by Katie Dowe
He eased away and lifted her chin. He used the pad of his thumb to wipe away her tears. “I will never be the cause of you crying again,” he vowed.
“How do you know that?”
“I love you, Yanique Reynolds,” he told her passionately. “I have been battling with my emotions ever since I met you and have recently discovered that what I feel for you is love. Amazing, scary love and I will never hurt you this way again.”
“You love me?” she whispered.
“I love you and I love our daughter,” he told her solemnly.
“Oh, Brandon!” she said tremulously.
“If you need a minute to take it all in I can give it to you,” he said teasingly.
“I don’t.” She brought his head down to hers and kissed him with all the pent up passion and fear she had felt!
“My darling,” he said huskily as he lifted his head to look at her.
“I love you too,” she whispered tearfully.
He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He stayed with her only moving when the nurse brought Yasmin in for her to feed and he spent the night cradling his wife and daughter in his arms!
*****
“Brandon Reynolds and his very pregnant wife, Yanique, seen here attending the premiere of the latest movie ‘Love in Rebound’ for which the soundtrack by the same title was written by the international songwriter Mark Seville. Their daughter Yasmin who looks remarkably like her mother is seen here in her father’s arm, smiling adorably for the camera. Yasmin has already traveled the world with her parents! Rumors have it that the new addition to the family will be a son. Yanique Reynolds took over the defunct local radio station which had been given to her as a gift from her besotted husband and has turned it into a station that features mainly the happenings of the town and neighborhoods with special attention to the works done by the ‘wives’ of the members of the club her husband is also a member of.”
Wayne reread the article and stared at the picture for a very long time. The camera man had been very close and captured every nuance of their expressions. Yanique was wearing a glittering electric blue gown that covered her stomach well and diamonds sparkled at her ears and throat. The young Yasmin with her black curls caught up in a ponytail was exceptionally pretty in a soft white tulle dress. They looked like the perfect family and by all appearances they were. It had been reported that Brandon had set up roots in town and did not go anywhere without his family. They were photographed everywhere they went and Yanique made the news not only because she was his wife but because of the work she was doing at the radio station that had been renamed: ‘YBY News.’
Wayne stared at the wall in front of him, his thoughts jumbled. It has been some time since he had tied the knot with Marissa and it had not worked out as he had hoped. She had not been able to get pregnant and wanted to place the blame on him. They had both done the tests and it had turned out that the fault was with her. He could have told them that and saved all of them the time and money, he thought cynically as he stared at his daughter. She was quite a beauty and she would never know that he was her real father. He had signed away his rights to her and even if he was considering fighting for her he would be up against very powerful people who had the means to ruin him! Marissa had started drinking and every time he went home she would accuse him of seeing another woman. It had gotten to the point where he would spend most of his time at the office instead of going home. He stared at the photo again and his eyes lingered on the exquisite woman who was smiling for the camera. Maybe he had made the biggest mistake of his life!
*****
“Story, Daddy!” Yasmin demanded as she jumped up and down on her princess bed impatiently. She was bathed and fed and was wearing her pink and white pajamas with the little furry teddy bear in the middle of the shirt. Brandon had hired a nanny but both he and Yanique always made sure that they saw their daughter before she went off to sleep. When they had to go to a function they would do it before they go.
“How do we ask?” Brandon said with a tender smile as he sat on the edge of the bed. He had fallen in love with her and did not care one bit that she was not his biologically. The little girl had captured his heart the way her mother had done and he would do anything for them.
“Please.” She pulled out a book from her table and handed it to him. They both looked up as Yanique walked in. “Daddy is reading a story, Mommy,” she said solemnly as her mother came into the circle of Brandon’s arm.
“Good, I am just in time.” She put her arm around his neck as he pulled her onto his lap and listened along with her daughter as her husband read the story in his deep cultured voice. She let her mind wander as she thought back to the time they had been in their marriage and still could not believe that it was possible to be so happy! She and Yasmin had traveled the world with him as he insisted on them accompanying him when he went out of town. Her life had changed so much that she could not believe it. She did not realize that she had closed her eyes until she felt Yasmin touching her. “You are sleeping, Mommy,” she said reproachfully.
“Just thinking, darling.” She touched her daughter’s cheek gently. “Did you enjoy the story?”
She nodded vigorously. “Don’t feel sleepy.”
“We are going to put on your favorite cartoon channel and let you watch it for a little bit,” her father told her as he pulled the sheets up to her chin. “We will come back and check on you.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” she murmured as she waited for them to turn her channel on.
Yanique bent and kissed her on the forehead.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, darling?”
“I can’t wait to see my brother.”
“Neither can we,” Yanique pushed the curls from her forehead.
“Will he look like Daddy?”
Both of them looked startled at the little girl’s logic.
“Maybe,” Yanique told her. “Why?”
“Because I look like you so I want him to look like Daddy.”
“I don’t mind if he looks like Mommy, sweetie,” Brandon told her gently.
