Chapter Five
Braydon
The warm afternoon sun shines down on us as I stand back with Ty while our guests mill about, going from shop to shop to buy local merchandise and pick up souvenirs. Josie flicks her hair over her shoulder and locks arms with one of her friends. At least she’s given up on trying to get me in her bed. She hit on Ty during our short drive to the shops, but he was less than interested. Normally he’d go for it, but he did say he was getting played out. Although, he’s ready and eager to play with Alyssa. Actually, he really seems to like her. Not that I can blame him. She’s fun, spontaneous, brilliant, and game for anything—definitely the kind of girl he could fall for.
The kind of girl I could fall for.
Whoa, what the hell?
I consider that as a group of kids play soccer in the streets, their shrieks of laughter cutting through the quiet of day. I shove my hands into my pockets, and Ty nudges me.
“You okay?” he asks, always looking out for me. That’s one thing that has never changed from our childhood.
“Yeah, why?” I ask, even though I know what he’s picking up on. Shit, I haven’t felt so alive in a long time. Yeah, sex was getting mundane, life routine, but a morning in bed with Aly and Ty felt right—personal—and that’s throwing me off a little. Okay, a lot.
It’s just sex, dude. Get over it.
Ty grins and puts his hand on my shoulder. “She’s something, huh?”
“You remember her, right? The doctor from the clinic.”
“Yeah, I remember. You really liked her. Called dibs on asking her out,” Ty reminds me.
I grin. “Yeah. I did call dibs, didn’t I?”
Ty laughs. “You thought you were having a heart attack and still found it in you to call dibs.”
I angle my head to see my best friend. “So, you would have asked if I didn’t?”
“Fucking right, I would have.” He grins. “But you were under stress, so I threw you a bone.”
Aly comes out of a store holding up a local scarf she bought to show us, and my fucking heart leaps. She waves, the big smile on her face doing mind-fucking things to me. Shit, man, I’m in trouble here.
Just then a soccer ball misses its mark and hits her in the gut—hard. Her eyes go wide, and she bends forward, the air leaving her lungs in a loud whoosh.
“Shit,” Ty says, and we make a run for her as she collapses to the ground.
I drop to my knees and cradle her in my arms, and Ty pushes her hair back to see her face. “Hey, you okay?” I ask. Her eyes, glassy and dazed, tell me she’s not. What the fuck do I do? Panicked, I turn to Ty for help. He sits her up straighter to expand her lungs.
She clutches her stomach, and the group of young boys who’d been playing come running over. A couple of them are Becca’s boys—the kids we tutor once week.
“Thomas,” I say. “You need to be careful, bud.”
“Sorry, lady,” the eight-year-old boy says and drops to his knees in front of Aly. He angles his head sideways to see her, putting his face right in front of hers. It would have been funny if she weren’t hurt. “You okay, lady?” he asks.
She sucks in a shaky breath and says, “You have three seconds.”
The boy stiffens and glances at me, worry dancing in his big brown eyes. “Three seconds. Why do I have three seconds?” Thomas asks, his voice quivering slightly.
“To form a defense,” she says. “Because Braydon, Tyler, and I are going to score on your team if you don’t.”
She jumps up and drops the ball, holding it with her foot as the kids squeal and rush down the street to the makeshift net put together with sticks and fishing line. Relief washes through me. Ty and I exchange a look, and in that instant my chest swells, consumed with need for this fun, loving woman, and I don’t think I’m the only one.
“You sure?” I ask Alyssa as she refills her lungs.
“Yeah. Let’s show them how it’s done.”
She kicks the ball to me, and the three of us pass the ball back and forth as we close the distance. The boys are jumping with excitement and waving their hands to distract us. Thomas protects the net, darting from one side to the other. A few of the locals come from the stores to see what the ruckus is all about.
Since Ty and I played on the varsity team in college, we easily kick the ball back and forth, and I can’t stop grinning. Ty makes a run for it, and the kids hurry to catch up. I kick it to him, and he slides it in the net. Alyssa claps, and the boys grumble.
“More,” one of the boys says.
“Switch places,” I say. “Ty, you get in the net.”
