Midnight Renegade by Anya Summers

17

By Sunday afternoon, Brody’s panic level had reached Defcon one.

Reegan had ignored every entreaty he’d made, be it by text or phone call. The only options left for getting her attention and making her talk to him was showing up at her door. He’d done that Friday night and gotten the boot, then had rolled the dice and stopped by her place today, only to have no one answer the door. Or, he could send up smoke signals and hope she spotted them on the horizon from her apartment window.

All his options were turning out to be dead ends.

It left him floundering, unable to do anything while another person he loved slipped away.

And he did love her. Christ knew, the woman drove him crazy and made him burn at the same time. She challenged him, made him want to be a better man, made him yearn for permanence, for building a life with her at his side.

Feeling defenseless, he laid a fresh wreath of daisies at the foot of his mom’s marble headstone. He came once a week, bringing her a new wreath each time. Granted, he knew his mom had likely moved on to whatever awaited them all in the great beyond, because he hadn’t felt her around in a while. It didn’t matter, he came anyway. He liked to think that when he visited, she came back for a bit, and listened.

“Hey Mom. I messed up pretty badly, and know you’d be disappointed in me. The thing is, I don’t know how to fix what I unintentionally broke. I know if you were here, you would tell me to keep trying, and that it would all work out in the end. But I’m not so sure this time. I hurt someone. Someone I care about deeply. And I’m not sure what to do.

“You’d like Reegan. I think the two of you would have gotten along famously, and probably united against me from time to time.” He couldn’t help the self-deprecating laugh and was sure if there was anyone nearby watching, they likely thought he was having a breakdown.

“The thing is, how can I show her I’m all in when she doesn’t trust me because of something that happened years ago? There is something I want to do, something I never thought myself capable of even when I made that vow to you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and I’m terrified that I’m going to lose her too.”

The wind brushed at his hair and collar. He took it as his mom giving him the kick in the pants he needed. How many times in his life had she ruffled his hair with her fingers? Far too many to count. And when she had, it had usually come with something along the lines of: you can do it, I have absolute faith in you.

He took it as a sign. “Thanks, Mom. I love you. I’ll see you next week.”

Brody headed back to his truck. He’d spent the better part of this weekend texting Reegan, but she’d not once replied.

He was being served up a dish of karma. Because if this was what it had felt like for her when he’d ghosted her all those years ago, the fact that she had ever talked to him again—let alone allowed him to touch her—was a damn miracle.

And while he had apologized, it had been self-serving, a complete means to an end to soften her up. He had never really explained the reason behind his actions. It was time he put all his cards on the table and gave her complete honesty. Maybe, if he was lucky, she would forgive him.

Instead of trying Reegan for the hundredth time, he called Gabe.

“Brody, what’s up?”

“Hey, I hate to bother you. I know you guys just got back from your trip.”

“Yep, we’ve only been home an hour. But I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about Hawaii.”

Brody laughed. “No. And actually, it’s not you I need to speak to but Sophia. I fucked up with Reegan and need her help, but I don’t have her number.”

“Ah, I see. Do I even want to know what happened between you two? Reegan try to snip your bloody balls off or something?”

Leaning against the hood of his truck, Brody said, “No. But the short recap is, I wasn’t there for her when I should have been, and she thinks it confirms that she can’t trust me because of our past.”

“Ouch. That’s gotta sting. Reegan’s not an easy woman on a good day. Let me get Sophia,” Gabe murmured, then Brody heard him explain the mess to Sophia before her voice came on.

“What happened, Brody? Please don’t tell me you ghosted her again.” Sophia’s disappointment filtered through the speaker.

“I left my phone at the office on Friday. Reegan was in a car accident and taken to the hospital.”

“What?” Sophia asked.

“She’s fine, just a little dinged up. But when she went to call me to come pick her up…”

“And you didn’t answer… oh Jesus, what a nightmare.”

“Do you know where she is? She’s not at home.” Brody knew this because he had gone by and knocked on her door. He’d stood in the hall outside her door, texting her that he was there, and he’d gotten nothing. He’d even sat outside the door, trying to listen for signs of life from inside, for the better part of an hour, and it had been silent as a tomb.

“No, but I could probably find out. But honestly, why should I tell you? This isn’t the first time you’ve abandoned her, which is likely how Reegan is looking at what happened on Friday.”

Staring out over the cemetery, Brody went with full disclosure. “Because I love her. I’m not perfect, but if she gives me the chance, I will do everything I can to make her happy.”

“Now that’s a reason I can get behind. Let me see what I can do. If I discover where she’s at, I will text you the information.”

“Thanks, Sophia. I appreciate the help.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Reegan is not the forgiving type. And this is very important, but any information I send you did not come from me, which is why I will send it to you from Gabe’s phone.”

“Fair enough,” he replied as she hung up.

It was something—hopefully a step in the right direction toward mending the rift. Brody finally left the cemetery and drove home. Throughout the afternoon, he kept himself busy as he waited to hear from Sophia. He did a few loads of laundry, and ironed out his to do list for work the following week. Put some chicken into a soyaki marinade in the fridge to grill later that evening for dinner. He paid bills for work and the house, making notes to send the expense report to his accountant. When that was all completed, he headed into the family room and just switched on his big screen to watch the baseball game when he finally received the text message he’d been waiting on.

Reegan is at The Dorrance right now. If you’re fast enough, you can catch her there.

He thumbed out. Thanks. I owe you.

That you do.

Brody slipped his phone into his back pocket, grabbed his wallet and keys, and left the house. The rest of the busy work he had started this afternoon would keep until he returned. And hopefully, he wouldn’t be returning alone.

The Dorrance was a downtown restaurant, and a rather posh one too. He had eaten there a time or two. The traffic was thankfully light. Not wanting to waste time, he pulled up to the valet and handed his keys off to the worker.

Brody strode inside, ignoring the people waiting in the lobby whom he passed on his way in. There was only one person he needed to see. Behind the hostess stand, a young blonde in a fancy ivory blouse asked, “Do you have a reservation, sir?”

“No, but my party is already here.”

“Oh, you can go on back then.” She beamed and waved him on past.

“Thank you.” He trod past her and his heartrate accelerated. Reegan would see reason once he laid all his cards on the line. She had to.

Inside the main restaurant, he searched section by section—which were cordoned off by dark, espresso-colored walls—scanning the tables for the inky-haired vixen.

When he reached the back of the restaurant, he spotted her. Only she wasn’t alone. Paul was with her. The diners had all gone quiet because Paul was down on one knee, slipping a ring on Reegan’s damn finger.

Brody just stood there, stunned, unable to move or say anything.

The patrons in the packed restaurant went wild as Paul rose, still holding Reegan’s hand. Had she really accepted his proposal? There was no way she had been seeing him on the side. She and Brody had been together far too much over the last few weeks. But Brody realized that this, him trying to approach her now after what he had just witnessed, was the wrong plan of action.

In a daze, he spun on his heel.

He couldn’t lose her. That dude wasn’t right for her, and wouldn’t give her what she needed. Brody loved her, knew what she needed to feel whole. Still, he couldn’t make his play for her by making a scene in a crowded restaurant. His mulish woman would snap his hand off for trying.

But like hell was Brody going to let her marry that guy, because he was the only one she should marry.

In his truck on the way home, he called Gabe’s number again. “Sorry, but I need to talk to Sophia again. I need her help setting up a proposal.”