Chapter Six

Brandy

I glanced at my watch and knew I was barely going to make it to Laurel's on time. After Laurel showed me the letter and the way it had her shaken, she refused to listen to reason and get a hotel room. Of course, she also refused to stay at Leo's, especially alone. That left her place, where she insisted on staying—with me as her company.

Luckily, Nate was always understanding, so he insisted it wasn't a problem and told me I should stay with Laurel for as long as necessary.

I didn't think it would be much longer, though, because we were meeting with a security company and I hoped that this was the solution to calm Laurel's nerves. But first I had run home to take a quick shower and change before the meeting.

I glanced at my watch again and blew outwardly. The meeting was in an hour. "Darn it," I said as I scoured the closet for my other shoe. "Where is it?" I was hopping around on one foot, praying the other shoe would turn up. Not that I expected it would, so I kicked off the shoe I had on and reached for another shoe box, one that had both the right and left in it. "That'll do," I said to myself and raced to the door, hoping there wouldn't be a lot of traffic on the road at this hour.

With one swift motion, I pulled the door open and came face to face with my mother.

"Brandy," she said, clearly taken aback as her eyes widened and she stared at me. "What's your hurry?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at me curiously.

I looked at my watch again and groaned. "I have to get to work."

"I drove all this way, can't you invite me in for a few minutes?" my mother asked, acting like she did me a favor and was the one being put out.

I rolled my eyes and stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in unceremoniously. "You live less than thirty minutes from me, Mom."

"If there's no traffic," she reminded me, waving a finger in my face. "I was hoping we can talk. Where is he?" she asked, referring to Nate, my boyfriend whom she had a particular disdain for, refusing to acknowledge him in any real way.

"Nate?" I asked.

She shot an eyebrow up in the air.

"He's out."

"Getting a job, I hope." She set her purse down on the floor by the kitchen table and pulled out a chair as if she was settling in for a good long while. Not that anyone asked me, but that was something I definitely didn't have time for. "Tell me, what's been going on with you? I haven't seen much of you lately. You are my only daughter, you know. It'd be nice if you'd call your mother once in a while. One day I won't be here and you'll be sorry."

I'd heard it all before, a thousand times before, in fact. I was her only flesh and blood. My father wasn't in the picture. It was just Mom and me—and all her sisters and their children, of course, not that any of that mattered to her. "Sorry, Mom," I answered, knowing it was better, faster to apologize. I pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, resigning myself to whatever this was about. I tried not to roll my eyes as I answered, "I'm good. How are you?"

She smiled. "I'd be better if you dumped that leech you call a boyfriend and met and married a good man."

We'd been down this road so many times I wasn't sure I had the energy to have this conversation right now. It never turned out well. "Nate is a good man, Mom."

She shook her head. "A man without a job, without respect for your mother does not make a good man. You need someone who is as hardworking as you, someone who cares for you and wants to provide for you. Someone who loves your family," she said, going on while I was counting backwards in my head. "Your cousin Jules is getting married soon, I'd love for you to meet someone before then. Someone you can bring to the wedding and feel proud of."

At that, I looked up and zeroed in on her. "I do feel good about Nate, Mom." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I am proud of him. I have no trouble bringing him to the wedding."

She looked down at her skirt and shook her head. "Something's off."

I closed my eyes and counted to five before opening them and looking at her. She sat there, so sure that she caught me with my hand in the cookie jar or something. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, Brandy, but you RSVP'd one."

"How do you know that?" I asked, not all that surprised she had insider information. Jules' mother was my mom's sister and they lived together, along with their other sisters, a spinster and a divorcée.

She raised an eyebrow again in response, but didn't entertain the question.

I exhaled. "Forget it." Then I added, "Nate's busy."

"I'm surprised he won't be taking advantage of the free trip since it's a destination wedding."

I clasped my hands together in my lap and hoped I could finally get through to her. "He knows you don't like him. Why would be go and spend a long weekend with my family, who practically hates him?"

"I don't hate anyone. I just don't think he's good for you. Frankly, I'm glad he's not coming. Maybe I can set you up with a man. You can see for yourself how you're settling with him."

I looked at my watch and knew if I didn't end this now, it would never end. I had no choice but to shut her down. "Sorry, Mom. I'm perfectly fine with my life. I don't need you setting me up and I really need to get going. I was on my way out."

"Just break up with him already," my mother shouted and stood, her hands gesturing wildly in the air, knowing she had to leave and not ready to fight me on it. "Please!"

"Are you happy? You got it out. Now, can we please go? I have to get to work," I said, grabbing my own purse again and walking to the door.

Before I could get there, though, it opened, Nate on the other side. It was starting to feel like Grand Central Station around here today, everyone coming and going, except for me, the girl who really had to get going. "Hi, my love," he said, walking in and giving me a kiss before dropping his keys in the bowl by the door. "I didn't expect to see you this—" he said, stopping when he noticed my mother. "Macie," he acknowledged her.

She nodded her acknowledgment, but that was all.

The tension was palpable. He had visibly shut down at the sight of her and all I wanted to do was take him in my arms and hold him. It wasn't right, the way she treated him. Frankly, I was also pretty tired of it. Something had to be done, not that I knew what that was. Not yet anyway. And I had no time or energy left to put into this. I had bigger fish to fry at the moment. Like getting to Laurel's.

"Thanks for stopping by, Mom. It was nice. Next time let's go out for lunch. I'll call you," I said placating her.

"You better call me," she warned. She pulled the strap of her purse on her shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Before letting me go, though, she whispered in my ear. "Let me set you up. It's the middle of the day and look, he's home. It's unnatural."

I held her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Mother, I'm home."

"But you're going to work," she pleaded, backing up. "Just think about it."

I nodded because it was the only way to end this. Visibly pleased, she walked to the door and let herself out.

Once the door was shut behind her, I took a deep, audible sigh. "Sorry about that," I said once we were alone, my arm slipping around his waist, pulling him close to me.

"I don't know what I ever did to her," Nate said. "It's just not right how she puts you in the middle like that, though. I am so sorry." He wrapped strands of my hair around his finger and kept me close.

I looked in his eyes and felt for him. "You have nothing to be sorry for," I said, dropping my forehead against his. "Except, I really do need to go. I'm already going to be late."

He dropped his hold on me and backed up, walking to the door. "I'll walk you out."