The Return of Brody McBride

by Jennifer Ryan

  Rain turned her sad eyes on him. He wasn’t sure how all of this would turn out; he could only imagine how Rain felt.

  “What is it?” Autumn asked, pouring syrup on her pancakes.

  It always struck Owen how much the two girls looked alike, even though they had different mothers. It was sometimes creepy to see two sets of identical sky blue eyes turn to him, the same as his only brother, Brody’s.

  “Well, on my way to town today, I stopped by the old cabin.” He stalled, knowing there was no way to prepare the girls. “My brother came home last night.”

  Autumn looked up at her sister, and by silent agreement Dawn spoke for the two of them. “Does he want to meet us?”

  “I’m not sure, honey.”

  Dawn turned to her mother. “You didn’t tell him about us, yet.”

  “I haven’t spoken to him, sweetheart. Uncle Owen just told me he’s back.”

  “But you’ll tell him. You’ll go and talk to him,” Dawn said with a hint of demand in her voice.

  Rain bit her lip, pushed away from the counter, and came to her daughters. She put a hand on each of them. “I will talk to him. Everything will be fine.”

  “Does this mean Roxy is coming back, too?” Autumn asked, looking down at her lap, pancakes forgotten.

  Rain bent beside her and cupped her face and made Autumn meet her gaze. “I promise you, Roxy will never take you away from me again.” When Autumn didn’t look convinced, Rain asked, “Don’t you want to meet your dad?”

  Autumn shrugged and tears filled her eyes. “I guess.”

  “What’s really bothering you?” Rain coaxed.

  “Will he take me away because I’m not really yours?”

  Rain glanced at Owen and he understood the depth of what it meant to have Brody come home out of the blue.

  “Autumn, sweetheart, you are mine. You are my daughter. You have been since the day you were born. God just made a mistake when he put you in Roxy’s belly and not mine. But you are the daughter of my heart, and I love you every bit as much as I love your sister. I would never let anyone take you from me. I’m your mommy, now, and forever.”

  “Promise?” Autumn’s lips trembled. One tear slipped past her lashes and trailed over her softly rounded cheek.

  “I promise.” Rain took Autumn into her arms and stared over her shoulder at Owen.

  Owen got the message. He and Brody had better not make a liar out of her. Autumn had been through enough. They all had. Rain spent every day working her ass off to provide the girls with everything they needed, but moreover, she gave them both the love they needed. If Owen—or anyone, for that matter—didn’t know Autumn wasn’t her biological daughter, you’d never guess by the way she was treated, if not for the fact she and Dawn looked nearly identical. Owen had no trouble thinking of them as fraternal twins. That Rain would love Brody’s daughter by Roxy as her own was more than anyone could ask. Rain went to drastic measures to get Autumn—and keep her.

  Rain was right, God made a mistake in not putting both babies in Rain’s belly. But he’d sure as hell made up for it, giving Autumn a champion in Rain. Autumn had really lucked out when Rain stepped in, and stood firm, to save her.

  “Autumn, Dawn, Brody just got back. What you might not know is that he was injured in the military, fighting overseas.” Owen cautiously broached the subject.

  Unsure how much the girls knew, Rain was very careful about telling the girls too much about their father. She didn’t want to get their hopes up for something that might never happen.

  “Mom told us,” Dawn said.

  “Well, he looks fine, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have bad memories about the war.” Owen thought of the anti-anxiety meds and the disturbing way Brody woke up this morning. “He told me he came home to see your mom. I think that’s a good sign, girls.”

  “When will you tell him about us?” Dawn asked, waiting for either him or Rain to answer.

  “I’ll tell him tomorrow how to find your mom. He thought she moved away years ago. He’ll probably come to see your mom . . . and you,” he added.

  “So, you’ll tell him about Mom, but not us?” Dawn asked.

  “Your mom should tell your dad about the both of you. No matter what happens, your mom will take care of you. Besides, once your dad gets over the shock, I think he’ll be really happy to see both of you.”

  Owen wanted to laugh at the disbelieving looks on the girls’ faces. They weren’t too sure about Brody. Both hooked their arms around their mother. “Brody’s got his work cut out for him winning over you girls,” Owen said with a smile. “He’s never met a challenge he couldn’t beat.” He stood and went to Rain and planted a kiss on her forehead. “It’ll be fine. You’ve got until tomorrow. Tell the girls again about the Brody you loved.”

  “That’s not the man they’ll meet,” she said defensively.

  “Are you sure about that? He was always his best when he was with you. Just look at them. There’s something truly good and decent in him, and it shows in them. It showed any time anyone saw the two of you together. That’s what she wanted, a little piece of what he was with you.” Rain understood he was talking about Roxy. The girls were pretty smart, even at seven. He didn’t doubt they knew exactly who he referred to. “The only good she got from him went straight into Autumn.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Give him a chance to be their father. Who knows, maybe you can put back together a few of those shattered dreams.”

  “I’ve done just fine on my own.”

  “The operative words are on your own. Brody owes you. He’s their father. Responsible for them financially, if nothing else.”

  “I don’t want his money.”

