Trenton was in shock at Bree’s behavior but he finally pulled himself together and sent first her and then Chad a smile. It was obvious Chad didn’t appreciate being used. He could instantly see Bree was playing them all and he wasn’t giving her the victory of knowing she’d done a great job of causing him more stress. He grabbed his cup and took a large gulp, not even wincing when the hot liquid burned his tongue and throat.

“I don’t care how you react, Bree. You need someone to protect you and Mark and Uncle Joseph both vouch for Chad so it looks like you’re stuck with him. If you want to act that way, have at it,” Trenton said, calling her on her bluff. Her shoulders slumped as her plan backfired. She forgot how good her brothers were at one-upmanship.

“Fine, as you can see, we’re just comfy cozy here. There’s no need for all of you to hang around, too,” she said as she sat down.

“Sorry for hassling you, Chad, but we tend to worry about Bree,” Max said, further shocking Bree. It seemed they were deciding it was smarter to team up with Chad than to fight against him. She figured they knew if he was their buddy, she would no longer want to side with him. He’d become more of an enemy than a friend. They were right.

“I’d feel the same way if it were my family. Mark is like a brother to me, and Bree being his cousin is a good enough reason for me to want to protect her,” Chad answered, all his animosity seeming to evaporate. Great, just great, Bree thought, next they were going to sing ‘Save the World’ and start a bonfire.

“Has anything happened since you got here?” Alex asked. Bree tensed, not wanting Chad to talk about the break-in. He ignored her as he looked at the men.

“Someone broke into her house,” he answered, which had all four men sitting up straight in their seats again.

“What the hell, Bree! Why didn’t you say anything sooner,” Trenton shouted. She expected that kind of response from him.

“First of all, I didn’t tell you because it just happened today. Secondly, I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. Finally, you guys hired this over-the-top bodyguard for me, so no one has a chance of getting near me, anyway.”

“Someone came pretty damn close,” Max interrupted.

“I wasn’t here,” Bree fought back.

“This is getting ridiculous. I should just throw you over my shoulder and drag you home, whether you like it or not,” Trenton threatened.

“Over my dead body,” Bree shouted.

“You’re not going to be acting so tough when some maniac knocks you over the head and drags you away,” Charlie said, speaking up for the first time in a while.

“That’s not going to happen. You all need to settle down. I’ve agreed to let Chad stick around, so cool your jets.”

“Your stubbornness is going to get you in too much trouble one of these times,” Max stated.

“I’m trying to have a normal life. I don’t think I’m asking for too much. Give me a chance to live a little, then I’ll be the good little girl and come home. I will make sure to get nice and pregnant, run around the house barefoot and serve you all,” Bree said with sarcasm, but real pain was in her voice too. She needed them to trust her – to let her live.

Max was the first to cave. He couldn’t stand seeing his sister hurting. He got up from the table and pulled her from the chair so he could hug her.

“You know we just love you too much to ever let anything bad happen to you, right?”

“I know,” she conceded.

“Since you’ve agreed to let Chad stick around, we’ll back off. But, we would all feel much better if you’d just come home. I promise to even back off if you do.”

“I know you’d try, but it would be impossible for you. Just give me a little while to see what it’s like to make it on my own. I promise if the situation takes a change for the worse, or if I really do feel threatened, I’ll come home. I barely got here, though. I need more time.” Bree didn’t want to upset her family so she was willing to make some concessions, especially when they were being reasonable instead of threatening or trying to exert their will on her.

“I don’t like it, but I’ll agree. We all love you, and you know there isn’t anything we won’t do for you,” Trenton spoke up. “We’ll take off for now, but remember, we’re only a phone call away. You know, barefoot and serving me drinks is good enough. There’s no need to get pregnant,” he finished in an attempt to make her smile. It worked, as he knew it would. Her brother was one of the good guys, he just had to learn she was grown-up, not the little five year old sister in pigtails, anymore.

“I thought the plan was to drag her back, even if she was kicking and screaming,” Charlie protested. Chad shot him a glare.

“Bree’s an adult. I think she made a valid point,” Chad said.

“We’ll let Dad know you’re all right,” Max said.

“I’ll try to keep him from camping on your doorstep,” Trenton added.

“Jessica said you can stay at our place anytime. She also told me to tell you that she’d keep all of us ridiculously over-zealous guys away from you. Her words, not mine,” Alex stated with a sheepish smile.

“Tell Jessica I’ll think about that. Now, get out of here. I love you all,” she said, relaxing since she knew she’d won a small victory. She also knew it wouldn’t last. They’d go home and immediately begin worrying over the break-in, then they’d be back again, trying to get her home. She should get at least a week or two of peace, though.

