7 Months

by Bethany Lopez

  “Actually, yes, ha-ha, there is someone.”

  “A lawyer at the firm?” she prodded.

  I cleared my throat and shook my head.

  “No, not a lawyer, Brady is a police officer,” I answered, then waited, my breath caught in my throat.

  When I was met with silence, I looked at my parents to try and gauge their reactions. Faces blank, they gave away nothing, so I kept talking.

  “He has two brothers, and they are all very close. Their parents died when they were all teenagers, and Brady’s eldest brother took over as head of the family. He actually started his own business, and Brady worked with him until last year, when he joined the police force.”

  I decided to leave off the fact that they were in a band together, for now … That wouldn’t be impressive to my parents, and I wanted to talk Brady up, not set him up for failure.

  When they still didn’t say anything, my nerves came back full force, and I kept right on talking.

  “He’s a few years younger than me, but that’s no big deal. Never been married, but he does own his own home. Oh, and you both met his younger brother, Brendan, Bronagh’s husband, at my birthday dinner, remember?”

  My father nodded in reply, and I turned my attention to my mother, desperate for her to say something.

  “The one with the long hair?”

  “Uh, yes, that’s Brendan. Brady doesn’t have long hair; he’s a cop, so it’s kept short. He’s, um, very healthy, kind, and loyal, and he takes his job of protecting the people of this city very seriously.”

  God, I am starting to sound desperate, like I’m pleading with them to give a man they’d never met a chance. Which, I guess I am… I just hope they go for it.

  Nothing else was said on the matter. We finished our dinner and tea, talking about work, the new garden my mother was planning, and about their annual trip back to Japan. I figured they needed time to process what I’d said, and, hopefully, come to terms with the fact that my vision for my future might, for the first time, differ from theirs.

  My father retired to his room, and I told him goodnight, then my mother walked me to the door.

  I opened my mouth to speak, when she put her hand on my arm and stopped me.

  “I know you have spent your life living up to our expectations, and we are very proud of the woman you are … Now, I think it is time for you to do what makes you happy. I was lucky that your father and I grew to love each other and have had a wonderful life together. We were hard on you, only because we wanted you to reach your potential, and you have. Now, I want to see that light on your face, like I did when you were talking about your policeman at the table. I’ve never seen you look like that, Ming, happy in a way that only a woman can be. Your father will be fine. Your man doesn’t have to be rich in wealth, only rich in life, and if he puts that light on your face, your father will accept him.”

  The only reason my jaw wasn’t on the floor was due to years of etiquette training by my mother, but in my mind, it was hanging open like one of those scary ventriloquist dolls.

  “Thank you,” I started, but when my eyes filled with tears, my mom tapped me on the forearm and said, “You’ll bring him to dinner.”

  I nodded as she opened the door.

  “Mata ne,” she said in farewell.

  I responded in kind, then walked somewhat dazed down the path to my car.

  Chapter Thirty-One ~ Brady

  “Where are we going?” Ming asked, practically bouncing in the seat next to me.

  “It’s a surprise,” I replied, for the third time since picking her up.

  We were finally going on a date outside of one of our houses, and I’d racked my brain trying to come up with something that we would hopefully both enjoy, and would show Ming that I wasn’t always so serious. In fact, my brothers and I were usually anything but serious, and I wanted Ming to see that side of me.

  As we drew nearer, I began to worry that she would think we were crossing over into immature, but my fears subsided when she let out a squeal.

  “A theme park? I haven’t been to one of these in probably ten years!”

  I chuckled at her exuberance as I paid the attendant for parking, then followed the line of cars to our parking spot.

  I took her hand in mine as we walked through the crowded parking lot to get our tickets, all the while she was chattering happily about the last time she, Bronagh and Cass had been here.

  “Cass lost her voice, she screamed so much, and Nonie threw up after riding The Beast.”

  “You like coasters?”

  “Love ‘em, how about you?”

  “Yeah, Brock, Brendan, and I liked to bet on who could keep their hands up through the entire ride without lowering them once. I always won.”

  “Ooooh, I’ll take that bet,” she replied, and I was delighted. That’s the only word I could think of to match this feeling within. Delighted. Delighted that she was game for a day of riding rides, and delighted that being with her was the easiest, and happiest, thing I’d done in a really long time.

  “You’re on.”

  The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and not a cloud in sight. The lines were long, but not terribly, and we spent that time wrapped up in each other. Getting to know each other better.

  “What made you buy your house?” she asked, one hand clasped in mine while the other played with the hem of my shirt.

  We shifted up in line, and I replied, “We used to know the people who lived there, and they came upon hard times, couldn’t afford it anymore. It ended up being a short sale, for a lot less than it was worth. I’d been saving up my money, eager to get out of my parents’ house … Brock’s house. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine living with Brock and Bren, we had fun, but I needed my own space. It was time. So, I took a chance, put in for the short sale, and got it. It’s not like it was a huge transition, with my brothers still down the street when I wanted them, but it felt great to own something of my own.”

  “You didn’t think about starting with an apartment, or getting roommates?” Ming asked.

