Her Very Own Family (10 page)

“And she’s sick.”

“Yeah.” She brushed away a tear. “How can I feel furious and guilty at the same time?”

Brady shook his head. “Feelings are messed-up things sometimes.”

“Tell me about it.” She glanced at the bed behind him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…before.”
Before we had sex and I was in danger of losing my heart to you.

He took her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry about that. I probably wouldn’t have told anyone, either.”

Did she dare hope he was going to be okay with everything she’d revealed to him, or would he start thinking of ways to distance himself the first time he was out of her sight?

“Can I give you some unsolicited advice?” he asked.

She shrugged.

“Maybe it’s time to talk to your mom.”

Audrey knew he was thinking of his own mother and how he’d never be able to talk to her again, but things weren’t that simple. She’d said some awful things to her mom, words meant to hurt her as much as Audrey had been hurt. And she couldn’t pretend her mother hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I don’t know.”

“Just think about it. Going to see her doesn’t mean you have to forget everything else.”

Audrey wrapped her hands around Brady’s. “I was so nervous about telling you.”

“I’m glad you did.” There was something in his expression, concern maybe. Audrey didn’t try too hard to identify it, afraid of what she might see.

She offered a shaky smile and wished he’d kiss her, suffuse her with that feeling of euphoria he had the day before. When he didn’t make a move to do so, she bit her lip and tried not to read anything into it.

Maybe he was right, that she should go see her mother. If she didn’t and the worst happened, would she regret it for the rest of her life? But if she left, would her time away give Brady the opportunity to really think about the situation and choose his professional reputation over a relationship with her like Darren had? Could she blame him if he did? After all, they hadn’t known each other anywhere near as long as she and Darren had.

Then why did this thing with Brady feel more real, making her relationship with Darren seem like a hollow shell?

Brady stood, bringing her with him. “You’ve got a lot to think about. I need to go before Dad sends out a search party.” He gave her a small smile then a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

She nodded, then wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him leave the loft. She understood that
Nelson might be worried about him. She even missed that kind of concern about her own well-being. But it still felt like Brady was already pulling away, taking the first steps out of her life.

Over the next couple of days, Audrey did a lot of thinking as she worked. The mill renovations were coming along really well, beginning to look like the café she had been dreaming about since that day standing in the magazine section of the bookstore. She should be happy now, but she wasn’t.

Her feelings toward her mother were still twisted in knots, and she and Brady didn’t share any more intimacy. He still worked at the mill during the day and smiled at her whenever their gazes met, but no more. Maybe he was giving her room and time to figure things out, not pushing her, but she couldn’t help thinking he moved further away from her each day. Hadn’t that been how her friends had drifted away? When the renovation was completed, would he simply disappear from her life?

She buried those thoughts in work, her normal means of escape. Her vision of the café was close enough to reality now that she could plan an opening date. She consulted the calendar, committed to July 1, just in
time for the Independence Day weekend. Despite everything going on in her life, solidifying the date felt like a gigantic accomplishment. Something solid, real. Something she could control. To celebrate, she went into Johnson City and Elizabethton to arrange for newspaper ads announcing the grand opening.

When she returned to the mill, she found Nelson and Brady moving in the tables and chairs Nelson had built for the café. She sat in her car for a minute and soaked in the scene, enjoying how the dream was becoming reality.

At least the café part of her dream.

The tables made everything look different when she walked in. As she approached one, she noticed that Nelson had improvised on the plain surface design they’d agreed upon. One of her hands came to her mouth as she ran the fingers of the other over the carved and painted wildflowers around the edge of one table.

“These are beautiful,” she said as Nelson came to stand beside her.

“The flowers were Brady’s idea.”

She shifted her gaze to Brady and found him standing off to the side looking uncharacteristically awkward as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Maybe she’d been worrying about his leaving for no reason, letting paranoia get the better of her. More likely, he’d suggested this design before he’d known about her mother’s arrest and her own part in the aftermath.

“Thank you. I love them.”

Brady smiled and nodded. It wasn’t the type of smile
he’d given her after they kissed at the creek, but she’d take it over a frown any day.

After a morning of working with the guys who’d arrived to repair the waterwheel, Audrey stepped inside to where the new air-conditioning cooled her skin. She walked into the kitchen where Nelson and Brady were cleaning up the last of their carpentry mess. The gleam of the new appliances reminded her of the breakfast Brady had cooked for her using them. Then she remembered the meal she’d promised them several days before.

“I believe I owe you two a meal. How about tonight?”

Nelson leaned back against the counter. “Sounds good to me. We’re about finished here and I’ve got to tend to some business in town, so I’ll catch up with you two later.”

