Sweet Sacrifice

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  Brandon’s last call had been yesterday when he had informed Sash that he would be back in Monterey and that he would like to see Sweet. She had agreed. They had also agreed that they would give father and son more time together before breaking the news of their biological relationship.

  His first knock on the front door seemed tentative, but it was followed by a much more confident knock. Taking a fortifying breath, Sash steeled herself for the first glimpse of the man she was trying hard to stop loving.

  On the other side of the door, Brandon stood nervously trying to gain control of his runaway heart. The prospect of seeing Sash and spending time alone with Sweet had his stomach tied in knots. He had thought of nothing else but the two of them since they left Pineapple Hill.

  His talk with John had given him plenty to think about. He couldn’t deny that at times he could be overbearing and he did have a tendency to be a little too controlling. Maybe compromising a bit wouldn’t kill him. As a matter of fact, it could probably do him some good learning to compromise with the woman that he loved—and he was in love with Sash Adams. He finally had to admit it to himself. It was a scary proposition, but he was ready to try and love again, try and trust again. He wanted her back in his life. Now, if she would only listen and give him half a chance, he meant to let her know how he felt about her.

  When Brandon knocked for entrance the second time, he did so with renewed confidence. The door slowly opened and Sash appeared.

  Brandon had to remind himself to breathe. She looked so good. Dressed in a colorful turquoise dress with matching sandals, her shiny locks were held back from her face with an African motif head wrap. Her make up was lightly applied and the small gold hoop earrings reflecting against her brown skin added just the right touch. The scented oil she wore was unrelenting on his senses. Brandon swallowed hard.

  “Hello, Sash. It’s good to see you.”

  “Hello, Brandon. It’s good to see you, too.”

  “How are you?”

  “Fine. Come on in.”

  Sash stepped aside for Brandon to enter, bothered by the stiff formality of their greeting. Her stomach fluttered as he passed her. Even dressed casually in a pair of linen shorts and a matching shirt he still looked good. As she closed the door behind Brandon, Sweet came running down the hall and straight into his arms.

  “Mr. B!” His exuberant greeting caused both adults to smile with pleasure. “I missed you,” he informed Brandon as he planted a kiss on his cheek.

  “I missed you too, T,” Brandon hugged the boy close to him. “Man, did I miss you.” He buried his nose in the boy’s hair and kissed the top of his head.

  As Sash watched father and son she asked herself how she could have missed the resemblance between them. As much as Sweet looked like the picture she saw of his Uncle Brice, he looked just as much like Brandon. As Brandon’s son, she could see how Sweet could thrive and grow into manhood. This unexpected opportunity was a once in a lifetime chance for him and she had to give him that chance.

  Brandon kissed Sweet again and gave him a grin. “Are you ready to spend the weekend with me, bud…” Brandon stopped short as his eyes met Sash’s eyes. His voice fell an octave. “Buddy?”

  Sweet nodded. “Uh huh. I got clothes in my backpack and Sash gave me some money of my own to spend.” Withdrawing a bill from his pocket, Sweet held it up proudly.

  Kissing his son a third time, Brandon lowered Sweet to the floor, his arm still around him holding him close, reluctant to let him go. “Good boy. Sash thinks of everything, doesn’t she?”

  “Uh huh,” Sweet agreed with a vigorous shake of his head. “Sash loves me.”

  Brandon smiled down at Sash. “Yes,” he said softly. “Sash is full of love.”

  The words were said tenderly, touching her heart as surely as if Brandon had reached inside and caressed it. Her eyes held his and she knew that his next words were meant only for her.

  “I wonder how far that love can extend?” Brandon took a step toward her. “Could it reach far enough to for…”

  The ring of the telephone startled both Brandon and Sash out of their mutual trances. Impatient at the interruption, Sash excused herself and answered the call with an abrupt, “Hello.”

  An accented voice greeted her on the other end. “Hello, Sash, It’s Michael.”

  “Hello, Michael.” Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Brandon react to the name she had spoken.

  Michael! Michael Ramuba was calling Sash! Brandon could feel the heat rising from the pit of his stomach. The fire that had been in his eyes for Sash instantly turned to a stony glare. Taking Sweet by the hand, he led the way to the door. “Come on, T. We’ve got to go.” With his little boy in tow Brandon left Sash’s apartment without a backward glance or a farewell.

  ****

  Brandon didn’t want to remember what his world had been like before Sweet came into his life. While he had enjoyed the time spent with him when they were in Hawaii, being alone with his son magnified the pleasure. The boy’s personality was totally endearing and Brandon was fascinated by everything he did. Sweet was funny, bright, curious and compassionate. He was everything that any man could want in his child. By the end of their first evening together Brandon had come to the conclusion that his son was a genius and he was considering having him tested.

  As he tucked Sweet into bed in a room that Brandon had turned into a virtual toy store, he was reluctant to let the boy go to sleep. He wanted to sit in the room and marvel at the miracle that he had helped create, just as he had done in Hawaii. He didn’t want to miss one more day, hour, minute or second of Sweet’s young life. But the word compromise was in serious jeopardy when Brandon heard Michael’s name coming from Sash’s lips—lips that had driven him into a frenzy only days before. Well, he wasn’t going to have it. He would not tolerate another man in his son’s life! If Sash wanted Michael Ramuba she could have him, but Sweet would not grow up under any man’s influence but his own.

