Brody

by Cheryl Douglas

  “How do you respond?” Macy asked, sounding concerned.

  “I tell him it’s not a good idea, that we both need to move on with our lives.”

  “Has he tried to see you?” Macy asked. “You know, stopped by your work or anything?”

  “No, but we did run into each other at the café down the street from my office last week. He claimed he was in the neighborhood, but it was eighty thirty in the morning, and since he knows I’m always there at that time, I wasn’t really buying it.”

  Brody walked in, leaving his liquor haul by the door. “Hey, Mace, I didn’t know you’d be here. You staying for dinner?”

  “No,” she said, reaching for her coffee mug as Brody leaned over my shoulder to plant a kiss on my cheek. “It’s a family thing. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “You are family,” he reminded her. “How the hell could you be an imposition?”

  “Aren’t you sweet?” Macy patted his cheek when he squeezed in behind me on the sofa. “Are you trying to score brownie points with my sister by chance?”

  “Is it working?” Brody asked, grinning as he dropped a kiss on the side of my neck.

  “Where’s the stuff?” I asked, smiling. “You got my text about stopping at the grocery store, right?”

  “No, sorry. My phone’s out of juice. I can run out again.” He grabbed my phone. “Let me just see what you need.”

  Macy’s eyes widened when Brody spotted the text from Stephan. “Uh oh,” she mouthed.

  “Why the hell is he still contacting you?” Brody asked, holding my phone up in front of me.

  “Uh, I think that’s my cue to leave,” Macy said, sliding off the sofa. “If you’re sure you’d like me to come for dinner, Brody—”

  “I am,” he said, never taking his eyes off me.

  “Okay, in that case, I’ll just run home to shower and change. Can I bring anything, sis?”

  “No, thanks.” I was trying to decide how best to explain Stephan to Brody. He was still a sore spot, since he was the reason I’d stopped seeing Brody in the first place. “Just be back here by six.”

  “You got it.” Macy grabbed her phone and purse before dashing out the door.

  “What the hell, Ri?” Brody asked, jumping up. “Why’s he still texting you?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, trying to act calm as I finished the rest of my coffee. Repeating the same story to him I’d just told Macy, I added, “I think he’s just having a hard time getting over it. The man did propose to me, Brody. For him, it was a serious relationship.”

  “And for you?” he asked, staring at me as he stopped pacing.

  I felt as if I was stepping into a landmine. There was no right way to answer that question. I couldn’t lie to him, but I didn’t want to hurt him either. “I wouldn’t have slept with him if it wasn’t.”

  “Goddammit, Riley! How many times do I have to tell you—I don’t need to be reminded that you slept with that dirtbag! Especially now that you’re sharing a bed with me again!”

  We’d been sleeping together ever since we returned from Vegas, and he apparently thought that gave him the right to dictate what I could and couldn’t do and who I could talk to. I was trying to be reasonable, knowing I would feel the same way in his position, but I didn’t appreciate being made to feel as though I’d done something wrong. Stephan had texted me. I hadn’t responded.

  “Take a closer look,” I said, holding the phone up so he could see the screen. “I didn’t text him back, and I don’t intend to.”

  He sank into the chair he’d been standing in front of, taking off his backward ball cap. He thrust his hands through his hair before replacing the cap. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s just…”

  “What?” I knew we had to get used to sharing our feelings, something Brody had never been very good at. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “I get this pit in my stomach every time I think about that guy.”

  “Why? I broke up with him before you were back in my life. That should tell you all you need to know. With or without you, I don’t want him.”

  “Yeah, but you did once.” He looked me in the eye. “And how do I know you won’t again?”

  Shaking my head slightly, I said, “You’re not making any sense.”

  “I’ll never forget hearing you say those words to me.”

  “What words?”

  “I’ve met someone else.”

  Those were the words everyone in a committed relationship dreaded, but Brody and I hadn’t been in a committed relationship when I said them. “But we were just having fun, spending time together when you passed through town. We—”

  “I lived for those moments with you,” he said, his voice raspy. “They may not have meant anything to you, but they meant everything to me.”

  “How can you say that?” I asked, hurt and offended. “You know they meant something to me.”

  “I don’t think you get it. When you told me you’d met someone else, my world bottomed out. I never, ever thought that could happen, that you’d meet a guy who meant so much to you that you’d want to shut me out of your life.”

  He was trying to make me feel guilty, and it was working.

  “What was I supposed to do?” I shouted. “Be happy with whatever scraps you were willing to give me? Stephan wanted to be with me. Only me. I was enough for him. He didn’t need to traipse all over the world looking for thrills. He got his thrills with me!”

  His hand flew out, knocking the lamp off the table, and I gasped, jumping back as ceramic flew in the opposite direction. “You think I need to be reminded of that? You don’t think I close my eyes every night knowing that bastard slept where I’m sleeping? That he had sex with you on the very same sheets?”

  I couldn’t believe he was still so worked up about my relationship with Stephan. I thought we were trying to put the past to rest, but he seemed determined to resurrect it. “You’re asking me to forgive and forget, yet you can’t do the same. I have nothing to feel guilty about. So I fell in love with someone else. Is that a crime?”

