Her Very Own Family

by Gina Wilkins

  It always lifted Joe’s spirits to see his big brother. He’d visit with Joe for a while before finding Brynn, he decided.

  But when he entered the den, his careful planning fell apart.

  Brynn stood in the center of the room, delicately beautiful in a pale-pink top with one of the flowing, flowered skirts she favored. Little Justin lay in her arms, gazing at her in intense, infant concentration as she cooed to him with a look of utter infatuation on her face.

  Joe’s mind went blank, his tongue numb. He couldn’t have spoken had he tried at that moment.

  As if suddenly sensing his presence, Brynn looked up. Her eyes widened, then locked with Joe’s. Something arced between them that Joe didn’t think he’d imagined. He couldn’t have said how much time passed while they stood there, staring at each other, but it couldn’t have been long since Tony didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.

  “Hey, Joe. How’s it going?”

  With some difficulty that he hoped wasn’t apparent to the others, Joe found his voice. “Okay. You?”

  “Pretty good. We wrapped up that insurance case I was telling you about on the phone yesterday.”

  Joe dragged his gaze from Brynn to his brother. “Did it turn out the way you’d expected?”

  “Yeah. The guy was trying to run a scam. Said he’d been robbed. Turned out he’d pawned the stuff himself under a fake name, then filed a bogus police report and insurance claim.”

  “But you knew the truth all along.”

  “Ryan did. Insurance fraud is his specialty.”

  Joe found himself turning to Brynn again. “How are you?”

  “Fine, thank you.” Her response was just a bit too prim to sound entirely natural.

  “The little monsters haven’t run you off yet, hmm?”

  She laughed, seeming to relax a little. “Don’t talk that way about my little angels.”

  “Man, have they got you fooled.”

  As if they’d been summoned by the insinuation against them, the children burst into the room just then. The girls squealed in delight, and launched themselves at “Dr. Joe.” Jason greeted his uncle with only slightly more restrained enthusiasm.

  Joe spent the next few minutes trying to follow three separate conversations as his nephew and nieces all talked at once, telling him everything they’d done since the last time he’d seen them. And even as he took in nearly everything they said, part of his concentration remained on Brynn, and how he’d felt when he’d walked in to see her holding his infant nephew in her arms.

  Tony spoke loudly enough to be heard over his children’s chattering. “Want something to drink, Joe?”

  “No, thanks, Tony. Actually, I came by tonight to talk to Brynn about Kelly’s surgery tomorrow. I thought you might have some questions,” he added when she looked quickly at him.

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I’d hoped to have a chance to talk to you before the operation.”

  “Yes, well...we seemed to have kept missing each other at the hospital this week.” He didn’t see a reason to add that he’d been very careful to arrange it that way. “Why don’t we go to your place and I’ll outline the procedure for you and answer your questions.”

  Michelle reached out to relieve Brynn of Justin. “That’s a good idea. You’ll be able to talk in peace.”

  Joe and Brynn were headed for the door when Michelle suddenly called out. “Oh, Brynn, I forgot to tell you...Shane phoned while you and the kids were at the park. He wants you to phone him back sometime this evening. I’m so sorry, I got busy and the call completely slipped my mind.”

  Brynn nodded. Joe noted in some annoyance that she didn’t seem in the least surprised that Shane had called her.

  “Thanks, Michelle. I’ll phone him later.”

  It was none of his business, Joe reminded himself as he followed her out. Shane had every right to call Brynn. In fact, he would be an idiot not to call her.

  But as of tonight, Shane Walker had himself some competition for the lady’s attention.

  By the time Brynn walked Joe to her door a little over an hour later, she was satisfied that he had answered every question she could think of to ask about Kelly’s condition. He had patiently gone over every detail of the surgical procedure—several times, actually—so that Brynn knew exactly what he was going to do and why. He’d also been very honest about anything that could possibly go wrong, though he’d reassured her that he expected everything to go well.

  “You’re sure you wouldn’t like to go have something to eat with me?” he asked as he hesitated at the door.

