Life Over Love Page 7

  Her tub was her most favoritest thing about the apartment. The landlord had just renovated before renting to her. The deep claw foot tub was calling her name. Brianna ran the water and lit fragrant candles. She was giddy with the anticipation of soaking her exhausted body in an uninterrupted bath.

  She went to the kitchen to fix some hot cocoa, and laughed when she saw the frozen dinners by the ice trays in the freezer. Thinking of officer Sexy pants, who was the next best thing to Hugh Jackman in real life, with his amber eyes, and tall physique. She dropped some ice into her steaming cup of cocoa and made sure to grab her book before sinking into the tub.

  Brianna’s bath was short lived, she was only fifteen minutes into the story when she started to nod off and she was forced to call it a night and drain the tub. She had been so exhausted the night before that she didn’t even remember falling asleep wrapped in a fluffy purple towel. Her hair and the sheets were still damp from the attempt at indulgence.

  Stretching she rubbed her eyes and cherished the comfort of her bed. When she’d assembled the futon, she bought a luxurious cobalt blue down comforter to throw over it, and decorated the bed with white lacey throw pillows.

  Brianna had been thankful when she’d put it together that the bed was more comfortable than it looked because, besides the tub, that was her second favoritest room in the apartment. Thinking of the silly word favoritest, made her miss her babies.

  Thinking of them reminded her of the uninterrupted soak she’d promised herself. She eventually shuffled into the bathroom, peed, and half way fell back to sleep on the toilet while waiting for the tub fill. She sank into the bath so happy to be awake enough this time to enjoy the relaxing experience. Any mother with little kids would agree so rare a thing was meant to be savored.

  In fact Brianna couldn’t even remember a time when she wasn’t bombarded by little children that could hear the sound of running water from a mile away, and try locking the door! Well forget that! The cries, the violent rattling of the door handle, the plain ferociousness of the children turned monsters, determined to get in at any cost, had taught her long ago, to give up and just leave the stinking door wide open.

  Remembering of her little stink heads made her smile, she missed them already after only one day of being without them. She lingered in the bath tub until she would either need to add more hot water or freeze.

  Brianna reluctantly stepped out, and wrapped up in another purple towel, chuckled at her reflection. Everything she bought to decorate common areas in the apartment were various shades of Chelsea’s first love purple. She wasn’t sure what she was going to when Brody got old enough to care.

  Everything she did revolved around providing her children with joy. She didn’t spoil them, but more often than not she went without something if she had to choose. She’d even placed several pictures of Mike sporadically around the kid’s room.

  Once dried off she shrugged into a soft white t shirt and her favorite pair of ancient jeans, worn thin in several spots, but super soft to the touch. She painted her toenails, and jotted down a list of things she wanted to buy for Christmas.

  Brianna had promised Chelsea that Santa knew where they moved and that he would have no trouble finding their front door even though it was tucked underneath Mrs. Jenkins the apartment stairs.

  The loud knock at her door startled her to the point that she’d nearly fallen off the bar stool. She fussed a loud about the loud banging, it was completely unnecessary because anyone could’ve seen Brianna sitting at the island/table, through the huge window on the door. A simple tap would have sufficed, and she planned on saying so too, until she came face to face with officer sexy pants in her doorway.

  He held Brody in one arm, and as soon as Brianna opened the door Chelsea hopped inside, dancing past her straight to the fridge. Her mouth had been open for a few minutes before she’d realized she’d been staring. “Uhh hmm, I’m sorry ma’am, but I pulled your husband over and after running his tag, I’ve got no choice. I’m going to have to bring him in, he was driving with a suspended driver’s license, among other things.”

  Ryker could practically feel the embarrassment radiating off her. She closed her eyes hoping to will away the redness spreading up her neck and into her cheeks. “He’s not my husband, has he been drinking?” She leaned over in front of him to try to make eye contact with Mike in the back of the squad car. When she realized he wasn’t going to look her way, she moved back.

