Chapter Six

 

Brett watched Jen pull his New England Rebels T-shirt over her head.

“I was worried I’d find a sleeping bag on your bedroom floor,” she said.

“Bull.” He dug a pair of shorts out of his drawer and put them on. He didn’t bother with a shirt.

“I’m not kidding. I thought maybe beds fell into the nonessential category along with kitchen tables.”

He walked around the king-size bed. Although a queen would fit better in this room, he hated sleeping in anything smaller unless he had no other choice. “Believe it or not, I have two in the house.” He pointed to the bed next to Jen. “I got this one after I bought the house so I’d have a place to sleep when I visited. The mattress from my old condo is in one of the other bedrooms.”

The house had three bedrooms in addition to the master. None of them were huge, but all were a decent size.

Stepping closer, Jen linked her arms around his waist. His body reacted immediately to the feel of her hands on his skin. “Maybe there is some hope for you?” She kissed him before moving back. “I think it’s time to test your opinion of televisions. Ready for a movie?”

He’d rather they get into bed and go back to finding other ways to entertain themselves. But if she wanted to watch a movie, he’d do it. “You’ll see I’m right.”

In the living room, Jen picked her dress up from the floor and folded it before sitting down. “Any preference?” she asked, reaching for the remote they’d left on the table.

“Whatever you want. I’ll be right back.”

In the kitchen, he took two bottles of iced tea from the fridge. “Hungry?” he called. When he watched a movie, he needed a snack. It didn’t matter if it’d been only five minutes or five hours since his last meal. If a movie was playing, he needed to munch on preferably something salty, but in a pinch cookies worked too.

“Nope.”

Brett opened the kitchen closet. Popcorn would be nice, but since he didn’t have any, the roasted peanuts would do. Before leaving the room, he grabbed the cell phone he’d left on the counter earlier. He wasn’t expecting any calls, but you never knew with Carl. Thursday the man had called him close to midnight.

He handed Jen the open bottle of iced tea and sat down next to her. “If you change your mind, let me know.” The opening paragraph to A New Hope scrolled across the screen as the recognizable music filled the room. He’d read the words enough times he could recite them from memory. “Any plans for tomorrow?” He had no free time next week, so he wanted to spend as much time with her this weekend as he could.

“I do have a hot date with my washing machine planned, but I can probably reschedule. I don’t think he’d mind.”

“You’d do that for me?”

Jen nodded. “But only this once. I can’t make a habit of it. He might get jealous.”

“Tomorrow night there’s a block party on the town common. I have no idea what to expect. It might be awful. My buddy told me the town holds one every month starting in the spring. Tomorrow’s the last one until next year. He said there is usually food, music, and dancing.” Food and music he enjoyed. Dancing he only did if left with no other option, like when his sister dragged him on the dance floor at their cousin’s wedding in June. “Any interest in checking it out?”

“Sure, sounds like it could be fun.” She took a sip from her iced tea and then set the bottle down on the coffee table. “What time does it start?”

Good question. He hadn’t asked. “I don’t know. The town’s website should have it listed. It lists everything else.” He’d visited the site a handful of times and found information regarding every aspect of the town. “I can come pick you up sometime in the afternoon. Bring your dog too, and you can stay the night.”

A mischievous grin spread across her face. “Well, it’s not like you have much Bo could destroy in here.”

He knew she was only joking, but maybe he should do something about getting more furniture and stuff. “I don’t suppose you want to handle decorating this place for me?”

His sister would turn the house into a mini replica of hers with no regard to his preferences. However, he’d seen the inside of Jen’s house. Her style was much more in line with what he liked, and he hated shopping.

Her expression grew serious. “Brett, I’m just kidding. This is your house. As long as you’re comfortable here that’s all that matters.”

“If I’m going to live here and have visitors, it does need more stuff. Leah offered, but she’ll turn it into a place I’m afraid to walk in without taking my shoes off first. What do you say? Do you want to take my credit card and go on a shopping spree?”

“Thanks but no thanks. But I will go and help you. I’ll even hang curtains if you want.”

