As Tears Go By (16 page)

“Hello?”

“What’s
up, little brother?”

“Well,
if it isn’t the future father of the year,” Braydon said, recognizing Luke’s
voice.

“Yeah,
right. That title will definitely go to my significant other.”

“Oh,
stop. Congrats by the way. Colin told me you guys are going on a waiting list.”

Luke
sighed. “Yup, that’s what we’re best at—waiting. Waiting for Congress, waiting
for children. We’re getting pretty good at it. Right now we’re waiting for the
approval so we can wait on the list, but hey…” He could sense his brother’s
nervous happiness. “We may actually get a son or daughter. There aren’t words
for how incredible that is.”

“You’ll
get there—on all counts. I have faith. So what’s up?”

“Nothin’.
Just driving home from work and I realized I hadn’t talked to you in a while.
Tristan’s got the flu so I’m driving stag. Figured I’d give you a call.”

“That
sucks. Stomach or other?”

“Other.
He had a fever this morning and chills—the whole nine yards. He’s pretty much
quarantined.”

“Maybe
he’s pregnant,” Braydon joked.

“Ha.
Ha.”

Bray
smirked at his brother’s newfound ability to get his stones broken. The truth
was, since last year his brother was a totally new person. He’d softened more
than Bray ever thought possible, and of all his siblings, Luke seemed to check
on each McCullough the most. It was as though he were making up for lost time.

“Please,
I can’t get near him the way Mum’s doting over him. Thank the Lord she’s there,
though, because otherwise I’d never be able to feed him.”

Braydon
laughed. It was nice hearing his brother regard their family with such open
affection. It was a refreshing side to Luke they were all still adjusting to.

“She’s
sort of why I was calling.”

Bray’s
brow tightened with concern. “Mum? Why? Is something wrong?”

“No,
nothing’s wrong. I just realized next year’s their fortieth wedding
anniversary. I thought we should plan something special.”

His
expression lightened and he laughed. “Aww, look at you embracing your sexuality
and branching into party planning.”

“Blow
me. I want everyone to be there. I think we should have a big bash, make it
really special. They deserve it.”

If
anyone deserved it, his parents did. “I’m down. Just tell me when and where.”

“Well,
when Tristan feels better we’ll work out the logistics. Right now we’re just
giving everyone the heads up. Kate mentioned something about having them renew
their vows.”

“That
would be cool. It’s a shame Gramps won’t be here to see it.”

“Yeah,
but it’ll be nice for them to make vows with witnesses this time. Italian
Mary’s already volunteered to make Mum something pretty to wear.”

“It’s
gonna be awesome, Luke. She’ll love it. Let me know what you need and I’m
there. I gotta run, though. I just pulled up at my next stop.”

“All
right, bro. Talk to you soon. Love ya.”

His
chest warmed. There really was no way to describe what it felt like to hear
those words from a brother he almost lost. “Love you too, Luke.”

 
He tucked away his phone and headed in to pick
up the pizza. He couldn’t wait to see Becca, even if that made him
frighteningly whipped. She’d been all he’d thought about since Sunday.

When he
arrived at Becca’s her minivan was in the garage. He grabbed the wine, brownie,
and pie and rang the bell. The locks disengaged with multiple snicks and he
sucked in a deep breath when he saw her.

She was
a vision. Her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail. Her face was scrubbed
clean of makeup. A vintage Stones shirt boasting a red, white and blue tongue
clung to her curves over a pair of worn cotton pants. His gut tightened. This
was dangerous territory, but he chose to ignore all the warning signals he
usually heeded, the kind that told him he was assuming too much and moving too
fast.

She
smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.”
He leaned over the pizza box and kissed her. He hadn’t meant for it to be more
than a peck, but she surprised him by jerking him close and turning it into
more. The pizza and wine left his hands and landed on some piece of furniture
he hadn’t noticed as her arms wreathed around him, tugging his shoulders down
to her height, and the door slammed.

“I
missed you,” she whispered against his lips.

Backing
her to the wall, he kissed her fully, dragging his hips against her warm thighs
as he lifted her. “Mmm, I missed you too.”

Her
fingers tugged at his tie, loosening it. His jacket was ripped from his
shoulders. Barging in and stripping her wasn’t part of the plan, but it
definitely worked.

Lifting
the hem of her shirt, he skimmed it clean off her body. His arms wrapped around
her nipped waist and lifted her off the ground. Her legs curled over his hips
as his mouth trailed kisses to her bra.

She was
incredible. Never in his life had he anticipated a welcome like this. He’d
intended on feeding her and seeing if she needed any help around the house. A
patch kit sat in his trunk for that hole in the wall, but he didn’t want to
freak her out by offering to fix things. Now, he couldn’t think about anything
other than pounding her into the wall.

Her
voice hummed over his pulse as she dragged her mouth up his throat. Apparently,
the shyness was fading. “Take off your pants.”

His
body tightened another degree at her breathy request. Snaking his hand between
their bodies, he undid his belt and fly, taking a few seconds to play with her.
His cock grew rock hard. “You’re wet.”

“Only
for you.”

“Sweet
Jesus, woman. Grab my wallet out of my back pocket.”

She
fished out his wallet and tossed it to the floor after locating the condom.
Somehow she managed to tear it open and get it on him in a matter of seconds.
He spun her to face the wall and yanked down her cotton pants, hoisting her
hips back. When he filled her she cried out his name and he nearly came.

It was
fast and it was rough, but that was exactly how they needed it in that moment.
He didn’t finish until he was certain she’d been satisfied. When it was over,
they collapsed on the cold tile floor of the hall and sighed.

