Chapter 28 Brady #2
His smirk vanishes. A few people drop their gaze and shift in their seats. Good. They should be fucking uncomfortable. This is her family, for fuck’s sake. They should be cheering for her, not pissed off because she made a name for herself.
Elizabeth’s cheeks are pink, and I can’t read her expression. Is she mad? I might have overstepped with her brother-in-law, but I’ve officially reached my limit. I can’t listen to these people try to diminish my Firefly’s light for one more second.
Caroline is shaking her head laughing when she rejoins us. “Those boys are more exhausting than my class.” Picking up on the tension around the table, she looks around. “Uh-oh. What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” Elizabeth offers her sister a half-smile.
I stand and offer my hand to her. She takes it without hesitation, and when I close my fingers over hers, I feel that beat. That strange flow of energy I always feel when I’m touching her. Fingers entwined, I keep her close as we head inside, across the porch.
Should I apologize? I don’t want to because I’m not sorry.
Behind us, Caroline’s voice is sharp. “Why do you have to be like that? I don’t blame Beth for not coming around if this is how y’all act.”
The door shuts behind us, thankfully muting the outside noise. My pulse is still riding high, every muscle wired from the effort to keep my hands off that asshole at the table.
Elizabeth leans into my side like she’s trying to anchor herself—or me. Maybe both of us. I breathe in her warm skin and let the scent calm me.
That’s when I notice the group of women across the kitchen, one of whom is staring at us like she’s just spotted a unicorn. Her eyes are wild and wide, and she is practically vibrating with excitement. Her stemless wine glass sloshes as she points at me, bouncing on her heels.
“Holy shit, it’s you!” She blurts out, loud enough for a couple of heads to swivel our way, and then she beams at Elizabeth. “Nice work, Beth. He’s a hottie.” She smirks at me. “Nice to see you again.”
Elizabeth’s groan is barely audible, but I feel the way her shoulder dips. The woman sets her glass down and starts toward us with single-minded energy, completely oblivious to the audience watching us curiously.
When she stops directly in front of us, I feel the deep breath Elizabeth inhales against my side as her posture becomes ramrod straight. “Brady, this mouth is my cousin Laura.”
I give the young woman a polite nod, my brain already flipping through information trying to figure out when I’d met her before.
Laura’s grin is mischievous. “Technically, we didn’t meet last time. I only saw you across the parking lot, and you only had eyes for Beth.”
For a moment, I’m confused, and then the memory snaps into place, but Laura is still talking.
“I drove Lia Everton to Atlanta.” She looks at me, willing me to remember, and I give her a wary nod. “You know. That movie star client of Beth’s. I had to pick her up from a cabin in the mountains, and you were at her condo, doing some kind of security thing.”
Laura looks vaguely familiar, and she’s correct that, that day a year ago, when I swept Luke’s wife’s condo, I was transfixed by Elizabeth.
It was the first time I’d seen her since the party, and without a mask. While her eyes hit me like a sucker punch, it had taken me several moments to put together why.
“Beth said she didn’t know you, but you were staring at her like a creeper, so I knew there had to be more to it. Beth is never uncomfortable, but she was—”
She doesn’t get the rest out because Elizabeth smacks her palm over her cousin’s mouth with a feral smile. “Shut up, Laura.”
Laura blinks, her cheeks crinkling in a smile under Elizabeth’s hand, while half the women in the kitchen appear as if someone just handed them front-row seats to the best gossip of the year.
I slide my arm around Elizabeth’s waist
“What’s going on?” Elizabeth’s mom asks. “When was this?”
Laura holds her hands up in surrender, and Elizabeth drops her hand to her side.
“No big deal, Aunt Jean. I’m just teasing Beth.
” Then she hisses so the older women can’t hear.
“I’ll be good, I promise.” Laura giggles, and Elizabeth gives her a hug, relaxing for the first time in what feels like hours. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too.”
“Are those pains in the ass giving you a hard time?” She angles her head toward the screen door.
“It’s fine.”
The word grates on my nerves. It’s not fine. I can’t say I blame Elizabeth for not running back all the time if this is how her family behaves.
“The food was delicious, Mrs. Howell.” I give her mom my full-wattage smile. “We are going to take a quick ride. Elizabeth said she wanted to show me a special place.”
“Jean, please.” She glances at Elizabeth. “Where are you going?”
“I wanted to show him Nan’s old house. The pond and the tree.”
“The old place? I thought you said you hadn’t been by in years.”
“I haven’t,” Elizabeth says casually. “But it’s a beautiful view. I thought he’d like to see it.”
It isn’t a lie—not exactly. I would like to see it. Especially if it gives us a clue as to where the necklace could be.
