A Thousand Lies (3 page)

“I’m not leaving you. I’ll be right back,” he said and left with a hasty stride.

He parked the car in the first empty space he came to and ran all the way back. He could hear her screaming as he entered the building, but upon entering her room, he was relieved by the progress being made.

They already had an IV in her arm and were now cautiously cleaning her feet. He slid a hand across his sister’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze to let her know he was back.

The doctor working on Delle glanced up.

“Are you family?”

“Her son.”

“How did this happen?” the doctor asked.

“Hot coffee spill,” Brendan said.

“These are second-degree burns on the tops of her feet and between her toes and first-degree burns on the bottoms.”

“What happens next?” he asked.

“After we clean them properly, we’ll apply antibiotic ointment and wrap them lightly. I recommended hospitalization for a day or two, but she has refused. I’ll give you instructions on how to care for her at home, including pain meds. She’ll need to see a doctor regularly to have the burns tended and rewrapped, and she’ll need to stay off her feet.”

Brendan frowned. “Mama, if he thinks you need to stay, maybe you should—”

“I won’t stay,” she said.

He recognized that tone of voice and said no more.

“Will she be alone?” the doctor asked.

Even though she was overwhelmed by the sight of her mother in so much pain, Linny stepped up.

“I’ll be there,” she said.

The doctor smiled at her. “Good girl.”

“You’re both staying with me,” Brendan said.

Linny slumped from the relief of knowing she wouldn’t have to face her father alone.

A nurse walked into the room and caught Brendan’s eye.

“Sir, they need you to fill out some papers at the reception desk. If you’ll get that done, we’ll have her ready to go by the time you get back.”

Chapter Two

It was nearly noon by the time Brendan got to his apartment. They rode the elevator up with Delle in his arms. Her hair was damp and stuck to the side of her face from the heat, and the fabric of her little blue shift was as limp as a rag. Her cheek rested against the side of his chest, her face streaked from the tears she’d shed.

Linny ran ahead with the key and had the door wide open as he carried her inside.

For Delle, everything was something of a blur. The painkillers they’d given her were momentarily easing the pain, but the adrenaline crash had left her weak. When the cool air from the air conditioning inside the apartment hit her, she sighed with relief.

“Oh my, but that cool air feels good. I wish we had air conditioning at home.”

“I wish you did, too, Mama,” Brendan said softly and kissed her forehead as he carried her to the spare bedroom.

Her sigh was loud and heartfelt as he laid her on the bed.

“This feels so good,” she whispered, and within moments, she drifted off to sleep, clutching an edge of the comforter as her anchor.

Brendan put a light cover over her legs, and then he slipped out of the room with his sister at his heels.

There was still a bit of kudzu vine caught in her hair and a smudge on her tank top. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, her chin quivering. Now that the drama was over, she was left with hard facts. Daddy had hurt Mama bad enough this time to send her to the doctor. He’d never done that before. She didn’t know how it would impact her fate, but she sensed it wasn’t good.

Still, she took comfort in the sight of her brother’s broad, strong back as he walked down the hall in front of her. Sir Brendan, her knight in shining armor had rescued them both today, but he didn’t live with them anymore. She shivered. What would happen to them when they went back?

Unaware of Linny’s panic, he led the way into the kitchen and then the pantry, revealing cans of tuna, soup, vegetables, and boxes of quick-fix foods.

“I have stuff for sandwiches and cans of soup. You pick out the soup, and I’ll make sandwiches, okay?”

She leaned against the wall, watching as he began lining the counter with lunchmeat, bread, and mayo. His long fingers were like Mama’s, she thought, able to do hold big loads and able to do lots of stuff at once. Daddy’s hands were stubby. He had a pretty face but ugly hands. She wondered if Daddy knew that. Maybe that’s what made him so mean. It must take ugly hands to do ugly things to people.

“Do you have to go to work later?” Linny asked.

“I don’t work until dark, remember?” Brendan said.

“Yes. You’re the bumper at The Black Garter bar.”

He grinned. “I’m the bouncer, not the bumper, but sometimes it’s all the same thing.”

