The Return of Brody McBride (7 page)

“She didn’t. Couldn’t, really.”

“What does that mean? Did something happen to Rain?”

“You did,” Owen said in all seriousness. “Things happen, Brody. Life happens. She did the best she could. She tried to find you after you left. Chased you down across three states before she lost you in Arizona. After that, she gave up. You made it perfectly clear by your constant wandering you didn’t want to be found.”

“Why did she try to find me?”

“You’ll have to ask her. The rest of the story is hers to tell. I can only tell you that you don’t have to worry about trying to find her, or that she won’t want to talk to you. She does. She’ll be expecting you when you’re ready to go and see her. I suggest you get this place in order, take another day or two to settle in and get some rest.”

Ignoring Owen’s suggestion to wait a couple of days, Brody asked a simple question and hoped Owen gave him a straight answer for once. “You’ve seen Rain, talked to her over the last few years you’ve been back. Do you think there’s a chance she could love me again?”

Owen laughed. “She’s more likely to lop off your head for what you did to her.”

Brody let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumped.

“I’m kidding. You’ve got a shot. She left a window open, even if she did slam the door in your face.”

It was too much to hope for, so Brody took in those words and buried them with the rest of his dreams. “What would you do if you were me and you wanted her back?”

“I’d go to her knowing I was the one in the wrong. I’d remember she tried to find me once. As much as you want to explain your side to her, remember she has a side, too. There’s a reason she never left town. You have everything to do with that reason.” Grabbing his keys from the counter, Owen started toward the door. “I’ll leave you to think about that. It might take some time, but I have a feeling everything will work out. If you’re not a bonehead,” Owen added and shut the door between them.

Brody stood and stared out the window. Owen climbed into his truck and headed for the main house just over the rise. When he turned back to the room, he decided Owen might be right about putting his life and house in order before he went to see Rain.

Rain didn’t go to college. She stayed in town because of him. He hated to think he’d hurt her so badly, she refused to take her scholarship and reach for her dream.

But that wasn’t right. Rain wasn’t the kind of woman, even at eighteen, who’d give up so much for something as stupid as her boyfriend leaving her. It was more likely she’d have gone off to San Francisco with a tilt to her head, her chin out, and a fuck-you attitude toward him with every A she earned.

What would make Rain stay? As he settled into bed that night, the new soft mattress at his back, clean sheets cocooning him, his hands clasped behind his head on his down pillow, he had a very bad feeling he’d done something far worse to Rain than he realized.

Chapter Five

B
RODY HATED DELAYING
seeing Rain. Knowing she was in town, expecting him even, made it hard to stay at the cabin and get things done. All he wanted to do was find her and put an end to his imaginings about what kept her from attending school eight years ago. Besides, he couldn’t have gone to town if he wanted to, unless he walked the fifteen miles. With his leg, he’d likely not make it two miles. His truck was at Eli’s garage, and Owen remained conspicuously absent the last two days.

Without wasting any time, he got the road crew working early the morning after Owen left. His driveway was grated and re-graveled within a few hours. Too bad he didn’t have a truck to drive over it. He did, however, have a clean cabin. The place was sanitized and scrubbed to the point he could eat off the floors. Then, the contractor and his crew showed up. They’d dug out the new foundation to connect with the cabin and add on another bedroom and bathroom and expand the living room. The landscapers cleared all the garbage from the yard, dug out the dead plants and trees, and cut all the grass down, tilled a few sections under, laid out new sod, planted some shrubs and flowers, and basically transformed the place in two days. It looked like someone actually lived there again.

The lake was the best. The contractor fixed up the dock and the landscaper planted several flowering bushes around the dock and lake border to make it more inviting. He spent most of last night watching the sun go down behind the mountains and eating dinner surrounded by water and the scent of fresh-cut wood.

His peaceful night by the lake turned into a restless night tossing and turning in his empty bed and waking up in a cold sweat, fighting imaginary insurgents. That agonizing dream replaced the one where he’d been sliding his hand up Rain’s thigh, his hard cock thrusting deep inside her, as he locked his mouth with hers, waging war with his tongue for total possession of her. And God, he’d been hot and throbbing, her skin pressed to his. He could even taste her. Then everything changed. A bomb exploded, cutting off all sound but that eerie, muffled ringing and the sound of his harsh breaths. Rain was gone, and he was disoriented and surveying his surroundings, gun at the ready, trying to get his bearings and a read on the enemy.

