The Art of Love

by Celya Bowers

  “Exactly. I knew I liked you the minute I met you. And I think you’re good for Brendan. After his first marriage was over, he became a different person. Although divorce is so very new to us, it seemed the best thing for him. At first we didn’t accept it, but we eventually came around. For a while there, Brendan seem to lose his way. But now he is my Bren again.”

  “I am glad. He seems very happy here.” Peri couldn’t help stating the obvious.

  “He is happy, but I don’t think it has anything to do with him being here,” his mom teased Peri.

  The women sat in the kitchen talking for quite a while. As they chatted Sarah gave Peri a crash course in Irish cooking.

  After they ate lunch, they sat in the cozy living room talking. Peri looked around the room. She noticed that they now had pictures of Chelsey on the mantel and on the wall. They had a picture of Brendan as well. To her surprise, they also had a picture of her and Brendan. Peri wondered when that photo was taken.

  As they headed back to Dublin, Brendan was very quiet. Even Chelsey’s endless chatter about her adventures with her Irish cousins didn’t seem to brighten his mood. Peri hated to leave Ireland as much as he did.

  Peri packed her bags and waited for Brendan and Chelsey to finish packing. Peri watched as Brendan helped Chelsey pack. He was having a hard time closing her little suitcase.

  Before she knew it, it was time to leave for the airport. On the plane, Chelsey immediately fell asleep. Peri and Brendan chatted about the previous week. Peri noticed that he had become very quiet, almost reticent, especially when he talked about his parents and grandparents.

  She knew that he wasn’t ready to leave yet and would probably miss them terribly. She clasped his hand with hers. “I know you miss them already, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do, my brothers and sisters, too. It was like this the last time, too, but I was coming home to you. I am glad you are here.” He leaned over and kissed her, and Peri’s heart melted instantly.

  CHAPTER 22

  Upon returning to Arlington, Brendan insisted Peri spend the night at his house until he could check out her place. After dropping off Chelsey at Claire’s, Peri was too exhausted to complain, so she quickly agreed. Once at Brendan’s, she called her family and Kyla to let everyone know she was back on Texas soil.

  That night Brendan watched Peri as she prepared for bed. He probably overstepped his bounds as a lover by having someone staking out her place while they were out of the country. This time he had her family on her side. Her younger brother, Xavier, agreed to check out her place and report to him if anything looked out of place. Everything had been fine in her absence, but still Brendan had to be sure, and he could only do that if he checked her condo out for himself.

  “Are you coming to bed?” Peri asked, sitting up in bed. She had gotten into bed wearing the briefest night gown he’d seen in a long time.

  The week in Ireland had definitely been a test for both of them, and luckily they were able to move past it and go forward. “Sure, baby. I’m just going to check the locks downstairs.” He went downstairs to return a text message from Peri’s brother. He called Xavier. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing yet. I was able to run the plates on the car Robert’s been using. It’s one of his brother’s cars. That could be a way in. His brother is a small business owner.”

  “Thanks, but let me try to flush Robert out another way,” Brendan said.

  “I got it. Just let me know. I can get the address for you.”

  Brendan felt better with an ally. “I will.” He heard Peri walking around upstairs. “I gotta go. Thanks for everything.” He ended the call and went back upstairs.

  “I thought you’d gotten lost down there.” She had put on bathrobe. “I was getting ready to go look for you.”

  He kissed her on the lips. “Sounds like fun. We could play in each room.”

  “You do realize that we just got back from Ireland. I’m really tired.” She faked a yawn.

  “I know. Sleep does sound wonderful.”

  Peri slipped into bed and blew him a kiss. Brendan took off his clothes and got into bed next to Peri. He slipped his arms around her still form. Brendan fell asleep with thoughts of keeping Peri safe.

  * * *

  The next morning Peri woke to the smells of breakfast. She took a shower and dressed for the day. She was meeting Kyla later for lunch.

  She walked into the kitchen and shook her head. “You said you’d have bagels,” she teased.