  “Thank you, but not tonight. The kids gave me a real workout today,” Brynn admitted with a rueful smile. “I’m going to spend a quiet evening relaxing and reading, and then I want to be at the hospital early enough in the morning to see Kelly for a minute before you take her into surgery.”

  He nodded. “Okay. Get some rest. But, Brynn...”

  Her thoughts still on the operation the next morning, Brynn gave him only part of her attention as she asked, “Yes?”

  “The next time I invite you to dinner, it won’t be as Kelly’s doctor.”

  It took a moment for the meaning of that firmly spoken statement to sink in. By the time it had, Joe was gone, the door closed firmly behind him.

  Joe was with Kelly when Brynn walked into the hospital room the next morning. At the sight of him, Brynn felt her cheeks flood with hot color. She looked quickly away from him, hoping to regain her composure before she faced him again.

  “The next time I invite you to dinner, it won’t be as Kelly’s doctor.”

  The words had remained in her head ever since he’d left her yesterday. She’d spent several hours trying to convince herself that she’d misunderstood him. That he hadn’t meant what it had sounded like he’d meant. But then she’d told herself to stop being an idiot. She knew exactly what he’d meant.

  Joe was going to ask her out. On a date, not a professional consultation. And she couldn’t even claim that she’d had no clue that it was going to happen, eventually. Something had passed between them almost the first time they’d met—and trying to ignore it hadn’t made it go away. No matter how foolish she knew it was.

  She told herself that Joe would lose interest once he knew the reasons she had no intention of getting involved with him. But she didn’t look forward to telling him all the unpleasant details of her past that had brought her to this point. She would rather find a way to convince him that the most they could be was friends, without going into all the reasons why.

  But that, she told herself as she glanced at Kelly, was something to deal with later. For now, she had to concentrate on her friend.

  “Good morning,” she said, looking at Kelly but including them both in the greeting.

  “Hi, Brynn!” Kelly’s response was a bit louder and more enthusiastic than absolutely necessary. “New dress? It’s pretty. Isn’t that a pretty dress, Doc?”

  Brynn was wearing a royal-blue T-shirt dress she’d owned for three years. Kelly had seen her in it literally dozens of times. Brynn frowned, then glanced at Joe, able now to see him primarily as Kelly’s doctor.

  “She’s been given medication already,” he explained with a slight smile.

  “I see.” Brynn turned back to Kelly. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I feel great!” Kelly grinned. “Doc’s going to tighten some screws in my leg—or loosen them—I forget which. I told someone earlier that he was going to screw my leg, but that didn’t sound right, somehow.”

  “No,” Brynn agreed, her voice a bit strained. “That really doesn’t sound right. Are you worried about the operation, Kelly?”

  “Heck, no.” Kelly gave Joe another sappy smile. “Doc says he knows what he’s doing, and I believe him, don’t you?”

  “Of course.” Brynn looked again at Joe, knowing her expression was quizzical.

  He chuckled. “Some people react more dramatically to meds than others. Kelly’s flying.”

&nbs
p; Brynn couldn’t help smiling. “She gets high on nitrous oxide at the dentist’s office. Over-the-counter cold medications put her out for hours. A dentist once told her it’s a good thing she’s never done drugs, because she reacts much too strongly to them.”

  “Have you ever noticed that those little holes in the ceiling start swirling if you stare at them too long?” Kelly mused aloud, gazing upward in apparent fascination.

  Someone cleared his throat. Brynn looked around to find Shane Walker standing in the open doorway.

  She clapped a hand to her head. “I was supposed to call you last night. I’m sorry, I completely forgot.”

  Joe’s parting words had driven the telephone message out of her mind, she realized with an involuntary glance at Joe, who looked strangely pleased about something.

  Shane waved a hand. “No problem. You probably had other things on your mind.”

  Brynn looked quickly away from Joe. “That’s no excuse. I should have called.”

  “I was only going to ask if you wanted company in the waiting room during Kelly’s surgery. I happen to have some free time this morning.”

