Her Very Own Family

by Trish Milburn

  “You’ve been working so much, a little cake isn’t going to hurt your figure. Let’s just hope it’s edible. Brady made it.”

  Audrey eyed Brady with mischief glinting in her blue eyes. “Was there an Easy-Bake Oven in your past?”

  Nelson snorted, nearly choking on his cup of coffee.

  “Oh, sorry.” Audrey reached to aid his dad.

  Nelson waved her away. “No, no, I’m fine. I only wish Sophie was here.”

  “Dad,” Brady said in a warning voice.

  Audrey looked between the two of them. “What am I missing? I’m sensing a good story here.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  Nelson started laughing.

  “That doesn’t sound like nothing,” Audrey said. “Come on, spill.”

  “Just that Brady does have a bit of Easy-Bake experience. Seems I remember him helping Sophie make about a dozen little cakes for the family one Christmas.”

  “She was sick!” Brady rolled his eyes. “This is the story that won’t go away.” He directed his attention to Audrey. “Sophie got the oven for her birthday, and she was determined to make everyone in the family a little cake for Christmas. But she got sick.”

  “And you offered to help her?” She said it in that tone that said there was an “awwww” behind her words.

  “She asked me to, and I said I would only help if she swore not to tell anyone I’d been anywhere near that oven.”

  “Obviously, that didn’t work out.” Audrey pressed her lips together, like she was trying to keep from smiling.

  “No, the little blabbermouth told anyone who’d listen.”

  Audrey snickered. “That’s cute. Did you wear an apron?”

  Brady sat back in his chair. “Ha-ha, very funny.”

  Nelson slid thick slices of cake in front of Audrey and Brady. “There’s nothing wrong with a man knowing how to cook. I should have paid more attention the past forty years.”

  Audrey patted Nelson’s hand. “You did a great job with dinner. It’s much better than anything I could have pulled out of my cooler.” She pulled her hand back and sliced off a bite of cake with her fork. “I’m looking forward to having a refrigerator and stove again.”

  Brady pictured her standing in the kitchen he and his father were building. He figured it’d be full of light and flowers, maybe a touch of mischief, just like Audrey’s personality.

  “This is good, too,” she said after swallowing the first bite of cake. “I’d say the Easy-Bake lessons paid off.”

  “Okay, that’s it.” Brady balled up his napkin and pitched it at her.

  She squealed, then laughed as she picked up the napkin and hurled it back at him. “Maybe I should pay you in aprons and Betty Crocker cake mixes, eh?”

  He was searching for a suitable retort when the back door opened and in walked Craig.

  “Hey, why didn’t I get invited to the party?” He walked in and play-punched Nelson’s shoulder as he had countless times before.

  When his eyes lit on Audrey, appreciation and an I’m-so-available smile spread across his face. Brady’s jaw clenched.

  “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Craig Williams.”

  Audrey shook his hand and glanced at Brady. “Ah, Brady’s partner.” She put the slightest inflection on partner again, then actually had the audacity to wink at Brady. She was enjoying this way too much. This called for retribution, if only he could think of some way to get her back that didn’t involve trapping her against a wall and kissing her senseless.

  She returned her attention to Craig. “You don’t bake by any chance, do you?”

  Nelson barked out a laugh, which caused Audrey to lose her composure. Brady even had to smother a chuckle when he noticed Craig looking really confused.

  Brady survived another recounting of the Easy-Bake Christmas tale by threatening to spread the story of Craig’s blind date on his twenty-first birthday if he ever breathed a word to anyone.

  “Oh, I sense another embarrassing story. Do tell.” Audrey rubbed her palms together in anticipation.

  “No, sirree,” Craig said. “That story is never to be spoken aloud again.”

  Brady snorted. For years, the two of them had played one practical joke after another on each other, each time trying to outdo the other person’s last joke. On Craig’s twenty-first birthday, Brady had arranged for a “really hot” blind date to meet Craig at a Knoxville restaurant near the University of Tennessee campus where they were students. Brady had gotten a table in a corner to watch his best friend’s reaction when he arrived and figured out his date was actually a cross-dressing man. He’d nearly fallen out of his chair laughing when realization hit Craig.

  When they all finished their cake, they talked for a while about the work on the mill. Audrey’s cell phone rang, and she excused herself to take the call in another room. Nelson put the dirty dishes in the sink then sauntered down the hallway to go to the bathroom.

  “So, your dad seems to be doing better,” Craig said.

  “Yeah, staying busy is good for him.”

  “Sounds like you’re staying busy, too. Does that mean you’re getting busy, as well?” Craig nodded toward the doorway through which Audrey had disappeared.

  “No. We’re just helping her out. She’s on her own.”

  “Such a shame for someone as pretty as her to be living the solo life. Maybe I should offer to keep her company.”

  “No.” Brady bit down at the harsh sound of his answer.

  Craig eyed Brady. “Uh-huh, I thought so.”

  “Thought what?”

  “You like her.”

  Brady got up, stalked to the sink and started to run some water for the dishes. “She’s a nice person.”

  “Who happens to be smokin’ hot.”

