Sexual Healin': A BWWM Billionaire Romance (17 page)

Alice was thrilled to be able to be there and to see where Brandy had grown up. She took a look at Brandy's room and the lifetime of memories that were displayed all over the walls and shelves.

"This is so cool! My mom didn't keep most of my stuff, and the moment I went off to college, she turned my room into a craft zone. I've never been allowed back into that room again,” she teased Brandy.

Brandy laughed. "That's not true!" She said that in defense of Alice's poor mother.

Alice shook her head. "Oh yes, it is true. It's also okay. That's not a house I want to go live in again. I've been there and done that, and I want to move forward with my life. Far forward."

Brandy leaned over and hugged her friend tightly. "It is so good to see you and have you here to visit with me. Thank you so much for coming up."

Alice grinned. "Sure! I'm glad to be here for you. I wanted to make sure you were okay, and check on you, I missed you. So, it's not hard at all to come here and visit with you for a weekend. Tell your parents that I'd like to make a reservation for that spare bedroom at least once a month, so I can come up here and see you and play with the baby, unless you have your own place by then, and then I will catch up with you wherever you are, and you can come back down to the city and see me anytime. Call first." She winked at Brandy.

Brandy smiled excitedly. "How are things going with Harry?"

At the mention of his name, Alice grew a little pink and a big smile spread over her face. "Things are going really well. I think we're going to be together for a long time."

Brandy looked at her in surprise. "Really? How long is a long time?"

Alice rolled her eyes and giggled. "Oh, you know, until he and I are having wheelchair races in the hallways at the old folks home."

Brandy laughed at her and smiled, shaking her head. "I hope that works out for you."

"The wheelchair races? Yeah, I hope that works out, too." Alice smiled in anticipation.

Brandy laughed at her. "That's not what I mean... I mean all of it! You goof." She hugged her friend and then stood up when she heard her mother calling up the stairs to her. "Come on, dinner's ready."

The two of them went down to dinner and enjoyed it, spending the evening talking to Brandy's parents and laughing about new experiences and old stories.

After dinner, they watched a movie together, and then the girls headed to bed. They were brushing their teeth together when Alice looked at Brandy and said, "You know, if you do wind up here after the baby is born, this would be a good place to raise a child."

"I know. I was raised as a child here."

Alice nodded and laughed. They went into their separate bedrooms and before long, they were both asleep.

The next morning Alice woke Brandy up with a squeal of excitement.

"Brandy! Wake up!" she said happily.

Brandy opened her eyes slowly and looked up at her friend who looked as though she might burst with excitement. "What? What is it?"

"Your mom made homemade cinnamon rolls for us for breakfast," Alice said, barely concealing her absolute delight.

Brandy laughed. "Yeah, I told her that you like those."

"Well, come on! Get up! They're going to get cold!" Alice dragged Brandy out of bed insistently, and Brandy laughed at her as they headed down the stairs. They sat together at the kitchen table and ate rolls and drank coffee, loving being spoiled by Mary.

"What are you girls going to do today?" Brandy's mother asked them as she set another tray of freshly baked rolls on the table and laughed as Alice's eyes grew big.

"Oh, I thought I'd drive her around the neighborhood here before I take her back to the train station," Brandy said with a smile.

"It's too bad you came for such a short visit, Alice,” Mary told her. "Next time you come, make it a longer stay. We'd love to see you for more time, and I know it makes Brandy happy. She was just about to go nuts up here without any of her girlfriends." Her mother, as usual, confided too much information and Alice smiled and winked at Brandy.

"Thank you, Mary. I've enjoyed being here." 

Mary nodded and hugged her.

"Well, you come back any time, my dear." She smiled and then she left them to themselves.

They talked a bit longer and finished their breakfast, and then the two of them got ready. Alice packed her bag, and they got into the car. Brandy drove Alice past Marge's massage parlor and parked across the street from it.

