The Return of Brody McBride

by Jennifer Ryan

  “Sound familiar. Talk all you want, tell her you love her, and you’re staying. None of it amounts to shit unless you show her.” Owen handed him the bakery box. “So, let’s eat cupcakes. Get to know your daughters. Watch Rain. She’s watching you.”

  Chapter Nine

  * * *

  BRODY WALKED INTO the dining room again, Owen at his back. Rain sat beside Pop at the head of the table. They talked about work and a repair job Rain started that day. Brody placed the bakery box on the table and lifted the lid. Dawn and Autumn oohed and aahed over the beautifully designed cupcakes.

  Rain stood and tried to pass him. Just because he wanted to touch her, he put his hand on her arm to stop her. “Where you going, sweetheart?” He almost smiled when she glared.

  “To get some plates and napkins. You’ve never seen two little girls make a mess like they do with cake and frosting.” A glimmer of a smile touched her rosy lips.

  “Yeah?” He gave her a smile, letting his hand slide down her arm until he took her hand. “I bet they’ve both demolished a cake on their birthdays.”

  When her gaze came up to meet his, it was plain as day. She regretted every birthday he’d missed.

  “When they turned one, I made them each a little round cake and let them go to town. They ended up with more cake on them than in them.”

  Linking his fingers with hers, he squeezed her hand to let her know he understood everything she wasn’t saying. “You loved watching every minute of it.”

  “Almost,” she whispered and pulled free, fleeing into the kitchen. When he looked back at Owen, he caught his brother’s nod of approval. He’d connected with her for a second. Now, all he had to do was keep at it, until she no longer wanted to break the connection, but build on it.

  Dessert became an orchestrated affair. Rain directed the girls on subjects to talk about, ranging from how they were doing in the second grade, about their teachers and friends, to the things they liked to do in their spare time. It was obvious the girls were not only sisters, but best friends. They did everything together, Dawn usually in the leader’s role.

  The only times Rain interrupted or stopped them from telling something was when it had to do with Roxy.

  Unable to let things go, he had to get Rain alone if he wanted to find out what happened after he left town.

  “Dad . . .”

  God, how he loved hearing them call him Dad.

  “Do you have a computer? Uncle Owen said you have a company, and you’ll work from your house.”

  He was getting used to the way Autumn looked to her sister to be the speaker for them both. He didn’t miss the conspiratorial look they shared when they asked about his computer. “I have a laptop and a desk computer. Why? Do you guys know how to use one?”

  “Mom got us one for school and to play on some kid’s websites. We have some games,” Dawn began.

  “It was so slow,” Autumn added. “Mom got it from the secondhand store and now the screen is fuzzy and half the time it doesn’t boot up right and we get weird errors.”

  “Can we use yours?” Dawn asked, finishing both girls’ request.

  Brody listened to the girls, but watched Rain. She couldn’t afford a new computer. An easy guess. What he didn’t get, she made a good living at the garage. Paying for things for the girls took up a good portion of her paycheck, he assumed. She had her inheritance from her family, the money she hadn’t used for college. Either she was leaving that money in the bank for the girls to go to school later, or it was already gone. He wanted to talk to her about the money he had, the money he owed her for child support he should have paid. Now wasn’t the time, and throwing it in her face he could and would buy the girls a new computer wouldn’t score him any points.

  “When you come out to the cabin you can use mine.” He tried to be diplomatic and not promise the girls something Rain might object to. As far as he knew, at this point he’d get to have the girls at his place sometimes. Shared custody was a long way from the family he wanted, but he’d do what Owen said and take baby steps toward what he really wanted.

  “Your dad and I will talk. You have school during the week, but maybe once he’s got the cabin ready for you to visit, you can spend the weekend with him.”

  “Won’t you stay with us?” Autumn asked, her eyes round and worried.

  “We’ll talk about it, Autumn. No matter what, you’ll be safe with your dad.”

  Brody stared at Rain, the obvious question in his eyes. Why wouldn’t Autumn be safe? Did she think he couldn’t take care of the girls, his mind was so far gone he’d hurt them or neglect them? Or did this have something to do with Roxy?

  Ignoring the elephant in the room, Rain changed the subject. “Girls, why don’t you show your dad your room and the photos you want him to see.”

  Rain grabbed up the frosting-smeared plates and dirty napkins while the girls got up, excitedly chattering at him about coming upstairs. Each girl grabbed one of his hands and pulled.

  Rain noted the slow, deliberate way Brody placed his right foot on the stair tread and carefully pulled his weight up.

  “He’s doing better, Rain,” Owen said.

  “He knows we’re keeping something from him.”

  Pop grasped her hand. “So, you’ll tell him what it is when you’re alone with him.”

  “I don’t want to be alone with him.” Both men’s faces lit up with amused smiles. “Shut up,” she snapped. “Do either of you want to tell him what Roxy tried to do with his child?” When both men looked away and frowned, she got the reaction she’d anticipated. “Right. Who wants to hurt him like that after everything he’s been through, is still going through. Have either of you noticed how many times he’s rubbed his hand over his leg. He’s hurting and trying to hide it.”

