Page 52 of And Then There Was Us
“You tell me,” Mack said.
Hugh’s eyes darted between the two. “Bree?”
“Ugh.Mack, I told you it wasn’t him. Hold on, Hugh.” She waved a hand at Layla. “Honey, I’ll be right back.” She dragged Mack to the other side of the bar with Kat on her heels.
“It’s not him. Okay?” Brianna said to them. “He didn’t do anything. I just didn’t realize how many weeks he traveled each year, and once I did…”
“Brianna, that’s why you were crying? You scared the life out of me. I didn’t want to be known as the guy who beat up Hugh Braden.” He pulled Brianna out of earshot of the customers. “Bree, if you guys really stay together, you won’t be apart during that time. Lots of those guys are married. Their wives and children travel with them and they bring along tutors for their kids, or they travel back and forth. Listen, if you were all broken up over being apart, then you must really like him. Give it a chance.” He took her by the shoulders and turned her around. “Look.”
She watched Hugh drawing with Layla at the bar. His dimples deepened and his eyes smiled…at her daughter. Brianna melted beneath Mack’s grip. “Oh, Mack. I’m in so much trouble.”
“Things could be worse.” Mack nodded at Tracie, who was headed directly for Hugh.
Brianna groaned. “I got this.”
Kat cut her off. “No. This one’s on me.”
Tracie pressed her body against Hugh’s back and whispered in his ear, “Are you back here looking for a date?”
Hugh cringed and shifted his body like a protective shield in front of Layla.
Kat narrowed her eyes and slammed her order pad on the bar. Hugh drew his eyebrows together, and before she could utter a word, Hugh said, “Actually, my date nights are filled up for the foreseeable future. And if you’ll excuse me, Layla and I would like to finish our game of tic-tac-toe.”
Tracie pursed her lips, glanced over at Layla, and then shot a scalding stare at Brianna.
“That’s right, Red. He is taken with a capital T,” Kat said with a shake of her head.
Tracie stomped off through the restaurant doors. Hugh nodded at Kat. “Thank you, Kat.”
“My pleasure.” Kat leaned down and whispered, “I’ve been wanting to do something like that for months.” She tapped the napkin in front of Layla. “Hey, beautiful. You’ve got the most handsome date in the place.”
Brianna put her hand on Layla’s shoulder. She watched her daughter look from Hugh to Kat, then back again. “He’s not my date.” Layla giggled. “He’s my handsome prince.”
Brianna didn’t know it was possible for a heart to break apart and reassemble so quickly.
Hugh caught her eye and winked. “I can entertain Layla while you work.” He looked at Layla and smiled. “We’ll be just fine, won’t we?”
Layla nodded. “Yes, Mommy. Please?”
I think he just might be my handsome prince, too.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I DIDN’T MEAN to force myself into Layla’s life. She was there, and you seemed upset, and you said not to hold back. I just let my instincts take over.” Hugh stood beside Brianna while she wiped down a booth. Mack had already closed the bar, and Layla was at another booth half awake, drawing pictures.
“That’s okay. I’m glad you did. It kind of makes things easier. I wasn’t sure how or when to introduce you. Now I don’t have to worry about it.” She let out a sigh and looked at Layla. “She just sort of goes with the flow, doesn’t she?”
“She’s pretty remarkable. I was the scribe to her muse. She sure does love princes and princesses.”
Brianna laughed. “She’s in a princess stage right now.”
“You’re going to think this is a frivolous waste, but would it be terrible if she got some dress-up stuff for her birthday? A Disney princess dress or something like that? Little girls love that stuff.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m not sure what I think about her believing in all this fairy tale stuff. It’s not real life, and it sets her up to be hurt by the harsh realities of life.”
Hugh’s eyes narrowed and his voice grew serious. “Dreaming is all you have as a kid. It’s what pulls you through the difficult times and inspires you to work harder.”
“My childhood wasn’t exactly filled with dreams. It was filled with worries. Hopes maybe, but not really dreams,” she admitted.
