He studied the boy’s features. There was a slight resemblance to him. Sweet had his chin and Sweet did have his eyes. Brandon jerked back, startled when those dark brown eyes suddenly opened and looked up at him. The boy flashed him a sleepy grin.
“Mr. B., I gotta use the bathroom.” He said it as nonchalantly as if his waking up and finding Brandon in his room was the most natural thing in the world. Sweet reached out to him and Brandon picked him up and held his little body close to his own. He hugged him tightly and showered him with kisses, so many kisses that Sweet pushed away from him.
“Mr. B, you kissing me like a girl,” Sweet protested swiping at the kisses on his cheeks with both hands.
The gesture was a special one between Sweet and his sister. Now Brandon was included too. He had barely been able to hold back the tears. After Sweet had used the bathroom, at the boy’s insistence Brandon read him a bedtime story. The child was asleep within five minutes. He had kissed Sweet again and then sat by his son’s bed for an hour simply watching him breathe. As he did so all of the hurt and anger at his having been denied his child had resurfaced and he had gone to Sash’s room to seek solace in her arms. But he found that his feelings for her wouldn’t allow him to use her as simply a vessel for the release of his pain. His feelings for her ran so much deeper than that, much deeper than he had realized.
Now as Brandon sat across from Sash his anger gradually dissipated. He couldn’t change the past, but he could make plans for the present and for the future. Everything he wanted and needed was within the walls of this house. He had been handed the opportunity to love again, not only to love a woman, but also to love a child—his own child.
He was a father! Fatherhood was the one thing in his life that had always been constant for him, the one thing that he could always trust. Once he got through the pain of the past, the future looked bright. He would make a good father. A great father! The thought of it excited him.
“Everything will work out fine, Brandon. You’ll see. We’ll get through this.” Sash reached out and covered his hand comfortingly.
Brandon nodded in agreement. “That’s what I was thinking and I know just what we should do. I’ll make all of the arrangements to move you and Sweet out of your apartment and into my house in Monterey.” His voice reflected his growing excitement.
Sash looked at him in surprise, “Oh, you will?” Brandon didn’t notice the lack of excitement in her voice.
Standing, he began to pace. “You’re going to need some new things, and I’ve got to buy Sweet everything. He’ll need new clothes. I’ll get the decorator to do his room. Oh, the alarm system. I’ve got to get a new one, a better one. If reporters can get past the old one then anybody can. Oh! I forgot the media. They’re going to have a field day with this one. But that’s all right. I’ll deal with that.”
“I’m sure you will.” Sash’s tone dripped with enough sarcasm to gain Brandon’s attention this time.
Feeling uneasy at her tone, Brandon stopped pacing and walked over to Sash. He hunkered down. “Is there a problem? Isn’t that what you want? I thought that we cared about each other…”
Sash looked at Brandon. Did the man have a clue that she was falling in love with him? That was a little more than caring. Yet, she had traveled this road before, with a lot less at stake. No one would control her life again.
“I do care about you, Brandon.” Very much. Sash rose and walked away, afraid that she would say the words out loud. She turned back to face him. “We’ve been through a lot together in a short time, but what’s happening now, you being Sweet’s father, it’s overwhelming. I’ve got to have some time to think about all of this.”
Brandon rose and went to Sash. “What is there to think about?” He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “I want you and Sweet with me.”
Sash looked at him steadily. “But what about what I want?”
Brandon looked disconcerted. “You don’t want to be with me?”
For Sash it was deja vu—the words, the hurt expression. The only difference between this conversation and her last conversation with Michael was that Brandon wanted Sweet. He was his father. He wanted him very much. “It’s not about whether I want to be with you, Brandon, it’s about me making my own decision about what I want. I’ve only known you for about a month. Anyway, I have other options.”
Brandon took a step backward, ready to throw up a shield against yet another rejection. His voice hardened. “What options? You don’t have a job. You don’t have any money. I’m offering you everything! You can be with Sweet…”
“Be with Sweet?” Sash’s voice rose in irritation at the implication in his words. “I’ll be with Sweet whether we’re living with you or not.”
