Bittersweet, page 7
“Nothing. What could I say? I told him I hadn’t seen you in a few days and thought you were with him. He looked like he felt guilty, and then I knew something was up. I’m sorry, Jenna. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” she said, then changed her mind. “Yes. I finally opened up, Sam, and he threw it back in my face. We were great together, and I screwed it up.”
“Aw, Jenna, it can’t be that bad, hun. Tell me about it.”
“We spent the evening at his parents’ and had a lovely time. Anyway, they asked me about Tyler, and I got choked up for a minute, so I excused myself and then had a wonderful heart-to-heart with his mother when she followed me. We went back to his place after our visit, and he was genuinely concerned about me, fearing that his mother might have upset me, and then, I don’t know, I acted on impulse. While making love I told him I loved him, and he couldn’t return the sentiment. Instead, he tried to ignore it and then made a comment that I seemed to love a lot of things. I’m such a dummy; I wasn’t thinking.”
“Oh, Jenna, I know that must have been hard for you, and I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as you’d hoped.”
Now that is an understatement. “It never does, Sam, it never does.”
“Would it make you feel better to hear some good news?”
Jenna managed a small smile. “Good news, of course.”
“Well, it was a false alarm,” Sam announced, beaming with happiness. “I swear I’ve never been so happy to have a period in my whole life. And Caleb, that sweet fool, he proposed anyway.”
“Oh, Sam, that’s wonderful. Wait. What?” Jenna did a double take. “He proposed?”
“Yes, and I’m a fool too, for accepting. Oh, Jenna, I love him, and when he asked, I couldn’t help but accept. Just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean we have to rush the wedding, right? He’s going to go back home with me for a bit, and then maybe we’ll come back and settle here.”
Jenna began to cry again and couldn’t help but feel selfish. She wanted to say, “Great, now not only am I not lovable, but I’m about to lose my best friend too.” Instead she said what she knew she should’ve been thinking. “That’s great, Sam. I’m so happy for you.”
“Aw, come on, Jenna, it’s time to socialize among the living again. So wipe those tears, go get a shower, doll yourself up, and get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“We’re going out, silly. I have some celebrating to do, and you, my dear friend, look like you could use a drink.”
Jenna dried her eyes, washed her face, and went to grab a shower. An hour later, she actually looked presentable for the first time in two days. She had her hair done up, a bit of makeup on, and had even agreed to wear the black halter top and slim-fitting hip-hugger jeans Sam had picked out.
“See, now you’re beautiful.” Her friend pushed her toward the mirror for one more look at herself.
Jenna rolled her eyes and laughed without humor. Her dark hair was loose, the layers accentuating her heart-shaped face. Her full lips were pouty, and her green eyes were glossy from the crying she’d done earlier. Thank God they weren’t as puffy as they once had been. Now that she was ready, she actually looked forward to going out.
“Bring on the alcohol. I can use it.”
“I’ll bet.” Sam ushered her out of the hotel room. “Tonight is for celebrating good times, my engagement, of course, and to you not wasting away in that room. Lord knows you’ve done enough of that.”
“To not wasting away,” Jenna seconded.
Sam seemed to be on a mission and there was no stopping her.
***
“Whelan’s, Sam?” Jenna hissed. “You did this on purpose. You know Brady’s in there and I haven’t seen him in days. Hell, he probably doesn’t even want to see me. Otherwise I would have heard from him by now.”
“Nonsense, Jenna, let’s go.” Sam tried pulling her forward, but Jenna wouldn’t budge.
“No way,” she argued. “And I’m not impressed, by the way. I thought we were supposed to be celebrating.”
“We are. Why would I want to celebrate anywhere but where my fiancé is? Come on. It’s busy in there; you may not even see him.” Jenna still didn’t move. “Okay, fine. I can see it’s time for some tough love. Here it is. I’m going in, Jenna, with or without you. So you can stand out here and pout, or you can come in and celebrate with me.”
