divorce?”
“Because…” he ran his hand through his hair “…because we’ve grown up and changed and—”
Vivica grabbed his arm. “That’s ridiculous. You still love her and I know she loves you!”
He stood, nearly knocking over his chair, and crossed the room to the window. “She’s marrying that Emerson guy.”
“No, she’s not.”
“She’s not?”
“I don’t think so. But now I understand why she’s so upset.” Vivica stalked toward him. “You asked for this divorce, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
“You big, stupid, stubborn oaf!” She swatted him with her purse. “You came back and thought she’d found someone else and got jealous and gave up.”
He covered his head to ward off another blow. “I’m not jealous!”
Her eyes crinkled with disbelief. “So you didn’t mind seeing her with Thomas?”
“Of course I minded, but—”
“See, you are jealous, because you still love her.”
“It’s not like that.”
She batted him again. “Yes, it is—”
“Listen, Vivi, I’m not the same man she married. For God’s sake, look at me.”
He caught her hands and made her stop and really look at him. “I can barely walk, much less jog anymore. I’m on medical leave from the Air Force pending an evaluation over whether or not I’ll be able to return to active duty. I don’t know what my future holds, I’m—”
“You’re using your medical condition as an excuse.”
“What?”
“You are, Brady Broussard. You’re embarrassed about a few silly scars and you’re using them as an excuse not to be with the woman you love.”
“You’re wrong, Vivi.” Brady turned and leaned against the counter, suddenly exhausted as the burden of his guilt weighed down on him. “It’s a lot more than that. A whole lot more.”
Viviplaced a hand on his shoulder, her voice softening. “Then tell me what’s wrong, Brady.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, the image of Josh’s body lying in the charred rubble of the plane flashing in his mind. The image was so vivid bile rose to his throat.
“You have to get over feeling sorry for yourself so you can move on,” Vivica said.
Brady glared at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Vivi.”
“I know this – if you give up Alison without fighting for her, you’ll be making the biggest mistake of your life. And if you give up the flying, you’re not the Brady I’ve always known.” Vivica threw up her hands and stormed toward the door. “And we all want the old Brady back.”
Brady tossed his cup in the trash without bothering to reply.
After all, she didn’t want to hear what he would say – that the old Brady was never coming back. Because the old Brady had died in the crash that had killed Josh.
* * *
Alison gathered her wits while her father dumped half a container of sugar in his coffee, rolled up the sleeves of his flowered shirt and settled into the seat across from her.
“Hey, cupcake.”
“Hi, Dad.”
He slurped his coffee. “How’s the business?”
“Great. I’ve scheduled four weddings this month and I’m working on filling the August calendar now.”
“Vivica’s getting married in August, right?”
“Yes, Daddy. You know I’m planning her wedding.”
“You’re the maid of honor?”
“Actually, yes.” She’d been so busy thinking about Brady she hadn’t even thought about her own role in the wedding.
“You’ll be beautiful, I know it.” He broke off the edge of a cinnamon bun and bit into it.
“Dad, what’s going on between you and Mom?”
Her father’s eyebrows knitted together. “Nothing, hon. We’re just trying to be friends. We decided we needed to be civil if we’re going to live in the same town.”
Alison nodded.
Her dad sipped his coffee. “I saw Brady at the parade the other day.”
Alison squirmed. “Yes, he’s back for a month.” She explained about his accident, his temporary medical leave, the physical therapy.
Finally her father looked into
“Because…” he ran his hand through his hair “…because we’ve grown up and changed and—”
Vivica grabbed his arm. “That’s ridiculous. You still love her and I know she loves you!”
He stood, nearly knocking over his chair, and crossed the room to the window. “She’s marrying that Emerson guy.”
“No, she’s not.”
“She’s not?”
“I don’t think so. But now I understand why she’s so upset.” Vivica stalked toward him. “You asked for this divorce, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
“You big, stupid, stubborn oaf!” She swatted him with her purse. “You came back and thought she’d found someone else and got jealous and gave up.”
He covered his head to ward off another blow. “I’m not jealous!”
Her eyes crinkled with disbelief. “So you didn’t mind seeing her with Thomas?”
“Of course I minded, but—”
“See, you are jealous, because you still love her.”
“It’s not like that.”
She batted him again. “Yes, it is—”
“Listen, Vivi, I’m not the same man she married. For God’s sake, look at me.”
He caught her hands and made her stop and really look at him. “I can barely walk, much less jog anymore. I’m on medical leave from the Air Force pending an evaluation over whether or not I’ll be able to return to active duty. I don’t know what my future holds, I’m—”
“You’re using your medical condition as an excuse.”
“What?”
“You are, Brady Broussard. You’re embarrassed about a few silly scars and you’re using them as an excuse not to be with the woman you love.”
“You’re wrong, Vivi.” Brady turned and leaned against the counter, suddenly exhausted as the burden of his guilt weighed down on him. “It’s a lot more than that. A whole lot more.”
Viviplaced a hand on his shoulder, her voice softening. “Then tell me what’s wrong, Brady.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, the image of Josh’s body lying in the charred rubble of the plane flashing in his mind. The image was so vivid bile rose to his throat.
“You have to get over feeling sorry for yourself so you can move on,” Vivica said.
Brady glared at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Vivi.”
“I know this – if you give up Alison without fighting for her, you’ll be making the biggest mistake of your life. And if you give up the flying, you’re not the Brady I’ve always known.” Vivica threw up her hands and stormed toward the door. “And we all want the old Brady back.”
Brady tossed his cup in the trash without bothering to reply.
After all, she didn’t want to hear what he would say – that the old Brady was never coming back. Because the old Brady had died in the crash that had killed Josh.
* * *
Alison gathered her wits while her father dumped half a container of sugar in his coffee, rolled up the sleeves of his flowered shirt and settled into the seat across from her.
“Hey, cupcake.”
“Hi, Dad.”
He slurped his coffee. “How’s the business?”
“Great. I’ve scheduled four weddings this month and I’m working on filling the August calendar now.”
“Vivica’s getting married in August, right?”
“Yes, Daddy. You know I’m planning her wedding.”
“You’re the maid of honor?”
“Actually, yes.” She’d been so busy thinking about Brady she hadn’t even thought about her own role in the wedding.
“You’ll be beautiful, I know it.” He broke off the edge of a cinnamon bun and bit into it.
“Dad, what’s going on between you and Mom?”
Her father’s eyebrows knitted together. “Nothing, hon. We’re just trying to be friends. We decided we needed to be civil if we’re going to live in the same town.”
Alison nodded.
Her dad sipped his coffee. “I saw Brady at the parade the other day.”
Alison squirmed. “Yes, he’s back for a month.” She explained about his accident, his temporary medical leave, the physical therapy.
Finally her father looked into
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