Baby's Breath (Garden of Love 2)

by Melanie Wilber

  “I’m Brandon Mitchell,” he said. “I just moved here from Eugene. I’m a computer software and website designer, and my favorite activity is playing basketball.”

  “Now there is a fine specimen of God’s creation,” Allison said later when she caught Josie staring at him. He had brought his guys down to their end of the gym for some three-on-three basketball while they waited for the parents to arrive, and Josie couldn’t help but watch him move around the court with strength and finesse.

  Feeling her cheeks warm at Allison’s comment, Josie glanced around to see if anyone one else had heard.

  “You should go introduce yourself,” Josie said, turning to face her. “You just moved from Brazil. He just moved from Eugene. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.”

  Allison laughed. “I already met him this morning,” she said. “Have you?”

  “I guess you could say that.”

  “Here he comes,” Allison said.

  She turned in time to see Brandon jogging toward them with the basketball under one arm. It didn’t look like he had even broken a sweat.

  “Hello, ladies.”

  “Hi,” Allison replied. Josie felt like she had glue stuck between her tongue and the roof of her mouth.

  “This is a nice surprise to see you here,” he said, looking directly at her.

  “How did you get involved in this?”

  “My aunt.”

  “Your aunt goes to this church?”

  He tossed the ball to a high school boy behind him. “She’s the director of children’s ministries, Ellen Walker. Do you know her?”

  “You’re Ellen’s nephew?”

  “Yep.”

  “How do you two know each other?” Allison interrupted.

  “We’re neighbors,” they said in unison.

  Allison didn’t hide her amusement. “Oh, really?”

  Josie fought to keep a straight face. Brandon looked lost. Allison recovered by asking Brandon if he knew some of her relatives who lived in the Eugene area. He didn’t and said where he had grown up and the church he had gone to there. Josie didn’t know what it was about Brandon that made him so watchable, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  “Bye, Josie,” she heard Lily say, coming up beside her. “Maybe we can find some time to get together this week.”

  “I’d like that. Call me, all right?”

  “All right,” she replied, her eyes flitting to Brandon and back. “Who’s that?” she mouthed.

  Josie smiled. “I’ll tell you later,” she whispered.

  After Lily stepped away, Josie turned back to Brandon and Allison but began to feel like a third wheel in this conversation. She decided to excuse herself to go pick up Tommy from downstairs, not expecting either of them to pay any attention to her departure.

  Brandon said something before she stepped away. “I thought maybe we could carpool from now on. Sunday mornings too, if you want.”

  “Tommy and I usually walk.”

  “In the dark?” he asked.

  “There’s a bus stop on the corner,” she explained. “We take the bus at night and when it’s raining.”

  “Let me give you a ride home,” Brandon said, then added with his amazing smile emerging. “You’re right on my way.”

  Josie glanced at Allison, not wanting to interrupt anything that may be brewing between her and Brandon. She seemed unaffected by Brandon’s offer.

  “Okay,” she said, unable to think of any way out of it. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  When she stepped into the fellowship hall downstairs, Josie didn’t have to wait long to see Tommy coming toward her.

  “Hi, baby. Did you have a good time?”

  “I can already say the first verse in my new book.”

  “That’s great, honey,” Josie said, waving at Mr. Davidson before they turned to go.

  “My team won too,” he said, holding up his small prize.

  They went back up the stairs and reached the large foyer outside the gym. Josie spotted Brandon near the door. Allison was there too but was on her way out with two other girls. She waved and Brandon smiled at her before she stepped away.

  “Hi, Brandon.” Tommy said. “I made three goals at my game today!”

  “All right! High five?”

  Tommy reached up and slapped Brandon’s large hand.

  Too dumbfounded to speak, Josie stared at their exchange. How did Tommy know his name?

  “Are you ready?” Brandon asked.

  Josie nodded. “Brandon is giving us a ride home,” she told Tommy.

  “Can we ride in your truck?” Tommy asked.

  “Sure can,” Brandon said.

  “Cool!”

  This time Josie could not hold back. “How do you know Brandon has a truck?”

  “He showed me.”

  Her eyes moved to Brandon. “When was this?”

  Brandon opened the door and held it for them. She stepped past him into the cool evening air.

  “The other night when I met him and--Mrs. Ramsey, is it?”

  “Yes,” Josie confirmed, glancing over her shoulder and waiting for Brandon to go on.

  “They were coming back from their walk, and I met them on my way to get some dinner. On Friday night, I think. Mrs. Ramsey and I had a nice chat.”

  They descended the front steps and followed Brandon up the street. Brandon helped Tommy into the back seat of the mid-sized truck with a double cab. Brandon opened the front passenger door for her, and she thanked him. It appeared fairly new and had nice leather seats. Tommy noticed the video monitors in the back that could show DVD movies and also play video games, Brandon said. Tommy thought that was “cool”, of course.

  Okay, so he’s gorgeous and rich. Still not the qualities I’m most interested in. She felt her defensive guard going up, fully expecting him to do something to keep her from thinking so highly of him for much longer.

