“Hi,” she said with a smile. “Do you have a paper preference?” Her smile was warm, but her brown eyes looked tired.
Presley held out the box. “It’s for a girl.”
Nodding, she turned in her chair and grabbed a roll of silver paper with pink trees. She held it up for approval, and Presley nodded. “Fill out a tag, and pick a bow,” she said, pointing to a bin of both beside her at the table.
After selecting a pink bow, Presley grabbed a white tag with snowflakes on it and filled out “To Joy, From Presley.”
Minutes later, she was walking back out into the frigid air, her newly wrapped package beneath her arm. Brandon’s gift would be a little harder, but she was hopeful a store with a Christmas section would have what she had in mind.
Another block up on the right, a Christmas outlet store appeared. Surely, they would have something similar to the picture in her head.
The store was large and full of everything Christmas you could wish for. There were trees, ornaments, stockings, lights, hats, and more. Presley found herself wandering up and down the aisles looking at all the intricate ornaments. Christmas had long been her favorite time of year.
Near the end of the third aisle, she saw it. A glass ornament with a boy and girl kissing inside as snow fell on them. It reminded her of their first kiss in Star Lake, and it was perfect. The couple even resembled them a little.
She took the ornament to the counter and repeated the process of paying for it and getting it wrapped. The lady was nice enough to hand her a tote bag to carry both Brandon’s and Joy’s present.
Presley’s stomach rumbled as she hit the sidewalk again, letting her know that too much time had passed, and lunch was now in order.
She stopped at a bistro just down the street from Brandon’s apartment building, and as she ate her turkey and ham on sourdough, she gathered the courage to finish the journey. Her heart told her he would be happy to see her, but her head was insisting she should have responded to his text.
She swallowed the last bite of sandwich down with a helpful swig of iced tea and then gathered her trash and her bag. A few minutes later, she stood in front of Brandon’s apartment building.
A man in a maroon suit, like the one at the hotel she was staying at opened the door for her. The inside was as impressive as the lobby of her hotel, but she had no time to admire the view. Her heart pounded in her chest as she bypassed the front desk and followed the signs to the elevator. She had no idea if she was supposed to check in, but she hoped if she just looked like she belonged that no one would stop her.
As the elevator door opened on his floor, she turned right down the hallway. With each step toward the white door, the pounding in her head grew louder. Sweat broke out on her hands, and a solitary bead rolled down her spine.
Her hand rapped the door three times, and she waited. When it swung open, the bag nearly tumbled from her hand.
“Morgan?” The words came out as a tortured whisper. She couldn’t believe her eyes, and she fought the urge to rub them and hope the nightmare disappeared.
“Why, hello Presley.” Her voice sounded sweet but her blue eyes were cold as ice. A tight t-shirt and pants accentuated her perfect figure, and her dark hair was perfectly curled and lay seductively across her shoulder.
“What are you doing here, Morgan?” The words were a little more forceful this time, but Presley’s entire body was shaking with the strain of not punching Morgan’s perfect nose.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Her voice was smug, and she leaned against the door as if the apartment was hers.
“I’m here to see Brandon and Joy.” Anger boiled up inside Presley, threatening to spill over any moment.
Her eyes widened in false regret. “Oh, now’s not a good time. We are having some family time. You see, now that we’re back in the same city, we’ve decided to reunite our family.”
Her words knocked the air out of Presley, and her hand reached for the wall to steady her weak knees. Why wouldn’t Brandon have told her? Why would he ask her to come? The logical part of her brain insisted that something wasn’t right, but the emotional side saw Morgan in his apartment. Why else would she be here? The need to vomit burned in her throat.
Presley held out the bag, unable to remain in the hallway any longer. “Tell him I said hi then and give him these, will you?”
“Of course.” Her smile was like a predator’s before it devours its prey.
Numb, Presley turned and walked back down the hallway, barely registering the click of the closing door behind her. Her hand pressed the elevator button with no conscious thought, and the walk back to her hotel was a blur.
Why would he be back together with Morgan? Had she meant so little to him? It didn’t matter. She shouldn’t have come, and this must be the sign that she should have stayed back in Star Lake and moved on.
When the door to her hotel room opened, she entered, letting the force of the door close it behind her. She threw herself on the bed. She would need to schedule her return tickets for tomorrow, but first she needed another good cry. She curled into a ball and let the tears flow silently down her cheeks.
Chapter 23
“How was your day, Bug?” Brandon asked Joy after Morgan had gone.
“It was okay.” Her words were nonchalant, but the accompanying shrug told him it wasn’t the best day.
“Did you not like Morgan?”
“She was all right, but not like Presley. She didn’t play with me or talk to me like Presley does.”
With a sigh, Brandon sank down on the couch, which looked much more comfortable than it was, and took Joy in his arms. “I know, honey. I thought Presley would at least come and see us, but I think I messed it up too badly.”
Joy leaned her head against his shoulder. “Me too. I should have told her I wanted her to be my mom.”
Her words pricked like a thorn in Brandon’s heart. If this job is so good, then why are we both so sad?