Determined to go into town, he’d stood in the doorway, looking out at his new yard and driveway, drinking strong coffee. As soon as Jim, the contractor, showed up, he asked him to have one of his guys take him to Eli’s garage.

On edge, the morning got away from him. After speaking to Jim about the plans for the addition and the work to be done that day, he took several calls for work. By the time Jim’s man took him to town, it was past lunch. Before leaving, he took his pills, stuffed the bottles into his pocket just in case, and rode into town with a plan to get his truck, bust down Owen’s office door, and demand to know where to find Rain.

His truck wasn’t outside in the lot, so he went in through the open bay door. The truck sat in another stall against the far wall. He didn’t see Eli anywhere, but a pair of black work boots and legs in coveralls stuck out from under a Buick. Since the boots and legs were too small to be Eli’s, Brody figured the guy for one of the mechanics.

“Hey, man, have you seen Eli? I came to pick up my truck.”

A tool clinked on the cement before a long silent pause. Brody waited for a response from the owner of the small feet. When a pair of equally small hands grabbed the side of the car and the rest of the person slid out on a rolling cart, his heart stopped. Lying at his feet, Rain, dressed in a pair of dirty coveralls, a black ski cap on her head, and a stunned expression on her heart-shaped face. The garage was cold this time of year, her face was a little pale and her lips weren’t quite the rosy pink he remembered, but her eyes were that same shade of sable brown. With her pert little nose and big round eyes, she had always reminded him of a fairy, especially when she smiled. Which she wasn’t doing now. One perfectly arched dark eyebrow went up when he just stood staring down at her.

“Pop’s in the office. Keys are in the truck,” she said in that same husky voice that had whispered to him in the night.

“Rain,” he managed on a ragged exhale.

“Ah, you remembered.”

She rolled up to her feet in one fluid motion and stood before him a little bit of a thing at five-five to his six-three. Hands on her hips in true Rain fashion, he could only stare at the woman before him. She looked the same. Well, except her hair was all tucked up under that cap. He wanted to snatch it off her head and let her hair fall down her back in waves of deep brown. He remembered exactly how it smelled of sunshine and flowers, how it felt in his hands when he kissed her and held her head to him. The satiny feel of it brushing over his bare chest when he made love to her.

“And here I thought you came home to see me. I must have been misinformed.” She tried to hide her nerves under all that sarcasm, but he recognized the tactic.

“I did come home to see you. I just got sidetracked with the truck and the cabin. What are you doing here?”

“Changing the oil on Mrs. Bloomfield’s car.”

“No, why are you working here?”

“I’ve worked here since I was a kid. Did my first oil change when I was five. Or have you forgotten?”

She was being obstinate. He deserved that and a lot more. At least she wasn’t screaming at him. Though he wasn’t sure about this calm woman standing before him. Something was definitely different about her.

“How’s the head, Brody?” She put her hand up to touch the bruise and cut at the side of his face by his hairline. Instinctively, he pulled back, blocked her hand, sweeping his out to push hers away, and regretted it immediately when she let her hand fall to her side. What he wouldn’t give to feel her fingers on his skin again.

“Sorry. It’s not you, it’s just . . .”

“How’s the leg? Doesn’t look like it’s bothering you much. Owen said your rehabilitation went well. He said you have a slight limp . . .” she halted her rambling and just looked up at him. “Sorry. You probably didn’t come here to talk about that.”

“I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about. The head’s just a scratch. The leg’s . . . well, it’s better. What about you?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“You look it,” he said without thinking. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”

Rain let out a nervous laugh, and he caught a glimpse of that elusive smile. She looked down at herself. Didn’t matter what she wore, she would always be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.

“Thanks.”

Someone’s shoes scuffed on the ground behind him. Eli. Wasn’t hard to imagine what was coming. Rain kept that passive expression on her face when she said, “Turn around, Brody.”

