The Return of Brody McBride (12 page)

Brody filled the doorway, his eyes narrowing, and his face turning hard as stone. “This is the second time I’ve found you with your hands on her. Don’t make me ask you again to keep your damn hands to yourself.”

Owen kissed her on the head, like always, and stepped away, bracing his hands on her shoulders, boldly keeping his back to Brody. Over his shoulder, he said with a cocky grin. “You have yet to ask.”

“Then you should understand the threat. If I have to tell you again, it’ll be after your ass is on the ground with my boot on your fucking neck.”

“Mom, Dad swore,” Dawn said from behind Brody. Since Rain could see the wide grin on Owen’s face, the way Brody rolled his eyes after getting caught by his daughter, she figured she had to be the rational one. “Yes, well, he’s been stuck in a desert with nothing but rowdy men for company. He can’t help himself if he’s acting like a wild dog, snapping at nothing.”

“Huh?” Dawn asked.

“Nothing, sweetheart. You and your sister finish clearing the table. Brody will help you.” She stepped out of Owen’s arms and grabbed the near empty bowls Brody held in his hands.

“What’s going on between the two of you?”

“I’ll tell you . . .”

“Oh, shit. She’s going to get me killed.” Owen turned to Brody and crossed his arms over his chest, taking a defiant stand.

“Well, let’s hear it.” Brody took a menacing step closer to Owen, the two facing off with her to their sides.

“I love Owen.” Rain shimmied between Brody and Owen, her back to Owen and her hands planted on Brody’s chest. “Whenever I needed help or someone to just listen, he always lent a hand or let me bend his ear. Along with Pop, he’s been a father figure to those girls. He’s been my friend, a damn good uncle to our girls, and a better brother than you deserve. So lay off.”

Rain shoved past him. Brody figured, best to let her go. When she was riled up like this, no telling how she’d react. She was spoiling for a fight as much as he was. Holding out his hand to Owen, he waited for Owen’s hand to clasp his. He shook, then held on and looked his brother in the eye. “Thank you for taking care of my family while I was gone.”

“I’m your brother. Have you ever known me to take something that belonged to you?”

“Never. You always looked out for me,” Brody confirmed.

“And you me.” Owen let go of Brody’s hand now that they understood each other. “It’s been one day, Brody. Give her a chance to settle into you being here and what that means for her and the girls. She’s been solely responsible for them and answered to no one. Now, you’re here and you have a right to be a part of the girls’ lives and make decisions with her for them. Whether you believe it or not, you scare the hell out of her.”

“Rain isn’t afraid of anything.”

“Except allowing herself to believe you want to spend the rest of your life with her, only to have you turn your back on her again.”

Brody leaned against the counter and pressed the heels of his hands into his aching eyes. Frustrated, he needed to find a way to make things right with Rain in the most expedient way possible. “I meant what I said to the girls. I’ll do everything in my power to prove to her she can trust me again. I want forever back.” Taking a chance, he added, “We could have something really great, Owen. We have the girls already, but I think we could have the family you and I never had and always secretly wanted.”

Owen clasped his hand on Brody’s shoulder. “Rain has let me be a part of this family. Watching her with the girls has shown me what a real mother should be like. She’s got a way of disciplining them firmly without making them feel stupid and grinding their self-esteem into the ground like dad used to do. I’ll watch her with them when they do their homework, or she’s coaching them at softball. She praises them, tells them how good they’re doing. Not just for the big things they do, but for the little things.”

“Dad certainly never did that.”

“You’ve got an opening here with Rain. Look for the little things she does for you, with you. Build on that, because she won’t give you the big gesture you’re looking for.

“She’s got things to say to you. Terrible things. If she could, she’d spare you the details of the last eight years, because deep down she loves you enough to let you walk in here tonight, forget the past, and let you spend the rest of your life happy with your kids.”

Brody ran his hand over the side of his hair and to the back of his neck, squeezing the tight muscles. “How can five minutes of my life screw up everything so badly?”

“Whatever else came into your world, Rain was always the constant you took for granted would always be there. If I was you, I’d make damn sure I didn’t lose my second chance, because that’s what she’s offering, even if those aren’t the words coming out of her mouth.”

