Kate Hoffmann - Brody

“Do you ever think about him?” Brody asked.

“Sam?”

Sam. There. She’d said his name. How many times had she said that name? How many times with love in her eyes and how many times with passion in her touch? She had a whole history with this man, a life that Brody knew nothing about.

“Never mind.” He pushed to his feet. “I don’t need to know. I really don’t want to know.” He raked his hands through his hair again, suddenly feeling a bit vulnerable, standing in front of her stark naked. This was exactly why he couldn’t allow himself to believe in a future with Payton.

She might be able to handle it, but he’d surely find a way to fuck it up. “I’m going to go for a run,” he said.

“But, it isn’t even light out.”

Brody shrugged. “It will be by the time I get back.”

“I could come with you.”

“No. I just need to clear my head.” He walked back to the bedroom and put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, then grabbed his trainers from the closet floor. When he returned to the living room, she was sitting where he’d left her, her knees pulled up beneath the oversize jumper.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” he said. “Why don’t you get a little more sleep and then we’ll go to breakfast.”

Brody slipped out of the door before she could reply to his suggestion, then strode down the hall to the lift. He stepped inside, releasing a tightly held breath as the doors closed in front of him.

There was no sense trying to plan his future right now. Until he found work, it would be best to keep his feelings for Payton in check. He could enjoy their time together, enjoy the passion they shared, but anything beyond that would be a risk.

PAYTON STROLLED slowly through the Fremantle Market, searching for inspiration for the evening meal. She’d already purchased prawns at the fish market on the harbor and now she was studying the vegetables that filled the stalls.

Though they’d only been in Fremantle for a week and a half, she’d already settled into life with Brody. They’d spent their days touring the city and surfing and trying new restaurants. Yesterday, they’d sailed a friend’s boat to Rottnest Island and ridden bicycles over the picturesque roads. Brody had even rented a room at the old hotel where they had their lunch and enjoyed a “nap” before continuing their tour.

Payton smiled to herself. Though they’d stripped off their clothes before crawling into bed, neither one of them had had any intention of sleeping. Instead, they’d spent a lazy hour kissing and touching before they made love.

It had been a wonderful day filled with long walks and quiet conversation. Brody was a complicated man, troubled by his own doubts and worries. He’d confessed that he was toying with the idea of calling the NFL scout and talking to him about a job.

Though she could sense his tension over scheduling a tryout, Payton tried to reassure him that even if it didn’t work out, it didn’t represent a failure. In the end, Brody made the call.

The NFL scout had arranged to meet him at the Oval tomorrow. Brody had nearly canceled, but she’d convinced him she would be there when he came home, exactly as she was when he left, whether the tryout was a success or not.

The more she got to know Brody, the more she realized how vulnerable he was when it came to his emotions. He seemed so self-assured on the outside, but inside, he was a tangle of insecurities. There were moments when she caught him watching her, times when she woke up and he was clutching her hand so tightly it hurt. Was he really that afraid of losing her?

Though Payton had left a mess in Fiji, she didn’t have any plans to return home. She would have to call at some point and had resolved to do that by the end of the week. The private investigator was probably still searching for her and it wouldn’t do to waste more of her parents’ money or cause them any more worry.

By now, they should be comfortable with the fact that she wouldn’t be coming home anytime soon. They’d have accepted the notion that Sam would not be her husband and that she would not be living a comfortable life in Connecticut, raising their grandchildren and attending charity events.

She shook her head, a tiny shudder running through her at the thought. How close to that life had she come? If she’d pushed aside her fears and married Sam, it would have been her future-everything all planned out in front of her.

But her life with Brody was exciting. Every day was a new adventure. And though he worried about his career, Payton was truly convinced that she could live anywhere with him and be happy. She loved working at the station. And she loved Fremantle, too. But most of her affection for both places had come from being with Brody.

