Brandon

by Anne, Melody

  “Mmm, now you’re speaking my love language,” Sarah said. “We’ll see you boys later.”

  Sarah gave her husband one more scorching kiss before joining Chloe and walking from the room.

  “This is a great start to a new year,” Sarah said when they were out of earshot of the men. Chloe smiled big.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty great,” she said.

  “Are you going to admit to being in love with Brandon yet?” she pushed as they climbed into Chloe’s car.

  Chloe shook her head. “Not yet,” she said.

  Sarah laughed. “I won’t even push you, because I remember feeling the exact same way when it came to Noah. I was terrified. But I’ll tell you that when I finally did allow myself to love the man, it made me the happiest woman on this planet. I now look back and think about how much time I wasted fighting against it.”

  “I don’t know. I think Brooke would fight you on that statement,” Chloe told her.

  “Well, that should tell you right there that being married to the Anderson men makes us pretty dang euphoric.”

  “It’s a little soon to be talking marriage,” Chloe pointed out.

  “You’ve known him for nearly three years,” Sarah said.

  “But we’ve only been this intimate for a few months.”

  “Well . . . technically that’s been over a year as well,” Sarah reminded her.

  Chloe blushed. “I guess that’s true. I’m still scared that all of these fuzzy emotions will disappear. I am a control freak, and I like my life done a certain way. What if after all the love hormones die down, I’m suddenly not happy? What if I miss my independence? I think Brandon does care about me. Will I feel I can’t leave him, then, or be a true monster? Will I be giving up my own independence and my own happiness because I don’t want to hurt him? I am happy with him right now, but what if that changes and I’m no longer happy?”

  Her words stopped Sarah from what she’d been about to say as she seemed to think about Chloe’s comments and questions. She finally shrugged.

  “That could happen, Chloe. But just know if it does, then you have two best friends who will support you no matter what. And as much as I know about Brandon, I think it’s more than clear that it would break his heart if you were to leave, but it would break it even more if you were to stay at your own expense. Take it a day at a time. Enjoy being in love with him, and worry about what you’re going to feel later. If your feelings start to change, you can talk to him about it. If you don’t want to talk to him right then, you can talk to Brooke and me.”

  “I’m scared I won’t be able to,” Chloe said.

  “Because you think Brooke or I would judge you?” Sarah said, her eyes widening.

  “No. I’m afraid I’ll judge me.”

  This made Sarah laugh. “Oh, darling, it’s way too late for that. You’ve been judging yourself for a very long time. But you have Brooke and me to help rein you in when you’re getting out of control.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Chloe said after a bit.

  “Let’s have lunch and plan a menu, and I won’t push you on the subject of love for at least a day or two. If you want to talk about your love story, you can—if not, then we’ll just be three besties having a great meal, planning another great meal.”

  “That’s the story of my life,” Chloe said.

  Though she said it, it wasn’t exactly true. The story of her life was shifting and changing. Now Brandon was a huge part of her story, and if she was fully honest, she’d admit he wasn’t going anywhere . . . maybe not ever. She might have fears, and she might feel trapped sometimes. But the alternative was to live without him. And that scared her more than the other options.

  Maybe she already was trapped. Maybe it was too late to do anything about it. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Chloe let out a nervous breath as she thought about the evening to come. She’d been to some lavish events, but they hadn’t been something she’d enjoyed. She remembered being young and having her parents get her all dolled up as they’d opened a new restaurant or held a big book-signing event.

  Everyone had always looked at her, and she’d been expected to act a certain way. It had been nerve-racking. Now the eyes weren’t on just her parents—they were on her and the job she’d done. Of course, it wasn’t just her work. The kitchen might be the heart, but the entire facility was on show for this soft opening.

  What if she screwed everything up and made an utter fool of herself? She’d been driving all the workers crazy with her need for perfection. But what if it wasn’t perfect enough? Ugh. If she could get out of her head long enough to enjoy this night, it might go a lot more smoothly for her.

  To add to her anxiety, her relationship with Brandon was going almost too perfectly. You’d think that would have given her assurance, but it was even scarier. It meant that she was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. She was waiting for it all to go wrong. She was also desperately trying not to think that way anymore. That was the old her. The assurances from her best friends did help her, but it was truly hard to change her ways. She’d thought a certain way for a lot of years, and it wasn’t easy to switch tracks and think in a new light.

  So instead of going into full-on panic mode, she sat in her kitchen and sipped on some hot tea as she tried motivating herself to get on with her day and get ready. While she was still having an internal conversation, a knock sounded on her door. She groaned.

  There wasn’t a chance she was up for visitors at the moment. She also knew who was there—and they wouldn’t go away. No way, no how. Sarah and Brooke were her lifelines in any storm, and as much as she sometimes wanted to hide from them, the world would be such a dark place if they ever did allow her to do just that.

  “The door is open,” she reluctantly called. Sarah was the first to walk in, with a huge smile on her face. Brooke was right behind her. Chloe couldn’t help but smile at them. As much as she didn’t want visitors, she didn’t mind her besties there. They loved her even when she was in the worst mood possible—which never lasted when they were around.

