by Kris Bryant
I quickly closed the door and rested my forehead against it. “I’ll lock up. Get some sleep. Good night, Brookie.”
She whipped open the door, causing me to stumble. She was wearing only a thin camisole and her yoga pants. Everything about her was firm and toned. “I told you not to call me Brookie.”
“You weren’t supposed to hear that. Now go to bed,” I said. She took a step toward me, and I took a step back. “Brook Wellington—Wait. What’s your middle name?”
“Addison. It’s my mom’s surname. My full name is Brooklyn Addison Wellington.” She put her hand back on my chest, and I softly removed it. She frowned.
“Brooklyn Addison Wellington, go to bed.” My voice held an authoritative note I didn’t feel.
“Brooklyn Addison Wellington. Never Brookie.” Thankfully, she turned and crawled into bed. I closed the door quietly once I saw she was under the covers.
Jesus, that was a close one.
Chapter Thirteen
“Good morning, Cassie.”
Brook walked into the kitchen as if last night didn’t happen. She looked refreshed and beautiful. After I left last night, it took forever to fall asleep. I kept thinking about the crazy holiday weekend. Thursday, Brook took care of me, and Sunday I took care of her. That crossed all professional boundaries, yet here she was—guarded, professional, and sexy as fuck in her business suit and kitten heels.
“Good morning, Brook. How did you sleep?”
She poured coffee into her travel mug before she turned to me.
“I slept well. Thanks for asking. I should be home early tonight. I have a million meetings today, but I think they will wrap up quickly.”
Whenever Brook had a long day of meetings, she wore one of her wool pantsuits. Today it was the charcoal one with a light-blue blouse that made her eyes pop. She had a silk scarf loosely draped around her neck that added flair and fall colors. The entire ensemble was conservative, but it didn’t deter from her beauty. Her hair was up and her makeup light. I guessed she had all in-house meetings with the board. When Brook met with clients, she wore more makeup, and her lipstick was bright. Today’s lipstick was more natural and subdued.
“That works for me.”
She kissed Noah good-bye, grabbed her coffee, gave me a nod, and disappeared into the garage. I barely had time to process what had just happened. I wasn’t expecting her to be all cute with me like she was last night, but I expected something warmer than her single head nod.
“Are we going in early today, or are we sticking around here?” I asked Noah.
“I want to go in early because Matt has a Nintendo Switch, and he said I could play it. We can only play before or after school.”
Both Wellingtons had better things to do today than hang out and talk to me.
“That’s cool. We still have a few minutes. I’m going to study in the kitchen.” I set the alarm on my phone. My finals were scheduled for late next week, and I felt confident in my toxicology and plant physiology classes, but I was a little worried about my ecology lab. I couldn’t study for it though. The written test would be a breeze, but labs always scared me. Hands-on experience was tough—another reason I quit medical school.
“Is it time?” Noah yelled from the sitting room.
I checked the alarm. We still had a few minutes, but by the time Noah rounded up everything he needed, we’d get to school right when it opened. “It’s close enough. Go ahead and put on your boots and your sweater.” I packed my things and waited for him. He came around the corner with a big smile on his face. He deserved friends, and I knew how shy he was with other kids.
“Is your mom okay with you playing Nintendo? What game is it?”
The last thing I needed was Brook to find out I’d been taking Noah to school early just so he could play shoot-’em-up games.
“He has Minecraft and Super Mario.”
Those were kid-friendly, but I would have to talk to Brook about this, because she wanted to hold off as long as possible before Noah gamed. Taking him to school early to play them was enabling him, but it was also encouraging him to socialize with his classmates.
* * *
I waited until the last possible moment to pick up Noah. He had violin with Natalie in less than twenty minutes, but I wanted to give him time with Matt. He greeted me with a huge smile. I tousled his hair and smiled back.
“Good day today?”
He nodded. “I’m going to ask Santa for a Switch. We played it before and after school.”
