Page 45 of And Then There Was Us
“I love to drive, but I’m not excited about not being with you,” he said.
Brianna pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. She put on makeup, spritzed perfume, and found Hugh looking over the photographs on the living room shelves. “You really didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I wanted to walk you back down. Besides, I’ll take whatever time I can get.” He held up a black-and-white photo of Layla in a red wooden frame. “You’re really good at photography. Maybe we can get your camera fixed.” He set the frame down on the bookshelf.
She shook her head. “It was old and not a very good one.” She slid her feet into a pair of flat boots. “One day I’ll get another one, and when Layla’s a little older, I’ll take pictures again. Right now there’s no time anyway, so I’m not missing much.”
He drew his brows together and spoke softly. “You’re so patient, Brianna.”
“Moms have to be.”
“I put your screwdriver back in the drawer. The lock is missing a piece. It’s like it’s been taken apart and put back together without a key element. I can fix it for you while you’re at work if you want.” He put his arm around her as they locked the apartment and headed back downstairs.
“You don’t have to do that. Even the maintenance guy couldn’t fix it. They offered to replace the door, but it was really pricey.”I love that you want to fix my lock.
“I’m a little smarter than a maintenance guy. I can have it fixed before you guys get home tonight.”
“Sure.” As she took her key off of her keychain, she realized that she didn’t have an ounce of hesitation about giving him a key. She trusted him completely, and the ease with which that realization came shocked her.
“Wait. You’ll need it to get in before work.”
“I have a spare at my mom’s. I’ll pick it up when I get Layla.”
“Okay, and I’ll bring this one back to you at work.”
He smiled and she knew he didn’t mind, but she felt guilty after everything he’d already done for her. “Hugh, you don’t have to do that. I can get it the next time I see you.”
“Good, because that will be the next time you see me.”
He walked her to her car, and she felt like she was in high school, waiting for the cutest boy in school to kiss her goodbye, even though Hugh wasn’t a boy and they’d moved way beyond goodbye kisses. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned back against the car.
“Can I text you later?” Hugh put his hands on her waist and a thrill ran through her.
“Of course. You can call if you’d like.” As much as she appreciated his consideration of her, she wished he’d take for granted that he could call her, kiss her, or hug her anytime. Only she knew he couldn’t, and she’d made that clear outside of Claude’s studio.Talk about sending conflicting messages.But hadn’t everything changed since then? Or was that only in her head?
“I don’t want to complicate things for you and Layla. Your life runs like a finely tuned automobile, and I know how a tweak in the wrong direction can make for a bumpy ride.” He kissed her cheek. “I had a great time last night.”
“I’ve never had a better time, and I hate that we have to be apart.” She touched his stomach with her fingertips. The memory of their lovemaking snaked its way into her head, and a shiver trailed down her back.
“It’ll make our time together that much sweeter when we see each other again.”
HUGH WATCHED BRIANNA drive away before heading back toward her apartment. He took the steps two at a time to the second floor. He pulled his shoulders back and stood up to his full six-foot-three inches before knocking on the door of apartment202, the only one on the right that faced the parking lot. The last time Hugh had challenged a man about a woman was when Savannah was a sophomore in college. She’d come home for spring break and some jackass from out of town had been visiting his cousin. He made a comment to Savannah when she was riding by on her horse, and by the time Savannah arrived home, she was livid. With Treat, Dane, Rex, and Josh away at school, it was up to Hugh to set the guy straight. All it took was staring down his nose at the squirrely kid and Savannah had an apology within the hour. Now, as he stood outside the bearded man’s door, Hugh had no idea what he might say to him. The man hadn’t done anything more than leer at Brianna, but it was enough to give Hugh a bad feeling about him. For all Hugh knew, he was a nice guy, but he’d stake his claim and make sure that Brianna and Layla didn’t run into any trouble.
The door swung open, and the scent of body odor wafted out the door. The bearded man looked like he belonged onDuck Dynastywith his thick, unkempt beard and beer gut that threatened to rip his dark T-shirt at the seams. The guy narrowed his beady green eyes and looked Hugh up and down. “Wadda you want?” He stood a solid eight inches shorter than Hugh with soft, doughy arms and an unwashed face.
Arms crossed, Hugh flexed his biceps. “Saw you eyeing my girlfriend.”
His eyes shifted to the left, then back to Hugh. “And?”
Hugh lowered his chin, set his jaw, and pinned the man with a rottweiler’s death stare. “And there’s nothing but trouble waiting for you there.”
The man swished his jaw from side to side, his long, straggly beard moving along with it. He pushed the door closed.
Hugh reached out with his left hand and stopped the door, then closed the gap between them. He looked down at the man and gritted his teeth. “Make no mistake about what I’m saying. If she or her daughter so much as feel uncomfortable coming home at night, I won’t ask questions.” His chest expanded with each breath. He felt his nostrils flare as he tried to rein in the urge to grab the man by the throat and throw him up against the wall. “We straight?”
The man swished his jaw again.
Hugh stepped closer, hunkering over him and narrowing his eyes. “Got it?”
