Always (Time for Love Book 4) (18 page)

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he said again, vowing to make it up to her even if it took forever.

“You have to go back in,” she said.

“Yes. I do. I’ll see you soon, okay? There’s so much we need to talk about.”

Brenna gave a very small nod, but it was more than enough to make the pieces of his heart start to glue themselves back together.

*****

A
sh looked around in confusion at the lack of cars parked on the street near Patty’s house. He couldn’t spot any that he recognised, so he knew none of the gang had arrived.

Well, he had gotten there ten minutes early. He’d given himself plenty of time in case the traffic was bad. He didn’t want to be late.

He walked the path leading towards Patty’s front door, carrying a bunch of flowers and a gift for the ‘engaged’ couple. He wondered how Brenna would react when she found him there today. He hoped she’d take it for what it was—a gesture to show her that he did trust her.

After everything that had happened, he wanted to let Brenna know that he completely supported her decision to pretend with Darren for Patty’s sake. He’d realised he’d let his past hurt and fear dictate his actions, causing untold damage to their relationship. In his heart, he knew Brenna was only trying her best to do the right thing for everyone. He hated that he had been quick to put his walls back up, when the heart he was trying to protect within was lost without her anyway. Crazy overreaction, like Amanda had said.

He’d do anything—
anything
—to fix what he’d broken. He’d even smile and clap if Brenna and Darren kissed and cuddled in front of him today.

He rang the bell, palms sweaty with nerves.

A lady opened the door and stared at him in surprise. “Can I help you?”

“Hi. I’m Ash Payne. I’m here for the surprise engagement party for Darren and Brenna.”

The lady’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh dear. Did someone not tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“There’s no party. It’s been cancelled.”

“Cancelled?”

“Yes... uh...”

“Sally? Who is it?” another woman said, appearing in the living room. Ash could easily tell this was Patty.

“Hello,” he said with a smile. “You must be Patty. I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Ash Payne.”

“Ash?”

He nodded. “I’m one of Brenna’s friends. Oh, and I’ve brought these flowers for you.”

“Oh, aren’t you sweet? Thank you so much. Please have a seat.”

“I’ll bring out some refreshments,” Sally said, disappearing to the back of the house.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m a little early,” he said conversationally. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve driven to this part of Sydney, and I wasn’t sure what the traffic was going to be like.”

“Did I hear you say you came for the engagement party?” Patty asked, looking at him in a funny way.

“Yes. It’s been cancelled?”

“You obviously haven’t spoken to Brenna,” Patty said, more to herself than to him.

“No,” he answered tentatively.

To his surprise, Patty reached for his hand. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

He frowned, not comprehending. “For what?”

“It’s all because of me,” Patty said.

He stared at Patty. Did she know that Brenna and Darren had only been faking it?

They heard the door open. It was Darren.

“Ash!” Darren said in surprise.

“Hi, Darren.”

“Ash turned up here for the, um, party,” Patty said.

“Oh. You haven’t talked to Bren?” Darren asked.

“We haven’t had the chance,” he said cautiously, aware that he had to watch his words in front of Patty.

“You do know that Darren and Brenna did it for me, don’t you, Ash?” Patty asked softly.

“Uh... yes,” he answered, although he didn’t know exactly what Patty was trying to say.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry,” Patty said, her eyes watering.

“Oh, Mum. Don’t start with the waterworks again,” Darren teased.

“I just want to make sure everyone’s okay and happy,” Patty said tremulously, looking at Ash with question in her eyes. “I heard you and Brenna had a fight.”

Relief burst with unexpected force within Ash. The pretense was over! When had it happened?

“I hope the two of you have sorted out your differences,” Patty continued, worried. “I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to watch Brenna pretending to be in love again with her ex-boyfriend. I’d feel very insecure too, if I were in your shoes.”

“Don’t worry, Patty,” Ash said with a big smile, squeezing her hand. “I admit that for a while there I thought Bren and Darren got carried away with the pretense, and had decided to make it real. But Brenna set me straight. She’s still quite mad at me for thinking that. But we’ll be fine.”