  Touched, Brynn smiled. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  Joe, who suddenly appeared more somber, cleared his throat. “We’re about ready to get started. If there are no more questions, you two can go on into the waiting room.”

  As if in response to his words, a nurse entered. “Dr. D’Alessandro?”

  Joe nodded. “We’re ready.”

  Shane touched Brynn’s arm. “I think we’re being thrown out.”

  She nodded and turned toward the bed. “Kelly, I’ll be in the waiting room, okay? I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay,” Kelly answered happily. “See you later. T.W.R., Brynn. Hey, he’s cute,” she added, catching sight of Shane.

  Shane chuckled. “That’s what all the women say when they first see me. It’s a burden, but one I’ve learned to bear.”

  “Out,” Joe ordered, pointing to the door. “You can tell more of your lies to Brynn in the waiting room.”

  Thanks to Shane’s company, the time passed quickly as Brynn waited for word of Kelly’s condition. She couldn’t help but be amused and diverted by his continuous nonsense. Even when he stopped teasing to talk with her more seriously, she found everything he had to say interesting.

  Shane was attractive, funny, smart, charming, and able to converse easily about an amazing variety of subjects. Even though she sensed there was a side to him he would never allow anyone else to see, she liked him a great deal and hoped to become his friend. But she couldn’t imagine anything else developing between them. They were as comfortable together as longtime pals, but there wasn’t even a spark of chemistry—and Brynn was certain that he felt the same way about her. Which was a great relief, considering the sparks that sizzled when she and Joe were together, an unfortunate development that could eventually drive an awkward wedge between them.

  To keep her mind off the operation—and her preoccupation with the doctor—she asked Shane to tell her about the ranch he operated with his father and stepmother. “I understand it’s only about thirty miles from here.”

  He nodded. “That’s about right.”

  “Did you grow up there?”

  He shook his head. “No. I lived with my mother and stepfather for most of my childhood. Dad was in the navy and spent a lot of time at sea. He got out when I was twelve and got custody of me, and we lived sort of on the road for a couple of years, doing ranch work while he saved up for a place of his own. When he was reunited with my aunts and uncles a little more than ten years ago, he had a chance to buy the ranch. He married Cassie, bought the ranch, and we’ve been living happily there ever since—except for the four years he insisted I spend away at college.”

  “What was your major?”

  “Business. Dad hates the paperwork part of the operation. And he thinks computers were invented by Satan himself. So I take care of that part.”

  “You live with your father and stepmother?”

  “No. I have my own house. It’s on the ranch property, but a quarter mile or so from Dad and Cassie’s place. Dad and I built my house when I finished college. It’s not very big, but it’s expandable if I ever find someone I want to share it with.”

  “You say that as if it’s a very remote possibility.”

  He chuckled. “At this point, that’s the way it feels. To be honest, I’m not in any hurry to get married or start procreating. I have a few other things I want to do first.”

  “I know just how you feel.” Brynn tried to speak as lightly as he had. “Marriage and kids aren’t in my plans for now, either.”

  Now or ever, she could have added. But that was something she saw no reason to get into with Shane.

  “Brynn?”

  She looked up to find Joe standing beside her, dressed in his scrubs and wearing what she was coming to think of as his “doctor face.” Funny how she was beginning to separate the two sides of him in her mind—the Joe who was Kelly’s doctor and the Joe who could make her pulse race with only a look and a smile.

  She rose quickly, wondering how much of her conversation with Shane he’d overheard, then dismissed that thought for more important considerations. “Is it over?”

  “Yes. Kelly’s in recovery. Everything went well.”

  Even though he’d assured her repeatedly that this operation was relatively routine for him and that he hadn’t expected complications, Brynn was greatly relieved that it was over. “Thank God.”

  “You’ll be able to see her in a while. She’ll be groggy, and in some pain today, but that’s to be expected.”

  Brynn turned to Shane. “I know you have things to do today. Don’t feel that you have to hang around here with me. Michelle’s spending the day with the kids, so I’m planning to spend most of the day here with Kelly. But thank you so much for coming to keep me company during the operation. That was very thoughtful of you.”

