Candy Crush

by Tami Lund

  Emmett grinned at her. “You can just call me Emmett. I’m not quite ready to be an uncle yet.” He threw a pointed look at Brandon. Brandon simply raised one eyebrow.

  Rosalie rounded on Emmett. “You’re Gabriella’s brother? How very nice to meet you. I’m Rosalie Sarantos, Brandon’s mother. We’re having the family over for dinner on Saturday, so of course you’ll come?” She worded it as a statement and phrased it as a question. Gabriella had the distinct impression Emmett would not be allowed to say no.

  Emmett grinned. “Will Laney be there?”

  Rosalie looked confused. “Of course.”

  “Then I’ll be there.” He winked and Laney dissolved into giggles again.

  Rosalie turned to Brandon. “Can you take her for a couple hours?”

  Brandon furrowed his brow. “I was planning to go to the gym after work.”

  Emmett jumped into the conversation. “I could really use a work out. Any chance you can take guests?”

  Brandon shrugged. “Sure.”

  “What about Laney?” Rosalie asked.

  “I can take her,” Gabriella heard herself offer.

  “Yeah,” Laney chimed in.

  “You’re a lifesaver, Gabriella. I appreciate it. I should be back in no more than two hours.” She hugged Laney, told her to be good and rushed out the door.

  Gabriella glanced at Brandon. “Does she always pawn Laney off onto you?”

  He shrugged again. “Not always. Anthony and Nicole usually have their hands full with either work or Anthony Junior, and Patrick’s not exactly Mr. Maternal. Plus, Stephanie’s always around, and Laney doesn’t like her much. But I have a bunch of aunts and uncles and cousins who are always willing to take her too.” He frowned, as if it just occurred to him that his mother might be taking advantage of him.

  Gabriella suspected Rosalie’s intentions had more to do with her relationship with Brandon than his availability to babysit at the drop of a hat.

  “What about her parents?” Emmett interrupted.

  “I don’t have a dad,” Laney supplied. Brandon grimaced.

  “She’s my sister’s kid. A screw up right out of high school. The father’s not in the picture. My sister’s away at college, working on getting her life back on track. She comes home on the weekends.”

  Emmett nodded his understanding. “Well, kiddo, why don’t we go back to your Uncle Brandon’s house so I can get my workout clothes? Then we’ll come back and you can hang out with Auntie Gabby while we go to the gym.”

  “Cool. Will Butter be there?”

  “You know Butter, do you? Do you know how she got that name?” He held the door open, explaining the story to Laney as she preceded him outside. Brandon watched them walk down the street, hand in hand.

  “Should I be worried about her?” he asked Gabriella.

  “Not in the least. He’s great with kids. My cousins’ kids all love him.”

  “How come he gets to call you Gabby?”

  Gabriella laughed. “Because he’s my brother and I can’t keep him from calling me Gabby. With you, I just threaten to withhold sex.”

  “Fair enough. Gabriella.” He grinned.

  ***

  While they were at the gym, Brandon and Emmett engaged in an unspoken competition. They pushed each other to lift heavier and heavier weights. They raced around the indoor running track. They sat side by side on various pieces of equipment, piling on the weights in an effort to impress the other guy. They were getting ready to walk into a racquetball court when a woman walked by, distracting Brandon.

  She had long chestnut colored hair with liberal blond highlights. It was pulled back into a ponytail that sat high on her head and swayed side to side as she walked. Her eyes were Caribbean blue and she was five foot ten, with about five feet of leg. She wore a sports bra and a pair of spandex pants that came to mid-calf, and there wasn’t an ounce of fat anywhere on her body. Brandon stopped short as she walked by and Emmett smacked him in the head with his racquetball racket.

  “What about my sister?” Emmett demanded.

  Brandon waved him off. “I know her,” he said distractedly.

  He turned and walked the other way. He called out, “Natalie,” and the girl turned around and gave him a puzzled smile. It took a moment and then her smile grew until it was ear to ear.

  “Brandon Sarantos? How are you?” She gave him a warm hug.

  “I’m great. What are you doing back in town? I thought you moved to California or something?”