He put Joy to bed and then returned to the couch where he flicked on the television. He had just gotten comfortable when a knock sounded at the door. Tossing the remote on the couch beside him, he crossed to the door and peeked out the spyhole.
He sighed at the sight of Morgan on the other side. “What can I do for you, Morgan?” he asked as he opened the door.
She smiled and held out a basket full of muffins. “I wanted to say thank you for letting me watch Joy this afternoon. I thought maybe we could talk?” Her attire was more casual today, just an oversized t-shirt over a pair of leggings. Perhaps she had changed, at least a little.
He stepped back and held the door open. Hearing her out wouldn’t hurt anything. Joy was asleep, and it wasn’t like he had anything else to do. She closed the door behind her and followed him to the living room, where he resumed his position on the couch.
Morgan sat at the other end and held the basket out to him. He surveyed the contents and selected a muffin. After peeling back the paper, he took a bite. It was good, but it was not the same as Presley’s homemade muffins, and it just made him miss her more.
“So, I wanted to apologize again for leaving four years ago,” Morgan said as she unwrapped her own muffin. “I was selfish, and I shouldn’t have done that to you or to Joy.” She plucked off a tiny morsel from her muffin and put it in her mouth.
Brandon wanted to tell her ‘no kidding,’ but she did appear to be trying, so he swallowed the spiteful words and tried again. “It was hard, Morgan. Harder than you’ll probably ever know. Joy cried for months after you left, but finally she got over it and seems to have either forgotten or moved on. That’s why I don’t want you saying anything yet. It needs to be done right.”
“Of course, you’re right.” She folded the rest of her muffin back up in the wrapper and set it beside her. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to damage her further. Is there any way I can make it up to her? Or to you?” She shifted closer with those words, and her hand touched his knee.
“Mo
rgan, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” She batted her eyes, as if pretending not to know what he was talking about.
Brandon shot her a pointed stare and then looked down at her hand. “You know what.”
“Don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to see if we could be a family again? I mean, I’ve changed, and you’re successful now.”
Her words struck a chord in him, and he pushed her hand away. “And what if I lose this job? Would you walk out on us again?” The irritation quickly shifted to full-blown anger.
“You wouldn’t.”
“You can’t know that Morgan.” His voice came out as a hiss as he tried to keep the volume down so as not to wake Joy. “You can’t control what might happen, and I can’t take the chance of you deciding our life doesn’t suit yours anymore and leaving again. However, since it is what you seem to do best, I think it’s time you leave now.” He stood and waited for her to follow suit.
Her mouth opened as if she had more to say, though what she could possibly say now was beyond him. With a sigh, she shut her mouth and stood up. “I’m sorry. I’m saying everything wrong, but I’ll keep working Brandon. I want us to be a family again.” She touched his arm again on her way out, and it took all his reserve not to shake it off.
After closing the door behind her, he pulled out his phone and stared at it. He missed Presley more now than ever, and more than just her, he missed being able to tell her whatever was on his mind. Morgan reappearing had affected him, and he wished he could discuss it with Presley. She would know what to do.
Brandon hadn’t ended it well, but Presley had never said he couldn’t call her. His teeth raked across his bottom lip as he entered the bedroom and sat on the big bed. A swipe of the screen showed no new calls or messages, but he desperately missed his friend. He’d forgotten how much until she’d walked back into his life.
Swallowing his pride, he dialed the number, hoping she would pick up. It was not to be. His heart dropped as her voice mail kicked on. Do I leave a message? I can’t say anything about Morgan on a message, but maybe she’ll call me back. “Hey, Presley, it’s me, Brandon. I left you a text, but never heard back from you. We miss you. Joy and me. We’d love to see you if you get a chance. Okay, well you know where we are.”
He punched the end call button feeling like an idiot and wishing there was a way to delete the idiotic message, but he knew it had already gone through the airwaves.
The next morning, the nanny search began. Stewart had given him until the day after Christmas to get one hired, and then he had to return to work. Leaving Joy with anyone made him uneasy. It had taken him ages to find Amber, and he couldn’t imagine how long it would take here in New York where people were much more uptight and hard to read.
The first knock came at eight am. A nice-looking woman in a tie-dyed shirt stood on the other side. “I’m Amelia, and I’m totally stoked to meet you.”
As she stuck out her hand, the smell of weed carried over. No way was he leaving his daughter with someone who showed up stoned to an interview.
“Sorry, we’re no longer looking.” He shut the door before she had a chance to respond and shook his head. Marijuana wasn’t even legal in New York, but ever since Washington and Colorado had made it legal, people had been bolder everywhere.
“You didn’t like that one?” Joy asked, looking up from her cereal.
“Not even a little.” He ruffled her hair and grabbed his coffee mug for a quick sip before the next knock.
This time the woman was severe looking with her hair pulled back in a tight bun and angry lines filling her face.
“I don’t do laundry or cook or change diapers,” she said as she shoved her resume at him.
“Good thing Joy is five then.” She didn’t catch the humor or else she simply ignored it as her eyes focused on Joy over his shoulder. The disapproving stare she gave his daughter was enough to end the interview. “We’ll be in touch.”
