Out at Home by JL Paul Page A

someone will discover a cure for your cocky, arrogant attitude."
    With a deep breath, Taylor faced Tabby. “I’m sorry. Thanks for everything but I need to go.”
    She pulled Tia to her to her feet before she stormed through the sliding patio door.
    Brady started after her but Tia grabbed his arm, swinging him around.
    “ You insensitive bastard,” she accused before pushing him away and following her friend’s path.
    ***
     
    After letting herself into the front door, Taylor collapsed on the sagging couch. She groaned when her cell phone rang until she recognized the number as her brother’s.
    “ Hi Teddy,” she greeted, plastering a smile on her face. She hoped he'd hear it in her voice and not figure out how upset she was. “How are you?”
    “ Good, T. What’s up?” His voice held a tint of concern.
    She sighed. “Teddy, when can you come home?”
    “ Dad?”
    “ Yeah,” she admitted and filled him in on her conversation with the doctor.
    “ I don’t know, T. I just started a summer semester and a new job in the book store. Let me see what I can do, okay?”
    “ Why are you working, Teddy?” she asked. “You’re supposed to be concentrating on your studies. I can send you money if you need it.”
    “ Relax,” he reassured her. “It’s a light semester and I thought I’d earn my own money. I promise it won’t interfere with my course work.”
    She nodded, not realizing he couldn’t see her. “Okay. How’s school going?”
    “ Great. I love it.” He paused. “T you sound awfully tired. Anything else going on I need to know about?”
    “ Nah,” she answered. “Except I finally got a real assignment.”
    “ That’s cool,” he said. “Tell me about it.”
    Haltingly at first, but with growing confidence, she filled him in on her story about Brady.
    “ Send me a copy,” he requested. “Isn’t that the Brady you went out with your senior year?”
    “ Yes,” she grimaced.
    “ He was a nice guy.”
    “ He was a pompous ass.”
    Her brother laughed. “You went out with him.”
    “ I know,” she sighed. “Don’t remind me. Listen, I need to get to bed. Call me when you know when you can come home.”
    “ Okay. I love ya, T. Take it easy.”
    “ Love you too, little brother.” She flipped the phone shut with a smile.
    She missed him and wished he could be home with her again. They had never really been extremely close until the summer after her senior year when their father’s health had deteriorated rapidly and she took over running the household. Teddy, who had been approaching his fourteenth birthday at the time, pitched in as much as she’d allowed. She’d tried desperately to shoulder all the responsibility; wanting her kid brother to remain a kid for as long as possible.
    But when their father had been admitted to the hospital and Taylor was hired at the paper, he’d taken on dinner responsibilities. She hadn’t been crazy about it, but as long as his homework was finished and his grades weren’t suffering, she hadn’t grumbled.
    She’d worried about how she could possibly put him through college on her salary, even if they did receive some kind of financial aid, but he, too, had earned a scholarship and several grants, making it a little easier for her to breathe.
    Her paycheck was modest and she lived as frugally as she could so she could send money to Teddy for the things his scholarship didn’t cover. Her apartment was small and shabby, but she kept it clean and furnished it with the stuff from her parents’ home she hadn’t had to sell. She didn’t have much, true, but she took pride in the things she did have. Especially those she’d worked hard to earn.
    She pushed all thoughts from her head as she turned on the TV just in time to see highlights from the day’s game. She rolled her eyes as they showed Brady’s diving catch and ensuing double play. She sat forward and looked at his eyes. Gone was the arrogant, I’m-better-than-you look and in its