  “I did. I was an aerobics instructor. My grandpa passed away a few months ago and left me a little money. I decided to invest it in a gym franchise. I’m now part owner of this place.” She waved her arm to indicate the gym in which they stood.

  “Wow, that’s great.” He glanced at her left hand and didn’t see a ring. “Have you talked to Patrick yet?”

  A fleeting, sad look passed across her face. “No. I’ve only been back for a couple of weeks. I’m staying with my parents, looking to buy a house. I’ve been so busy getting myself familiar with this place and looking for a place to live, I haven’t even been to the Pizza Parlor yet. I hear he’s dating someone pretty seriously.”

  “My mother hates her.”

  That brought a smile to Natalie’s lips. “Your mother always was opinionated about who you guys dated.”

  “She loved you. In fact, she mentioned you just the other day.”

  Natalie’s smile held a tinge of sadness. “Please give your mother my best. And if Patrick asks… Let him know I’m back in town, okay?”

  “You look great, Natalie.”

  “Thanks, Brandon. You do too. See you around.” She turned and continued down the hall.

  “Who was that?” Emmett asked from behind him.

  Brandon had a thoughtful look on his face. “The love of my brother’s life.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It was a crisp, sunny Friday morning. The alarm clock beeped and Brandon reached over and slapped a hand on the snooze button, then curled himself into Gabriella’s warmth. She didn’t stir until the alarm went off the second time, and then she dragged herself out of bed and padded down the hall to the shower. Brandon said, “I’ll get coffee and meet you in there.”

  He climbed out of bed and padded down to the kitchen. By the time they emerged from the shower, they both looked like well-satisfied prunes and they were running late for work.

  Again.

  Emmett showed up at the office around noon and wanted to know the plan for that evening. “We’ll go home, put on warmer clothes and then meet at the Pizza Parlor for a couple of beers before heading to the game.”

  “Got it,” Emmett said, and then he left.

  He was at the house waiting when Gabriella and Brandon arrived after work. He wore jeans, a white t-shirt and a red and white plaid flannel shirt.

  “Ready when you are,” Emmett commented as he walked into the living room and made himself at home.

  Brandon snagged a beer from the refrigerator and followed Gabriella upstairs to change clothes. He quickly striped Gabriella of her work clothes and then tumbled onto the bed, taking her with him.

  “Is this all you think about?” Gabriella asked as his hands skimmed her behind and his lips tickled her throat.

  “Well, when you aren’t standing nearly naked in front of me, I can usually focus on other things. But it’s always there, in the back of my mind.” He licked her earlobe. “It’s your fault. If you weren’t so damn irresistible, I wouldn’t have this problem.”

  Gabriella savored the sensations for a few more moments and then she pushed him away and climbed off the bed to get dressed.

  When they walked into the Pizza Parlor twenty minutes later, Gabriella decided that every Sarantos in town must be in attendance. The place was packed, and most patrons had those telltale blue eyes, the dark hair and olive complexion. She felt like she was at a Sarantos family reunion.

  “It’s kind of understood that this is a Sarantos tailgate pa
rty on football Fridays,” Brandon whispered in her ear.

  Nicole materialized in front of them. She gave Gabriella and Brandon hugs. “Hi guys,” she said with a perky smile. Her eyes were over-bright and Gabriella suspected she’d already had several drinks.

  “Hi Nicole,” Gabriella answered. “Where’s Anthony Junior?”

  “He’s with my mom. Lucky for me, she’s one of the five people in this town who doesn’t care about going to the football games.” Her eyes focused on Emmett. “Oh, is this the brother I’ve been hearing about all over town? The rumors don’t lie.”

  She gave him a head to toe admiring look. Emmett cocked an eyebrow at Gabriella.

  “Small town,” Gabriella explained. “They’re probably taking bets on who you’ll go out with first.”

  Emmett chuckled. Anthony appeared at Nicole’s side and slung his arm around her shoulder. “It won’t be with my wife,” he said with just the tiniest bit of menace in his voice.

  Nicole slipped an arm around his waist and whispered something in his ear that caused him to grin like the cat that had plans to catch the mouse… later.

