Nothing But Trouble (18 page)
Read Nothing But Trouble Online
Authors: Trish Jensen
Oh, God, she loved him. She’d gone and made the stupidest move on earth. She’d fal en hard for a man who was al wrong for her.
A smal sob burst from her lips before she could choke it back. “Dammit, Laura, get your act together,” she whispered hoarsely.
“Laura?”
She jumped at the sound of Ali’s voice. Coughing and swiping furiously at the tears on her cheeks, she finally managed, “Yeah, Ali?”
“We need to talk a moment.”
Laura took a deep breath, then opened the door. Ali was staring glumly into the screwdriver Laura had just made for her.
“Oh, boy. I don’t think I can handle any more of your predictions, Ali. The last one ended in disaster.”
“You’re going away,” Ali said. “It’l be the best trip of your life. But you’re leaving us.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Ali.”
“You are if he has anything to say about it,” Ali said, hiking her thumb over her shoulder.
Laura glanced behind her, and her heart dropped straight to her toes. Brandon was standing there, soaking wet and gorgeous.
And smiling at her like she was the sunshine he needed to dry and warm him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly, forcing herself not to throw herself into his arms.
“Coming for you.”
“Who asked you to?”
“I think I’ll go cover the bar,” Ali said.
“No need,” Laura said. “I’l be out in a second.”
“No, you won’t,” Brandon said.
Laura waited until Ali was out of earshot. “Go away.”
“My parents, for one. My sister, for another.”
“Huh?”
“You asked who wanted me to come get you and bring you home. They al did.”
“Oh, right. I believe that about as much as I believe in the tooth fairy.”
“It’s true, although that doesn’t real y matter. Ultimately the only person I listen to is me. And you.”
“Save it for someone who gives a damn,” she said, but her voice wobbled.
“That’s what I’m doing.”
“How do I say this nicely? Go away.”
He shook his head slowly. “Not without you.”
Laura wrapped her arms around herself. “Why are you doing this? You’ve already turned my life upside down. Can’t you please leave me alone to try and get it back together?”
He stepped closer, and Laura caught the scent of summer rain mixed with his unique male essence. His eyes were smoky green, his eyelashes spiked. He was gorgeous. “Why didn’t you tel me about the check my mother gave you?”
Her jaw dropped. “She told you?”
“She did. She’s so sorry, Laura.”
“Yeah, right.”
“And I’m so sorry. She was doing what she thought was best, but believe me, she got an earful.”
“My heart bleeds for her.”
“She’s a good woman in her way. You’l find that out eventually. But, again, that doesn’t matter. What matters is you and me.”
“There is no you and me.”
“There sure as hel is. Look, I know we haven’t been together long, but we’ve been together long enough for me to know we belong together forever. I love you. I want you in my life.” Her heart just about busted wide open at hearing those three words from his lips. “And what the prince wants, the prince gets, is that right?” she asked, although her words had pretty much lost all their fire.
“What I want, I fight for. I want you. And I’l fight for you. Whatever it takes.”
She was close to col apsing. “It’ll never work. We’re from two different worlds. I don’t belong in yours, Brandon.”
“It’ll work if we want it badly enough,” he said, caressing her cheek. “You’ve fought for what you wanted al your life, Laura Tanner. Please tel me you’re wil ing to fight for me, too.”
“Oh, Brandon.”
“Have I mentioned how much I admire you, Laura? Have I mentioned that the things that make you unique are the very things you believe make you somehow different? Only the smartest, sassiest woman in the world could have found so many ways to break dinner table etiquette. That was classic. We’l be tel ing our grandchildren that story.”
She backed up and dropped into her chair. And for the second time that day, she began to cry. She was ashamed at the weakness, but just couldn’t stop herself. “I . . . I . . .” She gulped.
Brandon dropped to his knees in front of her. “Go ahead and cry it out. I know this has been overwhelming. And when you’re done, we’l start planning.”
And then she couldn’t help herself. She plowed into him and let his arms wrap around her, tight and warm, even wet. It felt so good to let go, to trust someone to stay strong for her when she had so little resources left. “I thought you forgot me. I thought . . . wel , that it was just me who’d felt so many things. I hated that I loved everything about you, and that you made me feel . . . special.”
