Holding Out for a Hero (Baytown Heroes #9)

Chapter 26

26

“This makes me nervous.”

Brad glanced to the side to see Bess rubbing her hands over her skirt. Seeing the normally confident woman he cared for nervously fiddling, he reached over to wrap his right hand around hers. “You already know my sister and my mom, so the only new face will be Dad, and he’s easy.”

“I know, but it feels weird.”

“When was the last time you had dinner with the family of someone you were interested in?”

“Who says I’m interested in you?” She laughed. “Maybe I’m just using you for sex.”

A deep chuckle rumbled out. “Keep on using me, babe!”

Their mirth slowed, and she finally sighed. “In truth, the answer to your question is not in years.” She twisted in her seat. “What about you?”

He snorted. “High school was the last serious one. I told you that I tried to introduce the couple of women I dated for longer than a month to my family, but it didn’t go well. After that, I vowed to never invite someone else to meet my family unless they really meant something to me and I could see a future with them, which would, of course, involve my family.”

The words were out there—he’d basically said he wanted a future with her. Holding his breath, he waited. And thankfully, Bess didn’t make him wait long.

“So… you’re saying you can see a future with me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

He nodded. “Yes. Is that surprising?”

“Well, we’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks. Many people would call that fast.”

Glancing to the side, he flipped on the blinker and pulled to a stop on the side of the road. He twisted to face her more fully while keeping her hand wrapped in his. “What would you call it?”

Her gaze held his as her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “I’ve made some really bad choices in men before, Brad. It messed with my head once that happened, especially after a couple of times. I stopped trusting myself when it came to finding someone. And when we had our unfortunate misunderstanding this past summer, it exemplified that I’m not good at reading people.”

“Those past boyfriends you told me about… you might not have recognized immediately what they were like because a lot of people hide who they are at first. But you can’t tell me that as astute as you are, you didn’t get a read on them.”

Her brow crinkled, and she twisted her head and stared out the windshield for a long moment in silence. He was patient, knowing she was sifting through her memories. Finally she looked at him and nodded.

“I suppose you’re right. The one with rage issues, I saw it right away, but I thought I might be able to help him. I learned that he was going to need to help himself first. The one who grabbed me, I knew to get away early. The one who wanted me to be his mommy—” She snorted. “I also knew to get away early.”

“With each relationship, you learned more about the kind of man you wanted to be with?”

She nodded again.

“What about me? What are you learning about me?”

Blowing out a long breath, she said, “You really go for the big questions, don’t you? And right before I’m having dinner with your family.”

“I’m not trying to make you more nervous, and you’re right—we’re still new. But every day, I learn more about you that I like. And every day, I like you more and more. That tells me that you’re someone I want to be with. I’m not looking for declarations of love, Bess. But I think you’re more sure about us than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

Her lips curved gently, and she nodded again. “Yeah, you’re right. The night we first spent together, I knew I was in trouble. There was no way my thoughts about you were just for a one-nighter. I felt a connection… fun, trust, laughter, care. It didn’t feel like we were just fucking for the hell of it.”

Shaking his head, he said, “We weren’t. You were no fuck.”

“God, I was such an idiot,” she moaned.

“You weren’t the only one,” he reminded. “I liked you but had convinced myself it might be bad with my family moving. So even though I wanted to see you again, I walked away too easily.” He reached out with his free hand and lifted her chin with his knuckle to stare into her eyes. “How do you feel about me now? If this family meal is too much too soon, then I can call Mom and?—”

“No!” she rushed, then chuckled. “I’m nervous, but I’m also excited. I really like you, too, Brad, and this will give me time to get to know more about you. Because when I’m with you, it feels real. It feels like something good. I trust my instincts and can see a future with you, too.”

Hearing that her feelings matched his, his heart could start beating again. Neither was ready to declare anything more, but they were on the same page. And one day, he hoped he would be her hero.

“Oh my God, he was so adorable!” Bess was poring through the photo albums with Allison, looking at Brad when he was a little boy.

They’d arrived at the Stowes' house, and she’d been welcomed by warm hugs from Carol and Allison and a hearty greeting from Brad’s dad, Donald. Their house was a one-story, three-bedroom rambler with a comfortable living room, dining room, and kitchen with a breakfast nook overlooking the backyard. As soon as she walked through, she immediately thought of the house her parents were having built.

Framed family photographs hung on the walls in a casual style… not in a perfect pattern, but more as excitement was in adding another picture instead of exact placement. It reminded her of the house she’d grown up in. A wooden plaque with A, B, C, D hung over the mantel. Her expression must have indicated the silent question, and Allison laughed. “Donald made that during a woodburning class years ago. It stands for us—Allison, Brad, Carol, and Donald.”

