Page 50 of Unexpected Danger
The guest room where Londyn had always stayed was the same as she remembered it. Homey, pale blue, with a queen-sized bed and an oak dresser. She allowed herself to recline on the bed as she struggled to stay awake.
Thank you, Lord, for the Brenneman family.
“What is it about you guys razzing me about my snoring?” Brodie and Roarke headed outside.
Roarke chuckled. “Paybacks.”
“For what?”
“That time you thought it would be funny to stick that rooster in my room after Mom said the only pets allowed in the house were the dog and the frogs in the aquarium. I was grounded for a month.”
“Holding grudges, much? That was like a hundred years ago.”
“What? Were you embarrassed in front of Londyn?”
“No, she knows of my…”
“Condition?”
“You make it sound so detrimental.”
“It could be if you use it for what Xander suggested.” Roarke smirked. “Just think. Having to listen to that rumbling freight train twenty-four seven. That would set me on the right path for sure.”
Brodie slugged Roarke. “Thanks a lot. I just happen to have good lungs.”
Brodie unlocked the back door of the five-by-ten enclosed cargo trailer after he and Roarke unloaded Londyn’s suitcase from the SUV. He expected to find some of the items damaged when the trailer rolled. Sure enough, the microwave suffered dents and scratches and came to a rest on the floor of the trailer. But beyond that, everything else seemed to be in acceptable condition.
“Did you find the guy who ran her off the road?” asked Roarke.
“Not yet. And not only did he try to run her off the road, but he also assaulted her in the hospital.” How many times,just in the last couple of hours, had Brodie thanked the Lord for keeping Londyn safe? What if Haack had been successful in strangling her? Or when he ran her off the road?
“Are you okay with her being back?”
Brodie hefted one of the boxes. “Yes.”
“I’m sure you still have feelings for her.” Only with Roarke could Brodie talk about such intimate topics.
“I do. When I saw her in the vehicle after the accident, I thought I’d lost her for sure.” He heard the emotion in his voice and cleared his throat. No sense in having Roarke think he was going soft.
Brodie peered in the direction of the house. He could hear Xander laughing and Yukon’s intermittent barks. “This guy is relentless. Londyn told me the entire story on the way home. He wanted to date her, and apparently, she refused to be anything beyond friends.
“Sounds like he’s manipulative.”
“To say the least.” Brodie pushed aside the thoughts that maybe she had rejected Haack’s advancements because she still cared for him.
Roarke gripped his shoulder. “We’ll catch him.”
That was one thing Brodie appreciated about his brother. While not in law enforcement, he knew no matter the stakes, Roarke had his back.
“She’s where she needs to be, even if I am irritated with her for what she did to you.”
Brodie appreciated Roarke’s loyalty. “I just hope I can keep her safe. Not sure if I could handle losing her again.”
“I understand,” said Roarke. And Brodie knew Roarkedidunderstand because he’d nearly lost Mila to nefarious individuals set on punishing her for witnessing a crime.
Brodie and Mom sat at the table that evening. Brodie drained his decaf coffee and stood to put the mug in the sink whenLondyn hobbled up the stairs. Her glossy brown hair stuck at odd angles, partly due to the bandage on her head. Deep bruising enhanced the exhaustion that lined her features.
The accident could have been so much worse. At least Londyn would be at the ranch where she would be under Mom’s care, and if necessary, Mila’s. It helped that Mila was a trained nurse.