  His eyes narrowed, and I realized what I’d said a moment too late.

  “So you were in love with him?”

  “I was…” I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure if what I’d felt for Stephan was love. How could it have been if I couldn’t accept his marriage proposal?

  “Forget it! I got my answer!”

  Unable to believe what had just happened, I watched in shock as he stormed out the door.

  Chapter Ten

  Brody

  As I sat in the parking lot, staring at Riley’s bedroom window, my gut churned as I replayed the whole ugly scene in my mind. I’d snapped when I realized her ex wasn’t over her. That meant he might show up on her doorstep one day and beg her to take him back. And maybe she would…

  I pressed my thumb and forefinger into my burning eyes. I’d made a mess of everything. Made her out to be the villain just because she’d… fallen in love with someone else. It still killed me to think about it. How could she love someone else? How could she forget everything we meant to each other, even for a little while? But it made perfect sense. Riley would never have slept with someone she didn’t love.

  After buying a new phone charger for my car, I’d gone to the store and picked up the items she needed, then I made a pit stop at a high-end accessories store to buy a pair of lamps to replace the one I’d broken. I still cringed when I thought about her picking up the broken pieces of ceramic while she cursed me for being a brainless hothead.

  For all I knew, she’d called my family to tell them dinner was off, and that she never intended to see me again. But if that was the case, I suspected my brothers would have been blowing up my phone by now, demanding to know what I’d done to screw things up with Riley this time.

  After lugging the bags through her posh lobby, I was grateful to step onto an empty elevator. Once inside, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror before
pushing the button for Riley’s floor. Over the last few days with Ri, I’d looked and felt more like myself than I had in years. Instead of picking up my suits from my brother’s house, I chose jeans, T-shirts, and ball caps. And it felt good. Really good. Comfortable, like slipping back into my own skin.

  When I reached Riley’s door, I tapped before walking in, unsure what kind of reception to expect.

  She was walking down the hall from her bedroom, her hair upswept, wearing a low-cut black pantsuit and heels. “I wasn’t sure you were coming back.” She eyed the bags in my hands. “I was just considering whether to call your family and cancel.”

  She had every reason to doubt me. I’d performed the vanishing act dozens of times over the course of our relationship, sometimes disappearing for days after we had a fight. “I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier.” I handed her the bags containing the carefully wrapped lamps I’d selected for her. “These are to replace the one I broke.”

  Riley extracted a lamp from the bag and set it on the end table where the other lamp had been. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that. I could have picked up another one tomorrow.”

  She sounded so cold, so distant, and I had only myself to blame. “I was way out of line before. I reacted without thinking.”

  “Yeah, you do that a lot.” She set the other lamp on the neighboring table, removing her own. “I guess some things never change.”

  I knew that was her way of letting me know she didn’t think I was capable of changing, in spite of my claim. I set the bag of groceries down and reached for her arm when she walked past me with the spare lamp in her hand.

  “It was just the thought of you loving someone else,” I said, desperate to make her understand. “That, and knowing he wants you back. What the hell am I supposed to do if you decide he’s a safer bet?”

  He was a doctor, known for being responsible and trustworthy. People put their lives in his hands, for Christ’s sake. Parents entrusted him with their children. How was I supposed to compete with that?

  “There will always be the risk of one of us meeting someone who appeals to us more,” she said, stepping out of my grasp. “That’s called life. A wedding ring and piece of paper don’t mitigate that risk. So if that’s why you suggested we get married all of a sudden—”

  “It’s not.” At her skeptical look, I said, determined not to lie to her, “Exactly.”

  “That’s what I thought.” She made her way down the hall.

  I followed her to her home office and watched her set the lamp on the corner of her L-shaped desk. “I don’t know what you want from me. I thought you wanted to get married.”

  Looking at me, her eyes brimming with sadness, she said, “I wanted to marry you for the right reasons, because we love each other, not because we’re scared and need reassurance.”

  “Maybe I am scared.” It had been a long time since I’d admitted that aloud. “Scared of losing you again.” I stepped into the small room, backing her against the desk. “Being back with you…” I sighed, lowering my head. “It makes my crazy life make sense again, Ri. Not once since I’ve been here have I had the urge to hit the road again. Not even to gamble. That says a lot about where my head’s at, don’t you think?”

  “I want to believe it does.” She rested her hands against my chest. “But I can’t pretend that what happened today doesn’t concern me. You blew up like—”

  I silenced her with a kiss. “I was an idiot. But I get crazy jealous over you, Ri. I always have. I’d like to claim I’ve changed since high school, but obviously I haven’t. I probably never will in that regard.”

  She closed her eyes, looking as though she was trying to rein in her frustration. Knocking on my temple, she asked, “What do I have to do to get through this thick head of yours?”

  I smirked. “I don’t know.” I set my hands on her hips, drawing her closer. “But if anyone can, it’s you.”

  “I remember when we were in high school,” she said, tipping her head back to look at me. “You were one of the hottest guys in school. The quarterback of the freakin’ football team.”

  I smiled at the memory. I had fielded offers from colleges all over the country. I was young, in love, and believed I had the world by the tail. Until Riley told me she wouldn’t be going with me to school. That changed everything.

