AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After Dr. Gable delivered his update on Novak’s condition, Derek had sat and waited for Brooklyn to confirm their engagement. She hadn’t said a word.
Instead, she’d gone between pacing and sipping the coffee a hospital employee delivered while they waited for Novak to go from surgery to the coronary care unit. Only her mom, who had demonstrated how nasty a woman she was, spoke occasionally as they waited. Although he wished she’d kept her big trap shut.
When she wasn’t complaining about the hospital staff or the facility, she blamed Brooklyn for her husband’s heart attack. The first time he defended Brooklyn, Scarlet told him outright to mind his own business. Every time afterward when he made an attempt to rebuff a comment, Brooklyn sent him a look or squeezed his hand, silent gestures to please be quiet. It had killed him, but he’d kept his opinions to himself.
Although the doctors allowed Brooklyn and Scarlet in to see Novak, their visit had been short. Afterwards he’d offered to drive Brooklyn home and stay with her. She’d quietly insisted it’d be better if she went with her mom instead. That woman was the last person she should be around. No question about it, Scarlet would only continue to blame her for the heart attack. Rather than create a scene, he’d kept silent and driven back to Trent’s place, hoping to grab a few hours of rest and a shower before work.
Thanks to Kendrick, he doubted he’d gotten more than two hours of uninterrupted sleep. Man, the kid had a set of lungs on him. Derek had no idea how his brother managed get enough sleep to function at work every day.
Having his nephew wake him every couple hours wouldn’t have been the end of the world if he’d managed to fall right back to sleep afterward. He hadn’t. Each time Kendrick’s cries woke him, his mind went back to the previous night’s events. When he’d told her mom they were engaged, Brooklyn hadn’t said a word. Was she having second thoughts? Had Novak’s threats worked?
No one wanted to be cut off from family. But most people weren’t faced with such a decision either. And it wasn’t only her family on the line. Novak had threatened to withhold her trust fund too. Regardless of whether or not they married, she didn’t need the trust fund. Still, it was another incentive to fall in line.
He wanted to believe she loved him enough not to cave to her father’s demands. Her silence the night before raised doubts.
It’ll work out. He buttoned up his dress shirt, grateful he and Trent were the same size. Shoving his wallet in his back pocket, he checked his smartphone as he walked downstairs. Several new e-mails clogged his inbox, but so far no message from Brooklyn. He’d offered to take the day off and stay with her. After the way Scarlet treated her last night, she’d need all the moral support she could get today. She’d declined the offer, but promised to call or text him if she changed her mind. Evidently, she hadn’t. Either that or she wasn’t up yet.
Derek walked into the kitchen, but his mind remained several floors below with Brooklyn.
“You look like hell.” Trent held up a coffee mug from where he stood by the counter. “Want some?”
“Make it three or four. How do you get any sleep at night?”
Despite all the times his son woke up during the night, Trent looked well rested and prepared to tackle the day, unlike him.
“Earplugs.” Trent delivered a large mug of coffee before returning to the counter. “Sleep with them every night when I have to work the next day. On weekends I get up with Kendrick so Addie can get some rest.”
Derek took a long sip from his coffee, silently willing the caffeine to work its magic. “Would’ve been nice if you shared your secret before I went to bed. Poor Addie. She must be a zombie all day.”
“Didn’t think of it. Besides, you weren’t much of a conversationalist when you got here.” Trent rejoined him, setting down two plates of food. “What happened last night?”
When his brother had opened the door, Derek had shared the bare minimum before asking if he could spend the night. It made sense Trent wanted the full story this morning.
He swallowed more coffee before launching into a detailed version of events. “Yesterday when we got back, Novak was waiting inside Brooklyn’s apartment for her.”
“He broke in to his daughter’s apartment,” Trent said, his fork raised halfway to his mouth. “I knew he was a jerk, but that’s taking it to a whole new level.”
“Wait. You’re going to love the rest,” Derek said sarcastically before telling his brother about Novak’s plans for a fall wedding between Brooklyn and Trevor.
“I take it he had the heart attack when Brooklyn refused to follow orders.”
“No, he already knew she’d stopped seeing Trevor. He hoped to change her mind last night. He lost it when she told him we’re engaged.”
Trent choked on the coffee he’d just swallowed. “Engaged? When did this happen?” he demanded when he could speak again.
“Yesterday. Novak went—”
“Not when did you ask her. I got the impression you two were only friends.”
“Things change. Now we’re engaged. Or at least we were. After Novak found out, the son of a bitch threatened to disown Brooklyn.”
Trent grimaced and shook his head. “I can’t think of an appropriate word to describe Novak. How did she handle it?”
Excellent question. One he wished he had the answer to. “Don’t know. She asked me to leave so they could talk in private. Not long after, the paramedics showed up.”
“I don’t think she’s the type to be swayed by threats.”
“Anything else, I’d agree with you. But we’re talking about family here.”