  “Maybe not. But it wouldn’t hurt. The girls are getting older, the things they want and need are more expensive. College will be here before you know it.” She frowned and the lines on her forehead deepened. “Take today to think of all the possibilities Brody’s return presents for you.”

  “The only possibility concerning me right now is the possibility he’ll hightail it out of town faster than he did the last time,” she said under her breath. Both girls ate their breakfast, not listening to them.

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that, darlin’. I do believe my brother has made it plain, he aims to have you back.”

  With that, he kissed his nieces on the tops of their heads. Rain’s astonished gaze followed him as he walked out the door smiling.

  Chapter Three

  * * *

  RAIN WALKED INTO the garage bay alone after dropping the girls at school. They’d asked her a hundred questions about Brody and what she thought about him coming home. They worried Brody would try to take them away from her, and would he want to see them and be their dad. She didn’t have the answers to those hard questions and tried to explain to the girls as best she could what might happen. She needed to prepare them, but she didn’t want them to spend the next twenty-four hours worrying themselves sick over it.

  Maybe she should go straight out to the cabin and confront Brody. Nerves raw, her mind scattered. Her heart betrayed her memories, calling out, “Yeah, Brody is back.”

  She’d loved him once upon a time, and that love bloomed back to life at just the thought of seeing Brody again. She fought hard to tamp down her feelings and concentrate on important matters. Her girls. Her heart could just take a flying leap, because she couldn’t afford to be a foolish girl, pining for lost dreams, wishing for happily-ever-after, when she had two seven year old hearts to consider. If Brody didn’t want to be a part of their lives, she’d deal with a hurt unlike anything she’d ever felt herself over Brody leaving her. Autumn and Dawn would be devastated. This could change things for them forever. It was one thing to know your father was out there somewhere, oblivious to your existence, but to have him come home, find out about you, and deny you his love and affection was another matter entirely.

  If Brody McBride did that to her girls, she’d kill him. No way she’d let him g
et away with hurting her babies.

  But first, she needed to tell her father. Pop had been there for her from the day gossip circulated that Roxy hooked up with Brody and when Brody left. He’d supported her decision when she told him college was out of the question—she was pregnant.

  She hated letting her father down, tossing all his dreams for her to the wind. He’d never said he was disappointed, but how could he not be when he’d worked his whole life to ensure she’d have the means to go to college and be whatever she wanted to be. Instead, she’d used her college money to right a wrong. As much as it must have hurt him to see her miss out on college and a different kind of life, he had told her one night over her daughters’ crib, them sleeping soundly, he was proud of her and the woman and mother she’d become.

  It might not be the life he’d dreamed for her, or she’d dreamed for herself, but she’d made the most out of it. She was happy being a mother. If being a mechanic and helping her father run his garage wasn’t as fulfilling as she’d like, it was a good, steady job that allowed her flexible hours to be with the girls when they needed her.

  She found Pop in the office going over invoices. Flutters tickled her stomach, spreading out across her taught nerves. He looked just like he had her whole life. That same red ball cap on his dark-haired head, black T-shirt stretched over a broad chest and belly that had only slightly expanded over the years. She knew just how those strong arms felt when they wrapped around her. He’d always made her feel safe and protected.

  She leaned her shoulder against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. She took a minute to just look at him before she royally pissed him off. “Hey, Pop.”

  An easy smile spread across his face. “Hey, yourself. Get the girls off to school?”

  “Yep.”

  “What’s with the look?”

  “What look?”

  “The one you give me every time you have something to say and don’t want to say it. So, what is it this time? You need time off to spend with the girls?”

  “No. Nothing like that. Um, I had a visitor for breakfast this morning.”

  Pop sat back in his chair and gave her a knowing grin. “Got a new man in your life?” he teased, knowing there hadn’t been a man in her life since Brody. Though he’d hinted, cajoled, and outright told her to go out and find a man, or at least get laid. This, from her own father. He had her best interests at heart, wanted to see her happy and have a full life.

  “No, not a new man. An old one,” she admitted reluctantly. His eyes narrowed with confusion, and she plunged ahead. “Brody’s back in town.”

  “You saw him? He came to your house this morning?” Angry, his fists clenched on the desk.

  “No. Owen came by to tell me he saw Brody this morning at the cabin.”

  “Does he know about the girls?”

  “No. He’s been discharged from the military, and he’s come home.”

  “I see.” Pop clamped down his jaw so tightly the muscles flexed like a pulse.

  “He told Owen he came back to find me,” she blurted out.

  Pop leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk, staring at her intently. “Is that right? Are you going to take him back?”

  Not wavering under her father’s steady gaze, she answered, “Whatever Brody and I had is over.”

  “It’s not over. You share a child together, and you’re raising his other daughter as your own.”

  “Then whatever relationship we can manage to have will be as parents to the girls. If he wants them,” she added.

  “I can’t figure out if you’re lying to me, or just yourself.”

  “What?”

  “You love him. You’ve always loved him.”

