Secrets to Keep
When the car finally pulled up to the hospital, Sir instantly took charge. He told Brie to stay put while he went to get her a wheelchair. It seemed silly, since she wasn’t suffering from labor pains yet and could walk just fine, but Sir insisted. Rather than argue, she acquiesced, grateful that he cared.
While she waited, Maxim got out of the vehicle and wrestled Rytsar’s wheelchair out of the back, setting it up next to the passenger door.
“Put that away!” Rytsar insisted through clenched teeth when Maxim opened the door.
“Rytsar, what about the doctor’s orders?” Brie reminded him, reaching over the seat to touch his shoulder. “I don’t want our baby’s dyadya injuring himself just before her arrival.”
Rytsar grunted. “I promise to sit in a chair like a normal person during the birth, but I am not going to be wheeled into that place.”
Brie saw the double doors slide open as Sir walked out of the hospital, rolling an empty wheelchair toward the car. Brie blushed with embarrassment, now understanding Rytsar’s reluctance, and did not press him further.
“No wheelchair?” Sir asked when Rytsar stepped out of the car.
“Do not concern yourself with my affairs, comrade. You have your woman to look after.”
Rather than argue, Sir opened Brie’s door and helped her into the wheelchair. Rytsar grabbed Maxim’s shoulder and leaned against him for support.
Smiling down at Brie, Sir stated, “Let’s go deliver this baby.” He wheeled her to the hospital and her heart skipped a beat as they passed through the entrance. The next time she went through these doors, she would be holding their little girl in her arms. Brie looked back toward Sir, shaking her head in amazement.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That you and I are about to become parents.”
Sir smiled, his eyes flashing with excitement. “Yes we are, little mama.”
Brie caught Rytsar watching them with a tender look in his eye. The miracle of this moment—having both men with her for delivery—struck her full force, and she began to cry.
“What’s wrong, Brie?” Sir asked, concerned.
Rytsar, however, took a more direct approach. “Someone get a doctor, now!”
Brie waved away the nurse who responded to Rytsar’s request. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just feeling a little emotional.”
The nurse smiled and nodded, giving Rytsar an inviting wink as she headed back to her station.
Brie had to admit the Russian was impressive. No matter the situation, he commanded the attention of women who couldn’t help but respond to his dominance.
Sir wheeled Brie to the elevator and pressed the button, telling her, “They have a room ready for you upstairs. We’ll remain there until this little girl graces the world.”
Brie grabbed his hand for reassurance. “And she is going to be perfectly fine.”
“Of course,” he answered. “Our girl is simply a little early.”
“Moye solntse is strong,” Rytsar stated.
Brie turned to him and, for a brief moment, she saw a vision of his broken body the day he returned to them. “I’m so happy you are here with us, Rytsar.”
“I’ve lived for this day,” he said, winking at her.
Brie looked up at Sir again. “I re—” Suddenly, she doubled over as her whole abdomen erupted in pain.
“What is it, Brie?”
“Oh God, it hurts. It hurts!”
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Sir wheeled her out, calmly demanding help from the staff. The nurses immediately directed the three of them to the room she was to give birth in, and Sir lifted her up onto the bed while the nurse set to work.
Brie saw the worried expressions on the men’s faces, and heard Rytsar mutter to himself, “I hate hospitals…”
She closed her eyes, whimpering as another wave of pain gripped her.
“Breathe through it, Brie,” Sir commanded.
The nurse worked quickly, hooking her up to monitors, before slipping an IV into her vein. The doctor came in shortly after.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Glas. I was told your water broke within the last hour.”
“That’s correct,” Sir answered as Brie worked through the wave of pain.
“I’m going to check your cervix as soon as the contraction passes to assess where we are right now.”
Brie was charmed by the doctor’s Scottish accent and comfortable manner. She nodded her head when the pain had passed.
He slipped his fingers in and smiled as he felt the opening of her cervix. Stripping off his gloves, her told her, “You husband was right to get you here early. It appears the babe is determined to come without delay.”
“But isn’t it too early?” Brie asked, unable to hide the panic she felt.
