Part 16 (2/2)
”Erin, your idea of fun puzzles me. You have two super-hot men to go home to and you think listening to Rennie screech and splash around is fun?”
Erin hugged her around where Brody hung on. ”I'll need the practice. This morning there was a plus on the stick.”
Elise hugged back, kissing Erin's cheek. ”That's wonderful news.”
”It really is.”
”You two wanna fill me in?” Brody's look was patiently amused.
”Adrian needs to come over here too. But he's being flirted with, so I don't want to interrupt.”
”You told her her!” Brody pointed to Elise. ”She's never made you chocolate chip pancakes, I bet.” He sort of pouted, and Elise had no other choice but to cup his cheek. Good gracious, he was just so much to her. At that moment, she wanted to pour her heart out to him, wanted him to take care of things while she stayed in bed under the blankets. It sucked always to be the one to have to fix things. never made you chocolate chip pancakes, I bet.” He sort of pouted, and Elise had no other choice but to cup his cheek. Good gracious, he was just so much to her. At that moment, she wanted to pour her heart out to him, wanted him to take care of things while she stayed in bed under the blankets. It sucked always to be the one to have to fix things.
Erin giggled. ”She's cuter. Plus, you and Adrian are like a combo platter. I can't tell one first and not the other.”
”Adrian!” Brody called out to his brother.
Adrian looked up from the conversation he'd been having with Martine and nodded in Brody's direction, but he continued to listen to Elise's mother, smiling and making Martine flutter her eyelashes.
”My mother is as bad as Rennie is with the flirting.” Elise handed out new sheets of paper and took the others, using clothespins to hang the paintings to dry.
”You're an old hand at this,” Brody said. ”Then again, Rennie's quite the artist, so clearly it helps.”
”I figured out pretty quickly that she loved to paint and draw, so we've perfected the process over the years. On days like this I can let her work outside. But normally I put out a painting tarp on the dining room floor and let her work there.”
”You and I are going to talk later tonight,” he whispered as he leaned in.
”Can't. My parents are hanging out, and tomorrow is a school day so everyone will be in bed early.”
”You're going to tell me.”
She sighed, thankful to see Adrian approach finally.
Brody kept an arm around Elise's waist, holding her in place. He liked her there with him and he liked everyone knowing it. Another part was that his protective instincts had gone into overdrive and he didn't trust anyone else to protect her as well as he could.
He also liked seeing how close she and Erin had become. Erin had told him Elise had shared her story. He was relieved she'd shared, but he couldn't help but wish it had been with him. Erin said she'd tell him if he asked, but that she thought Elise should tell him herself. He agreed with that, but at the same time he really wondered what had happened and if his basic impressions were true.
”Guys, you're going to be uncles again.”
Brody's heart stopped for a moment when he'd really heard what she'd said. Then joy salted with a bit of sadness came over him as he moved with Adrian to hug their sister.
”When? When are you due? How long have you known? Are you okay?” Adrian said, sounding very much like the worrier he was. 'Course, Brody was worried too.
”I just found out before we got here. I'm not telling anyone else until I'm through the first trimester. I don't know when my due date is yet. I'll see my doctor this week and they'll have an approximate time. And I'm more than fine. I'm ridiculously happy. It's a good time in my life. Steady. Full of love. I have no complaints.” Erin turned a bit. ”Where are you going?”
Brody turned too, catching a red-faced Elise, who'd begun to slink away.
”Well, it's a private family moment. I didn't want to intrude.”
Brody simply reached out with his open hand, and with a sigh from her, she took it and he drew her back to his side.
”You're a dumba.s.s.” Erin said to Elise. ”You're family. I'd like you to be the G.o.dmother. Rennie can be like an honorary G.o.da.s.sistant.”
Elise hugged Erin. ”I'd be so honored. Rennie is going to flip her lid when she finds out.”
Elise was so grateful for her friends, Brody most of all, for keeping her laughing and entertained all day so she wouldn't dwell. But now that they'd cleaned up the area, it was clear to her she needed a long, hot bath and a big gla.s.s of wine.
But first to tell her parents after they got Rennie to bed. Brody had stuck around, hoping to corner her, but it had truly been so chaotic she wouldn't have had the opportunity to have tell him even if she'd wanted to. Rennie was more than tired, she was over overtired and overstimulated, and she vibrated with that grumpy, hyper and suddenly weepy personality girls her age got after days like the one she'd just had. Elise was exhausted just dealing with it.
He'd finally kissed her and told her he'd be stopping in or calling very soon, and he ordered her to come to him if she needed anything. She liked that he was concerned, the allure of it, of unburdening herself to a man like Brody, who would step in and fix it all for her, who was powerful. But at the same time, Ken had managed her for two years before she began to wise up. Even until the moment he died, he tried to control her, and now his d.a.m.ned parents were doing it in his stead. There was simply no way she'd be managed by anyone again.
”Holy cow,” Elise said as she took the gla.s.s her father handed her way and collapsed on the couch. ”She's out. Snoring and drooling already. I think today gets two thumbs up from Rennie.”
They just stared at her until she sighed, took a big gulp of wine, and gave them all the details..
Her father shot to his feet and began a five-minute diatribe using all the best swear words in both English and French. Her mother narrowed her eyes at the mention of the Sorensons and their allegations that Elise was unfit. Unfit! The word agitated her, angered and insulted her. She was a good mother.
”Frank will contact me tomorrow and I'll know more.”
”Is her pa.s.sport up-to-date?” her father asked casually, but they all knew why he asked.
Elise nodded. She would run as far away as she could if the court awarded her child to those beasts. There's no way she'd put Rennie at their mercy so they could ice all the beauty, sweetness and spirit from her.
”Right or wrong, yes. It's up-to-date, as is mine.”
Her mother leaned forward, her weight on her elbows. ”The court isn't going to find for them. You know that. You're her mother and you're a d.a.m.ned good one at that. She's happy, well adjusted, doing well in school and has lots of friends. They're not going to rip her away from you. The Sorensons don't even know her. They've never tried.”
”I know know that in my head, but my heart isn't convinced. That's my baby and I can't let go of the fear in the back of my mind. I feel like throwing up.” that in my head, but my heart isn't convinced. That's my baby and I can't let go of the fear in the back of my mind. I feel like throwing up.”
”We'll make it through. This family will stick together and we'll overcome this challenge. We'll hear what Frank has to say and we'll know more then. Do you want us to stay over?” her mother asked.
”No, I'm good. I did talk to Todd today about getting a better security system here, and he's going to get me a quote later this week. But I'm afraid I'm not going to want her walking home with Nina until this is all taken care of.”
”Daddy and I can show up on the two days a week she goes to Nina's and walk with them both.”
”This makes me so mad! Nina lives a block from the school. Two first-graders walking one block with all those other kids out and crossing guards too, and I have to have her escorted.”
”They've transferred all their energy to you for killing Ken. When he needed killing. If I could have killed him after you did, I'd have gladly done it.” Her father had his mean face on and Elise felt better.
”Go home. I'm all right, Rennie doesn't need to know about any of this for the time being.”
”If you're sure. If you two want to come stay with us for a while, we have the room.”
”I appreciate the offer. Really. But I don't want them to disrupt her life any more than it has to be disrupted. I want her to have normal. It's why I came here.”
Brody sighed as he caught sight of Erin standing in the doorway, smiling at him. ”Figured you'd come over,” she said. ”Looked like Martine and Paul were going to hang on awhile.” She led him inside and he took the beer Ben handed him.
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