Brandon drew back as if he had been slapped. “Well, he’ll be with you for a while, of course, but…”
“But nothing! I’m Sweet’s legal guardian. I have custody of him and that’s the way it is. He lives with me.”
Brandon was unable to believe what he was hearing. He cared about this woman more than she would ever know, and she said that she cared for him; but if Sash really cared about him she wouldn’t dare stand there and try and deny him his son. He fought his rising anger. “My plan was for the three of us to live together, but if you don’t see this as a possibility, then a gradual transition from your house to mine would be best for Sweet, and you can have visitation whenever you want. ”
Sash flinched. “Visitation?”
Brandon wanted to bite back the words as soon as he said them. She had hurt him and he wanted to hurt her, but he knew that there was no satisfaction in retaliation. He wanted to reach out, to apologize and take back the veiled threat, but his pride wouldn’t let him. After all, she didn’t want him, but Sweet was still his son. It was obvious that something would have to be worked out.
Visitation! Sash tried to take a calming breath. She harbored silent fears of this sort of confrontation when Brandon suspected that he was Sweet’s uncle. The relationship was even closer now and her fears were no longer silent. Brandon had the nerve to make threats already. Well he could forget it. The thought of losing Sweet seared her heart. She loved this man, but she was not going to be bullied. Sweet belonged to her! Stiffening, her manner became cool and controlled.
“I’m sure that you have your own plans, Brandon, but I’ve decided that Sweet and I will be leaving this island tomorrow so that I can go home and have some time to myself to think about this.”
“You’re doing what?” Brandon was certain that he had misunderstood. He was wrong.
“I’ll make arrangements for the boat to take us off the island and I’ll pay for us to fly back to California, if I have to charge it. When you get back to Monterey, we can discuss when we can tell Sweet about his relationship to you, as well as your visitation arrangements.” Walking to the door, she held it open for him to exit. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for us. Thank you.”
Calmly, Brandon walked to the open door and shut it firmly. He stood glaring down at Sash. Defiantly, she returned his glare.
“I’m glad that you appreciate what I’ve done, Sash, but we’re not through talking. If you think I’m going to let you take my son off this island before we’ve settled this matter you’re sadly mistaken.”
Sash wasn’t intimidated. “So you’re kidnapping us? Is that what you’re saying? I hate to tell you, but its been done before. ”
Brandon scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. All I’m saying is that presently you have no job and no prospects. The boy may be doing well now, psychologically, but he still needs to see a therapist after the trauma he’s been through. You can’t afford that. I want to make certain that Sweet is well taken care of, and I can provide that care. On top of that, tell me how you can protect him when word gets out that he’s my son—the only heir to a fortune? Hell, you were snatched off the streets when he was simply your brother. You have no way to protect him. You can’t even protect yourself.”
; Bristling from his verbal attack that held too much truth, Sash stood firm. “Oh really! Well if you try to stop us from leaving this island tomorrow, we’ll see who can’t protect herself!”
Enraged, she rushed to the closet and snatched her suitcase out. Tossing it on the bed, she opened it and started snatching clothing from the dresser drawers, working around Brandon.
Seething, he watched Sash’s deliberate movements. Had this woman lost her mind? He couldn’t believe that she was serious. “Do you really think that I’m going to let you leave this island?”
“Oh, I’m leaving and you’re not stopping me.”
“And how is this going to be accomplished if I tell the boat operator not to take you off?”
“If I’ve got to walk on water I’ll be leaving here, and with Sweet.” She kept on packing.
Brandon was incredulous. How had things gone so wrong? He had such plans for the three of them. “Sash, this is my son we’re talking about, a son that I’ve been denied once and you’re telling me that you would take him away from me?”
The agony in Brandon’s voice brought Sash’s actions to an abrupt halt. She loved this man and hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew the source of his pain; but her needs had to be respected as well. Brandon’s anger was as acute as her own anger, but some rationale had to prevail.
