by PJ Sharon
As he observed her talking to her friend, he thought about the night before—how he had carefully undressed the girl, terrified she would wake from her drunken sleep and be panicked that she was once again at the hands of the man who had hurt her so badly. While cleaning her up and dressing her in one of his shirts, he noticed more burn scars over her left breast and on her inner thigh. Prickles of rage tore through his flesh at the injustice and cruelty of her past. He closed his eyes against the image of the faded lash marks that followed the curve of her hip. Her wrists, ankles and neck were ringed with faint scars. Had she once been shackled? She had suffered so much. Seeing her helpless and vulnerable in her drunken state had shaken him. He could only imagine the terror of what she must have endured, being at the mercy of someone who would scar a child so cruelly.
Beyond the scars, he noticed the beautiful young woman he'd held in his arms. Her skin was incredibly soft, her slender body tanned from exposure. The curve of her breast and the slope of her lean waistline called to an instinctive desire inside of him to both protect her and keep her from any touch but his own. He couldn’t imagine another man ever laying his hands on her again.
She needed someone who could show her how amazing she was, how beautiful being touched could be. And she needed to feel safe before that could ever happen. He wondered if the day would come or if she was so scarred by her experience that she might never let anyone get close enough to find out.
Careful to keep his contact to a minimum in case she woke, he had cleaned and dressed her with as gentlemanly an eye as was humanly possible, but he couldn’t deny his body's response to her. When he’d seen her in the bar last night, ferociously defending herself, he’d been amazed by her transformation. Even now, as she giggled and grinned into the air and twirled her fingers through her long, black hair, she entranced him, and he knew his heart had been lost to the beautiful wild girl, and there was no taking it back. She had a long road ahead, but if she could trust him, he wouldn’t let her walk it alone. His only question was, could he keep her safe from whatever came next?
Chapter 17
Going Home
After she hung up the phone, Brinn sat across the round glass table, sipping her juice and staring out the large window at the city below.
"A penny for your thoughts." Justin quickly revised, "What are you thinking about?"
"The cars crawling past move like a parade of ants on a busy trail.” She smiled and met Justin’s gaze. “I was thinking how familiar it all seems." She stared back out over the city. "Is this where I grew up?"
"Your home is about six miles from here in a neighborhood called Buckhead. Your mother is a doctor at Piedmont Hospital and your father is with the District Attorney’s office on Main Street in the downtown area. He used to be a Senator." He wondered how much she remembered of her parents.
Brinn seemed hardly to register his words. “My mother was a doctor,” she repeated. “I remember that the smell of eucalyptus and disinfectant clung to her clothes.” She nibbled at her breakfast, a smile of remembrance softening her serious expression. “My father smelled like cinnamon toast and coffee... and newspaper.” She released a slow breath as recognition dawned. "They are out there right now and don't know I'm here." Setting her toast down, she turned her eyes from the city view. "I'd like to call them now."
Without hesitation, Justin dialed his phone and handed it to her.
She paused, holding her breath, then spoke in a shaky voice as a sob broke to the surface. "Hello...Mama, it's me, Brinn. I want to come home."
There was a long moment of silence through the phone and then a hysterical female voice could be heard from the other end. When he realized that she and her mother were babbling, sobbing, and making little progress, Justin pried the phone from her hand and broke into the conversation.
"Mrs. Hathaway, this is Justin Spencer, the reporter you spoke to a few days ago. Yes, I'll explain everything when I bring Brinn home. What time can you and your husband be ready for us to come over? Okay, we’ll be there shortly. We'll see you then. Good-bye." He hit “end call” and smiled. “She says to give her an hour. You’ll be home soon.”
Her eyes widened, the pupils darkening the blue to a shade as deep as the ocean.
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you ready to go home?”
“It’s just that...I’m scared. What if...what if they don’t want me? What if...?”
He leaned across the table and took her hand in his. “They want you. Don’t be afraid, Brinn; I’ll be with you.” A single tear rolled heavily down her cheek.
“Thank you for everything, Justin.”
He brushed the scattered dark strands from her face and stroked her cheek gently, wiping the tear away. “I only want you to be happy.”
She sniffed, wiping the wetness onto the back of her hand, “I think I will be.”
Taking a napkin from the holder, Justin dried the tears on her face, his own throat closing with emotion. The moment seemed strangely intimate but completely natural. He realized that he’d never been as comfortable with anyone as he was with her. He didn’t have to be perfect. There was no need for pretense. Her unassuming nature was both innocent and ancient, her honesty as plain and simple as a child’s. But she was no child, he thought, as his body responded to the feel of her warm, soft skin under his fingertips. He felt the pull from his toes to his heart, and everything in between. Their eyes met for a very long moment. He stroked her hair, as comforting a gesture to him as it was to her. She accepted him for who he was. For the first time in his life, at that moment, he was good enough.
∞∞∞
Brinn could scarcely contain her excitement for the next half hour. She paced and hummed under her breath. Shannon Hathaway had said that her husband was in court that morning, but that as soon as she could get a message to him, he would be on his way home.
