie from the coffee shop, don’t you?” Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Sandra jumped in. “I asked Cassie to housesit for me,” she explained, praying that Cassie would catch on. “When you invited me to Seattle. Before I left, I had to make sure someone took care of the house.” Cassie cocked her head to the side. Sandra stressed once more, “Housesitting.”
Thankfully, Cassie wasn’t completely blind to social minutia. She caught on after a brief moment. “Right, that’s right. What I meant was, I wasn’t expecting you so early,” she clarified. “I thought you’d be back later this weekend.”
Instant relief flooded through Sandra, but she knew the charade would be over if Brandon took one look inside the townhouse and saw the pictures of Cassie and her husband on the walls. Things could still go very wrong, very fast.
“Well, I’m back now,” Sandra laughed, a nervous laugh. “I can take the bags from here.” She snatched them from Brandon’s hands, giving him a wide, fake smile in return. “And now, I’ve got to get inside. Can’t have you seeing the mess in there, can I?”
Sandra squeezed through the door and left Brandon standing there, dumfounded. When the lock clicked, Sandra sagged against the door and sighed. “Thank you so much for covering for me.”
Cassie frowned, fists on hips. “You told him you lived here?”
“I panicked. I didn’t know what else to do!”
Cassie tried her best to put on a stern face. “You shouldn’t have done that.” But she betrayed herself when a smile broke through the mask. “Although, I would have done the same thing if I had that gorgeous man looking at me.”
Sandra giggled, suddenly emotional with relief, and threw her arms around Cassie in an enormous hug. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“Oh, I think you would have figured something out. So, I take it you and him are an item now?” Cassie wore the biggest grin on her face. “I told you he’d be good for you. You came from Seattle?”
“Oh, I had the most wonderful few days,” Sandra began. Everything came gushing out. The date in the Space Needle, the extravagant shopping trip, the luxurious hotel suite. The ballet. The absolutely amazing, mind-blowing… other thing.
“Again, I can’t thank you enough for covering for me,” Sandra finished. “I’m amazed you caught on so quickly.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?” Cassie beamed. “For a man like that, I’d lie just about anything.”
“A man like what?” Robbie strode in from behind them, a smile splitting his wide face in two. Everything about Cassie’s husband was wide. He wasn’t tall, but he was burly, with thick shoulders and a shaggy, curly beard. If you threw overalls on him he’d be the consummate image of a lumberjack. He placed his hands around Cassie’s waist and tugged her into him, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Oh, we were just talking about the absolute dreamboat Sandra’s dating.”
“Dreamboat, eh?” Robbie mused. “Do I have anything to be worried about?”
Cassie opened her mouth to say something, but those words turned into a gasp as Robbie spun her around and kissed her. When he let her go, she murmured, half in a daze, “No, definitely not.”
“It’s good to see you again, Sandra,” Robbie said, extending a thick hand. She hadn’t spent much time with Cassie’s husband, but remembered him being very affable. So far, he was serving the memory well.
Sandra ended up staying for dinner. She remembered the promise she’d made to Cassie about going out with her and the girls, but that obligation was not why she stayed. She stayed because of how good it felt to let people into her life again.
Cassie owned the coffee shop, but Sandra learned that at home, Robbie was in charge of the kitchen. He shooed her and Cassie into the living room as he prepared dinner. There, Sandra showed her friend all the extravagant clothes that Brandon had bought her.
Later, as they ate, Sandra realized it was the first time she’d had dinner with other people since moving to Ocean Shores. Had she really been so uptight that she’d avoided making any friends for two years in the community?
No, that wasn’t exactly true. Cassie had always been there, waiting for Sandra to emerge from her self-imposed shell. And she knew Josh, who was like a younger brother to her. Doctor Baker was always friendly, too—more than in just the employer-to-employee sort of way.
It was just that for two years, those three people had been enough to fill her nightmare-fueled existence.
But now, with a new man stretching her heart to unimaginable fullness, she felt like she had room to let everybody in.
Chapter Twenty-Four
That night, Sandra returned to her shabby apartment. Robbie drove her, along with the cringe-inducing amount of new clothes. He reminded her again that he’d be more than happy to fix her Mazda. For a friend of his wife’s, he’d even do it for free. Sandra had no way to refuse without seeming rude. And by the way Robbie beamed after, she realized he really did want to do it just to help her.
When she walked through the door to her apartment, and realized this was the hole she’d been hiding in for two years, the swell of shame in her middle almost knocked her over.
But she swept that feeling aside, instead focusing on her new zest for life. She was worth more than the person she’d made herself out to be in Ocean Shores.
And now, energized by the first full night of sleep in years, she understood she could take full control of her future.
A strong determination filled Sandra as she walked to the corner table to pick up the pile of neglected admission envelopes. She took out the slip of paper from the only one she’d ever opened, and sat down to read the letter again. “Congratulations…” it began.
The words were familiar to her, but their meaning seemed completely new. The admission committee at the Weill Cornell Medical College considered her an outstanding candidate, and invited her to pursue an M.D. degree—on a full scholarship. She understood, for the first time, just how big an opportunity that was.
