CHAPTER NINE
Ash looked out the window in time to see Brenna get out of her car she’d parked across the street from his house. His heart skipped and a smile spread to his face. She was here at last. He’d been wondering for the last hour when the girls’ night out would end.
He opened his front door and leaned on the frame as he watched his girlfriend walk towards him, carrying an overnight bag.
“Waiting for me, are you?” she said teasingly.
“I was wondering when the girls would finally let you go,” he responded.
“Well, I’m here now,” she said, reaching up to give him a kiss on the lips.
“About time,” he murmured, giving her a squeeze before leading her inside. “Did you tell them about us?”
“Yeah.”
He grinned. That was good. It made their relationship official. “What did they say?”
“They were happy for us, of course. They were glad we finally got together.”
“Finally? Did they know anything before tonight?”
Brenna cocked her head, gazing at him in amusement. “All four of them think you’ve had a crush on me for ages.”
His brows shot up. “How did they know?”
“They guessed.”
“Hm. I didn’t think anyone noticed.”
Brenna chuckled. “Well, they did.”
“But you had no idea?” he asked.
“I thought you were only being brotherly,” Brenna said with a sigh, giving him a contrite look.
He took her hand to lead her upstairs. Her answer stung a little bit, but he quickly slammed down his unwarranted reaction. Brenna was with him now. That was the important thing.
“I really should clear out those boxes in the garage so you could park your car in there,” he mused.
Brenna chuckled. “Yes. Those boxes have been there since you moved here. It’s about time.”
“Okay.”
Brenna stopped in the middle of the stairs to face him. “Really? You’ll finally do something about them?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes. I’ll clear them out.”
“Do you know how shocked Amanda will be when she hears that? She’s been hounding you to get rid of those boxes for—how long have you been in this house? Three years?”
“Almost three and a half.”
“And you’re ready to tackle the job now?”
He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. “Yeah. So your nice little car could be safe and sound next to mine whenever you come here.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet, honey,” Brenna said, locking her arms behind his neck. “You’ll let me help, right? I’m dying to know what’s in those boxes.”
He laughed. “Well, we’ll find out.”
“We can start tomorrow if you want.”
“No, not this weekend. I have other plans for us,” he said, trapping her against the railing and kissing her face.
“Really? What?”
“No work. Just play,” he responded, unzipping her dress.
“We’re gonna play all weekend?” she asked sultrily, helping him with undressing her.
“Uh-huh,” he said breathlessly as Brenna’s dress fell to the floor.
“I want to have a shower first before we go to bed,” she murmured, tugging his shirt off him. “And I want you to join me.”
“Whatever you want, baby,” he said, before his mind went blank as Brenna undid his fly and reached in.
They made it to the shower. Barely. By the time they got out of it, he’d already come once, and Brenna twice. He was raring to go again when they reached his bed.
He simply couldn’t get enough of her. Just couldn’t get enough.
*****
Ash entered a busy café which was halfway between his clinic and Brenna’s office. Even though Brenna didn’t work at the clinic anymore, they’d agreed to still have lunch together if their schedules permitted it.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t join him today. While he was with a patient, she’d left a text to say that there was something she had to do during lunch. He’d still decided to have a proper break anyway. Brenna had successfully changed his eating habits during work days.
He was lucky enough to get the remaining empty table. He settled himself and read a medical journal while he ate his food. He was almost done when someone stood next to him and called his name.
“Ash?”
He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Hi!” the man said. “It’s Lance, remember?”
“Of course,” he said, standing up out of politeness and offering a handshake.
“Fancy bumping into you here,” Lance said. “Do you work nearby?”
“Yes,” he responded. “About five minutes’ walk from here.”
“Right. My office is not far from here either.”
Ash nodded. He knew Lance worked in the same building as Brenna.
“I haven’t been here in a while. It’s getting busier and busier every day,” Lance said, looking around the crowded establishment.
“I’m almost done,” he said. “Feel free to share my table.” He wasn’t exactly keen on having lunch with his girlfriend’s ex, but Lance was being friendly. So should he.
Lance readily accepted. “Sure. Thank you.”