Justin called work. He was missing the Monday morning meeting, and Charlene would need a good explanation. “I have a scoop on something, but you have to give me some time.”
“Tell me what it is, and I’ll tell you if it’s worth you missing this meeting.” Her clipped tone was laced with curiosity.
Justin gritted his teeth. Lying was pointless. She’d know soon enough. He briefly explained the details to his boss.
"And you didn't think to tell me that while you were up in the mountains you found a missing girl who had been kidnapped ten years ago? This is a fantastic story, Justin. Make sure you get photos of the reunion. Better yet, let me send a camera crew. This story deserves full coverage. You could get a spot on the nightly news with this one. Think of the press that the magazine will get." Charlene seemed beside herself with the possibilities.
Justin cut her off in mid-sentence "Charlene, she has been through a lot. This family deserves a few moments of privacy before they are hounded by the press. Please...let me handle this my way."
After a moment of argument, Charlene conceded. "All right, Muffin. Whatever you think best, but I want the exclusive. Make any deal you can with the parents, but don't let them talk to anyone but us."
Justin agreed to do his best and hung up, feeling a spark of apprehension at how easily she'd given up. He knew all too well what a story like this could do for his career, and hers. As tempting as it might once have been to make a circus out of Brinn’s return, he couldn’t bring himself to break her trust like that. Hopefully, Charlene respected his friendship enough to trust him. The media would be on this story soon enough, but Justin felt compelled to make Brinn’s reunion with her parents as easy as possible for her.
To keep Brinn from literally climbing the walls in his condo, he decided to take her on a tour of the city while they made their way across town.
Brinn sat anxiously in the freshly detailed front seat, unaware of the mess she'd made the night before, or the fact that he had paid a small fortune to have it taken care of first thing that morning. His usual detail guy was none too happy at starting his Monday off with cleaning up d
ried vomit from a cream-colored carpet.
They drove through the downtown streets, busy and bustling with the activity of shoppers and business people on their usual jaunts. With the convertible top down on such a beautiful sunny day, Brinn craned her neck in every direction to catch glimpses of high rise buildings and colorful window displays as they passed by. Her hair floated in black feathers around her face and her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement.
“Look at that!” she exclaimed for the fourth time as they passed by the Botanical Gardens of Peidmont Park. A wistful look of longing covered her face. The solemn ponds and stone outcroppings with cascading falls must have reminded her of the mountains she called home. Even so, her face lit up each time they passed through a busy intersection. Although the city was noisy and crowded, Justin could see that part of her wanted to belong there.
They moved into midtown through the Virginia-Highland district, Justin pointing out local landmarks and enjoying Brinn's fascination. The large buses and rumble of the trains in the air caused her to jump in wide-eyed amazement and then grin broadly.
“I can’t imagine how exciting it must be to live with so much happening around you all the time,” she commented, after they’d ridden in silence for some time.
“I hadn’t thought of it like that before. After a while, people don’t even notice what’s in front of them,” he said.
“I guess it’s what you get used to.” Her eyes and voice became distant. “I got used to being alone when I lived at the farm. He left me alone a lot. Then on the mountain, I was alone almost all the time. Except for Kitty, of course.” Her face clouded with sadness as she looked away.
Justin thought he understood how she must be feeling. If she decided to stay with her parents, she’d be leaving her friend, and the only life she’d known, behind. “You’ll see her again. Just because you’re going home doesn’t mean you can never go back.”
She smiled uncertainly, “It’s just that I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know how I’ll ever fit in here.” The smile disappeared and she dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “Maybe I don’t belong here anymore.”
“Of course you do, Brinn.” He changed lanes and took the exit toward Buckhead, wondering how hard he should push the subject of her past, with all that she was facing ahead. “Your life was stolen from you. You have a right to have it back.”
Her eyes shot up and she turned to him. “I hope you’re right, Justin. Are you sure these people are my family?”
“Absolutely. Please, don’t worry, Brinn. It’s going to be all right.”
“Going home is what I always wanted. It’s all so hard to believe. Everything is happening so fast.”
Justin pulled off into the parking lot of a small park behind an elementary school. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I think you should meet with your parents, find out if they want you to stay, and then make a decision. Whatever you decide, it will be your choice, okay?”
Brinn sat silent for a long moment and then released a breath. Her face hardened in resolve. “I won’t let him keep me from my life any more.”
“Do you want to talk about what happened when you were little?” Justin’s heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and dread.
Her shoulders went rigid beside him and she stared straight ahead. “No, I want to think about today. My parents are alive. That’s all that matters.”
“What do you say we take you home, then?” He started the car and pulled back onto the road. “We aren’t far; we should be there in a few minutes.” She would need time to adjust to her new life and now wasn’t the time to bring up the past. That ordeal was likely to be on the very near horizon. He wished he could keep her from ever having to think about it again, but he knew firsthand how the past seemed to lurk behind every bush. Justin stopped at another light.
Lightening the mood, and following her lead to focus on the present and future, he said, “I doubt you’ll ever want to leave your parents again after today, but if you do, you’ll still have me and Kitty.”