“The only thing she wants to offer me at the moment is my head on a platter.”

“Every time you kiss her, there’s a moment where she gives in and lets herself feel and believe for just those few seconds that you never left and this is the way life has always been. Then she remembers all that’s happened and she pushes you away. Like you pushed her away all those years ago.”

“She thinks I’ll leave her again, so she’s not about to give me a chance to hurt her.”

“Sound familiar. Talk all you want, tell her you love her, and you’re staying. None of it amounts to shit unless you show her.” Owen handed him the bakery box. “So, let’s eat cupcakes. Get to know your daughters. Watch Rain. She’s watching you.”

Chapter Nine

B
RODY WALKED INTO
the dining room again, Owen at his back. Rain sat beside Pop at the head of the table. They talked about work and a repair job Rain started that day. Brody placed the bakery box on the table and lifted the lid. Dawn and Autumn oohed and aahed over the beautifully designed cupcakes.

Rain stood and tried to pass him. Just because he wanted to touch her, he put his hand on her arm to stop her. “Where you going, sweetheart?” He almost smiled when she glared.

“To get some plates and napkins. You’ve never seen two little girls make a mess like they do with cake and frosting.” A glimmer of a smile touched her rosy lips.

“Yeah?” He gave her a smile, letting his hand slide down her arm until he took her hand. “I bet they’ve both demolished a cake on their birthdays.”

When her gaze came up to meet his, it was plain as day. She regretted every birthday he’d missed.

“When they turned one, I made them each a little round cake and let them go to town. They ended up with more cake on them than in them.”

Linking his fingers with hers, he squeezed her hand to let her know he understood everything she wasn’t saying. “You loved watching every minute of it.”

“Almost,” she whispered and pulled free, fleeing into the kitchen. When he looked back at Owen, he caught his brother’s nod of approval. He’d connected with her for a second. Now, all he had to do was keep at it, until she no longer wanted to break the connection, but build on it.

Dessert became an orchestrated affair. Rain directed the girls on subjects to talk about, ranging from how they were doing in the second grade, about their teachers and friends, to the things they liked to do in their spare time. It was obvious the girls were not only sisters, but best friends. They did everything together, Dawn usually in the leader’s role.

The only times Rain interrupted or stopped them from telling something was when it had to do with Roxy.

Unable to let things go, he had to get Rain alone if he wanted to find out what happened after he left town.

“Dad . . .”

God, how he loved hearing them call him Dad.

“Do you have a computer? Uncle Owen said you have a company, and you’ll work from your house.”

He was getting used to the way Autumn looked to her sister to be the speaker for them both. He didn’t miss the conspiratorial look they shared when they asked about his computer. “I have a laptop and a desk computer. Why? Do you guys know how to use one?”

“Mom got us one for school and to play on some kid’s websites. We have some games,” Dawn began.

“It was so slow,” Autumn added. “Mom got it from the secondhand store and now the screen is fuzzy and half the time it doesn’t boot up right and we get weird errors.”

“Can we use yours?” Dawn asked, finishing both girls’ request.

Brody listened to the girls, but watched Rain. She couldn’t afford a new computer. An easy guess. What he didn’t get, she made a good living at the garage. Paying for things for the girls took up a good portion of her paycheck, he assumed. She had her inheritance from her family, the money she hadn’t used for college. Either she was leaving that money in the bank for the girls to go to school later, or it was already gone. He wanted to talk to her about the money he had, the money he owed her for child support he should have paid. Now wasn’t the time, and throwing it in her face he could and would buy the girls a new computer wouldn’t score him any points.

“When you come out to the cabin you can use mine.” He tried to be diplomatic and not promise the girls something Rain might object to. As far as he knew, at this point he’d get to have the girls at his place sometimes. Shared custody was a long way from the family he wanted, but he’d do what Owen said and take baby steps toward what he really wanted.

“Your dad and I will talk. You have school during the week, but maybe once he’s got the cabin ready for you to visit, you can spend the weekend with him.”

