heart was beating like a drum when he said, “Listen,
Bri…”
Before he could continue, she was looking
past him to the delivery man standing at the door. “Can I help you?”
“I have a delivery here for Brianna
Cooper.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said, getting up to
meet him at the door.
Ryan turned to see a uniformed man carrying
a huge crystal vase containing a profusion of red and white roses. His stomach
plummeted. Without asking her to read the card, he knew who they were from. Clint. No question about it, this guy intended to pull out all the stops, and if
Ryan didn’t find a way to stop him, he was going to steal the woman who
belonged with him.
After tipping the young man, she carried
the flowers over and set them on the edge of the desk. A wide grin split her
face as she read the embossed card. Handing it to Ryan, she asked, “How sweet
is that?”
He looked at the masculine scrawl and tried
to contain his frustration as he read the message.
Last night was one of the best nights of my
life. I have a feeling with you by my side, it’s only going to get better. I
can’t wait to see you tonight. Clint
“I can’t believe you’re really gonna meet
this guy’s family after just one date. That’s crazy.”
She snatched the card back and stuck it
back in the arrangement. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion. I made up my
mind. I’m going.”
“Why?”
“Because I like him, and I think this may
be going somewhere, that’s why.” She reclaimed her chair and grabbed the edge
of the desk to wheel herself closer to her computer. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I have work to do.”
He still had so much to say, but he knew
any more comments about the man she was seeing would only antagonize her
further, so he stood up and walked to the door. “Just do me a favor. Be
careful, okay?”
She looked up and her features softened.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I just don’t wanna see you get in over
your head with this guy.”
“You mean like I did with Jared?” She
smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t think Clint is anything like him.”
That’s what worried Ryan. Jared Ross was a
joke, but Clint was a real threat.
***
Brianna took a sip of water as she tried to
ignore the curious glances from the diners surrounding them. Clint and his
father had been arguing about everything from the price of gas to whether he
should extend his concert tour to Asia.
“Don’t mind them,” Clint’s mother said,
forcing a smile. “It’s always like this when they get together. If Clint says
black, his father says white. Poor boy, I know he just wants to please him, but
my Leroy is as stubborn as a mule sometimes. He doesn’t understand that our son
has this one life to live. He has to do what makes him happy.” She regarded her
son a long time before she said, “I just wish Clint had the courage to stand up
to his daddy.”
Brianna frowned. It seemed to her that he’d
been doing little else since they sat down. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“They waste all this time bickering about
the little things because Clint resents the fact that he can’t be honest with
him about the big things.”
Brianna didn’t know if she wanted to be
drawn any further into this family drama, so she reached for a sugar packet and
stirred the granules into her coffee cup. “Not all parents and children see
eye-to-eye, I suppose.” She smirked when she thought of the fights Ryan had
with Luc. Evan was just like his father, but Ryan got off on testing Luc’s
patience at every opportunity. “One of my closest friends has the same kind of
relationship with his father. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other; they
do. They’re just very different people.”
“That’s the way it is with Leroy and our
boys. He thinks he knows what’s best for them, but he never stops to ask them
what they want.”
Eleanor Davis seemed like she’d endured her
fair share of hard
Bri…”
Before he could continue, she was looking
past him to the delivery man standing at the door. “Can I help you?”
“I have a delivery here for Brianna
Cooper.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said, getting up to
meet him at the door.
Ryan turned to see a uniformed man carrying
a huge crystal vase containing a profusion of red and white roses. His stomach
plummeted. Without asking her to read the card, he knew who they were from. Clint. No question about it, this guy intended to pull out all the stops, and if
Ryan didn’t find a way to stop him, he was going to steal the woman who
belonged with him.
After tipping the young man, she carried
the flowers over and set them on the edge of the desk. A wide grin split her
face as she read the embossed card. Handing it to Ryan, she asked, “How sweet
is that?”
He looked at the masculine scrawl and tried
to contain his frustration as he read the message.
Last night was one of the best nights of my
life. I have a feeling with you by my side, it’s only going to get better. I
can’t wait to see you tonight. Clint
“I can’t believe you’re really gonna meet
this guy’s family after just one date. That’s crazy.”
She snatched the card back and stuck it
back in the arrangement. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion. I made up my
mind. I’m going.”
“Why?”
“Because I like him, and I think this may
be going somewhere, that’s why.” She reclaimed her chair and grabbed the edge
of the desk to wheel herself closer to her computer. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I have work to do.”
He still had so much to say, but he knew
any more comments about the man she was seeing would only antagonize her
further, so he stood up and walked to the door. “Just do me a favor. Be
careful, okay?”
She looked up and her features softened.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I just don’t wanna see you get in over
your head with this guy.”
“You mean like I did with Jared?” She
smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t think Clint is anything like him.”
That’s what worried Ryan. Jared Ross was a
joke, but Clint was a real threat.
***
Brianna took a sip of water as she tried to
ignore the curious glances from the diners surrounding them. Clint and his
father had been arguing about everything from the price of gas to whether he
should extend his concert tour to Asia.
“Don’t mind them,” Clint’s mother said,
forcing a smile. “It’s always like this when they get together. If Clint says
black, his father says white. Poor boy, I know he just wants to please him, but
my Leroy is as stubborn as a mule sometimes. He doesn’t understand that our son
has this one life to live. He has to do what makes him happy.” She regarded her
son a long time before she said, “I just wish Clint had the courage to stand up
to his daddy.”
Brianna frowned. It seemed to her that he’d
been doing little else since they sat down. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“They waste all this time bickering about
the little things because Clint resents the fact that he can’t be honest with
him about the big things.”
Brianna didn’t know if she wanted to be
drawn any further into this family drama, so she reached for a sugar packet and
stirred the granules into her coffee cup. “Not all parents and children see
eye-to-eye, I suppose.” She smirked when she thought of the fights Ryan had
with Luc. Evan was just like his father, but Ryan got off on testing Luc’s
patience at every opportunity. “One of my closest friends has the same kind of
relationship with his father. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other; they
do. They’re just very different people.”
“That’s the way it is with Leroy and our
boys. He thinks he knows what’s best for them, but he never stops to ask them
what they want.”
Eleanor Davis seemed like she’d endured her
fair share of hard
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