Still not moving an inch, she watched Sam carefully, thinking about what she’d said.
“Okay, here I go.” Sam walked forward, then stopped again and turned to look over her shoulder. “You’re my best friend, Jenna, and you’re ruining this for me. Please?”
“Fine!” Jenna snapped and walked ahead of her. Whether Brady wanted her there or not, she was there for Sam and Caleb tonight. So let the good times roll. The place was packed, and at least she had comfort in that.
“I need a drink,” Jenna shouted over the band and didn’t wait for Sam to answer before heading straight to the bar. After drowning in a few shots and grabbing a bottle of beer to go, she realized Sam was gone. Jenna moved around the pub looking for her but found Brady instead.
He stood about five feet away by the stage and didn’t seem to have noticed her yet from where she stood, so she admired the graceful way he mingled with the others in the bar.
“Careful, love, he gets that all the time.”
Huh, what the hell? Jenna turned around and recognized the older woman from the first time she came to Whelan’s. She’d brought Sam and Jenna their complimentary drinks that night. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
The old lady laughed and gave her a knowing look. “Ye’r lookin’ at Brady, aren’t ye? He’s quite the catch, ye know. I’m not even sure why he bothers with this place. The boy probably doesn’t have to work a day in his life. His family, they’re well off, but he’s probably here for the women.”
She rambled on, surprising Jenna. “If I were a few years younger…” She let her sentence trail off and gave a cat call, which made Jenna laugh and instantly like the woman. “But ye have to get in line,” she continued. “There are a lot of locals that have been tryin’ to snag him for years.”
She shrugged and Jenna blushed. The idea of a bunch of other women doing anything to Brady made her want to jump out of her skin.
“My name is Jenna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand, liking the spunk in this sweet older woman.
“I’m Molly, love,” she said, taking it. “It’s nice to meet ye too.”
Before they could finish the interesting conversation, Brady climbed onstage. “Can I get yer attention? I’ve got an announcement to make, so shut yer holes.”
There were a few snickers, but everyone quieted down, and he held up a drink. “So tonight I found out somethin’ pretty special. My best friend and brother Caleb has decided to settle down. Ye all know Caleb, don’t ye?” There were cat calls and whistles, and Jenna laughed when Caleb and Sam climbed onstage to join him, so she moved closer. “Well, turns out that this woman has finally tamed the beast.” Brady roared, pointing his bottle of beer toward Sam. “And they’re gettin’ married, so please join me in their celebration as we all offer our congratulations to the happy couple.” He raised his bottle, downed the rest of its contents, and looked out into the audience as Sam and Caleb sealed the announcement with a kiss.
Their eyes locked as soon as he saw her and held as he made his way off the stage. For a moment, everybody else in the room disappeared, leaving only the two of them.
But that fantasy came to a screeching halt when Brady got sidetracked by a voluptuous redhead, who began to rub her large breasts up against him. He broke eye contact with Jenna, and Red was on him like a bitch in heat.
At the sight of her Jenna stopped walking, but unfortunately she was close enough to be within hearing range.
“Brady, I missed ye today,” Red said in an annoying squeak. “I never did get a chance to thank ye for the other night.” Before he could answer, she kissed him. A full, openmouthed, sloppy, spit-swap type of kiss.
Jenna dropped her beer in shock, and Brady turned at the sound of the shattering glass.
“Jenna.” He reached out to grab her, but she backed away.
“No.” She turned to look for a place to run.
“Jenna, wait, love.”
He pushed the redhead away to chase after her. The exit was in the other direction, and Brady was catching up, so she ran into the ladies’ room.
Damn. She knew she couldn’t wait in there all night and tried to figure out a way to get past him unnoticed. Just as she hoped he wouldn’t follow her, she heard him.
“Everybody out. This jacks will be outta service until I say so.”
“Well, where we supposed to piss, then?” One of the waiting women muttered crossly.