"So this is the dreaded dead end, is it?" Alice asked with a sad face as she looked at Marge's parlor.

"That's the one. I’ve got a job there waiting for me if I want it, I just have to go in and accept it. Pat, who is the clerk down at the grocery store, has said that she'll come in and be my first customer."

Alice's eyes glazed over as she stared at the parlor. "So you'll be hired here, and then Pat will come in. Then you'll marry Riley, and then he'll adopt your baby, and then he'll buy you a house. Then your clientele will grow and you'll have Sunday dinners with the grandparents at your mom and dad's house. In two years there will be another kid and you'll have a big enough clientele base that you can't justify leaving, and you'll have the kids to think about.... holy crap. Did I miss anything?" Alice asked in horror.

Brandy nodded, staring off at Marge's front door. "Yeah, you missed bowling leagues on Wednesday nights and karaoke twice a month."

Alice shook her head. "I get it. I totally get. I can absolutely understand why you want to get the hell out of here and go be on your own. This would drive me crazy. I can't believe it hasn't driven you crazy. I've only been here one day and I'm twitching."

Brandy raised her eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Oh, it's making me crazy. I'm twitching. Never doubt that. I'm definitely twitching. I can't stay here... I mean, I could. By some weird whim of fate, I have a whole built-in life just waiting for me here, but I just don't want it. I don't have a better alternative, but it just doesn't feel like the right life for me."

Alice nodded and took Brandy's hand in hers. "My friend, the answer will come along to you. I promise you that. I just hope it comes before you get married to Riley out of desperation."

Brandy smacked Alice's arm lightly and Alice laughed at her, and then they drove back into Boston and said a long and emotional goodbye to each other.

"I'll call you!" Brandy promised with a wave as Alice hurried into the station.

"You had better!" Alice called back, and then disappeared.

Brandy got back into her car and drove home. When she parked, she was surprised to see a strange car parked across the road.

She walked in through the back door and called out to her mother. "Mom, I'm home."

"Mom?" she called out once more.

Her mother called her from the living room. "We're in the front room, dear."

Brandy walked into the living room and stopped in her tracks. There, sitting on the sofa beside her mother was Riley, and on the other side by her father, who was sitting in his easy chair with a dark look on his face, was Kyle Jamison.

Chapter11

Brandy's jaw fell open when she saw Kyle sitting there and several things happened at once. He stood up the moment he saw her, his eyes wide and she saw a wave of relief wash over his face. Her father never took his eyes off Kyle, and her mother smiled tightly and said in a thin voice, "Well honey, you've had some visitors drop by while you were gone. This young man says he's a friend of yours from New York."

Mary looked as though she believed that as much as she believed Elvis was still alive. Oscar just watched him quietly. Riley stood up and watched Kyle and Brandy, and he shoved his hands down deep into his pockets and scowled fiercely.

Kyle drew in a deep breath when he saw her in the doorway and he walked quickly to her and took her in his arms, holding her close to him. She breathed him in, not realizing how much she missed the scent of him and the feel of him so close to her. He held her tightly and kissed her cheek near her ear.

"God I've missed you so much," he whispered to her as his arms closed more tightly around her and she felt nearly every part of his body pressed against hers. He leaned back and looked her up and down again. "Are you alright? Are you okay? I have been so worried about you." He shook his head and locked his green eyes on hers.

She breathed deep and forced herself to let him go. He felt her resistance and stepped away from her, turning to go back to the couch.

"She's fine. She's just fine here with us,” Riley stated firmly, still standing with his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't know if I would find you again. It was like you just vanished off of the face of the earth. You weren't at your apartment, you weren't at the spa... you were just... gone. I couldn't believe it," he told her shamelessly in front of her family and Riley.

She sighed. "Well, now you've found me."

"I'm glad I did. I have missed you so much. It's been awful without you."

Riley huffed an impatient sigh and rolled his eyes.

Brandy came further into the room and sat at the edge of one of the armchairs facing all of them.

