by Audra Cole
Brandon reaches over and squeezes my hand, as if sensing my unease, or perhaps feeling some of his own. I glance over at him with a small, nervous smile. We look at each other for a long moment, not saying anything.
“It’s going to be okay,” he reassures me, concern etched in the lines between his eyebrows.
I must look like I’m being dragged before the firing squad.
I nod and he gives me a quick kiss before getting out of the car and coming around to open my door. He takes me by the hand and we walk up the driveway together.
We hardly set one foot on the porch before the front door swings open and his mom, Sandy, steps out. “Charity!” She wraps me in a warm embrace. She feels small in my arms and I can tell she has lost quite a bit of weight since the last time I saw her. I figure it’s from the cancer, the mastectomy operation, or the medication she is taking. “I am so happy you’re here,” she says quietly into my ear.
“I’m happy to be here.” I can see tears in her eyes, and I feel myself start to tear up too. I quickly blink them away and silently lecture myself for not thinking to use waterproof mascara for tonight.
She pats my arm and gives me one last look before she turns to Brandon and reaches up to hug him. I watch his face as he holds her for a moment—as if she’s made of glass. And although he is smiling, I can see the emotion in his eyes. He’s more worried about her than he’s letting on. I can tell that watching her fight off the cancer and push through her recovery has taken an emotional toll on him.
Sandy ushers us into the house, and as I stand in the living room, more memories flash through my mind. I soak it all in for a few moments and remind myself to breathe.
“Where’s Dad?” Brandon asks as we follow Sandy through the living room and into the kitchen. She has a few pots on the stove and starts to check something in the oven.
“Oh, he ran to the store for some milk. I thought I had put it on the list when he went the other day, but I guess I forgot,” she says. “Can’t seem to remember the littlest things these days.”
“You’ve had a lot to deal with, Mom. Give yourself a break,” Brandon says.
She nods. “I suppose. Anyways, I made my famous chocolate cake for dessert, so milk is not optional! Charity, you remember that one, don’t you?”
I smile. “How could I forget? It’s my favorite!”
It’s the cake she makes for all special occasions: birthdays, graduation parties, and their family reunion every year. It truly is delicious. I hold that cake solely responsible for many of my ‘diet officially starts tomorrow’ moments over the years.
“I know. I made it especially for you.” She smiles at me.
“Thank you. That’s very sweet.” I return her warm smile. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh no, sweetie, I have everything under control.” She waves me off and busies herself at the stove. “I’m feeling pretty good today.”
Brandon comes over, wraps an arm around my waist, and presses a kiss to the top of my head. He seems much more relaxed now, and I let myself melt into him. Truthfully, I do feel much better than I had expected. In some ways, standing here, it doesn’t feel like any time has passed at all.
“Brandon!” A boy, whom I instantly recognize as Brandon’s youngest brother, Marky, races into the room and flings himself at Brandon. He looks the same as I remember, just about a foot taller.
“Hey!” Brandon calls back. Somehow their embrace turns into a wrestling match. I burst out laughing as Brandon lets himself get tackled to the floor.
Boys…
Steve, Brandon’s other brother, enters the kitchen a few minutes later, looking more like Brandon’s carbon copy than ever before. Steve is taller and stockier, but they have the same green eyes and their profile is strikingly similar.
“Hey Charity,” he greets me.
“Hi. It’s good to see you,” I say.
He nods as he goes to the fridge, pulls out a pitcher, and pours himself a glass of iced tea before plopping into a seat at the breakfast nook table. He pulls out his phone and starts texting a mile-a-minute, not paying any attention to the rest of us.
There is a groan from the floor and I turn to see Brandon writhing. Apparently Marky landed a kick in the wrong place…oops. I smother a laugh, as he gives me his best ’pity me’ face. The wrestling match is called off, and I haul Brandon off the floor.
Marky looks incredibly guilty, but Brandon plays it off and calls him “champ” which seems to help.
A few minutes later, Brandon’s dad, Rick, arrives home with the groceries.
“Charity! So glad you could make it,” he says. He sets down the bags on the counter before coming over to give me a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.
“Thanks for having me.”
“Anytime. Su casa, mi casa. Or however that goes.” He laughs.
Brandon rolls his eyes at his dad’s terrible Spanish.
“All right, boys. Go wash up. Dinner is just about ready.” Sandy turns to Steve and Marky, who are both engrossed with their cellphones at the small kitchen table. After a long pause, they both get up and stash their phones, before heading off in the direction of the bathroom down the hall.
“Why don’t you guys go get comfortable. There’s some wine on the table. Help yourselves,” she says, turning back to us.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone is seated around the formal dining room table and the dishes are being passed around. Rick asks about my job and I tell him about the café. Brandon waits until I finish, and then proceeds to tell them all about my cookbook project. They seem truly interested, and ask a few questions before the conversation moves on.
“How is your family? Are your mom and dad still over on Hillcrest?” Sandy asks.
I nod and swallow my bite. “Yeah. My dad is still working at the school, and my mom has been doing some wedding planning on the side, to keep busy.”
