Love Me Like This: The Morrisons

by Bella Andre

  “You’re the love of my life.” He reached for her hand so that the spatula dropped onto the counter and she nearly burned herself on the iron skillet. “You’re the light in my eyes. You’re the beating of my heart!”

  The kitchen door was flung open. Justin was obviously on high alert, and the sound of the stainless-steel spatula clanking onto tile had been enough to make him rush back in. Before she realized it, he had Bruce’s shirt in his fists and was dragging him out of the kitchen.

  “Justin,” she said, “please, wait—”

  The words dried up in her throat as another familiar face and figure came swinging in through the front door. Bruce wasn’t the only one who had decided to surprise her with a visit.

  Her mother had too.

  * * *

  Justin couldn’t believe it. First, he and Taylor had to deal with her ex, who obviously wanted Taylor back. And now her mother, who hated Justin and wanted her to get back together with Bruce, was here too?

  But when he caught sight of Taylor’s face and saw how pale she was, he dropped her ex’s shirt to rush over to help her to the couch, where he sat beside her and stroked her back until he felt her breathing return to normal.

  She’d wanted to deal with Bruce on her own, and he knew how strong she was. But they were a team now, which meant they stood by each other, no matter what. And this kind of stress was the very last thing she needed right now.

  “Oh, honey!” Her mother looked horribly upset as she sank to her knees in front of her daughter. “You swore you were taking care of yourself, but I can see that you aren’t.”

  “She’s been doing great until now,” Justin told Taylor’s mother before she could reply for herself.

  Caroline Cardenes looked at him with barely concealed dislike. Actually, there was nothing concealed about it. “I’m Taylor’s mother. I can see when my daughter is in pain.” Dismissing him completely, she turned her entire focus on Taylor. “Sweetie, do you need to lie down? Or have something to drink? Or call the doctor?”

  “Mom.” Taylor held up a hand. “I’m fine. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  Over the past few days, he had heard her say that enough times to realize it was a mantra of sorts. One he had the feeling she said more to soothe the people around her than because she actually believed it.

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Taylor’s guests were on their way down for one of her delicious breakfasts. Hearing it too, she stood. “I need to get to work.”

  “I’m here to take care of you now,” her mother declared, “so you don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”

  “If you’d like to help me make breakfast, that’s fine, but I am going to do my job.” Taylor’s voice was low-pitched but full of steel. “And then when my guests are gone for the day, you and Bruce and I can have a chat.”

  Her mother looked stunned by her daughter’s determination. “Of course, honey. I’ll just go tidy up from my flight, and then you can let me know what you need help with in the kitchen.”

  Once her mother was gone, Taylor turned to Bruce. “I would appreciate it if you stayed right here until breakfast is ready.” Her ex looked as though he might argue, but then nodded instead.

  Justin was next in line. “We need to talk.” Taking his hand, she pulled him out to the front porch. No doubt she was going to lay into him for manhandling her ex—but he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Even the guy putting his hand over hers was enough to make Justin see red. Bruce had touched her for the last time, as far as he was concerned.

  “I love you,” she said the moment the door closed behind them, “but I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. Not with my mother or Bruce.”

  “I love you,” he said back, “so I can’t help but want to fight your battles.” He was pleased when the corners of her mouth quirked up a tiny bit at his response, even if it hadn’t been what she wanted to hear.

  She sighed, finally letting her defenses down as she said, “I can’t believe they’re here. I mean, it’s always good to see my mom, but this drama with Bruce is just one more thing I don’t want to deal with right now.”

  “However you need me, whatever you need me to do,” he told her, “just say it, and I’ll be there for you.”

  “Well, for starters, please try not to get into a fight with Bruce. I know the two of you aren’t going to become friends.” He couldn’t hold back a snort at the thought of ever becoming friends with the guy. “But that doesn’t mean you need to punch each other’s lights out either.” When his eyebrows went up, she said, “Okay, so I know the punching out would only go one way. But you know what I mean. And second, but even more important, you can’t say anything to my mom about wanting to be a donor. She’ll get her hopes up, and then if it doesn’t work out, she’ll be crushed.”

  “It’s going to work out.”

  Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “Just because you might be a compatible donor for me doesn’t mean I’m going to let you do it.”

  Damn it, he knew better than to push her like this. But the shock of dealing with her surprise guests had made him forget he needed to go slowly, to make sure that any decisions were as much hers as his.

  “You’re right.” He pulled her close and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “You don’t need your mother breathing down your neck on top of everything else.”

  She rested her cheek against his chest for a moment, clearly relieved by his agreement. “I should go inside.” She drew back with obvious reluctance. “Now remember, play nice with Bruce. Or, better yet,” she said as she put her hand on the doorknob, “maybe you should go for a run and burn off some of that steam I can see coming out of your ears.”

  It was probably a good idea, but he didn’t want to leave her alone with the guy. Who knew what Bruce would try to pull? Hell, Justin knew firsthand just how much it must hurt to have made the mistake of letting her go. There was nothing a guy wouldn’t do to try to get her back, which was why Justin didn’t trust Bruce as far as he could throw him.