With Nelson’s departure, awkwardness invaded the kitchen.

“You don’t have to cook for us,” Brady said as he washed his hands then wiped them on a wad of paper towels.

“I want to. You and your dad have done so much for me, in so short a time.” She edged closer to him. “I’ll have to think of some special way to thank you for the tables.”

“It was nothing.” He shrugged. “Made sense if you’re going to put those flower pictures on the walls.”

She wanted him to wrap her in his arms, to kiss her as he had the night they’d made love. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “No. Just a lot on my mind.”

“About what I told you?”

“Partly. Other stuff, too.”

Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, she lifted to her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek close to his mouth. As she’d hoped, he inhaled sharply and turned so that his lips met hers.

While it wasn’t as passionate as before, she’d take it. At least he hadn’t avoided the kiss.

Brady ended the kiss and took a step back.

She clamped down on her need to be reassured. With a shaky smile, she stepped back and shoved her hands into her pockets.

“I’ve got to run to Kingsport this afternoon,” Brady said. “Craig and I are presenting a bid to a potential customer, and I need to get cleaned up.”

“This the bid you’ve been working on at night?”

“Yeah.” A half laugh accompanied a shake of his head.

“What?”

“Ironic that the bid is for a big church retreat.”

Audrey suppressed the nervousness that shot through her, tried to act as if this news didn’t affect her, didn’t make her worry that Brady would still decide any contact with her was too risky. Instead, she offered him support. “Sounds like a good opportunity for your company. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” He gave her an intent look, as if trying to determine if she was serious. She held her breath until he nodded. “If we get the job, we’ll have more to celebrate tonight.”

“Right. I’m confident you’ll get it, so I’ll make something extra special.”

He caught her gaze and smiled, really smiled this
time. Like he’d let go of whatever had been bothering him. A spark of the magic she’d felt between them a few nights before dissolved some of her fears.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, then kissed her forehead before heading out the door.

Risking some teasing, she slid her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Nelson’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I have a quick question.”

“Shoot.”

“What’s Brady’s favorite dessert?”

B
RADY GLANCED AT THE CLOCK
as the business meeting went longer than he’d anticipated. He’d have to fly low to make it back to Willow Glen in time for dinner at Audrey’s. But this meeting wasn’t something he could rush. Even though Witt Construction was a longstanding, successful business, the new location still had to prove itself. And that required big projects like Lakeview Christian Retreat.

He and Craig worked in tandem to lay out all the plans and figures they’d been working on during the past few weeks. Thankfully, the Lakeview developers seemed impressed.

“This all looks great,” Harold McReynolds said as he nodded at the plans in front of him. “You boys have got yourself a deal.”

A surge of excitement and pride shot through Brady. He couldn’t wait to tell his dad. Audrey’s face also swam through his mind. Concern about being duped
again had caused him to pull back from her since she’d shared the story of who she was with him. But despite his own past, he believed everything she’d told him about herself was true. She’d proven herself over and over with her hard work and kindness to his family.

McReynolds insisted on a round of celebratory coffees, so by the time Brady was able to free himself he was obviously going to be late to dinner. Still, he hurried out the entrance to the restaurant and ran right into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said as he steadied the woman and took a step back. His eyes met Ginny’s.

Seeing her again knocked the wind out of him. She was still beautiful with her coppery hair and bright green eyes, but revulsion marched side by side with the physical appreciation.

“Brady,” she said, her widened eyes and fidgeting with her purse telling him her surprise ran as deep as his. “It’s been a long time.”

Not long enough. “Yes.” He glanced at the man standing next to her in a possessive stance. It wasn’t Shawn.

“Brady Witt, this is Cole Brandicott, my husband.”

Brandicott looked as if his bank account fit his name and his expensive suit. Poor sucker. Brady bit down on the violent desire to spill everything he knew about Ginny and her gold-digging ways, but the desire to get away from her overrode the urge. Plus, he heard Craig approaching with the Lakeview guys behind him and had no desire to be forced to make introductions between Ginny and his new clients.

He nodded at Ginny’s husband and said, “Excuse me. I’m late for an appointment.” He didn’t even meet Ginny’s eyes again as he exited and headed for his truck. She didn’t deserve one more moment of his time.

Despite his desire to get to Willow Glen, he didn’t steer in that direction. Instead, he found himself following the series of streets that took him back to the office. Once in the parking lot, he turned off the truck’s engine and stared at the dark building, then ran his hand over his face. Ever since he’d left Willow Glen earlier in the day, one thing and then another had conspired to keep him away. And what were the chances of running into Ginny in Kingsport? Last he’d heard, she had moved to Knoxville. And to see her tonight of all nights. It almost felt like a sign, a warning that he was in danger of following the same ill-advised path he had before.