He’d rather she took his card and bought what she thought he needed. He put shopping and visiting the doctor in the same category. Both were necessary from time to time, but he never enjoyed either.

“I’ll take it. But back to what we were talking about. It’s up to you, but I’d love to have you spend the night tomorrow. The backyard is fenced in, so Bo can run around out there if he needs to, or just hang around in here.”

“Are you sure? My sister would take him again for me.”

“I always mean what I say.” He’d told her the same thing in the restaurant, but it didn’t hurt to say it again now.

“Okay, but you don’t have to come pick me up. I can drive back tomorrow.”

Jen said her sister would take the dog again; did that mean Bo was with her tonight? Since she appeared to be in no rush to get home, it seemed likely. “Is Bo at your sister’s tonight?”

Jen nodded and several strands of hair fell forward. She pushed them back before she answered him. “I didn’t know how late I’d be. Kristen only lives a few miles away from me, so she picked him up after dinner. My niece loves it when Bo spends the night, and she does most of the work.”

If her dog wasn’t waiting for her at home, he saw no reason she couldn’t stay here tonight too. “Then stay tonight. Tomorrow we can drive to your house together. Get a change of clothes, your dog, and come back.”

It’d been a damn long time since he woke up in the morning with a woman next to him. Sure he’d had a handful of women in his bed over the last few years, but he hadn’t asked or wanted a single one of them to stay the night. Jen was nothing like any of those women. He not only wanted her in his bed, he wanted her involved in every aspect of his life too.

***

 

Jen wrapped her dress around her body and tied it before running her fingers through her hair. Without a brush or comb handy, it was the best she could do. At least she wouldn’t be seeing anyone this morning. Before leaving the bedroom, she made Brett’s bed and tossed the T-shirt he’d let her borrow for the night into the laundry basket. If she’d been at home, there was a fifty-fifty chance she would’ve left it on the bed where she’d first dropped it, but it didn’t take an advanced degree in astrophysics to know Brett liked things neat and tidy. She’d gotten a peek in his underwear drawer when he got dressed this morning. Even in there everything had been folded neatly and stacked in piles. Towels and jeans she folded. Underwear got dumped in a pile in her drawer.

The scent of strong coffee reached her before she entered the kitchen.

“I think I prefer you dressed the other way,” Brett said when she walked in.

She preferred him any old way.

“Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” She yawned as she crossed to where he stood leaning with his back against the counter.

He took down a mug from the cabinet by the stove and filled it. “There’s milk in the fridge.”

She grabbed the plastic half gallon, glad to see he had plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables inside. She’d worried his fridge might be as empty as the kitchen cabinets appeared to be. “Thank you.” Jen reached for the mug, but he pulled it back before she touched it.

“It’s going to cost you.”

Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, really?”

Brett set both mugs down and advanced on her. “I made you coffee, I think that deserves at least a good morning kiss.”

She’d kissed him on the cheek before he got out of bed. If he wanted another, she’d oblige. Jen brushed her lips across his cheek. “Okay, I paid. Now hand over the goods.” She tried to reach around him to get her mug, but he blocked her attempt.

“Not so fast. I want a proper kiss, not whatever that was.”

If she’d brushed her teeth or at the very least used some mouthwash, she’d treat him to the same type of kisses they’d shared last night. She hadn’t come prepared for a sleepover and hadn’t wanted to go snooping through the drawers in the bathroom. “What you have in mind will have to wait until we get to my house, and I brush my teeth.”

Brett reached behind him and picked up her coffee. “Sorry, can’t wait until then. Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of extra toothbrushes. Enjoy your coffee, and I’ll get you one.”

Did he have extra toothbrushes in the house because he invited a lot of women to spend the night or simply because he liked to be prepared? In none of the letters or text messages they’d exchanged had he ever mentioned a girlfriend, and she only remembered him once saying something about going on a blind date set up by a friend.

“You don’t have kitchen chairs to sit on but you’ve got extra toothbrushes hanging around?”

“It’s all about what’s essential.” He took a gulp from his coffee before setting it back down. “Instead of subjecting you to my cooking, I thought we could pick something up on the way. There’s a nice café in town. It makes great breakfast sandwiches and muffins.”

