“Brad?  Are you playing or not?”

Brad’s attention snapped to his father and brother who’d walked ahead of him toward the next hole. Golf usually kept Brad’s interest, but for some inane reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about the night with Tyger. She’d been on his mind for two days straight and he couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. “Yes, Dad. I’m coming.”

Corey, his older brother shook his head and laughed. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you had your head in the clouds.”

Brad chuckled. “Good thing you know me better.”

“Yes, I know you better.” Corey arched an eyebrow. “But I’m still wondering if your glued-on smile is because of the party you attended the other night.”

Brad’s grin widened and he shrugged. “Could be.”

It was obvious by his father’s scowl that he didn’t share Brad’s and Corey’s humor.

“Brad,” Todd barked, “you’re not going to find a nice girl at those parties.”

Corey barked out a laugh. “Dad, I don’t think you have to worry about that. Brad isn’t ready to settle down, yet.”

“I would hope not,” Todd grumbled. “Not until he can find a better class of friends.”

Brad sighed heavily. Here we go again. “Dad, I’m sorry you don’t like my friends, but just because they’re not rich like you, doesn’t mean they’re not good people.”

Todd marched ahead to the next hole. “I’m not saying your male friends are bad,” he said over his shoulder, “but I don’t think you’re going to find the right kind of girl at those parties. Any woman whose idea of fun is to get drunk every weekend isn’t very responsible.” He peeked back at Brad. “I’m just relieved you decided to lay off the alcohol. It’s definitely improved your character.”

Brad nodded. “Thanks, Dad. But listen to Corey when he says I’m not ready yet, because I’m not.”

It was hard for him to admit his father was right... this time, anyway. Brad did like his life better now that he’d stopped drinking. Grinning, he recalled what Tyger had said at her party, you don’t need to be drunk to have a good time. She couldn’t have been more precise. Of course, he learned that the hard way, and gone through many years of waking up with a hangover the next morning. No more. He wasn’t in college any longer, and life wasn’t about who could consume the most beer.

Brad stepped up and placed his golf ball on the tee. He chose the right driver club to use for this swing. Adjusting his stance, he looked toward the white flag not far from where they were. It would be nice if he could make a hole-in-one today. He felt as if he was floating on air lately and that he could accomplish anything.

Steadying his club, he swung it a few times to get the feel before lining it up with the ball. He held his breath and... whack! The ball sailed through the air toward the white flag. When the ball hit the ground, it rolled toward the hole. The closer the ball rolled to the hole, the more his anticipation grew. However, his lucky streak wouldn’t be today, because the ball stopped at least ten feet away.

Oh, well. There was always next time.

“Wow. That was a great shot,” Corey praised and patted Brad on the shoulder.

“Yeah, well,” Brad shrugged, “I’m better with women than I am with golf.”

His brother’s loud laugh boomed through the trees, startling the other golfers. His dad just rolled his eyes. Brad chuckled.

He kept quiet for the next little while as he played through. Of course, his mind was occupied with Tyger, and especially how to win her. He’d not met her idiot boyfriend, but the ladies at the magazine seemed to think Tom was a jerk. Amanda had even mentioned how poorly Tom treated Tyger.

Brad tightened his hands on the club – envisioning it being the boyfriend’s neck – and he swung, hitting the ball farther than necessary. If he ever caught that man treating Tyger unkindly, he’d be tempted to introduce his fist to the man’s face over and over again.

What had bothered him the most about Tyger’s boyfriend was what Pat Gurrister had told him as he was leaving the party. The older woman was shocked to think Tyger would have a party at her place because she wasn’t that type of girl. Not only that, but Tyger never did anything spontaneous... not unless her boyfriend said it was all right. Pat described Tom to be a domineering man. The landlord even witnessed a few times how frightened Tyger was when Tom showed his temper.

Pat told him of time when Tyger and Tom were at the pool and he had yelled at her for wearing such a skimpy swimsuit. Pat had mentioned that the swimsuit was something modest women wore. But when Tyger left to change, Tom’s roaming eyes moved to other women who were there, and he ogled the girls who wore skimpier swimsuits. Pat told him how sick she’d become just watching Tom, and she wanted to slap his face.

Brad gritted his teeth. He actually wanted to do more than just slap the idiot’s face. But he couldn’t understand why his beautiful Tyger was with someone like that. Was her self-esteem so low that she didn’t think she deserved better?

Hope rose inside of his chest. He couldn’t wait to show her how a real man treats his woman. He decided to lay on the charm thick with his little Tyger. By the time he was finished, she’d feel like a beautiful and desirable woman.

He actually looked forward to this project. Being back home with his parents wasn’t exactly thrilling. Although he had money to buy his own place here in Manhattan, he knew he was never in one place long enough to own property, which was why he stayed at his parent’s estate whenever he was in town.

He loved his parents, but he was tired of hearing the same old lecture – that he was twenty-eight-years-old and should be settling down and raising a family. His father was always yapping about Brad’s friends, and especially about the floozies he’d dated. His parents wanted him to find a nice girl. Well, Brad had found a nice girl, and although he still wasn’t ready to settle down, he looked forward to bringing some self-esteem into her life.

“Dad,” Corey said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to attend the dinner party on Thursday that mother has planned.”

His father lined up the tee and ball and then stood. “Why not?” he asked as he glanced across the greens.

“I have a business meeting.”

