Finding Forever (Living Again #4) (4 page)

Brant ended the call, pulling the truck into the parking lot he had been to so many times he could come there with his eyes closed. There was something about the river that just calmed him, centered him. Usually, as soon as he would pull up, Max would start whining, ready to get out. He loved it here as much as Brant did, if not more. It felt wrong to be here without Max, but then again, it would be even worse at home. At least he was going to be okay. He prayed that nothing happened overnight.

Brant walked along the edge of the river, stopping every once and a while to skip a rock along the water. His thoughts were consumed between that big teddy bear of a dog and the brown-haired doctor that was taking care of him. She looked young, around his age. She was probably fresh out of school. He found himself wondering if she grew up around here and what her story was. Growing up around tons of animals, people that loved animals were always top on his list. What had made her want to be a vet?

He smiled as he realized he would see her tomorrow when he went to check on Max. Unless she wasn’t working for some reason. He hoped she was. He had no intention of starting anything serious with her, but she intrigued him, that was for sure.

Checking his watch, he realized he had been there for over two hours and probably should get going if he had a chance in making it on time to meet Evan.

Turning around to head back towards the truck, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes were playing tricks on him, right? He took two steps forward and then stopped again. It sure did look like her. Maybe he just wanted it to be her.

A figure that looked a lot like Lacey was huddled next to the water. He couldn’t see her face, and she was now wearing a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, but she resembled her enough to make him start walking in her direction. And what exactly was he going to do if it
was
her? Ask her how Max was? Two hours after he left there? Make small talk? Ask her out?

He had no idea, and felt that this might be a bad idea, but his feet kept moving anyway. If it wasn’t her; hell, even if it was, this could become awkward quickly. As he got closer, his eyes scanned her long brown hair, now braided in one single braid down her back. Her back was still to him, but all he knew was that he was being pulled by some force bigger than him to keep walking.

Close enough now to smell the same flowery perfume that had lingered on him after he kissed her hand, his stomach clenched at the gasping cries that were coming from her mouth. She was huddled over, her shoulders shaking. The instinct he had to go wrap his arms around her shuddering shoulders almost overtook him before he stopped himself from moving forward. He felt frozen. He should leave, he knew that. He had no business being here, invading her personal moment.

“Aubrey?” her wobbly voice called out, not turning around. He turned to look behind him, but saw nothing. Even if he walked away now, she would still see him if she turned around.

“Lacey?” The second her name was out of his mouth, he regretted it. What was he doing?

She scrambled up, wiping her eyes furiously. “W-what are you doing here?”

Brant opened his mouth to respond, but he found that words failed him. She hadn’t been wearing much makeup earlier when he saw her, but now, her face was scrubbed clean, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen. In his line of work, he saw women with so much makeup and so many fake parts, the natural beauty rolling off of her was enough to knock the breath out of him. “I…” He scrubbed his hands over his face, willing himself to stop acting like an idiot. “This is Max’s favorite place. We come here all the time. I couldn’t go home without him.”

He stepped forward, and she eyed him warily. Before he could stop himself, he reached his hands out and grasped her small hands in his large ones. He could feel her quivering. “Are you okay?”

Lacey looked away, over his shoulder, as if she was thinking about how much she wanted to tell him. He could understand that. “Fourteen years ago today, my mom died. She was my best friend.” Tears invaded her eyes again. He knew that wasn’t easy for her to say to him, a virtual stranger. She pulled one of her hands away from his and covered her mouth. “Why did I just tell you that? It’s not like you care. I’ll be fine.” She turned, and he put his hands on her shoulders before he could stop himself.

“Of course I care,” Brant said into her ear. “I’m sorry doesn’t seem like the right words, because that just means I pity you. I know enough to know that isn’t what anyone in pain wants.”

He felt her relax just slightly at his words, so he knew he must’ve said something right. “So, fourteen years? You must’ve been young.”

She turned her head, her eyes meeting his. “I was twelve. She had breast cancer that spread.” He was right, she was around his age. He wanted to ask her a million different questions, but knew this was not the time.

Brant couldn’t empathize, he had never known anyone closely that had cancer, but he could only imagine how hard it would be to have to deal with such a difficult thing as a child. “Who’s Aubrey?”

She looked back over his shoulder, then back at him. “My little sister. She’s supposed to be meeting me here, but she must be late.” She pulled away from his touch and wrapped her arms around herself. “T-thanks, but I’ll be okay. And I need to find out where Aubrey is.”

He knew a dismissal when he saw one, and he wasn’t in the business of pushing beautiful women. He smiled, wondering why he wanted to stay. “Thanks again for taking care of Max today. I’ll see you tomorrow at the office.” She nodded, and he turned to walk away.

As he moved away from her, he saw what could only be her sister walking briskly towards her, two bouquets of flowers in her hand. She resembled Lacey, with the same dark hair and light eyes, but he didn’t feel the same pull towards her. She was petite, while Lacey was tall, and Lacey’s curves couldn’t be hidden by her scrubs or the jeans she was wearing.