Chapter Four

Chad paced the small house from one side to the other but felt like punching out a window instead. He only made it about six steps before he reached one end and had to turn around again.

Bree’s family had left a couple hours ago and she was still hiding in her room, where she’d rushed as soon as the front door had closed.

He didn’t want to pressure her but he knew she needed to talk. They hadn’t had a chance to discuss the kiss that had almost gotten out of hand. They also needed to discuss the living situation. He didn’t like the poor security of her house and felt he could do a much better job of protecting her in a more secure location. She was too easily ambushed where she lived but convincing her to leave wasn’t going to be an easy task.

He approached her door and listened, feeling like a peeping-tom. Finally, he knocked but there wasn’t an answer. He started to worry so he opened the door and peeked his head in, knowing she’d be furious with him, but willing to take the risk. Seeing her sitting on the bed with her head in her hands, looking defeated wasn’t what he wanted. The creaking of the door hinges quickly brought her head up and she composed her face, but it was too late, he’d seen the grief, and he wanted to make it right.

“I told you I need to be alone for a while,” she snapped.

He took a relaxing breath before stepping inside her tiny space. He tried to avoid the fact that they were alone in her small room. She looked so enticing sitting on top of her purple bedspread.

She tried to keep her glare centered on him but he could see the fear behind her bravado. She was frustrated and didn’t want to run home, but her family had brought more worry to the forefront of her mind. He sat down to comfort her. She flinched when he reached his hand out.

“I don’t need anyone else coddling me.”

“I know you don’t but you’ve been given a lot to handle the last couple of weeks and even the strongest of us can use a friend to vent to sometimes,” he calmly replied.

“I know my family wants to keep me safe and I know you have a job to do but I’m sick of feeling smothered. They treat me like a child, instead of an adult. I came here to gain independence, but it seems I’m not even allowed that,” she pouted. Chad had to carefully compose his features to make sure a smile didn’t come through. She’d probably haul off and hit him if she saw even the hint of a grin.

She said she was an adult and didn’t want to be treated as a juvenile, but at the moment she was throwing a bit of a tantrum. The situation was amusing and helped ease the anger inside him that had been building since he saw her tossed house.

“I’m going to share something with you that I don’t talk about to anyone – ever,” he quietly whispered. “I had a sister – she was the cutest little girl in the universe. I was ten years older than her and I worshipped the ground she walked on.” The tone of his voice instantly put Bree on alert. She didn’t think his story would have a happy ending, especially when he used the word, had.

“My mother wasn’t a great person, not even the tiniest bit, and my sister wasn’t planned. My mom was so messed up she didn’t even realize she was pregnant until she was five months along. She tried to abort her, but it was too late at that point and the doctors refused to do it. Mother was working at a little diner when all this came to pass and the manager was a real decent guy. Apparently, he’d had a crush on my mom for a long time so he jumped at the opportunity to date her. She was down and out and searching for a sugar daddy, and he was the only guy offering, so she accepted. We moved in with him and his place was heaven compared to the trashy apartment we’d been living in,” Chad spoke in a monotone voice. Bree grabbed his hand without either of them realizing it.

“My mother was a user – she took all she could from Ray. He was real nice to me. She stopped doing drugs long enough to get through the rest of her pregnancy, but she only did that because she liked living at Ray’s place. She didn’t have to worry about the bills, or food. She had my sister and wanted to give her away, but she knew the gravy train would end if she did, so she brought her home.” Chad paused and Bree was shocked to see moisture in the corner of his eye. He turned away and took a moment to compose himself before continuing.

“Mother had nothing to do with Jackie from the day they came home from the hospital. Ray and I named her. We were the ones who fed and changed her. She was amazing. I don’t know how something so perfect could come out of someone so horrible, but she was an angel. She hardly ever cried and she had this smile that would light up the room. The first time she laughed, I couldn’t help but join her. It seemed like only days, but all of a sudden three years had gone by. My mother was gone more and more and I could see how upset it made Ray. He offered to marry her but she always managed to delay it. We both knew she was out with other men – sometimes she’d be gone for a few days, then walk in as if nothing was wrong. Jackie didn’t even call her mom.”

Bree was horrified as she listened to Chad speak of his past. She certainly got upset with her family but she knew how much they loved her, and she loved them without question. They had grown distant after their mother passed, but she’d never doubted their love. They had all just needed time to heal from the tragic loss of losing their mom.

“I was watching Jackie – which was nothing new. I loved spending time with her. I know that sounds weird, because at that point I was thirteen, and most kids that age would feel put out by having to watch a baby sibling, but I loved her so it was never a burden. Besides, I knew she needed me.” His voice grew more hoarse the longer he spoke. Bree knew she couldn’t interrupt him, though she wanted to stop what was coming.