by Aubree Lane
Hope faded from Erika’s eyes. “I haven’t heard him say anything for a while now. He could be gone for all we know.” She heard the phone in Annie’s pocket buzz. The young girl pushed out of Annie’s embrace, and yelled, “Answer that damn phone. Marissa is going to kill you for ignoring her. I can’t lose anyone else today.”
Annie grabbed Erika’s face and forced her to look into her eyes. “You haven’t lost anyone. Larry is not a quitter. He’s not going to give up this fight easily, and neither should you.”
Terence’s truck screeched to a halt across the street.
Erika broke away and ran.
The moment Terence had her in his arms, the teenager broke down.
Annie felt tears well in her eyes. Her husband’s gaze shifted her way, and the tears spilled out. Their rock had arrived. She and Erika no longer had to be strong.
His arm reached out for her, but Annie shook her head. Holding up her phone, she explained, “It’s Marissa. I have to talk to her.”
Terence understood and let her go. He shuffled Erika over to the bench on Larry’s porch and pulled her into his lap. Erika clung to him. It was exactly the place Annie wanted to be, but there were still things she needed to take care of. Her turn would come soon enough. Eleanor would be arriving, and Annie needed to have the dreaded conversation with Marissa handled before then.
The vibrating phone in her pocket became motionless and gave Annie a slight reprieve. She took a deep breath and tried to contain the growing fear that Larry might not make it. The phone buzzed again, and Annie lifted it to her ear. “It’s bad.”
Marissa already seemed to have that knowledge. “I’m on the next flight out,” her voice quivered, but she found the strength to continue. “Can someone pick me up at the airport around ten tonight?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“Take good care of him until I arrive,” Marissa demanded.
Annie ran her fingers through her thick auburn hair. She had no control over the outcome of Larry’s medical emergency, but Marissa needed to hear a few comforting words of support. “We’ll do our best.”
9
Max would not stop crying and Brittany wasn’t sure how much more she could take. His face was red, his tears were wet, and his diaper reeked. Every time she tried to change him, he fought her. His little legs kicked violently in the air and his screams shot a few decibels higher.
Max wanted his mom, and no one else would do.
The monster who invaded her sweet little nephew’s body was inconsolable. Each wail reverberated deep within her skull. She heard stories about how Max wasn’t the most congenial child, but Brittany hadn’t experienced this level of bad Max until this very moment.
She placed the toddler gently inside his playpen and let him throw his temper tantrum while she searched the house for her phone. She needed help and the only person who wasn’t at the hospital was Grady.
• • •
Grady heard his phone chime and grinned. Brittany hung in there longer than he anticipated. He could well imagine how frazzled she must feel to breakdown and call him. She prided herself on being able to handle any situation. Max had been giving her, and the rest of their usually quiet neighborhood, hell for the past two hours. Not a record by any stretch, but a relatively decent showing. By the tone of Max’s cries, Grady could tell he was about to wind down, but Britt didn’t know that.
He grabbed his phone and headed out the door. After he crossed the street, he answered. “Stop abusing my little buddy,” he joked, knowing his smart remark would go over like a lead balloon.
“Not funny,” Brittany snapped. “Since you’re almost at the front door, don’t bother knocking. Just get your ass in here.”
She disconnected and the line went dead.
Grady chuckled and vowed to tone down his unappreciated funny man until Brittany recovered from her babysitting experience with Maxzilla. He bypassed the two small steps and leaped onto the porch.
The moment he opened the Javiers’ door, Brittany dragged him into the kitchen. She pointed her finger at the distressed baby and barked, “Change him.”
Grady dutifully picked Max up and cooed, “What’s the matter, big guy. Are you missing your mom?” He patted Max’s bum. The diaper felt full and gushy. The poor kid really needed a change. He gently tapped the kid’s red nose. “Dude,” he scolded lightly, “you are your own worst enemy. You should’ve let your auntie get this stinky thing off you.”