They made small, pleasant talk about their work while he finished his food and Lance waited for his order.
Conversing with Lance wasn’t as awkward as he’d feared it would be. The man wasn’t a cold fish after all. Granted, they weren’t talking about Brenna. Maybe the atmosphere would have been different if they were. But right now he was relaxed. Knowing that Brenna was now his, his feelings of antagonism for Lance had gone.
“Do you know if Zach and Rebecca are back from their honeymoon?” Lance asked.
“They’re back this weekend, I believe.”
“Great wedding, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. It was.”
A pause.
“Did you hear that Brenna and I have broken up?” Lance asked, his face clouding.
Ash was surprised at the question. He thought they’d both been avoiding that topic. Since he had just taken a mouthful of food, all he could do was nod in response.
“She’s back with Darren, isn’t she?” Lance asked in a low voice.
Ash almost choked. He swallowed hastily and took sips from his glass of water.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you,” Lance said, chuckling mirthlessly.
“I just wasn’t expecting that,” he said, trying to clear his throat.
Lance sighed. “I know you’re like a brother to Brenna, Ash. I was wondering if you could tell her something for me?”
Ash winced at the ‘brother’ comment, but Lance was playing with his cutlery and didn’t notice his reaction.
“She avoids me whenever I want to talk to her,” Lance continued. “Maybe you could tell her I miss her?”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Lance,” he said, preparing to tell Lance the truth about him and Brenna, even as sympathy filled him. But Lance was quick to respond to his statement.
“It’s probably a lost cause, isn’t it?” Lance murmured, looking forlorn. “I’m up against Brenna’s great love. And after seeing them so lovey-dovey today, I really should move on.”
“What?” Ash asked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Lance glanced at him quizzically. “Didn’t you know they’re back together? She dumped me for him.”
“Is that what she told you?”
“Not exactly. When Brenna broke up with me, she was honest enough to say that she wanted to be with someone else. But she wouldn’t tell me his name. It wasn’t hard to guess it was Darren, though.”
“What made you think it was Darren she was talking about?” Ash asked, his heart hammering.
“Everything she said pointed to the guy being Darren. And like I said, I saw them today when I was leaving the building. They were embracing so tightly in the foyer that Brenna didn’t even notice me when I walked right past them. And their hug definitely wasn’t a mere hello gesture. They were in their own little world. Other people were staring at them. So, yeah, I guess I’m one stupid guy to still be pining for her,” Lance lamented.
Ash was having difficulty breathing, but he kept a calm facade. Lance had to be mistaken. “What did he look like—the guy you saw with Brenna?”
“About my height, really short blond hair, well-built, dimples. Does that sound like Darren?”
Ash nodded, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. It couldn’t be true.
His phone’s soft beeping startled him. It was the reminder he’d set for himself, telling him it was time to go back to the clinic.
“I’m sorry, Lance,” he said, almost in a daze. “But I have to go back to work.”
“Sure,” Lance said, smiling apologetically. “Sorry I rambled. I didn’t mean to. Seeing Brenna today with the man she dumped me for made me feel sorry for myself.”
Ash patted Lance on the shoulder as he walked off, both his mind and heart racing. Brenna couldn’t be going back to Darren. She just couldn’t be.
Ash recalled how blissful the last couple of weeks had been with Brenna. They’d made love countless times. She seemed happy with him. So there had to be a good explanation for what Lance had seen.
Unless Brenna’s recent actions were driven by guilt, and she was overcompensating for breaking his heart in the past.
He shook his head vigorously to erase the crazy idea that Brenna could go as far as dating him to make up for hurting him. It was ludicrous.
Or was it?
And what was with her cancelling their lunch to be with Darren?
Stop thinking about it, Ash. You have surgery to perform.
So he shut the lid on his emotions for the time being. It was the only way he could make it through the day.
*****
Ash slumped in his office chair, staring at the text Brenna had sent him while he was treating a patient.
Don’t worry about giving me a lift home tonight. Have to go somewhere. I’ll explain when I see you tomorrow. xx
He called her. There was no way he could wait until tomorrow.
“Hi, Ash,” she answered.
“Hi, babe,” he said, trying to sound casual.