Brandon and I share a secret smile, remembering the night I ran into him at the airport when waiting to pick up a groomsman as one of the ’favors’ I was doing for my mom. If not for that night, I’m not sure any of this would be happening.
“What about Valerie?”
“Valerie recently got married and is about seven months pregnant with their first baby.” I answer. “It’s a girl.”
“Oh, how exciting!” Sandy cheers. “I bet your mom is so excited to be having a grandbaby!”
“Yeah, she is.” I try to force myself to smile. I’m happy for my sister and can’t wait to be an auntie, but sometimes I get tired of hearing about “baby this, baby that” whenever I’m around either my mom or sister. Neither of them call me just to talk or see how things are with me. When they call, it is always to talk through some imaginary crisis with the baby shower or with one of my mom’s wedding disasters. “I’m actually helping to plan the baby shower.”
“That’s great. What a sweet thing to do,” she gushes. Sandy is the type of person who, if she wasn’t 100% genuine, would probably come across as borderline annoying, because she’s always happy and bubbly. It seems that even cancer has not taken away her enthusiastic spirit.
We fall into an easy conversation as we eat. I keep pretty quiet and watch the interactions around me. No one brings up the past or asks any awkward questions. I guess I figured the evening would have an “elephant in the room” vibe, but it seems to be quite the opposite—very comfortable and natural.
When dinner is done, Brandon insists his mom stay seated as he and his brothers clear the dishes. I reach to gather up a few of the serving bowls to help them, but Sandy grabs my hand. “Let’s go to the den and catch up. Let the men do the cleaning,” she says with a wink.
I nod and try to smile, but inwardly, I feel like one of the contestants on the show The Bachelor, being dragged off to “have a little chat” when they meet his parents for the first time.
Chapter Nine
I follow Sandy to the den and we get settled on an overstuffed love seat. She tucks her feet
under her and pulls a blanket over her legs before taking my hands. She holds them in hers and just stares at me for a moment, smiling. “My dear Charity, you have no idea how happy I am that you are back in Brandon’s life.”
I’m not sure how to respond for a moment. “Thank you for saying that. It still doesn’t feel like this is all really happening. It’s certainly not something I ever imagined,” I confess.
“I can’t say that I knew this would happen, but I hoped. You have no idea how miserable he was when he left,” she says. She looks down at our hands. “He had some pretty dark times. Of course, I’m sure you did too.”
I nod, trying not to let those emotions overcome me. “Did you know he was going to break it off?” I’m not sure it’s truly appropriate to ask, but the question is suddenly blaring at me and I can’t ignore it.
“No, honey, not until afterwards. He stayed with friends for the weeks after the wedding was called off, before he moved to California. I didn’t see him much. I think he thought we were mad at him, or disappointed, which I guess we were, in some ways. I certainly wish he had handled things differently, for your sake and his own.”
She pauses, looking uncertain for a moment. “Now, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Were you upset with Rick and me?” She looks nervous. “I just mean, did you feel like we took sides?”
I shake my head, surprised by her question. “No, not at all.”
She sighs. “We always loved you like a daughter, and when everything happened, well, I’m afraid we didn’t handle it in the best way. Rick and I have both felt guilty over the years. It felt like we abandoned you. For that, we are both truly sorry.”
A tear escapes and I lower my head.
Sandy leans forward and pulls me into a hug.
“I don’t even know why I’m crying,” I say, muffled into her sweater. “It’s all in the past now. It shouldn’t matter anymore.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. You’ve gone through a lot, both of you. It’s going to take some time.” She pats my back before letting me go.
I wipe away the tears and give myself a little shake. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, with all the crying, but I am happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long, long time,” I say with a smile.
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me that. I already know! The way you two look at each other, it’s just like before. Does a mama’s heart good.” She smiles and gives my hands a squeeze. “What do you say we go get some cake before the boys eat it all?”
“Let’s go,” I say, giggling.
The whole family gathers around the kitchen island to dig into the cake. When everyone is finishing up, Brandon declares that he has an announcement. Everyone’s eyes swivel in my direction, expectantly. It takes me a second to realize they probably all think Brandon is about to say I’m pregnant or something crazy.
Did they not see my two glasses of wine at dinner?
“Charity has agreed to move to California with me when I go back to shoot my next movie!”
I watch his mom’s face light up, and it really does melt my heart to see her so happy. Especially considering all she has been through in the past few months.
Rick gives a loud clap. “Well, shit! It’s about time!”
“Language!” Sandy scolds, but she can’t hide her joyful smile.
Everyone bursts out laughing.
Half an hour later, Brandon and I say good-bye to his family and head back to my house.
“So, are you gonna tell me what you and my mom talked about?” Brandon asks with a smile.
“Are you dying of curiosity?”
“Oh, absolutely,” he says sarcastically with a laugh.
“Oh you know, just girl stuff.”
“Cherry, come on,” he says, poking me gently in the ribs.
I laugh and smack his hand away. “Well, she mainly wanted to know how I was dealing with everything. I think she was worried that I was upset at them, because they didn’t really talk to me after you left.”
He nods and focuses his gaze back on the road as we turn the corner and pull into the driveway in front of my townhouse. “What did you tell her?”