“So you thought the engagement party was still on?” Darren asked.

“Yes. I wanted to show Bren that I trust her and support her with your plans. After my appalling behaviour, I wanted to make amends. I thought this was one of the ways I could make it up to her.”

“Oh, Ash,” Patty said, touched. “It’s a pity there’s no party. Brenna doesn’t get to see this gesture of yours.”

“Hey, all is not lost,” Darren said.

B
renna arrived back at her apartment after having brunch with her parents. She hadn’t expected to be home until later in the afternoon, but she was grateful. She now had time to do her laundry and tidy up her place before she went to work tonight.

She sighed. She loved her work, but for a few weeks each year, it was a real drag.

Her phone rang.

“Hey, Darren,” she answered, wishing she didn’t get so nervous and hopeful every time he called.

“Hey, Bren. Are you busy? Could you come around to Mum’s right now?”

“Why?” she asked in alarm.

“It’s not a medical emergency, so don’t worry.”

She breathed a little easier. “I am a little busy right now. Can we make it some other day?”

“Unfortunately not. It’s important, Bren.”

“What’s it about?”

“I can’t tell you until you get here.”

“But your mum’s okay?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes. But can you please get here as soon as you can?”

“Darren, you’re making me nervous. Why?”

“Trust me on this, Bren. Please.”

“The last time I trusted your judgement on something, we got into all sorts of trouble,” she reminded him.

“Well, this is part of fixing that.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

Darren exhaled loudly. “Can you make it or not, Bren?”

She rolled her eyes. She was sufficiently intrigued to drop everything and go. “It better be important, Darren.”

“It is,” he promised.

*****

B
renna turned into Patty’s street, in time to see a small car pull up on Patty’s driveway. Then she saw Darren walk out of the house, smiling widely at the female driver.

She grinned. That must be Monica, Darren’s new girlfriend. Why didn’t Darren just tell her that he wanted to introduce Monica to her? Didn’t he think she’d come?

She parked in front of the house and walked up to meet the couple.

“Hi, Bren,” Darren said, placing an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Hi!” she answered, giving the other woman a warm smile.

“This is Monica. I’ve told you about her,” Darren said. “Mon, this is Brenna. I’ve also told you about her.”

“Hi, Monica. I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said. “I hope you know what you’re getting into with this man,” she added with a big wink.

“Now, now, Bren,” Darren said.

“I hope so, too,” Monica said with a shy chuckle. “So far, he’s already managed to shock me several times with the secrets he’s been keeping from me.”

“Hey, they’re not secrets anymore,” Darren said, kissing Monica’s forehead.

Brenna felt a burst of jealousy—not from Darren being with someone else, but from seeing the two clearly at peace with past ‘secrets’. She could only hope that she and Ash could sort out their issues. She missed him so.

“Go on in, Bren. We’re having a party, after all,” Darren said.

“We are? Who else is coming?”

“You’ll see.”

Brenna walked in, her jaw dropping at the sight before her. Ash was there, sharing a laugh with Patty.

“Brenna!” Patty cried. “Hello, dear. I’m having a wonderful time here with your boyfriend.” Then Patty gasped in delight, looking past her. “Hello! You must be Monica!”

Brenna didn’t hear the rest of the chatter that went on around her. All her senses focused only on the man walking towards her.

“Hi,” Ash said, stopping inches from her.

“Hi. What are you doing here?” she asked, her breathing shallow.

“Believe it or not, I thought your fake engagement party was still on.”

“What?” she asked with an incredulous laugh.

“Well, neither you nor Amanda—nor any of the others—found it fit to inform me it was cancelled.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at him with disbelieving eyes. “But... even if it were still on, I can’t believe you’ve turned up.”

Ash smiled apologetically, running a knuckle on her cheek. “I wanted to show you that I do trust you and that I support what you and Darren are doing for Patty. I’ve been such an idiot, Bren. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s over now,” she said softly.

A look of pure shock, then absolute pain appeared on Ash’s face. “No,” he whispered.

“That’s not what I mean!” she cried, reading his misapprehension. “I meant Darren and I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Ash sighed deeply, closing his eyes.