“I want him to look like you, Daddy, so we will match.”
“Okay, sweetie, I hope he does then.”
She nodded and then turned her attention to the screen.
Both Brandon and Yanique stood there staring at her before they left the room and closed the door halfway. Brandon took her hand in his as they made their way to their suite. “How about a shower?” he asked her softly as he helped her to undress.
“I would love that.” She shivered as his hands cupped her belly. She had gotten pregnant so fast that she had wondered if he would mind but he had been ecstatic!
He dropped to his knees and started kissing her belly before venturing down. Yanique moaned and slid her fingers through his hair as his mouth found its target!
Chapter 10
“I need to tell you something,” Leanne said abruptly as she handed a glass of lemonade to her sister-in-law. They had gotten quite close over the period she had been married to the woman’s brother and met at least once a week for lunch. It was Saturday and Brandon had gone off to the club leaving his wife and daughter in his mother and sister’s capable hands. MaryAnn had gone to take Yasmin for a drive and then they would be going to the park. Brandon had dropped them off at his mother’s place. They were actually trying to decide where to keep Yasmin’s first birthday party.
“Is it some deep dark secret?” Yanique teased her. She relished the sun on her skin and was taking in the glare as she lay in the lounge chair by the pool.
“Kind of.” Leanne stretched her bare legs out and figured that she was due for a shave. “I fell in love when I was in college.” She stopped and sipped her lemonade and Yanique waited on her to continue. “I always wondered why the opposite sex never interested me and then I discovered that I was different.”
She looked at Yanique as if to discover if she was startled, but her expression remained unchanged. �
�You never told Brandon or your mother.”
Leanne shook her head ruefully. “Mother was always talking about grandchildren and I did not have the heart to say anything to her. And Brandon looked as if he was never going to settle down.” She looked over at the blindingly blue water of the pool for a moment and then continued. “I met Claudia in college and we hit it off.” She smiled absently. “We hid it from everyone and for two years I was so happy that I could not stand it! Then she came under pressure from her parents to marry a man they had picked out for her. When she told me goodbye I could not function for near a month and then I got the job at the firm and threw myself into my work. But I continue to think about her. When she came to me and told me that her husband was abusing her I had hope again! I told myself that it can never happen again with her because now there were children involved but I had hope!” She stared down into her drink. “But she had moved on with someone else. Her fitness instructor and had just used me to get her husband out of the picture. It was at that moment that I hated her but some part of me will still love her.”
Yanique felt pity for the beautiful and successful woman who seemed to have it all but was battling with loneliness and rejection from a love gone wrong! She reached out and touched her hand. “I am not qualified to give you advice,” she said quietly. “I spent a lot of time shying away from relationships due to the fact that my dad left us and my best friend died. I was afraid to put my heart out there again because of that until your brother came along.” She smiled whimsically. “I have never known love like the one we share. It is wonderful and frightening because it not only involves our body and our emotions but our souls as well. I am attune to his every mood and he is to mine and sometimes it can be annoying!” She squeezed her sister-in-law’s hand. “There is someone out there for you, Lee, but you are going to have to let go of the past and allow yourself to love again.” She paused a little bit. “And I think you should tell your mother and brother. I have a feeling that they can take it.”
*****
Yasmin’s birthday party was overshadowed by something tragic! July 5th would be remembered unfortunately as the day when the little girl’s aunt was discovered badly beaten and bruised in the parking lot of her law firm.
They had decided to have the party at one of Ryan’s uptown hotels with Brandon renting out the entire ballroom for the night and having a professional do the decorations with her favorite colors: lilac and shell pink. Brandon had sternly told Yanique that she was not to lift a finger and she had reluctantly agreed. It was near to her delivery time anyway and she was feeling tired and feeling as if she could hardly put one foot in front of the other. Doctor Whittingham had told her that their son was much bigger than her daughter had been and that was one of the problems.
Yasmin was in a state of excitement even though she did not fully well know what it meant to be having a birthday party. The pretty dress which had been sent over from the children’s section of Romano’s had her anxious to put it on!
They were just about to leave the apartment when they got the call. “Go on out to the car, ladies,” Brandon told them with a smile. “I have to take this “This is Brandon,”
“Mr. Reynolds, I am afraid we have some bad news.”
Brandon stiffened and felt his breathing accelerating. “What is it?”
“Your sister has been involved in an accident.”
“How bad?”
“She was beaten within an inch of her life in the parking lot where she works.”
“Wait a minute! I thought you said an accident.”
“It was my way of putting it,” the man apologized.
“Who am I speaking with?” Brandon asked him coldly.
“Detective Holmes from the precinct downtown. How soon can you come to the hospital?”
“Right now.” He closed his eyes as he remembered that his wife and daughter were waiting for him outside. “Has my mother being notified?”
“No, sir. You were the first one we called.”
“I will tell her.” He hung up the phone and took a deep breath before making another call. “Donald, this is Brandon. Are you on my sister’s case?” he asked the doctor.