Payton strolled over to a vegetable stall and chose some colorful sweet peppers and fingerling potatoes. She waited for the vendor to put them in a bag for her. Then she moved on to the nearest fruit stall and picked out some red oranges, knowing they would make a wonderful tangy-sweet sauce for the prawns. At the last second, she picked up a kilo of strawberries for dessert.

It wasn’t a long walk back to Brody’s apartment and the weather was pleasant. She’d bought only enough for the evening meal and didn’t mind carrying the bags.

As she approached Brody’s building, she noticed a dark sedan parked across the street. A man was standing against the front fender, his arms crossed over his chest. He saw her almost immediately and Payton’s breath caught as he removed his glasses.

“Sam,” she whispered to herself. Her heart slammed against her rib cage as he slowly crossed the street to where she stood. She blinked, hoping that she was seeing things, but as he came closer, Payton knew he wasn’t a figment of her imagination.

“Hello, Payton,” he said. He reached out and grabbed her elbow, then brushed a kiss on her cheek.

“Hello, Sam. What are you doing here?”

He gave her a cool look, his icy blue eyes cutting through her. “What do you think, Payton?”

She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t worry,” he muttered. “I’ll wait for your answer. I’m used to that.”

His words dripped with sarcasm. She hadn’t realized until now, but that was one of things she truly hated about Sam. When he was angry, he got nasty. She’d always just accepted it as part of his nature, but now she realized there were men who didn’t feel it necessary to patronize the women they loved.

“I’d assume you’re looking for me,” she said, keeping her voice calm and detached. “How did you find me?”

“Your parents and I hired a private investigator. They thought you might have had a-a breakdown.”

She bit back a laugh. “I’m mentally sound,” she said. “I’m not crazy.”

“The investigator tracked that Quinn fellow here after he figured out you’d left the station with him. He’s spent the last few days following you. You’ve had quite a vacation. Or maybe we should call it a honeymoon?”

Payton glanced around. She and Brody had been so caught up in each other, they hadn’t even noticed someone following them. “Why don’t you just say what you came to say, Sam. I understand you’re angry and I’m sorry for any embarrassment I caused. But you have to realize I saved us both a lot of heartache.”

This seemed to soften his prickly facade. “Did you ever love me?”

“I think I did,” she said, knowing it was probably a lie. “But I also think I was getting married to please my parents. They wanted me to be settled and happy and I never thought about what I really wanted.”

“And this is it? Some guy you just met? I’ve read the report on him, Payton. Come on, you can’t seriously be thinking of staying here with him. He’s just some washed-up jock.”

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the next day. But I’m happy right now, Sam. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“Payton, be practical. You don’t belong here. You’re thousands of miles from everything you know-your family and your friends. I forgive you. You made a mistake, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. We can begin again.”

“I did make a mistake,” she admitted. “I should have been honest about my feelings and my fears. I should have told you how I felt long before our wedding day.”

“You got cold feet. Lots of women go through that. But give it a little more time and you’ll realize who really loves you. And then you’ll come home.”

“Sam, I don’t-”

He reached out and pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t. Just think about what I’ve said, Payton. I’m staying in Perth for the next three days. I think we should take some time to talk. To see if we can smooth out this wrinkle.”

Wrinkle, Payton mused. She ran away from their wedding and took up with another man and Sam considered it a wrinkle. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“I’m at the Intercontinental. Room 1250. I’ll be waiting for your call.” With that, he turned and walked back to his car. Payton stared after him, wanting to shout out her anger. How dare he assume that she’d change her mind? She wasn’t some feebleminded doormat who could be convinced by his mere appearance.

Sam could wait all he wanted, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. She’d call her parents tonight and tell them exactly that. And then she’d tell them to talk some sense into her ex-fiancé. But first, she’d tell Brody about Sam’s sudden appearance. Knowing Sam and his inability to accept losing at anything, she could expect another visit. She would not allow Brody to be caught off guard.

When she returned to Brody’s apartment, she found him sitting on the sofa, examining his knee. He glanced up as she walked inside and she noticed the worried expression etched across his face.