Branndon Jr. (5 page)

Chapter Five

Susanne
threw two of her sweaters across the room. They were the only things she could
think of that, one, wouldn’t break, and two, wouldn’t disturb either April or
Branndon when they fell to the floor.

What
had she been thinking? Letting her hormones and lust override everything else.
She paced up and down, putting her palm on her forehead. She’d launched this
business so she could give her and April a decent life. She could earn a living
and give her little girl things she’d never enjoyed while growing up.

Now
she might have thrown it all away. How unprofessional of her to give her first
client a hand job.

Okay,
Branndon was someone she knew, but what if he told others what sort of nurse
she really was and word got around town? What if guys hired her not because of
her nursing skills but because she gave good hand jobs?

She
had given a good one, right?

Sure
she had, he’d come in minutes.

And
the kiss. She’d so wanted to open her mouth and feel his tongue inside, but the
scent of the other women who’d kissed him still lingered and it reminded her
that every woman within a hundred miles, maybe more, wanted him. Women cuter
than her. Women with better bodies than her. Branndon would never be hers.

Tomorrow
she’d have to apologize and set things right.

Tomorrow.
Shit. She had to drive him to the hospital to see Brody because his six weeks
post-surgery ban wasn’t up yet. Fifteen minutes, just the two of them in the
car.

****

Susanne
was already waiting by the car when Branndon headed out of the house the next
morning. When he’d stepped into the kitchen, she’d swiftly ushered April out
and made the excuse they had to hurry or she’d miss the school bus. When she’d
returned, she shut herself in her bedroom and then she’d quickly called through
his door that she was ready to leave when he was and would be outside in the
car waiting.

She
looked down at the steering wheel as he got close to the car door.

“I’m
going to be than happy when I get permission to drive again,” he said, getting
into the passenger seat.

“Just
a few more weeks,” Susanne said, putting her seatbelt across her shoulder. “You
have a check-up appointment next Wednesday, so don’t forget about it,” she
said.

“Can
we talk about last night? I mean it seems like you have a stick up your butt
this morning and I thought we were getting on reasonably well,” he said.

She
indicted left and pulled out onto the main road.

Stick up the butt
. Well, maybe she
had been acting sort of standoffish since the incident. “I think we should. But
first let me begin by apologizing to you,” she said.

“For
what?”

“You
know. I had no right to touch you in a sexual way. You’re a client and that was
inappropriate of me.”

“Hell,
you can be as inappropriate as you want if you make me come like that.”

“Branndon,
I’d like to take this matter seriously. I’m sorry for what I did and I can
assure you it will never, ever happen again.”

“Damn,
you’re a spoil sport.”

She
momentarily looked at him. He raised his hands in surrender. “All right, I
accept your apology and understand it won’t happen again.”

Now
there was silence again. She never could stand being somewhere without a little
noise so she turned on the radio. However, Branndon obviously didn’t like her
choice of stations and began pressing the buttons. She slapped the back of his
hand.

“Ouch,
that stung like hell.”

“This
is my car, my radio…”

“And
now there’s sexual tension.”

“What?”
asked Susanne.

“We’re
attracted to one another and when we don’t act on it, we get uptight, well,
mostly you do.”

“Sexual
tension?”

“Don’t
you read romance novels?”

“No,
I can’t say that I do.”

“Really.
I would have thought you would have enjoyed them.”

“And
you read them?”

“No,
I didn’t say that, but my mom used to and I remember her saying if only they’d make
love everything would be okay.”

“Make
love.”

“You
do know what that is? Boy meets girl, girl falls…”

She
raised her hand to stop him. “I can assure you there is no sexual tension on my
part. I just…”

“Yes,”
said Branndon.

“Had
a momentary lapse of good judgement.”

She
pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, happy to know they were finally at
their destination and he’d go his way, she’d go hers for at least an hour or
so.

“You
okay?” asked Susanne.

“What?”

“You’re
just sitting there looking at the building.”

“Thinking
back when I came here that morning for the operation.”

She
was about to put her hand on his arm, but had second thoughts. If she touched
him again, she’d get tempted again. Even have another lapse of good judgement
attack.

“You
were very brave and I don’t know if I could have done what you have,” she said.
She really meant it. Branndon Mckinney was the last person she would have
thought would have done such a risky thing like go under the knife just to give
someone an organ.

“Well,
I did and I suppose I should get in there and see the guy who has my other
kidney.”

“I’m
going to look around in the gift store and then I’ll be in the reception area
waiting for you when you’re done with your visit.”

****

Branndon
got out of the car and headed over the parking lot, dodging some of the piles
of snow before crossing the road and entering the hospital. He knew Brody had
now been transferred to the sixth floor, room 678. Branndon headed to the
elevator, waited a few minutes for it to arrive, and then got in and hit the
button for the sixth floor.

On
his way there he silently rehearsed how he was going to justify what he’d done
to Maddie, but he couldn’t think of a single excuse. It had been mean and now
he deeply regretted it. That’s what he’d tell Brody and he’d write a letter of
apology to his future sister-in-law, asking for her forgiveness, too. He wanted
them all to be one big happy family and he’d hate to think that a moment of
foolishness would jeopardize that.

The
bell tinged, signaling he’d arrived at Brody’s floor. He got out, turned the
corner, waved to a few of the nurses who waved back to him, and then knocked on
the half open door.