  “Are you thinking about my sister, Mr. B?” Sweet asked behind a yawn.

  Brandon started at the question and the boy’s intuitiveness. “Why do you ask that?” Brandon hedged.

  “Cause you like her,” Sweet said burrowing under the down comforter covered with his favorite cartoon characters. “And she likes you.” He turned on his side and got comfortable. “I told you that before, Mr. B. She likes you better than Mr. Mike.”

  Brandon was on instant alert. Was it inappropriate to pump a child? Probably, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him.

  “What do you mean by that, T?” He tried to sound nonchalant.

  “Huh?” Came the sleepy reply as Sweet started to drift off to sleep.

  Brandon bit his lip trying to stop himself from shaking him awake. After all, the child needed his rest. On second thought he would let him sleep late tomorrow. Lightly, he shook his shoulder. “What do you mean when you said that Sash likes me better than Mr. Mike? Did she tell you that?”

  Sweet peered at Brandon through drooping eyes that threatened to close in a second, “Sash likes you, you like Sash and Mr. Mike likes Sash. He told me…” Sweet gave a wide yawn that for Brandon seemed to go on forever. As the yawn diminished in degrees Sweet’s eyes began to close accordingly. Brandon grew desperate.

  “He told you what? What did Mr. Mike tell you?”

  “I talked to him on the telephone and he told me that he would like to be my new Daddy.” With that slurred declaration Sweet drifted off to sleep, while Brandon stood by his bedside in shock.

  ****

  “I know that I’ve made mistakes with us, Sash,” Michael’s voice was soft and seductive. But my feelings for you aren’t a mistake. I still love you, and I probably always will. I nearly went out of my mind when I read what had happened to you and your brother. I need to see you, sweetheart. Please. Tell me what I can do to make what I’ve done up to you, darling, and I’ll do it. I promise I will.”

  Sash switched the telephone from one ear to a
nother as she lounged on the couch in her living room. She had been talking to this man for one solid hour, which was fifty-five minutes too long. This was his second call to her today, and she should have hung up when he called her back.

  At one time Michael’s words would have been all that Sash needed to hear. She would have forgiven him and returned to his arms. She had done it before, too many times. But that had been two years ago. The love she once felt for him no longer existed and his hollow promises fell on deaf ears. She needed to put an end to this.

  Sash tried to measure her words carefully. “Michael, we’ve been through the romantic stage in our lives and I’ve told you, I’d just like for us to be…”

  “Friends,” Michael finished her sentence with a snarl. She could almost see the scowl on his face. “Please, Sash, don’t insult me. That has to be the oldest rejection line in the world in any language.”

  Sash heard the misery in Michael’s heavy sigh. Anyone who saw Michael would think that she was insane for rejecting him. He was handsome, suave and sophisticated. His family’s wealth afforded him the opportunity to be educated in three countries: England, France and the United States. He had his pick of women from all over the world who would welcome his attention; but Sash had enjoyed it, suffered through it and no longer wanted it. That was what he didn’t seem to understand.

  “It’s over Michael and has been for a long time. You have to accept that.”

  “Is it Brandon Plaine? Is that the reason you no longer care for me?” Michael’s voice was tinged with anger.

  Sash was determined in her resolve. “I care for you, Michael. We’ve been special in each other’s lives and I’ll never forget that. But I’m trying to be honest with you. I don’t feel the same way about you that I did two years ago.”

  Michael wouldn’t relent. “But you feel something for Brandon Plaine, am I correct?”

  “Brandon and I went through a lot together and we’ve become friends.”

  “The question is how close are you as friends. Closer than you want to be with me, that’s for certain.”

  Michael’s attitude was getting increasingly annoying. It was time to put an end to this conversation.

  “Michael, I’ve got to go. I think it best that you don’t call me again and that we don’t see each other. Thank you for your concern. Good-bye.” She disconnected the call. That chapter in her life had ended a long time ago. It would not be resurrected.

  Sash was about to go back to her room when the telephone rang again. She was tempted to let it ring. It might be Michael again. Then she remembered that Sweet was with Brandon and thought it best to answer the call.

  “Hello, Adams residence.”

  “Yes, Sash. It’s Brandon.”

  He didn’t sound like himself. Sash’s heart skipped a beat “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Sweet?” She prepared herself to hear the worse.

  “Sweet is doing just fine, but I’m not. I want you over here right away.” Brandon’s voice hardened. “And I mean now!”

  CHAPTER 19

  “What in the world is your problem, Brandon, feeding a child candy at 9:00 in the morning? I don’t allow Sweet to eat candy and midnight is too late for a five year old to go to bed!” Sash was incensed. She had gone to pick Sweet up from his weekend with Brandon to find the child munching on a chocolate candy bar and exhausted as the result of having stayed up until the early morning hours watching videos.