  “He’s my ex-husband, and he’s actually, never even been here.” She heard what she’d said and after it registered in her mind she put Brody down inside and both her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

  Ryker knew fear when he saw it, and decided now was not the best time to tell her about the hand gun he’d confiscated. “Well, he told me that you didn’t have a car to pick up the kids, so I figured I’d bring ‘em when he said you lived so close, save you some steps.

  Brianna was visibly shaken, she couldn’t speak. She nodded her thanks, once back inside, Ryker saw her slide against the wall down to the floor, and he heard the little girl ask her mommy if she was ok.

  He was furious by the time he got back to his squad car. He slammed the door and focused his attention on the passenger in the backseat. “Say buddy, what did you do to that woman that would make her run away from you like that?”

  Mike didn’t appreciate the officer’s tone, he met his stare in the rearview mirror before responding. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy.” Ryker nodded “sure you do, amigo. She was under the impression that you didn’t know where she lives.” Mike winced before he answered the officer. “I used to be a mean SOB, when I was drinking, that’s all that’s about.” Yeah right, mean, was all. Mike thought, judging by her terrified reaction, that wasn’t all.

  He had zero tolerance for scum like this guy, still looking in the mirror, “So what were you planning with that gun that you don’t have a permit for by the way?” Mikes eyes bulged when Ryker mentioned the gun. “Nothing officer, sir. I forgot that it was even in there. I used to hang around some real shady places and I carried it for protection, I was messed up for a long time, I’ll admit that. To be honest sir, I was dealing drugs, but that’s been a real long time ago, I swear I forgot about the gun!”

  Ryker studied Mike. His story rang true to him, after seeing how the man had been tender with the children, so much so that they didn’t even cry when he’d had to arrest him. He’d been sorry to have to be the one to go tell some poor woman he was arresting her husband. He had been impressed with the way Mike had distracted the kids on the way to the apartment, making the trip seem like an adventure.

  But when he remembered the panic he saw on her face he got ticked all over again. “Alright buddy, enough chit chat, I’m taking you in.”

  Brianna was a wreck. After she composed herself she realized, she was the one freaking her kids out. Chelsea managed to make Brianna laugh loudly as she enthusiastically regaled her mother with the awesome police car ride that her daddy had planned, just for them. Chelsea still didn’t understand why her mommy had cried like that, for a long time after daddy and the big police man left.

  Brianna said she stubbed her toe. Chelsea understood then, because she cried like that when a big girl stepped on her baby toe on the bus. She made sure to tell her mommy that she definitely understood, and she left out no details about how the big girl had hurt her toe.

  Brianna wasn’t sure why she’d had such a violent reaction to the news that Mike knew where she lived. She’d already halfway decided to tell him herself, and eliminate the police station trips anyways.

  She guessed she was just upset at first seeing a police officer at her door holding her kids, she’d been really worried, then humiliated, and after she realized that Mike had either followed her home or pried the info from someone, actually she didn’t care how he’d found out, it was his persistence that had frightened her.

  As far as she was concerned it was just one more way
for him to control her, she wanted the choice to tell him if and when the time came, and the decision to do so was supposed to be hers.

  She didn’t want to revert back to the pathetic creature she had been in all those months ago. She also wanted to enjoy her day off, she decided then that it was the perfect time to decorate the house for Christmas and forget about Mike.

  Chelsea said the Christmas tree was “wimpy” and she thought that Santa probably wouldn’t know where to leave their presents. Brianna kind of agreed, so she got an idea.

  She bundled the kids up and the walked to the hardware store in the square. She bought sparkly white, silver, and blue spray paint. The kids were beside themselves with excitement to actually be allowed to play with spray paint.

  Brianna dragged the tree around to the back of the apartment building. She threw a shower curtain down, rolled the tree on top, and let the kids loose. Together they turned the Charlie Brown tree into a very pretty Christmas decoration. She beckoned the children to stand back and admired their work. She was happy that they were all in agreement that it was pretty.

