Bittersweet (7 page)

The old lady laughed and gave her a knowing look. “Ye’r lookin’ at Brady, aren’t ye? He’s quite the catch, ye know. I’m not even sure why he bothers with this place. The boy probably doesn’t have to work a day in his life. His family, they’re well off, but he’s probably here for the women.”

She rambled on, surprising Jenna. “If I were a few years younger…” She let her sentence trail off and gave a cat call, which made Jenna laugh and instantly like the woman. “But ye have to get in line,” she continued. “There are a lot of locals that have been tryin’ to snag him for years.”

She shrugged and Jenna blushed. The idea of a bunch of other women doing anything to Brady made her want to jump out of her skin.

“My name is Jenna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand, liking the spunk in this sweet older woman.

“I’m Molly, love,” she said, taking it. “It’s nice to meet ye too.”

Before they could finish the interesting conversation, Brady climbed onstage. “Can I get yer attention? I’ve got an announcement to make, so shut yer holes.”

There were a few snickers, but everyone quieted down, and he held up a drink. “So tonight I found out somethin’ pretty special. My best friend and brother Caleb has decided to settle down. Ye all know Caleb, don’t ye?” There were cat calls and whistles, and Jenna laughed when Caleb and Sam climbed onstage to join him, so she moved closer. “Well, turns out that this woman has finally tamed the beast.” Brady roared, pointing his bottle of beer toward Sam. “And they’re gettin’ married, so please join me in their celebration as we all offer our congratulations to the happy couple.” He raised his bottle, downed the rest of its contents, and looked out into the audience as Sam and Caleb sealed the announcement with a kiss.

Their eyes locked as soon as he saw her and held as he made his way off the stage. For a moment, everybody else in the room disappeared, leaving only the two of them.

But that fantasy came to a screeching halt when Brady got sidetracked by a voluptuous redhead, who began to rub her large breasts up against him. He broke eye contact with Jenna, and Red was on him like a bitch in heat.

At the sight of her Jenna stopped walking, but unfortunately she was close enough to be within hearing range.

“Brady, I missed ye today,” Red said in an annoying squeak. “I never did get a chance to thank ye for the other night.” Before he could answer, she kissed him. A full, openmouthed, sloppy, spit-swap type of kiss.

Jenna dropped her beer in shock, and Brady turned at the sound of the shattering glass.

“Jenna.” He reached out to grab her, but she backed away.

“No.” She turned to look for a place to run.

“Jenna, wait, love.”

He pushed the redhead away to chase after her. The exit was in the other direction, and Brady was catching up, so she ran into the ladies’ room.

Damn.
She knew she couldn’t wait in there all night and tried to figure out a way to get past him unnoticed. Just as she hoped he wouldn’t follow her, she heard him.

“Everybody out. This jacks will be outta service until I say so.”

“Well, where we supposed to piss, then?” One of the waiting women muttered crossly.

“Go use the other, there’s no line in there.” After a few protests, and angry words he managed to get everyone out and locked the door to ensure privacy. She was trapped now with no other choice but to listen to him.

“I’m not leavin’ ’til we talk,” he warned as he looked under each stall to find her. “Please, Jenna, ye can at least let me explain.”

“So explain,” she snapped.

“Jenna, I’m sorry.”

He must have been standing on a closed toilet seat, because she spotted him leaning over the wall between her stall and the one next to it. She sat on the closed toilet with a ball of tissue in her hand to wipe her eyes, and to make matters worse, she knew she looked awful. Her eyes were sure to be red-rimmed and puffy. Plus, how attractive was a runny nose? After grabbing more toilet paper for her face, she stormed out of the stall.

“Oh, save it! If you were sorry or if you even cared, you would have come to see me instead of avoiding me like I had something contagious. Geez, Brady, I told you I loved you, and you threw it back in my face. I felt ridiculous afterward, and you let me leave. It’s been two days, and you’ve already got someone new, for the love of God.” She laughed humorlessly at her stupidity.

“I don’t,” he said, and she couldn’t believe her ears.

In her most annoying nasal voice, she mocked the voluptuous redhead. “Brady, I missed ye today. I never did get a chance to thank ye for the other night.”

“Nothin’ happened, Jenna.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Brady cursed as if he knew no other words.