"So I guess you've met my parents... and..." she paused in absolute disbelief, "...and Riley." It was surreal that they were there together and that Kyle was there at all.

"I have met everyone. Your parents were kind enough to let me wait in here for you while you were gone."

Brandy looked at Riley and tilted her head. "Riley, what are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"I came to see about taking you out for a nice supper and a long drive, and it looks like I came to see you just in time,” he said,  with a clipped tone, shooting daggers at Kyle.

Kyle looked from Riley to Brandy and coughed lightly. "I'm sorry... are you... are you two seeing each other?"

Riley nodded and grinned. "We sure are. I'm going to marry that girl right there."  Mary smiled a little, looking from Riley to Brandy. "Did you ask her then?" She looked at Riley, and then her gaze moved to her daughter. "And you said yes?" She nodded encouragingly.

Kyle's mouth fell open and Brandy lowered her eyebrows in frustration. "No we are not engaged, and no I am not seeing Riley."

Riley grew indignant. "Yes you are, we went out bowling the other night and you kissed me! We’re going out again tonight, as soon as your company leaves. Then we have some things to talk about." He smiled and patted a bulge in his pocket that looked suspiciously like a ring box.

Brandy sighed and rubbed her fingers over her forehead.

Kyle looked around at all of them and spoke to Brandy. "I'm sorry if my timing is off, I realize I came here unannounced, but I had to see you, Brandy; we have to talk. There are several things we need to discuss. Things you don't know."

She groaned quietly and rolled her eyes a little. "Yeah, there are things you don't know, too."

Kyle looked at her sadly. "I know more than you think I do." He frowned. "In fact, I think you're going to be a little surprised at what I found out.”

Oscar spoke for the first time. "So would I be correct in assuming that this is the father of the baby?"

Both Kyle and Riley's jaws fell open and they both snapped their heads in Oscar's direction, and then both of them snapped their heads over to stare at Brandy, whose face felt very warm. Kyle and Riley simultaneously said, "What baby?"

Brandy sighed again. "My baby."

Both of the men asked in unison again, "You're pregnant?"

Brandy rolled her eyes, waiting for the obvious to become clear to everyone. "Yes, I'm pregnant, and yes, Dad, this is the father of the baby."

Oscar nodded and his frown deepened.

"Is that why you took the payoff from Veronica?" Kyle asked Brandy anxiously.

Brandy lowered her brows and looked at him in irritation. "I didn't take the payoff!"

"What payoff?" Mary asked, trying to smile politely as she kept up.

Kyle turned and looked at her for a brief moment. "I thought she took a fifty thousand dollar payoff and left New York with it."

Mary's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. "Fifty thousand dollars? Brandy, you didn't tell me you had fifty thousand dollars!"

Brandy took a deep breath and sighed again. "I didn't take fifty thousand dollars!"

Kyle frowned and looked confused. "Wait. I'm confused," he told Brandy. "Veronica said you took the money and left town."

Brandy sneered when she said the woman's name. "Well, Veronica lied. I didn't take the money, I just left town. I'm as broke as I ever was, thanks to you and her."

"Who is Veronica?" Mary asked, still smiling politely.

Brandy frowned. "She's Kyle's wife."

Oscar's eyebrows went up, Mary's mouth fell open, and Riley turned and glared at Kyle.

"You were cheating on your wife with my girl? Then you got my girl pregnant?" Riley looked like he was ready to punch Kyle.

"I'm not your girl, Riley," Brandy interjected.

"Don't you worry about it, honey, you will be, and I'll take care of this mess for you and I'll take care of you and your baby. No need to worry about this loser,” he carried on, his eyes locked in sheer hatred on Kyle.

"Why didn't you take the money?" Kyle asked in confusion.

Brandy threw her hands down in frustration. "I didn't take it because her contingency was that if I took it then I could never see you again, and I had to be able to see you again to give you the chance to involve yourself in the baby's life if that's what you wanted to do.