  Chelsea was in the middle of saying that Santa wasn’t going to want to go to anybody else’s house after seeing their tree, when she got side tracked. Her new best friend pulled up to the stop sign and waved at the lovely family.

  Brianna was glad to see Ryker and flagged him down, she wanted the opportunity to properly thank him for bringing the kids home and to apologize for the melt down.

  He took the right hand turn and pulled into the apartment building’s parking lot. She left the freshly painted tree on the shower curtain and pulled it around to the front porch.

  Ryker thought she’d flagged him down for help with the tree, but she brushed him off, and he had to wait in the cold for several more minutes, while she struggled with the tree.

  He did admit to himself that the view was worth it, he enjoyed watching her bend over the tree, and after a while he forgot all about the cold. She stood up, arching her back to stretch, and after noticing officer Danner’s downward stare. She hastily closed her sweater.

  Realizing she hadn’t bothered to put on her bra at all that day, she rolled her eyes dramatically at the nerve of him, thinking, OMG men are all the same! Ryker chuckled at her for knowing exactly what had been on his mind.

  He walked to his squad car and pulled out his cigarettes, leaning against the car door, he leisurely exhaled. Brianna called inside the house for the kids to take off their wet clothes and wait for her on their bed.

  She walked down the little walk way and this time hugging her chest, she stood directly in front of Officer Sexy pants. “OK officerrrr--?” She didn’t feel right calling him by the name she’d chosen and she didn’t remember if he’d told her his name. “Danner ma’am, Ryker Ian Danner, it’s nice to see you again, by the way.”

  Oh you really are officer yummy pants aren’t you? She almost forgot about the thank you speech had planned until Chelsea knocked on the window. She waved at him and held up a picture of the smiley face police man she’d drawn for him.

  Ryker laughed at the little beauty that was a small replica of the sexy lady standing outside with him, freezing her fanny off. He snuffed out the cigarette with his boot and walked to the door.

  Chelsea opened the door a tiny crack, just enough to slip the picture out and into his hand. “Thank you princess” He leaned in to peek at the sweet girl. Surprising them both she pecked his cheek and slammed the door in his face!

  Brianna was doubled over from laughing so hard, if he’d moved any slower Chelsea would’ve slammed his nose in the door. He’d been quick enough to avoid that, but he’d slipped and fallen, hard, on his butt.

  It was difficult to remain cocky when he’d literally fallen head over feet for a five year old femme fatale. He got to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, resisting the urge to dust off his backside.

  By the time Brianna was almost finished laughing, Ryker was nearly back inside the squad car, he hadn’t realized she was holding something out to him until he looked up at her. “ You forgot something” She was waving the smiley face drawing in front of his line of vision and struggling to keep a straight face.

  He snatched his present back from her and buckled up. “Listen I’m sorry, Officer Danner, but sometimes that kid just cracks me up. I can’t help it.” He lifted his eyebrows questioningly, rested his arms on the top of the steering wheel, and smiled back at Brianna.

  “She is a cute little thing, looks just like her momma. By the way what’s your name? If you don’t mind my asking.” Wow she thought, he really has that whole James Dean meets Rhett Butler thing down pat. “Brianna Leah Garcia, and I flagged you down because I wanted to thank you for bringing the kids home today, I was too wigged out to say so earlier, so yeah um, sorry about that too by the way.”

  He looked at her until she started blushing “I’m sorry that I scared you like that. You seemed to pull yourself together though, even though you were pretty upset.” She bristled at the comment defensively and straightened up. “I’m fine I just didn’t appreciate him seeing fit to find out where we live, I wanted to tell him when I felt like telling him, and as soon as he gets out, I’ll be sure to inform him of that too.”

