Starting Over (Treading Water Trilogy)

by Force, Marie

  “Amanda, take Mike up to the playroom and introduce her to the kids, okay?” Erin said.

  “K,” Amanda said, and the two girls scampered off.

  “What a beautiful child,” Erin said as she led her brother into the kitchen.

  “Isn’t she?”

  “I can’t believe you—making friends with a five-year-old.”

  “It’s the new me.”

  “I like it.”

  “So do I.”

  She poured them each a cup of coffee, and they sat at the big kitchen table. The house was filled with the clutter created by five young children, but Erin managed to make it appear somewhat organized.

  “So how are you, Brand, really?”

  “I’m doing okay. At least I think I am. Seventy days of sobriety today.”

  “That’s a great accomplishment. Congratulations. Do you still, you know—”

  “Have the urge to drink?”

  She nodded.

  “Every day. But so far I seem to have a stronger desire to not go back to the way I was living before.”

  “You look wonderful. You’re all trimmed down.”

  “I run every day. Plus the manual labor Da’s got me doing at the apartments helps, too.”

  “Do you hate having to work over there?”

  “Not as much as I thought I would.”

  Erin’s eyes suddenly flooded with tears.

  “What’s with the waterworks?” he asked, perplexed.

  “I’m sorry.” She brushed at a tear. “I’m just so glad to have you back. I missed you so much.”

  He reached out to hug her. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

  “I’d never give up on you.”

  “Have you heard about what happened in Vermont?”

  Her eyes lit up with mirth as she sipped from her mug. “What do you think?”

  “That you knew about it five minutes after Mum did.”

  “More like three minutes,” Erin confessed with a smile. “It took a lot of courage for you to tell Aidan the truth. I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for you.”

  “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “You must’ve felt so much better once it was off your chest.”

  “I did, but I felt bad because the timing stunk for him. He had just broken up with Clare.”

  “I talked to him last night. He seems to be doing better. He’s working a lot, and he finished the job he was doing on Clare’s brother’s house in Stowe.”

  “I wish they could work things out. Everyone thought she was so good for him.”

  “She was. Mum really liked her.”

  He laughed. “And we all know that’s half the battle.”

  Erin snorted in agreement. “No shit.”

  “Were you shocked by it? The thing about Sarah?”

  “Yeah, but it sure did explain why you seemed so mad at the world for all those years.”

  “I can see now that I wasted a lot of time being mad at the world—and at Aidan. I wasn’t fair to him.”

  “I’m proud of you, Brand. You’re really getting your life together, and I know it can’t be easy for you.”

  “Thanks. Having all you guys in my corner certainly helps.” When they heard the kids go running through the second floor, Brandon glanced up. “Do I need to check on her?”

  “Nah, she’s fine,” Erin said, amused by his nervousness.

  “I’m new at this. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”

  “You really care about her, don’t you?”

  “I do. She’s managed to worm her way under my skin. Thanks for letting me bring her over to play with the kids. She’s pretty lonely at the apartments.”

  “Bring her over any time. It’s amazing how one extra kid can entertain my five for a whole afternoon. In fact, Valerie brought her daughter over to play last week.”

  “I didn’t know you still kept in touch with her.”

  “I see her all the time.”

  “How is she?”

  “She seems happy. Content with her life. Her daughter Chelsea is adorable.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad to hear that. I’d like to see her—to apologize for the way I treated her if nothing else.”

  “That might not be a good idea. It took her a long time to get over you, and she’s really got her life together now.”

  “I’d never do anything to mess with that, but… Would you ask her? I need five minutes, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  Erin nodded. “Sure. I’ll ask, but don’t be hurt if she says no.”

  “I’d totally understand. She certainly doesn’t owe me anything.”

  A wail from upstairs had Brandon shooting out of his chair and flying up the stairs. He found Mike in a ball on the playroom floor holding her head and crying her eyes out. His nephew Josh was in the same condition. Erin scooped up Josh while Brandon went to Mike. The other children looked on with big eyes.

  “What happened, baby?” Brandon smoothed Mike’s hair back to find a red lump on her forehead. He’d never seen her cry before, and her tears unnerved him.

  “Josh and I bumped heads,” she said between sobs. “It was an accident.” She slurred the word so it came out like ass-ident.

  “Let’s go downstairs and get some ice on those bumps.” Erin handled the situation with the calm of someone who’d cared for many a boo-boo.