  Brandon looked contrite, but he tried to defend the indefensible anyway. “Whoever heard of a child not having candy? Anyway, he had breakfast first and he wanted to see the movies last night.” He had to admit that both arguments did sound weak, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

  “That’s not the point. You can’t let him do what he wants when he wants too. He’s a little kid. You’re the adult.”

  “Well, I don’t see how one chocolate bar is going to kill him.” Brandon huffed. Turning he strolled away, aware that their disagreement wasn’t really about a candy bar and Sweet’s bedtime. First of all, he had called her two days ago to come to his home and she was just arriving. Secondly, he didn’t appreciate his request having been ignored.

  Sash followed Brandon, stopping short at the entrance to the living room. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The expensive Berber carpeting was covered with toys from one end of the room to the other.

  “What in the world is all this?” Her eyes circled the room. There were toy stores not as well stocked as Brandon’s living room. Every toy imaginable was on display. “This is ridiculous. No one child can play with all of this stuff.”

  “Sweet and I sure tried. He even took a spin around the house in his new electric car.” Brandon managed to find a pair of leather loafers abandoned among the clutter. He slipped his bare feet into them. “And getting back to his bedtime, one late evening won’t hurt him either.”

  His parenting style was a bit too permissive for Sash. “There are rules in child-raising, Brandon, that simply shouldn’t be ignored. A child has to have boundaries.”

  “You can impose those tomorrow. This weekend was about Sweet and me getting to know each other and having a good time.” Tossing a few toys aside, he settled on the sofa. “Right now we have more important things to talk about.” He patted the empty space beside him for Sash. Ignoring the familiar gesture, Sash took a seat in the chair opposite where he was sitting. She didn’t want to be the least bit distracted by her attraction to him.

  “You’d better talk fast, Sweet will be down in a minute.” Sash settled back in her seat and crossed her legs. That simple action turned Brandon’s brain waves into sawdust as the shorts she was wearing moved up her shapely legs. All he could think of was how those legs had locked around his body as they made love on a rainy day.

  Brandon’s nonchalance was deceptive. He had been in a jealous rage when she didn’t appear at his house after his call to her. He wanted to storm over to her house and demand an explanation about her relationship with Michael. Only fear of what he might find when he got there had stopped him from going to confront her. Michel’s car might be there. He might have even spent the night. He hated the jealousy that he was feeling, but this was the woman that he loved. This was the only woman who had ever continuously challenged him. The only woman who had ever made him loose control. The thought that she might be making love to Michael had kept him up long after he had tucked Sweet into bed each night.

  In his heart he sensed that Sash was a one-man woman, and he wanted to be that man. Yet she had been in love with Michael and she wasn’t in love with him. For the first time in his life Brandon was faced with a situation that he wasn’t sure how to solve. How could he make her love him?

  Sash sat across from Brandon swinging one leg impatiently over the other oblivious to the effect that she was having on him. He appeared to be daydreaming and she had things to do.

  “Brandon, what do you want?”

  Sash’s impatient voice jolted him out of his meditative state. “What? What did you say?”

  Sash started to rise. “You’re not even listening to me. I don’t have time for this.”

  “No! I’m sorry. I’m listening. Sit back.”

  Sash did so, but continued to give him a piece of her mind. “You ordered me over here the other day as if I were a slave. Then when I didn’t obey you called back and had the nerve to get even more obnoxious, leaving messages on my answering machine. You should know by now that I won’t jump to your command. If there was nothing wrong with Sweet there was no need for me to come over here until I had too. Now I’m here. What is it that is so important?”

  “I’m going to tell Sweet that I’m his father and I’m going to do it today.”

  The words blurted without preamble had Sash gaping at him open mouthed. “Today? Now? Isn’t that a little soon?”

  “I don’t see any reason to wait. I’ll still be his father whether it’s today or ten years from now. Is there a reason that you don’t want me to tell him now?�
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  Sash grasped at straw. She wanted a little bit longer with her brother, a little more time for them to be together before everything changed.

  “But I think that he needs to get to know you better before we tell him. I don’t want to confuse him. Why do you think that it has to be today?” She tried not to sound desperate, but she did, and she was.

  Brandon caught the catch in her voice. He had been prepared to play hardball, but the wounded timbre in her voice took the feeling of satisfaction out of his reply. “It has to be now because I don’t appreciate Michael Ramuba telling my son that he wants to be his Daddy.”

  “What!” The revelation brought Sash to her feet.

  Maybe she didn’t know. Brandon came to his feet as well. “That’s what Sweet told me. Michael said that to him in a telephone conversation that they seemed to have had.”

  “Believe me, Brandon. This is the first I’ve heard about this!”

  She didn’t know! Brandon smiled inwardly.

  “Sweet answered the telephone the other day when Michael first called and I was in the shower, but I didn’t know that they had any kind of conversation. Sweet never told me. The nerve of Michael!”

  ‘The nerve of Michael!’ Yes! That didn’t sound like a woman falling back in love.

  “Well, I don’t want another man trying to take my place.”

  “There’s no argument with that. Believe me, Michael would never be the one to do that.”

  Double yes!