  “I know.”

  “Eggs, potatoes, sausage, and toast isn’t healthy,” she teased. She sat down and inhaled. It may not be the healthiest meal, but it smelled wonderful.

  “It’s good food.” He put a plate in front of her. “I’m sure all those health nuts will tell you a little fat is good.” He sat down across from her and poured coffee in two cups.

  She watched him in amazement as he poured in her favorite creamer and put exactly two teaspoons of sugar in her cup. He put three in his own and didn’t use any creamer. He had known exactly how much sugar and cream to put in her coffee!

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” He handed her a napkin. “You know I’m just yanking your chain about the fat.”

  She hadn’t realized she had tears in her eyes until she couldn’t see him anymore. “No, Brendan. It’s not that. It’s the coffee.”

  “Okay, I really don’t understand. That’s the right brand?”

  “No, no Brendan. The brand is perfect. This morning is perfect. Every time I think I have you figured out, you surprise me. I didn’t think you knew how I took my coffee.”

  He shrugged. “Oh, that.”

  She wiped her eyes. “Yes, that. It means a lot to me.”

  “How much?”

  “Brendan, you can’t be serious!”

  “Yes, I can. How much?”

  She thought about the proposition. “Well, how about I fix dinner at my place?”

  “How about you fix dinner here?”

  “Brendan, I have to go home.”

  “You said I could check it out first,” he reminded her. “I haven’t checked it out yet.”

  “When?” She knew what he was doing, but she actually didn’t mind not going home.

  “Soon.”

  A few hours later Peri met Kyla for lunch. It seemed like it had been a lifetime since she had seen her friend. They had so much to talk about. Peri arrived at Omar’s and immediately saw her friend. After they hugged, the women sat down and began talking.

  “I can’t get over how good you look. I haven’t seen you this contented in a long time. How was the trip?”

  Peri took a deep breath. “The trip was amazing. We had a huge fight the second day, but I think it made us stronger.”

  “You didn’t call me once while you were away. I just figured everything was going great.”

  “I had to handle it on my own.”

  “That’s my girl.” She noticed the bag and rubbed her hands together. “So what did you bring me?”

  Peri laughed. Kyla was like a kid at Christmas. Peri handed Kyla the heavy sack. Kyla was proud of her shirts, the crystal, and the authentic Irish sweater.

  Kyla examined the sweater. “So what was the big fight about?”

  “Basically, it’s his jealousy. He saw this guy talking to me and he somehow thought that meant I was going to leave him.”

  “Why would he think that?”

  Peri leaned forward. “Claire.”

  “Ewww. Baggage,” Kyla said.

  “Most definitely. He says he’s trying to work through it.”

  Kyla grinned at her. “I can’t believe how strong you sound. How did his family like you?”

  “So much that I went on a pub crawl with his sister and got hammered. It took me a day to recover.”

  “No way.”

  “Way.” Peri giggled. “His sister, Emma, was drinking like a guy. Brendan said she was quite rowdy when she was young. I’m sure he read her the riot act for letting me get d
runk.”

  “Wow! You barely drink a glass of wine with me and here you are get trashed in another country?”

  “Crazy, ain’t it?”

  “I can’t believe all that you have been through in the last week. You should be a relationship expert now.”

  Peri nodded in agreement. “You aren’t kidding. I’m glad it happen like it did. At least I know his moods and he now knows my boiling point.”

  “This is a new and different Peri emerging.” Kyla looked at Peri. “For what it’s worth, Peri, you have been happier with yourself since you’ve been with Brendan.”

  “I know. I don’t regret anything.”

  “But?” Kyla asked.

  “I don’t think he loves me.”

  “Yes, he does. How could you say that? You guys just had those getting-acquainted fights, that’s all,” Kyla tried to comfort her friend.

  Peri shook her head to clarify. “It’s not the fights we had. I know he loves me, but he doesn’t love me with all his heart. You know, unconditionally. You know, like my mom and dad,” Peri added wistfully.

