Have a Heart 2 Read online

  “So are you two a pair, or what?” Cathy asked.

  Scott looked at Brianna, and she looked back at him. They both didn’t answer.

  “I see. You still need to finish talking.” Cathy smiled at them. She was very pleased that things were finally starting to move ahead.

  “I have to work tomorrow,” Scott told Brianna. “I finish at three.”

  “I have lessons to give at three and at four. I’m free Tuesday afternoon,” she offered.

  “Okay, what do you want to do?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what do you want to do?”

  “We could go to the cafe again. You liked that last time.”

  “Okay.” Brianna looked back at the babies sleeping so peacefully.

  “What about me? She’s my friend too.” Cathy was feeling a little left out.

  “Tomorrow morning?” Brianna turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “At my house?”

  “I’ll be there. We have so much to talk about. I can hardly wait.” Cathy finished the last of the dishes.

  “Sharon.” Brianna looked at the girl, who was a younger version of Rebecca. “Congratulations. I hope you had a really nice graduation.”

  “Yes, I really did, thank you. I can’t believe I’m all grown up now. I start work in a month. A real job. It’s in Montgomery. I’m so excited.” Sharon had studied to become a journalist. Her hopes and dreams were coming true. She talked on and on about her new job and how she was planning on changing the world.

  At 3:30 Scott claimed it was time for him to bring Brianna home. He brought her out to his car after she had said goodbye to everyone except Rebecca and her husband who were still fighting. They got loud every once in a while.

  Lots of yelling but no spanking.

  “That was just embarrassing. I’m really sorry about that, Brianna.” Scott glimpsed over at her for a second. She didn’t say anything. She was being so quiet.

  He knew that once he got her talking, she was a lot of fun to be around. “I don’t want to be pushy, and you don’t have to give me an answer right away but – Where do we stand, Brianna?”

  Brianna opened her mouth to say something then she shut it again. According to her mother’s definition she was in love with him. She had bawled for days when she thought he had forgotten her.

  Could she really have Scott Greene as her boyfriend? No other person had ever hurt her more, but she knew that he would take care of her. She wasn’t sure.

  Did she just need more time to think about it, or would that be stringing him along? Maybe she should tell him after she came back from Minnesota. A true break to organize her thoughts.

  She looked over at him. He looked nervous. He was usually so sure of himself. Her answer would hurt him. She didn’t want that. Hurting him would hurt her too. She turned away from him again. She had already told him that she loved him. Then she smiled and looked at him. “I want to hear the speech.”

  “What?”

  “The speech that you had planned to tell me yesterday. I want to hear it.”

  He laughed. She was always good for saying something totally unexpected. He was almost at her house. He smiled to himself, thinking that hadn’t been the no he was already expecting from her after that long break.

  Scott parked in her driveway and took a deep breath and looked over at her. She had a huge smile on her face. He laughed again too. He had pictured her face as he had practiced his speech. She had always looked surprised and a little hurt. Now she looked happy.

  “You remember the rose?”

  She nodded. It was in a vase in her room.

  “I would have given you the rose, and then I kind of pictured myself getting down on one knee. That would have probably have scared you anyway. Okay back to the speech.”

  He cleared his throat. “Brianna, I have been in love with you for a while now. I knew that I couldn’t do anything about that back at school so I have been waiting for today to tell you this. I know that our path hasn’t always been smooth, but I truly do care very deeply for you. I want to continue to be a part of your life if you will have me.” He was staring in her eyes as he spoke.

  “I realize that this must be very overwhelming for you, and I don’t expect an answer right away, but perhaps we could go out this evening and get to know each other on new level, one where we could just be ourselves.” He sighed at the end. “That was about it.”

  She smiled at him. “That would have scared the crap out of me. I would have thought that there was something wrong with my medicine again. You know hallucinations.” She was laughing but trying not to. “This is just so unreal. There isn’t anything special about me. Maybe if you could answer the question? Why me?” She stopped laughing and looked into his eyes.

  He nodded. “You’re right. I don’t know why. I just know that it hurts me when I can’t see you or be near you. I think about you all the time. My thoughts are always circling around you, since the first day I met you. You know no one has ever read that silly handbook. I knock on your door, and you have the book in your hand. It was all dog eared and highlighted. Usually, I spank every girl the first night, and everyone believes that I’ll do it. It brings a certain order to everything, but with you, everything was out of order, and I was so worried about that bringing everything else out of whack and – I’m babbling now.” He stopped embarrassed.