“Come
in,” said Brody.

Last
time Branndon had visited Brody, he’d still been in pretty bad shape and slept
most of the day, but now he was up and sitting reading in a chair. He looked a
hell of a lot better than he had just a few weeks ago. He had color back in his
cheeks and a glint in his eyes. He guessed that’s what being in love looked
like.

Branndon
took off his cowboy hat and stepped into the room.

Brody
looked up. “Hi Branndon, how are you doing?”

“I’m
good, how about you?”

“I’m
feeling a little better every day and all thanks to you.”

If
he was angry about something he sure wasn’t showing it.

“I
heard you might be going home at the end of next week,” said Branndon.

“That’s
what they say and I can’t wait.”

“And
your dad, I mean, Ted’s, moving here to Riker’s Creek to be near you and
Maddie. Well, that’s what Pa told me.”

“That’s
right. We’ve decided to once again run a ranch together. Well, he’ll be sort of
retiring so it will be mostly my responsibility.”

“That’s
great that you’re going to be together.”

“I
don’t think I would have liked him being in Billings all by himself. Mom
wouldn’t have wanted that either. Hey, you want to take a walk with me? They
make me stroll up and down the corridors for my exercise. We can talk while I’m
doing that.”

Brody
put down his book and stood, pulling a face that was all too familiar to
Branndon. Damn incisions hurt like hell and he could imagine Brody’s pain was a
whole lot worse than his. Branndon hoped that Brody didn’t mind him taking his
arm, but his half-brother still looked somewhat shaking when he first began
walking. They headed out into the hallway.

“Hope
you’re taking good care of that kidney of mine.” Did Brody know he was messing
with him? He sure hoped so. Maye it would take some time getting used to his
strange sense of humor.

“Oh
yeah, this one’s a prized possession. I’m hoping it’s the last one I need and
will last me a lifetime.”

Brody
was still slow moving, but Branndon was in awe of the progress he’d made since
the operation.

“Maddie
comes and eats dinner with me every night and we got talking about you,” began
Brody.

Branndon
began sweating. She’d told him everything.

“You
do know I’m a bit of a practical joker, right?” asked Branndon.

Brody
looked at him. He knew it had been rude to interrupt him so abruptly, but he
wanted to plead his case before the accusations flew.

“Is
that your way of telling me that you’ve left a whoopee cushion on my chair?”

“No,
but we really don’t know one another that well, I mean considering we’re
related.”

Brody
raised his arm. Branndon flinched thinking he was going to hit him, but instead
his brother slipped it around his shoulders.

“And
that’s going to change as soon as I get back on my feet. I want you and me, and
Jackson to spend time together and go out riding together. Maybe even have a
small bachelor party which is the reason I wanted to talk to you.”

So
he wanted Branndon to arrange a bachelor shindig. He let out the breath he’d
been holding.

“Maddie
and I were talking about the wedding and who we want to take part and share our
big day. We decided that Ted should really have center stage as he’s the man
who raised me and I know my mother would want him to be the official father of
the groom on the most important day of my life.”

“I
think that’s the only way to do it,” said Branndon.

“I
haven’t spoken to your dad about it yet, but I’m hoping he’ll understand that
Ted must get to play that role.”

“Pa,
yeah, he’s laidback and easy going.”

“And
we’d like Jackson to be a groomsman.”

“I
know he’d be honored.”

“Great
and, for you, well, I hoping you’ll say yes. I’d like you to be my best man.
Maddie agrees that without you I wouldn’t be here and there wouldn’t be a
wedding so you’re a main player for our big day.”

Branndon
didn’t know what to say. He was sort of choked up that the brother he’d only
known for a short time, thought that much of him. He’d never been a best man
before and he was already excited his role his brother’s wedding.

Branndon
slipped his arm around Brody, almost tearing up. Shit, he’d never done that
before. Must be down to the female influence in his house.

“I’d
be very honored to do that for you,” said Branndon.

“Great,”
Brody said, hugging him back. “We’re thinking about an April or May wedding. I
know Maddie would like to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day, but I don’t know how
well the rest of my recovery is going to progress and I’d hate to jinx things.”

“Brody
you’re looking great,” said a nurse as she walked by.

“Thanks,
feeling much better, too,” said Brody.

“Let
me know when you get too tired and we’ll walk back to your room,” said
Branndon.

“I
think I can do another corridor, no problem. I hear that your dad got you a
live-in nurse and that her little girl’s in Maddie’s kindergarten class.”

“Susanne
Barclay, Jackson and I went to school with her.”

“Maddie
did say something about that.”

Had
Susanne been talking to Maddie, telling her all the tales about the teasing?

“Maddie
also said she’s single and pretty,” said Brody.

“You’re
not intending to play matchmaker, are you big brother?”

“That’s
what we’re for, isn’t it?” said Brody.

“I
guess I was doing the same thing to Jackson. I mean with Susanne. She had this
huge crush on him at school.”

“And
she’s not your type or what?”

“I
guess she is. Right now the house is full of sexual tension.”

“Sexual
tension’s good. I mean when you both let your guard down, the sex is off the
charts. Blows your cowboy boots and hat right off your body.”

Branndon
laughed, visualizing him and Susanne having sex and that actually happening.
Brody laughed, too, and then they held their sides.