Savage Cinderella (17 page)

Lightening the mood, and following her lead
to focus on the present and future, he said, “I doubt you’ll ever
want to leave your parents again after today, but if you do, you’ll
still have me and Kitty.”

Brinn’s eyes lit with amusement, her face
softening with a small smile. “Thanks to you, I guess I don’t have
to be alone anymore.”

He offered her a smile and gently slid his
palm beneath hers. “All I know is that I feel like I would be
missing something if I hadn’t met you.”

Her cheeks flushed at his confession. Brinn
examined their intertwined fingers and stroked his smooth knuckles,
smiling shyly. “Your hand is very soft. It feels nice.”

“
I’m glad you feel
comfortable with me, Brinn. I hope you know I would never hurt
you.” Seeing her smile light with happiness, he added, “You can
trust me.”

She bit her lower lip and looked again at her
small hand in his much larger one, her eyes blinking back tears.
“Have I thanked you yet for bringing me back to my parents?”

Justin tilted his head toward her. “Numerous
times. You don’t owe me any thanks. I’m just happy to help.”

She rocked on the edge of her seat for the
rest of the ride. By the time they wound through the perfectly
manicured rows of big houses with lush green lawns and a rainbow
mix of flowering shrubs, Brinn looked like she might burst with
longing and excitement. Her grip on his hand had tightened with her
nerves and her palm was moist with perspiration. The expression on
her face was one of mixed emotions, equal parts joy and
apprehension as she fidgeted and squirmed.

Afraid the excitement might bring on an
episode of panic and withdrawal, Justin squeezed her hand a little
firmer, forcing her to focus on him and the present moment. He
hoped the memories of the smoke-scented man who haunted her would
not take this moment away from her.

Justin pulled into the long driveway of a
large white house with a high arched door and stone steps.
Reporters rushed the car.

“
Damn it, I told Charlene
not to send a crew.” He honked the horn, passed the vans, and
pulled as close to the front of the house as possible. He glanced
at Brinn who was holding her hands to her ears and shaking. “I’m so
sorry, Brinn. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Flashes of light
and people yelling question after question bombarded
them.

All good intentions aside, his efforts to
protect her were an epic fail. Her first day in his care and he had
let her down already. How could he have been stupid enough to trust
Charlene? Justin forced his way out of the car. He yelled at the
photographers and news crews, “Back off! Give us some room, guys.”
But it was no use. The frenzy had begun and Justin was helpless to
stop it. What had he done? He looked down into Brinn’s terrified
face and realized there was no turning back for her now. She would
have to confront her past and he was responsible for whatever the
consequences might be.

Back in the Arms of Love

Between Justin and Mr. Hathaway, and with the
help of the police who had just arrived, Brinn was ushered past the
paparazzi and through the front doors of the spacious European
Ranch style house. John Hathaway had called the police when the
reporters and news trucks had appeared.

Brinn’s intense agitation in response to the
police presence had shocked her parents and her father had insisted
they wait outside. Now she stood opposite her parents in the large
foyer surrounded by silence.

Brinn stared numbly at her feet, trembling
and drying her face with her hands. Finally, she looked squarely at
the man and woman before her. Her father and mother looked at her
with such expressions of expectation and joy that she couldn’t stop
the stream of tears that fell from her eyes. She vibrated with
tension in Justin's arms, her hands wrapped tight around her
middle. Words failed her.

"My angel, is that really you?" her mother
asked, her hands clutched over her mouth as if holding back a flood
of words and emotion she could no longer contain.

"Yes, Mama, it’s me." Brinn's voice shook as
she looked back and forth between her parents’ worried expressions.
They looked so familiar, but so foreign at the same time. She had
tried through the years to remember what they looked like, but the
images had faded and the people who stood before her were
strangers.

"Come in and sit down, please. Can I get you
anything?" Her father glanced from her to Justin. He wore a wary
expression as she clutched Justin’s arm with both hands, her
knuckles white.

