Delayed Call Read online

  This was his home, and for some reason, that scared her.

  “Oh, Trish! Over here.”

  Following Dawn’s gaze, Brie saw a slender woman enter the room, but before she could even get to Dawn, everyone was demanding hugs, and she was more than happy to give them. She looked about Brie’s age, very beautiful and kind-looking with long blond hair and big brown eyes. When Trish finally made it to Dawn, she hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry I’m late. There was an emergency at the hospital that I did not expect to happen. So I apologize. Oh! You must be Brie Soledad, Rodney’s sister?”

  A little taken aback, Brie took her hand as she said, “Yes, that’s me.”

  “Oh, jeez! Sorry, creeper. Ha! I’m Trish Merota, the NateWay nurse practitioner.”

  Brie grinned. “I figured. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too. We are so excited to have Rod, he’s so funny.”

  “He is,” she agreed, looking back at her brother who was now doing his impression of Justin Bieber. Dork. “He’s a mess for sure.”

  “He’s got spunk. So, I was going to ask, if you can have them release his medical files to me, that would be awesome. I want to get ready for when he comes home after his surgery. I figured I’d stay on site for at least a week. Is it okay if I stay in the guest room, Grams? Or better yet, I might even stay in his house if he’s okay with that. And you, of course, if you’re okay with it.”

  Whoa, she talked fast, but that wasn’t what had Brie’s head spinning. Soon, she pressed her lips together, unsure what to say. She hadn’t agreed to anything, and this chick was acting as if it was a done deal. Had Vaughn lied even more to these people? And now she was going to be the asshole saying she wasn’t bringing Rodney here. They hadn’t even decided on anything. She was just warming up to the idea of saying yes, but she figured Rodney would go to Riverdale until he was better. She would be a mess if he were here.

  Wouldn’t she?

  But thinking that didn’t feel right because, in her heart, this could be his home.

  “Whoa, Trish, cool it.”

  Brie looked over to see Vaughn pull out a chair and sit down. “Sorry, they wouldn’t let me come over here sooner.” Dawn placed her hand on his, and he squeezed it before looking at Brie, who probably had an expression of pure hatred on her face. She wanted to call him on his shit. How dare he put her in this position? But before she could say anything, he was looking back to Trish. “She hasn’t decided if Rodney is coming here. Plus, we hadn’t even discussed if he would move in before or after his surgery on Friday.”

  Trish threw her hands up, her mouth forming an O. “I’m so sorry! I totally jumped to conclusions. No one ever says no to NateWay. But then, why would you move him before a big surgery like that? I apologize. I’m a goober half the time. I’m a good doctor, though, I promise!”

  “I don’t doubt that. I’m just unsure,” Brie agreed, looking down at her cake as she picked at it.

  “Oh, of course, it’s a huge move. But if you did, I would take such good care of him.”

  “She would,” Dawn agreed. “We all would.”

  “I had the flu once, and she didn’t leave my side until I was better. It was very annoying,” Vaughn added, and Trish and Dawn laughed while Brie smiled.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet. I haven’t decided.”

  “Well, NateWay is the best, promise you that,” Dawn added and Brie nodded.

  “I think Rodney has decided.” Glancing to where Trish was looking, Brie saw him with his arms crossed over Mitch and some other guy as they sang loudly to Justin Bieber. He looked so damn happy. Like how he used to look before their mother passed.

  “I have a guitar. I’ll play when I come back.”

  “No way! I have drums,” Mitch added. “We can start a band!”

  “I can sing!”

  “I can dance!”

  Rodney just nodded, in pure heaven while Brie sat there, feeling like her world was caving in. What if she did say no—with his best interests at heart, but also with her petty and selfish thoughts playing a part—and then he hated her with everything in his soul? What if Vaughn helped him with a lawyer, and they sued her? Her throat felt as if it was closing in, and man, she was going to lose it right there. Everything was happening so fast, and she just couldn’t grasp it. Rodney was in, he was set on being there, and she wasn’t sure. Could she let him?

  “Hey, wanna get some air?”

  She looked over at the last person she thought she would need. But at that moment, she needed a second to breathe, and thankfully, Vaughn was giving it to her. Nodding, she stood as he did the same, and they headed outside. As she walked through the house, she saw pictures of everyone who was in the dining room adorning the walls. When she saw a picture of a younger Vaughn with his arm across the shoulders of an even younger version of himself with Down syndrome, she paused, smiling. Nathan looked just like Vaughn. Twins, almost. Then she noticed that Jensen was in the picture, looking every bit a model even back then. On the other side was a very handsome dark-haired kid, who she assumed was the Wells guy they always talked about. They all looked up to no good, big grins on their faces and hockey sticks hanging loosely in their hands.

  “That was before I went to college.”

  Looking up at Vaughn, she smiled. “You guys look like trouble.”

  He laughed. “For sure. I think we stole a car or something. Who knows? Jensen was such an ass-kisser and made us give it back.”

  That had her sputtering with laughter. “That sounds like a story.”

  “You have no idea,” he laughed as she followed him outside into the sunny Tennessee winter. While it was cold, the sun was shining and she welcomed it.

  Swallowing hard, she let out a long breath as she looked out at the land. “It’s beautiful here.”

  “It is. I love it. NateWay One is bigger but has a lot more trees. I like the farm aspect of this place.”

  “Closet farmer?”

  “Duh, who doesn’t want to be a farmer?”

  “This is true.”

  “Overalls are badass.”

  “And pitchforks.”

  “Right? I would be a rock star. I could wrist the shit out of some cow shit.”

  She nodded, holding in her laughter. “I don’t know, maybe you’d tap it in better.”

  He shot her a look as she smiled, sitting on the stairs and leaning on her knees while holding her legs. He lowered himself down beside her, resting on his knees with his elbows as he looked out at the land. She could feel the heat from his body. Of course, he was dressed like GQ’s hottest man in nice jeans and that damn pea coat that she thought was sinfully hot. His hair was brushed back out of his face, which kind of saddened her. She loved when his hair was in his eyes. Plus, he smelled divine, all earthy, just like NateWay. The air was fresh, though intoxicating from the scent of him. She just loved the sounds and smells of NateWay, and she knew that Rodney would fall more in love with it daily.

  “So tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t want to know.”

  “I do.”

  She bit on her lip as she looked out on to the community of houses. They were so close to the main house and the little doctor’s office. Especially Rodney’s house. It was right there. Anyone could get to him to help, and a hospital was right down the road. “I’m scared,” she admitted, placing her forehead on her hands. “I love it here.”

  “Good.”

  “And if I say no, he’ll hate me.”

  “Why do you wanna say no?”

  “You know why.”

  He sucked in a quick breath, and she could see him nodding out of the corner of her eye as his lips pressed together. “Okay, what can I do to fix it?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted, looking up to meet his gaze. “I don’t know if you can do anything.”

  “I probably can’t. Except ask for forgiveness and promise it will never happen again.”