“If I left and never contacted you again, like she ordered me to, then you'd never know you had a child and I couldn't take that away from you or the baby, so I left without the money.

“Besides, it's only fifty thousand and when you have it all at once, it seems like a lot, but if you look at it over time, you realize that it isn't that much money. Not that there is any amount that would make it okay for me to take your child away from you and never let you know it existed."

Riley held his hand up. "Wait a minute, so he got you pregnant and his wife was going to buy you off with fifty grand so you'd get out of the picture, and you turned her down?"

Brandy nodded. "Yes. Essentially, that's it."

Kyle shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you'd do that for me. Even now you still act out of love for me."

Riley jumped right back in. "That's because she's a damn good woman." He looked at her proudly and smiled. "And she's mine."

Kyle shot him an exasperated look and then returned his gaze to Brandy.

"It's obvious that we need to talk. I can see that you have other company, but if you wouldn't mind, I would like to at least clear the air with you. May I take you to dinner and go for a nice long drive?"

Riley turned red and the hatred in his eyes could have melted the first few circles of hell.

Brandy nodded and lifted her hands in the air as if she was giving up in defeat.

"Alright. We can go talk." She stood up and Riley moved toward her.

"Do you want me to wait here until you get back? Just to be sure that you get back safely? I better wait here,” he said firmly, nodding his head at his own question.

"I'll be fine, Riley,” Brandy said with sigh. "Thank you, though."

"I'll wait outside in my truck." He looked at Kyle. "Don't have her gone too long, you bring her back soon. There are others waiting here to see her."

Kyle bit his tongue and turned to look at Riley. "I'll have her gone as long as it takes to work everything out. If you're still here when she comes back, then you can see her."

The rivalry between the two of them was almost tangible.

Brandy rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration, and then kissed her mother on the cheek, followed by her father, who was watching her closely with worried eyes.

"Be careful with my baby,” he told Kyle.

Kyle nodded and led Brandy out of the front door with his hand on the small of her back and every eye in the room on him.

He put her in his car and made sure she had her seatbelt on, and then he started the car and it disappeared down the road.

It was quiet in the car for the first few moments and then Kyle shook his head. "You're pregnant... and you knew and you didn't tell me. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in what sounded like strangled agony.

She looked out of the window. "I didn't tell you because there was so much going on, I had other things to deal with; I dropped out of school, I lost my job, I couldn't afford my apartment anymore, and I had to pack everything up and move up here to my parent's house. I've had a lot going on. I was going to tell you when things settled down."

He looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright? Is everything with you and the baby alright?"

She nodded. "Yes, everything is okay. I went to the first doctor appointment and the doctor said everything is fine and she set me up for another appointment, but then I left and she's in New York and now I'm here, so I'll have to change doctors."

Kyle shook his head in disbelief. "I am absolutely stunned. I can't tell you how much this means to me. I didn't think I was going to have children; Veronica didn't want them, but now here you are, and you're... we're... going to have a baby!"

Brandy watched as a huge smile spread over his face and the reality of it hit him with overwhelming joy. She smiled as she saw him light up with happiness. It was the first time she had ever felt really, truly happy about the baby growing in her.

"You know you don't have to worry about money or anything; you know I will take care of all of it, right? This isn't something that is going to cost you anything." 

"What are you talking about? This has already cost me everything! I had to leave school, I had to lose my apartment, I lost my job.... all of it because of you, and I'm here because of this baby! It's already cost me everything!" She tried not to shout at him.

Kyle parked the car in front of a big hotel and held his hands up. "Listen, there's a lot to talk about. None of what happened is your fault. Most of it was Veronica. I'll explain, but first let's go in and get a meal, okay?" he asked, smiling at her sweetly.

She nodded and let him help her out of the car. They walked into the restaurant and he requested a private table.

After they were seated and drinks were served, he looked at her with excited eyes. "So, when did you find out about the baby?" he asked happily.