“Dammit, Vivi, look what you made me do.”
“You did something to upset her and I want to know what.”
“What makes you think I did something to her?” Irritation crawled over Brady. The fliers were probably dirty and he’d have to reprint them, as if the first time hadn’t been boring enough. He tried to kneel to salvage them, but pain knifed through his leg, and he wobbled and broke out in a sweat.
“Good grief, Brady, I’ll get the stupid fliers.” Vivica ran a hand through her pixie hair, spiking the ends. “You get us some coffee, because we’re going to talk—”
“But—”
“No buts about it.” She wagged a red fingernail at him that was so long it could be ranked as a lethal weapon. “I’m not leaving here until I get an answer.”
Brady limped back to the small break room, poured them each a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, massaging the pain away as best he could and trying to think of some way to appease his sister. Vivica stormed in a minute later, her hands on her hips, her head wobbling from side to side, she was so angry. He wondered if Joe had witnessed her temper yet.
“All right, spill it, Brother.”
Brady’s stomach balled into a knot. “Why do you think I did something to Alison?”
“Because I saw her after her morning swim and she was upset.”
“She was?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen her so agitated. And when I mentioned you, I thought her blood pressure was going off the charts. What in heaven’s name did you do?”
Brady shrugged. Maybe he’d finally pushed her away for good.
“Either spill it or the next physical therapy session will make the others look like a picnic.”
Oh, hell. He might as well confess. When Vivica got something in her head, she’d never let it go. She’d drive her husband crazy.
She tapped her foot on the floor. “Brady?”
“Okay, you want to know what’s going on between me and Alison?”
“Yes, and you’d better tell me the truth.”
He nodded, resigned. Obviously Alison hadn’t told his sister about their marriage. The realization stung. “All right. Vivi. You’re right, I did have a thing for Alison years ago.”
“I know that. Heck, everyone knew it.”
Heat scorched his neck. He hadn’t realized he’d been so obvious. “Well, what you don’t know is that I married her.”
----
Chapter 10
« ^ »
“ Y ou did what?” The chair clattered as Vivica fell into it.
“I married her.” Brady studied his hands, then finally met Vivica’s wide eyes.
“When did this happen? Since you came back?”
He shook his head and explained about their hasty ceremony the night before he’d shipped out for training.
“You’ve been married for the past four years?”
He nodded.
“How romantic, Brady.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, well, we were young and impulsive—”
“And in love.” Vivi sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. “And you still are, aren’t you? After all these years of being apart—”
“You didn’t let me finish.” He cleared his throat. “Alison’s father found out that night and hit the roof. He insisted we get the marriage annulled.”
“Oh, so you aren’t still married?”
“Actually, we are.”
Vivica was sitting on the edge of the chair now. He’d never seen her so quiet. “I don’t understand.”
He explained about the hope chest and annulment papers. “Apparently Alison’s grandmother forgot to file the papers.”
“So you’re still married.” Vivica broke into a smile. “Brady, that’s wonderful!” She jumped up and hugged him, oblivious to his turmoil.
He stiffened in her arms, took her by the shoulders and set her back. “No, honey, it’s not. We’re filing for a divorce.”
“A divorce?”
“Shh, we don’t want everyone to know,” Brady said.
Vivica’seyes widened. “But why?”
“Because everyone will talk, and Alison’s concerned about her reputation as a wedding coordinator—”
“No, I mean why are you getting a
“You did something to upset her and I want to know what.”
“What makes you think I did something to her?” Irritation crawled over Brady. The fliers were probably dirty and he’d have to reprint them, as if the first time hadn’t been boring enough. He tried to kneel to salvage them, but pain knifed through his leg, and he wobbled and broke out in a sweat.
“Good grief, Brady, I’ll get the stupid fliers.” Vivica ran a hand through her pixie hair, spiking the ends. “You get us some coffee, because we’re going to talk—”
“But—”
“No buts about it.” She wagged a red fingernail at him that was so long it could be ranked as a lethal weapon. “I’m not leaving here until I get an answer.”
Brady limped back to the small break room, poured them each a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, massaging the pain away as best he could and trying to think of some way to appease his sister. Vivica stormed in a minute later, her hands on her hips, her head wobbling from side to side, she was so angry. He wondered if Joe had witnessed her temper yet.
“All right, spill it, Brother.”
Brady’s stomach balled into a knot. “Why do you think I did something to Alison?”
“Because I saw her after her morning swim and she was upset.”
“She was?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen her so agitated. And when I mentioned you, I thought her blood pressure was going off the charts. What in heaven’s name did you do?”
Brady shrugged. Maybe he’d finally pushed her away for good.
“Either spill it or the next physical therapy session will make the others look like a picnic.”
Oh, hell. He might as well confess. When Vivica got something in her head, she’d never let it go. She’d drive her husband crazy.
She tapped her foot on the floor. “Brady?”
“Okay, you want to know what’s going on between me and Alison?”
“Yes, and you’d better tell me the truth.”
He nodded, resigned. Obviously Alison hadn’t told his sister about their marriage. The realization stung. “All right. Vivi. You’re right, I did have a thing for Alison years ago.”
“I know that. Heck, everyone knew it.”
Heat scorched his neck. He hadn’t realized he’d been so obvious. “Well, what you don’t know is that I married her.”
----
Chapter 10
« ^ »
“ Y ou did what?” The chair clattered as Vivica fell into it.
“I married her.” Brady studied his hands, then finally met Vivica’s wide eyes.
“When did this happen? Since you came back?”
He shook his head and explained about their hasty ceremony the night before he’d shipped out for training.
“You’ve been married for the past four years?”
He nodded.
“How romantic, Brady.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, well, we were young and impulsive—”
“And in love.” Vivi sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. “And you still are, aren’t you? After all these years of being apart—”
“You didn’t let me finish.” He cleared his throat. “Alison’s father found out that night and hit the roof. He insisted we get the marriage annulled.”
“Oh, so you aren’t still married?”
“Actually, we are.”
Vivica was sitting on the edge of the chair now. He’d never seen her so quiet. “I don’t understand.”
He explained about the hope chest and annulment papers. “Apparently Alison’s grandmother forgot to file the papers.”
“So you’re still married.” Vivica broke into a smile. “Brady, that’s wonderful!” She jumped up and hugged him, oblivious to his turmoil.
He stiffened in her arms, took her by the shoulders and set her back. “No, honey, it’s not. We’re filing for a divorce.”
“A divorce?”
“Shh, we don’t want everyone to know,” Brady said.
Vivica’seyes widened. “But why?”
“Because everyone will talk, and Alison’s concerned about her reputation as a wedding coordinator—”
“No, I mean why are you getting a
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