  “The doctors said he needs time,” Owen said.

  “After the accident the other day, I don’t want to add to his anxiety by telling him about Autumn and Roxy. It’ll only agitate him.”

  “Roxy will hear he’s back in town.” Pop reminded her of what she already knew and dreaded happening.

  “Do we know for sure where she is now?” she asked Owen.

  “Last we knew for sure, living in Las Vegas with an ex-rodeo cowboy.”

  “That information is over a year old,” Pop pointed out.

  “It’s the best we’ve got. She stayed in Vegas the longest. I think she finally found a place that suited her,” Rain said, scorn laced in every word.

  They all fell silent. Every one of them considering the possibilities of Roxy coming back to town now. And the many reasons she’d return. Every dollar she could get her hands on.

  “Lay it out for me, Owen. How much could she expect to get from Brody for Autumn?”

  “For his daughter.” Owen fixed a pointed gaze on her. “You know the answer to that question. You answered it for her the day Autumn was born looking exactly like Brody.”

  “Every dime he has,” she answered her own question. “Damn. How can I stop her this time? She’s stayed away because she knows I don’t have anything left. When she finds out Brody is back and he’s got some money . . .”

  “Not some,” Owen interrupted. “A couple million at his fingertips, tens of millions if he sold out his piece of the company.”

  Rain combed both hands through her hair, pulling the thick mass away from her face and concentrating on her thoughts. Millions. Staggering to think about.

  “We can’t let her take his money. It’s a source of pride for him to come back a success, knowing the people of this town will always look at him first and foremost as the young man he used to be.”

  “You’re fooling yourself, sweetheart, if you think he worked this hard to make something of himself because he cared about what anyone but you thought.” Owen pointed out the cold hard truth. It was a truth she didn’t want to face. Not again.

  “Can we please stick to the subject?”

  “You know what you have to do, Rain,” Pop told her. />
  “Why am I the one who has to do all the dirty work and clean up all the mess?”

  “You’re the mother,” her father told her. “And you’re a damn good one. You know what’s best for those girls and no matter how hard or how many sacrifices you have to make, you’ll always do right by them. Tell Brody the whole ugly story. Make him a part of their lives. But this time, honey, take a little something for yourself.”

  “Sleeping with him is what got me into this mess,” she said truthfully, not caring what her father thought of her bluntness. No hiding the way Brody made her feel every time he came near her. She was surprised she hadn’t disgraced herself more by drooling over him while he sat across from her at dinner. Every time he pulled her close and kissed her, it was all she could do not to tear his clothes off, kick his feet out from under him, and land naked on top of him.

  “If that’s all you take from each other, you’ll both be shortchanging yourselves. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, Rain, you love that stubborn fool.”

  “Who’s the fool if I go back to him?”

  “I’ll watch the girls Friday night, so you can talk to Brody alone,” Owen called. She walked away without answering to go upstairs and put the girls to bed.

  Owen turned to Pop. “Those two are a powder keg sitting in the middle of a thousand firecrackers going off. One spark and they’ll ignite.”

  “Ask me, I think they could both use a knock-down-drag-out fight to get them where they both want to be.” Owen waited, knowing the rest of Pop’s thought already. “Right back in bed, which will only lead to her giving up her heart to him all over again.”

  “Why do you think she’s the one who’s got to give in?”

  “All you have to do is look at Brody. He’s willing to give her anything, do anything to have her and the girls. This is what he’s been working toward, what he came home for. Nothing and no one will stop him from having it. It’s too important to him.

  “He finally feels like the man Rain always thought him to be. Before, it was a lofty aspiration to achieve the status she put him at. Now, he’s got his military background, a business, money, and the pride in knowing he worked his ass off to make himself the man she deserves.”

  Owen sat quietly and listened to the sounds of the family upstairs. He took a sip of coffee and settled into the realization Pop was right. Brody finally had his act together. All he had to do was convince Rain, get past her defenses, and not screw it up like he’d done in the past.

  Chapter Ten

  * * *

  BRODY SAT ON the bed, his daughters on either side of him, the photo album open on his lap. Their comments and delight at showing him the snapshots of their lives was infectious, but with each passing page and years of their lives nothing more than images on paper, he grew sadder and more resigned that he wouldn’t be relegated to a weekend father, only seeing glimpses of their lives as weeks passed and all he got were a mere few days with them. He wanted the daily routine, the big and small moments of their lives etched into his memory, not burned into paper for him to look at and not know the feelings and emotions they felt and he experienced when the moment was captured.

  “This is the kindergarten play. I was the farmer’s wife and Autumn was a carrot in her garden. The play was about vegetables and nutrition.”

  “Carrots help you have good eyesight,” Autumn recited, obviously part of her lines from the play.

  “You two were adorable in your costumes.”

  “Mom made them. She helped us with our lines until we knew them by heart,” Dawn said, turning the page.

  Halloween pictures, the girls marching in a line at their school in a parade. Their smiles bright. Dawn dressed as Snow White, and Autumn as Tinker Bell. Further along, pictures of Christmas that year. The girls sat on the floor in front of an oddly decorated Christmas tree. Most of the ornaments were clumped near the bottom half of the tree, the part they could reach. The sight of the tree made his heart ache at the same time he wanted to smile.