“I could never in good conscience deny Sweet a father, nor deny a father his son, but I won’t lie down and become anyone’s door mat—not again.” Her tone softened. “I’m sure that something can be worked out between us about Sweet, but this is not all about you and what you want, and that’s what I’ve been hearing. I want to make it perfectly clear that I’m the one who has the say so about my life and about Sweet’s.”
Brandon’s jaw tightened with stubborn determination. “We’ll see.”
Sighing, Sash looked out the window to see the sun rising and then turned back to Brandon. Her emotions were raw. Too much had happened and she didn’t feel like fighting with this man. “Yes, Brandon. We will see. Meanwhile, we’ve both said things to hurt each other and I don’t want to hurt you or be hurt anymore. So, I’m going outside to see the sunrise and to take a walk. I need to calm down and so do you. These past few hours have been a roller coaster ride and I’ve got to find some peace. But I still plan on leaving here tomorrow, whether you like it or not.”
That said, Sash left the room, while a tense and angry Brandon watched her walk away.
****
Sash felt like the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz as she marched toward the boat waiting to take her and Sweet to the mainland. The little boy beside her was wailing his protest as loudly as he could. Ahead of her was Brandon on the dock staring daggers at her as she led the child toward him. She stood as the ogre between man and child—father and son—and it wasn’t a pleasant place to be. Last night she had faced a resistant Brandon, this morning a resistant little boy. He had made it clear that he didn’t want to leave this island, not without Mr. B.
Earlier, when she informed Sweet that they would be going home, she had answered the many questions that he had about why they were leaving as honestly as she could. She told him that it was time for their lives to return to normal. She had to find a job and he had to return to school. None of the reasons were good enough for Sweet. It wasn’t until Sash told him that she would miss him too much if she left the island without him that Sweet had quieted down. Yet, he was still reluctant.
As they drew closer to the dock where Brandon stood between her and the boat, Sash’s eyes shifted to the man standing beside him. It was John Nathan, with whom she had become all too familiar. So this was it, the promised confrontation. She hoped that there wouldn’t be a scene. The fact that the boat was waiting at the dock was a plus. But was it waiting for both of them or only for her?
Spotting Brandon, Sweet broke from Sash’s grip and took off at a gallop straight toward him. Brandon’s firm expression melted as he watched the boy running down the dock at full speed. Bending down, he reached out and swept his son into arms.
“Mr. B, I’ve been looking for you,” Sweet informed him trying to loosen Brandon’s vice-like hug. “Sash said that we’re leaving the island. Can you come home with us? I don’t want to leave without you. ”
Brandon swallowed, fighting the sorrow that clutched his heart as he held his son. He had come to the dock to confront Sash, to put her on the boat and send her on her way without Sweet; but as he looked into the innocent face of his child he knew that he couldn’t do it. The boy had been through enough. Separating him from his sister this way would be devastating. For the child’s sake, he would have to let him go.
He pretended bravado as he told him, “I can’t come right now, T, but I’ll be coming home soon, and the two of us will go somewhere together when I do I promise.” He placed a kiss in the boy’s hair and looked at Sash who now stood in front of him. Her stance was clearly challenging, but her eyes softened as he looked into them. For a moment he thought she might change her mind.
Sash felt herself weakening. She loved the man, but… No! She couldn’t stay here and she couldn’t leave her Sweet with Brandon. She was frightened. He might try to keep him. She might not see him again. Remembering the pain of their previous forced separation, the moment of weakness passed. Slipping on her sunglasses, she took Sweet from Brandon arms into her own. No! She had to go.
“You’ll be seeing Mr. B, soon, I’m sure, Sweet. So, come on.”
With tears still flowing, Sweet leaned over and kissed Brandon, appeased only by the promise of seeing him again. As the boat moved away from the dock, Sash fought her own tears as the figure of the man she loved grew smaller and smaller until, gradually, it disappeared.