She turned to the business of picking out soup, then a short while later began setting the table, coveting the rooster and hen salt and pepper shakers and wishing they had a set like that at home.

She could smell the vegetable beef soup heating on the stove and thought of the crawfish gumbo Mama had been making. Her gumbo would have been better, but nothing was better than being with Brendan.

The calm ended with a knock at the door.

Linny gave her brother a frantic look.

“Is that Daddy?”

“It better not be,” Brendan muttered and wiped his hands as he headed for the door.

It wasn’t Anson.

The blonde barely came up to the third button down on his shirt, but despite her fragile appearance, she was very strong and agile. He knew because she’d stripped him more than once of all his clothes while he stood motionless beneath her gaze. It was his Juliette of the sexy smile and dark brown eyes, who just happened to be his neighbor two doors down.

“Hey, Bren. I smelled soup and knew you weren’t sleep—” When a little girl walked into her line of vision, she took a step back. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know your family was—”

He looked over his shoulder and saw the confusion on his sister’s face.

“Come in, Julie. It’s time you met them,” he said and took her by the hand. “Linny, come meet my neighbor. Her name is Juliette March, but you can call her Julie. Julie, this is my favorite sister, Belinda Poe, but we call her Linny. As you’ll notice, she’s almost as tall as you are and she’s only nine.”

Linny wasn’t sure if she liked knowing there was another girl in her brother’s life and frowned.

“I have to be your favorite ‘cause I’m your only sister, Bren.”

Julie could tell the little girl didn’t like the competition and quickly put her at ease.

“Men! Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them,” she said and rolled her eyes as she offered to shake Linny’s hand.

Linny smiled in spite of herself. “That’s what Mama says, too.”

“Hey. No fair. I can’t have all my favorite women ganging up on me now,” Brendan said.

Linny got the message. Brendan had a girlfriend.

“Mama got burned,” Linny said.

“Oh no! Is she in the hospital?” Julie asked.

“She’s here,” Brendan said. “They’re both staying here for a while. At least until she’s better.”

“What happened?”

When Linny sidled up beside Brendan and then ducked under his arm to lean against him, Julie guessed it was something traumatic, and she’d heard enough from Brendan to know his father was bad news.

“Anson poured hot coffee on Mama’s bare feet,” he said.

“Oh my God! Why? No, wait, I shouldn’t have—”

“He doesn’t need a reason,” Brendan muttered. “Linny, go see if Mama is awake. The food is ready.”

She ran out of the room.

Julie shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Let it go,” Brendan said and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll just say this day hasn’t started off well, and I’ve come to the realization that one day I’ll have to fucking kill my worthless father.”

Julie wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest.

“No. No, you won’t, Brendan Poe. You might want to, but you won’t.”

He fisted his hands in her hair, thankful for the comfort of her presence.

“Stay and eat with us,” he said. “Mama will want to meet you.”

“I don’t know… Meeting strangers when you’re sick or in pain is never good. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Check the soup for me, will you? Oh, and get another bowl and plate. I’ll go see if she’s up to eating.”

“Can she walk?”

“No.”

“So, bring her into the living room where she can stretch out on the sofa, and we’ll eat in here with her.”

He smiled. Behind the pixie face and tiny body beat the heart of a really big woman.

“That’s a good idea, sugar,” he said, and Julie promptly began rearranging pillows.

Linny was sitting on the bed with her head on her mother’s shoulder when Brendan walked in.

“I made sandwiches and soup, Mama. Can you eat?”

Delle frowned. “I hurt too much to be hungry, but if I keep taking these pain meds, I’m going to have to eat or they’ll make me sick.”

“I’ll carry you to the bathroom. When you’re done, yell at me and I’ll carry you to the living room. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Delle managed a shaky smile.

“Linny said you have a girlfriend. I didn’t know.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t want to scare her off by meeting the family until she was stuck enough on me not to run.”

Delle frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault your husband is an ass,” Brendan said. “Scoot, Linny. I need to carry Mama into the bathroom. You can stay in there and help her then yell at me when you’re ready to go.”

Linny stood up on the bed and then threw her arms around her brother’s neck before he could move.