The first punch hit him in the jaw, but he expected it and turned his face with the blow, taking much of the sting out of it. He hoped Eli didn’t notice. The second one came fast, but Brody grabbed Eli’s fist and held it.

“Hi, Eli.”

“Sonofabitch.” Eli quit pushing against his hand, so Brody let him go. “Looks like you learned a few things over there,” Eli said, obviously referring to the war.

He rubbed his jaw, easing the sting. “A few. I deserved the punch and a good pounding, but I’d really rather just say I’m sorry. I hope you’ll let me talk to Rain and let us work a few things out.”

“Well, damn, boy. You had to go and grow up and ruin my fun.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sir, shit. I’ve known you since you were just a baby. Let’s just keep it at Eli.” He turned to Rain. “You two have enough time to talk about . . . you know?”

“No,” Rain said and looked up at him. “Brody, there’s something you need to know. I don’t have much time. I want you to hear this from me before anyone else in town gossips to you about it.”

“Whatever it is, I’d love to hear all about it. Let’s go somewhere and talk.” He wanted to get her alone. Somewhere he could just be with her, maybe even kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her.

“I can’t. I’m waiting for a couple of people to meet me here. Brody, when you left, I never got the chance to tell you . . .”

“I took off on you, Rain. I didn’t want to leave you, but after what I’d done, I figured you’d never want to see me again.”

“Yes, but there’s something you don’t know.”

“Owen told me you didn’t go away to school. Why? It’s all you talked about. You had everything planned.”

“Yes,” she snapped. “I did have it all planned. But life has a way of pulling the rug right out from under you.” Hands back on her hips, her cheeks flushed. Pissed off, she let him have it. “After years of friendship, all those months we were seeing each other, growing closer, you went and threw it all away. And for what? A pair of tits half the men in this town have gotten their hands on for nothing more than a ‘Come on Roxy, give a guy a little sugar,’” she said scathingly. “Two days after you slept with her, you and I . . .” She stopped herself from going on, knowing full well her father was standing right there discreetly listening to everything. It wasn’t lost on Brody that Eli wasn’t about to leave them to their privacy. Rain had something on her mind, and Eli would stand beside her while she got it said.

“Rain, this isn’t how I wanted things to go.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t always get what we want,” she snapped. She let out a deep breath and added, “Sometimes, we get something better.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Stomping her boot against the cement, she said, “Shit. I’m out of time.” A car pulled up behind him. The engine cut off. Rain struggled to say whatever it was on her mind.

“Brody, when you left, I was angry. Angrier than I’ve ever been. But two weeks later everything changed. I tried to find you. I really did.”

“Owen told me you tried to find me,” he confirmed, because she looked so lost for a minute. Her eyes went soft and she bit her lower lip. He’d never seen her look this sad and unsure.

Her chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “Brody, when you left, I was pregnant.”

Brody stilled, rooted to the floor like some great oak. That familiar closing in of his senses took over. The air grew charged. His ears were ringing again. For a minute, he thought his bent mind would take him back to the war and some other kind of nightmare. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t welcome it this time, because he couldn’t be that bastard who left his woman behind, pregnant, without a word from him for eight years. It just couldn’t be.

“No.” His voice was quiet, but she heard him. Her eyes were round and sad and pleaded with him to understand.

She’ll never take me back
, he thought as the world came back with one sentence from a small voice behind him. “That must be him.”

Before Brody turned to that voice, Rain grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to make him look at her. “We have a little girl, Brody. But there’s more.”

Of course there was more. There was always more, he thought miserably.

“A few months after you left, Roxy started showing, too.”

“No,” Brody heard himself say. “No.”

“She had a little girl, too.”

“Rain. How? She. Roxy. Your school. What?” Not a single thought would take hold in his mind and work its way out of his mouth. He couldn’t think. Instinct told him to run. Get as far away from this mess as he could. A bigger part of him, a part he had often ignored in the past told him to stay put and hold on to Rain. This could all be worked out. He had a child. Children. Two little girls. His. Looking at Rain, his only thought was,
mine
.