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“Your grandparents brag about you all the time. Vicky tells anyone who'll listen about how her grandson is the best veterinarian in California.”
Warmth settled in his chest at the thought of his grandparents feeling a sense of pride in his accomplishments. The path he'd traveled hadn't been easy, but he could honestly say he was happy about the choices he'd made. Ever since he was a kid growing up in this town he'd dreamed of wanting to do what his grandmother did for a living. Despite all the setbacks, he'd achieved his goal.
“What made you come back after all these years?” she blurted out.
Now it was his turn to look at her with curiosity. Surely Vicky had told her. The blank look on Eden's face told him differently. “Umm...I came back because my grandmother asked me to. She invited me to spend the holidays with them.” Something told him to hold off on telling her that he was also going to be working at the Country Vet while his grandmother recuperated from her surgery. The last thing he wanted to do was put his foot in his mouth.
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Vicky can be persuasive,” she said. “I've seen her go toe to toe with quite a few customers who were being ornery about medically necessary procedures for their pets.”
Brady chuckled. “I think I know who won those battles.” He shook his head. “It's good to know that in an ever changing world, my grandmother always stays the same.”
She nodded, seemingly in agreement. “May I see your hands?” He held out his hands, which were feeling considerably better now that he'd shed his wet clothes and warmed himself up. His feet on the other hand were still tingling. “They look pretty good considering you weren't wearing any gloves,” Eden noted.
“I went out of town to pick up some supplies for my grandparents at one of the factory warehouses in Bentonville.” He shrugged. “Thought I could make it back before the storm hit.”
What was wrong with him? He was tripping all over himself in order to offer up an explanation, not wanting Eden to think he was a fool for heading into the storm unprepared. He hadn't seen Eden Lassiter in almost two decades, yet he was worried about what she might think about him. He'd spent the better part of his life trying not to worry about what others thought, yet here he was falling back into old patterns.
Old habits die hard.
“You should probably try to call your grandparents so they don't worry,” she suggested.
“I tried to call earlier when my car got stuck, but all I got was a busy signal and my grandmother’s cell phone went straight to voice mail. According to Pops, she has a bad habit of forgetting to charge it.”
“Why don't you try again while you're soaking your feet?” Eden bit her lip. “I hate to think of Vicky or Tom venturing out in the storm to look for you.”
The thought of his grandparents heading out into the ice storm to look for him had him reaching for his cell phone. He leaned forward in his chair, causing Eden to flinch like a frightened rabbit. Her whole body jolted backwards so that she landed on her backside. She looked up at him with alarm, her features filled with panic. Her mouth hung open and she seemed almost frozen.
“Are you all right?” He made a move to help her up, then stopped as soon as he realized she w
as shrinking away from him. Suddenly, like a clap of lightning, it dawned on him. He was the problem. Her frightened reaction had been to his sudden movement in her direction. At the moment she was shaking like a leaf.
He watched, dumbfounded, as Eden scrambled to her knees, then quickly stood up. “I'm fine,” she said, smoothing her flyaway hairs back into place. “I-I need to go check on my father. He hasn't been well. Just soak your feet until I get back.” Without saying another word, she soundlessly disappeared from the room, leaving a tension filled silence in her wake.
Brady followed Eden's instructions and placed his feet in the tub of warm water. He had no idea why his sudden movement in her direction had caused such a swift change in her. But he did know one thing for certain. Eden hadn't wanted him anywhere near her, so much so that she'd beaten a fast path out of the room in an attempt to get as far away from him as possible.
**
Eden wiped away the light sheen of perspiration dotting her forehead. After checking in on her father, who was still sleeping peacefully, she headed towards the kitchen to seek refuge. She'd made a fool of herself in front of Brady Shepard, and for the life of her she didn't know how she was going to face him. Her reaction to his close proximity and sudden movement in her direction left her with a feeling of deep shame. It bubbled up inside her, threatening to choke her. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to control her body. Sometimes when a man got close to her she felt a wave of anxiety and dread wash over her. During these moments, her body revealed her innermost fears.
Somewhere deep down in her soul she knew Brady Shepard wasn't a threat to her, but she couldn't stop herself from being on guard against him. It was such a lonely feeling not being able to trust people. Men especially. And she'd grown up with Brady, or at least until they were ten years old. They'd been friends, hadn't they? Brady had been the one of the sweetest boys in Celebration, and even though he’d been a year ahead of her in school, they'd been good friends. He'd been all kinds of wonderful. Smart. Kind. Cute. With a great sense of humor and a mischievous streak. She chuckled softly at the memory of a nine-year-old Brady placing a frog in Adelaide Smith's lunch box after she'd been mean to Eden. Although Brady had gotten called out for his behavior and made to stay after school by their principal, Miss Smythe, he'd told Eden later that he didn't regret it one single bit.
She wondered if he still possessed all those amazing qualities. Well, she knew of at least one he still possessed. Brady was a very good looking man. His towering height—six foot two she would guess—combined with his athletic build, a full head of dark hair and chocolate brown eyes, made him eye catching.
Not that she was interested. She'd realized a long time ago that relationships weren't in her future. Not now. Or ever. Four years ago Eden had learned that men couldn’t be trusted. It was a lesson she would carry with her for the rest of her days. When you put your guard down terrible things happened, she reminded herself. And even though Brady had been a sweet child, she didn't know him anymore. He was basically a stranger. Letting him invade her personal space wasn't an option. Trusting him was out of the question. Hot tears gathered in her eyes as the memories took over and she found herself immersed in the past.
A black and white parquet floor. The stale smell of cigarettes. The sensation of opening her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Gran crumpled on the ground. Eden shook herself out of her thoughts. She needed to focus on the here and now. Brady was still in the living room thawing out from the storm. He still needed her help. She needed to put her fears aside and get down to business. Her father's voice rang in her ears. Stand up straight, shoulders back, chin up. Face the world.
The moment she walked back into the living room her eyes were immediately drawn to Brady. He was still sitting in the chair with a blanket wrapped around him, his feet submerged in the foot bath. Lola and Rodeo were both seated in his lap, looking at him with big, brown, adoring eyes. Brady shot her a sheepish expression.
Without pausing to think about it, Eden rushed forward, words of apology tumbling off her lips. “I'm so sorry if they're bothering you. They don't usually take to people so quickly.”
“No worries. I'm a Vet, so I better love dogs, right,” Brady said with a grin as he patted the dogs. He seemed completely at ease with Lola and Rodeo.
“I have one of my own at Gram's house. An Irish Setter. His name is Toby. He's probably wondering where I am right about now.”
“He's in good hands with Vicky and Tom. I've never seen two people who love animals more than the two of them.” She could hear the hint of worship ringing out in her voice. His grandparents were special to her. Not only had they taken her under their wing, but they'd shown her how loving and respectful a married couple could be toward one another. She'd never seen a marriage like theirs up close and personal. Her own mother had ditched the family back when Eden was three-years-old. In her eyes, they were the gold standard of a long term, successful relationship. She'd never admit it in a million years, but she yearned for a love like theirs, something to withstand the test of time. Something that might restore her shattered faith.
Espresso colored eyes followed her every move. The sound of Brady clearing his throat filled the silence. “I apologize if I frightened you.”
