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I shook my head. “It never got that far, but I could imagine it would have if I hadn’t left.”
His whole body stiffened, and it was as though he weren’t breathing.
“Charles … I’m okay.” I placed a hand on his, my thumb massaging the top of his fist. “The things that have happened in my life have made me who I am today—strong, resilient, a fighter.”
His stare flickered to where we were connected and then back up to meet my eyes. “You’re the bravest woman I know.”
If only those words were true. If I were brave, I wouldn’t have run. If I were brave, I would have stayed and fought, and that motherfucker would be in jail.
My gaze went to my glass as I played with a bead of condensation. “I wish I saw myself how you see me.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up. “And I wish I saw myself how you see me.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. We were so alike that it was eerie. The difficulty, the tragedy, feeling all alone in the world yet having to be your own strength and getting through it, no matter what.
“Charles Brisken,” I said with a tip of my chin, “I see you how everyone in the world sees you. I see a man who has been through a lot, a man who has seen tragedy that would take the strongest of men down. But you … you stood up and have been fighting since day one. You have the most integrity and strength in any man that I’ve ever met or even heard of. So, take it, own it, and believe it because it’s true.”
He released a full-on breath, and the smile I rarely saw surfaced. “You are good for my ego, Becky.”
“Daddy …” Sarah called from upstairs, and we both jolted from our chairs and rushed to the bottom of the stairs.
A wailing Mary echoed from the second floor.
“Mary wet her bed.”
A second later, Brad appeared at the top of the stairs, holding a crying Mary. One eyebrow quirked up as he took us both in, and he held this expression as though we’d been caught sneaking out—together.
My first foot was on the stairs when Brad held up a hand. “Becky, it’s fine. Mason is already changing and disinfecting her bed. I’m going to get her changed.” He snaked one hand around Sarah’s shoulders, already guiding her to her room. “You guys just … do whatever you guys were doing.” He coughed at the end to cover up a laugh.
“We were getting water,” Charles said matter-of-factly, already making his way upstairs.
I followed right behind him.
Brad was almost to Mary’s room when he said under his breath, “Is that what we’re calling it now … getting water?”
My cheeks warmed at his words.
Charles grunted and took a sleepy, wet Mary from Brad’s arms. “I’ll change her. She’ll sleep with me tonight.”
We watched Charles walk to the far end of the hall and shut the door to his master bedroom.
The side of Brad’s mouth tipped up, and he pointed to me. “And you. Don’t get any ideas.” His voice was playful, typical Brad. “We will not be getting water together. Ever.”
I laughed because out of all the Brisken men, I swore it was Brad who’d been dropped on his head at a young age.
“Can we get coffee though?” I joked.
He furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t even know what that means.” He scratched the back of his neck and tilted his head, assessing me. “If coffee is anything like getting water, then no. But if you meancoffee, coffee, like straight-up coffee, then yeah.”
I yawned and half-laughed, turning to walk toward my wing of the house. “Good night, Brad.”
Charles
Mary was in the grocery cart while I pushed it down the aisle. Becky had two grocery lists in her hand—hers and then there was Mason’s with his organic and gluten-free items.
I’d fallen into this routine with Becky—a comfortable, more than enjoyable routine. It was almost as though we were a family, married. The only difference was, we weren’t together.
I really hadn’t changed the routine we’d had with Patty. I had always helped get the girls’ breakfast and lunches ready in the morning. But there had been a big difference with Patty, the big difference being that I hadn’t been attracted to my former nanny.