  Brandon, on the other hand, was certain he was having a heart attack as he carried Mike downstairs. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, and his shirt was damp from her tears. He kept her on his lap while he held an ice pack on her bump. Eventually, her sobs became more like hiccups, but still he held her close to him.

  “I think I’m okay now,” she said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Do you want to go home?”

  “No! We were having fun ’til we bumped heads.”

  “Sorry, Uncle Brandon,” Josh mumbled with a wary glance at Brandon as he got down from his mother’s lap.

  “It’s okay, buddy.” Brandon reached out to ruffle his nephew’s blond hair. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

  “Come on, Mike.” Josh sprinted for the stairs as if nothing had happened. “I want to show you my remote control truck.”

  Mike was right behind him.

  When they were gone, Erin turned to her brother. “It’s okay, Brand,” she said, laughing at him. “You can breathe now. She’s fine.”

  “Jesus,” he said, still trying to recover. “That scared the crap out of me.”

  “You’ve got it bad, man.” Erin shook her head with delight. “What’s her mother like?”

  “Picture Mike, only twenty-five years older.”

  “Wow.”

  “You said it.”

  “So you’ve got it bad for both of them, huh?”

  “It’s starting to seem that way.”

  “Is that a good idea so soon after rehab?”

  “Probably not, but what am I supposed to do? She’s the greatest kid, and they’re here all alone. No family nearby.”

  “Why don’t you bring them to Easter?”

  “I don’t know. The O’Malleys might be too overwhelming for Daphne. She’s kind of a loner.”

  “We’d behave. Ask her.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 18, Day 70

  “Did you have fun?” Brandon asked when Mike’s uncharacteristic quiet started to get to him on the way home.

  “Oh yeah, a lot of fun.”

  “Then why so quiet?”

  “I was just thinking that they’re so lucky to always have someone to play with.”

  “That’s true, but from what I hear, they always have someone to fight with, too.”

  “Why aren’t you close to them?” She looked over at him. “The kids, I mean.”

  Once again she floored him. “I, uh, well… That’s kind of a long story, but I’m working on it. Maybe you can help me wit
h that.”

  “Sure. I’ll think about it.”

  He laughed at her serious tone. “Thanks.”

  They arrived at the apartment building, and after Brandon returned Mike’s booster seat to Daphne’s car, he followed her upstairs.

  “Mom!” she yelled, bursting through the door. “I’m home!”

  “Hi, Pooh.”

  Brandon caught the flash of relief that crossed Daphne’s face when they walked in.

  “Hey, what happened to your head?” Daphne asked her daughter.

  Brandon winced. He should’ve known she’d zero right in on the bump.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. Josh and I bumped heads when we were reaching for the same toy.”

  Daphne kissed the bump. “Did you have fun?”

  “It was awesome! They have the coolest house. It looks just like Cinderella’s castle.”

  Daphne smiled. “I’m glad you had a good time. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

  “Okay,” Mike said, but she rushed over to hug Brandon first. “Thanks for taking me.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “Did she cry?” Daphne asked after Mike left the room.

  “Like crazy.”

  “Freaked you out, did it?”

  “Just a bit.”

  Daphne laughed. “Kids are made of super elastic bubble plastic. Didn’t you know that?”

  “Hell, no,” he said with a scowl, playing along with her. “You could’ve told me that before.”

  “It’s more fun to imagine you all frazzled.”

  He smiled, enjoying a rare glimpse at her playful side. “I’m glad I’m available to entertain you.”

  Her expression turned serious, and she studied him for a long moment.

  Squirming under her scrutiny, he said, “What?”

  “You’re very…” She looked away, embarrassed.

  He closed the distance between them. “I’m very what?”

  She turned her gaze up to meet his. “Handsome,” she whispered.

  He seized the moment with a kiss that turned hot so fast, it left him light-headed.

  “Don’t,” she said a minute later when she pulled back from him. “Mike…”

  “What time does she go to bed?”

  “She’s asleep by nine thirty.”

  “I’ll be back.” He waited for her to object, but she didn’t.

  Brandon forced himself to wait until nine forty-five. He’d gotten in a few hours of work in Mrs. Oczkowski’s apartment, eaten a sandwich for dinner, and at nine o’clock, he took a shower and shaved. He would’ve loved a drink to take the edge off his nerves. Instead, he flipped on an early season Red Sox game and sat down to wait.