  “Hey, Nicole, guess who I ran into yesterday?” Brandon asked, pulling her attention away from flirting with her husband.

  “Who?”

  “Natalie.”

  “Natalie Reager?”

  Brandon nodded.

  “Really? She’s in town visiting?”

  “Moved back,” he amended. “She’s part owner of the gym now.”

  “Really?” Nicole’s eyes shifted to the side, to where Patrick was sitting in a booth, with Stephanie cooing in his ear.

  Knowing she and Natalie had once been quite close, Brandon suggested, “You should call her, see if she’s coming to the game tonight.”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” Nicole said, as she pulled her phone out of her purse and headed outside where it wasn’t quite so loud.

  Brandon grabbed Gabriella’s hand and pulled her through the crowd towards the bar, while Emmett trailed along behind. When they reached the bar, Brandon ordered two beers and a glass of wine. “What was that about?” Gabriella asked him.

  “Nicole and Natalie used to be pretty tight. Natalie is Patrick’s long-lost soul mate.”

  Gabriella glanced at Patrick. He looked bored, while Stephanie appeared to be trying her damndest to flirt with him. “Are you sure you want to get involved?” she asked worriedly.

  “I’m not getting involved. I’m just making sure Patrick knows Natalie is in town. It’s his choice what he does with that information.”

  Emmett stood with his back to the bar and surveyed the crowd. “You’ll have to tell me who’s single and who’s not, so I don’t inadvertently piss someone off,” he said to Brandon.

  Brandon handed him a beer and turned to stand next to him. He pulled Gabriella in front of him and wrapped one arm around her waist. Laney appeared in front of them. “Hey Laney,” Emmett said. “How’s it going?”

  “Good,” she responded as she hugged his legs. Emmett chuckled. Laney turned and hugged Gabriella and then Brandon in turn. “Hi Auntie Gabby and Uncle Brandon.”

  “Auntie Gabby?” Brandon asked, cocking an eyebrow at Gabriella. She shrugged.

  “Blame my brother.”

  “You’re probably stuck with it now.”

  Courtney showed up at their elbow. “Hey Court,” Brandon said, turning to give her a one-armed hug.

  “Hey Brandon, Gabriella. Laney, come on, you need to sit down and eat something.”

  Laney leaned against Emmett’s legs, in a near-perfect imitation of Gabriella and Brandon. Courtney glanced up at Emmett and said, “I’m sorry. She doesn’t usually take to strangers like this. Come on, Laney.” Laney reluctantly waved at Emmett and grabbed her mother’s hand. They disappeared into the crowd.

  “Oh shit,” Brandon muttered. Gabriella glanced up to see why he was cursing and caught sight of her brother, who was slack-jawed and staring at Courtney’s retreating back.

  “Oh my,” Gabriella said, and then she smiled.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Brandon muttered to Emmett.

  Emmett snapped out of his daze and looked at Brandon. “Is that your sister?”

  “Yes. Leave her alone.”

  “Not on your life.” He pushed away from the bar and followed Courtney.

  Brandon started to follow. Gabriella snagged his arm and gave it a squeeze. “Leave him be. He won’t hurt her.”

  Brandon scowled at her. “Right. My sister generally makes really stupid decisions when it comes to men. And even if your brother is a nice guy, he lives in New Orleans. Not to mention the fact that Courtney is still in school. This is a bad idea.”

  He tugged his arm out of her grip and pushed through the crowd toward the booth where Courtney, Laney and Emmett were sitting. His father stepped in front of him just before he reached the booth, and started talking business. Brandon listened with only half an ear. The other half was listening to Emmett and Courtney’s conversation.

  “Just eat, Laney,” Courtney said impatiently. “We have to leave for the game in half an hour. If you don’t eat, you’ll be whinny and we’ll have to leave the game early.”

  “You keep her at the game until it ends?” Emmett asked.

  Courtney barely glanced at him. “Yes.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Three.”

  “Three? Isn’t that kind of late? Shouldn’t she be in bed at eight or something?”