He felt the tension in her body and knew today had rattled her greatly.

“You’re gonna be fine,” he said, as he hugged her tight. “Now let’s get this show on the road.”

A few minutes later, he carried Delle into the living room to the mini-bed Julie made on the sofa. There was a blanket over the cushions, throw pillows at one end to prop her upright, and the coffee table next to the sofa with eating utensils within reach.

“Looks like Julie has you all fixed up,” he said, then eased his mother down onto the sofa. He pulled the afghan up to her lap, leaving her feet uncovered so the weight of the cover wouldn’t hurt her.

“I hate to be a bother,” Delle said.

Brendan stepped back with a grin. “After all the trouble my brothers and I gave you growing up, I think you’re due a little TLC.”

She caught a glimpse of the tiny blonde coming out of the kitchen and self-consciously smoothed a hand over her hair.

Brendan knew she was curious and a little anxious.

“You’re beautiful, Mother. Stop fussing,” Brendan whispered.

Breath caught in the back of Delle’s throat. If it was a sin to favor one son over the other, then she was going to hell. Brendan had what his father was missing, a beautiful soul.

“Mama, this is Julie March. Julie is short for Juliette, who, as you can see, is as short as the nickname.”

Delle frowned. “Brendan Wade, you shouldn’t make fun—”

Julie was laughing. “Everyone says that, Mrs. Poe. It’s how I was introduced to him, so he didn’t come up with that on his own.”

Brendan grinned.

“Julie, this is my mother, LaDelle Poe, but everyone calls her Delle… for short.”

They laughed, which broke the ice.

“Nice to meet you,” they said in unison, then laughed again for echoing each other.

Linny slid in beneath her brother’s arm again.

He looked down at her and winked.

Linny felt good inside. Sir Brendan made all the women in court happy. A bad day was turning into a good one.

“Soup is ready. Can you eat a little?” Julie asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Delle said.

“Great. Be right back. Linny, come help me,” Julie said and headed for the kitchen with Linny skipping along behind her.

“She’s adorable, Bren, but she looks like a kid. Is she legal age?”

He smiled. “She’s twenty-five, legal
and
lethal.”

“Do you love her?”

He sighed. “Yep.”

“Good. Treat her right.”

“You know I will.”

A shadow passed over Delle’s face. “Brendan?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep her away from Anson.”

The skin crawled on the back of his neck. “I’m already on that. It’s why you didn’t know about her.”

Moments later, Linny and Juliette came back, carrying the food and giggling as if they’d just shared a secret.

Brendan watched the three females interacting, wondering at the quixotic nature of fate. He’d made a point of keeping the women he loved most apart, and now this unexpected crisis had brought them together.

As they ate, Delle could see why Brendan was so taken with Julie. She was funny, charming, and as sweet as could be. And they worked together. A match made in heaven.

“So, how long have you been bartending at The Black Garter?” Delle asked.

Julie put her plate aside, anxious to get to know his mother better.

“Since I turned twenty-one, and in spite of my mother’s displeasure, I’ve been in and out the back door of that place all my life.”

“Her daddy owns it. She’s Grayson March’s one and only,” Brendan said.

Everyone in and around New Orleans knew of Grayson March and the March family. They were old money and could trace their roots back a good two hundred years in New Orleans. Delle was impressed her son was dating someone like her.

She listened intently as Julie talked and every so often caught a glimpse of the changing expressions on her youngest son’s face. He was definitely in love. At last, one of her boys was showing signs of settling down.

“I’ll bet your daddy had a small fit when you moved out of the house,” Delle said.

Julie rolled her eyes. “No, ma’am. Daddy didn’t like it, but it was Mama who pitched the fit.”

“Please, call me Delle.”

“Thank you,” Julie said and suddenly noticed Brendan’s little sister was looking a bit forlorn. On a whim, she dropped a piece of cracker into Linny’s soup bowl.

Linny looked up.

Julie dropped another one.

“What was that for?” Linny asked.

“You looked like you wanted to bite on something and I was afraid it would be me. I gave you some of my crackers, instead.”