“Forget you? Never. You are the most beautiful, strong, stubborn, sexy,
special
woman I’ve ever known. I love you. I need you, Laura.”
“I’ll . . . forgive the stubborn part because of al the other ones.”
“Thank you. Now please tel me you love me, too. I need to hear it from you.”
“I’ve never loved anyone before,” she said, scrubbing her wet face across his chest. “I’m not sure I like it.”
“It’l grow on you.”
She looked up at him hopefully. “You think so?”
“I guarantee it.” He kissed her cheeks, sipping in her tears.
“I’l make it a lifelong goal to make you so happy to be in love.”
“So far it’s been pretty miserable.”
“Was it miserable when we were together on
Cloud Nine
?”
“Oh, no! That was the best time I’ve ever had. Spending time with a smart, handsome lover who never made me feel inferior, but seemed to enjoy being with me. It was . . .
wonderful,” she finished lamely.
“So the miserable part has been while we’ve been apart. Can we agree on that?”
“Wel , yes.” She poked him in the chest. “But don’t start expecting me to agree with everything.”
His chuckle rumbled against her cheek. “I wouldn’t dream of it. In fact, I’d hate it.” He kissed her. “We can do this one of two ways. We can live apart until I fulfil my contract with the Newport D.A.’s office, and then I can take the New York bar exam and move here, or you can sel Nothing But Trouble and move with me to Rhode Island.”
“What would I do?”
“Go to college. How does the University of Rhode Island sound?”
“Even if I got in, how would I pay for it?”
“Wel , you should get a good price for this place. But if the profit isn’t enough, I have a pretty sizable inheritance from my grandparents.”
“No. I pay my own way.”
He nodded. “I had the feeling you were going to be stubborn about that. Okay, then I have another idea.”
“You’ve real y thought this through, haven’t you?”
“Of course. I had to show up with a game plan, or I knew I was in trouble.”
“What’s that?”
“You get a job in the D.A.’s office as a paralegal. It’ll be flexible, and you can work it around your class schedule.”
“I don’t have any background in that. And haven’t you ever heard of nepotism?”
“Where did you ever learn a big word like that? You’re so smart.” He waited for her to hit him, but she didn’t.
“You think so?”
“Oh, yes. And did I mention sexy?”
Laura’s laughter was shaky. “That’l really be a plus in my career.”
“No, that’l be a plus in our home life.” He cupped her face.
“And when you’re carrying our children, you’l be the sexiest of all.” “Oh, Brandon!” She threw her arms around his neck. “Can we make a deal?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s get pregnant the old-fashioned way.”
“Oh, there was never any doubt about that, sweetheart.”
She rained kisses all over his face, murmuring, “I love you,”
between every one.
But then her final concern reasserted itself, and she sat back. “Are you sure your parents are going to be okay with this?”
“They’re better than okay with it. You don’t know it, but you’ve carried on something of a tradition in my family.”
“What’s that?”
He pulled her to her feet, then to her surprise, lifted her in his arms. “I’ll tell you later.”
“What are you doing?” Laura squealed.
He didn’t answer, just strode through the bil iards room to the main bar, ignoring a sea of astonished faces.
Brandon stopped at the waitress stand. “Ali, I trust you can handle everything for the rest of the evening?”
She stared at him, examined the pulp in the now watery drink, then looked up. “Well, I’ll be damned. I was right.”
Laura was so embarrassed, she hid her face in his chest. But then it occurred to her that people were clapping enthusiastical y, and she glanced up to see al the patrons on their feet and cheering. Including Hannah and Ned and Ali and the Booker twins.
Ned piped up. “Brandon Prince, you’ve just won your woman. What are you going to do now?”
“Take my lady home and love her.”
Laura groaned. “Why don’t you just take out an ad?”
Brandon gave her a searing kiss for God and al the patrons of Nothing But Trouble to witness. Then he glanced back at Ned and Hannah. “See you two at the wedding. Buy us something good.”
Trish Jensen has decided that being a romance writer is the greatest job on earth. She gets to entertain handsome men and strong, beautiful women on a daily basis. And she can do it al wearing sweats and no makeup. Her characters know not to complain, because they realize she's learned how to use the delete key.
Trish lives near her alma mater, Penn State, and the beautiful, Amish-fil ed mountains of central PA with her very spoiled (and Trish still has NO idea how that happened) black lab.
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