“Brady, have you ever thought of speaking to your father again?” I asked suddenly. I knew it was a touchy subject to bring up, but it had been on my mind ever since he had told me the story. I’d thought about it even more after Harold had passed away. I’d been wanting to bring it up all evening, but I hadn’t had the courage until then.
“Harold was my father,” he said defiantly. I didn’t say anything, and after a while, he sighed and shrugged. “Yeah, I do think about it sometimes.”
“I know Harold was like a father to you. And I know your father did some awful things to you. It’s up to you whether you want to forgive him or not. But Brady, I also did some terrible things once upon a time. And I’m not sure what I would do if you only saw that side of me without realizing that I’ve changed. Your father probably regrets what he did and wants nothing more than to have you back in his life again. I just want you to think about it. I don’t want you to one day look back and regret not doing this. But of course, this is your life, and it’s up to you. So, whatever you decide to do, I will support you.”
Brady didn’t say anything for a while, and I hoped that I hadn’t overstepped the mark. But eventually, he nodded. “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brady
“I can’t believe it’s been a month since Harold died. It feels unreal still. You know, I still get to the ranch sometimes and think I’m going to see him.”
Sloan sighed. “I feel the same way. For a man that didn’t say much, he had quite a presence about him. And you know, he never asked me about what was going on. I knew that he knew. I could just tell that he had figured it out. I mean, you just had to go on the internet and it was all over the place. But he didn’t once ask me about it. He was so much like you in that regard. In fact, he was so good to me despite what had happened.”
I nodded. “Harold was a man that didn’t judge anyone. He got to know everyone despite what other people said.”
“I’m still so glad I got to meet him. So, how are you feeling about today?”
Today was a day I had been dreading for the past week. Ever since Sloan and I had that conversation about my father, it had been playing on my mind. She had been kind enough not to bring it up again, but it hadn’t stopped me from thinking about it. And so, a week ago, I plucked up the courage to call Ian. I wasn’t ready to speak to my father just yet, but talking to Ian was a big jump for me already. He’d been so surprised to hear from me, and even though it was awkward at first, soon we were laughing like brothers again. We chatted for a long time. I couldn’t believe how much he had changed in the past few years. It seemed that meeting a girl had done him good. He was easy to talk to, and a lot more accepting of things. He’s the one that convinced me to come and see my father.
“I’m nervous,” I admitted to Sloan.
“Well, that’s natural.”
“And a part of me feels bad. I mean, Harold is the one that was there for me these past few years. I feel like I’m betraying him.”
“Are you crazy? Harold would’ve been so happy to know that you were doing this. You know what he was like. He loved you, Brady, but he would’ve wanted this for you.”
“You’re right. Thanks for coming with me by the way.”
“Anytime,” she smiled.
I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. If she wasn’t coming along, I knew that I would’ve back out already. The whole morning I’d been thinking of not going, but she wouldn’t hear it.
“Okay,” I said. “Are you ready? I think it’s time we hit the road.”
“I’m ready.”
“You really think this is a good idea? What if we fight? What if we can’t stand to be around each other?”
“Then we turn around and come back home. I’m here for you, Brady, no matter what.”
“Okay, then let’s go before I change my mind.”
When we arrived in Arizona, it was just before lunch the following day. We’d stayed over at a motel on the way just to get a few hours’ sleep and it was good to finally arrive. I’d spoken to Ian on the way and he’d assured me that our father was in his office. I parked the car and saw that my hands were trembling.
“You can do this, Brady,” Sloan said.
“It is so strange to be back here.”
“You grew up here, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “I did. But I haven’t been back for years. I haven’t seen my father since I was eighteen. That feels like a lifetime ago.”
“Come on, let’s go in. Sometimes it’s better not to even think about it. Want me to stay in the car while you see him?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to do this without Sloan. “No, I want you with me. If you don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t mind.”
We got out of the car, and Sloan immediately took my hand. I saw someone give her a strange look and I quickly ushered her inside. I forgot that people would probably recognize her and that the media would be on her back if they caught wind of where she was. I hadn’t actually realized how much she was risking just to be there for me. I squeezed her hand and smiled at her.
I saw my father’s office in the distance and stopped short just before going in. I had to compose myself and take a few breaths before carrying on. Then I looked at Sloan and nodded. “Let’s do this,” I said.
I walked into my father’s office and couldn’t help but smile at the figure that was hunched over the desk. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and for a few seconds he didn’t even notice that we had walked in. When he looked up, I was shocked at how much older he was. In my mind, I still thought of him as he was the last time that we had seen each other.
“Brady? Brady is that you?” he said.
I nodded. “Hey, Pop.”
“Oh, Brady. I can’t believe my eyes. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. I . . . well, I just wanted to see you again.”
My father stood up, walked around his desk, and took me in his arms. He was thinner than I remembered but I wasn’t sure if that was because of his age or because of the cancer. It felt strange being in his arms. I couldn’t remember the last time that he’d even hugged me. Not since my mother was still alive. When we pulled away, I saw that he was crying. And I realized, so was I.
“Brady, my boy. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” my father whispered over and over again.