  “I like it when you babble.” She leaned into him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you Tuesday.” She got out of the car and closed the door. So did he.

  “Hey wait, Brianna. Who is going to pick you up on Tuesday?”

  She blushed red. “My boyfriend is.” She hurried up the steps into her house.

  Her parents were waiting for her again. “So how did he take it? I’ll bet he was devastated.” Eva laid an arm around her daughter.

  Brianna blushed again. “I wanted to tell him no, but then when I opened my mouth, I ended up telling him that I loved him instead.”

  Her father broke out laughing then. “I knew it.” He stepped forward and hugged his daughter. “Congratulations, he is a fine young man. I think you chose well.”

  Eva hugged her too. “I have been so worried all day that you would really push him away. I’m so glad you didn’t. It would have caused you so much pain.”

  They made supper together and talked about all the things that they had been keeping from her. She was still a little hurt that everyone knew but her. Her mother explained that she had been too young back then.

  “Is it proper to be sharing an apartment with him now that we are a couple?”

  “He’ll have his own room, and you will be sharing one with Cathy. She will be acting as a chaperon, but the thing is we trust you, and him. It’s just two more years to wait. He wants to marry you once he has a good job. I’ll hire him myself so you two can get married then.” Charles smiled at his own joke.

  “But what if we break up? Living together could get odd then?” Brianna had a feeling that this was all going a little too fast for her.

  “What if little green men land on the planet and want your apartment. What if marriage is outlawed? What if you two live happily ever after?”

  “Knock it off, Daddy. This isn’t something you should tease me about.”

  “I’ll tell you what. We can stop by the apartment on Saturday. Scott, his folks, and his sister can meet us there. You kids can look at the place. You three will be taking over an apartment from friends of ours. The husband is going to be transferred to his company’s office in Thailand for two years. It is furnished and has pots and pans. It’s perfect, and it is in a very good neighborhood.”

  Brianna nodded. She would talk to Cathy about that tomorrow among other things. She had several questions about Scott that she would rather ask her than him.

  Brianna needed honest answers, and Cathy was a very honest person. Brianna needed someone like that in her life. Someone she could turn to who wouldn’t lie to her and tell her what they guessed she wanted to hear.
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  Cathy would be able to put everything into prospective.

  Chapter 13 – Best Friends Should Tell Each Other Everything

  “Why? You’re my best friend? And not a word. How could you not tell me? I thought we told each other everything?” Brianna was laying on her bed, looking at the ceiling while Cathy sat at her vanity brushing her hair.

  “We were all dropping hints.” Cathy answered.

  “Nothing good.”

  “Scott threatened me.”

  “Really?” Brianna rolled over and looked at her friend. She was still worried that he may have an evil side to him. Who took a job spanking girls? It just wasn’t normal.

  “Of course he did. If you had found out, then you would have had to move to another floor. The Dean was clear about that. He didn’t approve at all.”

  “The Dean knew too?” She couldn’t believe it.

  “Yes, he did.” Cathy turned to look at her friend. “You told him. He found out when you were in the hospital. Apparently you woke up and started looking for Scott and asking for him. He wanted to move you right away, but your mom went at him like a wild beast. She threatened to pull you completely out of school if he did that. She wanted him there protecting you.”

  “Protecting me from what?” This sounded like he had somehow brainwashed everybody.

  “She believes that he was the only one who took your illness seriously. Others wouldn’t have checked to make sure you were taking your medicine and eating right. Scott took his responsibility with you very seriously, and he still does. He has been racking his brain about what you two could do on a date and what could be too much for you and how long such a date could last. Scott is worried that you aren’t getting enough sleep. He thinks you should eat more. He rambles on about that a lot.”

  “He thinks I’m ugly?” Brianna made a face.

  “No, he thinks that if you had a bit more meat on your bones and got sick, your body would have a bit of a reserve. Trust me you don’t want to get into a discussion about that with him. He argues with my mom who says that you are just doing exactly what the doctors tell you to do.”

  Cathy continued. “Scott was grinning from ear to ear when he came home yesterday. Even Rebecca couldn’t burst his bubble and believe me she tried.”

  “What’s up with them? That was very uncomfortable.”

  “We don’t think that she was really picking a fight with Scott. We think she was picking one with her husband. He’s from up north. She wants him to finally take charge. He just won’t. My parents are worried.”