  “That was a long time ago. You never approved my seeing him, but knew it was what I wanted. Then. Not now.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Rain. You still love him. You know how I know that. Because I loved your mother the same way. When I was with her, even after she was gone, I loved her. Every other woman paled in comparison, and I could never see myself with anyone else.”

  She gave her father a knowing smile, but he ignored it. He still loved her mother, but she knew he’d found a way to move on, even if he kept it a secret. To this point, she hadn’t managed to do the same.

  “It’s been eight years, and I don’t think you’ve ever looked at a man, let alone thought about having a life with one if he wasn’t Brody.”

  “That’s not true. I’ve been raising the girls and working here. There’s no time for anything else.”

  “You’ve never made time for anything else. Guys come in here all the time, eyeing you and flirting with you.”

  “They do not,” she said, her eyes wide with shock.

  “You never notice. It’s like other men don’t exist.”

  “I don’t get you. You’ve hated Brody all these years for leaving me, sleeping with Roxy, hiding away, never knowing about the girls. Now, you sit there, tell me I’m in love with him, and act like if he and I picked up where we left off, you’d be fine with it.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, he’s got a lot to answer for, but more than anything, I want you to be happy.”

  “He doesn’t make me happy. He makes me angry, furious, ready to kill,” she shouted.

  “Sounds like a whole lot of passion.” He laughed outright when she glared and threw up her hands, pushed away from the door, and moved toward him.

  “I remember how happy you used to be with him. When you were with him, you shined.

  “You’ve got every reason in the world to be angry. I hope you give him hell and make his life miserable for a while. But then, I want you to answer something for yourself once and for all. Is what you had in the past still burning bright, or has it faded to a memory? If you still love him, can you forgive him? Or is it over?

  “Don’t answer now. When you see him, take whatever time you need to discover who he is now, who you are now, and figure out if the two people you’ve become can make a life together work. Not for the girls, but for you.

  “You deserve some happiness and love. If he can give you both, I’ll stand behind you like I always do. If he’s not the one, you can move on with a clear mind and a heart that’s finally free to love again.”

  Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled them back. “Oh, Pop, I don’t deserve you. After everything that’s happened . . .”

  “None of which was your fault alone. You’ve done me proud, working beside me, raising those girls, being the best you can be for me and for them. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

  “You’ve been watching too many old sappy movies again.”

  “I love you, honey. Doesn’t mean I’m not pissed about what he did.” The look in the man’s eyes told her just how much anger he’d harbored over the years.

  “Kill him, or maim him?” he asked, no question he was serious.

  “Well, don’t kill him. Autumn and Dawn want to meet him.”

  “How are the girls taking this?”

  “They’re scared he’ll take them.”

  “Autumn, especially, I guess.” Pop understood the girls had been through a lot.

  “She asked if Roxy was coming back, too.”

  “Roxy’s got eyes and ears in this town. Once she finds out Brody’s back, she’ll make trouble.”

  “It’s the one thing she does well. I’ve already thought of that. I just don’t know what I can do to prepare Autumn. As it is, she thinks Brody will take her away from me because I’m not her real mother, and he’s her father.”

  “Brody won’t do that.”

  It helped that Pop believed those confident words.

  “I wish I thought the same. The fact of the matter is, he could very well sue me for custody of both of them.”

  “He won’t. He’ll know they belong to you.”

  “They belong to him, too. They’re a part of him. I can’t help but think he’ll want them in his life.”

  “Of course he will. They�
��re his daughters. What you need to do is come together against Roxy. Don’t let her get to him and make a deal, or worse turn him against you.”

  She spoke one of her deepest fears. “You don’t think he’ll be pissed I kept both his daughters from him all this time?”

  “All he had to do was call. You. Owen. Anyone in this damn town, and he’d have known about those girls. You tried your best to find him. It’s not your fault he rambled around for the better part of two years before he joined the military. What was the point in looking for him when he didn’t want to be found?”

  “I know you’re right. I can’t help thinking if it were me, I’d have wanted to know about them.”

  “If that were the case, and it crossed his mind, even for a second he might have gotten you or Roxy pregnant, he should have called to find out.”

  “What guy would think of that?”

  “A guy who loved you and wanted to know if he had a way back to you,” Pop said bluntly.

  “Well thanks. That just proves the point, he didn’t want to come back to me.”

  “He was just too stupid to think a baby would be a damn good way to stay in your life. When he finds out about Dawn, he’ll kick himself halfway to hell for not thinking she was a possibility. Then, he’ll realize if he had, he could have had you both in his life all this time. When he knows what happened with Autumn, he’ll be angry. After you lay all your cards on the table, Rain, this will hurt him deeply.”

  “You don’t know that. He could just as easily leave town again, never looking back. Worse, he could take Autumn with him, demand partial custody of Dawn, and take her away from me for weeks or months at a time.”

  “You’re borrowing trouble.”

  “Maybe so, but I have to be prepared for the possibilities.”

  “You could go to him, find out what he really wants. Tell him about the girls and give him time to settle into the idea of being a father.”

  “Owen will tell him where to find me tomorrow. Today, I need to be with my girls.”

  “You’ve had seven years. You’ll have the rest of their lives.”