Branndon Jr.
Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
Evernight Publishing ®
Copyright©
2016 Vanessa Devereaux
ISBN: 978-1-77233-753-2
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry
Designs
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized
reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
No part of this book may be used or
reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction.
All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual
events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.
DEDICATION
For Grandma Kate
BRANNDON JR.
Big Sky County, 10
Vanessa Devereaux
Copyright © 2016
Chapter One
Branndon
pulled the blanket up over his head and sank farther down underneath it. While
he was happy to be finally home from the hospital, his father had done the
unthinkable. He’d hired a live-in nurse to oversee the remainder of his
recovery. Not just any nurse, but a girl he and his brother Jackson had taunted
in high school. Skinny Susie they’d called her because she’d resembled a
skeleton more than a living human being.
The
name was no longer fitting because she’d filled out. In fact, Susanne was now
all luscious curves. The sort of woman that Mckinney men loved the best.
Susanne Barclay had recognized him immediately when he’d been in the hospital
and hadn’t forgotten the days of constant teasing. By offering her a live-in
position, his father had clearly left him vulnerable to counterattack, and it
had gotten underway at the hospital when she’d strolled into his room and made
fun of his dick. Branndon emerged from under the blankets just in time to hear
his front door closing.
“Honey,
wipe your feet or you’ll track snow all over the house,” he heard Susanne
saying.
He
knew who she was talking to. As if having her under his roof wasn’t bad enough,
she had a five-year-old daughter who was going to be part of the package.
“Where’s
my room?” It was the little girl’s voice.
“I’ll
take you along there in a minute, but first I want you to come meet the man who
mommy’s looking after for the next six weeks.”
Six weeks. Double
shit.
His life wouldn’t be his own again for a month and a half.
And no, no, don’t bring her in here. I’m still recuperating and the
last thing I need is a child bugging me.
Too
late because someone opened his door and in walked Susanne with a small replica
of herself in tow. It was almost uncanny that the kid had her mother’s long,
dark hair, her green eyes, and even those rosy, red cheeks.
“I
see you got home okay,” said Susanne.
“Yeah,
Jackson drove me. He said he’ll be back later when he has more time for a visit.”
“Jackson,
yeah can’t wait to see him again.”
Did
he detect sarcasm in her voice?
“April,
can you say hello to Branndon?”
“Hi.”
“Hi
April.”
“Anything
you need before I go unpack and settle this little one into her room?”
“No,
thought I’d catch up on opening my mail,” Branndon said, reaching for the stack
of envelopes and magazines that Jackson had set on his bedside table.
“Great
and I’ll start supper in about an hour. I’ll bring yours on a tray, but I think
starting tomorrow you should walk around a bit and eat in the kitchen so you
can get back to your regular routine.”
Oh,
this was going to be fun, like having his mother around. Not that his mom was ever
bossy or told him what to do once he reached manhood. Branndon still missed
her. He wondered what she’d think of his dad fathering a child all those years
ago. Branndon donating a kidney to him?
“I’m
going to set up a walkie-talkie so you can call me if you need anything, but in
the meantime just holler,” said Susanne, jarring him out of his train of
thought.
Branndon
watched Susanne and April leave the room.
“I’m
hungry,” he heard April whining as he picked up the first envelope. He tried to
prop himself up some more, but the incision still hurt like hell. He grimaced
and breathed in air to try and take the edge of the pain away.
“I’m
going to fix supper real soon but first you have to unpack your case. The
quicker you do that the faster we’ll eat,” said Susanne.
Bills, bills, and
more bills.
The sooner he recovered, the faster he could get back to making money on the
rodeo circuit. Tomorrow he hoped to feel strong enough to get outside to go to
the stables and say hi to his horses. Jackson and his dad had been looking
after them while he’d had surgery and was in the hospital so he knew they’d
received the best attention. But they were his babies and he’d missed them like
hell.
The
next bunch of envelopes were get well cards from a bunch of fellow cowboys on
the circuit.
Hope to kick your
ass again soon!
Branndon
smiled.
Next
set were from some of his female admirers.
Can’t wait until
you’re on the mend and we see your sexy ass in the saddle once more.
Ten
ladies’ names were signed underneath the sentiment.
And I can’t wait
to ride your sexy asses once more.
He leaned over to put the cards on the
bedside table, biting his lip when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his back.
When was this going to be over?
He
opened the next envelope which yielded yet another card. As he opened it up, a
photo fell out on his lap. He almost went hard looking at it because it was a
snap of one of his fans with her legs wide apart sans panties. He whistled.
He’d have to track down that pussy when he was well enough.
The
next few cards held similar tokens. Half were full frontal and the rest were
more explicit, bend over show her pussy ones. He had hoped his recovery was a
speedy one because if he stayed away from the ladies too long, his cock would
get out of practice.
Branndon
jumped when he heard the door opening and quickly shoved all the photos under
the blankets. Susanne walked in, carrying a tray.
“I
hope you like lasagna. I stopped by the deli on our way here because I was
short on time.”
It
smelled good, looked good, and after hospital food, an old shoe would be just
fine, too.
“No
problem at all,” he said.
She
laid the tray across his lap. A chocolate pudding sat beside the plate of
lasagna with a glass of milk to the left of it.
“I’ll
be here most of the time except for tomorrow morning. I’m driving April to
school because it’s her first day in kindergarten, but after that I’ll just
take her to the school bus.”
It
had seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d started school.
“Is
she going to our old school?” asked Branndon.
“Sure
is. I can’t believe I’m back here in Riker’s Creek and my daughter’s going to
the same school. Your soon to be sister-in-law’s going to be April’s teacher.”