“Why do you have to assume it’s always bad news, Ash?” she asked with censure in her tone.

Ash looked at her, his eyes brimming with emotion. “I love you so much, Brenna. I’ve loved you for so long. All those years that you didn’t notice my feelings dug me deeper and deeper into a pit of silent despair. When we finally got together, you dragged me out of that pit and took me to the stratosphere. But I’m afraid a fall from that elevation would just about kill me. My instinct is to bring myself down to a much lower expectation—a much lower height—where I could still survive a fall, even if I end up severely bruised and battered.”

“Oh, Ash.” She cupped his face as tears escaped her eyes. “I love you, too. Please don’t be afraid to fly high with me. I promise I’ll hold on to you so tight and never let go that you’ll probably start complaining I’m too clingy.”

Ash chuckled through his tears. “Somehow I can’t imagine myself complaining about that. I don’t think you could ever be too clingy for my liking, Brenna Ward.”

“I hope that’s true, Doctor Payne,” she said curling her arms around his neck and lifting her lips to meet his.

She didn’t know how long they’d been kissing. She simply got lost in the moment. But something hard poking on her belly brought her back to the room. She broke the kiss and looked around.

“They went to the back of the house,” Ash murmured, kissing her neck.

“We still can’t make out here, and you’re getting hard,” she whispered urgently.

Ash pulled her closer to him, groaning softly. “I missed you so much, baby.”

“Me, too,” she breathed.

“Maybe we should encourage them to get this impromptu party going so we could go home soon? I’m dying to make love to you.”

“Great idea. Let’s see if we can get away early,” she said, her body attuned to his. “Then can we go to my place first? I want to pack a few things,” she added with a grin.

“Speaking of packing,” Ash said, appearing to suddenly remember something. “How come you avoided staying overnight with me for the last month?”

“Sally’s daughter Jane recently moved to my building, same floor. She’d know if I didn’t go home, or if I’d invited you there. I was trying to avoid more complications, since she thought Darren and I were engaged.”

“Ah. And there I was thinking you were starting to distance yourself from me.”

“That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

“We have a lot of making up to do,” he said with wicked grin.

“Can’t wait.”

*****

B
renna took an overnight bag from her closet, then walked over to Ash, snaking her arms around his waist. She was glad that one of her work colleagues didn’t mind covering for her at the conference tonight. It meant she and Ash could spend the rest of the day together. She lifted her face to his for a kiss, and he obliged. But he only gave her a peck, not a thorough one she’d been angling for.

“Finish your packing first,” Ash said, pulling away.

“But I want you now,” she said sultrily, running her fingers on his chest and down to his belly.

Ash captured her wayward hand. “I don’t want you to get distracted so you only bring a few clothes with you. When you eventually run out of things to wear, you’ll say you have to go home and leave me lonely and cold in my big bed.”

She chuckled, kissing him. “That won’t happen again.”

“Why don’t you fill up a big suitcase rather than a small one?” Ash asked.

“Eager for me to move in, are you?” she said, grinning at him like a loon.

“Me? Nah. Just a suggestion,” he said.

“Oh. Okay. I was actually thinking of organising it soon.”

“Really?” Ash asked, letting his excitement show. “When?”

She shrugged. “Seeing that we’re not in a hurry...”

“You’re such a tease,” Ash said, curving an arm around her and giving her a loud, wet smooch.

She clung to him, deepening the kiss.

“You’re packing, Bren,” he said against her lips, but his hands raked her hair to hold her in place.

She let out a little moan, tightened her arms around his neck and wrapped a leg around him.

“If this is the clingy Brenna that awaits me, I’m definitely not complaining,” he murmured.

“Can you handle a demanding Brenna?”

Ash chuckled. “No sweat.”

“Good,” she purred. “Because I demand that you undress me.”

“Ah, since I don’t want you getting mad at me again, I better do as I’m told,” Ash said, lifting her shirt off her.

She raised her arms to aid him, moisture quickly pooling between her legs. The way she was feeling, she’d soon be demanding more of him than just stripping her of her clothes.