When Brett backed out of the driveway twenty minutes later, the dancing baby pink and blue balloons attached to his neighbors’ mailbox immediately caught her attention. Usually there was only one reason people had those color balloons outside their home.

“Looks like your neighbors had twins,” she said, pointing toward the house next door.

“I saw Jessie in the driveway earlier this week. She looked miserable and about ready to pop.”

At one time, she’d thought having twins would be great. Then her sister had Bella and she saw how much work just one baby could be. She couldn’t imagine having two infants at the same time. “Do they have any other children?” If Brett’s neighbors had more, she hoped they were at least school aged.

He put the SUV, one of the essentials the movers had delivered the previous week, in drive and drove down the street. “Yeah, a little girl. No idea how old she is. I’ve only met her once, but she seemed like a nice kid. They’ve got a dog too.”

After a quick stop at Peggy Sue’s Café, a cute little place on what seemed to be the main street in and out of town, they got on the highway. When she’d made the trip up this way last night, traffic had been on the heavy side as people headed north for the weekend. This morning though they cruised along without any backups and made what the GPS said should be an hour and thirty-minute drive in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

She waved back at Marie, her next-door neighbor, as she and Brett walked toward her front door. Recently retired, Marie and her husband had raised their family in the house next door and she loved to work in her yard. More times than not, Jen found her, and often her husband, doing some type of yard project. If she were outside when they were, she’d usually chat. This morning she’d prefer to skip a conversation, because although very nice, Marie tended to be a little long-winded and sometimes nosy.

“Make yourself at home. I’m going to take a quick shower.” She’d considered taking one at Brett’s after brushing her teeth, but it had seemed silly to do so and then put back on the same underwear she’d worn all day yesterday.

“Take your time. No need to rush.”

In her room, Jen sent off a quick text message letting her sister know she’d be over soon to pick up Bo and kicked her shoes off at the same time. She didn’t wait around for a response. Instead she tossed the cell phone on her bed and headed for the bathroom. Brett may not care how long she took, but she hated to keep anyone waiting.

The opening theme song to a movie greeted her when she walked into her bedroom a few minutes later. She’d told Brett to make himself at home; if he’d turned on the television downstairs, he’d obviously done just that. Jen searched through her drawer for a top. A town block party sounded pretty casual; still, she didn’t want to look like a complete slob. She skipped over several shirts before settling on the new red off-the-shoulder blouse she’d picked up during her last trip to the mall. It’d be cool enough for a warm summer night outside but not as casual as a plain old T-shirt. “Now for tomorrow,” she said, digging her duffle bag out of her closet. She didn’t travel much, and the bag was buried under a pile of shoes and a bag of clothes she kept meaning to donate.

The cell phone on her nightstand beeped as she dropped the duffle bag on her bed. Jen picked it up and walked back to the chest of drawers for clothes.

Get here whenever. Bella is playing fetch with Bo in the yard. Can’t wait to hear about last night.

Any discussion about last night would have to wait until another time. They couldn’t discuss her date with Brett standing next to them. Jen grabbed a pair of shorts from a drawer.

Dan’s parents and Mom and Dad are coming over. We’re going to have a cookout. You’re welcome too. A second message from Kristen appeared before Jen answered the first.

Normally she’d accept such an invitation. This morning she typed back a simple thank you. She and Brett had a limited amount of time together. She loved her family, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to include them into their weekend plans. That was of course assuming Brett would be open to meeting Mom and Dad today. Men could be weird about that kind of thing. Some saw it as a big step toward the whole ball and chain and avoided it at all costs. She didn’t want to do anything this weekend that would make him uncomfortable or cause him to think she expected a diamond ring.

“All set.” Jen walked into the living room and found Brett with his cell phone pressed against his ear and the movie paused.

“I’ll have to get back to you,” he said before ending the call.

“Did something come up?” she asked. Their plans to spend the night together had been last-minute, and he was in the middle of running for Senate. She’d be disappointed but would understand if unexpected campaign stuff cut into their time today.