  Kyla stared at Peri and started laughing. “Peri, if and when one of you guys takes the first step off the cliff of love, I will bet the other will follow.”

  * * *

  A few days later Brendan finally gave his blessing and let Peri return to her condo. He’d been over the place several times and couldn’t find any evidence that her house had been broken in to.

  The house seemed quiet and lonely to her. It was their first night apart since their return from Ireland. Brendan had a late meeting with the Dallas Arts Council. It seemed like a good time to stay at the condo. She decided to make it an early night.

  A few hours later, a very sleepy Peri reached to answer the phone. She picked it up, but there was no one at the other end. Still the ringing continued. It was the doorbell. Peri looked at her bedside clock. It was 3:30 on a Saturday morning. It was Kyla, she thought. Hurriedly she got up to go answer the door, not even bothering with her bathrobe. It was Brendan. She opened the door quickly to let him in. “What is it? Is Chelsey okay?”

  Brendan nodded and walked into Peri’s living room, dragging her with him as she closed the door. “Brendan?” Peri had never seen him look this tired. His eyes were red, and he had a five o’clock shadow. Even now he looked terribly sexy to her. To her surprise, he just held her for a while before he finally spoke.

  “The meeting ran long, and when I got home, you weren’t there. I needed to see you.”

  Peri stared at Brendan. He looked so tired. Her heart ached to touch his face and rub the lines of fatigue away from his chiseled features. She had missed him during their time apart. Grabbing his hand, she led him to her bedroom. Brendan raised his eyebrows in question. She smiled. “Brendan, you look tired. It would make no sense for you to drive home again. Sleep here.”

  * * *

  “What the hell just happened?” Robert muttered under his breath. His carefully laid plan just got shot to hell. It was bad enough she had been gone for over a week, but now this guy was back in the picture and looked like he was staying the night.

  His plan had been simple: wait until she was asleep, break in, and show her what she’s been missing. But the guy showed up and she invited him in her house like it wasn’t nothing. Now as he watched all the lights in her house darken, he was going to have to regroup.

  He knew Christmas was a few weeks away and she’d have to go shopping. Should be easy enough to get her alone, she was such a sap about the holiday. She liked doing her shopping solo, so no one would know what they were getting. Her whole family was like that. Wimps.

  * * *

  The next morning Brendan left to spend the day with Chelsey. Peri sat on her couch with her thoughts. What have I gotten myself into? There was no way out of this without some type of emotional scar. It had taken two years for her to climb her way back to stability after Robert. She couldn’t envision how long it would take to get over Brendan. Kyla and Ryan were going to a bed and breakfast near the lake for a romantic weekend, so Peri was truly on her own for the first time in months.

  She decided she would do absolutely nothing. After eating the most decadent breakfast she’d had in ages, she went back to bed. A few hours later, her phone rang. It was Brendan. He was inviting her to watch the latest Pixar movie.

  “It will be fine. Besides, you just spent a week with her in Ireland.”

  “A lot of the time she wasn’t with us.”

  “Details,” Brendan said.

  Eventually, Peri gave in and waited for Brendan and Chelsey to pick her up. She was surprised that she enjoyed the movie. Afterwards, they ate dinner at O’Hannah’s, a family pub in Arlington. Chelsey asked Peri all sorts of things. She sat closer to Peri than her father. They talked as if he wasn’t there.

  “Where are you going for Christmas, Miss Reed?” Chelsey asked her.

  “I spend Christmas with my parents. My dad makes Christmas breakfast.” Peri wasn’t quite sure where the conversation was going. She darted a glance in Brendan’s direction, but he merely winked at her as he finished his beer.

  “Dad and I are going to Colorado for skiing,” Chelsey announced.

  Peri’s eyes immediately met Brendan’s. He never mentioned that last night, she thought. Maybe he didn’t want her with them. After all, it was Christmas and they had just returned from Ireland. Maybe he wanted some private time with his daughter.

