“Untle Toen.”
“Perfect,” Colin said with a grin, winking at him.
Brandon wasn’t sure what to think or say.
The little girl with the head full of curls had grabbed his pinky finger with a death-grip, holding his hand while she watched the cartoons. They sat there silently, two grown men and one little girl, watching some animated cartoon about counting to ten. It wasn’t long before she’d planted herself directly against his shoulder, her thumb firmly in her mouth, and had fallen asleep practically standing against his side on the couch. He didn’t want to disturb her and frankly, this was the most peace he’d felt in forever.
He and Colin just sat there watching television, chatting a little bit, and each of them holding a sleeping child for hours on end. The cartoons became a painting show, and then a Cajun cooking episode as the hours passed. When Colin had run out of diapers for Emmett and Aurora wanted to play with her toys in the early afternoon, they finally left.
Glancing at the clock, Brandon realized that the day had passed before he knew it. He took it upon himself to start making dinner and was glad he was alone. It had been quite a long time since he’d cooked anything on his own, much less in someone else’s house.
Before long, he heard the jingle of keys in the doorway.
Glancing up as he pulled the tray of pork chops from the oven, he saw Tabby’s surprised look of pleasure and felt a burst of joy and pride he never expected in his soul. A zing of accomplishment made him realize that he had something to offer, even if it wasn’t much… but it was at least a start at becoming somewhat functional, wasn’t it?
It made him feel good to make her happy.
“You cooked dinner?” Tabby asked in stunned surprise, feeling almost overjoyed that someone, Brandon, had taken the time to make dinner for her. She’d had a nerve-grinding day at the school with two kids having to go to the nurse’s office – one with a jellybean up the nose and the other had an accident in his pants. She didn’t even want to fathom the kind of pain that jellybean caused physically, nor the emotional trauma that poor boy would have to listen to over the next several years. Kids were cruel.
She fully expected to come home and need to cook or pick up Brandon and run through the drive through once again. She never imagined or expected that her unplanned house guest would make himself at home… taking care of her.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said quietly, looking away.
“Actually, I’m really touched,” she admitted and blushed as he looked up at her. She saw the fearful joy in his eyes and wanted to make sure he understood how much this meant to her. Tabby kicked off her shoes near the front door and sighed in relief to be out of them, giving herself a moment to think.
“You cooked – I will happily do the dishes. I’m not particular at what you made, just really grateful for it, Brandon.”
“How was your day?” he asked, pulling two plates out of the cabinet. Tabby felt herself flush with pleasure as she realized that she could easily get used to him being there. It was like they were playing house and ignoring the nastiness of the world outside. Here, in this little home, they could be each other’s support and friendship they both needed.
“Truthfully, it was really long. I don’t mean to gripe or nag,” she said lightly, dropping her purse on the end table and walking over to inspect the pot on the stovetop. “It’s just sometimes the kids just drive me nuts and other days they are angels. Today was rough.”
“What happened? Do you want some hot tea, juice, or soda?”
“Brandon, one of the little girls in my class shoved a jellybean up her nose as a dare,” she said ruefully, shaking her head, and heard him chuckle. Startled, she glanced up at him and caught her breath at the emotion that hit her like a ton of bricks. He was barely standing five feet from her and that slight, unexpected smile was her undoing.
“I’ve always liked your smile,” she whispered before she could censure herself. Brandon’s expression fell a bit and she immediately apologized. “I’m sorry. That makes things weird and I…”
“Tabby,” he said, stepping towards her, his dark eyes searching. “You know that there is no one else I trust more than you. You are such a kind, wonderful, good person – who deserves someone better than this messed-up guy.”
She stood there, looking up at him, unable to move as his eyes dropped to her lips. She should say something, argue the point, or make some joke to relax the tension between them. This was her friend and she didn’t want to pressure him for more. This was his first day back and she was glad to see he seemed to be doing so well.
“I appreciate you thinking that,” she breathed, “but I’ve never hidden the fact that I like you – and still do. I want to be your friend and things need to come one day at a time – and this friend likes to see you smile, okay?”
“Fair enough,” he said nodding slightly. “Coke?”
“Please.”
She took the plates and served up the dinner as he poured them both a drink, meeting her at the table. She quickly fetched some silverware as they finally sat down. It was the strangest feeling to be sitting there with him, almost like a normal couple. The silence as they cut into their food, the scrape of utensils on the stoneware plates, and the ticking of the clock was almost unnerving.
“I saw Colin replaced the faucet,” she began.
“I did,” he corrected.
“You did?”
“Yes. If I am staying for a few days, I figured I could help out with whatever you needed. I’m a little… temperamental…” he said quietly, “but not incapable of doing things. Just leave me a list and I can get it done for you.”
“I’m not giving you a honey-do list,” she stammered, looking at him.
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m just not.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does to me.”