  Gritting his teeth, Justin had to deliberately relax his fists as he stepped inside. Bruce was standing by the window, acting like he was scrolling through messages on his phone, but Justin wouldn’t be surprised if he’d had his face pressed up against the glass trying to read their lips while they’d been talking on the porch.

  To be fair, her ex wasn’t a bad-looking guy—tall and broad, with dark hair. Justin could see what Taylor must have found attractive about him all those years ago. But there was a weakness to his chin—and a smallness to his fingers—that tipped the scales in the wrong direction. To Taylor’s mother, Bruce might seem like the safer choice, the choice she could not only predict but also dictate to, but he definitely wasn’t the better choice. Not by a long shot.

  “Your smile, and your huge heart, can charm absolutely anyone.”

  It was what Justin’s mother used to say to him when he got bad-tempered over things not going his way. Everyone thought he was the more cerebral twin compared to Sean, but when push came to shove, Justin was actually the one more likely to push and shove. Probably because Sean had plenty of sports-based physical outlets for his frustration, whereas the lab wasn’t exactly conducive to pitching a fit, unless Justin wanted to clean up shards of test tubes afterward.

  Justin didn’t care one whit about charming Bruce. Not bashing the guy’s head in would be a win. But Caroline Cardenes was another matter entirely. Taylor loved her mother and respected her opinion. And one day soon, when Justin was more than just Taylor’s boyfriend, he hoped to have Taylor’s mother on both their sides.

  The easiest way to get on her good side would be to tell her his plans to donate a kidney to her daughter. But he couldn’t go back on his promise to keep that information between him and Taylor for now. So he’d have to do things the hard way—smiling when he felt like cursing and keeping his hands in his pockets when he felt like wringing Bruce’s neck.

  Justin had to prove to Taylor’s mother that he was not only t
he better man for her daughter, but also someone she could count on to take care of Taylor the way she and her husband did. With pure, unconditional love.

  Thankfully, he’d learned everything he needed to know about unconditional love from his parents. And as long as he kept his mother’s voice in his head, he’d find a way to do what needed to be done.

  Even when it meant walking up to Taylor’s ex, holding out his hand, and saying, “Sorry about what happened earlier. I hope you’ll agree to start over. I’m Justin Morrison, and it’s nice to finally meet you after all these years.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  As Caroline helped out in the kitchen and then with serving her guests, Taylor was glad she had the chance to see how well the B&B was running in its inaugural week. Even if Caroline’s arrival had been a surprise, it wasn’t an unwelcome one. Especially given that Taylor felt a little more tired than usual this morning. Her side wasn’t hurting much, apart from that dull ache that she was pretty much used to by now. No doubt the shock of finding her ex sitting in her kitchen as she walked in with her new boyfriend had worn her down a bit.

  A couple of hours later, everything in the kitchen and dining room was clean and put away. Rufus and Janet would be in soon to deal with the bathrooms, towels, and sheets. Confident that everything was in order, at least on the business front, Taylor brewed fresh coffee and plated the extra brownies that Maddie had stored in a glass container in the fridge.

  As she walked into the parlor, she was pleased to see that Justin and Bruce seemed to have arrived at a truce. They were both on their computers—Justin likely doing more research on PKD—while her mother created a fresh flower display for the front window from the roses in Taylor’s garden.

  “I’d love it if the four of us could sit down and have a coffee break,” Taylor said as she poured coffee into four mugs. She’d never been the kind to force an issue, or to ram an idea down someone’s throat, but she didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding from this point forward. Particularly when it came to Bruce.

  A couple of minutes later, the four of them had each taken a mug and were sitting around the coffee table in the parlor.

  “First of all,” Taylor said, “I would like to rewind and start this morning again by saying how nice it is to see you, Mom, and you too, Bruce. Family and friends are always welcome here, and I hope you’ll accept my invitation to stay in the two available rooms.”

  There wasn’t so much as a flash of surprise on Justin’s face. He would have done exactly the same thing for his own family. Putting herself in his shoes, however, she wouldn’t have been at all happy to share the same space with one of his exes.

  “Of course we’ll stay, honey,” her mother said. “That’s a lovely offer, isn’t it, Bruce?”

  “It is,” Bruce agreed, “but I’ve got to get back to the bank by tomorrow morning. I’ve just been alerted to a rather messy international transaction that one of my staff put through. Time, unfortunately, is of the essence.”

  “It certainly is,” Taylor’s mother said in a sharp voice, clearly displeased with him. “Which is why you should tell Taylor why you’re here. Tell her your plans.”

  Taylor looked between the two of them. “Plans?”

  When Bruce wasn’t immediately forthcoming, her mother said, “Bruce wants to donate one of his kidneys to you.”

  Taylor’s mouth dropped open as she spun to look at him. “That’s why you came to St. Helena?”

  He cleared his throat and pulled at his collar as though it were too tight, despite the fact that two buttons were already undone. “Well…after your mother told me about your diagnosis…” He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, agreeing to anything else.

  “Bruce.” Taylor gave him a lopsided smile. “I appreciate your gesture. But you don’t have to donate a kidney to me.”

  “I don’t?”