He slammed the base of his palm against the steering wheel, then got out of the truck and stalked inside. What was the use of going back to Willow Glen now, anyway? He’d be really late, and he was in a foul mood. Not exactly great dinner company.

He stared at the phone and wished it would make the call for him.

A
UDREY HAD SPENT
her afternoon in a whirlwind. Tomorrow she’d likely make plans to visit her mother, but tonight she wanted to wrap herself in the beauty of this new life of hers. The café, her friendship with Nelson, the way her heart swelled when she thought of Brady.
Tonight she’d enjoy their company. Tomorrow she’d deal with the not-so-beautiful parts of her life.

She ran back and forth between the kitchen and her loft, alternating between preparing the special meal of salmon with lemon-pepper sauce, marinated baby vegetables and Asian spinach salad, and making herself look as nice as possible. To mark the beginning of what she’d decided to call the Willow Creek Café, she slipped into a filmy summer dress printed with wildflowers and a pair of pink sandals. Putting her hair up into a loose knot showed off her dangling pink earrings.

A quick glance at her clock had her zipping back downstairs to give the meal the final touches and set it on the table. Her heart rate quickened when she heard the truck pulling into the drive outside. Her smile faded, however, when she stepped out onto the porch and saw that Nelson was alone. To his credit, he’d brought her a multicolored bouquet of flowers that she recognized from the Glen Grocery.

“Why, thank you, kind sir,” she said with forced happiness when he reached the porch and extended the bouquet to her.

“Pretty flowers for a pretty lady. I talked to Brady halfway through his meeting. He said he’d probably be running a little late and he’d join us here.”

She relaxed as she led the way inside so she could put the flowers in water. She filled an old Mason jar she’d found in the loft then cut the flowers’ stems to fit. With the arrangement in the middle of the table, everything looked perfect.

Nelson sat at the table and surveyed the room. “Everything looks great. I think it’s going to be a big success.”

“I certainly hope so. I couldn’t have done it without you and Brady.”

“It was nice to have something to do.”

Audrey looked at Nelson’s profile, saw that he was thinking about his wife again. “You miss her a lot, don’t you?”

“Every moment of every day.” He took a deep breath then let it out. “I think if I hadn’t been able to work here, I might have lost my mind.”

She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Then I’m glad I had loads for you to do.”

He chuckled a little. “Betty would have liked you.”

“I’m sure I would have liked her, as well.”

“I think I know someone else who likes you, too.”

Audrey blushed and pulled her hand back to her lap.

“And based on your call earlier, I’d say the feeling is mutual,” Nelson said.

“I only wanted to do something nice to thank him for the flowers on the tables.”

“Uh-huh.”

She swatted at him. “Hey, since when is Cupid an old guy who wears Red Wing boots?”

“Who you calling old?”

She made a dramatic show of looking in every direction before her gaze landed on him again.

“You sure are a sassy thing.”

“And you love it.”

To keep the food warm until Brady arrived, Audrey
placed it in the oven. Then to pass the time, Nelson helped her hang the wildflower pictures around the room. When they hung the last one, of the Rue Anemone she’d shot during her canoe trip with Brady, tears filled her eyes.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I just can’t believe it’s really happening.” She directed her hand around the room to indicate the realization of her dream.

If only all aspects of her life were as wonderful as this moment, she’d be able to breathe easily and be totally happy. But maybe she was being overly selfish and asking for too much.

That thought reverberated in her head more often as the minutes ticked by and Brady didn’t arrive. The doubts about their budding relationship resurfaced, and it became harder and harder to ignore them.

When her cell phone rang, she hoped it was Brady saying he was almost there.

“Hey,” he said when she answered.

“Hi. Are you getting close? I’ve kept the food warm.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to make it. Our meeting ran long, and I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Audrey’s heart sank at the distance in his voice. “Oh, okay.”

“Sorry to call so late.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said past the lump in her throat. “I understand.”

She hated herself for doubting his words, but she’d been down this road before. Even so, she had a dear friend in her new home, a scrumptious meal she’d cooked and
a lot of positive things to celebrate—even if some things in her life still threatened to shred her heart.

She ended the call and forced a smile in Nelson’s direction. “Looks like it’s just me and you tonight. Think you can handle dinner on your own with a sassy gal?”

For a moment she feared Nelson was going to ask her to elaborate on the call, but thankfully he simply grinned and said, “Sassy and the prettiest girl in Willow Glen.”