“Sounds like you had a ton of fun today. How was school? Did you learn anything interesting?”
Noah rushed to tell me all about his day while I signed us out. He grabbed my hand when we reached the stairs leaving the school and didn’t let go until we reached the car. That was always the highlight of my day.
“So where is Matt from? Ms. Trina says he’s new to the school.”
Noah shrugged. “His dad works for the airport.”
“Is he a pilot?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
I wasn’t that invested anyway. I was sure, with impending play dates, I would find out soon enough. “Miss Natalie is going to be at the house about five minutes after we get there. I need you to get changed and race to the library to start practicing.”
I pulled into the garage and helped him out of his booster. “Okay, go.”
He ran through the house on a mission. I grabbed his backpack and rifled through it until I found the permission slip for Brook to sign. Noah’s class was invited to go on a field trip to Winter Wonder Days at the zoo. It sounded like a ton of fun, and they wanted volunteers, but it was next week, and I had to study. Break couldn’t come fast enough. A month off with nothing to do but watch Noah, and for only part of the time. I was going to binge-watch all the shows I’d missed because of school and work.
The intercom buzzed right when Noah returned to the kitchen with his violin. We stared at each other, wide-eyed as if we’d done something wrong.
“Go.” I pointed to the library and he scampered off.
After I buzzed Natalie in, I straightened my sweater and smoothed down my hair. Even if I knew nothing was going to happen with her, it was still nice to be noticed. It was amazing how a crooked smile or the simple touch of a woman could put me in a good mood. I held the front door and waited for her. She was bundled from head to toe, and I wondered how she could drive like that.
“I can’t believe how cold it is.” She squeezed my arm when she walked by me.
I took her coat and hung it in the hall closet, a chill following her in. “It’s supposed to snow later. I always say I’m going to move somewhere warm, but I’ll never leave here,” I said.
“I don’t mind the four seasons. I traveled around a lot as a child.” The sounds of Noah practicing reached us. “Guess I’d better get in there.”
“Okay, good luck,” I said.
I pulled out my laptop and started reviewing my notes. In what felt like no time at all, Natalie was back in front of me, and I looked at her in surprise. Had it already been forty-five minutes?
“That was quick,” I said.
She leaned over me, her hair falling over her shoulder and tickling my neck. “Toxicology. Interesting. I thought you were studying environmental sciences.”
“It’s a part of it. One of the electives for the degree.”
“You’re studying poisons. Should we be worried?”
“I do know a hundred and one ways to use hemlock effectively.” I smiled.
“Remind me never to come over for dinner.” There it was. The smile. The tuck of hair behind her ear. A quick dart of her tongue as she captured her bottom lip between her teeth before she smiled. She was definitely flirting.
“I promise that I will never cook for you. You’ll just have to cook for me.” Now why did I say that? I’d opened a door I was trying to close with all Noah’s teachers.
“Hello, everyone.” Brook breezed in and put
her bag on the counter. I leaned away from Natalie out of guilt. I knew it looked bad and sounded worse than what was actually happening.
“Hi, Ms. Wellington. I was just leaving. Noah is improving, so the additional practice is paying off,” Natalie said.
“We’ve been working a few extra minutes every night. I’ve noticed an improvement, too.”
I sat there awkwardly trying to figure out what to do. Leaving wasn’t an option because I was still on the clock. Brook was home early, and Noah was nowhere to be found.
“Have a good night. Walk me out, Cassie?” Natalie asked.
“Sure. Let me get your coat.” I avoided eye contact with Brook and followed Natalie into the foyer.
“Be careful and stay warm.” I helped her put on her coat and closed the door behind her. Brook was pouring herself a glass of wine when I walked back into the kitchen.
“Are we going to have the talk again? So soon?”
“What do you mean?” I knew, but I wanted her to say it.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to date Noah’s teachers. It will confuse him, and if things go south, then it’ll be uncomfortable for him.”
