“We did have something special.” She never would deny that.
He stepped back and held up a hand. “I know I was pissed that you never contacted me, but I’ve been thinking about that. I was selfish. If you’d gone to school near me, you wouldn’t have been able to live your dream. I was a kid. I only was thinking of myself. That’s why you decided to move on.”
“Brody.” He had no idea what happened.
“Let me finish. Evan and Sparks have been trying to talk some sense into me. When two people break up, they need to start a new life. That’s what you did.” He stabbed a hand through his hair. “I’m not good at trusting people, but my brother assures me that you’re right for them.”
For Sparks and Evan maybe, but could she be good for him? She’d lied to him, and when she told him, he’d never trust her again.
She tried to form the words to explain what happened, when he cupped her face. Her breath left her body.
His eyes turned a dark black of desire. “I want us to be together again.”
“I’m not so sure that will work.” He closed the gap so that only inches separated their lips. Her heart raced.
“Go out to dinner with me tonight. Give me one chance to show you that I’ve changed.”
He couldn’t take a hint. “I can’t.”
“Okay. Then how about Wednesday? The Mountain View is having a live band and dancing. Come on. We’ll have fun. It’ll be like old times. You owe me that much.” He stepped back and slapped a hand on his chest. “I suffered a lot after you left.”
Clearly, he wouldn’t stop pressing. She did need time alone with him so she could break the news. “Fine.”
He’d lose interest fast when she didn’t jump his bones.
He winked. “Pick you up at six for dinner.”
Before she could change her mind, he walked out.
* * * *
Brittany couldn’t believe she’d accepted a date with Brody. Her reasoning was that she needed to get him alone so that she could tell him about the baby. Evan and Sparks, she knew, would be okay with the date. They claimed it was a matter of time before Brody joined them anyway.
After she dropped her bombshell she knew that would never happen.
While her date wasn’t for another two days, she wanted to stop by her parents’ house and pick up some of the Western gear she’d accumulated in high school. She called to say she’d come by after work. In case her mom’s bronchitis had gotten any worse, she brought her stethoscope with her.
Ever since Brittany had moved into her cabin, she’d only stopped over a few times. Guilt attacked her as she walked up the steps and rang the bell. She should have tried harder to fit back into the family. She’d wanted to tell them how sorry she was for messing up their lives.
The butler answered and showed her in.
“Where’s Mom?”
“I believe she’s resting in her room.”
“Thanks.”
She knocked on her mom’s door and entered. Her mom was sitting up in bed reading. Brittany couldn’t tell if the weak smile was due to a lack of strength or if her mom wasn’t particularly happy to see her. Damn. At some point shouldn’t she let bygones be bygones? Getting pregnant at seventeen was stupid, but she’d changed since then. Why couldn’t her mom accept that fact?
Her mom patted the bed. “We need to talk.”
Her stomach flipped. The last time she’d used that phrase, she’d kicked Brittany out of the house.
“What’s up?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
She searched her mind for something she could have done wrong. The image of Sparks and Evan naked in her bed came to mind, but there was no way the gossip mill was that good.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I heard you’ve taken up with that Brody boy again.”
A bit of relief stabbed her. Someone at the doctor’s office must have heard him ask to see her. “I helped stitch up his leg.” No need to mention the upcoming dance and their impending date.
“I’ve also heard you’ve seen Sparks and Evan.”
“I’ve seen a lot of men. Doesn’t mean I’ve slept with them.” Her mom never mentioned the sex part, but Brittany knew her mom’s comment implied the question.
“I want you to be happy, that’s all.”
That comment wasn’t what she expected. “I am happy.” Her mother coughed, and the sound was deep and raspy. Brittany pulled out her stethoscope, happy to drop that subject. “I want to check your lungs. When was the last time you went to the clinic?”
“Doc Trumble makes house calls, but I haven’t seen him in a few weeks.”
Brittany listened to the rasping sounds in her mom’s lungs. “I’m worried. Are you taking your medicine?”
“I ran out.”
“That’s as bad as not wearing a condom when I have sex.”
She pointed a finger. “So you admit to having sex with that boy.”
That boy must have meant Brody. “I haven’t slept with Brody since that one fateful night.” That was true.
Her mother said nothing else, which wasn’t really like her. Now wasn’t the time to have a discussion on her parents’ thoughts on ménage relationships.
“I need to pick up some of my old clothes. I didn’t have much in the way of winter gear in LA.”
“They’re where you left them.”
Good. “I’ll have Doc Trumble call in a refill for your medicine.”
She hugged her mom before she left and went into her bedroom. She spotted her high school yearbook on the shelf and was tempted to take a peek. Knowing that reminiscing would only lead to tears, she picked out what clothes she thought she could use and left.
The roads to her mountain cabin were packed down, and she relaxed enough to enjoy the mountain vista. When she rounded the bend to her cabin, a large black car that suspiciously looked like Brody’s in her drive.
