Page 24 of And Then There Was Us
“Yeah. I took that when she was three days old. I love that picture.” Brianna’s eyes filled with love, and the edges of her lips curved upward into a sweet smile.
“You took that? Bree, that’s amazing.” He looked at her and wondered what other hidden talents she had.
“Thanks. I haven’t taken pictures in about a year, since my camera broke.”
A fluffy red love seat and sofa created a warm, comfortable nook in the living room. It faced three rows of white bookshelves littered with books, drawings, clay pieces that were obviously made and painted by Layla and photographs of various sizes. Three colorful throw blankets were bundled together in one corner of the couch, and a half-finished game of Candyland was spread out on the cheap wooden coffee table.
“What happened to your camera?” Hugh asked.
“Oh, Layla bumped it off the table when she was playing one day. It’s not a big deal. I mean, I miss taking pictures, but it was just a hobby.”
“By the looks of this picture, it could be much more.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “This is a sweet apartment.” He crossed the floor to the bookshelves.
“Oh, please. It’s a dive, but it’s home. We like it.” She set her purse and keys on a small table by the door.
Hugh picked up a photograph of Brianna and Layla from the bookshelf. “This is a great picture. You look radiant, and Layla is adorable. She looks like a miniature you.”
Brianna laughed. “Thanks. She’s my girl.”
He set it down and picked up another photo of Layla sitting on a woman’s lap at sunset. The woman looked too much like Brianna not to be her mother, but it was the colors and the angle that caught Hugh’s eye. “Your mom?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you take this one, too?” He watched her tuck her hair behind her ear again.
“Yeah. It was a long time ago.”
“Bree, these are magnificent. Did you study photography?” Hugh set the frame back on the bookshelf and watched as her face flushed.
“In college.” She fiddled with the edge of her sweater. “Do you mind if I shower and change quickly so we’re not late?”
He set the photograph down. Brianna stood in a stream of sunlight at the edge of the living room looking so beautiful that just the idea of her one room away, naked and washing that gorgeous body of hers set Hugh’s desires aflame. He shook the thought from his head and then cleared his throat to find his voice. “Uh…Go right ahead. I’ll wait here.”And try not to think about you.
Brianna’s cell phone rang. She dug through her purse for it, then put it up to her ear.
“Hi, baby. Are you having fun with Grandma?” A smile spread across her lips. “Really? For breakfast? She does spoil you.” She listened for a moment.
He loved how her voice softened when she spoke to Layla.
Brianna continued talking to Layla. “I’m sorry, baby. I must have been in the bathroom. I’ll keep my phone with me from now on. I know. Okay, I love you. I’ll see you in a little bit. Be good for Grandma and enjoy the play.” She listened again. “Always.” She ended the call and let out a sigh. “See? I’m not a great mother. Layla called me this morning and I forgot to call her back.”
“You’re a great mother. That was probably my fault because I kept kissing you. From now on we’ll make sure you keep your phone by your side and that it’s turned up loud, so you don’t miss her again.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear again—a nervous habit Hugh already found adorable.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded before heading down the hall to her bedroom, but Hugh had seen the worry in her eyes. He scanned the room and saw Layla everywhere, from the sparkly little sneakers lined up by the door to the coloring books on the bar between the kitchen and the living room. He listened to the bedroom door close, then began to pace.Man, he liked her. She was smart, responsible, family oriented. She tugged at all the right places in his heart. He picked up another picture of Layla and searched the little girl’s eyes.Day by day.That’s how he’d have to take things with Brianna, although just thinking about the man on the balcony set a fire through his veins. He was way past day by day.
“WHAT AM I going to do? He saidwe. He didn’t say that I had to keep my phone on; he saidwe’d have to make sure,” Brianna whispered into her cell phone to Kat. She hoped Kat would set her racing heart straight.
“I don’t see what the big deal is. He likes you, Bree. If you’d let a man near you, you’d know that wasn’t a horrible thing.”
“I did. Remember?” Brianna sighed.
“That was years ago. I say…You have some time before Claude’s expecting you. Invite him into the shower with you,” Kat teased.
Brianna stripped off her clothes as she spoke. “Kat! I’m serious. I almost had sex with him. I need you to tell me to stick to my plan. Tell me he’s not a great guy, or he’s a player, or something. Please.”