  Brady eyed his friend and groaned in exasperation. “Do you think you could keep it down?”

  “Dude, make a move before someone else does.” Craig got up from his chair and smacked Brady on the side of the head on his way to the door. “Call me when you’ve gone over the figures,” he said as he pointed at the manila folder he’d tossed onto the counter on his way in earlier.

  Brady didn’t respond to either command. He should focus on the figures for the construction bid, but instead he turned off the water so he might hear Audrey’s voice.

  When he did, she didn’t sound happy.

  “HOW DID YOU GET this number?” Audrey’s pulse raced as she gripped the cell phone, the one with a new number, to her ear.

  “It’s pretty easy to track things like phone numbers, Miss York.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you. Please don’t call me again.”

  She pushed a button to end the call and stood shaking in Nelson’s living room. The reporter’s voice still buzzed in her head, filling her with dread.

  “You okay?”

  She jumped at the sound of Brady’s voice, her nerves frazzled. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”

  He walked toward her, his eyes narrowed and his face full of concern. “You sure? You look upset.”

  “Peachy.” She waved the hand that held the cell phone and tried to force a carefree smile. From the unchanged look on his face, she didn’t fool him. She glanced down, unable to stare into his probing eyes. “Just one of those uncomfortable family things.”

  “Want to talk about it?” He sounded awkward asking the question, like he wasn’t used to doing so.

  She appreciated the offer, especially from a man like Brady who didn’t seem like the overly gabby type. But the last thing on earth she wanted to do was talk to him about her past and how it refused to leave her alone. She liked Brady, and spilling the whole messy truth would likely end their budding friendship.

  “Nah. Actually, I’d better get going. Another busy day tomorrow.”

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  “That’s not necessary.” She was afraid she was going to crack to pieces from trying to keep her shaking under control, and she didn’t want that to hap
pen in front of the guy who was occupying way too many of her thoughts. He’d even started invading her dreams the last couple of nights. She was surprised she was able to talk to him face-to-face after some of those dreams.

  “I know.” He followed her outside anyway, into one of those nights when the moon was so full and bright that you didn’t need any other light to see by.

  When she reached her car, she looked up and found him a little closer than she expected. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. “Thanks for dinner. Tell your dad I had a nice time.” She felt rude for leaving without saying goodbye herself, but she had to get away so she could drop the shaky facade of everything being fine.

  “I will.” He took a step forward, coming so close she’d swear she could feel the warmth coming off his body. “Are you positive you’re okay?”

  She let out a slow breath, then looked up at him and offered a small smile. “I will be.” For a crazy moment, she considered leaning in and kissing him. Who could blame her? The man was more delicious than his orange cake, and they were standing here under a full moon with the crickets chirping and the cool evening air caressing them. And wouldn’t it feel wonderful to be held and not ache from always being so alone?

  But it was a bad idea, no matter how tempting it sounded.

  He looked like he might be having similar thoughts as he eyed her mouth, so she opened her door and positioned it between them. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Before she caved in to her desires and weaknesses, she got inside the car, started the engine and backed away from Brady. When she started down the road, she glanced in the rearview mirror. He stood bathed in moonlight, watching her leave.

  Why did everything, including driving away from her carpenter, have to be so incredibly hard?

  BRADY STOOD OUTSIDE until Audrey’s headlights faded around the curve down the road. She might say she was okay, but he didn’t believe it. That phone call had upset her, and when he’d looked into her eyes he’d seen fear. He’d seen the same look the day of her asthma attack, when she’d been about to fall backward at the park.

  At the time, he’d assumed it had been because she couldn’t breathe. But what if it had been something more? Had she seen something that had freaked her out? He couldn’t imagine what, but the urge to stand between her and whatever might be threatening her rushed through him. He clenched his fists.

  “Audrey left?” his dad asked from the front door.

  “Yeah.”

  “What did you say?”

  Brady turned and gave his dad an exasperated look. “Nothing. She said she had a full day tomorrow and needed to get home. She wanted me to tell you thanks for dinner.”

  “I would have made her up a plate to take with her.”

  “I think she can take care of herself, Dad.”

  And if she couldn’t, he had the distinct feeling he would step into the void.

  Chapter Six

  Audrey buried herself in work, even more so than she had in recent weeks. She helped Nelson and Brady with as much as she could, arranged for the delivery of everything she’d need to open for business, and made countless trips to Elizabethton to buy supplies.

  At night, she continued to crunch numbers and investigate ways to invest what little savings she was going to have left so she could have an emergency cushion in case this dream of hers failed and she had to start over yet again somewhere else.

  She hated the idea of leaving Willow Glen. As she cleared a path through the forest that would become the spur to the Willow Trail, she swallowed hard. She’d come to consider Nelson a much-missed father figure. This mill and slice of Appalachia felt more like home than her place in Nashville ever had, even though she’d lived there far longer.

  And Brady…She couldn’t deny she lit up inside every morning when she saw him. She fantasized about taking their relationship beyond the friendship that was growing every day, but it was too dangerous. She’d rather stay his friend and not have him find out about her past than risk never seeing him again.

