Page 75 of The Ties That Bind
Brie was unprepared when Mr. Cummings called her back promptly at nine. “You have been granted your second request. Understand that further negotiation is closed.”
“I understand,” she replied, thrilled beyond words.
“We will be arriving within the hour.”
Brie appreciated that Mr. Cummings was not ambushing her this time, the way he had during their first meeting, but such short notice was still unacceptable. “I will call my team to confirm what time they can meet.”
“Time is money, Mrs. Davis,” he stated irritably.
“I agree, Mr. Cummings. Therefore, both parties must respect it.”
She hung up before he could reply, feeling quite pleased with herself.
After a quick call to Mr. Thompson, Brie set the meeting for eleven. Although Mr. Cummings was clearly not pleased, he agreed to the new time she set.
Brie grinned at Sir afterward. “Who would guess the day after I give birth, I would be approached with the film offer of my dreams?”
“Are you certain you are up for this, babygirl?”
“Had this happened right after Hope, I would have said no. But, for some reason, I feel stronger after this delivery.” She smiled at Sir. “Of course, I’m sure that has to do with the fact that you are taking care of both children so I can rest between feedings.”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “While I am incapable of sharing in the process of carrying a child, I am proficient at caring for them once they are outside the womb.”
She stood on tiptoes to kiss him. “Not all fathers are as thoughtful as you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not just for you, my dear. I want to be a part of their lives, and part of that involves nurturing them.” Sir surprised her when he started chuckling. “It seems your father has only just figured that out.”
Brie smiled, remembering her plates overflowing with food. “I’m grateful old dogs can learn new tricks.” She wrapped her arm around him. “But how lucky am I that you already know what kind of father you want to be?”
“Near-death experiences tend to have that effect on a person.”
When Anthony began to cry, Sir started toward the bedroom to get him and asked, “Would you prefer to nurse him on the couch or the rocker?”
“I’d like to sit out on the patio, Sir.”
Brie grabbed a shawl and headed outside. Although the breeze was cooler than she expected, it felt invigorating. Her spirits were incredibly high as she sat down on the patio chair and breathed in the fresh air.
She was excited that Tono was stopping by to visit. It would allow Autumn to spend extra time with Lea before they headed back across the ocean to finish their Kinbaku tour.
Brie was desperate to talk openly to Tono about his health. As much as he was fighting it, it was obvious the disease had taken a heavy toll on his body.
Sir came out carrying Anthony in one arm and Hope in the other. “She heard him wake up,” he explained.
Brie took Anthony from him and smiled at her daughter. “You’re taking being a big sister very seriously, aren’t you, sweet pea?”
Glancing at the back door, Brie noticed Shadow sitting on his haunches, staring at them intently. “I wonder what he makes of all this.”
Sir walked over and opened the door for the cat. Shadow sauntered out and followed Sir. The big black cat settled at Sir’s feet because Hope was sitting on his lap, but his eyes were locked on the new baby.
“Shadow may find it a difficult task keeping up with two little munchkins,” Brie laughed.
Sir looked down at the cat. “Between the three of us, I’m certain we can keep track of these two.”
Brie grinned at Shadow. “I’m definitely grateful for his devotion to Hope.” Sitting back in her chair, she shook her head. “It’s funny to think only two days ago, I was sitting here with a big round belly, enjoying Nonna’s hot chocolate—and look at me now.”
“You’re even more beautiful,” he said, watching her as she nursed Anthony.
She sighed with contentment. “I’m so happy right now, I wish I could stop time and live in this moment forever.”
