As Bran freed his other hand, he realized he’d come over in the middle of the night without putting in his prosthetic eyes. His heart rate skyrocketed. No one saw him without his eyes in place.
“I need my cane. It’s white. Do you see it anywhere?” He kept his face aimed toward the floor.
“Are you my mommy’s boss? The blind man?”
“Ellie, don’t be rude,” Laurie scolded.
“I see it,” Ellie exclaimed. “It’s underneath you. A white stick.”
He groped on the floor under the sheet and blanket, sighing with relief as his fingers closed around the cane.
“I came over last night to bring your mother some ginger tea to fight nausea,” he clarified, as he pushed up on his elbows, careful to face away from Ellie and Laurie. “I helped her get back in bed after she threw up. Then, I accidentally fell asleep.”
That sounded lame. I should’ve thought up a better story.
“Why did you take off your clothes?” Ellie probed, her innocent question prompting a snicker from Laurie.
“I didn’t,” he sputtered, trying to wriggle out of the twisted sheet to demonstrate. “Just my shirt. I have my jeans on.”
“Oh.” She sounded confused. “Why did you take off your shirt?”
The truth seemed implausible, as did every other response that came to mind. For Bran’s part, he was simply grateful he hadn’t removed any more clothing in his sleep, especially since he was accustomed to sleeping in the nude.
“Don’t you need to be leaving for school?” he asked, hoping for distraction.
“Not yet,” Ellie declared, her words distorted as if her lower lip protruded in a pout. “Aunt Laurie told me I could say goodbye to Mommy, first.”
“Yes,” Laurie agreed. “But you’ve done that. We should get going now.”
“Nuh-uh,” Ellie argued. “Mommy left before I got to talk to her.”
Laurie exhaled heavily. “Fine. Run in the bathroom and tell her bye. Hurry up. We don’t want to be late.”
“Okay.”
As Ellie’s footsteps pattered into the bathroom, Branson extricated himself from the sheet and climbed to his feet, hoping to make a quick escape. He turned toward the doorway, keeping his chin tucked low, his eyelids closed tight.
“A word of caution, Mr. Knight.” Laurie’s voice lost all its lighthearted cheer. “I don’t take kindly to people who hurt my friend. In spite of everything Steph’s been through, she’s still sweet and forgiving. But I’m not.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Branson replied, with his face averted. “Not that I like being threatened, but I’m glad she has a friend like you.”
“Not that I need your approval, but it’s a good thing you understand what I’m saying.” Her voice transformed to an angelic tone as she called toward the bathroom. “El-lie. Time to go.”
“Coming.” Humming a wordless tune, Ellie skipped back into the bedroom. Then her small body impacted his legs, almost knocking him off balance. Her arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed.
“What’s that for?” Laurie asked the question he was too shocked to voice.
“Mommy said Mr. Knight was lonely, and he needed a hug. That’s why she had her arm around him when they were in the bed.”
“That’s sweet,” said Laurie, though her tone indicated the opposite. “Now go grab your lunch and meet me at the door.”
Bran lifted his hand to cover his eyes. He felt Laurie’s disapproving gaze slicing him like a razor before she spoke again.
“It’s one thing that Ellie caught you in bed with Stephanie, without a shirt on. I know she was sick, and nothing actually happened. But Mr. Knight…”
She paused, and he squirmed in place, resigned to the castigation he knew was coming. “Yes?”
When she continued, her words came out like a Rottweiler’s warning growl. “When you’re around Steph, you better keep your pants on.”
Though her stomach was still a bit queasy, Steph didn’t throw up. She moved to the mirror, afraid of what would greet her there. As expected, her pale, blotchy face and dark-circled eyes gave testimony to the tumultuous night.
Thank goodness Branson is blind. I’d hate for him to see me like this. But his nose works fine.
She squeezed a generous glob of toothpaste on her toothbrush and scrubbed hard. After a few splashes of water on her face, she felt ten times better, though still wobbly and weak. Perhaps the virus had run its course, or maybe Branson’s ginger tea had done the trick.
Despite begging him not to come last night, she had to admit he’d saved her. He’d also let his cloak down, revealing a tender side that broke her heart, along with her resolve. And as his wall came down, she realized he might love her after all.
Not that it mattered. How could they ever be together? She could beg him to buy a small island in the Caribbean. They could all move there—she and Branson, Ellie and Laurie—and forget about Carina, the baby, and the rest of the world.
Ha! As long as I’m at it, I might as well dream that Ellie would be cured of cystic fibrosis and live a normal life.
She was powerless to fix this problem. And so was Branson. What’s done was done. He had to take care of Carina and his unborn child. And Stephanie would go on with her life, apart from Bran, and tend to Ellie.
But Steph could give him one parting gift—to tell him how she really felt. She’d thought to hide the truth, to spare him the pain of realizing how close they’d come to having a real marriage. She’d loved him too much to cause him such regrets.
Yet, that was before he’d confessed his belief that no one could ever love him. That idea was eating away at him, destroying the kind and selfless man she knew as Branson Knight. If she did nothing else, she would give him the knowledge of her love, despite the fact nothing would ever come of it.