“Mrs. Davis, there is no reason for concern. Her vitals are good, as are yours. All you need to concentrate on now is getting this wee one out.”
“When can I have the epidural?” Brie pleaded, not wanting to suffer another wave of excruciating pain.
“Unfortunately, you’re too dilated for that to be an option now. This wee babe is coming au naturel.”
“But that wasn’t the plan,” she whimpered.
“You can handle this, Brie,” Sir said reassuringly, squeezing her hand.
“You don’t understand,” she told the doctor. “I’m not a masochist.”
The doctor smirked, looking at Sir and Rytsar. “Well, today, lass, you are. I can give you medicine that will dull the pain, but it can make you a little woozy.”
Brie shook her head. “No, I don’t want that.” She lay back against the pillow, thoroughly terrified.
Sir squeezed her hand again and commanded in a smooth voice, “Look into my eyes.”
Brie did so immediately.
“You are a strong, determined woman. Keep calm and utilize the lessons you’ve learned and meet this challenge head-on.”
Brie swallowed hard. She’d never thought that her training at the Center would prepare her for a moment like this—yet here she was. She glanced over at Rytsar for encouragement.
He gave her a confident smile. “You are strong like your daughter.”
Both men had endured incredible physical challenges in their own right. They were the examples she needed to follow. When another labor pain hit, she stifled her whimpers but her courage and conviction seemed to be hanging on by a thread, and she was consumed by one prevailing thought:
I wish my mom was here…
Despite her age, she longed for the comfort of her mother.
A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the day when her parents had finally had enough of her pushing them away and flew to LA to confront her.
It broke Brie’s heart now, knowing she hadn’t even been happy to see them at the time.
Having another early knock at the door surprised Brie. It had been the second time in the same day, and she looked at Rytsar in alarm.
“Are you expecting anyone else?” he asked.
Brie frowned, shaking her head. “No, especially not this early in the morning.”
She stayed behind while Rytsar approached the door with caution. They had been through too much recently not to be paranoid about unannounced visitors.
Rytsar took a quick look through the peephole and turned to Brie with a smirk. “Things are about to get bumpy for you.”
Brie had no idea who could be on the other side of the door, but the glint in Rytsar’s eye let her know whoever it was, he expected an entertaining show out of it. Rytsar swung the door wide open and smiled at the couple standing in the doorway.
“Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. How nice to see you again.”
Brie’s stomach twisted in a knot when her parents walked through the door. She’d avoided all contact after the crash because of Lilly. It had been a cruel but necessary decision, but now, she was going to have to face their wrath because of it.
Wanting to curb her father’s hostility, Brie hugged her mother first and asked in a forced, but pleasant, tone, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“Why would we?” her father replied, huffing in disgust. “You would have just brushed us off again. We’re your parents, for Christ’s sake.”
Brie was hit by the force of his anger. Sadly, she knew it was justified so she tried to make amends by hugging him. She hoped the physical contact would ease some of the tension between them.
Brie’s mother pulled her back into her arms, holding her tight. It hurt Brie deeply to see her mother’s tears. “It’s been too long. Way too long, sweetie,” she said, staring at Brie’s stomach in shock. “Look how big you’ve gotten! What are you, six months, now?” The tears started up again as she glanced over at her husband, lamenting, “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed, Bill.”
Brie was crushed by a wave of guilt, and it only increased when her father added, “You have been very unkind to your mother, young lady.”
She could feel his seething resentment under the surface and pleaded with him, “Daddy, I need your understanding, not your anger.”
“What? Are we supposed to simply accept that you cut us out of your life as soon as Thane had the accident? When you needed us the most, you became cold and distant instead of reaching out to us. Maybe I can handle such shoddy treatment by my own child, but it’s not fair to your mother. She didn’t deserve any of this, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Please, Bill,” her mother pleaded, looking at Brie with compassion. “Let’s not start off on the wrong foot.”
Instead of backing down, her father turned his hateful stare on Rytsar for emphasis, asking her, “Brianna, where is your husband right now?”
Brie knew her father disliked Rytsar, and she resented the accusing tone. However, she still needed to defuse his anger, so she kept her voice calm as she explained, “He’s in the bedroom doing physical therapy, Daddy. Rytsar arranged it so Thane could come home and recover here.”