  Of course, he’d be going back home to his real job soon. He couldn’t stay here as her carpenter forever. Still, she might run into him now and again in Willow Glen. Maybe she could invite him and Nelson over for dinner from time to time. She preferred to have him smile at her on those occasions than turn the other way in disgust.

  “Hey.”

  She yelped and spun around, her leaf rake raised.

  “Whoa,” Brady said and held up his hand. “Do you always threaten guys bearing cold water?”

  Embarrassment flooded her face as she propped the rake against a tree and tried to slow her pounding pulse. “Sorry. You startled me.”

  Brady walked closer and held out a water jug. She realized how parched she was when she heard the ice slosh against the inside of the container.

  “You need to slow down,” he said. “Your face is really red.”

  Yeah, because she’d almost whacked him with a leaf rake. “I’m okay. It’s the fair skin, makes me look like a tomato if I do the least little thing.”

  He stepped closer, forcing her to look up at him.

  “That’s it. You’re not doing ‘the least little thing.’ You’re going nonstop, and if you don’t slow down I’m going to be forced to tie you to a chair.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “You heard me right,” he said. “I know you want to get this place open, and I know something else is bothering you. But you’re going to keel over if you don’t stop once in a while and at least drink some water and cool down.”

  As if to prove his point, a wave of dizziness hit her and she reached for a tree trunk to steady herself.

  Brady grabbed her hand and led her to a fallen tree a few feet away. “Sit before you fall down. And drink, slowly.”

  She did as she was told though in truth she wanted to gulp the water down as fast as she could. He was right. She was going to drop if she didn’t slow down. Maybe she could relax a little. Hadn’t it been nearly a week since she’d seen the newspaper article, and no one had shown up to question her yet again about her mother’s finances? She’d been in the clear other than one more call from the reporter that she’d promptly erased without listening to it.

  Brady sat beside her. “You seem to have forgotten your recent trip to the hospital. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?”

  She shrugged, too tired to come up with some sort of excuse and not wanting to outright lie.

  “We’re making good progress. You can afford to dial it back.”

  She nodded and took another slow drink of water. The fear that she might lose everything again ate at her. It drove her to work to the point of exhaustion, hoping she’d be rewarded with being able to keep her new life intact.

  Brady leaned toward her. “It’s going to be okay.” She glanced over and found his face close to hers, so close that the least movement forward on her part would bring them into some interesting territory. She heard him suck in a breath. But when she saw too much understanding in his eyes, she looked away. He knew she was hiding something from him.

  She gripped the water jug more tightly to keep from shaking, from giving in to the insane urge to tell him everything to see how he’d react.

  When he reached over and wrapped her hand in his much larger one, she took her turn at inhaling sharply. She closed her eyes and soaked in the feel of his warm skin against hers, wished she could stop worrying that someday he would walk out of her life as quickly as he’d come into it. Stop being concerned that it would matter.

  “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” Brady squeezed her hand then got up and walked back toward the mill.

  Audrey brought her hand, the one he’d held, up to her heart. How could she be falling for a man she barely knew?

  She lowered her hand and looked at her palm, as if his touch had changed her in some profound way, and shook her head. When had common sense and the emotions of the heart ever followed the same path?

  BRADY WATCHED
Audrey for the next couple of days, trying to figure out what it was about her that made him so curious. While she didn’t resume her frantic work pace, she still didn’t take a lot of breaks, either. She had one heck of a work ethic, even if it was going to fry her at some point.

  As he sat at his dad’s kitchen table late one night, working on some plans for another project he and Craig were bidding on, his thoughts kept veering to Audrey and how single-minded she was in getting her new business off the ground. Almost as though if she didn’t get it done by some unnamed date, it’d be the end of the world. Maybe she was running low on funds and needed the inflow of income. He could certainly understand that, though he still believed she needed to slow down. He tamped down the old suspicion about her motives when it tried to make a reappearance. She’d given him no reason to suspect she was after his money.

  He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. His gut told him that whatever was bothering her was more than cash flow.

  “What’s got your forehead all scrunched up?” his dad asked from the doorway to the living room.

  Brady closed the folder in front of him and slid it to the side of the table. “Just tired. I feel like my eyeballs are on fire.”

  “I think it’s time we all took a day off. Think I’ll stay here and fiddle with some furniture designs tomorrow, watch a little baseball.”

  “Maybe I’ll sleep all day.” Between the schedule he’d fallen into at Audrey’s and his own work at night, he was beginning to feel like overcooked toast.

  “Going to be another pretty day. You should go do something fun with Audrey.”

  Brady let out a slow sigh. “Dad. We’ve been over this.”

  “I heard what you said, but I’ve got eyes. Yours don’t say what your mouth does.”

  Brady was too tired to argue. Instead, he got up from the table and headed to bed. Once in his boyhood room, however, he sat on the side of his bed and stared at the floor. What the hell? Maybe his dad was right. He could use a day off, and Audrey sure could the way she’d been working ever since he’d met her. He tried not to think about how much his mood improved once he’d made the decision to spend the day with her, alone and nowhere near a hammer. The big obstacle was convincing her.