Brooke

 

It was a beautiful day in Laguna Beach and I had just come home from shopping with a few of my girlfriends when my dad called me into his office. Setting my bags down, I stepped inside and saw a younger gentleman, an incredibly good-looking gentleman, sitting across from him.

“Darling, I would like you to meet Brandon Jackson. He’s the CEO of Jackson Software, the company that is designing the new software program for my company.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson.” I smiled as I extended my hand.

“Please call me Brandon. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“You wanted to see me, Dad?” I asked as I took a seat next to Brandon.

“Brandon would like to talk to you about something. He has a job offer for you. Naomi says that dinner will be ready shortly and I have a meeting to attend. Why don’t the two of you go sit out on the patio where you can talk in private?”

This was strange and I was feeling confused.

“Yeah. Okay. Just let me go upstairs and change and I’ll meet you out on the patio,” I spoke to Brandon.

After changing into a pair of comfortable leggings and a long cotton shirt, I threw my long brown hair up into a ponytail. What the hell was going on and who was this Brandon guy? He owned a software company. What kind of job could he offer me? Stepping out onto the patio, I sat down at the round glass table across from him. Picking up my glass of wine, I took a sip and spoke, “I’m really confused about what’s going on here.”

He smiled as he cut into the chicken Naomi prepared for dinner. “I have a job offer for you and I’m hoping that you’ll accept.”

“Okay. Why don’t you tell me what this job is and then I’ll let you know if I’m the least bit interested.”

“My brother is a professional hockey player and plays for the New York Rangers. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. His name is Logan Jackson.”

“No. I’m sorry. I don’t follow hockey.”

“Okay. Well. Two months ago, he was in a serious car accident that left him with a broken leg and severe nerve damage. The doctors told him that he’d never play hockey again and he’d more than likely walk with a cane for the rest of his life.”

“I’m sorry.” I sipped my wine.

“I spoke to your father about my brother and he told me that you might be able to help him. He’s going to need physical therapy and he’s resisting. He’s given up, so to speak. He doesn’t leave his bed. He doesn’t talk to anyone. He’s irate, agitated, angry, pissed off at the world, and I don’t know how to help him anymore. The nurses that I’ve hired to take care of him have all quit within a couple of days because of his attitude and violence.”

“Violence?” I cocked my head.

“He likes to throw things at the hired help. He’s a good man and this accident has destroyed his heart and soul. This isn’t my brother, Brooke. I’m desperate and I need your help. My family needs your help and I’m willing to compensate you extremely well for it.”

“I just finished my residency and I have two job offers I’m considering from very well respected hospitals.”

“I know. But I hope you’ll give my offer great consideration.”

“Is his leg still in a cast?”

“Yes, but he’s getting it off in about a week. He’s a mess, Brooke.”

“You say he plays for the New York Rangers, so if I considered taking this job, that would mean I would have to relocate to New York for a period of time.”

“Yes. Do you have a problem with New York?” he asked as he arched his brow.

“No. Not at all.” I smiled. “Let me give this some thought and I’ll let you know in a couple of days.” I extended my hand to him.

After Brandon left, I found my father had returned from his meeting and I walked into his office.

“Hello, darling. How did it go with Brandon?”

“Fine. But you know I have two job offers at the moment. Why would you have him talk to me?”

He removed his glasses and set them on his desk.

“You know why, Brooke.”

“This is a temporary job, Dad. What do I do when it ends?”

“Sweetie, you know you will have no problem finding a job. Remember why you got into physical therapy in the first place. You like challenges, and I think Brandon’s brother could be the ultimate one for you.”

I sighed and walked over to him, kissing the top of his head.

“I’ll think about it.”

“You have your whole life and career ahead of you, baby. You’re only twenty-seven. This man desperately needs someone like you to help him.”

I gave him a small smile and went up to my room. Grabbing my laptop and sitting on my bed, I googled Logan Jackson. Whoa! I bit down on my bottom lip as I stared at his picture. He had a disconnected haircut, where it was short on the sides but longer on the top. In some pictures, he had the messy beachy look, which was totally sexy, and in others, he wore it slicked back for a more professional look, which was equally sexy. Too sexy. His brown hair matched the color of his eyes and his strong masculine jaw, which enhanced his square-shaped face, sported just the right amount of stubble that I found incredibly attractive. After studying his drop dead gorgeous face, I read up on his career. Even though I didn’t know this man from Adam, there was something about him that tugged at my heartstrings. After reading about his career and what a phenomenal hockey player he was, I read about his accident and what the press called “The end of a short-lived professional career.” I tossed and turned all night while thoughts of Logan Jackson invaded my mind. This was the perfect opportunity to get out of California for a while.

The next morning, I placed a call to Brandon and met him for breakfast at The Boathouse Diner.

“Good morning.” He smiled as I sat down in the booth across from him. “I was surprised to have heard from you so soon.”

“I am going to accept your job offer and I’ll try to help your brother, but I can’t make any promises.”

A smile graced his handsome face. A face that resembled Logan’s.

“Thank you. It won’t be easy.”

“I know it won’t be.” I smiled. “But I can handle him and whatever he throws at me.”

Brandon chuckled. “When can you start?”

“When do you want me to start?”

“As soon as possible. He lives in a four-bedroom apartment on West 50th Street. So I was thinking that you could stay there since he really needs to be looked after at all times. Right now, my brother and I have been taking turns staying with him. I hope that won’t be a problem for you.”

“I don’t have a problem with it, but I’m sure he will, especially if he’s in the state of mind you say he is.”

“That’s too bad. He’ll just have to get used to having a beautiful woman staying at his place. If he has a problem with that, then he’s worse off than I thought.” He grinned.

I felt my cheeks heat up after he said I was beautiful. Brandon Jackson was definitely a sexy man like his brother. They looked alike with the same color brown hair and almost the same haircut, but Brandon’s eyes were blue instead of brown. I remembered him mentioning there was another brother, so I was curious.

“You said that you and your brother were taking turns staying with Logan. So there’s the three of you?”

“Yes. My other brother, Owen, is a lightweight champion boxer. He’s training hard for the heavyweight title.”

A small smile crossed my lips. “Logan is a hockey player and Owen is a boxer. You’re not into any sports?”

He chuckled. “No. My dream was to own my company. I leave the sports to my brothers.” He winked.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I held the cup tightly in my hands. “Okay, just give me a couple of days to pack and get things sorted and I’ll hop on a flight to New York.”

“Excellent. I’ll be wrapping up some business here in the next couple of days so we can fly out together on my private jet.”

I stood up from my chair and held out my hand.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Brandon.”

“No, thank you, Brooke. You have no idea how much this means to me and my family.”

“Just so you know, I can’t make any promises that I can help your brother. I’ll do the best I can, but if he doesn’t want to be helped, it’s his choice.”

“I understand that. But just you trying is good enough.”