As she took out the rest of the papers from the admission packet, she realized, reflecting back, that she’d enjoyed what she’d studied.
She’d enjoyed her pre-med education. She loved the classes, loved the subjects. She loved helping people. Here, in Ocean Shores, she’d seen Doctor Baker interact with his patients. Many times they would come in depressed, gloomy, unhappy. And they would leave the office beaming.
That’s what she could do, if she practiced medicine.
Not because she was trying to be like her sister.
But because she was finally free to be herself.
Sandra found her fingers moving automatically, sliding under the seal of the next envelope to break it open. She took out the papers, and read the words at the top of the letter. “Congratulations….”
A budding excitement filled her as she tore through the rest of the envelopes. Acceptance, acceptance, waitlist—rejection. Acceptance, acceptance, acceptance, waitlist. Rejection. Sandra threw the two rejections to the side and hugged the rest of the letters to her chest, emitting a happy squeal. She felt like dancing, like singing, like screaming out and letting everybody know that she was in control of her life!
She twirled around the room, dizzy with excitement. When she collapsed on her bed, she noticed all the bags she’d left leaning against one wall. She had no idea where she’d fit the clothes in this small apartment. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was finally taking responsibility for her future.
And it was all because of one man.
A yawn escaped her lips, and Sandra closed her eyes, thinking of Brandon
. She felt a contented fatigue wash over her as she replayed the magical weekend in her mind. Soon, she fell into a deep, restful sleep.
When she woke the next day, the sun shining bright through her small window, there was no aftertaste of sorrow on her mind.
The nightmare hadn’t come. And, judging by the sun outside, it was close to noon. She’d slept in, two days in a row, and the nightmare hadn’t come!
Brandon had changed her. He’d impacted her life more than she could believe. All it took was one cathartic weekend with him.
What would happen after a week together? A month?
Sandra jumped from bed, energized and excited. Tomorrow, she had work, but today, she had time to do her own things. She dusted off the old laptop she’d hidden in the closet, spread the letters over the floor, and settled herself cross-legged in the middle of the room to start investigating the schools.
Halfway through the afternoon, she decided she’d call her parents. She hadn’t heard their voices for two long years. She missed them dearly, but only now did she trust herself enough to talk to them without the risk of falling into her previous life.
Later, though. Right now, she had to figure out what she wanted to do with the acceptance letters. It had been two years since she’d received them. The deadline to reply had obviously passed. But she was sure she could manage something if she called the admission offices and explained her situation.
As she worked, her mind kept drifting to Brandon. His smell, his taste, his touch. The way he’d turned her life around without realizing it. Everything about him intoxicated her mind.
When her phone buzzed later with a text, and she knew right away it was Brandon, she decided that she was irrevocably falling in love.
The signs were new, but unmistakable: The blaze of desire that heated her blood. The constant, erratic fluttering of her heart. Her barely-audible sighs when she thought about him.
Yes, with all that, love was very much within reach. She wondered what it would be like when she got there.
And she wondered if Brandon would ever feel the same way about her.
Sandra knew she had to be careful. She knew that she should rein in her wandering imagination. But rationality was impossible to adhere to at times like this.
She looked at her phone—and felt a burst of panic. Brandon had said he was driving to her townhouse to pick her up for a surprise outing.
I’m at Cassie’s, she punched in quickly. Meet me there?
Sure.
Sandra bolted out her room and ran all the way to Cassie’s Blend, arriving breathless just minutes before Brandon.
Brandon hadn’t been able to find the kid yet. The call Clarisse made had been a false alarm. Mark, their west coast distributor, had a name. Mark had a picture. But neither of those was of the right person.
It meant Brandon still had to find whoever was dealing on their territory, and put a stop to it. The more kids he could deter from a life of crime and drugs, the better. He had no illusions about their prospects of success in that world.
Brandon had succeeded, yes, but that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. He’d had the advantage of starting at the right time, in the perfect place, with a partner who doubled his lifetime of experience. Clarisse had been there from the onset to guide him as well, before he made too many irreversible mistakes that would have fucked up his life for good. Nobody else could replicate that.
As soon as this search was over, Brandon would leave the network behind. Stepping down at this point of his life was a stipulation Clarisse had made him swear upon before she agreed to partner with him. He might miss parts of the work, he thought, but now he had something better.
He had Sandra.
Every minute spent away from her, thoughts of Sandra shot through his head like fireworks. He’d never felt this way about anybody before—not even close. His hunger for her was insatiable.
But, he had no idea how he would reconcile what he knew about their shared past with what they shared now. He’d promised her honesty, but couldn’t live up to it. Not yet. He wanted to tell her the truth about the fire. But he didn’t dare until he was certain of how she would react to it. Brandon could not risk losing her if he revealed things too early, or in the wrong way.
