First Love (Complicated Love Book 1) (11 page)

We can’t wait to meet up in Vegas. The sad thing is Shawna and Frank can’t go until Friday, but that is fine because it gives Brian a little time to help his mom out and get his life situated now that he isn’t sure if he still has a job.

M
onday comes all too soon and I’m not ready to leave Donna in bed alone. But the sooner I get up and deal with everything, the faster I can get home and be with her again. I’m hoping to have everything taken care of by Wednesday so we can leave for Vegas a couple of days ahead of Shawna and Frank. I want some quality time alone with my girl. We need it after the last few days we’ve had.

First thing upon arriving at the office, I go to Bill’s office. Jolene is already there working away. “Hey, Jolene. Is Bill in the office?”

“Oh my goodness, Brian. Your mother called us last night and informed us she kicked your dad out.  Bill and I are sorry about how things went down. How are you holding up?

“I’m doing well, all things considered. I have a lot of questions about things I’ve found. Mainly a case you are putting together against my dad.” It’s a statement more than a question.

“Bill and I will talk with you about all of that later. Right now, he’s on a call, but he should be available in the next five or ten minutes, and he requested to see you first thing.”

“Thanks,” I say as I have a seat.

Lost in thought about what I’m going to do without a job, I pray that my dad can’t freeze my trust fund. I don’t think he can because it came from my mom’s side of the family. I don’t want to use it, but if I don’t have a job, I’ll need to.

“Brian? Hey, Brian, you can head on back now,” Jolene says.

“Thanks. Sorry you had to tell me more than once. I was lost in thought.”

“No worries. It’s been a long weekend for you with everything that went down with your parents.”

“Hey, son, how are you doing?” Bill says when I walk into his office. “I’m so glad you decided to come in and talk with me. I wasn’t going to let you up and quit. You’ll always have a job here.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that warm welcome and show of support. I’ll take it though. “That’s what I came to talk about. I don’t want to leave the office, but I can’t work with my dad anymore. I can’t handle seeing the way he treats people.”

“Well, for now, we can’t take over his portion of the company, but I can have you work for me. I can even let you do a lot from home so you won’t have to see him. You’ll have to come to the office for any appointments with your clients though, but research and case prep can all be done at home.”

“That sounds like something I can handle. Though I’d like to work in the office. I can’t let him intimidate me. I need him to know he can’t walk all over people and get away with it.”  Now, I need to ask the big question. “What is going on with these sexual harassment cases filed against my dad? What is going to happen?”

“He has five women all claiming he sexually harassed them. The first suit was filed a couple of months ago, and the others have trickled in since then. I’m not going to represent him. I’m actually planning on helping the DA. Your father and I been friends for years, but the way he treats women is sick and he needs to learn that he can’t do that. The thing is, we can settle out of court, but then there wouldn’t be any punishment for your dad.”

I don’t want him to think I’ll be pissed if he chooses to settle out of court, but before I can tell him as much, he continues.

“We’re going to have to build the business up from the beginning after all the bad publicity we’ll get when this goes to trial. Are you going to be willing to help me build it back up?”

“I agree. I want to see him taken down a notch and be held accountable for his actions, and I’ll help you do anything I can to build our name back up. I also know a great guy who would be willing to help us out if you need it.” I’m hoping I can get Frank to come here instead of going to Wisconsin.

“Let’s play it by ear, but I’m thinking having an extra hand would be great. I’m actually hoping that, by our  working with the DA, it’ll show people that we don’t care who you are—we aren’t going to allow anyone special privileges, and no one is above the law.”

I get up to leave and then realize we need to talk about Janice. “What are we going to do about Janice?  We don’t want her to file a lawsuit against us, but I don’t know that we can keep her on, either. She was a willing participant by the tape, but we don’t know for sure if he threatened her job. We don’t need a wrongful termination lawsuit on top of the others.”

“You’re right. I’m guessing you don’t want her to be your secretary, and I can’t say I blame you. We can fire her for not doing her job correctly, but let me think on some of this and then we’ll talk more later in the week. So, for now, why don’t you continue working on the cases you already have. Just head on over to the empty office next to Jolene. That way, you don’t have to be close to your dad. There will be hell to pay when he arrives, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to fire you, but he can’t.”

“Thanks, Bill. I’ll talk to you later.”  Walking out of his office makes me jittery. The last thing I want to do is run into my father and have him cause a big scene. I don’t want to have to face Janice, either.

When I arrive at my office to pick my files up, I’m shocked Janice isn’t in already. I wonder if Dad warned her that I knew about them. I’m glad she isn’t here, and with any luck, she won’t show her face here again.

Hoping she wouldn’t show her face isn’t enough though. We mail her her final check and the few personal belongings she had.  Along with her termination papers.

I want this to all be over with. I can’t wait to make Donna mine. Plus, I’m really hoping Frank takes me up on my job offer. Shawna and Donna would both be ecstatic to be living near each other again.