Her mom took pity on Brie and offered cheerfully, “That’s wonderful, honey! I’d be happy to help you in any way I can by cooking, cleaning, running errands…whatever you need.”
Brie felt threatened by her mother’s simple offer to help, afraid that her parents might try to take over her life.
Hell, she reasoned, I’ve handled all of it on my own for how many months?
Trying to keep a level head, she told her mother, “I’m finally getting my life back to normal. As much as I appreciate—”
“Brie, are those your parents I hear?” Sir called out from the bedroom.
“It is, Sir.”
Brie felt her father tense when she called Thane by that title. Just one more reason she didn’t want to deal with her parents right now.
“Please, ask them to come join me.”
Brie purposely used the title again to rile her dad. “Sir would like to see you both.”
“Well, at least someone wants to see us,” her father mumbled under his breath.
Brie trudged slowly to the room, not wanting to bring this added stress into Sir’s life. When she entered, however, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Sir was standing upright, with both men to either side, holding him up as he struggled to take a step.
Her heart raced at the sight of him walking again.
“It’s going to be a long road ahead,” Sir told her parents, “but I am determined to fully recover as soon as possible.”
Her mother’s jaw dropped. “Thane, I can’t tell you how surprised I am to see you doing so well.”
Her father felt the need to offer his wisdom during this extraordinary moment. “I can tell you right now, you will never return to what you once were, but you can create a new standard for normal.”
Brie was unhappy he sounded so negative, but Sir nodded to him and actually smiled. “Wise words. Thank you for the honest insight, Dad.”
Sir calling her father “Dad” had an immediate effect as Brie could feel the tension in the room beginning to ease.
Brie smiled gratefully at Sir. No matter the situation, he always handled her dad with kindness and respect. Most men would not have been so generous. She doubted her father realized how lucky he was to have Sir as his son-in-law.
When Sir’s legs began to tremble from the effort, the two hunky medical workers helped him back onto the bed and he asked them to leave.
Sir said to her father, “Brie informed me that she kept you both at arm’s length after the crash.”
“She did.” Her father gave Brie a disapproving look that managed to make her feel like a little kid again.
“I want to assure you that that will not be the case now.”
Her mom blurted excitedly, “I was just telling Brie I would be happy to help in any way I can. I’m completely at your disposal.”
Brie’s heart dropped. No matter what her mother’s good intentions were, Brie did not want to lose their newfound privacy, especially with Rytsar staying at the apartment with them. After months of living in the hospital, she was just getting used to feeling normal again. Adding two more people to the mix—especially her parents—seemed like too much pressure for them to bear right now.
No… She looked at Sir, silently begging him to turn down her mother’s offer.
“Mom, although I wish we could have you stay with us, as you can see, our apartment is bursting at the seams at the moment. However, if you’re willing to assist with errands, it would be a significant help to Brie and I.”
Brie could suddenly breathe again. With a few careful words, Sir had respectfully informed them that they would need to get a hotel and that he would determine how they could be most helpful without interfering.
Leave it to Sir, Brie thought. I love my husband!
Sir continued, “Even more important to me, I would appreciate if you could take your daughter out and give her time away from this place. She has been a devoted wife and caregiver almost to a fault, and she could seriously use a little ‘me’ time.”
“Of course, Thane. It would be my joy,” her mom answered, smiling at Brie.
While it was a sweet idea, Brie really didn’t want to go. She decided to speak up, even though it might displease both Sir and her parents. “I don’t want to leave your side, Sir.”
The look he gave her was tender and kind. “Babygirl, you have been at my side for months. It’s important that you take time for yourself and enjoy this last trimester of pregnancy.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mother wrapped her arms around Brie’s stiff body. “I would love to go shopping with you for some stylish maternity clothes.”
“And I would like to spend time talking to my daughter alone. I’m tired of the silent treatment you’ve subjected us to,” her father added.
Brie groaned inside. It didn’t seem fair that she should be dragged away from the comfort of Sir and Rytsar’s company only to be harassed by her father. She looked at Sir sadly, trying to convey her mixed emotions.