“Don’t ye start using that type of language with me,” Molly snapped. “I don’t care what yer doin’ or who ye got in there, but it’s time to get out. Ye hear?” She banged again. “I’m not gonna stop. There are ladies out here that need to use the jacks. Now get.”

“Feck,” he snarled, and slung Jenna over his shoulder before she could utter another word, or even better, escape. He unlocked the door with her screaming in protest. “Ye’r not getting’ outta my sight ’til we talk this through, so get used to it, love. Ye’r gonna hear me out if it kills me.”

“Brady, let me down!” She thrashed, but his grip was too strong.

Molly and a few other women laughed as they went by, only making Jenna’s anger worsen. Everyone was staring as he moved through the bar, and when they exited, she was fuming. He tried to put her down gently, but he stumbled as she pushed him away.

“Okay, now that you’ve caused a scene, what do you have to say?” she snapped.

“I said nothin’ happened, didn’t I?”

“What a load of crap. Nothing happened. It didn’t seem that way to Miss Big Boobs in there, and that nasty kiss was nothing? How would you like to see me kissing someone else like that?”

He ignored that question. “Look, she was in the bar the other night and had a bit too much to drink. She and a friend were hittin’ on me and Caleb, and we gave ’em a ride home. That’s all it was, nothin’. We didn’t even go inside with ’em. Honest. Come on, love, it’s been hell without ye. I was plannin’ on seein’ ye tonight. I swear it.”

He tried to pull her into his arms to kiss her, but she turned away. “Brady, please, your lips were just kissing another woman.”

“No, she kissed me,” he corrected. “I love ye, Jenna, and I’ve been a fool for not tellin’ ye sooner. From the first moment I seen ye, I fell, darlin’. I’ve been goin’ crazy since the night ye left me. I can’t get ye outta my head, and I swear to ye that I was comin’ to beg ye for forgiveness. What do ye say?” He got down on both knees before gathering her closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face into her stomach.

She couldn’t take any more and followed what was in her heart as she stroked his hair. “Brady,” she whispered, glossy-eyed. He loved her,
and when he looked up in response, she finally kissed him.

Chapter Eight

“So have you thought about what we’re going to do when I leave?”

They’d been too eager to make it to Brady’s bedroom once they got in and had just finished making love right there on the living room floor. They sat in front of the fireplace wrapped up in nothing but the decorative blanket he used to drape over the sofa.

“Nah, I don’t like to think of it.”

She nodded and cuddled closer. “Come with me,” she whispered. She had to take a chance; it was the perfect solution.

“Stay.”

She rolled her eyes
. If only it were that simple.
She had obligations to go back to. “I’m not asking for anything permanent, Brady. I guess I was just hoping you’d think about coming with me so I could get things settled at home. Prepare Jayden for whatever may come of this.” She paused and looked up at him. “So tell me at least this much: if I did say yes to returning eventually, where would Jayden and I stay?” She knew his probable answer and hoped he’d say with him, but then again he hadn’t exactly made the offer.

He brushed his lips against the side of her throat and trailed kisses along her jawline and then up to her lips. “With me,” he said, smiling like an eager child on Christmas Morning. “We could make this work, Jenna. There’s an extra room for Jayden, and ye could register him for school.”

“And you’re prepared for an instant family? Things may get worse before they get better; I have no idea how Jayden’s going to react. I was a mess before I came here, and now I’m going back with a lot for him to deal with. There’s you and now a potential move.”

“So ’tis a no then?” He looked disappointed, hurt even, and she could tell he was prepared to argue.

“It’s not a no, Brady. I just want you to be aware of the possibilities. Jayden will come around eventually, and who knows, maybe he’ll be okay with it from the start.” She smiled at him and then sighed because the answer should have been obvious. “My answer is yes, but first you have to agree to come back with me, just long enough for me to sell the house and make arrangements. Not to mention, it may make things easier for Jayden to meet you first, and then there’s my parents.”

“Parents?”

“Yes, parents. Now that I’ve met yours, I think it’s only fair that you meet mine.” She shrugged and studied his reaction, but his was nothing like hers had been when he’d first told her about meeting his parents. He was so calm and collected.

“So in order for ye to eventually stay, I have to go back with ye for a little while to meet Jayden and face yer parents. Is that right?”

She nodded, thinking the terms were fair.

