Brown Eyed Girl (5 page)

“
Unca Wed!” Conner cried, as he reached for Red.

“
Hey buddy, how’s it going?” Red asked as he held his nephew. The toddler grinned and patted Red’s cheeks as they butted foreheads.

Tiffany watched the exchange, somewhat surprised to discover his ease with children. What else about this man would surprise her?

He cocked his head toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the family you haven’t met yet.”

Tiffany already knew Annie and his parents, but it took several minutes to go through the rest of his family.

“
You were Jackson’s surgeon, weren’t you?” a tall, red-haired beauty asked her. “I’m Rebecca. Annie told me what a great job you did on his leg. It’s very impressive that there were no complications, considering the seriousness of his injuries.”

“
That’s just diligence after the surgery. I try to do as much of that myself, as I can. Our nurses are excellent, but so overworked and understaffed they just can’t catch everything,” Tiffany explained.

“
Your work is highly respected in this area.”

“
Well thanks, I try. Where do you practice? I remember Red telling me that his sisters were all in the medical profession.”

“
I’m a pediatric nurse at St. Gabriel’s in Lafayette,” Rebecca answered. Understaffing is one reason I switched to Pediatrics a year ago. I get to spend a lot more one on one time with my patients. Annie said you make a real effort to get to know yours.”

Tiffany smiled. “Sometimes I get to know them so well I’m asked to be a witness for their wedding.”

“
That’s right. Both she and Red witnessed,” Giselle said.

Tiffany turned as Conner squealed in delight when his uncle threw him up in the air and caught him. “So, who does this adorable child belong to?”

“
That would be me and his daddy here,” said a tiny, younger version of her mother with strawberry blonde hair. “I’m Kathleen, and that young man is the older brother to his baby sister,” she said, patting her large belly. “She’s due to make an appearance before Christmas, if I make it that far.” When she propped her feet up onto her husband’s knees, he removed her shoes and began to massage her feet tenderly. “Thanks, Babe,” she groaned. “That feels so good.”

Tiffany watched the tender exchange, wondering what it must be like to be a part of this family. They didn’t seem ashamed to show affection for one another in front of others. This family actually cared for each other and she knew it all started with the parents. She glanced up and caught a look from Red’s mother, who smiled warmly at her. She smiled shyly back at Vivienne, feeling her face heat with a blush.

Red must have witnessed their silent exchange, because he released the wriggling toddler to step in front of Tiffany, blocking his family’s view of her. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, twisting her mouth in a crooked smile. “I’ll live. You have a great family Red.” She looked over at Vivienne and Pete McAllister. “They look like they’re still in love.” She said, as Pete and Vivienne McAllister shared a kiss.

After casting a glance at his parents he turned to her. “They are, and we’re lucky as hell, but look at Annie. She can’t stand it.” He pointed out his sister who was rolling her eyes at the sight of the older couple smooching. “Hey Annie!” he called out to his sister. When she turned to meet his gaze, he jerked his head in the direction of their parents as he grinned, nodding gleefully.

“
You’re...an...aaassss,” Annie mouthed to her big brother before turning her back on him.

Red laughed. “The last of eight children and she can’t accept that they ‘did it’—it’s unbelievable.” He turned to face Tiffany as she laughed out loud. “You have a great laugh, Doc. It’s too bad it took so long to hear it.” He gave her a sad smile before excusing himself to answer the door again.

Tiffany couldn’t help but watch in fascination as Red walked away from her, his arms swinging in rhythm to his long easy strides. Her mouth watered at the sight of the broad back filling out his shirt so completely, tapering down the length of long waist. She dropped her gaze even further to the firm butt and muscular thighs covered in just tight enough black jeans.

Red opened the door to two women, followed by whom she assumed were their husbands and children. Recognizing her old college buddies, Tiffany approached the group.

Melissa screamed when she saw Tiffany then grabbed her in a hug. “What are you doing here? Bailey, do you remember her?”

The second woman beamed up at her. “Sure, I do, we did some partying together my freshman year. Your hair is different but you look wonderful.” She took her turn hugging Tiffany. “I didn’t expect to see you here. If I’d have known you were coming, I would have dug out the old college scrapbook and brought it.”

Red cleared his throat. “Just what kind of reminiscing are you talking about?”

“
Well, I can’t give away all our secrets, big brother. Suffice it to say the three of us had
a lot
of fun that year.”

Red cocked an eyebrow in Tiffany’s direction. “I’d kind of like to see that scrapbook one of these days.”

“
Bailey, don’t you dare give that man any incriminating evidence against me,” Tiffany said, pointing up at him.

“
I won’t,” Bailey said, laughing. “I couldn’t believe it when he told me you’d worked on Jackson’s leg.”

“
Sure did, and he’s the reason I’m here, actually,” Tiffany said, nodding in Jackson’s direction. “My favorite patient felt sorry for me and invited me to this shindig. I had no idea I’d be seeing any of you here.” She aimed her gaze at Red. “It came as a complete surprise.”

Red shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “I only found out a few minutes before she got here that Jackson had invited her. If I’d known, I would have let you girls know sooner.”

After introductions were made to their husbands, Tiffany’s gaze followed their two seven year old daughters as they ran off to meet their seldom seen relatives. “Your girls look enough alike to be sisters instead of cousins.” Both girls had long curly auburn hair like their moms, and what Tiffany realized must be the trademark blue eyes of the McAllister clan. As several more grandchildren walked into the room, Tiffany turned to Bailey again. “Is there any member of this family that doesn’t have those gorgeous blue eyes?”

Bailey shook her head and grinned. “Not yet, but one day I hope to have a child with big brown eyes like my husband’s.”

The statement seemed to jar Red’s memory. “Hey sis,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I want to see if you can figure out who this little girl belongs to.” He pulled up the pictures and video he’d taken of Carrie’s granddaughter, Ava, when Jackson was still in the hospital.