“Won’t you stay with us?” Autumn asked, her eyes round and worried.

“We’ll talk about it, Autumn. No matter what, you’ll be safe with your dad.”

Brody stared at Rain, the obvious question in his eyes. Why wouldn’t Autumn be safe? Did she think he couldn’t take care of the girls, his mind was so far gone he’d hurt them or neglect them? Or did this have something to do with Roxy?

Ignoring the elephant in the room, Rain changed the subject. “Girls, why don’t you show your dad your room and the photos you want him to see.”

Rain grabbed up the frosting-smeared plates and dirty napkins while the girls got up, excitedly chattering at him about coming upstairs. Each girl grabbed one of his hands and pulled.

Rain noted the slow, deliberate way Brody placed his right foot on the stair tread and carefully pulled his weight up.

“He’s doing better, Rain,” Owen said.

“He knows we’re keeping something from him.”

Pop grasped her hand. “So, you’ll tell him what it is when you’re alone with him.”

“I don’t want to be alone with him.” Both men’s faces lit up with amused smiles. “Shut up,” she snapped. “Do either of you want to tell him what Roxy tried to do with his child?” When both men looked away and frowned, she got the reaction she’d anticipated. “Right. Who wants to hurt him like that after everything he’s been through, is still going through. Have either of you noticed how many times he’s rubbed his hand over his leg. He’s hurting and trying to hide it.”

“The doctors said he needs time,” Owen said.

“After the accident the other day, I don’t want to add to his anxiety by telling him about Autumn and Roxy. It’ll only agitate him.”

“Roxy will hear he’s back in town.” Pop reminded her of what she already knew and dreaded happening.

“Do we know for sure where she is now?” she asked Owen.

“Last we knew for sure, living in Las Vegas with an ex-rodeo cowboy.”

“That information is over a year old,” Pop pointed out.

“It’s the best we’ve got. She stayed in Vegas the longest. I think she finally found a place that suited her,” Rain said, scorn laced in every word.

They all fell silent. Every one of them considering the possibilities of Roxy coming back to town now. And the many reasons she’d return. Every dollar she could get her hands on.

“Lay it out for me, Owen. How much could she expect to get from Brody for Autumn?”

“For his daughter.” Owen fixed a pointed gaze on her. “You know the answer to that question. You answered it for her the day Autumn was born looking exactly like Brody.”

“Every dime he has,” she answered her own question. “Damn. How can I stop her this time? She’s stayed away because she knows I don’t have anything left. When she finds out Brody is back and he’s got some money . . .”

“Not some,” Owen interrupted. “A couple million at his fingertips, tens of millions if he sold out his piece of the company.”

Rain combed both hands through her hair, pulling the thick mass away from her face and concentrating on her thoughts. Millions. Staggering to think about.

“We can’t let her take his money. It’s a source of pride for him to come back a success, knowing the people of this town will always look at him first and foremost as the young man he used to be.”

“You’re fooling yourself, sweetheart, if you think he worked this hard to make something of himself because he cared about what anyone but you thought.” Owen pointed out the cold hard truth. It was a truth she didn’t want to face. Not again.

“Can we please stick to the subject?”

“You know what you have to do, Rain,” Pop told her.

“Why am I the one who has to do all the dirty work and clean up all the mess?”

“You’re the mother,” her father told her. “And you’re a damn good one. You know what’s best for those girls and no matter how hard or how many sacrifices you have to make, you’ll always do right by them. Tell Brody the whole ugly story. Make him a part of their lives. But this time, honey, take a little something for yourself.”

“Sleeping with him is what got me into this mess,” she said truthfully, not caring what her father thought of her bluntness. No hiding the way Brody made her feel every time he came near her. She was surprised she hadn’t disgraced herself more by drooling over him while he sat across from her at dinner. Every time he pulled her close and kissed her, it was all she could do not to tear his clothes off, kick his feet out from under him, and land naked on top of him.

“If that’s all you take from each other, you’ll both be shortchanging yourselves. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, Rain, you love that stubborn fool.”

“Who’s the fool if I go back to him?”