Max’s face scrunched up, but instead of another outburst, he wiped his wet face with his sleeve.
Brittany took the lid off an aspirin container. “My arms are probably full of bruises.”
“Been there, done that,” Grady singsonged without breaking eye contact with Max. Hoping he wasn’t about to set the kid off again, he slowly made his way to the diaper changing station and asked, “Any word on Larry?”
“Like I’d be able to hear my phone over the ruckus he was making.” Brittany closed her eyes and declared, “I’m not having kids anytime soon. Instead of expanding Jamoka Jack, you should rent Max out to parents of sexually active teens. A day with him would make those horny demons think twice.” When the offending diaper was pulled off, Brittany pinched her nose against the onslaught. “Or patent that smell and put it into a spray bottle. Hook it up to a sensor. When hormone levels reach a certain point, have an alarm go off, the air gets a spritz of baby poo, and a recorded message blasts, Actions have Consequences.”
The lady had a point. You had to love a baby to overlook their many intense needs. “When did Max last eat?”
Brittany’s eyes grew wide with guilt. “Shit. I was so focused on getting him down for his missed nap, I forgot to feed him.”
Grady rolled up the diaper and taped it up into a ball. The urge to poke fun of her while she was in distress was great. Instead, he tossed her the dirty diaper. “Take that outside. No Diaper Genie in the world could contain that odor.”
“I’m starving a helpless baby and that’s all you have to say to me?”
Grady picked Max up and held him in front of his face. “What sounds better, a bottle or some gross baby food?”
Max reached both hands out and grabbed Grady’s cheeks. The monster child disappeared and his face filled with a grateful smile.
The small gesture made Grady feel like a hero. “I’m going to put you on the floor and get your dinner ready.” His voice went firm, “No crying, okay?”
When Max was on the ground and waddling around happily, Grady tuned to Britt and suggested more firmly than he intended, “Leave the door open on your way out. We need some fresh air in here.” A second later, the wadded up diaper came hurling towards his face. Brittany had an arm on her. His years of Little League training kicked into gear. He put his hands up and hoped he secured the diaper up tight. The white breathable plastic smashed into the center of his palm and was quickly wrapped up with the other. Grady knew the lucky dolphins were being vigilant when the tabs stayed closed and poop didn’t explode all over him.
Brittany stuck her hands under the faucet. “I’ll fix his dinner. And since I failed to feed him, he gets both his bottle and icky baby food.”
Grady held up the diaper. “You realize the Velcro on these fancy, good for the earth, disposable diapers the Javiers buy, don’t always stay closed, don’t you?”
Brittany looked up with a devilish gleam in her eye. “I’ve been here a few days. I’m well aware.”
• • •
After the Javiers returned home, Grady and Brittany headed down to the beach for a much needed break.
Try as they might, the thin clouds were unable to obstruct the glow of the full moon which illuminated across the ocean.
Brittany laced her fingers between Grady’s and tugged him closer to the water. “Look how beautiful.” She reached her arm out across the vastness and stepped onto the wet sand. “We have a full moon, a beautiful sky, stars, spooky thin clouds, and an ocean straight out of Jaws.”
Grady was thinking the same thing. The moment they cleared the trees, and the view opened up, the theme song from the same movie drifted through his head. Ever since their adventure with the dolphins, the pull of the ocean had grown stronger. He wanted to get back in and feel the waves lap against his skin. The urge was so powerful, even the Peter Benchley thriller couldn’t stop him. A buoy clanging in the distance might have given him pause, but all they heard this evening was the sound of crashing waves.
Grady decided to turn the tables on Brittany and lunged ahead. He dragged her out knee deep before she protested.
“Are you sure about this, Grady?”
“I’m not scared.”
Brittany stroked his arm. “Really? You have nervous goosebumps all over your skin.”
He pulled her close and her head rested against his chest. Grady’s heart began to race and he combed his fingers through her thick tresses. “They aren’t from fear. It’s from the anticipation of having you in my arms again.”