Aubrey glanced at him as he walked past her, but said nothing, her eyes back on her sister. He stopped a safe distance away and watched the sisters embrace, then saw the unmistakable signs of crying, both of their shoulders shaking as they held onto each other.

“Happy Birthday, Lacey,” Aubrey finally choked out, handing her one of the bouquets. “I got you and mom matching flowers.”

It was her
birthday?
Her mom had died on her birthday? His heart clutched. As if losing your parent as a kid wasn’t bad enough, now every year she had to mourn her own birthday? Dr. Lacey Russell was twenty-six years old today, if his math was correct.

He couldn’t explain the urge he had to walk back to the two women, wrap Lacey in his arms, and tell her that her mom would’ve wanted her to celebrate her birthday. He wondered how many years it had been since she had done anything for herself on this day, and vowed that when he saw her tomorrow, he would make her feel special, whether she wanted it or not. He decided not to overthink his reaction to the vet, telling himself that he just wanted to make her feel better.

“You’re late,” Evan joked, sliding a beer across the bar at Brant.

“Thanks, and sorry. I got held up,” Brant said, avoiding the questions he knew Evan was going to ask.

“So how’s the big beast?”

Brant chuckled at Evan’s description of Max. “Thankfully he should be okay. I’m going to be honest, it’ll be weird without him tonight at the house. Maybe I shouldn’t go home.”

Evan indicated the mass of people around them. “Well, I’m sure you could find many willing partners to take you home tonight.”

Brant shook his head, sipping his beer. There was no way he could be with anyone tonight, not after the turmoil he was already in over Max and Lacey.

“Is Brant Tucker saying
no
to the ladies? Oh, I hear all of them crying right now.” Evan cupped his ear, nodding like he was hearing the crying, and Brant laughed.

“I meant more like crashing at your place, not going home with some random girl.”

Evan shook his head. “Well maybe I have a plan to take home one of these fine women tonight, so then you’d be SOL.”

Brant didn’t answer, and he felt Evan examining him. “What is it?”

He shrugged, looking away and watching the amber liquid in his beer slosh from side to side.

“This is more than Max,” Evan mused. “I’ve known you a long time, bro. This has women trouble written all over it. Who is she?”

Brant ignored him for a moment as the waitress took their food order, but he knew that was as long as he would get. Evan was nothing if he wasn’t relentless.

“Well, today when I took Max to the vet, I met this doctor…”

Aubrey and Lacey sat for a long time next to the water, talking about the things they remembered about their mom while throwing the flowers into the water for her.

“Remember that time when we were moving, and Dad asked Mom to help him move the mattress out? She thought he said push and he said pull, and she knocked him over with the mattress and we all laughed for hours.”

“Yes,” Aubrey giggled. “Remember that time I wanted to make pancakes for mom on her birthday? I was only five, and I thought I could do it myself.”

Lacey laughed, holding her stomach in laughter. “I’ve never seen such a mess in all my life. There was flour, milk, and eggs, all over the kitchen. I think Mom and Dad found parts of that for months.”

“Mom didn’t even get mad,” Aubrey reminisced. “She just gave me that ‘look’ and said, ‘Aubrey, thank you for my birthday breakfast. Next time can you ask Lacey or Daddy for help?’”

The sisters fell into comfortable silence, each of them thinking of the things they loved most about their mom.

“I hope I’m a mom like her,” Aubrey murmured, and Lacey flicked her eyes up to hers.

“I don’t,” Lacey said.

“Lacey,” Aubrey’s tone warned. “Stop saying that stuff.”

“It’s too painful, Aubrey. Look at what has happened to Dad. After Mom died, he ceased to exist. He wasn’t there for us, not really. And even to this day, he’s a shell of himself. Look at him. What do you think he’s doing today? He can’t move on from her, not even for us. It was like we lost two parents that day. I don’t ever want to take the chance of that happening to me.”

Aubrey sighed. “Lacey, you can’t compare. What Dad’s reaction was and continues to be doesn’t mean that’s what would always happen. And we can’t predict the future. Just because you find someone and have a family doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen to you or them.”

Lacey stood up, brushing the grass from her backside. “I can’t take that chance. I’ve got all I need.”

Aubrey followed. “And what’s that, Lace?”

She narrowed her eyes at her sister, tired of this same conversation. “I have you, Sam, my other friends, my job, and I have Maggie and Sophie.”

“Your
dogs?
I swear, Lace, you better not turn into the crazy cat and dog lady. That isn’t enough.”

“Aubrey,” Lacey warned. “I don’t want to fight with you. Just because you’re happy with Jacob and want to get married and have a family doesn’t mean that your dream is somehow better than mine. I’m happy, Aub. Content.”

“I just hate that you are so jaded. I’m sorry you had to take care of me after mom died, Lace. And that you were forced to be the adult in the house when Dad kind of went off the deep end. It changed you. I always wonder…”