Her heart hammered against her chest. Why would he be here? She’d told him she couldn’t have dinner with him tonight. Not only was the black car there, but a truck was parked behind his.
She pulled alongside and got out. Brody and the other driver climbed out, too.
“What’s going on?”
Brody beamed. “I brought you a present.”
In the man’s truck sat a freezer, just like the one she’d wanted to buy. “Why?”
“Can he just put it in your house? It’s cold out here.”
She had no idea how long they’d waited for her. Brody probably expected her to come home right after work. “Sure.” Evan must have told him about her need for one, and Brody decided to personally deliver it.
She let them in and directed the worker to put the freezer in the pantry.
“You want me to dispose of this old one?” the guy asked.
“That would be great.” The old one was dead before she’d moved in. She nodded to Brody. “Be back in a sec.”
She retrieved her checkbook from her bedroom. “How much do I owe you?”
“Babe, it’s a present. Presents are free.”
This implied he expected sex in return. “I don’t want it.” The poor man who was sweating from the exertion of forcing the freezer into the small space glared at her.
“I mean I want it, but only if I pay for it.”
Brody turned to his worker. “It’s good. You can go.”
“Brody, this isn’t right. You can’t just give this to me.”
He waited until the worker left before turning back to her. “I wanted to give you the present. But there’s more.”
Her shoulders sagged. She couldn’t accept any more gifts even if she was thrilled to have the freezer. Brody ducked outside and returned with a large box that smelled like food.
“Wednesday is too far away for me.” He set the box on the dining table. “I know you said you couldn’t have dinner with me, but on the off chance you didn’t mean it, I brought us food.”
There
was a reason why she put him off. “You shouldn’t have.” Though the thought warmed her heart. He was like the Brody of old.
He pulled open the container and took out two candles, two plates, silverware, a bottle of wine, glasses, and a wrapped package with the Mountain View logo on the side. Their sous-chef made amazing meals.
He grinned. “Remember when we used to go to Snuffy’s and got fast food and ate it on your porch?”
She had to laugh. “That place was a rattrap. Literally.” She waved a hand. “Snuffy’s, not my parents’ house.”
He chuckled. “You got that right, but they did have the best fried chicken.”
Back then she didn’t care about fat content, trans fat, or cholesterol. “No kidding.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
The Brody of old seemed to emerge, but he surely had a hidden agenda. When she got the courage to tell him why she’d left, the angry side of Brody would emerge. He had every right to be pissed, but hopefully he’d understand that what she did was for his own good. She wanted to enjoy the meal. Tonight, for sure, she’d drop the bomb.
She handed him some matches. “Why don’t you light the candles while I throw some logs into the woodstove?” It was getting a little chilly in here and would only get colder if she didn’t heat up the place.
“Sure.”
When she came back, he’d turned off all the lights. The light from the tapers gave the room a beautiful glow. She wasn’t going to worry about being seduced tonight. Brody didn’t stand a chance. He needed to learn that presents were gifts without strings attached. Her love couldn’t be bought.
He opened the meal boxes. “This is a Chelsea Caulfield special. It’s some chicken dish with a strange-sounding name for the sauce.”
She laughed. “Oh, that helps a lot.”
“It came highly recommended.”
“From one of her husbands?” They were prejudiced.
“Yes. And this is a green bean casserole since I know you used to like that. Plus, I got two sweet potatoes and a chocolate cake for dessert.”
He’d remembered all the foods she’d loved. Chalk one up for Brody. “Let me get the corkscrew.”
He poured the wine, but she decided one was her limit. She didn’t need to be tipsy or she might succumb to his charms.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “that we haven’t really had a chance to talk. Catch me up.”
We had a baby together. She tried out the words, but she didn’t have the courage to tell him yet.
As if someone had turned on a spigot and aimed it at her head, dread washed over her. Doling out some of the memorized details might hold off personal questions. “I went to school in California and got a nursing degree.”
No surprise, he looked confused. “Your mom said you—”
“I know. That I went to school in France. She lied.” That was the first piece of false information she’d wanted to expose.
His mouth gaped open. “Why?”
“She didn’t want you contacting me.” That was the truth, just not the whole truth.
“Did you get all the letters I wrote?”
Her heart stopped. “You wrote to me? I didn’t know.” Confusion rattled her.
“I poured my heart out to you.” He swiped a hand down his jaw.
“Is that why you were so angry when you first saw me? You thought I didn’t have the decency to respond to your letters?”
“Yeah.”
Now his seemingly irrational behavior made sense.
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s for the best. Some of the later ones weren’t nice. I was royally pissed that you ditched me.”
“Trust me, if I’d known you tried to find me, I would have answered. I’m sorry.”
He polished off his wine. “Tell me, why didn’t you come home in seven years?” He arched a brow. “Or did you?” His tone probably came out sharper than he’d intended.
“No, I never did.” She couldn’t answer his first question.
“Did you hate me so much that you needed to stay away from me and from your parents?”