“Go use the other, there’s no line in there.” After a few protests, and angry words he managed to get everyone out and locked the door to ensure privacy. She was trapped now with no other choice but to listen to him.
“I’m not leavin’ ’til we talk,” he warned as he looked under each stall to find her. “Please, Jenna, ye can at least let me explain.”
“So explain,” she snapped.
“Jenna, I’m sorry.”
He must have been standing on a closed toilet seat, because she spotted him leaning over the wall between her stall and the one next to it. She sat on the closed toilet with a ball of tissue in her hand to wipe her eyes, and to make matters worse, she knew she looked awful. Her eyes were sure to be red-rimmed and puffy. Plus, how attractive was a runny nose? After grabbing more toilet paper for her face, she stormed out of the stall.
“Oh, save it! If you were sorry or if you even cared, you would have come to see me instead of avoiding me like I had something contagious. Geez, Brady, I told you I loved you, and you threw it back in my face. I felt ridiculous afterward, and you let me leave. It’s been two days, and you’ve already got someone new, for the love of God.” She laughed humorlessly at her stupidity.
“I don’t,” he said, and she couldn’t believe her ears.
In her most annoying nasal voice, she mocked the voluptuous redhead. “Brady, I missed ye today. I never did get a chance to thank ye for the other night.”
“Nothin’ happened, Jenna.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Brady cursed as if he knew no other words.
“Don’t ye start using that type of language with me,” Molly snapped. “I don’t care what yer doin’ or who ye got in there, but it’s time to get out. Ye hear?” She banged again. “I’m not gonna stop. There are ladies out here that need to use the jacks. Now get.”
“Feck,” he snarled, and slung Jenna over his shoulder before she could utter another word, or even better, escape. He unlocked the door with her screaming in protest. “Ye’r not getting’ outta my sight ’til we talk this through, so get used to it, love. Ye’r gonna hear me out if it kills me.”
“Brady, let me down!” She thrashed, but his grip was too strong.
Molly and a few other women laughed as they went by, only making Jenna’s anger worsen. Everyone was staring as he moved through the bar, and when they exited, she was fuming. He tried to put her down gently, but he stumbled as she pushed him away.
“Okay, now that you’ve caused a scene, what do you have to say?” she snapped.
“I said nothin’ happened, didn’t I?”
“What a load of crap. Nothing happened. It didn’t seem that way to Miss Big Boobs in there, and that nasty kiss was nothing? How would you like to see me kissing someone else like that?”
He ignored that question. “Look, she was in the bar the other night and had a bit too much to drink. She and a friend were hittin’ on me and Caleb, and we gave ’em a ride home. That’s all it was, nothin’. We didn’t even go inside with ’em. Honest. Come on, love, it’s been hell without ye. I was plannin’ on seein’ ye tonight. I swear it.”
He tried to pull her into his arms to kiss her, but she turned away. “Brady, please, your lips were just kissing another woman.”
“No, she kissed me,” he corrected. “I love ye, Jenna, and I’ve been a fool for not tellin’ ye sooner. From the first moment I seen ye, I fell, darlin’. I’ve been goin’ crazy since the night ye left me. I can’t get ye outta my head, and I swear to ye that I was comin’ to beg ye for forgiveness. What do ye say?” He got down on both knees before gathering her closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face into her stomach.
She couldn’t take any more and followed what was in her heart as she stroked his hair. “Brady,” she whispered, glossy-eyed. He loved her, and when he looked up in response, she finally kissed him.
Chapter Eight
“So have you thought about what we’re going to do when I leave?”
They’d been too eager to make it to Brady’s bedroom once they got in and had just finished making love right there on the living room floor. They sat in front of the fireplace wrapped up in nothing but the decorative blanket he used to drape over the sofa.
“Nah, I don’t like to think of it.”
She nodded and cuddled closer. “Come with me,” she whispered. She had to take a chance; it was the perfect solution.