  Ryker didn’t like the determined glint in her eye as she’d said that and he told her as much. “Brianna as a police officer I feel it’s my responsibility to warn you against that. I’ve seen what could happen---” She cut him off midsentence. “Well I appreciate your concern officer, but I’m not afraid of him anymore, and I’m not going to let him think that he has any control over my life, ever again!”

  He didn’t make a habit of arguing with women, or anyone for that matter, but he found it near impossible to avoid arguing with this one, at the moment. She didn’t strike him as one who’d cower or run from a fight, which is why he was so concerned, and there was no mistaking the fear she’d displayed earlier that morning.

  He would bet his bottom dollar that she had lived through and witnessed plenty to be afraid of at the hands of that piece of crap. Which only lent weight to his argument, and he wasn’t leaving her until he felt sure that she wasn’t going to go off half- cocked when her ex got out, the guy would probably make this his first stop.

  Ryker took the keys out of the ignition and stepped slowly out of the car, her filching and stepping back to put space between them didn’t go unnoticed either. Brianna was determined not to be intimidated by him, someone she didn’t even know in the first place. Besides she’d never be free if she didn’t grow a backbone. She squared her shoulders wishing she were warmer so that she could stop shivering. “Well Officer I’ve said thanks for all your help and everything, if that’s all, now you can be on your way”.

  He leaned forward as deliberately and slow as he could so as not to startle her, he could barely contain his aggravation, and he wanted to be sure she took what he was about to tell her seriously . “No ma’am that’s not all, that man I arrested today, your ex-husband, yeah I booked him on charges which consisted of driving with a suspended silence, operating a vehicle without proper registration, and a charge of carrying a loaded gun without a permit, seeing as how he has been convicted of domestic battery, bumped that last one up to a felony.”

  Brianna tilted her head and asked incredulously “So what are you saying, what, that he had a gun?” Ryker nodded his head in the affirmative, he began lecturing again, and was crushing out his cigarette when he heard the thump that meant she had fainted, not even four feet away. He cursed under his breath and gently lifted her off the cold ground.

  When Ryker carried her inside the apartment, Chelsea stood unmoving in the hallway, and Brody was asleep on the living room floor. “Did you hurt my momma, Mr. Officer Danner?” Chelsea was sucking her two first fingers like she’d done when she was a baby, and stood still, watching Ryker holding Brianna in the living room. “No baby, your momma just got too cold outside and fainted, he looked around for a place to lay her, but aside
from the TV on the coffee table there was no other furniture anywhere as far as he could tell.

  Chelsea believed him and showed him to Brianna’s room. Ryker was glad to see that she had a comfortable place to rest, and he slowly lowered her onto the bed. He regretted having to let her go just as he regretted having to put her in such a state in the first place.

  He felt like a clumsy brute amongst all her dainty things. In the bathroom he found a purple washcloth ran cool water over it and hustled back to her room, almost knocking the pictures of the wall in the hallway, in his hurry to get back to her.

  Brianna murmured at first when she was coming to, but was too disoriented. Then seeing him in her bedroom, had freaked her out at first. She jumped up and in her haste to get away from him she fell off the side of the bed.

  She scurried backwards like a crab in the sand until backed into the corner of the wall, and covered her face with her hands. She broke down into heaving sobs because she was embarrassed by the way she’d reacted to him, and could not stop crying.

  Chelsea stood in the door way with her fingers still in her mouth, wide eyed looking from one to the other, she started to cry as well and before he could make heads or tails out of the thing, he had two hysterical females to tend to.

  He went to Chelsea, picking her up he sang what he could remember from his boyhood infatuation with the Little Mermaid, He tucked her in and assured her that he was going to take good care of her momma.

  After double checking that she was really asleep, he went to check on Brianna, and said a silent prayer that he’d given her plenty of time to recover, so that he could make his exit, and not upset her any further.

  He knocked softly on the wall before entering. When he got back in the room he wasn’t surprised to see that she was still in the corner, sound asleep. He worried that she might have hit her head too hard when she backed up into the wall.