  “We have a surprise for you, Chloe,” Brooke said.

  “Yep, a big surprise,” Sarah added. They were practically bouncing on their feet in front of her. It really was pulling her from her thoughts.

  “I can’t imagine what you two have up your sleeves,” Chloe replied. She didn’t trust the twinkle in her besties’ eyes.

  “We have a full day of pampering scheduled for us. I know, I know—it’s not spa time yet, but since it’s the soft opening for this place we’ve all put our hearts and souls into, we have to get pampered like royals first,” Brooke said. “There will be a lot of people and a lot of smiling. We need to make sure our cheeks are soft, or we’ll get wrinkles.”

  “I don’t have time for that,” Chloe said as she mentally went through her checklist that never seemed to end.

  “Too bad, because I have a feeling Brandon has something planned tonight, and you need to look your best,” Sarah said. “And all work and no play makes you suck.”

  Chloe laughed before she felt heat spread in her cheeks. “What plans does he have?” she asked, ignoring the work comment.

  Brooke laughed. “We’re just hearing rumors that he’s seriously hooked on you.”

  “I’ll admit things have been pretty wonderful with us, but it’s too soon for anything big,” she said. Was it, though?

  Sarah seemed to answer her unvoiced question. “You’ve known each other for years. You’ve just fought the attraction. When you know something, you know,” Sarah told her. “And since when have you ever considered what anyone else has to say about anything relating to you? You’ve always been your harshest critic. It’s what you feel inside. You have to stop waiting for perfection, because it’s the imperfections in life that make it interesting. Yes, people will fail us, even those we love the most, but they don’t do it out of spite. It happens because perfect is
impossible to achieve. The great thing is that perfection would be boring. That would leave no challenges and no room for improvement. When we reach every single one of our goals, where do we go from there? People like us always need to be striving for something else. Strive for forgiveness in yourself and others, and let go of the straight and narrow. Enjoy living on the wild side a little bit.”

  “I don’t know how to let go. I don’t know if I can. All I know for sure is that I like how everything’s been between Brandon and me. I don’t want to do something that will damage what we have right now.”

  “What do you have?” Brooke asked.

  That made Chloe pause. “I don’t honestly know how to answer that,” she said after a bit.

  “Maybe you have real love,” Sarah offered.

  “I’ve been trying to avoid the word love. I don’t like to use it without meaning. And I’m so scared that if I do use it, I will think it’s a mistake and run.”

  “Do you really think it would be without meaning?” Brooke asked. “I know it’s seriously scary to think of love and romance, because of the pain it can cause, but you can’t judge new relationships on the unrealistic goals you’ve always made for yourself or that your parents made for you. Also, you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable in order to have the sweet rewards that can be gleaned from just that.”

  Chloe nodded. “It’s worked out great for the two of you, but I always circle back to that. What if things don’t work out, and then it makes it awkward with all of us?”

  “Nothing would ever come between us,” Sarah insisted. “Not ever. And we want you to be happy. We’d never suggest you do anything that gives you less than everything you have never even dreamed of having. We use the word perfect way too often. I do it all the time. But seriously, I don’t want perfection. I want messy and real and extraordinary. You can never get that with perfection.”

  “I second that,” Brooke said. “If things hadn’t worked out for Sarah and Noah after I was already with Finn, then we would’ve figured it out. We will with you as well. There are five of them, so if we had to take one out, they’d come back from it.”

  The ridiculous words made Chloe laugh. “We have vowed to always help each other bury the body,” Chloe said.

  “If the government ever listened to our conversations, we’d probably be arrested,” Brooke said. “But that would just be a new adventure we could do together.”

  “And at least we’d be together,” Sarah added.

  “As long as we’re always together, we can get through anything,” Chloe said. She’d had messy before. Maybe she just hadn’t realized it was. And as she thought more about it, she realized those had been some of the freest moments of her life. Why was she still trying to live in this bubble she didn’t want to live in?

  “So that means you need to live your best life possible and not worry about how it affects the future or our relationship. We’re a triad, and nothing will ever break that,” Brooke assured her.

  “I know this, but there are some things in life worth taking a risk for and other things that aren’t. I need to have more faith in myself. It’s a very hard cycle to break,” Chloe said.

  “You need to have as much faith in yourself as the two of us have in you,” Sarah said.

  “And I think Brandon has that same faith in you,” Brooke added. “You can’t fake the way he looks at you or talks about you. Even if perfection is boring, you’re perfect for him and to him.”

  “I can’t imagine living my life without you guys. I can face anything or any situation as long as you’re by my side. Maybe I’ve been changing more than I’ve realized. A lot of me wants to run and hide, but the other part is happy where I am. It’s such an odd sensation to feel pulled in multiple directions.”

  “Is that a marriage proposal?” Brooke asked with a laugh.

  “Sorry, I’m taken, but we’ll still grow old together,” Sarah said.

  All three women laughed, and Chloe was truly glad to have them. She’d been nervous about the event that night, and now she felt foolish for ever feeling that way. She was a strong woman, and she didn’t allow fear to hold her back.