“Tabby, it helps me feel normal to have something to do and takes my mind off of things. I like the silence and keeping my hands busy. If I’m intruding, just say the word and I will give you some space…”
Tabby reached out and instantly laid her hand on his. The warm skin of his hand underneath her fingers made her swallow hard. Gosh, having a crush was so wonderful and painful in so many ways.
“You are never intruding…” she began softly.
“I know we aren’t really married and you’ve been so nice to me…”
“Of course, I have been,” she immediately countered.
“Why?”
His dark eyes met hers, searching.
She wanted to look away or refuse to answer, knowing that he would argue with whatever she said right now. He was hurt, believing that he didn’t deserve someone being nice to him, or that he was in jeopardy of being tortured again. He would have hidden scars to bear for some time and she was a fool to think otherwise… but this was Brandon, the soldier she’d had a crush on for so long.
“Because in two and a half years, you are mine,” she said softly, unable to look away from him. “I will happily wait for you.”
“Tabby…” he began and she stopped him.
“No,” she said firmly.
“You can say what you want but we are good together. You even admitted it when we made that silly pact. We are strange and have the weirdest relationship/friendship in the world… but it works for us and that is the only thing that matters.”
She watched his throat work a few times, a muscle clenching in his jaw as he looked like he wanted to argue with her for a moment, to berate himself and tell her how horrible a person he was, how broken he was. Instead, he finally settled down, laying his other hand on top of hers and squeezing it gently.
“You’re right. This works for us and this is all that matters right now.”
“Absolutely,” she said emphatically.
The way he tacked on the ‘right now’ had her a little unnerved.
Maybe there was something else he was needing or someplace els
e he wanted to be. That was fine, she would accept just simply being able to help. It was never in her nature to abandon a friend or kick someone when they were down.
“Our rules, our way, our path of life, and if we want to figure this out on our own then it doesn’t matter what other people say – it’s what makes you and I happy, right?”
“Are you happy?” he asked softly.
“I am very happy in this moment, Brandon,” she admitted, feeling her eyes burn in intensity. “This has been one of the best moments in the past few months that I’ve waited for word of you and how you are doing, my friend. I wouldn’t trade this bond we are forming together for the world.”
“Neither would I.”
Chapter 7
Brandon took each day one step at a time.
Sometimes he was able to hide the panic bubbling within him as a door closed behind him with a gust of wind from the windows being open. That slam of the door would make him nearly scream in alarm at the race of adrenaline that ran through him. He finally started putting a door stop or a shoe in front of the offending door to prevent it shutting on a breezy day – and bless her – Tabby said nothing regarding it.
Other nights, he would awaken with a jolt in the darkness and the nightlight reminded him of that single beam of light coming through the roof of his prison. He would get up, turn on the lights, and attempt to go back to sleep, telling himself that he was safe. Tabby kept telling him that things would fade with time, and he had to believe her, because realizing otherwise was just too hard on him.
She never got upset or argued with him, praising him for every little thing he did around the house. If he did laundry, she was happy. If he cooked, she never complained at the meal. It was nice just being accepted and welcomed.
He also knew she worried about him.
The realization dawned on him when each one of his friends conveniently showed up with a different task that they’d been ‘given’ to help out Tabby – tasks she’d never mentioned prior, even though he’d asked specifically for a list.
It hit him like a ton of bricks on Tuesday when Hody showed up with a massive variety of bulbs and plants that he was supposed to put in the yard for her. He’d been watching the man unload the truck and saw that nothing matched or went together. There were irises, dahlias, tulips, as well as a few evergreen shrubs that looked tiny but would grow quite large.
“Tabby picked these out?” Brandon had asked, hoisting up a bag of random bulbs that had been carelessly put together. His mother had loved plants and there were several amaryllis bulbs inside that were beginning to sprout that he recognized from when he was a kid, helping split the ‘babies’ off the large bulbs that had grown offshoots.
The look on Hody’s face had been quite telling.
Tabby probably had no idea of what had been selected or no clue as to where this stuff was going to end up in her yard. Her little home was a little chaotic and quaint, but there was a certain order to everything, and it didn’t seem like her to be so haphazard with things.
“Uh yeah – she said to get bulbs and preferred bright colors.”
“And what color are the amaryllis.”
“The what?”
“The amaryllis? These things?” Brandon said, holding up one large bulb at the other man. “What color are they?”
“They are bright.”
Brandon stood there processing everything, and that was when he realized he was being babysat by his friends. Tabby didn’t want him left alone, nor did she want to press him for anything – instead, she’d gotten each one of them to come over and spend a majority of the day with him as a way to get him out of his shell.
She was incredible.
He could have sat there alone in a strange house, solitary and lost in his thoughts, but instead she’d found a way around to get past it. It could have been something as simple as watching the television with Wilkes, sealing the driveway with John, or planting all afternoon with Hody.
“Let me sort these and we’ll figure out where to put them.”
“Ok.”
“I want her to be excited about it when she gets home.”