I’m hoping that keeping this all a secret from Donna won’t backfire. We talked about my applying with Frank in Wisconsin, but not my staying here and helping Bill. I’m hoping Frank agrees. The girls will be happier here, I won’t have to find a new place to work, and Bill will get along great with Frank.

F
ive long, torturous—because we had to wait for Shawna and Frank to arrive in Vegas—days after we left Brian’s parents’ house, we got married. We had a double wedding with Shawna and Frank. Shawna and I had always dreamed of that, but we had begun to believe that it wouldn’t happen. None of us wanted to wait; we all were ready to start our lives. Vegas was a great way for Frank and me to get to know each other better. Well, when Brian and I weren’t holed up in the room.

As a wedding gift to both Shawna and me, the guys announced that Brian was staying on at the law firm in Portland and Frank would be coming on to work with him. I was excited I didn’t have to move to Wisconsin and happy Shawna was coming home. I wanted to be upset Brian didn’t tell me right away, but I was so happy Shawna and I would finally be living close to each other again that I couldn’t.

Before we headed to Portland to begin our lives as married couples, we went separate ways for our honeymoons. They went to Hawaii, and we took off to Cozumel. I was excited to spend two weeks with Brian where no one could interrupt our time. Our time together is something I’ll always value. We needed that vacation, because once we were home, we’d be going nonstop. I’d be house and job hunting, and Brian would be deep into work, helping rebuild the practice.

The honeymoon was fantastic, and I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation. Snorkeling was one of the most memorable times.  There were endless coral reefs and crystal-clear, warm water. I was scared I wouldn’t enjoy it because I was having trouble breathing through the snorkel, but once I got the hang of it, I had no problem. And then I didn’t want to get out of the water. Needless to say, we went out a couple more times so I could enjoy the beautiful fish. We did zip-lining, parasailing and a lot of swimming—well, Brian did a lot of swimming while I lay on the beach and read. It was a blast, but I was excited to go home so we could finally live our lives.

After three long months of looking at houses, putting in offers, and being disappointed when we were outbid, Shawna called and said the realtor had two houses next door to each other for sale. If we wanted them, we needed to go see them as soon as we could and make an offer fast because they wouldn’t be on the market long. We met Shawna and Frank that evening to look at them both, and I prayed that they’d work for us because being next-door neighbors would be a dream come true for Shawna and me. We all had different things we wanted in our houses, so it was going to be tricky to find something we wouldn’t have to build.

The main thing the guys wanted was a garage so they’d have a place to tinker with their toys and drink beer—a man cave. I preferred a single-story house, but Brian liked two stories. We all hoped to have at least four bedrooms so we could be in the houses long term. We needed bedrooms for the kids, and I’d have loved to have a library-slash-reading room.  

The houses ended up being identical in layout and perfect. The five bedrooms seemed like a lot, but I hoped to one day fill every room. Brian could have his home office, and I could have my reading room. We were all excited about the houses—and that we hopefully wouldn’t be living in our small apartments any longer.

Two days later, our offers were accepted and we were in our houses by the end of the next month.

Things were going as we planned. I was married to the man of my dreams, had a house door next to my best friend, and would soon start my job as a nurse.

Shawna had her nursing degree too, and after she passed the state test to practice, we were both lucky enough to get jobs at Oregon Health and Science University, working in labor and delivery. The only bad thing was it was the night shift. So time with Brian was limited, but we made it work.

Brian said I didn’t have to work, but I figured I might as well until we had kids. I couldn’t wait until we had kids so we could hang out at home with the babies. But, until they come along, who wants to sit at home and do nothing? Not me!  Even though I’d probably still work part-time after we had kids because I love being a nurse and there really isn’t anything more joyous than bringing a baby into this world.

After the guilty verdict and the jail sentencing of Brian’s dad, Brian and Frank worked with my dad to repair all the damage. You lose a lot of credibility when your name is tromped through the mud. The good thing is Brian Sr. no longer owned any part of the company. It was all Dad and Brian’s. Though Frank was a huge part of it, and one day, he’d be part owner alongside Brian.

Rebuilding the law firm took a lot of time and work, but with Dad, Frank, and Brian all working hard, clients were recommending them to others within a year. They became so busy that they ended up having to hire help. I couldn’t have been prouder of Brian for making his dream come true.

During the year the guys were working so hard on rebuilding the practice, Shawna and I spent a lot of time working. It was nice to actually have a job because it made the days pass faster and I wasn’t sitting around waiting and missing Brian.

Now, Shawna and I are planning for kids. The guys want to wait, but Shawna and I are ready to start. I couldn’t be any readier. Hopefully, I don’t have to wait much longer to finally become pregnant.

It’s funny how life has a way of working itself out for the better. Life’s not always easy, and every relationship takes effort. But, as long as you’re both willing to work for what you want, there’s no reason you can’t have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. But love is ultimately what allows a relationship survive. Each day, continue to fall more in love with your partner. Never let yourself get too comfortable, and show each other in small ways that you still appreciate each other. Then your love will never burn out, and you’ll always know how it feels to be treasured.

If you’re wondering why this novella was set in 1985, it’s because I have full-length novels coming out featuring each of the kids!