  His heart was in his throat by the time he walked upstairs and knocked softly. He wondered if she would let him kiss her again, or if the distrust and suspicion that seemed to be so much a part of who she was would’ve returned in the hours they’d spent apart.

  She opened the door, wearing a pale blue tank top and the drool-inducing black yoga pants.

  Their eyes met in the instant before they both took a step forward.

  Brandon lifted her to him, and their lips met with frantic urgency. He kicked the door shut behind him and carried her to the sofa where they landed without breaking the kiss. When he felt her fingers weave into his hair to tug him closer, it was all he could do not to groan out loud. So this was what he’d been missing during all the years he spent pining for a woman he couldn’t have, not to mention the years he spent with a woman he didn’t want—not like this anyway.

  He slid his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast.

  She gasped and arched into him. “Brandon,” she whispered against his ear.

  He ran his thumb over her nipple, and it hardened instantly.

  She whimpered and pulled him close enough to kiss again.

  This time, though, he went easy, running his tongue over her lip with a slow patience that made her moan. He gave her ear the same attention as he tried to catch his breath from that first, explosive burst of passion. If he didn’t slow things down, this was going to get out of hand. Fast.

  She wasn’t cooperating with the slow-it-down plan, however. Her hands were all over him. He shivered when she dragged her fingernail along his spine and then pushed a hand into the back of his jeans.

  “Brandon, take me to bed,” she whispered.

  He was thinking of his recovery and all the warnings about too much too soon when he said, “I can’t.”

  She moved her hand around to the front of his jeans and pushed it against his rigid length. “It seems to me like you can.”

  Reaching down to stop her while he still could, he withdrew her hand, brought it up to his mouth, and left a lingering kiss on her palm. “I’m not looking for a one-time thing.”

  “I might be up for twice.”

  He laughed. “You’re not taking me seriously.”

  “I haven’t had sex in five years. Believe me, I’m taking you very seriously.”

  “Five years?”

  She rolled his earlobe between her teeth. “Five years, Brandon,” she whispered.

  “You’re officially killing me. I’m trying to be a good guy here.”

  “You are a good guy. That’s why I want you in my bed.” She kissed him again and pulled out all the stops to entice him.

  Telling himself he was an idiot to resist her, he was on the verge of giving in when Mike called for her mother. He lifted his arm to free Daphne to go to her.

  Brandon sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and tried to catch his breath. He’d never been more turned on in his life.

  Daphne came back a few minutes later. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen from kissing him. “She knows you’re here. Do you mind going in to see her?”

  “Of course not.” Brandon got up to follow her down the hallway. A nightlight on Mike’s bedside table cast a faint glow upon the room. As he sat on the bed, he was touched to see Brandon the Bear tucked in next to her. “Hey, what’re you doing awake?”

  Daphne sat on the other side.

  “I had a bad dream,” Mike said, her lip quivering.

  “Want to tell me about it?” Brandon asked.

  She shook her head. “Will you stay here with me until I fall asleep?”

  Brandon looked over at Daphne.

  She nodded.

  “Sure.” Brandon stretched out next to Mike while Daphne did the same on her side of the bed.

  Mike sighed and closed her eyes. “Thanks.”

  Brandon kissed her cheek.

  Daphne put her arm around Mike and reached for Brandon’s hand.

  As Daphne’s fingers linked with his, he was filled with contentment. He drifted off to sleep next to them, saying a silent prayer of thanks to whatever higher power had brought them into his life.

  Chapter 19, Day 71

  The Mickey Mouse clock on the bedside table told Brandon it was just after four. Mike was using him as a pillow. Daphne had her arm around both of them, and a leg tossed over him. Brandon lay perfectly still to listen to the soft cadence of their breathing. The nightlight allowed him to watch them sleep, and the intimacy of it was almost spiritual.

  When he realized he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, he moved slowly to extricate himself. He eased Mike’s head back onto her pillow, brushed her hair off her face, and left a light kiss on her forehead.

  When he sat up, Daphne’s eyes opened.

  “Did you sleep at all?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, but I’m awake, so I’m going to go.” He leaned over to kiss her.

  “Thanks for this,” she said with a glance at Mike.

  How could he tell her that nothing had ever given him more pleasure than sleeping with the two of them snuggled around him? “Sure. I’ll see you later?”

  She nodded but couldn’t seem to look away from him.