“You got my text?”
“Yeah. What have you got on?”
“Um, I have to see someone tonight. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you at lunch tomorrow.”
“Is everything okay?”
There was a moment’s pause.
“Yes,” Brenna answered.
“Doesn’t sound like it,” he said softly, fear starting to spread in his body.
Brenna chuckled, which sounded a bit forced to him.
“It’s going to be a long story, honey,” she said. “I’d much rather talk about it in person. And I have to go to a meeting with my boss now.”
“Okay,” he said, sorrow tapping at his heart.
“See ya. Bye,” Brenna said.
He hung up. He didn’t want to say goodbye.
*****
“Make sure you talk about everything.”
Ash chuckled at Connor dishing out relationship advice he hadn’t asked for. He knew what his future brother-in-law meant. The start of Connor’s relationship with Amanda had been rocky due to the things Connor had felt he had to keep from Amanda.
“I’m serious, bro. That’s the key,” Connor said.
Ash sighed. “I know.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Amanda called from the kitchen.
Ash made his way to the dining table, grateful that his sister and Connor didn’t mind him turning up for dinner without notice. He needed to talk to people who could give him enough information to help alleviate his worry. Tomorrow was too far away. He’d go crazy figuring out scenarios in his head if he were alone in his house.
“So, Ash,” Amanda said as they all sat down. “What brings you here tonight?”
“Couldn’t I check up on my sister from time to time? Make sure her fiancé is still treating her like a princess?” he joked.
Connor snorted. “Princess? What are you talking about? I treat your sister like a queen. Don’t I, babe?”
Ash snickered, but Amanda didn’t respond to Connor. She just looked at Ash with a frown.
“You’ve never turned up before without calling, Ash. Is anything wrong?” Amanda asked.
Ash repressed a sigh. He and Amanda were as close as any brother and sister could be. Problem with that was, he couldn’t hide anything from her. He wanted to keep this fact-finding light and under the radar so as not to make the guys worry unnecessarily.
“I was supposed to have dinner with Bren,” he said casually as he heaped pasta on his plate. “But she has something else to do tonight.”
“Oh. What?” Amanda asked.
“She said she has to see someone.”
“Who?” Amanda prodded.
Well, that was that. Amanda didn’t know anything. Ah, damn. “She said she’ll tell me all about it tomorrow,” he answered.
“Hm. Is it to do with work?” Amanda asked, but she seemed less worried now.
“I think so,” he said, lying. “She had to go to a meeting so she didn’t get to tell me.”
“For a while there I thought there was something wrong,” Amanda said, smiling at him. “When you came in, you had this look on your face.”
“What look?”
“That you’re worried about something.”
“I’m just missing her,” he said, not wanting to share anything more at this point if the guys didn’t know anything about Darren.
“Oh, how sweet,” Amanda said with a sigh. “I haven’t told you this before, Ash, but I’m so glad you two are finally together.”
“You never told me you suspected I’ve had a crush on Brenna for a long time.”
“Crush?” Amanda said in a teasing tone. “Wasn’t it more than that?”
He simply smiled.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think there was anything I could do to influence Brenna,” Amanda continued. “Mind you, I did feel sorry for you a lot of times.”
“Gee, thanks,” he said sarcastically, not liking having been the object of pity.
“Hey, you know I love you both. I thought bringing out your feelings for her could ruin your friendship. That was why I—and the other girls—kept our mouths shut.”
“I know. She was really into Darren for many years. You probably didn’t think she’d ever get over him, huh?” he said, putting out feelers.
“Yeah. And I didn’t want you hoping,” Amanda agreed. “But I’m glad things are different now,” she added with a grin.
He grinned back, even as he worried that Darren was chasing Brenna again for another reconciliation.
On top of that, a new disturbing thought had surfaced. If he and Brenna didn’t work out, it would also devastate Amanda and the other three women he considered as sisters. The whole dynamic amongst the best friends might change, especially between Amanda and Brenna.
His protectiveness kicked in, and he found himself making a silent promise. Whatever might happen to him and Brenna, he’d shield the five from anything that might disrupt their tight-knit friendship of over twenty years.