  Brendan spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “Claire is letting me take Chelsey skiing for Christmas. I was hoping you could go with us.”

  Peri’s heart flipped; he did want her to go! She couldn’t ski. “H-How long are you going to be there?”

  Brendan looked at her. “A week.”

  Peri thought and thought. Her mother would kill her if she even suggested not attending the family Christmas. “Maybe I could join you later in the week?”

  Brendan’s bright blue eyes became brighter. They were almost as bright as Chelsey’s, and melted her heart. “I was afraid to ask since we had just come back from Ireland. If you can join us at all, it will be great, sweetheart!”

  * * *

  Later that night in her own bed, Peri talked to Brendan by phone after he had put Chelsey to bed. Brendan wanted her to stay the night, but she didn’t feel right with Chelsey in the house.

  “You’re going to have to get used to her being here, honey. She knows the rules and she has to knock before entering my bedroom whether you’re there or not. Just like when we were in Ireland. The rules still apply.”

  She knew he was right. It was part of dating a man with a child. “I would like to put the moment off as long as possible.”

  “You do remember she’s already seen you in my bed, and my daughter is very smart,” he said.

  “I know how smart she is.” She remembered now. That morning was nerve-wracking; she had forgotten about Chelsey eating breakfast on the bed with her.

  Brendan discussed the upcoming trip. It proved to be a little difficult because Christmas was on a Sunday. Finally, they figured out a schedule that would accommodate everyone. Peri would stay in Arlington until Tuesday. Then she would fly to Aspen and return to Arlington on Saturday with Brendan and Chelsey.

  “I’ll have my secretary make all the arrangements on Monday. Don’t worry about the cost, it’s my treat. Consider it a Christmas present.”

  * * *

  Robert walked into his brother’s office and took a seat. He really hated coming here. Jared was a few years younger than him, but Jared was the over-achiever in the family. He went to college on a scholarship and received his master’s degree in business management. He was the owner of Jared’s Janitorial.

  Each time Robert faced his younger brother the hatred surged in him. Although Jared had been great since his release from prison, he despised his brother. Today Jared had summoned him like he was some kind of common low-level worker.

  “What’s up?”

  Jared glanced up from a
piece of paper and scowled at him. “What’s up?”

  “Yeah, you sent me a text, saying emergency. So here I am.”

  “We need to talk about your staking out Peri’s house in my car.”

  How had he known? “I’m not staking out her house. I’ve been looking for a job.”

  Jared stood, walked around the massive desk and sat on the edge. “Robert, the police have been here. I know what you’ve been doing. I don’t need this kind of publicity.”

  Robert listened to his brother rant and rave about his precious image. Yeah, Jared had a thriving business and he did a lot of work for the city. “So what do you want from me?”

  “I want you to leave her the hell alone. Wasn’t it enough you almost killed her two years ago? Not to mention you caused her to have a miscarriage.”

  “She owes me. She’s the reason I had to do time.”

  “Robert, you’re my brother and I love you.”

  Here it comes, Robert thought. “But?”

  “I’m putting the brakes on this here and now. I’m going to have to cut you off.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out about five one-hundred-dollar bills and shoved them at him. “If you’re looking for a job as you say, this should hold you until you find work and get a paycheck.”

  “You do realize there’s a recession? It’s hard for me to find a job, especially now that I’m an ex-convict.”

  “Yes, and all that is your fault. You do realize that you’re not supposed to be within two hundred feet of her? If she files charges against you for breaking that restraining order, you can be sent back to prison.”

  Jared continued. “The locks at my house have been changed. You’ll have to find somewhere else to live. I can not and will not be a party to this. As of right now, I’m washing my hands of you. Your parole officer has called here twice looking for you. You haven’t checked in in three weeks.”

  Robert knew that. He also knew that his time was limited. His PO had probably issued an arrest warrant for him. “So that’s it, you gone toss me to the wind just ’cause the cops paid you a visit.”