****
“I’ll crush her!” Brandon stalked the living room like a hungry lion. “I’ll take her pretty little butt to court and have her begging for mercy. She can’t win. I don’t know why she would even try me!”
John Nathan took another sip of his soda. This was his second one in the hour that he had been sitting here listening to Brandon rant. He had been venting since Sash Adams left the island that morning with the boy. John had been relieved that a confrontation had been avoided. He hadn’t been looking forward to one, especially in front of the child. As he watched the lady marching toward the waiting boat like a solider ready for battle, he shuddered to think what would have happened if he had tried to stop her as he had been ordered.
John could see Brandon physically trying to restrain himself from snatching the child away from her when she took him, and for a second John thought that Sash would capitulate and allow the boy to stay. He could see by the way she looked at Brandon that her heart wasn’t in what she was doing. Pride and a test of wills was involved in the clash between these two strong personalities, as well as unspoken emotions. Any fool could see that she was in love with the man, except Brandon who obviously didn’t see it. Or maybe Brandon wasn’t looking close enough. The poor sap was so in love with Sash Adams he was practically a basket case.
John took another sip of his drink and sighed. Some of the younger men these days were so inept when it came to women. John had been working for Brandon Plaine for the past three years. He found Brandon to be a kind and decent man, but not one to reveal his emotions. This was the first time since he started working for him that he had seen him so upset by anything, especially by a woman. This was a man who thought he had control of his world, but he woke up one day and found that there were things beyond his control. Sash Adams was one of those. Brandon had no clue how to handle Sash and it was driving him crazy.
John liked the woman. She had spunk, and although he knew it wasn’t any of his business it was his opinion that she and Brandon might be good together. So, taking that into consideration he decided to help the man out. He refocused his attention on Brandon who continued his tirade.
“So she did me the magnanimous favor of telling Sweet that he would see me again soon. She can bet t
hat I’ll see him again, and I’ll see her in court too very soon. She’ll be putting that Stanford law degree of hers to good use!”
Spent from his emotional tirade, Brandon dropped down beside John.
“Are you through?” John asked Brandon, handing him a soda.
Taking the soft drink from him, Brandon didn’t answer. Melancholy began settling over him as quickly as the anger that had risen as he watched Sash and Sweet walk away. They had been gone less than two hours and he missed them both like he would miss a limb.
“You know, Brandon, I loved a woman once the way that you love Sash Adams.” John said quietly.
“I’m not in love with Sash,” Brandon denied indignantly. “What are you talking about?”
John shook his head at the younger man’s indignation and continued. “She was sassy, stubborn, proud and independent. She drove me crazy at every turn. The more I pushed, the more she pulled. The woman drove me batty.”
John had Brandon’s attention. He had described Sash up and down. “What did you do about it?”
“Well, my father offered me two pieces of advice that worked like a charm.”
Brandon looked wary. “What was that?”
“First, you can get more bees with honey and second, compromise won’t kill you.”
Brandon sighed, disappointed. Compromise. He had heard that word before. “That wasn’t much of a revelation.” He took a sip of his soft drink. “What happened to the woman?”
John finished his soda with a long, slow sip before flashing Brandon a satisfied grin. “She married me.”
CHAPTER 18
“He’s here! He’s here!” Sweet raced from the window seat, whizzed past Sash who was coming down the hallway and disappeared into his room. Sash continued walking toward the living room to await Brandon’s knock on the front door. Her heart was racing uncontrollably at the thought of seeing him.
It had been a week since she left Hawaii. She and Brandon had not seen each other since that time. Yet, his generosity remained consistent. He continued to provide security to guard the vicinity around Sash’s home so that the media that continued to clamor for interviews would not harass her and Sweet. In addition, Brandon called every day. The conversations were strained but polite, centering predominantly on Sweet. Neither of them took the opportunity to interject substance into the context of what was said. Their feelings for each other were never discussed, but the distance served to lessen the contention between the two of them.
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