hands on my breasts, your big strong body moving above me.
When you go to bed tonight, close your eyes and pretend you see me dancing naked in the moonlight. And when you look up into the sky and see the stars twinkling, you’ll know I’m smiling down at you, whispering your name, begging you to come back to me.
I love you, forever & ever & always,
Alison
Brady clenched the letter in his fist. A friend of his had known about the letters. He’d brought them to Brady in the hospital. Brady had read them so many times he could recite the contents in his sleep.
But when he’d awakened in the hospital and remembered the horror of what had happened, when he’d seen the scars on his body, he’d also known his relationship with Alison would never be the same. She deserved someone better, a whole man.
Once the divorce was final, he’d have to get rid of the letters. And he’d have to forget he had ever had a woman like Alison Hartwell. And that for one glorious night she’d lain in his arms as his wife, Alison Broussard.
----
Chapter 6
« ^ »
“ C ome on, Brady, you’re doing great. Just a few more reps and you can get in the whirlpool.”
“You’re enjoying torturing me, aren’t you?” Brady gritted his teeth, shot Vivica a murderous look and tried to bend his leg as she’d instructed.
Vivica smiled sweetly. “Payback for that time you held me upside down over the toilet and tried to flush my ponytail.”
Brady almost laughed. He had been a pretty aggravating brother at times. “It just made you tough.”
Vivica laughed. “Right. I was scared to death of you for the first five years of my life. I had nightmares of you dropping me over the stair rail on my head.”
“Yeah, but you were damn lucky I was around when all the boys started chasing you.” Brady finished the set of exercises with a grunt.
“Uh-huh, I surely didn’t want boys chasing me. Now let’s try something else.” Vivica placed his foot on her thigh, braced herself and forced him to push as hard as he could. Sweat trickled down his face, the agony in his leg compounded by the aftereffects of a sleepless night.
“Thanks for being nice to Joe. That means a lot.”
“He seems like a stand-up kind of guy.” Brady’s leg jerked, his muscles cramping, and Vivica helped him stretch it out, massaging the knotted muscle. “Anyway, I pretty much told him he’d be dead meat if he hurt you.”
Vivica rolled her eyes. “You know we’re moving toAtlantaafter we’re married?”
“Yeah.”
“I hope Mom’s going to be okay alone.”
She may not be alone . “She wants you to be happy, Vivi.”
“I know. She wants the same for you, bro. Even if she does hint that you should take over the print shop, she wouldn’t want you to do it and be miserable.”
He didn’t comment, but then he didn’t think his sister expected him to.
She held out her hand. “Come on, let’s get you in the whirlpool. You deserve a little R and R.”
Brady stiffened, shaking off her help as he grabbed the handrail and hauled himself to a standing position. “I don’t deserve to be coddled, Vivi.”
His sister hesitated, studying him. “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on yourself? You had an accident, Brady, you didn’t go out and intentionally—”
“Drop it, sis.” Brady turned and walked away.
Vivica called after him, “And you should talk to the doctor about sleeping pills. I can tell by the dark circles under your eyes you’re not resting.”
Brady ignored her comment as he strode toward the whirlpool. He was determined to get the physical therapy session over with as soon as possible. After all, he didn’t want to keep Alison and her mother waiting. They had a divorce to discuss.
* * *
Alison stood in the entryway of the Red Robin Café, her stomach fluttering with nerves as she searched the room for her mother and Brady.
“Alison, hey, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
She spun around, nearly
When you go to bed tonight, close your eyes and pretend you see me dancing naked in the moonlight. And when you look up into the sky and see the stars twinkling, you’ll know I’m smiling down at you, whispering your name, begging you to come back to me.
I love you, forever & ever & always,
Alison
Brady clenched the letter in his fist. A friend of his had known about the letters. He’d brought them to Brady in the hospital. Brady had read them so many times he could recite the contents in his sleep.
But when he’d awakened in the hospital and remembered the horror of what had happened, when he’d seen the scars on his body, he’d also known his relationship with Alison would never be the same. She deserved someone better, a whole man.
Once the divorce was final, he’d have to get rid of the letters. And he’d have to forget he had ever had a woman like Alison Hartwell. And that for one glorious night she’d lain in his arms as his wife, Alison Broussard.
----
Chapter 6
« ^ »
“ C ome on, Brady, you’re doing great. Just a few more reps and you can get in the whirlpool.”
“You’re enjoying torturing me, aren’t you?” Brady gritted his teeth, shot Vivica a murderous look and tried to bend his leg as she’d instructed.
Vivica smiled sweetly. “Payback for that time you held me upside down over the toilet and tried to flush my ponytail.”
Brady almost laughed. He had been a pretty aggravating brother at times. “It just made you tough.”
Vivica laughed. “Right. I was scared to death of you for the first five years of my life. I had nightmares of you dropping me over the stair rail on my head.”
“Yeah, but you were damn lucky I was around when all the boys started chasing you.” Brady finished the set of exercises with a grunt.
“Uh-huh, I surely didn’t want boys chasing me. Now let’s try something else.” Vivica placed his foot on her thigh, braced herself and forced him to push as hard as he could. Sweat trickled down his face, the agony in his leg compounded by the aftereffects of a sleepless night.
“Thanks for being nice to Joe. That means a lot.”
“He seems like a stand-up kind of guy.” Brady’s leg jerked, his muscles cramping, and Vivica helped him stretch it out, massaging the knotted muscle. “Anyway, I pretty much told him he’d be dead meat if he hurt you.”
Vivica rolled her eyes. “You know we’re moving toAtlantaafter we’re married?”
“Yeah.”
“I hope Mom’s going to be okay alone.”
She may not be alone . “She wants you to be happy, Vivi.”
“I know. She wants the same for you, bro. Even if she does hint that you should take over the print shop, she wouldn’t want you to do it and be miserable.”
He didn’t comment, but then he didn’t think his sister expected him to.
She held out her hand. “Come on, let’s get you in the whirlpool. You deserve a little R and R.”
Brady stiffened, shaking off her help as he grabbed the handrail and hauled himself to a standing position. “I don’t deserve to be coddled, Vivi.”
His sister hesitated, studying him. “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on yourself? You had an accident, Brady, you didn’t go out and intentionally—”
“Drop it, sis.” Brady turned and walked away.
Vivica called after him, “And you should talk to the doctor about sleeping pills. I can tell by the dark circles under your eyes you’re not resting.”
Brady ignored her comment as he strode toward the whirlpool. He was determined to get the physical therapy session over with as soon as possible. After all, he didn’t want to keep Alison and her mother waiting. They had a divorce to discuss.
* * *
Alison stood in the entryway of the Red Robin Café, her stomach fluttering with nerves as she searched the room for her mother and Brady.
“Alison, hey, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
She spun around, nearly
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