Silence lasted a few minutes until after Todd swung his club, knocking the ball into the air as it sailed toward its destination. “Business meeting, eh?”

“Yes,” Corey answered.

“What’s her name?”

Brad snorted a laugh and then quickly covered his mouth. Apparently, their father knew his sons better than they wanted to believe.

Corey rolled his eyes. “It’s really a business meeting.”

“If you say so.” Todd moved aside to let Brad go next. “What about you, Brad? Have you found a date for Thursday yet?”

Immediately, he thought of his Tyger. He’d love to take her, but he doubted she’d go out with him when she was still seeing Tom. Brad tightened his grip on the golf club. Why she insisted on staying with that jerk was beyond his thinking.

He whacked the ball too hard. He wouldn’t make his mark now. Strange how he wasn’t as worried about that swing as he was about Tyger. Snap out of it, Montgomery!

Chuckling, he shook his head. When had another boyfriend ever stopped Brad from getting the woman he wanted? “I do have someone in mind,” he answered his father’s question. “But I’ll have to do some major charming to get her to agree.”

Corey barked out a loud laugh. “What’s this? My brother has actually found a woman who isn’t easy?”

Brad threw his sibling a glare. “That’s not funny.”

Corey shrugged. “I thought it was.”

“Well, at least he’s not going to bring one of the floozies he hangs out with all the time.” Todd gave Brad a sharp nod.

“Don’t worry, Dad. The woman I have in mind is very classy.”

Beside him, Corey snorted. “Yeah, right. When have you ever dated a classy woman?”

Brad shrugged. “Maybe I’ll surprise you both.”

At least he hoped Tyger would agree so he could surprise his family. But before that time, he had some work to do.

* * * *

WHY DID SHE LET TOM get to her again? Over the past few months, the terrible endings to their dates and the continual fear of triggering Tom’s temper, created such stress that Breanna’s head throbbed the following morning. Why did she always have to beg him for a little cuddling time and for a kiss? Was that really too much to ask if she was his girlfriend?

The more she pondered the situation, the angrier she became. It wasn’t right that she had to plead for some attention. It wasn’t right that she didn’t automatically feel loved, either. Whenever they kissed – which wasn’t often – he always acted like he was in a hurry and couldn’t wait to leave. He never seemed to enjoy kissing her anymore.

Not like Brad had.

Growling, she pushed her fingers through her hair. Why did she have to think of Brad? It seemed that since she met him, she’d been finding more fault with Tom. And yet, deep inside her heart, she had been wondering these things about her boyfriend for a few months now. Probably longer than that.

As she sat at the table and stared at her untouched cereal, she glanced around the room. The party the other night wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She recalled the exact place where she’d been standing the moment Brad had kissed her neck, or danced with her, or picked her up to throw her in the pool. She smiled widely. Had she ever had such a wonderful night? Not that she could remember, anyway.

And then after the party, in her bedroom...

She sighed dreamily. Brad had kissed her so tenderly, and the way his eyes were glued to hers made her heart flip with wanting. There was so much emotion in his green orbs, which of course made their kissing more meaningful. He’d also held her so tight, and caressed her with such tenderness.

Tom had never done that.

But she really shouldn’t make a big deal out of the way Brad treated her. He was like that with every woman. Well, she didn’t know if he kissed them like he had her, but still, he was a flirt and charmed everyone. Breanna giggled. Even her landlord.

She glanced at her bowl of uneaten cereal and frowned. Her stomach was in knots. How could she eat at this depressing point in her life? She quickly rinsed out the bowl in the sink, and then placed it and the spoon in the dishwasher.

After showering, she moved into her bedroom to get dressed. She found a faded pair of jeans and a baseball jersey that her brother, Cade, had given her. Respectfully, she touched the jersey and her heart softened for her superstar brother who played for the Chicago Bullets. Cade had reached his dream of being a professional baseball player. Breanna was sure their parents smiled down from Heaven, knowing that Cade was very successful and happy.

When Breanna and Cade were still in grade school, their parents died in a car accident. Years afterwards, the two siblings were shipped from one relative to another. When they ran out of relatives, the state sent them to foster homes until they found a couple who adopted them. Lloyd and Trina Young were nice enough, but Breanna had never felt real, unconditional loved. She also felt they gave her brother more attention. After all, he was the go-getter, not her. He was the one with a lot of talent and potential. Not her. Younger than her by two years, he was better looking and had lots of friends. Breanna had always been just a shy bookworm.

Would her parents in Heaven be happy knowing what Breanna was doing with her life now? Would they approve of Tom? She frowned. Probably not. So what was she going to do about it?

She stared at her reflection through the mirror. She tilted her head. “Are you going to sit around the apartment and be depressed, again? No, you’re not. Breanna Loveland, you are going to get your butt out of here and do something with yourself!” She nodded, silently finalizing her plans.

The ringing of the doorbell pulled her out of her thoughts. Her heart dropped. Hopefully, it wasn’t Tom. Then again, he was probably still asleep in bed like he’d been yesterday at this time.

Leaving the bathroom, she walked into the front room and opened the door. A gasp sprang from her throat. The first thing she saw was a bouquet of red roses in front of her. As she studied them more, she noticed the man’s hand holding them, but she couldn’t see his face.

It definitely wasn’t Tom. He would never do something like this, mainly because he complained it was too expensive.

The man didn’t say anything, just continued to hold the flowers in front of his face. However, she did see his dark... long hair. Her heart leaped as happiness filled her. Brad!