I kick the ball a distance away, and the boys run after it as the three of us position up. The big grin on Aly’s face is like a punch to the gut. I stand there and stare at her for a moment, my heart pounding against my rib cage as I think about the possibilities, but when one of the kids circles her, and she picks him up and spins him around to stop him from scoring, my whole world shifts.
Motherfucker.
As Aly and the boy laugh, her eyes bright with childlike enthusiasm, the sweet sound of her voice triggers something foreign inside me. I need to be with her again, to touch her all over and give her pleasure. I turn and look at Ty, life as I know it changing before my eyes. Amazing. Terrifying. As we exchange a look, I get it. I totally fucking get what Ty was talking about that morning on the beach. I look back at Aly, and visions of coaching the soccer team, the little league team, race through my mind.
Get your shit together, dude.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head. What the fuck is going on with me? Aly is here for two short weeks—on a vacation for epic sex for Christ’s sake—and that’s all that’s between us. Sex. So why the hell am I thinking about soccer teams and little league and long-fucking-term with her?
“Bray,” Aly screams as the boy wiggles free.
I snap out of it and steal the ball from the kid. He rushes around me, and I toy with him as I do tricks with the ball.
“Nice moves,” Aly calls out.
“I could teach you, if you like.”
A blush forms on her face because, yeah, we’re not really talking about soccer here.
I eventually let the boy take the ball from me, and he kicks it to his friend who is lined up at the net. Ty fakes a play, and the ball goes in. The boys start cheering. On the sidewalk, I see Becca with her youngest son, Cecil.
“Boys, it’s time to head home,” she says, waving for them to come over.
“Hey, Becca,” I say and walk toward her as the boys groan and complain about leaving. She looks worried, and my stomach tightens. So far, her pregnancy has been going well, and I hope she’s not ill. “Everything okay?” My gaze goes to Cecil, who has a bright red rash on his face. “Cecil okay?”
“He hasn’t been feeling well.”
“What are his symptoms?” Alyssa asks, coming up beside me.
“Becca, this is Alyssa. I’m sure you remember checking her in,” I say, “but did you know she was a doctor?”
Becca’s eyes go wide as Alyssa drops to her knees. “Hey, Cecil,” she says softly. “How are you feeling?” My throat tightens with pride as I watch her slip into doctor mode.
“Bad,” he says and snuggles in close to his mother’s leg.
Becca rubs his damp hair. “It started a couple days ago with a mild fever, now he has a rash. I went to the clinic, but the doctor is not in.”
Alyssa climbs to her feet. “Mind if I take a closer look at him?”
Becca’s eyes light. “You’re on vacation. I can’t ask—”
“It’s no problem,” Aly says.
“No problem at all,” I add and slide my hand around Aly’s back, just wanting to touch her.
“As long as it’s not too much trouble,” Becca says.
“No trouble at all.”
“Then please.” She gestures with a nod. “I live just up there. I’ll make tea.”
We walk with Becca back to her place. Ty kicks the ball back and forth with the boys as they lag behind, keeping them occupied so Alyssa can do her job. He’s such a good fucking guy, always able to read a situation. I love him so goddamn much.
“Is he okay?” I ask Aly as I brush the small of her back with my thumb.
“I think it’s fifth disease, but I want to check him out just to be sure.”
Once inside her small house, Becca takes her boy to one of the back bedrooms so Alyssa can examine him. I follow as Ty continues to distract Thomas and his brother Vin. He leads them to the table where their books are spread out. Apparently, Thomas and Vin are in for an impromptu math lesson. Probably a good thing, since I plan on giving them a surprise test when it’s my night to tutor.
I stand in the doorway and watch Alyssa work, a new kind of need burning low in my stomach. She is so in her element as she checks the little boy over, and my heart pinches as I watch her. Her caring ways and sweet bedside manner have put both Becca and Cecil at ease.
She covers little Cecil up with a light sheet and brushes his hair back. As his eyes close from exhaustion, she gestures with a nod to the hall. Becca holds her hands over her very big belly as we all convene outside the child’s bedroom.
