Page 30 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
I place my hands on my hips and cock a brow at him. “Oh? And how exactly has Aiden been spoiling her?”
Tanner freezes momentarily, and Brody shakes his head, muttering something like, “She gets you quick, just like that,” under his breath.
Tanner tosses me a charming, apologetic smile as I huff at him, tapping my foot as I wait for an explanation. In reality, I’m not mad in the slightest. God knows Sophie deserves more love than I can offer her.
I can’t let everything slide because of that, though.
Aiden emerges and occupies the others, and they all start playing catch again.I will have to lay down some ground rules withthe three of them about Sophie.That’s the thought that keeps spinning in my head when the four of us are about to sit down for a late lunch a little while later.
“Lena, do you mind telling Brody that lunch is ready?” Tanner calls out to me over the sizzling sound of the food in the pan. “He must be in his room.”
“Sure, no problem,” I respond, putting down the plates on the dinner table before I head to Brody’s room.
Knocking twice on the door, I call out his name.
“Brody?”
No response.
I call out his name twice more, letting him know that lunch is ready for a good measure. Even then, no response.
Is he even inside?
Then, I hear a loud thud, coupled with curses.Fuck, is he okay in there? Has he hurt himself?
My hand turns the knob, not expecting the door to swing open. I don’t want to infringe on his privacy, but I’m worried about him, so I peek inside quickly just to see if he’s all right.
What greets me is a pale-knuckled Brody, gripping his bedside table for support. His chest heaves, his head hanging down like it weighs a thousand pounds between his shoulders. The veins in his neck are visible, his forearms bulging, as he tries to hold himself up.
The sight freezes me in my spot for a moment, but then, I kick back into action when I realize what’s happening to him.
A panic attack.
The shortness of breath, the inability to inhale, and your entire body trembling—I know very well what he’s going through.
“Brody,” I call out to him, holding onto his pale knuckles that are still wrapped on the table. “Brody, listen to my voice.”
He grunts, his eyes glazed over as his face rises. He stares at me blankly while panting to catch his breath.
“Brody, you are safe here. You are in your house, in Whitefish, Montana. No one can hurt you. Breathe with me, come on.”
I guide him patiently and slowly, his grip unforgiving as he holds on for his life. It’s the same way he helped me when everything was falling apart. The light returns to his eyes soon enough, and his body ceases trembling.
He starts to slide to the floor, and I slide along with him as the strength leaves his body.
“Brody?” I ask softly as I wrap an arm around his shoulder.
“Lena,” he acknowledges me, rubbing his palms over his face, “I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”
“Don’t apologize,” I command as firmly as possible, “Not for this.”
“I’m supposed to be protecting you, and here I am—”
“And youareprotecting me, Brody. Stop being so harsh on yourself, please. For me?”
He opens his mouth to argue, but then, his eyes search my face, and he closes his mouth.
“I just—these come out of nowhere. It’s been so long since I last had a stupid attack like this, I thought I was done with them.”