“Oh my God, how clever!” Bess enthused.

The dinner was informal but tasty and filling, and Carol’s apple pie with a cinnamon sugar crust was divine. Conversation flowed, and within minutes, she felt like she’d known his family for years.

They had asked about her bakery and how her love of baking started. She shared stories of her grandparents living nearby on the Shore. She heard about their lives in Delaware and the decision to move to the Shore to be closer to Brad. She’d explained why her parents sold their house and were having one built that resembled the one the Stowes had purchased.

Now, Brad and his dad disappeared into the garage to check out the new woodworking tools, and she sat with his mom and sister, flipping through the albums. His hair was a brighter red, morphing into a darker auburn with the years.

She noticed that the smiles of the four-year-old Brad didn’t change when he was a couple of years older and helping out with Carol. He didn’t look upset, frustrated, or jealous. His face held an expression of concentration when he was helping to work Carol’s muscles. And in any other pictures, he simply offered a wide smile when he read a book to her, pushed her in a swing, or played in the yard.

As though understanding her thoughts, Carol said, “He was always so good to me. He was the best brother I could have ever hoped for. He never made me feel less than or that he was less with me as his sister.”

Allison nodded, her smile soft as she looked first at her daughter, then down at the picture in her hand. Finally, she lifted her gaze to Bess. “It’s true. When Carol was born, I remember explaining to Brad that she would have difficulty learning to move her body the way most children can. Brad took it in stride, never seeing what Carol couldn’t do, but determined to help her do everything. I was surprised, at first, when he went into the military. But I knew it was a way to help pay for college. And getting out, I never doubted that he was destined for a field where he could help people. I know there are bad cops, and the news is filled with stories about them. But so many more are wonderful, and I know that Brad loves doing what he can to help people, especially victims. He has a great deal of compassion.”

Then Allison looked at a few more pictures and laughed while shaking her head. “It’s only fair to say that he wasn’t perfect.”

“Let me see,” Carol and Bess said simultaneously.

It was a photograph of Brad in his Little League baseball uniform. A glower was firmly etched on his face, and he looked angrily toward the person taking the picture. “They’d just lost a game, and Brad struck out. I was taking a bunch of pictures after the game. He was angry and didn’t like it. I don’t remember what he said to me, but Donald jumped on him and immediately took him over to the side of the bleachers for a father-son discussion about how to lose with grace. And I’m sure a don’t ever take your anger out on your mother discussion also followed.”

Bess smiled, then bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling even wider. She looked down, flipping through more photos. Coming to a high school prom photo, she stared at the handsome seventeen-year-old Brad in a tux, his arm around a beautiful blonde who stared adoringly up at him.

“That was his high school girlfriend. She was a sweetie but a hometown girl who wanted him to stay home, too. He wanted to join the military, see the world… and eventually work in a large city’s police department. I’m afraid that’s the way most adolescent romances go.”

“Too many hormones and not enough sense,” Bess stated, thinking of her own early romances.

Allison laughed and nodded. “You stated it perfectly!”

“I’ve only had two boy-friends,” Carol said. “One in high school, but it was never des-tined to be any-thing more than a few months of feeling wan-ted followed by a feeling of re-gret.”

“Another great description of high school romances,” Bess stated, and Carol nodded emphatically.

“And then again, in col-lege,” Carol continued. “He was nice, and I think wan-ted more. But I just did not see more with him.”

Carol’s voice held a sadness that cut straight through Bess. Glancing at Allison, she spied her pinched face and quivering chin. Bess reached over to hold Carol’s hand. Giving it a little squeeze, she waited until Carol’s gaze lifted to hers. “Just remember to hold out for your hero, Carol. Don’t take anything less.”

Carol grinned and offered a little side glance. “I think Brad is a hero. I want to find some-one like him.”

Bess knew Carol’s words were true. There was no doubt that he was a heroic man. And maybe, just maybe… he was the hero she’d been waiting for. The women let the emotional moment pass and soon laughed at more photographs of a young Brad. The men joined them, and when Brad’s gaze landed on the photo albums, he groaned.

“Oh God, Mom…really?”

Bess looked up and smiled. “Just wait until you see my kid pics. Mom has a ton of them in storage right now.”

His expression softened as he settled next to her. “I’ll see the famous red-headed Crowder sisters as kids? Or you as a temperamental teen?”

“I’ll have you know I was never temperamental! A bit prickly at times when teenage boys were being dumb.”

The gathering laughed, and before she knew it, they said goodbye. Bess received a warm hug from Donald, a tight hug from Allison, and a special hug from Carol as she was pulled close. Carol whispered, “You’re right. I do deserve a hero, and I’m glad to see you have one.”