Taking
a minute to catch his breath he brushed her hair out of her face and whispered,
“I brought you a brownie. I’m going to feed it to you then cover your body in
chocolate fingerprints and lick them off.”

She
panted. “It’s ridiculous how juvenile you make me feel.”

He chuckled.
“You make me feel silly too. It’s fun. I can’t remember the last time a girl
made me so nervous and excited.”

She
snorted. “Please. I’m a hot mess.” Her gaze skittered away. “And I really need
to dust under that hutch.”

“Hot
sexy mess.” He leaned up and grabbed the pizza box, which was no longer
steaming, but still warm. Tearing off two slices, he handed her one.
Gracefully, she took her piece and nibbled as she nestled into the curve of his
arm. When she shivered he pulled his suit jacket over her belly and kissed her
forehead.

They
never made it to the brownie or wine. After the pizza, they showered and
climbed into bed. As much as Becca denied she was tired, the exhaustion in her
eyes was evident. Braydon, however, found it difficult to sleep.

Venturing
downstairs, he made a slow tour of her house, straightening things along the
way, and quickly sweeping under the hutch in the hall. He didn’t want to be
intrusive, only help out any way he could.

Becca
didn’t have typical décor in her home. Rather, her house was a hallowed shelter
designed for functionality and safety, as well as what he assumed was
purposeful stimulation.

His
mind dissected every difference he noted and tried to pinpoint the
rationalization behind it. The color scheme of the house didn’t seem to flow.
One room was purely white, while the next was painted vibrantly, three of four
walls done in bright primary colors and the fourth done in a black and white
checkered pattern.

The
furniture, including the beds, lacked any hard frames or edges. Pillows in
various shapes and sizes were stashed in the corners of every room. There were
also swings and bolster objects he didn’t quite understand.

Cabinetry
had been removed and replaced with open shelving. Closets and pantries with
remaining doors sported locks. And labels were everywhere.

As he
wandered through the house, Braydon came to realize how much Becca had eschewed
her own identity for her son. If she had a personal style, it didn’t show in
her home like most women’s.

Venturing
back up the stairs, he peeked into Hunter’s bedroom. The walls were a very dark
shade of blue he typically wouldn’t use in a design for a young child’s room.
The drapes were of the blackout sort and there was a white-noise maker mounted
to the dresser. As he dragged his hand over the bedcovers he realized they were
heavier than standard blankets. He assumed every element was designed to encourage
rest, something Becca and her son both seemed to have difficulty finding.

Not
wanting to linger too long where he wasn’t invited, Braydon returned to bed and
quietly curled around Becca’s side.

“Were
you snooping?” she whispered, startling him.

He
shifted and brushed the hair from her eyes. “No, learning.”

“What
did you discover?”

“Nothing
I didn’t already know. You love your son very much. You’ve created quite the
home for him, Becca.”

She
smiled softly, her cheek pressing into the soft cotton. “It took some time and
adjustment, but thank you. Bet you never dated a woman with a swing in her
living room.”

He
laughed. “Not that kind.”

“It
must not make any sense to you as an architect.”

He
frowned, hoping she didn’t assume he was partial to sterile environments and
artistically praised structures. “I can see the sense in a lot of it. Homes are
designed for aesthetic purposes and functionality. You’ve accomplished both.”

“I
don’t know if I’d call it aesthetically pleasing.”

“But I
imagine your son would.”

“True.
What did your childhood home look like?”

He
smiled at the mention of home. Talk about the unsterile environment. The
familiar ache of homesickness filled his chest. “I’ll show you my childhood
home sometime. It’s beautiful. My dad built it after he eloped with my mum.
It’s a true log cabin with a big, open family-style kitchen we can all fit in
and tons of bedrooms. We call it the big house.”

“It
sounds lovely.”

“How
about you? What was your childhood home like?”

“Small,
plain. We had hideous carpet and the ugliest orange tile in the bathroom. I
always swore my house would be fancy and sophisticated when I grew up.” She
laughed. “That wasn’t in the cards.”

“What’s
your version of fancy and sophisticated?”

She
sighed then blushed. “It’s stupid, really. I always dreamed of one room that
was all monochromatic with one of those old fashioned fainting couches. Keep in
mind I dreamed this up when I was a kid, but that’s what I thought every
sophisticated woman should have in her home. I also wanted one of those farm
style doors that were always open and dainty white café curtains in every
window, which of course would always be open so the fresh air could trickle
in.”

Becca
didn’t have windows that opened. They were all locked and secured with sensors,
much like the doors.

She
toyed with his hair and drowsiness set in. “Which sibling are you closest
with?” she whispered.

He
chuckled. “That’s not a fair question to ask when I’m falling asleep. I don’t
have favorites.”

“I
asked who you were closest with, not your favorite.”

Shutting
his eyes, imagining all his brothers and sisters, he sighed. “I don’t know. I
talk to them all the time, but not living there anymore…I don’t really feel
that close to anyone lately.”

“You
miss them.”

“You
have no idea.”

“You
should go for a visit.”

He
opened his eyes and peeked at her. “Would you want to go with me?”

She
considered his invitation for a long moment. “That depends.”

“On?”
Her free time was so limited he’d been struggling with sacrificing Becca time
for family time, but if she could go with him…that was the best of both worlds.

“Well,
it would have to be on a weekend that Kevin has Hunter and I’d have to drive
separately in case I needed to return home for some reason.”

“If you
needed to get home I’d go with you.”

“No, I
wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with your family.”

“We
could always go on a weekend you have Hunter. I wasn’t kidding when I said I
wanted to meet him.” Intruding wasn’t his motive, but he wanted her to know he
was sincere.