Brinn’s eyes lit with amusement, her face softening with a small smile. “Thanks to you, I guess I don’t have to be alone anymore.”
He offered her a smile and gently slid his palm beneath hers. “All I know is that I feel like I would be missing something if I hadn’t met you.”
Her cheeks flushed at his confession. Brinn examined their intertwined fingers and stroked his smooth knuckles, smiling shyly. “Your hand is very soft. It feels nice.”
“I’m glad you feel comfortable with me, Brinn. I hope you know I would never hurt you.” Seeing her smile light with happiness, he added, “You can trust me.”
She bit her lower lip and looked again at her small hand in his much larger one, her eyes blinking back tears. “Have I thanked you yet for bringing me back to my parents?”
Justin tilted his head toward her. “Numerous times. You don’t owe me any thanks. I’m just happy to help.”
She rocked on the edge of her seat for the rest of the ride. By the time they wound through the perfectly manicured rows of big houses with lush green lawns and a rainbow mix of flowering shrubs, Brinn looked like she might burst with longing and excitement. Her grip on his hand had tightened with her nerves and her palm was moist with perspiration. The expression on her face was one of mixed emotions, equal parts joy and apprehension as she fidgeted and squirmed.
Afraid the excitement might bring on an episode of panic and withdrawal, Justin squeezed her hand a little firmer, forcing her to focus on him and the present moment. He hoped the memories of the smoke-scented man who haunted her would not take this moment away from her.
Justin pulled into the long driveway of a large white house with a high arched door and stone steps. Reporters rushed the car.
“Damn it, I told Charlene not to send a crew.” He honked the horn, passed the vans, and pulled as close to the front of the house as possible. He glanced at Brinn who was holding her hands to her ears and shaking. “I’m so sorry, Brinn. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Flashes of light and people yelling question after question bombarded them.
All good intentions aside, his efforts to protect her were an epic fail. Her first day in his care and he had let her down already. How could he have been stupid enough to trust Charlene? Justin forced his way out of the car. He yelled at the photographers and news crews, “Back off! Give us some room, guys.” But it was no use. The frenzy had begun and Justin was helpless to stop it. What had he done? He looked down into Brinn’s terrified face and realized there was no turning back for her now. She would have to confront her past and he was responsible for whatever the consequences might be.
Chapter 18
Back in the Arms of Love
Between Justin and Mr. Hathaway, and with the help of the police who had just arrived, Brinn was ushered past the paparazzi and through the front doors of the spacious European Ranch style house. John Hathaway had called the police when the reporters and news trucks had appeared.
Brinn’s intense agitation in response to the police presence had shocked her parents and her father had insisted they wait outside. Now she stood opposite her parents in the large foyer surrounded by silence.
Brinn stared numbly at her feet, trembling and drying her face with her hands. Finally, she looked squarely at the man and woman before her. Her father and mother looked at her with such expressions of expectation and joy that she couldn’t stop the stream of tears that fell from her eyes. She vibrated with tension in Justin's arms, her hands wrapped tight around her middle. Words failed her.
"My angel, is that really you?" her mother asked, her hands clutched over her mouth as if holding back a flood of words and emotion she could no longer contain.
"Yes, Mama, it’s me." Brinn's voice shook as she looked back and forth between her parents’ worried expressions. They looked so familiar, but so foreign at the same time. She had tried through the years to remember what t
hey looked like, but the images had faded and the people who stood before her were strangers.
"Come in and sit down, please. Can I get you anything?" Her father glanced from her to Justin. He wore a wary expression as she clutched Justin’s arm with both hands, her knuckles white.
Then her mother let loose. Her arms extended and tears streamed as she reached for Brinn. With only a moment's hesitation, Brinn let go of Justin and fell into her mother's arms. They both wept uncontrollably. Brinn's father wrapped them in a firm embrace and they all stood huddled together in the front hall, crying through a long moment of shared happiness, relief, and grief.
When the tears subsided to a slow trickle of sobs and hiccups, the group settled into the cozy, welcoming living room. Justin sat next to Brinn on the sofa and her parents each sat on the edge of wing backed chairs across an elegant glass coffee table, medical journals and magazines stacked on one end, a large, decorative candle in the center.
Brinn studied her surroundings and then stared at her mother. Her skin looked flawless. She had shiny black hair like Brinn’s, but it was cut short and curled just below her ears. Her slanted blue eyes were a near perfect match to the color of her own. The woman was tiny, barely reaching Brinn’s nose, yet she held herself with such profound dignity that she commanded instant respect.
Her father was tall, lean, and muscular with broad shoulders. He had a kind smile and neat, dark brown hair, graying at his temples—a color that matched his eyes. As he studied her, they shadowed to a deep blue gray that reminded her of storm clouds over the mountains. He broke the awkward silence first.
“I was going to ask you for proof that you were my daughter, but...” his voice choked and he covered his mouth, taking a moment to recover. “You look just like your mother. And you have my mother’s smile.”