  “Yet you still got freaked out when other guys flirted with me.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I would have so much as looked at someone else.”

  I knew my fear of being left by a woman stemmed from my mother’s death. I didn’t have to be a shrink to see the connection. I stroked Riley’s cheek. “You were so beautiful. Every guy in school wanted you.” Leaning my forehead against hers, I said, “And you were mine.”

  “I’m still yours, Brody. Can’t you see that? I always have been.”

  My breath stuttered as I hugged her tight. “Then you forgive me for overreacting earlier?”

  “Of course I do.” She smiled when I kissed her gently to avoid smearing her rosy lip gloss.

  I should just be grateful, leave well enough alone, but I’d always had a hard time doing the safe thing. “Tell me the deal with the doctor. Why’s he still contacting you? Do you want me to talk to him, set him straight?” Nothing would give me more pleasure, and I was sure Riley knew that.

  “I can handle him.” She grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face the door. “You just go and jump in the shower while I finish up dinner.” She checked the diamond watch I’d given her for her thirtieth birthday. “I should have just enough time to make those meatballs, if I hurry.”

  “Baby,” I said, bringing her hand to my lips, “thank you for doing this. I don’t think I could get through this without you.”

  Her smile was soft when she caressed my cheek. “It’s my pleasure. Now get in there and shower.” She ran her hand over my cheek and winked. “Don’t forget to shave.”

  I rubbed the scruff on my jaw. “What’s wrong? You don’t like?”

  “Oh, I like it,” she said, licking her lips. “But I don’t want to get beard burn on my thighs later.”

  “Is that right?” I asked, crushing her against my chest. Screw the lipstick. She could touch it up later. I couldn’t wait all night to taste her. After a kiss that left her moaning, I asked, “You got big plans for me later?”

  “The way I see it,” she said, looping her arms around my neck, “you’ll want to make up for being such an ass to me earlier, and I can’t think of a better way. Can you?”

  “Definitely not.”

  ***

  I was sitting next to Cole on the couch while everyone else was crowded around the dining table, drinking and snacking on Riley’s appetizers.

  “So how’s school, kid?” I asked, nudging him.

  “Good. Hey, you’ll never guess who our new principal is.”

  “Who?” I reached for my beer. If I was going to get through the impending conversation with my brothers, I just might need half a dozen more.

  “Mr. Andropolous.”

  “You mean Dean?”

  “Yeah,” Cole said. “He seems like a pretty cool guy.”

  “He’s the best.” We’d played high school and college football together. Since he was the only guy I knew when entering unfamiliar territory, we became even closer in college than we’d been as high school teammates. We’d even roomed together our first year. I smiled as I thought about some of the trouble we’d gotten into together over the years. “Hard to picture him being the disciplinarian though.”

  “He’s got a good rep,” Cole said, reaching for his water. “Tough but fair.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

  “He said you should stop by and see him. You know, if you’re going to be sticking around a while.” Cole gave me a sidelong glance. When I nodded before tipping back my bottle, Cole asked, “Are you gonna be sticking around? You know, now that you and Riley are back together?”

  “Nothing’s been decided yet, but I’m in
no hurry to go anywhere,” I said, glancing into the kitchen where Macy and Mac were helping Riley. I’d offered to help her, but she shooed me out of the kitchen, claiming I’d only be in the way. Unfortunately, she was right. I was a lousy cook. Except for making my woman breakfast in bed. That I could handle.

  “I’m glad.” He elbowed me in the ribs. “I’m glad you guys are back together too. You’re happier when you’re with her.”

  Sometimes I forgot my nephew was growing up. He was practically a man now, one who’d always looked to me to set a good example, according to Ryker. And I wanted to do right by Cole, and everyone who’d put up with my B.S. while I tried to get my head screwed on straight. Especially Riley.

  “She does make me happy,” I agreed, smiling when I caught her eye. “Real happy.”

  “Mr. A says football used to make you happy too.” Cole reached for a handful of the pita chips Riley had left on the table for us. “In fact, he said you were the best ball player he’d ever played with.”

  That game had been my life. Along with Riley. At eighteen, I couldn’t have imagined losing either one, yet somehow I lost both. “That’s nice of him.”

  “He’s, uh, looking for a new head coach for the football team,” Cole said, obviously trying to gauge my reaction. “The coach had a heart attack about a month ago. The assistant took over, but he hasn’t got what it takes to lead the team.”

  “Huh.” There may have been a time when I thought about being a football coach, but I assumed that would be after a long and illustrious professional career.

  “Could you see yourself doing something like that?” Cole asked. “Being a high school football coach?”

  I chuckled. “I don’t know, kid. It’s pretty far removed from the life I’ve been living. I’m not sure I’m the right guy to coach impressionable teenage boys.”

  “Why not?” Cole asked, folding his arms. “You’ve helped me a lot.”

  I smiled, thinking how lucky I was to have him and his brother in my life. They’d given me a taste of what it might be like to be a dad, taken some of the fear out of it for me. If not for them, I might still be running scared instead of putting down roots with the woman I loved.