Jean glances out the window. “I think we’ve got a thunderstorm blowing up anyway, so no one will mind if you leave.
” She frowns. “It sold a couple years ago, but the owners don’t live there full-time.
Just a vacation home. They’ve always been nice.
I’m sure they won’t mind if you stop by the property. ”
I nod. “We’ll be quick. Won’t even get out of the car if there’s anyone around.”
Jean smiles. “That’s not necessary. I’ll give them a call. Let them know you’re coming by.”
I don’t love the idea. I would prefer no one knows we are there, but there’s no way to refuse without looking suspicious.
“I’m just going to change into tennis shoes,” Elizabeth says.
As I follow her toward the stairs, Jean catches my arm. “I have something I want to show you, too, Brady.”
I glance at Elizabeth, whose brows have furrowed. “Mom.”
Jean waves her hand. “I won’t embarrass you. Hurry up if you want to beat the storm.” The steel in her voice is eerily reminiscent of her daughter’s.
Elizabeth hesitates, her eyes seeking mine, and I give her a subtle nod, allowing Jean to lead me down the porch steps and around the side of the house.
I can hear the noise from the party breaking up in the background and several people making their goodbyes, but Jean leads me farther from the house down a narrow path lined with flower beds that are as beautiful and lush as any I’ve seen.
I couldn’t begin to name the different types of flowers, but it seems like every color on the spectrum is represented.
Once we are out of earshot of the house, she pauses by a row of coral-colored roses and faces me, arms crossed. “You’re a good liar.”
I adopt a confused expression. “Excuse me?”
Her mouth quirks. “That whole party story. I know Beth thinks I’m a country bumpkin, but I can still see straight through that girl. While I’ll admit you’re good at making things sound true, my daughter’s face gives her away.”
I decide the safest route is to say nothing. Jean doesn’t look angry, but I’m not sure I want to test her limits.
“I don’t need to know everything,” she says. “Elizabeth’s a grown woman. She makes her own choices. Always has. Once she makes up her mind, that’s it, and heaven forbid someone gets in her way. God knows I learned a long time ago I couldn’t stop her even if I tried.”
“She’s one of a kind,” I agree.
“She is.” Jean stoops to pick a small weed from the edge of her flower bed and crumples it in her hand, lips pursed.
“She’s strong, and tough, and driven, but she’s also closed off and controlled.
Beth wasn’t always like this. Every now and then, I see traces of the wild girl she used to be still in there. ”
I tilt my head, trying to decide if the words are a compliment or a criticism.
“She’s always been a driven person. Determined. But she used to be softer.” Jean’s voice eases. “Somewhere along the way, that changed. I don’t want to blame Keith. Beth’s decisions are her own, but that man broke her.”
A fire sparks in the woman’s blue eyes. “Beth never wanted to talk about it. I don’t know what he did, but after they met, my daughter changed.
Then when the marriage fell apart, it was like the beautiful, bright girl locked herself behind her suits and refused to look up.
” She meets my eyes, and my chest tightens at the pain I see there.
“I probably wasn’t the mother she needed.
Still aren’t. When she was young we were building our business, and I know too much fell on her as the eldest, but she never complained and always took care of everything.
It was easier to believe she was okay.” Her mouth twists.
“Truth is, I never really asked, just accepted it when she told me she was fine.”
That fucking word. It’s been her shield her entire life.
Jean captures my gaze with a sharp one of her own.
“I’m not telling you this because I’m trying to absolve myself, and I don’t know what the deal is with the two of you.
But I haven’t seen Beth smile and relax like she does with you in a very long time.
So, whatever you’ve done to break through her iron shell to let her live again… Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I admit. “Elizabeth is who she is. She doesn’t have to change for me. She’s already perfect.”
Jean’s eyes shine. “Good answer.”
“Mom?” Elizabeth’s voice calls across the yard, at the same time a low rumble of thunder sounds.
“By the roses,” Jean calls back.
“You aren’t boring him with the genus types, are you?” she asks suspiciously.
Jean laughs, shaking her head. “No, just talking to him about one of my favorites. You still remember which one we named after you?”
Elizabeth walks over and stands closer to me. The hand on her back is automatic. If she’s nearby, I want to touch her.
“Dad told me you named it after me because its thorns are so thick.” She wrinkles her nose.
“And because it’s beautiful and one of the more resilient varieties,” Jean adds lightly. “Don’t forget that part.”
I reach for Elizabeth’s hand. After what her mother said, I feel like I’ve got a better grasp on the complicated family dynamics, but it’s not my place to force the conversations they clearly need to have. Until then, I’ll hold her hand, offering her whatever support she needs from me.