  On the short drive home, she learned a few more things about him, but it was Tommy that did most of the talking. She had never seen Tommy warm up to anyone as quickly as Brandon. And Brandon seemed completely at ease as well.

  When Josie unlocked the door of her apartment, Tommy bolted inside. “Get ready for bed, honey,” she called after him.

  “Thanks for the ride,” she said, turning to Brandon who had followed them to the door. “It was a nice surprise to see you there tonight.”

  “Do you usually go on Sunday mornings too?” Brandon asked.

  “I can only go twice a month with my work schedule. I’m a nurse at Willamette Hospital, and I work the nightshift. I have every other weekend off.”

  “Mommy!” Tommy yelled from the hall bathroom. She didn’t want to leave Brandon standing there while she went to see what he needed.

  “Excuse me,” she said, holding the door open with her back. “Would you like to come in for some coffee or something?”

  “Sure, that would be great,” he said and stepped inside.

  “Okay.” She released the door and let Brandon close it behind him, not feeling certain why she had invited him to stay, but not feeling uncomfortable with the idea either. “I’ll be right back.”

  She went to Tommy and found him struggling with the zipper on his jeans. Getting down on her knees in front of him, Josie tugged on the small metal clasp, but it wouldn’t budge. She realized a thread had gotten stuck and when she tried to pull it out, the thread broke, leaving the rest in the zipper.

  “Mommy! I have to go potty!”

  “Maybe we can get them off without unzipping them,” Josie said, trying to tug the jeans over his hips. They were too snug. She tried working on the zipper again, pulling harder this time. It wouldn’t move.

  Tommy began to bounce up and down. “Mommy, hurry!”

  “Tommy! Hold still! I’m trying to get it!”

  Brandon appeared in the doorway. “Can I help?” he asked.

  Feeling exasperated, Josie explained the situation. “I might have to cut them of
f.”

  “Did you try pulling it back up and then down again?” he asked, stepping into the narrow room and kneeling next to her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  She gave his suggestion a try. “It won’t move either way.”

  “Do you mind?” he asked, reaching for the zipper himself.

  Josie dropped her hands and leaned against the bathtub to let Brandon get closer to Tommy. Despite the predicament of the moment, Josie couldn’t take her eyes from his smooth clean-cut features. She noticed how his dark hair curled up slightly behind his ear. That wonderful cologne filled the air once again. What is that? It’s so nice.

  “I have to go bad, Mommy!”

  Josie decided to go find the scissors.

  “Hang on, buddy,” Brandon said. “I think I got it.”

  The zipper came down. Josie stared in disbelief for a moment before she remembered to give Tommy some privacy. Brandon stood to his full height also and followed her out the door.

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I worked at a summer camp for years, and kids were always getting their sleeping bag or back pack zippers stuck.”

  “Well, thank you. You certainly saved the day, not to mention my sanity!”

  “And Tommy’s pants,” Brandon added.

  She laughed and then remembered why she had invited him in. “I only have flavored instant coffee. Is that all right?”

  “That’s fine,” he said.

  “I can’t see making a whole pot for one person,” she explained, then regretted her words. Don’t sound so desperate for companionship, Josie. “I mean, I usually get something from Starbucks, but I keep some on hand for when I can’t get out because Tommy is already in bed.”

  Not wanting him to feel like she expected him to go get them something, she quickly filled her tea kettle with fresh water and placed it on the stove, then opened the cupboard.

  “Do you want Irish Cream, French Vanilla, or Suisse Mocha?” she called out, not realizing he had followed her into the kitchen.

  “I’ve never had Irish Cream,” he said over her shoulder. “I’ll give that a try.”

  Josie took the small can from the shelf, feeling flustered by how close he was standing beside her. She set the canister on the counter and turned to face him. She didn’t feel uncomfortable with his presence in a fearful kind of way, just uncertain. She made eye contact and returned his warm smile.

  “Have you lived here long?” Brandon asked, stepping away to look at the display of pictures she had on her refrigerator.

  “Three years,” she replied, feeling relieved he had given her some breathing room. Taking two mugs from the cupboard, she spooned the powdery coffee crystals into them. She could taste the mint already, catching a whiff of the mild aroma.

  “You must like it here.”

  “It’s nice,” she said. “It’s quiet most of the time, except during Rose Festival and a few other times when they’ve got stuff going on at the waterfront.”

  “I like the river,” he said. “My aunt recommended this area when I asked about housing up here. It’s hard to believe it’s the same river my condo in Eugene overlooked.”

  She thought that was interesting, but an alarm went off in her head. She wondered if Ellen had purposely told Brandon about RiverPlace because she lived here. That sounded like Ellen, always the relentless matchmaker. Not that she had pestered her about dating, but she had introduced her to a few guys in the past. She hoped Ellen hadn’t said anything to Brandon about her. She’d hate for Brandon to feel obligated to spend some time with her because his aunt wanted him to. She felt her guard going up once again. Don’t set yourself up to get hurt.

  When the water was hot she poured some into the mugs and handed one to Brandon. “I need to tuck Tommy in,” she said, taking her own cup to set on the coffee table. “I’ll be back.”

  “Take your time,” he said. “Do you mind if I look at this photo album?”