“Stay.”
She rolled her eyes. If only it were that simple. She had obligations to go back to. “I’m not asking for anything permanent, Brady. I guess I was just hoping you’d think about coming with me so I could get things settled at home. Prepare Jayden for whatever may come of this.” She paused and looked up at him. “So tell me at least this much: if I did say yes to returning eventually, where would Jayden and I stay?” She knew his probable answer and hoped he’d say with him, but then again he hadn’t exactly made the offer.
He brushed his lips against the side of her throat and trailed kisses along her jawline and then up to her lips. “With me,” he said, smiling like an eager child on Christmas Morning. “We could make this work, Jenna. There’s an extra room for Jayden, and ye could register him for school.”
“And you’re prepared for an instant family? Things may get worse before they get better; I have no idea how Jayden’s going to react. I was a mess before I came here, and now I’m going back with a lot for him to deal with. There’s you and now a potential move.”
“So ’tis a no then?” He looked disappointed, hurt even, and she could tell he was prepared to argue.
“It’s not a no, Brady. I just want you to be aware of the possibilities. Jayden will come around eventually, and who knows, maybe he’ll be okay with it from the start.” She smiled at him and then sighed because the answer should have been obvious. “My answer is yes, but first you have to agree to come back with me, just long enough for me to sell the house and make arrangements. Not to mention, it may make things easier for Jayden to meet you first, and then there’s my parents.”
“Parents?”
“Yes, parents. Now that I’ve met yours, I think it’s only fair that you meet mine.” She shrugged and studied his reaction, but his was nothing like hers had been when he’d first told her about meeting his parents. He was so calm and collected.
“So in order for ye to eventually stay, I have to go back with ye for a little while to meet Jayden and face yer parents. Is that right?”
She nodded, thinking the terms were fair.
“And if I don’t agree?” he teased. “Then what?”
“Then I’ll have to say no.”
Okay, enough of this, she wanted his answer. She caressed his torso with her palm and moved herself beneath the blanket. She gripped his shaft, which was already thick and ready for action, smiled, and began to pump it up and down. “So if you don’t want me,” she whispered, “then just say no.” She leaned down and replaced her hand with her mouth, and he moaned with appreciation.
“Jenna, oh, love, take it all. Take it all!” he shouted, and in just a few minutes she worked him to a climax.
“Christ, love, that was—ye’r amazin’.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She giggled. “But you still haven’t given me your answer. So will you come back with me temporarily?”
He nodded. “Aye, Jenna, we’ll have it yer way. I’ll go back with ye.”
“You do love me,” she teased.
“I do.”
***
Her nightmares started that night, and she couldn’t figure out why. Her time in Ireland had been incredible, and she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do. She’d managed to find the woman she used to be as well as a happiness with Brady she never thought she’d find again.
The horrible dreams started out with flashbacks—vivid glimpses of her life with Tyler from the time they met until the day before their accident. She experienced the happiness she’d felt, and the love they’d once shared. Then it seemed as if someone hit the Fast-Forward button.
Bright lights were coming straight for her. She fell back hard, and everything went black. She was floating, light and carefree. When her eyes adjusted, she stood in the rain, drenched. Her car was there, and she could see Tyler within reach.
“Tyler,” she screamed, needing to warn him somehow, but she couldn’t move and something was coming. Oh God.
Screeching tires echoed, the car door opened before the truck collided with it and threw the body left inside like a rag doll.
“Tyler, No.”
***
“Jenna? Jenna, love, wake up.”
She gasped for breath and went wide-eyed before she began to cry as she clung to Brady for dear life.
“Shh, it’s okay, love. I’ve got ye, ye’r safe,” he soothed and held her close to make her feel better.
***
The sunlight beaming through a crack in the curtain landed right on Jenna’s face. “Ugh,” she groaned and opened her eyes. After being awakened from her nightmare, she had taken a long time to fall asleep again. “What time is it?”