He switched off the television as he stood. “No, it was just my uncle. My cousin Allison and her boyfriend got engaged last night. Uncle Mark and his wife are throwing them a little engagement party before Allison and Rock go back to Virginia. He called to invite me.” Brett shoved the cell phone into a pocket.

Oh well, sounded like their weekend plans were about to change. She knew family was as important to him as it was to her. He wouldn’t want to skip an engagement party for his cousin regardless of how short notice it had been.

“I’m sure you’ll have fun.” Should she pick Bo up and bring him back here before she went back to Brett’s and got her car? Or should she go get her car and grab Bo on her way home? Bo had been with her sister since last night; it would be more considerate if she went and picked him up first and brought him home before making the round-trip to North Salem and back.

“Do you mind if we pick up Bo and bring him back here before we go back to your house so I can get my car?”

“You changed your mind about staying with me tonight?” He rounded the sofa and came to stand near her.

Jen shook her head. “No, but I thought you’d want to see your family.”

“The party’s tomorrow afternoon. And if you can reschedule with your washing machine again, I’d like you to come.”

An informal cookout like her sister was having was one thing. This engagement party sounded like a big deal. “Are you sure someone won’t mind you bringing an uninvited guest?”

“It’ll only be my family, Rock’s parents, and maybe his oldest brother. I’m not even sure if his other two are stateside right now.” He wrapped a hand over each of her shoulders. “If you’d rather skip it though we can. It’s not a big deal if I miss it. Uncle Mark knows not everyone will make it on such short notice. And Allison will understand if I don’t get there.”

Upstairs she’d been worried about asking Brett to meet her parents and now he wanted to her to meet most of his family. Evidently, she’d worried for nothing. “If you want, I’ll come, but I’ll need to repack before we leave. How formal is this party going to be?”

His cousin Derek had come across as down-to-earth, but tomorrow she’d be surrounded by some of society’s most elite individuals. The old cutoffs and T-shirt in her bag wouldn’t cut it.

Brett gave her a smile bright enough to light up her entire house. “Outstanding. But don’t stress about your clothes. It’s at Uncle Mark’s house, so nothing formal.”

The man he kept calling Uncle Mark was also supreme court chief justice in Rhode Island. Someone with a title like that wouldn’t throw a party where cutoffs were acceptable. “I’ll be right back.”

She started to turn but stopped when she remembered they planned to take Bo with them back to Brett’s house. His uncle might not mind an extra human guest, but a four-legged one might not go over so well. She opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t get the opportunity.

“Already figured it, so don’t worry,” he said. “Tomorrow I’ll follow you here. You can drop off the dog, and we can drive over to my uncle’s together. The party is at his house in Barrington. After the party, I’ll bring you home and drive back to North Salem.”

How had he’d known what she was thinking? “Do you have some special minding reading abilities you never told me about?”

He moved into her personal space again. “Just good at planning and carrying out missions.” Brett gave her a kiss. “My current mission is introducing you to my family.”

***

Brett parked behind the same minivan he’d seen at Jen’s house the previous weekend and a silver sedan. “You do live close to your sister.” It had taken them less than ten minutes to get from Jen’s to her sister’s.

“Before Kristen got her current job, she traveled a fair amount for work. Dan is a basketball coach at Providence College so he travels like crazy, especially during basketball season. I bought a house nearby so I could help her out.” She picked her purse up off the floor and reached for the door handle. “Mom and Dad live within walking distance. Bella goes there every day after school until Kristen gets home from work.”

He’d seen a picture of who he guessed were Jen’s parents in her living room. She didn’t resemble either of them. There’d also been a copy of the same picture she’d sent him. While Jen didn’t resemble the couple in the photo, her brother Keith and sister Kristen did. There had also been a photo of a young girl with hair so blonde it almost looked white. Although the hair and eyes were different from Kristen’s, the girl looked enough like her mother that Bret knew it was Jen’s niece.