“What was wrong with that one?” Joy had finished her cereal and was washing her bowl in the sink. Brandon was taken aback by how grown up she seemed sometimes.
“I didn’t like the look she gave you, like she wanted to change you. You are perfect just the way you are.”
She rolled her eyes. “Da-ad.” The word was drawn out to two syllables the way she said it.
“I’m sorry. I’m going to be picky because you are the most important thing to me.”
“That’s not true.” Her words surprised him. “If I was, we would have stayed in Star Lake with Presley.”
“Joy – ” He was interrupted by another knock at the door. Sighing, he held up a finger to tell her the discussion was not done and crossed to the front door. A blond woman with the surprised expression of too many Botox injections stood on the other side, dressed impeccably in some ridiculous designer jumpsuit.
“Hi, I’m Alex. I’m here about the nanny job.” She extended a slender hand with a French manicure.
She was too perfect for his choice, but he had yet to interview anyone. He might as well give her a whirl. “Brandon.” He shook her hand and nearly laughed when she grimaced at his grip. “Come in.” Holding the door open, he stepped back.
Her kitten heels clicked on the floor as she entered the apartment. Her eyes scanned the room appreciatively. “Nice place.”
“It’s only on loan for a few weeks until our stuff arrives and we get settled.”
“I see, and where will you be locating to?” Her voice held just the smallest hint of disgust that this wasn’t their permanent home.
“I’m not sure. I guess I should start looking.”
Her slender eyebrow shot up her forehead. “If you want a good place, you should.”
Brandon didn’t like the way she appeared to judge him, but after glancing at her resume, she seemed solid. The Botox made her look younger than her experience showed, but she had evidently nannied for some high-profile people in the city, at least if her resume was truthful.
“Right, well why don’t you tell me what a day would look like in your book?”
She folded her hands together. “I believe in schedules, so your child would eat breakfast at eight am. Then we would spend an hour reading or doing school work. I believe exercise is important, so we would walk to the nearest park for an hour. Lunch would be after that, and then the child could nap. If you allow television, they would get an hour after lunch. Then there is free play time and crafts.”
Brandon’s mind was dizzy trying to keep up with her schedule, but there could be worse things.
“My resume has references you can call. I’m very dedicated.”
“Why did you leave your last job?” Everything on paper seemed right, but if she were so perfect, why was she free?
“My last family just moved. As you can see, I was with them for three years.” She pointed to the bottom of the resume, the last job entry.
“Well, Alex, everything looks good. I’d like to contact your references, and of course, I’m sure there will still be more interviews today. Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Of course. I’ll be at my mother’s house in Brooklyn for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but I’m not leaving until late on the twenty-third.”
The twenty-third? Was it that close to Christmas already? He hadn’t decorated the apartment at all for Christmas. He shook hands with Alex and walked her to the door, making an impromptu decision that she would do. He wanted to take Joy out to get a tree and some decorations. There was no way he would let her first Christmas in New York be un-Christmassy.
When the door closed behind Alex, he dialed the agency he had called for nannies and asked them not to send any more prospects out. “Joy, bundle up. We’re going to get a tree.”
Joy looked up from the dolls she had been playing with on the living room floor. “We’re getting a tree?”
“Yes, hopefully we can find a lot that still has one. Hurry up.”
“A lot? You mean we can’t cut one down like we did at
Nana’s.” Her face scrunched in confusion.
“Sorry, bug, there are no forests around here, but we’ll find a good one at a lot.”
She looked unsure but hurried to her room to get her coat and hat. Brandon grabbed his off the rack, and by the time he had it on, she had returned. He grabbed her hand and locked the door behind them.
“Well, hello there.”
Brandon froze at the sound of Morgan’s voice. He had been hoping not to run into her. He was still frustrated by her insinuation the previous night, and he didn’t want Joy finding out who she was yet. He also still wasn’t certain she wasn’t trying to take Joy away.
“Hi, Morgan.” He kept his eyes on the floor in hopes she would get the hint, but she didn’t. As she sidled up to him at the elevator, he could smell her perfume. Something strong and heavy. His eyes flicked her direction long enough to take in her tight shirt with a low cowl neck and her skin tight white pants.
She was still beautiful, but it no longer affected him. She seemed too done up, and he missed Presley’s easy going way. She could be ready in ten minutes for whatever they wanted to do, and she would never be caught dead in skin tight white pants.
“Where are you guys headed?” She took another step closer, so that her arm was touching his.
“We’re going to get a tree,” Joy piped up. Brandon stifled a sigh. He had been hoping she would keep that information to herself.
The elevator dinged, and they stepped inside. Brandon punched the button for the lobby, hoping Morgan was getting off elsewhere.
“What a coincidence,” Morgan said, “I was just going out to find a tree too. I know of a wonderful lot. They have the best trees. Maybe we can go together.” Her hand found Brandon’s arm, and she batted her eyes at him.
He didn’t want to say yes, but it would be incredibly rude to say no now, and he had no idea where to go. “Sure, Morgan, that sounds nice.”
When Love Returns Page 14