Then her mother let loose. Her arms extended
and tears streamed as she reached for Brinn. With only a moment's
hesitation, Brinn let go of Justin and fell into her mother's arms.
They both wept uncontrollably. Brinn's father wrapped them in a
firm embrace and they all stood huddled together in the front hall,
crying through a long moment of shared happiness, relief, and
grief.

When the tears subsided to a slow trickle of
sobs and hiccups, the group settled into the cozy, welcoming living
room. Justin sat next to Brinn on the sofa and her parents each sat
on the edge of wing backed chairs across an elegant glass coffee
table, medical journals and magazines stacked on one end, a large,
decorative candle in the center.

Brinn studied her surroundings and then
stared at her mother. Her skin looked flawless. She had shiny black
hair like Brinn’s, but it was cut short and curled just below her
ears. Her slanted blue eyes were a near perfect match to the color
of her own. The woman was tiny, barely reaching Brinn’s nose, yet
she held herself with such profound dignity that she commanded
instant respect.

Her father was tall, lean, and muscular with
broad shoulders. He had a kind smile and neat, dark brown hair,
graying at his temples—a color that matched his eyes. As he studied
her, they shadowed to a deep blue gray that reminded her of storm
clouds over the mountains. He broke the awkward silence first.

“
I was going to ask you for
proof that you were my daughter, but...” his voice choked and he
covered his mouth, taking a moment to recover. “You look just like
your mother. And you have my mother’s smile.”

Brinn started to cry in earnest. When her
mother knelt to the floor at her feet and hugged her, she crumbled.
After a few minutes, Brinn regained her composure, taking a handful
of tissues from the box her father handed to her.

"Can you tell us where you've been all this
time, Sweetheart?" Her mother released her and sat back in the
chair, plucking a few tissues from the box for herself.

Brinn looked at Justin and then down at her
hands. "I’ve been in the mountains, far north of the city. I can't
really remember much about how I got there, but I knew I couldn’t
come back." Her eyes filled with tears of sorrow. "I...I thought
you were dead."

Her father leaned in closer. "Why would you
think that?"

Brinn began to fidget again. She glanced
furtively from face to face. "The man who took me...said you died
in an accident. He said that no one else wanted me and that I
was...his. When you didn’t come for me…" She swallowed hard and
then let her face fall into her hands, streams of tears wetting her
palms. How could she tell them what happened? Torn pieces of
memories were all she had. And even those were more than she could
bear.

Her mother moved to sit beside her. She
stroked Brinn’s hair and crooned soft reassurances in her ear.
"It's all right, Briana. I’m so sorry, baby. We tried for so long
to find you.” She brushed the hair from Brinn’s face, a look of
such sorrow in her eyes that Brinn felt her own heart breaking.
“You don't have to tell us everything now. There’ll be plenty of
time for that later. You’re home and you’re safe. That's all that
matters."

She turned to Justin. "We can't thank you
enough, Mr. Spencer.” She glanced from Brinn to Justin. “Maybe
you'd like to stay for lunch." Not waiting for an answer, she
turned her attention back to her daughter. "You look so thin. You
must be starving. I can’t imagine what you’ve been eating."

Wanting to ease her mother’s worry, Brinn
answered, "I like lots of things: berries, violet greens, wild
asparagus. Sometimes I eat peaches from the orchards, and I love
nuts and seeds." She stopped and stared at the wide-eyed
expressions on her parent's faces and added quickly, "But I like
cheeseburgers and French fries too. Oh, and chocolate shakes—as
long as I drink them slowly." Their faces relaxed and everyone was
suddenly smiling, the tension draining from the moment.

"Well, I think we can manage something you'll
like," Her mother said, taking Brinn by the hand. “Of course,
you’ll be staying with us, won’t you?” She darted a look at her
husband who acknowledged with a smile and a nod.

Brinn’s stomach lurched. They wanted her.
They wanted her to stay. Her heart squeezed as she thought of Kitty
and the cabin. “I’ll stay...for now,” she answered.