  Each of the girls had a small stack of presents beside them as they tore into one between their legs. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows strewn all around them. Owen and Pop sat in chairs nearby, their faces alight with joy and smiles as they watched the girls’ exuberance in opening their gifts. Rain wasn’t in the picture because she was the one taking them, but he could imagine that behind her smile lay a sadness that he missed it again that year. And would for the next as well. But not this year. This year he’d be there to watch his girls trim the tree, open presents, and delight in the wonder and joy of the holiday like only kids can do.

  “I got a doll.” Autumn pointed to the picture of her holding up a baby doll with golden curls around her pretty face.

  “I got a checkers game,” Dawn added.

  “Santa didn’t bring the bikes we asked for,” Autumn said, a little sad.

  “Do you guys have bikes now?” he asked.

  “They’re baby bikes,” Dawn said with a frown.

  “They’re too small for us to ride,” Autumn added.

  “Mom says they cost a lot of money and we’ll have to wait until she can save up enough,” Dawn continued.

  “Girls, it’s time to get ready for bed. You’ve got school and softball practice tomorrow. You’ll want to be rested.”

  “Can Dad read us books before he goes?” Dawn asked.

  Rain gave him a nod, letting him know it was okay with her. “I’d love to,” he answered, choked up.

  “Why don’t you two go downstairs and say goodnight to Pop and Uncle Owen, then come back up and brush your teeth.”

  Both girls ran for the door. Dawn sailed past her mother, but Autumn stopped and wrapped her hands around Rain’s waist and hugged her. Rain ran her hands over Autumn’s hair and down her back, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead when Autumn looked up at her.

  After Autumn ran after her sister, Brody said from the bed, “She needs your constant reassurance and show of affection.”

  “She’s not as confident in herself as Dawn. She’s sensitive, takes things to heart much more deeply.”

  “She needs you.” Brody picked up Autumn’s baby book next to him on the bed. “You’ve got a good and kind heart. I can’t imagine Roxy raising her, crushing her soft heart under her stilettos.” He held up the album. “There’s not a single photo of Roxy in here.”

  “I’m her mother.”

  “The one I would have picked for her,” Brody confirmed. “You love her as your own. Because she’s mine,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t answer a loaded statement like that. She surprised him and sat beside him on the small single bed. The mattress and frame creaked under their shared weight.

  “I’m begging you, Brody, please don’t take her from me. As much as that little girl needs me, I need her. She’s my daughter. I loved her the minute I held her in my arms. I’ve been the only mother she’s known.”

  “You’re the only mother she’ll ever know. You may not want to hear this right now, but I want us to be a real family.”

  “Brody, what you’re asking . . .”

  “Is better left to another time as well. Right now, all I’m asking is that you give me some time to prove to you we can have what we had before. Only this time we’ll make it better and last forever. We’ll watch our girls grow up, get married, and have babies of their own. We’ll have more children.”

  She shot to her feet and took several steps away toward the window. Opening Dawn’s baby book, he stared at the picture of Rain pregnant with his child.

  “You were beautiful, all round and glowing pregnant with Dawn.” He traced his finger over the outline of her swollen belly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you through the pregnancy. The birth,” he said, choked up. “I missed it all. You missed having me there beside you.

  “I never got to hold them when they were babies, never heard their first word, helped them stumble along on unsteady legs as they learned to walk.”

  “I’m sor
ry it hurts you to hear about the girls growing up to this point and you missed it. I wish with my whole heart you were here to see and experience it with them.”

  “I’ve let you down in so many damn ways. I don’t deserve a second chance, Rain, but I’m asking, begging you to forgive me enough to give us all a chance to see if we can make a life together.”

  “It’s not fair to lump the girls into this.” She kept her back to him. “All it does is make me look like the bad guy if I don’t forget what’s happened and let you back into my life and my bed, have the happily-ever-after those girls are hoping for desperately.”

  “What are you hoping for?” he asked quietly.

  “It’s been a long time since I hoped for anything for myself. All my time and energy is for those girls, hoping for their happiness and doing my damndest to give it to them. You’re a part of that happiness, Brody. Don’t think I don’t know it.”

  “So, you’ll let me spend time with them, because you know it’s what they want as much as I want it. Will you let me spend time with you?”

  “Let’s start with them, Brody. They’re more important than anything else.”

  “You’re important to me. As much as I want to make up with them for missing the first seven years of their lives, I owe you a hell of a lot more.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. I forgave you everything a long time ago. Because of them.”

  “You’re still angry with me for leaving you.”

  She put her arm up, hand grasping the window casing, and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder. Crying for their past, he thought. He’d wished a thousand times he could cry it all away, but could never bring himself to do it. Rain did it for him.

  He wanted desperately to go to her, stand behind her and wrap his arms around her, but the weight of the moment held him back.

  Water ran in the bathroom; the girls brushed their teeth and chatted. Time was running out on this intimate moment they shared, and he didn’t know how to bottle it and keep it.