“I’m sorry too, Pop,” I said. I hadn’t expected to hear myself apologizing, so it took me by surprise.
“Don’t you dare apologize to me. I owe you the world of apologies. It’s so good to see you. Wow, you’ve grown so much. You . . . oh, Brady, you look just like your mother.”
I smiled. It was true; I looked a lot like her. Sloan had told me the same thing. It was then that I remembered that Sloan was standing next to me. She looked tearful when I looked at her.
“Pop, I’d like you to meet Sloan. She’s . . . uh . . . .” I trailed off. Sloan and I still hadn’t discussed what we were to each other.
Sloan walked forward and took his hand. “I’m his girlfriend,” she said and flashed me a smile.
My father looked at Sloan and grinned. “His girlfriend? Wow, it’s great to meet you. You’re beautiful. Sorry, I hope that’s not too forward. But you really are beautiful. Brady, you did well here.”
I beamed. “Oh, trust me, Pop, I know. I tell myself that every day. Are you free for lunch?”
“Of course I am.”
We went to say hello to Ian, who was working hard next door on a client’s bike. It was good to see him again, and it was even better introducing Sloan to him. I was proud to have a girlfriend like her to show off to my family. Afterward, we made our way out to lunch where my father and I spent a good portion of the time talking through our problems. It was mostly due to Sloan who seemed adamant that we needed to talk it out before the two of us headed back to Wyoming.
“I still can’t believ
e that you’re here,” my father said.
“I’m sorry I didn’t visit you in the hospital. Are you okay now? What’s going on?”
“Don’t be sorry. When you wouldn’t accept my apology all those years ago, I became so angry at you. I shut you off completely. But deep down, I was always just so upset with myself for what I did. Not seeing you was almost a way to ignore what happened. I’m not like that anymore, Brady. I was so messed up when your mother died. I drank to make myself feel nothing. But really, all I felt was rage. And I loved you boys more than you think. But sometimes, you were too much of a reminder of the fact that she was gone. I’m so sorry. I don’t blame you for not visiting me in the hospital. I really don’t. And I’m okay, Brady. It was a long process, and I’m not completely fine. But I’m getting stronger every day.”
“I’m glad to hear of it.”
“How’s Grant, by the way? I was so angry when he left. But he sounds so happy. And he’s come to visit a few times. I cannot believe how well he fits in your town. He’s not a city boy at heart, that’s for sure.”
I laughed. “He’s not. Will you come and visit us, Pop? Grant and I live right next door to each other, and I have plenty space.”
“I’d love that. So, do you still ride?” he asked.
I shook my head. I used to love riding on my motorcycle when I was younger, and I’d continued with it for a few years even after I stopped talking to my father. But it reminded me so much of my old life that I eventually stopped.
“Not for a very long time. Although, seeing the bikes in the shop did make me realize that I miss it more than I thought I did.”
“As much as some of you boys don’t want to admit it, it’s in your blood. Want to take Sloan for a spin? I’m sure you haven’t forgotten how to ride.”
I grinned. I hadn’t for one minute thought that I’d be riding that day. It hadn’t even crossed my mind. Then again, I also hadn’t thought my father and I would resolve things as quickly as we did. “Yes! Let’s do it.”
We finished our lunch and made our way back to the bike shop. Ian let me use his bike, and we got Sloan an extra helmet. She climbed up behind me and wrapped her arms around me as I took off. My father climbed on his bike and led the way. I followed my father through the streets of Arizona and smiled at the familiar sights, as well as the familiar feeling of being on the bike again. It was incredible. I still couldn’t believe where I was and what was happening. My father was in front of me. My father, whom I had just spent a few hours hugging and crying with. And Sloan was behind me, holding onto me and shrieking in delight.
Later on, when we said our goodbyes and made promises to visit again, we got into the car. I was still feeling elated from the day as I turned to look at Sloan. Her hair was a mess from the bike ride, but it only made her look more beautiful. I chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Your hair.”
“What?” she said and quickly pulled down the mirror to look at herself. She gasped and tried to straighten it back down. “How long has it been like this?”
I laughed. “Not long. And don’t fix it. You’re adorable. That’s the way you look when you wake up in the morning.”
“I look like this? Seriously? Poor you.”
“No. Lucky me.”
She smiled. “How are you feeling? That went a lot better than I thought it would.”
“What? You told me it was going to go well!”
“I know. But I didn’t think it would go this well. I’ve never seen a man has happy as your father. You did good today, Brady.”
“I wouldn’t have done it without you. I’ve never been this happy before, Sloan. You’re the missing piece that my life needed. I love you.”
“I love you too, Brady.”
“Let’s head back. I have a sudden urge to get you into bed, and that motel is calling our name.”
She laughed. “With hair like this, it’s where I belong, anyway.”
Epilogue
Sloan
Two years later
It was the two-year reunion since the last rodeo that I’d watched. Brady had been out of it for a while, but had decided to start again after Trace had begged him to rejoin. I enjoyed all the other events, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous when he got on the bull again. The bull looked as mean as he always did, but I decided to focus my attention on Brady instead of the animal. For the most part, it worked. Brady looked so sexy when he was out there.