I hated that she looked so good, so confident standing there with her hip against the chair, her hand gracefully holding the wineglass. Her hair was completely down, and her suit jacket was carefully placed over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. The first two buttons of her blouse, once tight under her chin, now were undone. I couldn’t see any cleavage, but I did admire the swell under her blouse and her smooth skin.
“First of all, we aren’t dating. I was being friendly. She’s a nice lady.”
“I know flirting when I see it. I don’t want this to complicate things.”
“What’s the matter, Mom?” Noah walked into the kitchen, concern etched on his face. My heart sank.
“Nothing, sweetie. Why don’t you go upstairs and read until dinner. Patrick’s due any minute,” she said. Her voice was so soothing that for a brief moment, I even believed her.
The look she shot me after he left the room made my blood go cold. This was the angry boss I never wanted to see. I braced myself for the onslaught.
“I think that sums it up.” She took another sip of wine and slowly circled the table. I could tell she was holding back.
“Look, I’m not seeing Natalie, and I’m not seeing Trina. We are friends,” I said. She snorted. I took a deep breath. “I respect you as my boss, but you don’t have the right to tell me who I can be friends with. You can’t claim every person I meet through this job is off-limits. That’s not realistic or fair.”
Brook didn’t move but stared at me for a very uncomfortable ten seconds before saying anything. It made me nervous, but I was standing my ground. Everything was at stake right now.
“Cassie, you’re right. You are more than welcome to be friends with anyone, but between seven and seven, minus school hours, you have a job to do. And that job is Noah. On my time, he is your only priority. That’s what you’re getting paid for. The only thing I ask is that you don’t have a relationship in front of my son.”
I almost saluted her. My anger was bubbling up and I needed to walk away. “I get it. Seven to seven.” I collected my things. “Since you’re home early, am I excused, Boss?”
She nodded once. I stormed off, pissed at her, pissed at myself. I seriously couldn’t figure her out. She was all business, then sweet and kind, then bossy, then complimentary. No wonder she was single. No wonder Lauren left her. No, that was mean. I didn’t know, but damn it, she infuriated me. I walked into my apartment and threw my bag onto the couch. Ugh. I hated that I needed this job. No. I didn’t hate it. It was a good job and Noah was wonderful. I hated that she was right.
I paced my apartment, feeling trapped. I wanted to go outside, but it was starting to snow. I took a deep breath and looked out. The grounds were beautiful here, even with the trees barren and the grass a dark straw color. The backyard was well lit. Every tree, every bush, every statue had lighting of some sort. The pool had ample lighting even though it was covered. Wait. What was Noah doing out by the pool inside the gate? I banged on the window.
“Hey! Noah. Get away from the pool!”
I knew he couldn’t hear me, and by the time I opened the window, the unthinkable happened. One minute he was walking by the pool, and the next, he disappeared. I had looked away for one second while I was unlocking the window. He must’ve fallen in. I sprinted down the stairs and burst through the kitchen door.
“Brook! Brook, call 9-1-1.”
Patrick dropped bags of groceries on the floor and reached for the phone. Brook came running in from the living room.
“What’s happening?”
“Noah fell into the pool!” I ran past her.
“Noah’s up in his room,” she said.
I pushed through the side doors. The far corner of the pool’s cover wasn’t tethered down, leaving a five-foot area of exposed water. I jumped in, fully clothed, and swam under the cover. The lights inside the pool were off, so I had to feel my way around. Even though the pool was heated enough to keep it from freezing when not in use, it was still a shock to my system. But nothing mattered other than finding Noah.
My lungs felt like they were about to explode, but I pushed myself and kept swimming. I heard screaming and felt the water shift. Brook and Patrick were taking the cover off. I came up for a single gulp of air and then swam down to the next corner of the pool. Every part of me told me to go back to the surface. Just when I let out the last bit of air left in my lungs, my fingers brushed against his coat. I grabbed the fabric and hauled him toward the opening that Patrick and Brook had made. When I breached the surface with Noah in my arms, Patrick lifted him out of the water.