The same girl from the photo answered the door after Jen rang the bell. “Hey, Auntie Jen.” The girl glanced in his direction and gave him a look that said, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Hey sweetie. Thanks for taking care of Bo last night.” Jen hugged her niece and kissed her cheek before looking back at him. “Brett, this is my niece, Bella. She always does a fantastic job of taking care of Bo.”

Jen had told him Bella was ten. How did you greet a ten-year-old girl? A handshake seemed over the top. A hug would be inappropriate, and he certainly couldn’t salute her. “Hello.”

She treated him to another piercing glance, and he wondered if she led a secret life as a police interrogator. “Hi,” she finally said before looking back at her aunt. “Are you staying for the cookout?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.” Jen didn’t sound surprised by the invitation.

“Mom got stuff to make s’mores, and Gram is bringing brownies.”

Jen looked at him and then took his hand. “We’ll think about it. Where’s your mom?”

“In the kitchen, and Dad’s in the backyard.” A song he didn’t recognize erupted from the tablet in Bella’s hands. “It’s Gretchen. She’s getting a dog today,” she said before taking off up the stairs.

Brett didn’t know how much longer they’d be alone, so before she led him into the kitchen, he said, “Did you know about the cookout?”

“Kristen invited me this morning. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to stick around for it or not.”

“If there’ll be s’mores and brownies around, I’m game.”

“And my parents. My brother-in-law’s parents are coming too.”

He failed to see a problem. “You’re going to meet my parents tomorrow. I’ll leave the decision up to you. Just keep in mind there will be brownies available.”

Jen gave him a slight nudge in the side. “Wow, you do have a sugar problem. Have you considered getting help?”

“Hey, I warned you I had a sweet tooth. Don’t act shocked now.”

“In that case, we better stay so you don’t go into sugar withdrawal or something on me. Come on. Let’s go tell Kristen we’re staying.”

They found Bo, Jen’s dog, in the kitchen. He sat on the floor near Kristen’s feet. As she worked, his eyes remained focused on the counter and the chicken Kristen was sliding onto kabob sticks.

“Hi Kristen,” Jen said, walking in the room. Immediately Bo left Kristen’s side and walked over to them. “How’s my boy?”

Jen bent down to pet the dog and missed the look of surprise on her sister’s face. Brett didn’t. Whatever conversation Jen had with her sister earlier, she hadn’t mentioned they were still together this morning.

Kristen washed her hands and walked toward them. “Hi Brett.” She extended her hand and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.” Kristen shot a look toward Jen who was again standing up straight.

Brett nodded. “You too.”

She glanced at Jen again. “You’re welcome to stay. There’s enough food. Mom and Dad should be here soon.”

“We’ll stay for a little while. Do you need any help?” Jen answered.

Kristen wanted to grill her sister. He saw it in the woman’s expression. Instead she nodded toward the fridge. “If you don’t mind, the peppers need to be washed and cut up.”

Brett offered to help as well, but Kristen immediately turned him down. Since his cooking skills sucked, it was probably just as well. Instead he took a seat at the kitchen table and watched the two women. It was a bit like watching the odd couple work together. While Jen was tall with strawberry-blonde hair, her sister was just the opposite. If he had to make a guess, he’d say Kristen topped out at five feet, and she had light brown hair. He hadn’t met Dan, Jen’s brother-in-law, yet. Since Bella had such light hair, he assumed the guy must be a blond or something close to it.

At the counter Kristen whispered something. Up until then, he’d heard all of the women’s conversation. Whatever she’d just said, he wasn’t meant to hear. In response, Jen shook her head and then walked back to the fridge. “Brett, do you want some lemonade?” She glanced back over at him.

“No thanks.”

Jen poured herself a glass and was about to put the glass pitcher away when a man walked in from outside.

“Hey, Jen. Kristen said she invited you.” The man gave Jen a brief hug and grabbed the pitcher from her hand. “I’m glad you’re staying.” He looked in Brett’s direction and then back to Jen.

“Dan, this is Brett.”

He didn’t miss Jen’s brief pause before she said his name. She wasn’t sure how to label him. He’d have to clear that up later.

“Brett, my brother-in-law, Dan.” She gestured toward the blond man. “And the best grill chef in the world.”