  “Of course he does, honey.” Her mother’s voice cracked with emotion. “If Bruce is a match, he’s your very best option.”

  Taylor knew Justin had to be dying to speak up, but he was keeping his promise. She’d told herself the reasons she’d given Justin to keep his donation offer quiet were perfectly rational, especially when it came to giving her mother false hope. But none of those were the real reasons.

  Bluntly put, Taylor had asked him to remain silent because she was still afraid to live her own life and make her own decisions fully and completely. She was still afraid of making the wrong choices, still afraid of taking risks that might not always turn into rewards.

  But she couldn’t live like that anymore. If she wanted her parents to let go and see that she was a capable adult, perfectly well equipped to make even the hardest decisions, there was no time like the present.

  “Justin has offered to be my donor,” Taylor blurted before she could wimp out. Bruce went limp with relief as she added, “We did the initial tests yesterday and have a meeting set up with a local donor this afternoon so that she can tell us her story.”

  Taylor expected her mother to be overjoyed, but Caroline’s eyes narrowed as she turned to Justin. “If you’re just saying you want to donate so that you can trick my daughter into being with you—”

  “Mom!” Taylor cut her off, horrified. “How can you say that?”

  But Justin didn’t share her fury. Instead, in as steady and genuine a voice as she’d ever heard, he said, “I love your daughter with all my heart, Mrs. Cardenes, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. Nothing.”

  Her mother stared at him, her expression unreadable for several long moments. Finally, she said, “When will you know if you’re a match?” Already, despite her reservations about Justin, the fervent hope that Taylor had been worried about was written all over her face.

  “Within the next couple of days, I hope. Depending on how well staffed the UC Davis lab is this weekend, however, we may have to wait until Monday.”

  Silently, Bruce got up to leave the three of them alone to hash things out.

  “Given your new relationship with one another,” her mother said, “how are you going to deal with your job in Germany? I can’t imagine the distance would be a help in either case.”

  “Mom, please.” Taylor didn’t think Twenty Questions was fair right now—or ever.

  But Justin didn’t seem at all perturbed. “I’m already working with my brother Grant to look for a nearby lab to set up operations as soon as possible. He’s actually driving up to look at a couple of good options this afternoon before heading to a meeting in the East Bay.”

  Taylor knew that Justin had planned to make the location change, but she hadn’t realized how quickly the other Morrisons would step in to help. Then again, they’d always operated as a team—one she felt immensely honored to become a part of, as Justin’s siblings looked out for her the way they’d always looked out for each other.

  But before Taylor could express her gratitude at the hours Grant was putting in on Justin’s—and on her—behalf, her mother had yet another probing question for him. “Once you move your business here from Germany, where will you live?”

  “With me.” Taylor didn’t think before speaking, but once she said it, she realized she shouldn’t be making decisions for Justin, especially when she had repeatedly asked him not to make them for her. “What I meant to say,” she said as she turned to face him, “is that I’d love it if you wanted to move in with me. I know my cottage isn’t very big, and that you might want a place of your own, so I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”

  “Of course I want to move in with you. The only reason I hadn’t suggested it already is because I didn’t want to pressure you.”

  “Pressure, shmessure,” Caroline said. Taylor had almost forgotten her mother was still in the room. “If the two of you are going to be exchanging kidneys, then moving in together is hardly a big deal.”

  That was when Taylor realized they had skipped past one very important detail. “The thing is, Mom, even if Justin does end up bei
ng a match, I don’t know if I’m going to let him go through with it.”

  “Are you crazy?” Her mother jumped out of her seat. “Of course you’re going to let Justin donate his kidney to you!”

  This was exactly what Taylor had wanted to avoid. But though her stomach was twisted in knots, she couldn’t back down at the first hurdle. Not if she was going to prove to her mother—and to herself—that her days of being afraid to make her own decisions were over.

  “I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it all,” she explained. “And I’m not going to let anyone make me feel guilty for not being sure. This is a super big, super hard decision. One I would never take lightly, even if everyone else thinks it should already be a done deal.”

  She expected her mother to come right back at her with arguments, with pleas to see reason, to let Justin’s donation be a fait accompli. Instead, her mom was staring at her as though she was seeing her for the very first time.

  Really seeing her.

  “All I want is for you to be okay again,” Caroline said eventually, the words halting. “To not be sick anymore.” Tears fell, but she didn’t wipe them away. “The last thing I want is to make things worse for you, honey. I just want to support you in any way I can. That’s why I came. That’s why I brought Bruce.”

  “I know, Mom.” Taylor slid across Bruce’s empty seat to her mother’s side, knowing in her heart that it was finally time to talk about the one thing they’d never spoken of—but desperately needed to. “Emily,” she began in a soft voice. “My sister, what was she like?” She gripped her mom’s hands. “I know it’s hard for you to talk about her, but I’ve wanted to know for so long.”

  “Emily was beautiful.” Her mother’s words were barely above a whisper. “She looked so much like you, but with bright green eyes. And when she laughed…” For a moment, Taylor thought her mother was going to break down. But then, she gave a small smile instead. “Her laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.”

  “I wish I could have known her,” Taylor said.