“Now that I’m here, are they getting bigger?”
Grady chuckled deep and low. “Something is.”
Brittany pushed him away and laughed. “You need to slow down.”
He stumbled and fell onto his butt. Sand inched its way into his jeans, but the warm water felt nice. Grady pulled his legs in and rested his arms on top of his knees. Brittany’s hair glimmered in the moonlight. Her skin glistened, and Grady’s erection grew harder. Every fiber of his being ached to feel her against him once more, but Brittany wasn’t ready.
This was one relationship he didn’t want to screw up. If he tried, he could probably coax Brittany into his bed, but sex wasn’t his main goal. The young woman splashing gentle sprays of water in his direction captured his heart in more ways than he was willing to admit.
Something in his eyes must have given his deep thoughts away. Brittany cocked her head questioningly and asked, “What?”
For one fleeting moment, Grady considered giving up his innermost secret. That he was falling in love with her, but the theme song from Jaws drummed louder in his head.
• • •
Brittany watched Grady’s eyes grow warm with his thoughts. This was getting too serious for her. She liked Grady, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him. The family said he was a good person, but that he tended to play it fast and loose with the ladies.
She couldn’t survive another heartache. Even after she broke down and sent her parents a message telling them where she was, she still hadn’t heard one word. It wasn’t a surprise her dad hadn’t called, but she expected to hear something from her mother.
The heavy conversation she had with Annie about their parents hadn’t eased her mind. According to big sis, Brittany shouldn’t expect much. Since moving to Hawaii, the only correspondence Annie had with them was when dad asked for a loan. Since he never bothered to repay a single penny, the loan turned out to be a handout. Annie warned Brittany not to become too successful or she might find Mom and Dad sitting on her doorstep one day.
Brittany took Annie’s words as a dig for showing up unannounced, but Annie laughed at her assumption.
“You are only eighteen,” Annie explained, “who else would you turn to? Besides, you were always my favorite.”
Considering their birthright, Brittany found it hard to take that as a compliment and scowled. Annie still hadn’t addressed the looming question she needed answered. “But how did you get over the way they treated you?”
Annie sat down and rubbed her forehead thoughtfully. “I’m not sure I have. Being rejected by the people who are supposed to love and protect you isn’t something that goes away easily. It’s probably why I make light of it. It cuts too deep.” Tears welled in her sister’s eyes. “They didn’t bother to say goodbye when I left San Diego, and they never responded to my wedding invitation.” Annie dabbed the corner of her eye. “It’s easier now that I have my own family, but I don’t plan on introducing Max to his grandparents anytime soon.” A little chuckle slipped out. “And Terence is under strict orders to make me stick to that decision if I ever start to relent. Funny thing, though, I can’t stop myself from wanting their approval. One would think I would have received the message loud and clear by now,” her voice caught, “they don’t love me, and they never have.”
The only advice Annie could give was for Brittany to live her life well. Happiness was her greatest revenge. Even if their parents never saw how they failed to break their daughter, she would know, and that gave Brittany a little hope.
The hours of manual labor spent in Lena’s garden kept her mind occupied. Warden was not a quick learner, but he tried. Brittany figured that was all she could realistically ask for. The new garden tools, which magically appeared in the shed, were a blessing. They were the best of the best, and her job was made much easier. In another week, she and Lena would need to go shopping and pick out new plantings.
The bird Kap housed in the shed wasn’t anything close to being a blessing. It was probably still squawking. A few guests at the B&B complained, but Lena decided to allow Turnabout to stay for a couple of days. The inn owner and Kap did a little research and discovered a bird sanctuary located on the other side of the island. After a few phone calls, the curator agreed to take over the task of raising the tern, but it would be a few days before he would be able to pick him up.
Grady stood up and touched her arm. “We should head back. I have to pick Marissa up at the airport soon.”
Brittany blinked and was brought back to the present.