  I shook my head.

  “No, living with my brothers is one thing, but I’m not the kind of person who can handle roommates. Having them in my space, in my business, probably wanting to hang out and chat all the time.” I gave a mock shutter, and she laughed, just like I’d hoped.

  “It just seems like a lot of room.”

  “Well, I’ve always planned to fill it up with family,” I admitted, turning our hands to link our fingers together. “Unlike Bren, I’ve always known that I want to get married and have kids. It’s just a matter of finding the right person to share my life with, because I only plan to get married once.”

  The line moved, so we moved along with it. When we stopped, I leaned back against the rails, and one second later, Ming was in my arms, hers wrapped around my back, her cheek to my chest.

  “That’s such a great answer,” she mumbled against my shirt.

  I ran my hand down her long, straight hair, enjoying the feel of her there.

  “Is that what you want?” I asked, a lump forming in my throat. “A family?”

  Ming nodded against my chest, and the lump loosened.

  A throat cleared behind us, and I turned to see a guy in his early twenties looking awkward and gesturing ahead of us. The line had moved again, and it was our turn to get in a lane for one of the cars on the roller coaster.

  I gave the guy a small smile of thanks, then shifted Ming so my arm was around her waist and led her to the line for the front car.

  “You still good with this?” I asked when her eyes widened at being in front. “We don’t have to do the bet, we can just ride.”

  “No,” she replied, her voice kind of thin. “Let’s do this.”

  “Okay,” I said with a smile, bringing her hand up to brush my lips against the back. “Hands up from the second we take off, until we pull back in.”

  “‘Kay.”

  Our hands went up as we p
ulled away, the click, click, click of the wheels going up the track sounding off and causing my stomach to drop in anticipation. I laughed when we went over the top and Ming’s scream nearly busted my eardrum, but I watched her as best I could during the entire ride, and she never put her arms down. Never even wavered.

  “What do I win?” she asked, as we walked down the ramp to exit the ride.

  Once we were clear of the crowd, I pulled her to the side and lowered my lips to hers. The kiss was sweet, and filled with the joy of the day. I pulled back slightly, then peppered her mouth with a few more kisses.

  “Mmmm, if that’s what I get, I want to stay here all day,” she said sweetly, her eyes trained on my lips.

  So that’s what we did.

  Chapter Thirty-Two ~ Ming

  After yesterday’s perfect date, I wasn’t ready to be away from Brady yet, so he was coming with me to check on Natalie, and then we were going to see how Doobie was healing.

  “I spoke with Carson Brandt, and he said to have you send your resume over to him and he’d see if Brandt Industries has anything that would be a good fit for you,” Brady was saying to Natalie, and I swear, I couldn’t stop looking at him and smiling.

  I probably looked like a clown.

  We were sitting around the table at Natalie’s friend’s place again, and Natalie looked much better now that she’d had time for her bruises to heal.

  “Really?” Nat asked, her face flush with pleasure. “That’s amazing, thank you so much for doing that.”

  “It’s no problem,” Brady replied, pulling what I assumed was Brandt’s business card out of his wallet and handing it to her.

  “Are you ready for tomorrow?” I asked. It was going to be our first day in court and the first time she’d see Zeke since the incident.

  Clasping her hands in front of her on the table, Natalie replied, “Yes. I’m ready to get this over with.”

  “I’ll meet you at the courthouse at eleven, so that we can go over everything one last time, but I think that you are ready … You’ll do great.”

  We left Natalie, telling her not to stress and to get some rest, then headed over to Doobie’s apartment. He’d been discharged from the hospital a few days ago, but Brady hadn’t been by to see him yet. I knew he hated seeing his partner in pain, and was eager for them both to get back to work.

  We were about to head inside when Brady checked his phone and said, “It’s 2B.”

  “You’ve never been here before?”

  “No, this’ll be the first time.”

  We took the stairs and knocked on 2B, then waited when a voice yelled, “Coming!”

  “Hey, Irish,” his partner said when he opened the door, wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. His eyes widened when he saw me standing next to Brady. “Uh, sorry, if I’d known Irish was bringing his lady, I would have thrown on a shirt … and cleaned up a bit.”

  I smacked Brady on the arm, and he had the grace to look sheepish before replying, “Sorry.”

  “I won’t judge, promise,” I told Doobie, letting them both off the hook.

  With dark-blond hair that was a little floppy on top, a charming grin, and striking blue eyes, Brady’s partner was a handsome guy. I turned my head from checking him out once we got inside, to find Brady watching me with narrowed eyes.

  Busted.

  I giggled softly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, before turning my attention back to Doobie.

  “You gonna introduce us, Irish, or just stand there glaring all day?”

  “Oh, ah, Ming, this is Doobie, uh, Ty … Tyler Dubois, my partner. Doobie, this is my girlfriend, Ming.”

  The whole world stopped. Time stood still. The only thing moving was my rapidly beating heart, which seemed to fill the room like the sound of Brady’s drums.

  His girlfriend? Did I hear him right?