“Sister-in-law?”
asked Branndon. He wasn’t aware that Jackson was getting married.
“Yes,
Maddie Thurston.”
“Oh
yeah, Maddie,” Branndon said. It was tough getting his head around the fact
that Brody was his half-brother.
“I
met her yesterday and she is such a sweetheart. She said Brody seems to be
doing great. I can’t wait to meet him. Such a refreshing thing to hear there
are still gentlemen left in the world.” She pulled on the bedcovers to neaten
them up. Her last words weren’t lost on him because he knew that he and his
brother had never been what she’d call perfect in that department.
“I’d stay and talk some more but I should
check what my daughter’s up to.”
She
turned and left. Branndon still couldn’t believe how she’d filled out. She’d never
been pretty, but now he couldn’t take his eyes off. He shook his head. He
hadn’t asked about her marital status. The fact that she had moved back to
Riker’s Creek, took a live-in position, and had brought along her daughter, told
him she was either single and had never been married or was divorced. Still it
wasn’t any of his business.
He
got back to what he should be focusing on, eating his dinner, getting his
strength back so he could return to the rodeo circuit sooner than later. There
was a competition coming up in March in Texas and he’d set that as his goal of
being recovered enough to compete. Another plus to getting back on his feet, he
could send Susanne on her way.
She
made him feel uneasy and it wasn’t just because of their past. There was
something he couldn’t put his finger on. He forked the lasagna and took his
first bite. He wasn’t much of a pasta man, more of a steak and potatoes one,
but this wasn’t that bad.
“I
don’t want to go to bed. I want to watch TV.”
Branndon
turned his head toward his bedroom door. Sounded like the kid was right outside
it, whining her head off. One thing he disliked most about children was their
whiny ways. Come to think of it, he hated it in grown-ups, too.
“You
have to start school tomorrow so you don’t want to be tired,” said Susanne.
“I
want to watch TV.”
“You
can do that when you get home from school,” said Susanne.
“I’m
not going to bed, I’m not.”
With
that the kid let out the biggest wail he’d ever heard. Branndon had no idea how
a little thing like that could produce those decibels. Her cry almost broke the
glass holding the milk. He was pretty sure the milk had begun shaking.
“Do
I have to drag you there, young lady?” said Susanne.
“I’m
not going to bed.”
Next
thing he knew there were footsteps pounding up and down the hallway. Geez, how
was he supposed to get rest and get well with this sort of thing going on? He
bet his dad hadn’t thought about that when he’d hired a nurse with a child.
“April,
you will get in that bedroom and get ready for bed or no TV for a week, you
hear me?”
Now
Susanne had raised her voice, too.
With
that, the doorbell rang. “I’m going to answer that and by the time I get back
here I want to see you heading toward your bedroom.”
There
was silence for a few minutes and then he heard Jackson’s voice. A few minutes
later his brother was opening the bedroom door and walking in.
“Wow,
you’re right, she filled out in all the right places,” he said, taking off his
cowboy hat and placing it on the end of the bed.
The
sound of April crying and doors banging shook Branndon’s room, and once again
the milk splashed around in the glass.
“What
the hell was that?” Jackson asked, pulling up a chair by the bed.
“The
kid doesn’t want to go to bed,” said Branndon.
“Can’t
blame her for that,” said Jackson. “Hey, are you going to eat that chocolate
pudding?”
His
brother had always had the sweet tooth in the family. While Branndon did need
to build up his calories, he somehow wasn’t in the mood for pudding. “Take it
if you want.”
“Great.
I haven’t eaten supper yet because I came straight from the ranch.”
Jackson
reached onto the tray, took the pudding cup and spoon, and dived straight in.
“Dad
went to the hospital to see Brody this afternoon now that Ted’s gone back to
Billings for a couple of weeks. He said he seems to be doing just fine. You’re
a hero, big brother.” Jackson slapped Branndon’s leg, and in the process jarred
his back. Branndon winced.
“Sorry,
you still in pain?”
“It’s
not as bad as it was, but my back aches like you wouldn’t believe. I guess I’m
not used to spending so much time in bed.”
“They
give you anything for it to bring home with you?”
“Yeah,
bunch of painkillers, but you know how I take hating those things even when I
get hurt on the circuit.”
“One
or two isn’t going to be a big deal.” Jackson placed the empty cup and spoon
back on Branndon’s tray.
“You
want me to help you sit up some more, put a few pillows behind you because that
might help?” asked Jackson.
“Sure,
let’s give that a try.”
Jackson
stood and walked to the top of the bed. He took the tray from Branndon and sat
it on the side table.
“So
Susanne tell you who she married or if it’s anyone we know?” asked Jackson.
“Nope,
and you know my philosophy, I don’t ask you questions so that means you can’t
ask me,” said Branndon, leaning forward and grimacing yet again. Jackson took
the two pillows, plumped them up, and then placed them back on the bed.
“Let’s
get you comfortable, you big hero of a guy.”
Branndon
laughed at his brother’s choice of words. He and Jackson had always gotten on
well and looked out for one another. Now he hoped that in time his relationship
with Brody would be the same. He had to admit they’d gotten off on the wrong
foot, largely because of Branndon’s arrogance, and yes, a little jealousness
because out of the blue this fellow cowboy who’d been fathered by his dad had
arrived in town. Branndon knew his pa’s relationship with Brody’s mother had
happened long before he’d met his mom, but it still seemed like an act of
betrayal. Worse thing was Brody was hard to dislike. Branndon had done his best
to hate him but he just couldn’t do it. The guy was one class act.