“And if I don’t agree?” he teased. “Then what?”

“Then I’ll have to say no.”

Okay, enough of this, she wanted his answer. She caressed his torso with her palm and moved herself beneath the blanket. She gripped his shaft, which was already thick and ready for action, smiled, and began to pump it up and down. “So if you don’t want me,” she whispered, “then just say no.” She leaned down and replaced her hand with her mouth, and he moaned with appreciation.

“Jenna, oh, love, take it all. Take it all!” he shouted, and in just a few minutes she worked him to a climax.

“Christ, love, that was—ye’r amazin’.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She giggled. “But you still haven’t given me your answer. So will you come back with me temporarily?”

He nodded. “Aye, Jenna, we’ll have it yer way. I’ll go back with ye.”

“You do love me,” she teased.

“I do.”

***

Her nightmares started that night, and she couldn’t figure out why. Her time in Ireland had been incredible, and she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do. She’d managed to find the woman she used to be as well as a happiness with Brady she never thought she’d find again.

The horrible dreams started out with flashbacks—vivid glimpses of her life with Tyler from the time they met until the day before their accident. She experienced the happiness she’d felt, and the love they’d once shared. Then it seemed as if someone hit the Fast-Forward button.

Bright lights were coming straight for her. She fell back hard, and everything went black. She was floating, light and carefree. When her eyes adjusted, she stood in the rain, drenched. Her car was there, and she could see Tyler within reach.

“Tyler,” she screamed, needing to warn him somehow, but she couldn’t move and something was coming.
Oh God.

Screeching tires echoed, the car door opened before the truck collided with it and threw the body left inside like a rag doll.

“Tyler, No.”

***

“Jenna? Jenna, love, wake up.”

She gasped for breath and went wide-eyed before she began to cry as she clung to Brady for dear life.

“Shh, it’s okay, love. I’ve got ye, ye’r safe,” he soothed and held her close to make her feel better.

***

The sunlight beaming through a crack in the curtain landed right on Jenna’s face. “Ugh,” she groaned and opened her eyes. After being awakened from her nightmare, she had taken a long time to fall asleep again. “What time is it?”

She was alone.

“Brady?” Jenna got up and headed downstairs. When she didn’t find him in the house, she checked out in the yard, but he wasn’t there either, and now she’d run out places to search. Knowing he couldn’t have gone far, she decided to enjoy the beautiful day while she waited for him to return.

She curled up in an oversized wicker glider and admired her surroundings. The day was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the slight breeze flowing in from the north made the yard smell like wildflowers. It was heaven, but last night was one hell of a night, and she was moving forward. Brady was now her future, but that dream had felt so real it scared the crap out of her.

“Jenna.”

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Brady approach.

“Are ye all right, love?”

“I’m fine. Actually, I was wondering where you were, and it was such a lovely day, I waited out here,” she ended with a shrug.

“Aye. Have ye been up long? I should have left ye a note or somethin’, but we sure made my ma’s day.”

“We made your mother’s day?” she repeated. “So then you were at your parents’. I wish I had known; I would have joined you.”

“Sorry, love. Next time, I promise.” He laughed. “I told ye I had to start planning, remember? Well, I took care of it this mornin’. I went over there so I wouldn’t wake ye, but I also figured my parents should know why I won’t be around for a while.”

“So they’re happy, huh?” She smiled. She liked his parents, and it meant a lot that they approved.

“Oh yeah, she’s plannin’ the party as we speak. Callin’ my sisters and the rest of the family to gloat that I’m finally settlin’ down. She loves ye, Jenna, but be prepared for when we return. She’s plannin’ a large family gatherin’ to introduce ye to the lot of ’em.”

She gasped in shock and tried to tell herself it was too early to feel nervous.

“It won’t be that bad, Jenna. I honestly think it’s just because everyone’s in disbelief. She feels like she’s got som'thin’ to prove.” He shrugged.

Jenna giggled. “I’m a very lucky girl.”

Brady moved closer and brushed his lips against hers. “I’m the lucky one, love, so what do you say we press our luck a bit more?”

She screeched with laughter as he threw her over his shoulder again and rushed her over the threshold, upstairs, and into the bedroom.

***

She was in a black room, sitting with a bowl of popcorn, waiting for a movie to begin. Only it wasn’t a movie; it was Jayden on screen.