“It is not looking good, Brandon,” the doctor said gravely. “We are going to be operating soon but she has contusions all over and her ribs are cracked and she punctured a lung.”
“You are going to work hard on saving her, Donald,” Brandon said grimly. “We are not going to lose her.”
“I will get the best on the team.”
He called his mother on his way down to his wife and daughter knowing that they would be wondering what happened to him. “I was just on my way to the party, darling. Leanne is not answering-”
“Mother, Leanne was in an accident,” he broke in.
“No!” MaryAnn whispered. “Where is she?”
He told her. “I will meet you there.”
He went down and saw them sitting in the car. “I was just about to send out a search party-” Yanique stopped abruptly. “Darling, how about I call Grandma Yvonne and you go on to the party without Daddy and me?”
“When will you come?”
“As soon as we can.” She leaned over and told the driver to take them to her mother’s address and took her phone out and called her mother.
She reached for her husband’s hand and held it while they made their way there.
Brandon had called for another driver who reached to them as soon as they got to her mother’s place. He kissed Yasmin and wished her happy birthday. “Don’t eat all of the cake,” he told her with a gentle smile.
She shook her head solemnly as she watched them drive off.
“What is it?” Yanique asked him quietly.
He told her, his face hard and expressionless. Yanique pulled him into her arms and they held each other as they went to the hospital.
The press was there waiting for them but they made their way in without making a comment. Brandon held her hand tightly as if it was a lifeline as they went inside. MaryAnn was sitting in one of the chairs in the private lounge with her hands clasped in front of her. She had dressed for the party and was still wearing the beautiful cotton dress she had intended for the party. She looked up when they came in and got to her feet rushing to hug her son. Yanique let go of his hand so he could hold his mother and went to take a seat. “What’s the update?” Brandon asked her tersely as he guided her to one of the chairs. He took his seat next to Yanique and reached for her hand.
“I have not heard anything yet, she is still in surgery.” MaryAnn trembled and closed her eyes. “Who could have done such a thing, Brandon?”
“I aim to find out,” he said grimly. “I think one of us should be at our daughter’s birthday party, baby,” he said turning to his wife.
“I am not leaving you to face this. I will call Leesa and the others and explain the situation. I am sure they will keep Yasmin entertained.”
“Are you sure?” he asked her softly.
“I am.” She touched his rigid jaw. “Through thick and thin, remember?”
He nodded and captured her hand holding it against his jaw. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said softly and then turned to her mother-in-law. “How about some coffee?”
She nodded. “I will be right back.”
She called Leesa.
“We heard what happened, Yanique.”
“I am staying here with Brandon and his mother.”
“Don’t worry about Yasmin. The little darling won’t even know that you are not here.”
“Thanks, Leesa.”
*****
The surgery was long and stressful to those gathered in the lounge waiting to hear what was going on. Leanne’s associates had been coming and going, anxiously awaiting news. It came on the six o’clock news that well known lawyer and sister of billionaire print and media mogul Brandon Reynolds had been the victim of an alleged beating and was undergoing surgery.
It was
nine p.m. before they were able to hear anything from the doctors. They got to their feet as soon as the trio of doctors came in and for a minute Yanique thought it was bad news from the looks on their faces. “Donald?” Brandon’s voice was terse as he stared at the man.
“It was touch and go for a while but we managed to stop the internal bleeding.” The man pulled off his skull cap wearily and gave a slight smile. “Your sister is a fighter, no doubt about that. She will be unconscious for a while, but after that she will be on the mend.”
“May we see her?” MaryAnn asked tremulously.
The doctor hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Only for a few minutes.”
She had bandages all over and Yanique felt shock at the amount of damage that had been done! She was lying so still and there were so many tubes hooked up to her that it did not seem possible that she was alive.
MaryAnn touched her arm briefly and let her touch linger. “She could have died,” she whispered hoarsely. “Oh, my baby.”
Brandon took her in his arms and led her out as she burst into tears.
Yanique stood there and looked down at the strong beautiful woman she admired and felt tears come to her eyes. “Get well soon, honey,” she whispered before leaving the room.
*****
Brandon did not handle it well. All through the journey back to their apartment he did not say anything. He had told his mother to come home with them but she had told them she would be okay and besides she had the household staff who would be waiting to hear from her. Her mother had stayed with Yasmin and when they got there the little girl was asleep with her tiara still on top of her curls.
Brandon stood there looking down at her, his expression somber. He bent and kissed her cheek before turning away and leaving the room. Yanique pulled the covers over her daughter and for a minute she thought about what MaryAnn must be going through right now. Leanne was an adult but she was no less the woman’s daughter!
She touched her daughter’s cheek and went to sit with her mother who was staying the night.
“How is Leanne?” Yvonne asked her quietly as she made tea for them. Brandon was nowhere to be found and Yanique knew he was probably holed up in his office.