“Wanna come with?” he grinned sheepishly.
“I don’t think so. That woman always had a golden egg tucked under her pillow.” She grabbed Grady’s hand. Together they trudged their way through the water and made their way back on shore. “I’ve never spoken a word to her, but she’d swing by our house in her fancy car, honk her horn, and whisk my sister away.”
“Leaving you behind,” he finished for her.
Grady hit the nail right on the head. “It’s not just that. She intimidates me. I’ve probably built this image up in my mind, but for me, Marissa is unapproachable.”
Grady fixed his eyes on her and sent her a smirky half-grin. “Brittany, she’s staying at Lena’s. You’re going to have to talk to her at some point. Wouldn’t it be better for you to get rid of all your preconceived notions sooner, rather than later?”
Avoidance was one of Brittany’s strong points and she had no intention of giving up on its robust ability to prolong the inevitable. “Marissa will probably want to go straight to the hospital. Erika’s there with Eleanor, the sisters will be able to keep each other company.”
Grady frowned. “Have you and Erika talked about the family?”
“No. Why?”
“Because, even though Marissa and Erika are siblings in the biological sense, where the heart is concerned, Marissa is Annie’s sister. If anyone goes to the airport with me, it will be her.”
Anger flared fast and furious through Brittany’s veins. She jerked her hand away and stopped short. “Annie is my sister, not Marissa’s.”
Grady wisely backed off. “I’m sorry. I touched a nerve.” He retrieved her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Come on, I’ll walk you back home.”
Brittany felt like crap. He only spoke the truth as he saw it. It was her own jealousy which made her bark. With each step, her anguish increased, and she feared he wouldn’t want to be with her and her inner bitch. Britt wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t find the words.
When they opened the front door, Annie was there to greet them. “Are you ready to go, Grady?” she asked. “Thanks for driving. We are all exhausted.”
Brittany pulled away from Grady when she saw Annie pick up her purse. “Where are you going?”
Annie pointed at the boy who just walked her home. “To the airport.”
Grady grabbed Annie’s arm and shook his head in warning, but Annie didn’t understand. “We’re picking up Marissa.”
Bri
ttany felt her face turn red. The hurt cut to the core. She felt like the ugly stepsister, an intruder, an unwanted interloper. Britt crumpled and raced to the room she shared with the other golden child, Erika.
Annie looked at Grady totally confused. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. I did.”
• • •
“You’re way off base.” Terence stepped into the dimly lit room, but stayed near the doorway. “I just got off the phone with Grady. He and Annie feel terrible about hurting your feelings.”
Brittany curled up into a tight ball on her air mattress. Pulling the light blue blanket up to her face, she rubbed its soft nap against her cheek. “They didn’t do it on purpose. They shouldn’t feel bad.” Her voice didn’t disguise her pain.
Terence scratched his ear. “I wish I could make your insecurities disappear. You are more than just welcome in our house. You’re part of us. This is your home. If Erika was here, she would probably slap the back of your head. One very hard lesson we’ve learned is that love can’t be measured. I loved Erika long before Larry came into the picture, but that doesn’t mean she loves him any less. The relationships Larry and I share with her are very different, but that doesn’t negate our feelings.”
Brittany heard his words, but she was a long way off from understanding them. “It’s all so easy for you. None of you can understand what it’s like for me.”
Terence’s silhouette stood up a little straighter, and the man took a good long moment before he spoke again. “It’s been a long day. Our emotions are raw. Get some sleep, Brittany. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”
He eased out of the room and closed the door gently behind him.
Brittany pounded the AeroBed Terence purchased for her. It was more comfortable than the lumpy mattress she had back at her parents’ house. Her brother-in-law hadn’t said it, but it was clear he felt she was acting like a child. Well, dammit anyway! Why shouldn’t she? When did she ever have a chance to be a kid, to throw a fit, or have a pity party? It wasn’t allowed in her old life.