“He’s not breathing,” Brook said. She fell to her knees in front of Noah and gently shook his shoulders. “Come on, baby. Breathe. Breathe.”
I climbed out and crawled over to him. “I know CPR. I can help.” Brook didn’t move. I yelled, “Patrick, move her now.” I put my ear against Noah’s mouth and placed my hand on his chest to see if he was breathing. He wasn’t. I tilted his head, lifted his chin, pinched his nose, and blew two breaths inside his mouth. “Come on, Noah. Breathe.”
“Noah, breathe, baby. I need you to breathe.” Brook was leaning over us, crowding me as I repeated the breaths.
I counted to thirty and gave him two more breaths. My arm kept bumping Brook. I looked directly at Patrick. “Patrick, please give me space.”
He nodded and pulled Brook back. She fought him for a bit but took a step back.
I gave Noah two more breaths and listened. Still nothing. I repeated the breaths. Water dribbled out of his mouth, and he started coughing. I rolled him to his side so he wouldn’t choke.
“That’s it, buddy. Cough it up.” I rubbed his back in tiny circles until his coughs turned into cries and he reached for Brook, who had dropped to her knees and was over us again. She scooped him up. I advised her not to because we weren’t sure if he’d hit his head or injured his neck, but he held on to her tightly, so I doubted anything was broken.
“Let’s get him inside,” Patrick said.
Brook carried Noah while Patrick put his arm around me and walked me in. Every muscle and joint hurt. It was hard to catch my breath. I was shaking and weak, but he prevented me from collapsing. Noah was half crying and half trying to talk.
“The cover…were fighting.” His sentences weren’t coherent, but the message was clear.
“It’s okay, baby. Don’t worry about anything. You’re okay. Cassie’s okay,” Brook said.
“You—You need to get him out of his wet clothes,” I stammered.
She stripped Noah down, wrapped him in a warm blanket, and rubbed down his tiny body with her hands. Patrick handed me a blanket. I clutched it but didn’t wrap it around myself. I heard sirens fast approaching, and even though the tense moment was over, it was a welcoming sound.
“He’s still too col
d,” Brook said.
“I can’t get her to put on a blanket either,” Patrick said.
I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering. “I’m too wet.”
“Switch with me, Brook. I can hold him to warm him up, and she needs to take off her wet clothes,” Patrick said.
“Okay.” Brook handed Noah to Patrick, who wrapped Noah in his arms. Brook headed over to me. “Cassie, we need to get you out of these clothes.”
“I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not.” It was ridiculous that I was fighting her, so I nodded. She pulled my sweater over my head and dropped it on the floor. It felt like five pounds left my body, but I was shivering more. Without hesitation, she unbuttoned my shirt and tugged it down my arms. She wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and unfastened my pants. My wet cell phone clanged to the floor, and the screen cracked all over.
“Fuck,” I said.
Brook didn’t correct me or stop to check on it. She untied my shoes and had me kick them off, along with my pants. The blanket she cocooned me in was already warm, and I sighed at its comfort.
The doorbell rang, followed by rapid, loud knocks and the fire department announcing their arrival. Patrick carried a very bundled-up Noah to the front door.
“How’d they get through the gates?” I asked.
“The alarm company allows police and fire up to the house. It’s going to be okay. Here, sit on the couch.” She found another blanket and wrapped my legs in it after peeling off my wool socks.
Patrick returned and handed Noah back to Brook. He was followed by paramedics.
“What happened here?” one of the firefighters asked. His gruff voice boomed through the room, startling Noah, who started crying again.
Patrick spoke up. “Noah fell into the pool, and Cassie went after him. He wasn’t breathing, but she resuscitated him.”
The captain looked at me. “How long was he under?”
“Probably two minutes.” I gave him my background just so he and everyone else could relax a little. I was adult- and child-CPR certified, and had a year of medical school. It was mostly classroom education, but we did a lot of lab work and simulations.