“Keep giving me compliments like that and Bo can stay here anytime,” Dan said, before turning his attention in Brett’s direction. “Nice to meet you.” He set the lemonade back in the fridge and pulled out a beer. “Can I get you one?” Dan held up the bottle.

Brett didn’t recognize the label, but he wasn’t picky. “Sounds good.”

***

She looked out the kitchen window. Brett was sitting and talking with her family. Even Bo was with them. The dog had parked himself near Brett’s feet after Bella stopped feeding him pieces of her chicken.

“Since you showed up with him this morning, I’m assuming last night went well,” Kristen said. She stood at the counter loading the dishes Jen rinsed into the dishwasher.

Jen handed her sister another plate. “Very.”

“What, no other details?”

“Nope. But we do have plans for tonight too. There’s a town block party where he lives. We won’t be able to stay here much longer. And tomorrow we’re going to his cousin’s engagement party.”

She swallowed at the thought of meeting his family. It’d been a long time since she met even a boyfriend’s parents, never mind his aunts and uncles. Actually, now that she thought about it, she’d never had a boyfriend introduce her to his extended family.

Kristen added the last plate to the machine and closed the door. “Sounds like this relationship is at warp speed five.” Much like Jen, Kristen was a bit of sci-fi geek. “He looks pretty comfortable out there with Mom and Dad. With Dan and his parents too.”

She nodded and watched him laugh at something Dad said. “He does. Bella has even warmed up to him.” Before lunch and even during, her niece had sat and studied him, her expression surprisingly serious for a ten-year-old. Now she sat between him and Dan with a smile on her face.

“If you need us to take Bo again tonight, we will. Bella loves having him here. You know for her it’s the next best thing to having a dog of her own.”

“Is Dan still making her wait until she’s eleven?” Jen understood her brother-in-law wanting to wait until Bella was old enough to handle the responsibility of having a pet. However, she thought Bella had watched Bo enough in the past year to prove she could handle it.

“I think he’s starting to reconsider, but don’t tell Bella I said that. She’ll start hounding us even more.”

“My lips are sealed,” Jen said. “If you don’t mind, maybe I will leave him here again. Brett told me to take him back with us, but it might be better if Bo stays here. He’s familiar with this house.”

Kristen had started to uncover the brownies, but she paused. “You’re spending the night at his house?”

She moved closer and peeked over her shoulder at the door. “I stayed there last night.” Jen kept her voice low even though there was no way anyone would overhear her.

Her sister’s eyes grew big. “You are moving fast.” She looked out the window again. “Sometime this week we need to have a nice long chat without Bella or Dan around so you can fill me in on all the details.”

Jen was closer to Kristen than anyone else in the world. “I’ll call you.” She tugged the plate closer and finished unwrapping the brownies. “We better get these desserts out there before the natives get restless and storm the castle. Brett’s sweet tooth is worse than Dan’s, if you can believe it.” She’d known Dan long enough to know he ate healthy most of the time and worked out on a regular basis. However, he did love to indulge in the sweet stuff.

“No way. Not possible. If it weren’t for me, the only green in Dan’s diet would come from pistachio-flavored ice cream.” Kristen gathered up the ingredients for making s’mores as well as the tray of oatmeal cookies her mother-in-law had brought. “But if you’re right, Brett’s waistline doesn’t suffer because of it.”

She’d noticed the same thing. “Tell me about it. Some things in life aren’t fair. I look at a cookie and gain a pound. You should’ve seen the dessert he polished off last night.”

Kristen walked toward the door. “Some people are just lucky that way.”

She’d always been envious of her sister because Kristen definitely fell into the lucky category. The woman could indulge in pizza and a beer every day and not gain an ounce. She on the other hand had to be conscious of what she ate. She never obsessed about it, but she definitely needed to keep in mind how many times a month she indulged in a bowl of ice cream. Some months it was easier than others. She’d worried that over the summer she’d given in to temptation one too many times. Brett didn’t seem to find anything wrong with her figure though, so maybe she’d been a little too critical of herself lately.