  Shane tossed a boyish lock of dark hair off his forehead and grinned, flashing his wicked dimples. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

  Friends. It was very nice to know she had made some very good ones in the past couple of weeks. She smiled when Shane leaned over to brush a kiss across her cheek.

  “Give me a call if you need anything,” he said; then, with a nod to Joe, turned and strolled out of the waiting room with that rolling cowboy walk that probably caused feminine hearts to flutter all over Dallas.

  Unfortunately, there was only one man who made Brynn’s heart misbehave, and he was standing much too close for comfort, wearing a frown she couldn’t quite interpret.

  “I have another operation scheduled in a half hour. Are there any other questions you need to ask me before I go talk to the other family?”

  She shook her head. “No, I think you’ve answered all my questions for now. Thank you.”

  “I’ll call you later.”

  “It’s really not—”

  “I’ll call you,” he interrupted, and he wasn’t speaking as Kelly’s doctor now.

  He turned and walked out of the waiting room before she could think of anything else to say. She noticed that she wasn’t the only woman who watched him leave.

  Those other women would probably think Brynn was an idiot for worrying that Joe was going to ask her out. He was gorgeous, single, successful, amusing. The kind of man most single women her age fantasized about attracting.

  But Brynn wasn’t like most single women. While she might have her fantasies, she knew that they were best left at that. If she’d ever seen a man who would want a wife and a house full of kids, it was Joe D’Alessandro. And Brynn had nothing to offer him when it came to that.

  That was a dream she’d given up when she was thirteen years old, when she’d learned the painful lesson that some dreams simply weren’t meant to come true.

  Not for her, anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  The entire Walker family, with the exception of the marrie
d sister who lived in Arkansas, gathered at Jared’s ranch Saturday for a cookout. Though she hesitated when Michelle and Tony invited her, Brynn was persuaded to join the party when Jason, Carly and Katie shamelessly begged her to go.

  The ranch was lovely, consisting of acres of rolling pastureland surrounding a trim, brick-and-siding ranch house and several well-maintained outbuildings. Shane’s smaller, white frame bungalow was visible from the main house but far enough away to provide plenty of privacy.

  The large, fenced backyard was filled almost to capacity with the family who’d gathered for the occasion. Brynn struggled to remember names and mentally group family units.

  Jared, Cassie, Shane and Molly were easy enough to remember. Kevin and Layla Samples had brought their three teenagers, Dawne, nineteen, Keith, sixteen, and thirteen-year-old Brittany, whom Brynn had already met. Joe and Lauren were there with their ten-year-old son, Casey, and Ryan and Taylor with their seven-year-old twins, Andrew and Aaron. Tony and Michelle’s three older children dashed happily into the midst of their young cousins.

  Brynn was struck by the physical similarities among the Walker siblings. They all had brown hair—though some were beginning to gray, and the twins, Joe and Ryan, had more gold blended among the brown in theirs. They were all blue-eyed, though again the twins stood out because their eyes were such a light blue compared with the near navy of the others.

  As had happened before, Brynn was drawn into the group warmly and without hesitation. She’d had friends in Longview, of course, but she’d never quite been accepted as quickly as she was by this clan. She remembered Joe’s comment that the Walker and D’Alessandro families had expanded so quickly that they had grown accustomed to regularly welcoming newcomers. Perhaps that explained why she’d never been made to feel like an outsider when she joined them.

  Dozens of lawn chairs had been grouped in shady areas of the lawn to encourage conversation among the adults while the children ripped and played around them. They sipped iced tea and swapped family gossip before beginning the process of feeding everyone.

  It turned out that Cassie and Jared occasionally took in foster children at their ranch. Cassie mentioned that when she announced, “We got a call last week about another boy. He’s fourteen, and his mother is ill. He’s been living with his grandmother, but she’s finding it difficult to keep up with him. The social worker thought he might benefit from the structure and honest hard work of a ranch.”