  “Go right ahead,” she said.

  She found Tommy in his room, having some trouble getting his pajama shirt on. “Looks like this is getting too small,” Josie said, remembering she needed to buy him some more. She had been hoping these summer ones would last until the weather cooled off again.

  Tommy climbed into bed, and she read him a story. After Tommy said his prayers, she kissed him good-night and left the room, leaving the door open as he preferred.

  Before returning to the living room, Josie went to her bathroom and splashed some cool water on her face. She had a hard time understanding why Brandon had made the effort to drive them home, let alone agree to come in for coffee. The more she thought about it, the more she became convinced Ellen must have something to do with this. Surely he had better things to do than spend the remainder of the evening with her. Of course she had no idea how long he planned to stay. Perhaps he had only accepted her invitation to be polite, with the intention of leaving as soon as possible without being rude.

  Returning to the living room, she felt determined to be friendly, but not flirt with him in any way. He had come in for a few minutes to have some coffee and get to know her as a neighbor and as a favor to his aunt, she convinced herself. But then remembering his tear streaked face from the other night and the possibility he had seen her standing on the balcony, she wondered if perhaps he wanted to ask if she had been watching him.

  He looked up and smiled at her as she took a seat on the sofa. She had forgotten he had asked to look at her photo album. Watching him flip the page and scan another set of snapshots of her life sent a strange sensation through her. She didn’t mind getting to know him and listening to anything he wanted to share about himself, but letting him into her life and becoming emotionally vulnerable was another story.

  “This is great,” he said. “Did you do all this?”

  She assumed he referred to the pages she had designed using paper cutouts, borders, stickers, and words to display her pictures in scrapbook fashion. “Yes. I have a ton of Tommy’s baby pictures to add.”

  “Is this all your family?” he asked.

  She scooted closer to his side to see the picture of her family that had been taken last Christmas.

  “That’s my brother, Patrick, and his wife, Faith, and their daughters, Aleisha and Lindsey,” she said, pointing to the appropriate faces. “This is my younger sister, Natalie, and that’s my mom and her husband.”

  “Do they live around here?”

  “Patrick does. My sister and my mom live in California, although Natalie is currently in Europe.”

  “Is this your dad?”

  She looked at the picture of herself and her siblings posing with her dad in front of the Christmas tree at Patrick’s house.

  “That’s him. He lives in Lake Oswego.”

  “Are your parents divorced?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “How about you? Do you have family in Eugene?”

  He nodded. “My parents live in the same house I grew up in, and my older brother and his wife live down the road from them. They have two young boys.”

  “It sounds like you miss them.”

  “We’re a pretty close family. This is the first time I’ve lived more than twenty minutes away from them.”

  After a few moments of silence Brandon asked, “When did your parents get divorced?”

  “When I was fourteen.”

  “That must have been rough.”

  “Yes, it was,” she said, taking a sip of her warm coffee.

  “Do you see them much now?”

  “On holidays mostly. My dad’s a workaholic--away on business more than he’s home. My mom and I were starting to get close again before she remarried and moved to San Diego. But I’m happy for her. Warren is a good man.”

  “Let me guess,” he said, closing the album and setting it back on the coffee table. “You’re the peacemaker of the family?”

  She smiled at his insight. “Someone has to be. Although Patrick and I tend to share
the responsibility.”

  “And your younger sister?”

  Josie sighed and dropped her eyes, taking another sip of coffee before responding. “Natalie is...well, let’s just say she tends to avoid contact with Mom or Dad at all costs. She doesn’t even like to talk about it.”

  “And you?”

  “I don’t mind so much anymore. Time is a good healer.”

  Apparently Brandon took that as an invitation to ask her more, and when she took another sip of her coffee and it tasted cold, she realized she must have been talking for quite some time about her family. The clock confirmed her thoughts. She didn’t feel too bad. Brandon had been the one asking all the questions.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get into all that,” she apologized anyway, wanting to change the subject and get the focus off of herself.

  “I asked, remember?”

  “Yes, I guess you did. You’ll know better next time,” she said, smiling briefly before she quickly averted her eyes. Next time! What am I saying?

  “D-Do you want some more coffee?”

  “No, I’m fine,” he said. “I should get going.”

  Although Brandon had been here for nearly an hour, she felt like she could talk to him for a long time and recalled Lily had often said that about Peter. She had been able to talk to Mark easily also, however, so she tried not to read too much into his attentiveness.

  “I have an early meeting tomorrow,” he added, halting any idea on her part of inviting him to stay.

  He took his empty mug to the kitchen, and she walked him to the door. He opened it, stepped into the hall, and then turned back to face her.

  “We’ll have to do this again sometime,” he said. “Can I give you and Tommy a ride to church next Sunday?”

  “As long as the weather is nice, we can walk,” she said. “Wasn’t it hard to find a place to park this morning?”

  “I ended up having to walk about four blocks,” he said, giving her that irresistible grin. “I suppose that doesn’t make sense.”

  “You’re welcome to walk with us next week,” she said. “I mean, you don’t have to--but if you want.”

  “I’d like that. Let me know what time you need to leave, and I’ll be ready.”