He noticed Sandra inside as he pulled into the parking lot of Cassie’s Blend. She was turned away at the counter, and Brandon enjoyed the moment just looking at her. Sandra was so elegant, the shape of her body so graceful. Her dark-rooted blonde hair streamed down past her shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through it, bring it to his nose and breathe deep. There had always been something he’d liked about women’s hair, but Sandra’s was unrivaled.
Every little thing about Sandra triggered his drive to possess her—and to do it fast. There was nothing left in his repertoire of self-control to combat it. But then again, he saw no reason to fight his desires.
He’d never responded this strongly to a woman before.
Brandon surprised her by grabbing her from behind and spinning her around for the greatest kiss of her life.
Every kiss Sandra shared with him seemed to be worthy of that designation.
As she came back down to earth, she realized Cassie was very openly watching them. And very warmly smiling at Brandon.
“I’m going to steal your friend for a bit,” Brandon told Cassie in his husky way of speaking. “But I promise you’ll get her back in one piece.”
Sandra knew she was already his.
They raced to the car with all the urgency of teenagers. She finagled him into returning to his friend’s place instead of whatever outing he’d planned. She’d seen the beach house, but never been inside it, and was curious to see how he lived. But when they arrived, and Brandon led her down the cliffs into the secluded cove, he turned to her and said, “I have a better idea. How about we go for a quick sail first?”
“A sail?”
“Sure. It’s a beautiful day. The sun’s bright, the air’s warm. We’ll have total privacy on VEGA.”
“Well, it’s not like things are crowded here on the beach.”
“True. But you didn’t even let me show you what I had planned for us today. Let me take you out on the water, instead.” He lowered his shades and smiled. “I think you owe me that much.”
“We do have the full day free.” Sandra shrugged. “Sure, why not? We can go on your boat.”
When he glowered at her for calling VEGA a boat, as she’d known he would, Sandra laughed and tugged him forward. It didn’t take long before they were drifting far from shore. “Can you show me that island again?” Sandra asked. “The one from our first date?”
“Of course. It’s close by.” Brandon pointed to his left. “Over there. Why don’t you steer?”
“Oh, no—” Sandra began, but Brandon had already slipped around her and was placing her hands on the wheel. Sandra sighed and tried to steady her grip. It didn’t help that every breath she took made her insides churn with Brandon’s intoxicating, masculine scent.
He whispered directions in her ear, his stubble scratching against the smooth side of her cheek. He pressed his face into hers, directing her head the right way, leaving his hands cupped over the top of hers to maneuver the levers and knobs that made up the complicated panel.
Close to the island, Brandon turned the engine off, and walked out to the deck. He had a strange, bemused look on his face, almost like a cat. His eyes shone with mischief. “Remember how I asked you once if you’d jump in the deep end on a whim?”
“Yes…?” Sandra answered, not following.
“It’s time to find out.”
Without warning, Brandon yanked his shirt over his head, tossed it to the side, and dove—dove!—headfirst into the freezing water.
Not knowing whether to believe her eyes, Sandra ran to the edge, gripping the railing. “Brandon? Brandon!” She couldn’t see him anywhere. Was the man insane? “Brandon!” All she could see were the quiet, little waves of the tide… an
d the spot of bubbles where he dove in. Panic quickly replaced disbelief. “Brandon! Brandon, where are you?”
She heard a splash near VEGA’s hull, and looked just in time to see Brandon surface from the icy sea.
“Brandon! What the hell are you doing? Have you lost your fucking mind?” She had no idea what she would do if something happened to him. She could tread water with the best of them, but it’d been ages since she’d been swimming. She could barely operate the damn boat to get to shore if he got in trouble, and besides—
Brandon’s laughter broke into her thoughts. “Jump in!” he yelled. “The water’s great!”
Sandra’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him. “Jump in? Me? Did you hit your head on the underside of your yacht when you were coming up?”
Brandon laughed again, and leaned back to start paddling away from her. “Nope, I’m quite sane, kiddo. Now, jump in before I come up there and make you!”
Sandra gaped at him in disbelief. Is he for real?
“Come,” he beckoned. “It’s just a little water.” He splashed a handful on the deck, and a tiny spray of the cold liquid hit Sandra’s leg. She stepped away.
“Just a little water at fifty degrees!” Sandra shot back.
Brandon frowned, used a hand to push his hair out of his eyes. “Nah, I’d say it’s about sixty, sixty-five.” He grinned. “Now jump in! Otherwise I’m quite seriously going to come grab you and throw you in.”
Sandra stepped away again. “You’re insane.”
“And you’re stalling. Come on!” he urged. “Be spontaneous for once! Or are you scared?”
Scared? She thought they’d established after the ballet that she was no such thing. Sandra crossed her arms. “Not scared. Just practical.”
“Oh, Henry would have loved to hear that from you.”
That hit a nerve. From the twinkle in Brandon’s eye, she knew he very much intended it to. So, he thought he’d equate her with Henry, did he? With her boring, decidedly unspontaneous ex?
To hell with that. A flash of anger shot through Sandra. Brandon wanted to see her freeze to death? Fine. She’d do it. But only because he’d have to live with the guilt after.
Yours to Savor Page 23