Brady told me that he was determined not to let the bull defeat him this time, and he obviously meant it. He walked away with the title, and the entire crowd went crazy when he won. He was a firm favorite. Although, I did notice a few people with their phones ready to take a video when he was on the bull. Clearly, nobody had forgotten what had happened two years ago. I was so glad that he didn’t have a repeat of that, and I was glad to see him so happy out there.
Afterward he came to me and told me that he had to go figure out his prize winnings and he’d come back to get me when he was done. I sat back and watched the crowd around me. Every now and again someone would walk past and greet me. I’d been living in Wyoming for two years now, and I already knew so many people. It was a very different life to what I was used to back in New York. Nobody seemed too bothered by the fact that I was once a famous actress. There’d been a slight boom in my popularity when the movie came out, especially since it had been shot in their hometown. But they were mostly just excited to have me living with them, and everyone had taken it in their stride. There were still some people that wanted to talk to me about being an actress, and still some that asked for my autograph. But for the most part, I was just treated like the rest of the people living in the area. They saw me as one of them, and never once put me on a pedestal. It was hard to explain just how nice it felt to feel normal again.
The movie had done well, and I was glad that Roger had decided to still release it. He’d asked me to do a few interviews and to be open and honest about my past. I was worried that I was going to ruin the movie for him, so I said yes to a few interviews and told the world the truth about what had happened. People seemed happy with my honesty, and I think it actually made the movie more popular. There were still some people who sent me nasty letters, and there was still the odd angry social media post. But I didn’t care anymore. I was happy, and that was all that mattered to me. I was surprised at how little I missed that lifestyle, anyway. If people wanted to talk about me behind my back, that was okay. I had more important things to do with my life.
My phone rang as I was waiting. It was Victoria.
“Vic!”
“Hey, Sloan, this is an okay time?” she asked.
“It is. It’s a great time. I’m at the rodeo at the moment. Brady just won the bull riding competition.”
“Yes! I knew he would.” Victoria yelled. “He beat the beast!”
I chuckled. “He did. It was scary watching him on it, though. I don’t know how he does it. Sometimes I think that man has no fear. I took a photo of it to send to you. That is one mean-looking bull. I’m so glad it’s over. Where are you, by the way? You sound like you’re in a barn or something. There’s so much noise.”
She laughed. “A barn? Wow, your mind is always on that place now. Imagine a barn in New York? Nah, I’m at some fashion show. There’s some commotion going on. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing. When are you coming to visit?”
“Actually, I’m coming to visit soon. I was talking to Brady the other day. I think it’s time he sees where I used to live.”
Victoria had come to visit twice already, but we still hadn’t made a plan to go to New York, even though we spoke about it all the time. I didn’t have my loft apartment anymore, but I still wanted to show him around. No matter how bad things had gotten, it was still a part of my life.
“That’s a great idea. I’d love to have the two of you here. You can stay with me. Granted, my apartment is not as big as your place, but we’ll m
ake do.”
“That would be wonderful. Oh, I have to go,” I said as I spotted Brady walking my way. “Can I call you back later?”
“For sure. Call me anytime. Talk soon.”
“Thanks for calling, Vic.”
I put the phone down and ran toward Brady. I wrapped my arms around him and congratulated him once again for winning the competition.
“I’m so proud of you,” I said. “You did so well. The crowd was loving you.”
“Want to come and say hi to the bull?”
“Not a chance. I still haven’t forgiven him from the last time. I was just telling Victoria how mean he was.”
“I don’t blame you. Even I was a little wary about riding him. But I was determined not to let him get the better of me. Hey, what’s that in your hand?”
I smiled as I opened up my hands to show him the small stuffed horse that he had won for me at the last rodeo.
“It’s Betty,” I said. “Remember, you won her for me.”
“Of course I remember. The man was so surprised that you chose that one over all the other stuffed animals. I didn’t even know you still had that.”
“Oh, I’ll never get rid of her. She’s my lucky charm,” I said.
“Wow, and it worked. Thanks, Betty.”
“So, what’s happening next? Want to overdose on candy again?”
“Always,” he said and grinned. “But first, I have something I want to show you.”
“Ooh, what’s that?”
“You’ll see; come with me.”
I followed Brady to the back of the rodeo grounds were a big tent had been erected. I was sure that tent wasn’t there the last time that we’d attended the rodeo.
“That’s new,” I said. “What’s in there?”
Brady didn’t answer me. He just held my hand and continued to walk. We were approaching the tent from the side, and I couldn’t see inside. There also didn’t seem to be any noise at all coming from it. But the moment we stepped inside, a crowd of people erupted into applause. I looked around in shock at the faces of the people I knew. I spotted Brady’s father immediately, as well as his brothers. They waved at me, and I waved back even though I had no idea what was going on. I seemed frozen in surprise. Then, I frowned when I saw Victoria grinning at me from the corner. What was she doing there? I had just spoken to her. But I didn’t have a chance to even ask her because as I turned back toward Brady, I saw that he was kneeling in front of me.
Dirty Stepbrother - A Firefighter Romance (The Maxwell Family) Page 155