  I thought I was going to faint. He’d never introduced me that way before, never called me that.

  I realized that they were both watching me, frozen on the spot, and I saw a flicker of uncertainty cross Brady’s face.

  Not wanting him to think that he was wrong to call me his girlfriend, I stuck out my hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Tyler.”

  “Please, call me Ty, or Doobie. Would you like anything to drink?”

  I shook my head and Brady replied, “No, thanks, we’re good. We just wanted to stop in and see how you’re doing.”

  He still looked uneasy, so when we sat on the couch, I made sure to sit close to him and place my hand reassuringly on his thigh.

  Doobie walked out of the room, then came back in with a shirt on and a water bottle in his hand.

  “You doing okay?” Brady asked, when he settled in his recliner across from us.

  “Going fucking stir-crazy, pardon the language … I’m ready to get out of this apartment and go back to work. They called me in tomorrow for some interviews about the shooting.”

  “Me too.”

  “Yeah, and as crazy as it sounds, I’m excited about it. About doing a damn interview, but shit, sorry, anything to get out of these walls.”

  “How’s your family handling it?” I asked when it became obvious Brady was done talking. “They’re out of state, New Orleans, right?”

  “Aww, Irish, you’ve been talking about me,” Doobie said, giving him a hard time. We both laughed when Brady shot him the finger. “Yeah, they’re all back home. My mom wanted to fly out, but I talked her out of it. Of course, I had to promise to go home for a visit this summer in order to get her to agree, but I knew if she was here hovering over me while I’m already losing my mind … well, it wouldn’t be good for either of us. Still, I miss them, and it would be a lie if I said I didn’t wish I was back there with them now.”

  I nodded, understanding the need to be around family when you were sick or injured. It sucked that he didn’t have anyone here to take care of him

  “You should come by for dinner this weekend,” I offered, squirming in my seat when I felt Brady’s eyes on my face. Guess I should have asked how he felt about it first … oops!

  I turned to Brady with a shrug, “You didn’t have any plans, did you?”

  “I may have, um, asked Cass if she and her husband wanted to get together. She texted me and said Saturday was good for them.”

  My heart melted into a puddle at my feet.

  “You did?” I was floored. I wouldn’t have been more surprised if he’d said he was the Guinness Book World Record holder for the Hula Hoop.

  “Well,” I managed when I’d recovered from the shock, “you should join us, Ty. We can make it into a party.”

  Laughter gurgled up at the look on Brady’s face at my suggestion. He looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon.

  Doobie took one look at Brady and replied, “I’d love to.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three ~ Brady

  “I’m excited about Saturday night,” Doobie said with a grin.

  I glared at him from my desk. We’d both already had our interviews with the Inspector, and now I was waiting for my appointment with the counselor. Doobie just didn’t want to go home yet.

  “Ming’s going crazy. She’s invited my brothers and their families; now, it’s a whole … thing,” I growled, wondering how my attempt at a good deed had spiraled so out of control. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she got the phone tree from Victoria and invited every damn body.”

  “Wait,” Doobie said, sitting up and putting his free elbow on his desk. “There’s a phone tree?”

  “Fuck off,” I said in response to his wild grin.

  “How does one get a spot on the phone tree, because I’d like to be included?”

  I turned my body away from him, choosing to ignore him rather than let him bust my balls any more. He was enjoying this way too much.

  “O’Malley.”

  I looked up to see Smitty waving me over. I got up and left Doobie without a backward glance.

  “See you Saturday,” he called.

  A
sshole.

  “Mrs. Jansen is in my office, you can talk to her in there,” Smitty said when I reached him, then walked off to leave me to walk the short trip to where the shrink was waiting.

  “Good morning, Mr. O’Malley,” the tall, gray-haired woman said as I entered Smitty’s office. “Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

  That’s gonna be impossible, I thought, but sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk anyway.

  We began with questions about the shooting.

  “What happened?”

  “How’d you feel when the shot went off?”

  “What about when you say that your partner was shot?”

  It was all pretty standard, much like the interviews I’d been in since the incident took place. Plus, she had an air about her. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but she was easy to talk to.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?” she asked, and I surprised myself when I said, “Yes.”

  I told her the same things I’d discussed with Ming after the shooting. About my parents, my brothers, and the thought of losing anyone else in my life had kept me from letting people in. It felt good to get it all out; shit, if I kept this up, I’d probably stopping people on the street to tell them my problems.

  “Brady, may I call you Brady?” Mrs. Jansen asked.

  “Of course,” I replied.

  “I think you would benefit from seeing me again. Or, another counselor, if you’d prefer.”

  “Um, I’m comfortable with you,” I said, not wanting to have to start over and share my feelings again, to another stranger.

  “Great, here’s my card,” she said, rising from behind the desk. “And, Brady, I think the changes you’ve made with Ming are in the right direction. And with your partner. Work on letting people in … Call my office and we can set something up for next week.”

  “Thanks.”

  We walked out to a flurry of movement in the station.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Doobie, who was standing in the middle of the room helpless, unable to help the team.

  His eyes widened when he turned to me.