Descent (Steel Brothers Saga #15) - Helen Hardt Page 0,30
school, and I didn’t want to get into it now. They did know about my mother’s suicide attempt though, and that was still part of what I was dealing with.
“He’s helping me deal with what happened to my mother. I’ve had some anxiety and depression, and I don’t want it to affect the baby.”
“Of course. And he’s helping you?”
I nodded. “He is.”
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve had a dream that seemed so real. I don’t think I need counseling. I just needed to come here and make sure it wasn’t true.”
“I understand.” More than he knew.
Brad walked into the kitchen then and opened the French doors. Ebony and Brandy ran in.
I stood. “Looks like it’s time for dinner.”
Ennis followed me into the kitchen. Belinda had set the table on the deck out back.
“Hey,” I said. “We have company for dinner.”
Brad looked up from the dogs. “Oh? Hey, Ennis.”
“Hope you don’t mind me barging in.”
“Not at all. When did you get back in the States?”
“Just this morning, actually.”
“Good to see you. I’m going to wash up. You two go ahead and start. Mom’s already out there. Thanks for waiting dinner for me.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine.
“No problem.”
Ennis and I joined Mazie on the deck. We made some small talk until Brad arrived.
Belinda’s dinner was delicious, but the conversation was mundane. Brad was quiet, and so was Ennis.
I heeded Dr. Pelletier’s advice and tried to relax and not attempt to follow every word. It was easy. No one was talking about anything important.
Until Mazie finished and excused herself.
Then, Brad, to my astonishment, turned to Ennis. “What are you really doing here?”
Ennis’s eyes widened.
“No offense, man,” Brad continued, “but no one packs up and heads over the Atlantic without letting their friends know they’re coming. Unless they left quickly.”
“Brad…” I said.
“It’s okay, Daph.” Ennis forced out a chuckle. “We both know he’s right.” He quickly explained his troubling dream.
I watched Brad. His facial muscles didn’t move as Ennis told his story. Completely immobile. Oddly immobile. As if he were forcing his expression to remain the same.
You’re probably imagining it.
I actually heard the thought in Dr. Pelletier’s voice.
But I knew my husband. He was off again, just like he’d been during dinner with my parents.
“I understand why you’d be upset by the nightmare,” Brad said. “But Patty’s parents are the ones who told us she’d decided to join the Peace Corps.”
“I know that. But isn’t it strange that she just left? Didn’t bother telling any of us? We’d just declared our love for each other, for God’s sake.”
“It does seem strange,” I said. “But she’s not the first friend to leave me and never communicate with me again. It happened to me in high school.” I relayed the story of Sage Peterson’s move and failure to answer any of my letters.
“And that doesn’t strike you as odd that it’s happened twice?” Ennis said.
“If it’s happened twice,” I said, “maybe it’s normal. I don’t know.”
Ennis wrinkled his forehead.
“I’ll tell you what,” Brad said. “Since you came all the way here, I’ll make some phone calls. I have contacts just about everywhere. Someone must know someone at the Peace Corps. I’ll try to get confirmation that Patty’s working with them.”
Ennis nodded eagerly. “That would be great, Brad. Thank you.”
“No problem. Always happy to help out a friend.” Brad stood. “Either of you care for an after-dinner drink?”
“Not while I’m nursing.” Though he already knew that.
“Sure. Anything’s fine with me,” Ennis said.
Brad left and returned a few minutes later with what looked like two bourbons. “I don’t have any decent wine in the house. I’m looking to hire a vintner. Our vineyards bloomed in spring, and we’re expecting a hell of a harvest. My father had a top-scale wine-producing facility built on the east quadrant a year and a half ago. If I don’t find someone soon, I’ll have to arrange to sell our grapes to another winery.”
“I know a little about wine,” Ennis said.
“You do?” Brad lifted his eyebrows.
“Sounds strange, huh? A Brit who knows about wine?” Ennis chuckled. “I have an uncle who married a Frenchwoman. They live in the Bordeaux region of France, where her father’s a winemaker. I’ve visited there since I was a kid, and my aunt has taught me a lot.”
“The job’s yours, then.”
Ennis laughed. “I said I know a little. I can’t take the job, of course, but I could help you talk to candidates while I’m here.”