Bailey groaned as she watched the video of Ava telling her mom she was going to the hospital to see Jackson. “You see? Isn’t she precious with those big brown eyes? Wait, isn’t her mom one of Carrie’s twins?”

“Yep,” Red agreed. “That’s Lauren and her little girl, Ava Grace. She looks like Shirley Temple with all those curls. She’s adorable, and talk about a character.”

Tiffany watched the video again, smiling as she watched Ava kiss Red on the face and wave to her mama. She wasn’t watching the child as much as she was watching Red’s reaction to her. She wanted children so badly, but Tanner’s view was, one son to carry on the family name, and he’d be done with it, with very little part in raising the child. That wasn’t her idea of the kind of family she wanted.

Red spoke, making her jump slightly at the nearness of his voice as he looked over her shoulder. “I’ve always had this thing for girls with big brown eyes and a head full of curls.”

Tiffany’s gaze clashed with his, and just for a moment she wondered if he was talking about the child in the video.

Chapter 3

The doorbell rang and Red walked over to open it for his guests. Jackson’s Uncle Bill, his new wife, Gwen, and their daughter, Alyssa, all piled inside.

“
Hey, it’s about time you three showed. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you,” Red told them.

Bill Broussard smiled and looked around at the place he’d sold to Red. “Does it feel like home yet?”

“
Today it does, with the family all here. How about yours?”

“
Just like you, any place I’m with my family feels like home.” Bill walked to the kitchen doorway to address Tiffany. “I didn’t expect to see you here, but it sure is a pleasant surprise. Happy Thanksgiving, Tiffany.”

“
You too, Bill. How’ve you been?”

“
Never better.” He smiled as his gaze followed Gwen and Alyssa. “I’ve got my wife, my brand new step-daughter, and maybe one day we’ll add one or two.”

The crowd inside the home suddenly got a lot louder with several different conversations going on at one time. Tiffany laughed as Jackson, once again, took the snapshot of the ultrasound out of his pocket to show it off to anyone who’d look. She felt herself blushing as Red raised his head from another conversation to smile at her.

Overwhelmed by the unaccustomed chaos of this much family, she escaped out to the patio to catch her breath. She closed the door on the noise, and crossed her arms to ward off a chill. The humidity had dropped overnight, leaving brisk, dry air in its wake. She closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet, woodsy scent of the oak logs burning in Red’s fireplace. She loved the smell, had yearned for a fireplace for years. Unfortunately, she and Tanner disagreed when it came to preferences in apartment living. It was a far more common occurrence for them to disagree than agree on any matter.

The act of running her hands through her straight blond hair gently reminded her of one more reason to resent Tanner. She could still hear Red as he spoke about girls with brown eyes and curly hair. There’s no way he could know—could he? Surely, it was only wishful thinking on her part.
Tiffany pushed the thought away as quickly as it came up. She was engaged to Tanner, and this infatuation with Red was only her curiosity manifesting itself in the form of temporary physical attraction. She’d get over it.

She approached a large building lined with windows at the end of the patio. Tiffany peered through a window, but couldn’t see anything. She tested the doorknob, was slightly surprised when it turned in her hand. She nudged the door open and peeked inside, gasping in appreciation at the huge indoor swimming pool looming before her. She walked over, squatting to dip her hand in the water.

“
It’s heated,” said a woman’s voice from behind her.

Tiffany swiveled to see Vivienne McAllister standing at one of the windows. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She stood, shaking off the water.

Vivienne smiled and handed her a towel. “I guess this is what people do when they have more money than they know what to do with. I’ve never had that particular affliction,” Vivienne answered, not sounding particularly upset about it.

Tiffany shrugged. “I was raised with money.”

“
You don’t seem all that pleased about it.”

“
I don’t mind having it, but I’d rather work for what I have, not marry into it like my mother and grandmother did.”

“
Red told me you have a brother, is he a surgeon also?”

“
No ma’am, an attorney.”

“
A doctor and a lawyer…your parents must be so proud.”

Tiffany gazed down at Vivienne McAllister, blinking back tears that suddenly surfaced. “Red said the same thing about three months ago,” she murmured.

Vivienne placed a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong, dear?”

“
Nothing.” Tiffany brushed away the tears that broke free before giving in to the sense of trust radiating from Red’s mother. “Everything,” she said, as her face crumpled.

Vivienne nodded and led her to a comfy looking glider for two. “Sit,” she ordered before dropping down beside her. “Now talk to me.”

Tiffany took one shaky breath before starting. “I’m engaged to a man I don’t love. My parents want me to marry him because his family has money.”

“
Surely, you’re intelligent enough to know that money can’t replace happiness, Tiffany.”

“
I know that,” she said, sniffling. “My mother wants me to stop practicing—just get married, pop out a couple of children and stay home, while my cheating husband does whatever he wants. I don’t think I can live like that.”

“
And you shouldn’t have to,” Vivienne agreed.

“
I know all men cheat, but...”

“
Oh, hold it right there, honey. Not all men,” Vivienne interrupted. “If your fiancé cheats, maybe it’s time to cut him loose. Or at least let him know you won’t put up with it anymore. Why should he stop if you won’t make him?”

“
You obviously don’t know Tanner.”

Vivienne nodded. “I’ve heard of him. And as for your mother—hasn’t she heard of maternity leave? I was a stay at home mother and I loved it, but my husband and I are very proud of our daughters who handle careers and families. You’re too talented of a surgeon to walk away from that.”

Tiffany shook her head. “You make it sound so simple, but I have a difficult time standing up to my parents.”

Vivienne chuckled. “I’ve seen the handprint you left on my son’s face. You’re obviously stronger than you think.”