He lay quietly in his bed, waiting patiently for his favorite story. She gasped when instead of her telling it, she saw a bloody Tyler standing next to his bed.

Jayden looked scared and called for her, but she couldn’t answer or reach him. Tyler started telling the tale, and when he was finished, he leaned down to give Jayden his nightly kiss. As he stood up again, Jayden began to cry.

“I want Mommy,” he whimpered.

Tyler sat next to him. “Mommy’s not here, Jayden.”

“Is she coming back?” he whispered.

Tyler shook his head. “You can’t come back when you’re dead,” he said and looked right at her with a smile. It was terrifying.

Tyler stood up and walked out of the screen to stand in front of her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “We need to look at this.”

The images on the screen changed to her memories with Brady. Starting at the very beginning, there was their first glimpse of each other at the airport, every date they’d gone on, the few arguments they’d had, and every time they’d made love.

She looked up at Tyler, overwhelmed with grief at the state he was in.

“You’ve moved on,” he whispered.

She began to cry. “I’m sorry,” she finally managed to whisper.

Tyler smiled. “I’m happy for you,” he said, but then blood started to gush from his mouth. “But what does it mean for the two of us, Jenna?”

She didn’t know what to say. Why was he torturing her? He was gone. Didn’t he want her to be happy again?

He leaned in to kiss her, and she gasped in horror. There was so much blood. She tried to move away, but she wasn’t fast enough. She gagged and tried to push him off, and as she frantically tried to wipe the blood off her, he screamed, “What happened to me, Jenna? What did you do?”

Jenna sat up, shaking and dripping with sweat. That action alone woke Brady and he was there for her in an instant.

“Shh, it’s okay, love. I’ve got you.”

The dream had been worse than the others, and she felt as though she was about to hyperventilate. She’d begun sobbing as soon as Brady put his arms around her.

“What’s wrong, love? Talk to me.”

That was the million dollar question she’d been trying to answer herself. What was wrong with her, and where were these dreams coming from? As embarrassed and upset as she had been after the previous nightmare, she hadn’t been able to give an explanation then, and she knew she needed to now.

“I’m sorry about last night. I freaked out a little, and you’re probably thinking, ‘Oh great, I picked a crazy one.’” Teasing him took the edge off.

“No, not crazy, love, but I am curious about the sudden night terrors. What is it that yer dreamin’ about?”

She sighed, feeling self-conscious. “It was Tyler; he didn’t look very well. He was pretty banged up, and there was a lot of blood gushing out of him. We were in a dark room, and it was like we were watching a replay of everything that’s happened between you and me.” She tried to smile to reassure him; that hadn’t been the bad part of the dream. “When it was done, he said he was happy for me but then asked me what about him. Before I could say anything, he leaned forward to kiss me. I pushed him away and was full of his blood afterward. It was all really disgusting. Then he yelled at me and asked what had happened to him. He asked me what I did to him. I’m sorry, Brady. It was a silly dream, and I shouldn’t have gotten so upset, but after it I felt so terrified.”

“I can see why ye were so scared.” He took her hand in his. “Jenna, I know ye blame yerself, but it wasn’t yer fault, love. What happened to Tyler was very tragic, but there was nothin’ ye could do. Are ye feelin’ guilty about us?”

“I don’t think so,” she answered honestly. She shouldn’t feel guilty, right? Tyler would have wanted her to move on. He would have wanted her to be happy again. Wouldn’t he?

“It’s all right, love.” He pulled her onto his lap and into his embrace. “I love ye, Jenna.”

***

Brady

“Make love to me.”

“Gladly, darlin’.” He chuckled. She didn’t need to ask him twice.

“Please, Brady, I need you now,” she whispered, looking vulnerable.

He understood so much more after their talk that morning, and he was troubled to know she felt guilty. Was it his fault for loving her? Had the dreams been triggered because of him? He was willing to do anything to keep her from her fear. Especially if that involved making love, because loving Jenna was no chore at all.

Jenna Baker had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was precious to him, and tonight he wanted to show her, wanted her spread before him, glistening and aching for him to have a taste.

He literally swept her off her feet and carried her to the dresser, then set her down on top of it. “Lean back, love,” he whispered. He moved his hands up her calves and cupped them behind her knees before spreading her to get where he wanted. “That a girl.”