Her mother smiled and led her out of the
living room toward a long hallway, leaving the two men behind.
Brinn glanced back at Justin and frowned. His betrayal might not
have been intentional, but how could she know for sure?
Apprehension seeped into her bones. Would she be safe now that she
was home? Or was it already too late for that?

∞∞∞

Justin’s heart swelled with relief to see
Brinn and her mother reunited. John Hathaway stood, crossed the
room, and offered him a hand. "I don't know how we can ever repay
you, Justin. You have given us a miracle." The two men shook hands
and John cleared his throat, looking after his daughter as she
disappeared down the hall. "I just wish I knew how the press got a
hold of the story so fast."

Justin cringed internally and then met the
man's suspicious gaze. "I'm afraid that's my fault, Sir. I work for
Real Life Magazine and I called my editor this morning to let her
know what was going on. I asked her to hold the story, but she must
have gone ahead and contacted the media anyway. I'm really
sorry."

John’s face grew stern and he rubbed his
forehead. "It was going to come out anyway. I'll have to hold a
press conference and give some type of statement. With my position
at the D.A.'s office, and everything we’ve done to try to find her
over the years, Briana's return is bound to be high profile." He
shook his head. "I just hope the monster that took her is dead and
gone by now. I'd hate to think what he might do if he's still out
there and finds out she’s alive."

“
I’ve been thinking the
same thing.” Justin stared down the empty hall. Brinn had good
reason to be terrified. If the man who took her had any idea that
the girl in the news was the same girl he'd left for dead in the
mountains, he would do whatever was necessary to make sure she
couldn't identify him. Justin let out a slow breath, the knot in
his gut tightening a notch. By bringing her home, he had put her
life in grave danger.

John squared his shoulders. “We’ll just have
to find him first.”

∞∞∞

Brinn’s mother led her up the stairs and down
the hall to a large, brightly lit room with soft pink walls and
dark wood trim. "I redecorated this room just a few years ago, but
I saved most of your things. I kept your bed in here,” she said,
running her hand over the downy bedspread and fluffing the pillows.
“Your clothes and toys and things are in the room above the garage
if you want to look through them once you're settled.” Her mother
crossed the room, pulled back the drapes, let the room fill with
light, and spun to face her daughter.

“
Oh, Briana, I can’t
believe you’re really here. I thought I'd never see you again. We
tried so hard to find you. You have to know, your father and I
never gave up looking for you.” She crossed her arms, holding
herself tight and covering a choked sob that escaped. “It’s not
right...you were so close all this time and we couldn’t find you."
Her mother began to cry again. She turned her back and swiped at
the tears.

"I've really been all right. Please don’t
cry."

When her mother turned, a sad smile appeared.
She stepped in close and took Brinn’s hand. She pushed a length of
dark hair over one ear. “You are so grown up and beautiful.”

Brinn shied away from the compliment, pulling
her hand back uncomfortably. She suddenly felt drained and
confused. The intense emotion and excitement of the day weighed
heavily on her shoulders. She didn’t know these people. And why
would Justin tell all those reporters about her? Didn’t he
understand how hard this all would be? She shook off the doubts and
sense of betrayal that tightened her chest. She had to focus on the
future. This was her family now. And they wanted her.

Brinn’s discomfort must have been noticeable.
Her mother broke the silence. “Let me show you the rest of the
house.”

Relieved, Brinn nodded and followed her
mother out of the room, glancing over her shoulder one last time at
the bed she would sleep in for the first time in over ten
years.

The house was huge and airy, surrounded by
woods, flower beds, and pathways. Every room had windows that
allowed for lovely views of the natural landscape. Brinn stared out
a large picture window overlooking a finely groomed back yard. She
had a feeling something wasn’t right. Something was missing—a
swing-set. That was it. A memory flashed in her mind. She was
climbing a tree in the yard...and then her mother was pushing her
on the swing...higher and higher...laughing...

"I forgot how wonderful it was here."

As she stared out the window, her mother
stepped close behind her and rested a warm hand on her shoulder.
"You loved it here once. I hope you will again. Welcome home,
Briana."