Page 62 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

Brian had used the better part of a brand-new bottle of baby wash to get Avery clean. He also managed to soak his shirt, and it went into the trash bag along with the other things. Katie couldn’t help but admire the firm chest and sculpted abs.

The girls looked like they were getting tired, and they had just started to watch something on Disney Jr. snuggled up together. It wasn’t long before Katie fell asleep with Evie on her chest, and Brian’s arm wrapped around her, keeping them both safe. He had Avery cradled in the other arm, and he felt like he could hardly breathe.

Never before had he allowed himself to imagine this kind of future. He was always certain that he was meant to be alone, and he was okay with that. Some people weren’t meant to have a family; some were born when they shouldn’t have been.

His father’s words pricked at him.

“What are you thinking?” Katie’s sleepy whisper startled him.

Brian shook his head, “Nothing really, I guess. I was thinking about my father.”

Katie nodded, “You and Mark have the same dad, right?”

Brian let out a short laugh. “Biologically yes, but in every other sense, no. He made it clear that I was no son of his. In fact, he tried to pay me off several times just so that he could prove he wasn’t unfaithful to his wife. And this was after they did paternity tests that were 98% sure I was his child. The man was, I suppose still is, delusional.”

Katie swallowed hard, “I am sorry, Brian, I can’t imagine living like that.”

He had a lump in his throat the size of Nebraska.

“Tell me about your mom,” Katie encouraged.

Brian closed his eyes and thought about his mom. “She worked so hard. She wanted the best things for me and would have done anything to ensure that I was safe. She had two jobs, and there were times when I would get upset with her because I wanted her home with me.”

Katie felt her heart squeeze painfully.

“Brian, that is normal. All kids want that.”

He nodded woodenly, “I know, I just… now that she’s gone. I wish that I could go back and tell her how much I appreciated everything she did for me. That I know every time she put on that apron or hair net that it was really for me. I didn’t get it back then, but I certainly do now.”

Katie reached out and took his larger hand into her own.

“She knew,” Katie said, laying her head against Brian’s large shoulder.

“I don’t know that she did,” Brian argued.

Katie shook her head, “You may not say it, but you can’t help but go out of the way for those you love. You did my gardening in the middle of the night. You dropped everything to move to Otterville Falls to help your brother. You relocated your business just to be closer to them. And now you are babysitting your nieces so that Sutton can be at the hospital with Alice. You can’t tell me that your mom didn’t know how much you loved her, appreciated her. Brian, you were still you.”

They sat there in silence for a long moment as Brian drank in her words, considering the truthfulness and then hoping that just maybe this girl might be right.

The sound of a cell phone ringing interrupted their conversation, and Brian got to his feet.

“Hey, any news? Oh, yeah, no man, I understand. I am sorry. Yeah, we will be here. Okay, night.”

He turned to Katie with a shake of his head. “Reena has taken a turn for the worse. They have put her on a ventilator.”

33

Natalie and Julio arrived back in town in time to attend Reena’s funeral. The entire town turned out at the old church. The old pews were filled to bursting, and folding chairs had been added to the cultural hall for the overflow.

Sutton and the new pastor both spoke, and then Alice got up to say a few words.

“Reena Pots was my best friend,” her voice wobbled, and she clutched the well-used handkerchief. “We did almost everything together, some people even thought we were lovers, but that wasn’t true. You see, she was like a sister to me. I knew that no matter what happened in this world that Reena Pots had my back. She was there when I felt like stirring up trouble. She was there when something needed to be taken care of. And she was there when things were hard.”

Natalie felt Julio’s arm wrap around her shoulders, and she accepted the small package of tissues. Sniffs and muffled sobs were the backdrop to Alice’s beautiful tribute.

“Reena Pots was born in Southern California. The youngest of six, they spent hours upon hours picking strawberries in the fields. Her parents had come here to give their children a better life, but without an education, money was scarce, and the family lived quite humbly.”

Alice wiped at her nose before continuing. “Reena married at seventeen to a boy who promised her fame and fortune. Three months later, he left her one morning in a Vegas hotel room, and she learned that the marriage was a fake. Rather than go back and admit defeat to her family, she got a job washing dishes at one of the casinos. Living frugally, she saved up until she could send some home to her parents. Through the years, Reena moved up from dishwasher to housekeeping and then to dealing cards on the casino floor. She loved the glitter and excitement but hated to see when people threw their life savings away on a roll of the dice or flip of a card.”

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