  Being with these two women also reminded her that she’d had long-term relationships in her life that had worked out. Maybe a friendship was different than a romantic relationship, but it did prove that relationships could last—even when you saw the worst of those you loved the most.

  “Okay, let’s get beautiful,” she said to the girls.

  “We’re already beautiful. Let’s get made up and knock our men’s socks right off their feet,” Brooke said.

  “Amen,” Sarah added.

  Brooke pulled out a bottle of champagne, and though it took a few moments, she got the top popped while Sarah grabbed glasses. She poured them and held hers up. The girls joined her.

  “We’re positively gorgeous, independent, and loyal women,” Brooke started. “Because we believe in ourselves, in family, and in values.”

  “And in taking care of ourselves and our loved ones,” Sarah added.

  “And that we all deserve a little pampering once in a while,” Chloe said.

  “Hear! Hear!” They clinked glasses and had a drink.

  They finished their champagne, then Chloe put on some sweats and a comfortable T-shirt. She’d be spending the rest of the day in a spa robe, so there was no reason to get dressed up.

  The next six hours were exactly what the doctor ordered. The girls giggled, drank wine, and had masks placed over their entire bodies, their hair waxed, their nails done, and their skin treated luxuriously.

  It wasn’t often that they went all out, but the results were fantastic. At the end of their pampering, Chloe looked in the mirror feeling like an entirely new woman. Her skin was silky smooth, her hair soft and teased, and her smile permanently locked on her face.

  She actually felt beautiful, and she hadn’t even put on her dress yet. She wasn’t sure if she would’ve made it to the event in one piece if it hadn’t been for her friends. Sometimes she forgot who she was. That was why it was important to surround herself with people who could remind her. Her strength was always there. Sometimes she just couldn’t manage to find it.

  By the time she’d finished with all the pampering and had gotten dressed, she was wondering if she’d be able to recognize the person looking back from a mirror. But as she looked, her eyes filled with tears. The spa hadn’t overpowered her with layers of makeup but had highlighted her eyes and lips, letting her natural glow shine through. Her hair was placed on top of her head, with several strands curling around her face and shoulders. Her gown cascaded over her body, hugging her curves and then flaring into a full skirt that was perfect for being swirled around a dance floor.

  Her besties stood by her side, looking stunning as usual. They linked arms as they smiled at their final results.

  “Thank you so much for today,” she managed to get past her tight throat.

  “Don’t you start crying and ruin all of this hard work,” Brooke said, sounding suspiciously close to tears herself. “We have a gala to go to,” she finished. “It’s so nice to be a woman for a while—separate from being a mother, an employee, and even a wife. We do lose ourselves in the many roles we play. Those roles are amazing, and I wouldn’t trade them, but I like finding myself again with the two of you.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better,” Sarah said.

  “Let’s go surprise our men,” Chloe said.

  The three of them glided from the house to where a stretch limo awaited them. Chloe had no doubt she’d see a smile on Brandon’s face. Did she want more than that from him? She was thinking that she just might indeed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Brandon stood with Finn, Noah, Hudson, and Crew. It was always nice when he was with all four of his siblings. It wasn’t often, as they were all busy. But this soft opening for the place they’d all worked hard on was the perfect chance for them to come together and appreciate what they could ac
complish as a family and as a community.

  “Where in the world is Chloe?” Brandon asked. “I wanted to pick her up, but she said she was coming with Sarah and Brooke.”

  “You know how those ladies are when they get together,” Finn said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if they got to talking and forgot the time. They might not make it here at all.”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen that happen before,” Noah chimed in.

  “So you’re saying your wives would rather have an evening without you?” Hudson said with a smirk.

  “Maybe they’re already regretting their marriage vows,” Crew teased.

  “If you guys ever settle down, you’d know what a real relationship is like. My marriage is nice and cozy,” Finn said, not goaded one bit.

  “Yep. I thought being in a relationship with one woman was the end of everything. I was so wrong,” Noah said.

  “I’ve never been happier in my life,” Brandon added.

  “Not you, too, Brandon. Didn’t we all vow eternal bachelorhood at one point in our lives?” Hudson asked.

  That made them all laugh. “I think we were preadolescent,” Finn pointed out. “It doesn’t count then.”

  “I have to admit I’m a little jealous of what you have. It’s pretty impressive,” Crew said, seeming extra thoughtful that evening.

  “Does that mean you’re next?” Brandon asked with a smile.

  “I think you’re next if your constant attention to the door is any indication,” Crew pointed out.

  “Oh, I’m done for,” Brandon said, not even slightly embarrassed. “I’m in love. I’m just waiting for the perfect moment to give Chloe this.” He pulled out an impressive diamond ring from his pocket.

  Crew and Hudson whistled while Finn and Noah smiled. “You did good,” Finn approved.

  “Mine’s better,” Noah said.

  That again made them all laugh. They’d been competitive their entire lives, and it wasn’t going to stop with marriage and becoming fathers. They’d compete at who raised their kids better and looked the best being a father. No dad bods for them. It wouldn’t ever get to the point that it became harmful to their relationships, though, or to where they didn’t love their nieces and nephews as much as their own children. But friendly competition was good for the soul.