“Brody, you know that’s not true.” She searched his eyes to see if he knew the whole truth, to see if Sparks had told him. The turbulence in his gaze implied her friend hadn’t divulged her secret. “Listen, can we talk about something else?” Her stomach was about to heave. Talking to him when she was about to vomit wouldn’t be good. She tried to smile, but her lips shook.
He leaned back, looking as casual as could be. “Sure. Maybe it’s best if we forget about those bad times.”
What a terrible actor. From the way his eyes moved around the room, and how much his respiration had increased, the pain had taken away his breath.
Tell him. “I’d like that.” Coward!
She hadn’t touched her wine, but she felt the need to wet her throat. Since they’d finished their meal, she pushed back her chair to clear the table.
“I’ll help.”
She stilled. “Where did the real Brody Thomas go?”
“You mean because I used to be a self-centered prick who thought a woman’s role was in the bedroom and the kitchen?”
“I never thought about it in those terms, but you did seem intent on having fun.”
He stepped over to her. “I was eighteen and a kid. I’ve grown up. I wish I could get you to see that.”
I was eighteen, too, and made my share of mistakes. Boy, have I.
“I do. Trust me. You’ve started three successful businesses, and the Brody of old wouldn’t have worked that hard to be successful.”
He grinned. “See?”
The big question was whether the new Brody would forgive her.
He carried the dishes into the kitchen and placed them in the dishwasher. She walked behind him and placed her hands on his back. “Leave that. Let’s enjoy the rest of the evening.”
He turned off the water and turned around. “What do you have in mind?” He lifted her chin with his finger.
“I want to get to know the new you.”
“Can do.”
“But that doesn’t extend to the bedroom.”
His eyes widened. “I’m not that uncouth.”
She didn’t buy that line.
“In fact, I brought over a few DVDs. I thought maybe we could watch a movie.”
He really hadn’t planned to get her in bed? Or was this his way of slowly gaining her confidence? “Sounds great.”
With an arm around her waist, he escorted her into the living room and popped in the DVD.
“What are we going to watch?”
“I figured you might like the Twilight movie.”
“A teen flick?”
He shrugged. “I brought all four Terminator movies, too, in case you’d gotten into violence.”
That was sweet of him to bring different types. “I’ll pick Twilight.”
“Perfect. You got any popcorn?”
They used to pop a batch when she was over at his house. “Sorry. Fresh out.” She made a mental note to pick some up the next time she was out.
“A shame.” He picked up the remote and started the movie.
She expected him to steal a kiss, but even when Cullen kissed Bella, Brody merely squeezed her hand. She’d even tried to ask him something in the middle, and he shushed her, as if he was totally engrossed in the movie.
When Twilight ended, he scooped up the DVDs and hugged her. “I really enjoyed our date.” He leaned over and kissed her with such tenderness that her legs nearly melted. Visions of them making love swept over her.
He pulled back. “I can’t get started, babe. We both know we have to be up early tomorrow for work.”
What? He wasn’t going to try to seduce her?
“Thank you for the freezer. That was more than generous.”
He shrugged.
“We still on for Wednesday?” She was looking forward to dancing with him.
He grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for the wor
ld,” he tossed over his shoulder as he headed out.
Disappointment drenched her. Here she’d expected to turn him down.
* * * *
The next two days flew by. She was a bit surprised Evan or Sparks hadn’t come by to see how her impromptu date had gone. She knew their desire was for all four of them to be in an exclusive ménage relationship with her. Once she told Brody tonight what really happened, that chance would evaporate.
By the time 5:00 p.m. rolled around, she was exhausted. After saying good-bye to everyone, she bundled up and headed home to get ready for tonight’s affair.
A little before six he called. “Hi, Brody.”
“Hey. I’m on my way up the mountain now. Be there in five.”
Yikes. “Okay.” She disconnected, needing to finish dressing and refresh her makeup.
She was pulling on her boots when he knocked. Hobbling on one leg, she answered. The cold air poured in and she stood to the side to let him in. Clean-shaven, Brody wore tight jeans, scuffed boots, and a fitted plaid shirt. Her pussy went into overdrive. That was absolutely not good.
“You like?”
“You look good.” That was a total understatement, but she didn’t want to lead him on.
He picked her up by the waist and swung her around. “You, on the other hand, look totally hot.”
She laughed and waved the boot in her hand. “I need to finish dressing.”
“If you want, we can skip the dance and party right here.”
That was Brody-speak for let’s have sex right now. She needed to clear the air. “You know how tight Evan, Sparks, and I are.”
“Sure. The three of you got it on the other night.”
He looked as if he’d said today is Wednesday. “How do you feel about that?” Not that it would matter after tonight.
“I’m delighted.”
Delighted she’d found happiness or delighted she might include him in the ménage?
This conversation was too weird for her. Sitting on the arm of the sofa, she pulled on her other boot. “Let me get my coat and we can go.”
“I called ahead and got us a table. You know how crowded the place is going to get by the time the band warms up.”
Monroe, Melody Snow - Brittany's Destiny [Pleasure, Montana 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12