“Well, at least he’s not going to bring one of the floozies he hangs out with all the time.” Todd gave Brad a sharp nod.
“Don’t worry, Dad. The woman I have in mind is very classy.”
Beside him, Corey snorted. “Yeah, right. When have you ever dated a classy woman?”
Brad shrugged. “Maybe I’ll surprise you both.”
At least he hoped Tyger would agree so he could surprise his family. But before that time, he had some work to do.
* * * *
WHY DID SHE LET TOMget to her again? Over the past few months, the terrible endings to their dates and the continual fear of triggering Tom’s temper, created such stress that Breanna’s head throbbed the following morning. Why did she always have to beg him for a little cuddling time and for a kiss? Was that really too much to ask if she was his girlfriend?
The more she pondered the situation, the angrier she became. It wasn’t right that she had to plead for some attention. It wasn’t right that she didn’t automatically feel loved, either. Whenever they kissed – which wasn’t often – he always acted like he was in a hurry and couldn’t wait to leave. He never seemed to enjoy kissing her anymore.
Not like Brad had.
Growling, she pushed her fingers through her hair. Why did she have to think of Brad? It seemed that since she met him, she’d been finding more fault with Tom. And yet, deep inside her heart, she had been wondering these things about her boyfriend for a few months now. Probably longer than that.
As she sat at the table and stared at her untouched cereal, she glanced around the room. The party the other night wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She recalled the exact place where she’d been standing the moment Brad had kissed her neck, or danced with her, or picked her up to throw her in the pool. She smiled widely. Had she ever had such a wonderful night? Not that she could remember, anyway.
And then after the party, in her bedroom...
She sighed dreamily. Brad had kissed her so tenderly, and the way his eyes were glued to hers made her heart flip with wanting. There was so much emotion in his green orbs, which of course made their kissing more meaningful. He’d also held her so tight, and caressed her with such tenderness.
Tom hadneverdone that.
But she really shouldn’t make a big deal out of the way Brad treated her. He was like that with every woman. Well, she didn’t know if he kissed them like he had her, but still, he was a flirt and charmed everyone. Breanna giggled. Even her landlord.
She glanced at her bowl of uneaten cereal and frowned. Her stomach was in knots. How could she eat at this depressing point in her life? She quickly rinsed out the bowl in the sink, and then placed it and the spoon in the dishwasher.
After showering, she moved into her bedroom to get dressed. She found a faded pair of jeans and a baseball jersey that her brother, Cade, had given her. Respectfully, she touched the jersey and her heart softened for her superstar brother who played for the Chicago Bullets. Cade had reached his dream of being a professional baseball player. Breanna was sure their parents smiled down from Heaven, knowing that Cade was very successful and happy.
When Breanna and Cade were still in grade school, their parents died in a car accident. Years afterwards, the two siblings were shipped from one relative to another. When they ran out of relatives, the state sent them to foster homes until they found a couple who adopted them. Lloyd and Trina Young were nice enough, but Breanna had never felt real, unconditional loved. She also felt they gave her brother more attention. After all, he was the go-getter, not her. He was the one with a lot of talent and potential. Not her. Younger than her by two years, he was better looking and had lots of friends. Breanna had always been just a shy bookworm.
Would her parents in Heaven be happy knowing what Breanna was doing with her life now? Would they approve of Tom? She frowned. Probably not. So what was she going to do about it?
She stared at her reflection through the mirror. She tilted her head. “Are you going to sit around the apartment and be depressed, again? No, you’re not. Breanna Loveland, you are going to get your butt out of here and do something with yourself!” She nodded, silently finalizing her plans.
The ringing of the doorbell pulled her out of her thoughts. Her heart dropped. Hopefully, it wasn’t Tom. Then again, he was probably still asleep in bed like he’d been yesterday at this time.
Leaving the bathroom, she walked into the front room and opened the door. A gasp sprang from her throat. The first thing she saw was a bouquet of red roses in front of her. As she studied them more, she noticed the man’s hand holding them, but she couldn’t see his face.
It definitely wasn’t Tom. He would never do something like this, mainly because he complained it was too expensive.
The man didn’t say anything, just continued to hold the flowers in front of his face. However, she did see his dark... long hair. Her heart leaped as happiness filled her.Brad!
