cause. Now, go let that bully know that you aren’t going to let him tell you what to do.”
* * * *
Within moments of her brothers leaving, they all came up with excuses to leave. Brando didn’t blame them.
“So, I see you got you one with some spice in her?” Papa said to him.
“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know why she’s so upset.”
“None of you learn until you say the vows. Never back talk to a woman when you get yourself hurt. Just nod and do anything they tell you to do.”
“She didn’t give me a chance.”
“You got hurt and she feels guilty from what I heard.”
“We had a fight. I proposed and she turned me down.”
Papa nodded as he walked over to the bed. “Yeah, we heard about the unfortunate situation.”
“Shit. Don’t tell Mom.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
He closed his eyes. “Aunt Joey is going to call, isn’t she?”
“You can bet she will. So you found out she was pregnant, then you proposed?”
“Sort of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she told me, we did stuff, then I told her we needed to set a date.”
He chuckled. “I’m starting to understand what happened. You need to make sure that woman knows you love her or you’re never going to get her to marry you.”
Brando blinked. “She has to know.”
“Funny thing is, just because you tell her you want to marry her doesn’t mean you’re doing it because you love her. At least that’s the way she sees it. Make sure you let her know, or you might just lose her.”
* * * *
By the time Brando and Kaitlin arrived home, his head felt as if it might fall off his body—not to mention his skin hurt. He was pretty sure that there wasn’t an inch of flesh on his body that didn’t ache. Damn, this was almost as bad as his first week of training.
She unlocked the door, stepped in and let him walk through. She had barely spoken to him since they left the hospital, which told him she was really, really mad. He had never seen her like this before. Her brothers had told him that when Kaitlin gave him the silent treatment, he was in a lot of trouble.
She shut the door behind him, and then took his arm. “I don’t need your help.”
Kaitlin said nothing and continued to guide him to her bedroom.
“What did you and Joey talk about?”
“None of your business.”
“She’s my aunt.”
“Now you are just being a baby.”
Brando frowned. He sat on the bed and watched her move about the room. He knew he screwed up, but for the life of him, he could not seem to understand what the hell he did. Okay, so maybe his uncle might be right. But it didn’t mean he knew how to fix it.
“Why are you mad at me?”
“Because you got hurt being stupid.”
“I wasn’t being stupid.”
She stopped in front of him.
“Really? Because I call getting drunk and playing a game of rugby stupid.” He opened his mouth, but apparently she wasn’t done. “I don’t know what the hell you were thinking. You are going to be a father in less than a year, and you’re out there acting like an idiot with my idiot brothers. What would have happened if you—”
“Why did you say no?” he asked.
She blinked. “What?”
“Why did you say no? You said you loved me when I was in the hospital.”
Her shoulders sagged. “You proposed because I was pregnant.”
He shook his head. “No, I did not.”
She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. “Yes, you did.”
“Dammit, I think I know why I asked you to marry me.”
“Then why did you propose?”
“Because I love you. Good lord, you are thicker than some of your brothers. You have to be the stupidest smart person I know.”
He looked up at her and found her eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged her closer, until she was standing between his legs. She shook her head.
“Don’t you know how much I love you?”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “It’s because—”
“Dammit, don’t say
* * * *
Within moments of her brothers leaving, they all came up with excuses to leave. Brando didn’t blame them.
“So, I see you got you one with some spice in her?” Papa said to him.
“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know why she’s so upset.”
“None of you learn until you say the vows. Never back talk to a woman when you get yourself hurt. Just nod and do anything they tell you to do.”
“She didn’t give me a chance.”
“You got hurt and she feels guilty from what I heard.”
“We had a fight. I proposed and she turned me down.”
Papa nodded as he walked over to the bed. “Yeah, we heard about the unfortunate situation.”
“Shit. Don’t tell Mom.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
He closed his eyes. “Aunt Joey is going to call, isn’t she?”
“You can bet she will. So you found out she was pregnant, then you proposed?”
“Sort of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she told me, we did stuff, then I told her we needed to set a date.”
He chuckled. “I’m starting to understand what happened. You need to make sure that woman knows you love her or you’re never going to get her to marry you.”
Brando blinked. “She has to know.”
“Funny thing is, just because you tell her you want to marry her doesn’t mean you’re doing it because you love her. At least that’s the way she sees it. Make sure you let her know, or you might just lose her.”
* * * *
By the time Brando and Kaitlin arrived home, his head felt as if it might fall off his body—not to mention his skin hurt. He was pretty sure that there wasn’t an inch of flesh on his body that didn’t ache. Damn, this was almost as bad as his first week of training.
She unlocked the door, stepped in and let him walk through. She had barely spoken to him since they left the hospital, which told him she was really, really mad. He had never seen her like this before. Her brothers had told him that when Kaitlin gave him the silent treatment, he was in a lot of trouble.
She shut the door behind him, and then took his arm. “I don’t need your help.”
Kaitlin said nothing and continued to guide him to her bedroom.
“What did you and Joey talk about?”
“None of your business.”
“She’s my aunt.”
“Now you are just being a baby.”
Brando frowned. He sat on the bed and watched her move about the room. He knew he screwed up, but for the life of him, he could not seem to understand what the hell he did. Okay, so maybe his uncle might be right. But it didn’t mean he knew how to fix it.
“Why are you mad at me?”
“Because you got hurt being stupid.”
“I wasn’t being stupid.”
She stopped in front of him.
“Really? Because I call getting drunk and playing a game of rugby stupid.” He opened his mouth, but apparently she wasn’t done. “I don’t know what the hell you were thinking. You are going to be a father in less than a year, and you’re out there acting like an idiot with my idiot brothers. What would have happened if you—”
“Why did you say no?” he asked.
She blinked. “What?”
“Why did you say no? You said you loved me when I was in the hospital.”
Her shoulders sagged. “You proposed because I was pregnant.”
He shook his head. “No, I did not.”
She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. “Yes, you did.”
“Dammit, I think I know why I asked you to marry me.”
“Then why did you propose?”
“Because I love you. Good lord, you are thicker than some of your brothers. You have to be the stupidest smart person I know.”
He looked up at her and found her eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged her closer, until she was standing between his legs. She shook her head.
“Don’t you know how much I love you?”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “It’s because—”
“Dammit, don’t say
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