He gave her a sympathetic smile as he sealed her fate. “I would love to see my beautiful wife dress up for a change. Show off your baby bump with pride, my dear.”
Brie returned his smile but couldn’t hold back the heavy sigh that escaped. She understood he’d given her a gentle command.
“Why are you reluctant?” her father demanded angrily, insulted by Brie’s obvious reluctance.
Thankfully, Rytsar spoke up. “I believe your daughter has been so busy caring for everyone else that she’s forgotten what it is like to be cared for. It will do her good to spend time with the people who raised her.”
Although Brie didn’t agree with Rytsar that she needed to be cared for, at least his reply put her father at ease. Maybe she would survive this day…
As much as she was dreading it, her mom was bubbling with enthusiasm. “Hon, remember when we went shopping for your wedding dress? Think of all the laughing we did that day, and now it’s going to be for maternity clothes.” She looked at Brie, beaming with pride. “I can’t believe my little girl is having a baby.”
The memory of their adventures trying to find the perfect wedding dress was dear to Brie and she realized she was being unfair to them. She had, after all, been the one to close herself off completely after the crash.
Although her motivation had been to protect the tenuous relationship her father had with Sir, her actions had hurt them deeply. Yet, here they were, wanting to help Brie out. She gazed at her mom with new understanding. “Yes, Mom, it would be nice to shop together again.”
The smile that spread across her father’s face emphasized to Brie that his wife’s happiness was his main concern and it softened her heart. When she went to hug him again, she meant it when she said, “It will be good to spend time together, Daddy.”
Her mom insisted Brie sit up front with her father on their way to the mall. Although Brie would have preferred sitting with her mother, she agreed, not wanting to cause any more friction between them.
Sir had given her a pep talk just before leaving, reminding Brie to look at the situation from her parents’ perspective, especially given that she was about to be a mother herself.
Staring down at her belly, Brie wondered how she would feel if, sometime in the future, her daughter suffered a tragedy but refused any help. It would absolutely break her heart to be cut off like that.
Turning to her dad, she took the first step toward reconciliation. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I know how I handled things after the crash really hurt both of you. I never meant to, but I was a mess and wasn’t thinking of anyone else. I couldn’t lose Thane. He was my only focus…” Her voice caught, and she stopped for a moment.
“I understand, dear,” her mother said from the back, patting her shoulder reassuringly.
“Let her continue,” her father insisted.
Brie took a deep breath, steeling herself before she continued. “I would have reached out to you eventually, but when Rytsar disappeared, things got even worse for us.”
Her parents had no idea how bad…
“I know about Lilly,” her father stated.
Brie stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean?”
“I shared that email with your father,” her mother informed Brie. “I couldn’t stand there being any secrets between the three of us.”
Brie sat there in shock. He knew about the blackmail attempt…
“What do you have to say for yourself?” her father demanded.
Still in shock, she faced him. “If you know what Lilly was accusing Thane of, then you must understand why I wanted it kept secret. I appreciated how hard it was for you to accept Thane because of our lifestyle, and I couldn’t take the chance you might believe Lilly’s accusation.”
She looked down at her hands, wringing them nervously. “I couldn’t bear it if you ended up hating him, especially if…” Her voice caught again, but she forced herself to finish. “Especially if Thane had died and never gotten the chance to defend himself.”
“Did you really think I’m that stupid?” her father demanded.
“Stupid? No, of course not…” Brie faltered, feeling the conversation already heading south.
Her mom reached over the seat and squeezed her shoulder gently. “Your father has a keen mind, honey. Initially, he was as shocked as I was when he read what Lilly was claiming. But, after poring over the anonymous message and the photos, he was able to deduce that she had set Thane up and sent the email to us, hoping to discredit him and to hurt you.”
Brie glanced at her father, now wondering if she had trusted him back then, if she might have had her parents’ support the entire time.
“I’m not an idiot, Brianna.”
“I know, Daddy. But even I was questioning my own husband when she first made those accusations. How could I expect you to react any differently?”
“Your lack of trust hurt, little girl. Are we not family?”
Brie swallowed hard, nodding.