  “What are you, the kid police? She’s been going to the games since the season started and she hasn’t turned into a pumpkin yet.”

  “I bet she’s pretty crabby on Saturdays, though.”

  Courtney didn’t answer, but she did glare at him. Emmett turned his attention to Laney. “You know what they make that pasta out of, right?”

  “What?” Laney asked, peering at the pasta on her plate.

  “Sugar. Spice. All things nice. Just like little girls.”

  “Really?” she said skeptically. She pushed at the pasta with her fork.

  “Try it and you tell me.”

  Laney took a bite, and then another. “It’s good!” she declared. She began eating with gusto. Courtney stared at him in disbelief.

  “She’s my kid,” she snarled. “Leave the child rearing to me.”

  “It takes a village, Courtney. You’ve obviously got the concept down, since you leave her with your parents all week while you’re at school.”

  Courtney looked as if steam would start erupting from her ears at any moment. Maybe Brandon had nothing to worry about after all.

  “How do you know that?” she wanted to know.

  “I’m staying with your brother, Brandon, right now. I actually helped babysit her just yesterday.”

  Courtney looked as if she wanted to get up and leave, but Laney was shoveling food into her mouth, and she always struggled with trying to get the child to eat. She fumed and glared at Emmett instead.

  “You’ve decided you instantly don’t like me because your daughter has taken a liking to me? That’s a little weird.”

  “And you’ve decided you like me because you like my daughter? That’s a little weird too.”

  Emmett’s eyes danced with amusement. He leaned across the table and Courtney automatically mimicked his action. “My attraction for you has nothing at all to do with Laney,” he murmured as he let his eyes caress her, almost as if he were doing it with his hands.

  Courtney blinked and abruptly leaned back in her seat. Before Brandon could excuse himself from the conversation with his father, Laney declared, “I’m done.”

  Brandon, Courtney and Emmett all looked at her plate. Sure enough, it was empty.

  Courtney hastily stood up. “Okay, let’s go, Laney.” Before Emmett could stand up, she snagged Laney’s hand and disappeared into the crowd. Brandon slid into the seat she vacated.

  “My advice is to give up,” he said conversationally.

  “Why?” Emmett as
ked as his eyes scanned the room.

  “She’s always had bad luck with guys. She has a bad habit of being attracted to older men who are no good for her. About the only thing she does right is she keeps Laney and her fucked-up love life separate.”

  “So she’s pissed off that I already know Laney. And Laney likes me.”

  Brandon shrugged. “Probably. Plus, last we talked about it, she was dating some loser up at school. We haven’t met him yet, which is a good sign.”

  “She’s pretty hot.”

  Brandon bristled.

  “You’re sleeping with my sister, remember? Don’t be a hypocrite.”

  Brandon chugged his beer. A woman appeared in front of their booth and slid a fresh beer in front of him. He looked up and started to say thanks, but the words didn’t make it out of his mouth. Instead, he stared, slack-jawed, at the woman standing in front of him.

  “Chareese?” he said in disbelief.

  “In the flesh,” she purred with a sexy smile. Chareese had a thick main of red hair that draped in loose curls halfway down her back. She had almond-shaped green eyes and an hourglass figure to rival Marilyn Monroe. She was closer to six foot than five and she wore a tight black sweater, tight black leather mini-skirt and black leather boots that didn’t stop until just above her knees. The sweater had a v-neck and her cleavage all but spilled out of it. She leaned closer so he could have a better look. “It’s been a while, Brandon.”

  He nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. “What are you doing in town, Chareese?”

  She smiled her cat got the cream smile. “Just passing through. Thought I’d catch the game, say hello to my grandparents. Hoping I can find a good time while I’m here.” Her smile widened and was full of promise. Brandon shifted uncomfortably. She started to slide into the booth next to him, her cleavage leading the way.

  “Here comes Gabby,” Emmett said under his breath, and Brandon jumped as if he’d been shocked. Chareese stood up straighter and he pushed past her.

  “Excuse me, Chareese,” he said, and he leapt up to intercept Gabriella. Chareese cocked an eyebrow at Emmett and he waved to indicate she could sit down across from him.