“It’s fifth disease,” she says quietly. Becca frowns in worry, and Alyssa places a hand on her shoulder. “It’s a common childhood disease. Nothing to get too worked up about.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out some Tylenol. “You can give him this for his aches and pains, and to help reduce his fever. One pill every four hours, until he’s better. The rash will go away.” Alyssa narrows her eyes. “You need to take care of yourself. I’d be more worried if you were in your first trimester, but by the look of things you’re in your third.”
“I’m due next week,” she says. “Doctor Malcolm will be at the clinic, and he’ll be delivering.”
“Good, glad to hear that. There is a risk of transmission. Usually it’s spread before the rash appears, but just to be safe, keep your other boys separated for a few days. You should also make sure Cecil stays hydrated. Lots of water.”
Aly turns to me. The smile on her mouth slips, and she narrows her eyes as I stand there staring at her in awe. “What?” she asks.
As my heart crashes, I put my hand on her face. “Thanks,” I say.
Her small palm closes over mine and lingers there. “My pleasure.”
A loud laugh comes from the other room, and we turn toward the sound. “What’s going on in there?” she asks.
“I’ll show you.” I capture her hand and lead her into the kitchen where Tyler is sitting with Thomas and Vin.
As Becca pours a glass of water and takes it to Cecil, I lower my voice and say, “This is one of the ways we pay Becca for all she does for us. She only takes a small salary, because she wants her boys educated. They have school here, but we take things up a notch.”
Aly steps away from me and leans over Ty, her hand on his shoulders, her hair falling forward as she gazes at the books in front of him. “Math,” she groans. “Not my favorite.”
“It’s my favorite,” Thomas says. “When I grow up, I’m going to be an astronaut.”
“You sure are,” Ty says, “and I want tons of pictures from space.” Ty turns and drops a soft, quick kiss on Aly’s cheek. “Thanks,” he says quickly. Like me, Ty really cares about this family, and words can’t say how happy we are that Aly was eager to help while on vacation.
Both boys say, “Eww…” and we all grin.
“How is he?” Ty asks.
Aly gives Ty a reassuring smile. “He’s going to be just fine.”
Vin, who is two years Thomas’s junior, plants his elbows on the table and holds his face up with his palms. “I don’t want to go into space.”
“What do you want to do?” Alyssa asks.
“I’m going to be a doctor. Mama says we need doctors.”
“Really?” Alyssa says. “Did you know I’m a doctor?”
“You are?” Vin’s hands fall, and his face lights up.
“I am.”
“Is that why you were checking Cecil?”
“Yes, and he’s going to be fine.”
“So, you’re my doctor now, too?”
Alyssa straightens. “Well, if you need me when I’m here, then yes, I’ll be your doctor.”
Ty closes the book in front of him. “Okay, guys. Get to work on your homework, and Bray will be back next week to test you.”
“Are you not staying for tea?” Becca asks as she comes back.
“Thanks, but we have to get home,” I say.
Home.
Aly fits so easily into our lives, and when she’s inside the villa, it suddenly feels like a real home—one I never had growing up, never thought I could have, yet I always craved.
Becca takes Aly’s hands into hers. “Thank you so much.”
“Anytime.”
“We need more good doctors like you around here.”
“Thank you,” I say as the boys grab their pencils. Ty stands, and we all follow him outside. The sun shines down on us as Ty asks about Cecil. Aly explains while we walk back to the center of town to gather the others.
As we stroll down the street, Alyssa points to a store. “I want to make a quick stop in there before we head back. I saw a cute purse I want to pick up for my friend.”
“Sure,” we say in unison, and as she steps away, a female voice behind us catches us by surprise.
“Hey, strangers.”
“Jennie,” Ty says.
She puts her hands on his shoulders, flashes her lashes at me, then looks back at Ty. “Long time no see,” she says, her gaze straying to Alyssa. “You guys haven’t been around in a while.”
Ty casually removes her hands from around his neck. “Been busy.”
“With her?” she asks, a dark spark of jealousy in her eyes.
I catch a glimpse of Alyssa in my peripheral vision. Her steps have slowed, and her eyes are narrow as she takes in the way Jennie is touching Ty. My pulse jumps in my throat. Jesus, if I didn’t know better, I’d say the girl I’m trying hard not to fall for is looking at my best friend the same way Jennie is—with total and utter ownership.