“The truth. I told her that it’s been hard, but that I’m happy…that we’re happy. And that I don’t hold anything against them for how things went down.”
“So it wasn’t a disaster, like you were predicting?” he asks.
“No, it wasn’t. So, I guess you were right.”
“Well you know how I love to hear that.”
“Well don’t get too used to it!” I tease. “You know what else she told me?”
“Hmm?”
“She said that it does her heart good to see us so happy together, like we used to be.”
He turns and smiles. I lean across the center console and brush my lips against his slowly. “Think you’re all recovered from your wrestling injury?” I glance down at his lap, and quirk an eyebrow.
“Only one way to find out,” he answers, his voice dark and throaty.
I reach over and rest my hand in between his legs, rubbing at his slacks, feeling the hard bulge. “Seems fine to me.”
“Let’s get inside and you can take a closer look.”
My heart races, the thrill of Brandon’s sexy talk snaking through me. I get out of the car and follow him into the house. Once inside, I continue my exploration and slide a hand down his flat abs and into the top of his pants. He groans when I trace a line down his shaft through the soft fabric of his boxer briefs. He lets me stroke him for a minute, his breathing getting ragged as he watches me. Then he pulls my hand away and releases the button and unzips. He pulls the pants down and I slip under his underwear to touch his skin.
His hard shaft is velvet smooth under my hand as I stroke up and down. My panties get wet, thinking about him entering me with it, so hard and firm. I bite my lip and look up into Brandon’s eyes seductively.
“I want you, Brandon.”
“What do you want?” He asks.
“I want to suck your cock,” I answer, pulling at the fabric of his underwear.
He groans at my words. “Get on your knees.”
His eyes blaze as he watches me sink to the floor in front of him. My heart is racing as I kneel in front of him. He strips off the pants and underwear and steps back. His cock is right in front of my mouth and I lash out my tongue to meet the tip. Brandon inhales sharply at the slight touch, and my heart thumps harder and I feel my insides tighten, waiting.
He places a hand on his cock and runs the head along my lips. I part my lips and he slides his full length into my mouth. It’s more than I can take, so I bob back and place my hand on the root of him, taking in as much as I can as I start a gently suction.
“Fuck,” Brandon says, his teeth sound clenched together.
I relish in the control he is giving me. Normally, Brandon takes the lead. I love being on the opposite side, giving him pleasure and being able to tease and play.
I suck and bob my head around his smooth skin. I explore his balls with my tongue before bringing my free hand up and cup them, gently running my fingers over them, slick from my mouth. I go back to sucking and licking Brandon’s cock, driving him closer to his own release.
“Charity, slow down,” he orders.
I slow down slightly, but get carried away again and start bobbing faster, and sucking a little harder. At some point, he passes the point of no return, and he grabs my shoulders roughly as he comes inside my mouth. I swallow his release and hold steady as his cock throbs and pulses into my mouth, emptying completely. Only when he has stilled and stopped convulsing, do I slowly remove him from my mouth. I look up into his eyes and he raises me up from the floor and firmly kisses my mouth.
“That was incredible,” he says, his breathing still hard.
I smile and bring my mouth to his earlobe, nibbling the soft skin.
He scoops me up and I lock my feet around his waist so he can carry me upstairs to my bed.
He lays me down and doesn’t waste any time stripping off all of my clothes. His fingers enter my wet, impatiently waiting pussy, and he thrusts hard and fast into me. I call out and arch against the bed.
“Brandon, harder!” I cry out.
He drives harder and adds another finger, filling me and stretching me. His thumb comes up to my clit and he rubs smooth circles in the moistness of my silky skin.
I crash over the edge, but he keeps pulsing, not bothering to slow down as I shudder and shake as my climax washes over me.
“Brandon,” I whimper. My clit is super sensitive, almost too sensitive, but he keeps going and I find, within seconds I am rapidly building to another orgasm. “Brandon!” I cry, gripping the comforter.
“Come for me,” he says, his voice low. “Come, right now, baby.”
I moan and feel the pressure release, coming over and over again, like never before. I open my eyes, wide with alarm as I feel an intensity I’ve never felt before as one orgasm seems to interrupt the one before, rolling one after the other. I shake and cling to Brandon’s chest, my body shaking with each wave. Brandon removes his fingers from inside of me and holds me close as I shudder.
Eventually, my heart slows and all my muscles seem to turn to jelly and I collapse back onto the bed. Brandon smiles down at me.
“Holy shit,” I whisper, still slightly twitchy.
He nods. “Now you know how I felt.”
I laugh softly. “I guess so.”
He lays down next to me and wraps me up in his arms and I finally relax all the way. My body still dancing with pleasure and warmth, but it feels smooth and silky, not frenzied and intense anymore.
“Thank you for tonight,” he whispers against my hair before kissing my head.
I laugh. “Thank you!”
“Not that, I mean with my parents. That meant a lot to me.”
I look up at him and kiss him slowly. “You don’t have to thank me.”
He nods but still seems overwhelmed with emotion so I don’t push the issue and we fall asleep in each other’s arms.