What her father failed to acknowledge was that Brie had reasons to fear what his reaction would be. It had started that first day, when she announced she was dating Sir and he had reacted badly. Things became even more complicated when her documentary came out and both of her parents began struggling with her lifestyle becoming public. All along, her father had wanted to blame Sir for the direction her life had taken, not accepting that everything she’d done had been her decision alone.
Truly, it hadn’t been until the premiere of her film, when she had been attacked, that Brie had seen a glimmer of hope around her father’s changing feelings toward Sir—it was the first time her father acknowledged that Sir might truly love her.
Being a man of principles, Sir always treated her father with the respect his position deserved, no matter how disrespectful her father was in return. Sir’s actions eventually won him over—enough to bless their marriage and walk his little girl down the aisle in Italy.
Despite having solid reasons for her caution, one thing was clear from their conversation: Her parents genuinely loved her and supported Thane, and she had hurt them more than she knew by her continued silence.
“I’m sorry… so sorry for hurting both of you.”
Her father surprised her by pulling off to the side of the road and turning to face her. “Look at me, Brianna.”
Brie braved meeting his gaze.
“What you did was wrong, but your mom and I love you. Our hearts are big enough to forgive you for this. While we will choose to forget and put it in the past, I want you to remember it. Not because I need you to feel guilty, but because I want it to serve as a reminder of our loyalty to you…and to Thane.”
She nodded, speechless, his words having touched her so deeply.
“Brie,” her mother added, “I understand why you thought you needed to keep things from us. But from now on, we can’t have secrets between us.”
Brie smiled, but it was with a heavy heart. She wanted to be open with her parents, but there were certain events that would always remain a secret between them, including the attempted kidnapping. Brie knew her parents would never stop worrying if they heard what Lilly had done.
Heck, even now, they might insist on her moving back to Nebraska in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. As their only child, they had everything to lose, but Brie didn’t want to live her life that way.
So, even if she knew then what she knew now, Brie would have made the same decision to pull away to protect them—and herself.
Sadly, her parents would have to remain in the dark, but she would do everything within her power not to cause them that kind of pain again. Her parents had done nothing to deserve it.
“While I can’t change what happened, I promise not to hurt you guys again. I love you both too much.”
Her father chuckled. “Sorry, Brianna, you can’t make that promise.”
“What do you mean?”
“Parents are always affected by their kids. If you are happy, we’re happy. If you are suffering, we’re suffering. You are going to hurt us again. It is the way things are, no way around it.”
Brie had a better understanding of what he meant, knowing how much she cared about the baby growing inside her. Rubbing her stomach, she told him, “I’m beginning to get what you mean, Daddy.” Amending her promise, she vowed, “I will keep in touch with you both no matter what is going on in my life.”
“Now, that is a promise I can live with,” he stated, holding his arms out to her.
Brie leaned over to hug him. It was an awkward embrace because of the divider in the middle, but it was one of the warmest hugs he’d ever given her.
When she pulled away, she took her mother’s hand and squeezed it, smiling with tears in her eyes.
“We will always love and support you, darling,” her mother assured her.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Her father pulled back onto the road and announced, “First, we get a good lunch down you, a nice Reuben sandwich for old time’s sake.”
Brie laughed. “It’s been forever since I’ve had one of those.”
“No one makes the original like a Nebraskan, but we’ll see what we can find in this tinsel town.”
“And, after that, we’re going to shop our little hearts out,” her mother added excitedly.
“Yes, when we return you to my son-in-law, I want him to agree that you are the most stylish pregnant woman he’s ever seen,” her father announced.
Brie smiled, her heart overflowing with love, yet she still suffered from lingering guilt. She should have trusted Sir when he’d insisted she join her parents for the day.
He knew the profound feeling of having lost both of his parents, and he had simply wanted to ensure Brie took full advantage of the love her parents showered upon her. Brie pulled out her cell phone and sent him a text.
Thank you for this, Sir. I love you!
A short time later, she received a text back.
Make the most of it, babygirl.
A few seconds later, he sent a second.
This man loves you.
She quietly slipped her phone back into her purse and closed her eyes, soaking up the sheer brilliance of his love.