Brad smirked. “What happened between you guys? You can share it with me. After that little accident, I saw you carry her, wet swimsuit and all, up to your room.”
“Nothing happened.” Then, I shook my head.
I’d asked Brad what he’d told the girls on why we’d disappeared. He’d told them that I took Becky to the hospital to check if she was okay. I’d let that lie slide since he had put the girls to bed that night.
“What accident?” Mason’s voice heightened.
Brad pursed his lips. “We forgot to tell you about all the drama on Tuesday. Becky thought Mary had drowned when Mary was only floating like Superman underwater.”
Mason’s mouth slipped agape.
“Becky jumped in the pool. Too bad the girl doesn’t know how to swim.” Brad threw Mason an all-knowing smirk, most likely amused that Mason didn’t know this. Mason did always want to be in the know.
His mouth slipped open even wider.
“Worst day to be sleeping over at your girlfriend’s house, little bro.” Brad sported a cocky smirk. “Someone got action. Satisfaction.”
I rolled my neck from side to side, breathing out my annoyance. “Nothing happened. I haven’t even taken her out on a date.”
“Yes, but you’ve been living together for a bit now, so this dating action doesn’t matter,” Brad said.
I groaned. “It does.” It did to me.
Mason rubbed at his brow, as if the whole thing was exhausting him. “We still know nothing about her.”
“That’s not true,” I said, my voice hard.
Maybe they didn’t know her, but I did. I knew her heart, I knew how well she fit in my arms, and I knew I was in love with her.
Brad cocked an eyebrow. “Are you saying that she talked to you?” He placed both elbows on the table. “Really talked to you?” He leaned in, leveling me with a stare.
My jaw tightened. Nosy bastards. “Yes, she did. And, yes, she has a past. And, no, you guys are not privy to it unless she wants to tell you herself.”
Mason ground his molars. “Who is she running from?”
“Mason …” I warned coolly.
But he wasn’t backing down. “Who? If that person is crazy, we have a right to know.”
My fist pounded against the table, my patience thin. “One, I won’t let anything happen to my family, and two, what you get is what Becky herself decides to share with you. Period. The end.” I grabbed my copy of the projections, flipping to the first page balance sheet, challenging them to say one more word.
Brad nodded slowly. “Got it.” He flipped to the first page of his copy. “And I’ve decided. Frozen Monopoly is happening at my place in the city. I’ll bring the girls back on Sunday.”
I sighed. “Brad, you don’t have to do that.”
He shrugged. “I know. But I’m the better brother, so …” He winked.
If he wasn’t helping me out, I’d slap him.
There was no comeback from Mason. Silently brooding, he flipped to the first page of the financials.
Basking in Mason’s silence, Brad grinned. “Let’s get this over with. Someone has a big date to get ready for.”
Chapter 26
Becky
“Where are we going?” I couldn’t hide this giddy smile on my face. I slung my bag over my shoulder as Charles led me to the car. My hair swished against my back in a low ponytail, and I sported these dangling earrings. My silk yellow shirt, which reminded me of sunshine, hugged my frame, and I wore the stonewashed jeans he had promised I could wear.
So, as we walked to the car, I was on edge with curiosity.
When he opened the door to his Porsche, I stepped inside, and before he shut it, he said, “Where we’re going is a surprise.”
I tried not to frown. Surprises were not my favorite because, in my lifetime, most of my surprises had been tragic, hurtful, and caused me pain. As soon as this thought registered, I pushed it away and peered up at Charles in his light-blue polo shirt and casual jeans. Then, I decided this was my happy place—in this car, with him.
Charles held my hand as he drove us to our destination—wherever that was. It felt strange, holding this man’s hand, our fingers intertwined, because I hadn’t held anyone’s hand intimately in this way in a long time. His hold was strong, his fingers firm, as though he was sure, so sure of this day, so sure of us.
Charles embodied strength in his stance, in the power of his walk, and now, even