“Oh, she’ll be definitely surprised,” Hody grinned.
“Because she doesn’t know?” Brandon surmised, smiling and glancing at the taller man. Hody quickly hid the look of shock and shook his head.
“Yeah, something like that. Leia said it would be a sweet thing to do to help out,” Hody admitted, hefting up a five-gallon bucket containing a cypress bush.
“I bet. You know that thing gets huge, right?”
“We’ll call it a centerpiece,” he quipped.
“How about we put it at the corner of the house since there is only one?” Brandon countered, shaking his head and laughing. He hoisted up the bag of bulbs that were loose inside. This would make quite a garden for Tabby that could result in cuttings practically year-round, he thought, especially since tulips would be really early in the season.
“Tabitha likes flowers a lot?”
“Don’t all girls?”
“I guess,” Brandon hesitated, realizing that he didn’t know a lot of things about the woman who’d rescued him but intended to find out. Maybe he would surprise her with dinner and flowers this evening to get to know Tabby a little better.
Pouring out the bag of random bulbs, Brandon went to work sorting as Hody started digging holes along the fence-line for the slew of small shrubs he’d bought. Hours later, there were two flower beds dug and chock-full of bulbs, plants, and each having a small flowering bush in the center. The two flowerbeds lined the house on each side of the sliding back door like it had been planned out. The evergreens were evenly spread on the back fence and that single cypress looked quite striking where it stood.
He was glad that he had some knowledge of plants or it might have been quite comical. He wanted to be proud of doing this for Tabby, as she loved her little home, and it showed in all the little touches she’d made.
“So, who is coming tomorrow?” Brandon asked casually, watering the fresh flowerbeds. “I don’t suppose I could run to the grocery store with you for a few things, could I?”
“Sure man, no biggie.”
“…And tomorrow’s guest?”
“It’s Cooper.”
“I see… who’s got Thursday and Friday?”
“Minter and Luka.”
“I see.”
Yep – he was being babysat.
He should feel insulted or upset, but instead he felt relief. These were the people that had always had his back in the field and that he trusted then – he could trust them now. No one ever implied that something was wrong; they made him feel normal, and that was what he needed.
Rinsing off his hands in the garden hose, he nodded. Yep, it was time for him to quit focusing on the past and how he felt about himself. He had been given a second chance at life.
Brandon realized that he could either focus on the negative and what had happened, letting it swallow him up… or he could zero in on the path before him. A path that seemed to be smoothing out before him, and he was finding that he welcomed it more and more.
He’d made a pact with Tabby back then because he’d been lonely and they seemed to click. Now, he found that the more they talked or hung around, the more he liked her. Her emails he’d printed, while he still had access to them, before his discharge from the military. He had found himself reading them at night during some of the worst times in order to get through the wee hours of the morning. She was such a good person and he could see it in her eyes.
“Have you got a key to Tabby’s place?”
“No,” Brandon admitted, suddenly realizing that he couldn’t leave to go to the store for a surprise for her. “I don’t have a key.”
“No biggie,” Hody said, shrugging. “This is a pretty safe part of town. Just leave the sliding door unlocked out back and walk around the house. I’ll meet you out front.”
“You sure about that? I don’t want anythin
g to happen.”
“We’ll be gone twenty minutes - tops.”
Tabitha unlocked the front door, expecting to see Brandon’s face appear around the corner or to see him sitting on the couch watching television. The last several days had been a joy in her life and she didn’t realize how lonely she’d been before she suddenly had company in her life. He was just there – a wonderful presence that she never really anticipated.
It was like everything was backwards but just worked somehow. He made dinner, or greeted her, or simply hung out watching movies with her on the weekend. He’d been here all of five days and had made such an impression on her… but there was nothing now.
“Brandon?” she called out, realizing there was utter silence broken by the faint ticking of her mantle clock that sat on a shelf. She kicked off her shoes and padded through the house, peeking in his room to see if he was napping. Nope, the bed was made with tightly turned corners that she recognized from his military days.
She made those same tucks and had been out a few years now.
“Brandon?”
Tabitha felt a pang of fear run through her as she saw his bag was missing from the end of the couch where it had been sitting for the last few days. Had he left without a word? Her heart hammered nervously in her chest as she darted into the kitchen, peered in her own room, and glanced out the backyard. Someone had been there…
There were two squares of freshly turned soil as well as a row of small evergreen shrubs lining the back of her fence. So Hody and Brandon had been here – but where were they now? Had they left together? Was Brandon going to live with Hody instead? Had she said something wrong or did he realize that she’d arranged for someone to be with him every day? Could he be upset with that?
Tabitha picked up her phone and checked her text messages to see there were no new ones. Brandon had a new cell phone that she’d gotten him Friday evening, adding it to her plan, but he rarely said much. It was simple things like ‘do you like pasta?’ or ‘where’s the detergent?’ – there was nothing personal ever sent and she realized that now.
Remember Honor Page 8