  “Why did she pick on Scott?”

  “I guess she was hoping that he would give her husband a suggestion about how to handle her.”

  “Cathy, do you plan on marrying a guy who spanks you?” Brianna couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation.

  “I don’t know.” she shrugged. “I did well in school, and I was really nice at home too until I was on my own at college. I did everything wrong there. Then I was back under Scott’s control, and everything was all right again. If my husband really loved me, and if he only did it when I really acted up, then it would be okay.” She looked at Brianna. “You think I’m crazy right?”

  “No, I think it just may be your whole family.”

  Cathy laughed at that.

  “Can I ask you something so I don’t have to ask Scott?”

  “What is it?” She was still grinning.

  “Why and how did he take a job spanking women?”

  That had Cathy almost rolling on the floor. “The how part is easy. One of his college professors recommended him. He was really unsure at first, but it paid so well. He wanted to go to law school and not have to work at a job while he went there so he could concentrate on studying and getting perfect grades and then getting a good job, and then he wanted to get married and settle down. Scott did it for the money. He liked the girls and all, but he complained that they were all so spoiled. He didn’t like his job, but he did believe that he was helping those girls.”

  Brianna let that run through her head before she spoke. “Thanks. I wanted to know, but I didn’t want to ask. A question like that would be an accusation. Say, did your parents tell you about the apartment?”

  “Yep, it sounds great. Two more years of fun before we have to be adults. I’ll be there to make sure that you and Scott aren’t up to any hanky panky.” She made a very serious face.

  “Really? Are you worried about that? Are your parents?”

  “I don’t know about my parents, but I would feel very uncomfortable if you two started doing anything in front of me. Were you planning on doing anything?”

  “No, not really, but I wasn’t planning on having a boyfriend either.” Brianna shrugged.

  “There are just some pictures I don’t need to have in my head. You two touching each other, anywhere, is in that category.”

  “Oh, you are going to be that strict.”

  Brianna sounded so disappointed that Cathy had to dig deeper. “What actually were you thinking about under touching?” She whispered so Brianna’s mother couldn’t hear them.

  “I like it when he holds me tightly, and I can rest my head on his chest, especially when I’m on his lap with his arms wrapped around me. I feel so safe that way.”

  Cathy’s mouth dropped. “When did you two ever do that?”

  “At school,” Brianna sounded so unsure of herself.

  “Often?”

  “Sometimes,” she shyly answered.

  “And you had no idea? Did you think he went room to room tickling, hugging and holding all the girls?”

  “No, of course not. I figured that he just saw me like one of his little sisters.”

  Cathy laughed until her side hurt. “Trust me, I am his little sister, and he didn’t do that with me except like once when I first came to school, minus the tickling. You are so naïve. I was surprised that none of the other girls caught on. He was always in your room checking on you, tucking you in and stuff. Please it was so obvious. I even thought that when he showed up and told you that he loved you, that you would be relieved that he was finally just admitting it.”

  “I was surprised. I figured I’d die an old maid. I pictured my life with all of my birthdays rolling together. Just me and my parents in the garden, and I wouldn’t even get a piece of cake.” Brianna sighed just thinking about it.

  “What would you have done if he had told you back at school?”

  “I don’t know? It would have really bothered me that he was spanking all of those girls while they were half naked. It still does. I try not to think about that. What you told me before will help.”

  They gabbed about school, and Brianna’s upcoming birthday. They would be celebrating inside, and there was going to be store bought cake.

  Brianna told herself that if she was feeling really good, then she would make Scott a cheesecake again this year. Girlfriends did things like that for their boyfriends.

  Brianna stood in front of the door for a second before she opened it so her heart rate would settle down. Scott was standing there looking so good again. He had jeans and a light blue shirt on. The shirt accented his eyes. She was wearing a dress similar to the one he liked so much.

  “Hello, Scott.” She was beaming up at him.

  “Brianna, you look so beautiful again today.” He wanted to hug her so badly and give her a kiss, but he could see her mother standing at the bottom of the stairs.

  “What time should I have her home by?” he asked her mother.

  “Just have fun, you two. Bring her home when you think is right.” She smiled at her daughter. She was such a beautiful young lady, Eva thought.

  “I was thinking that maybe we should walk. How far can you walk in those shoes?” he asked as he looked at her very sexy legs and feet. The heels she was wearing made her look like a supermodel.

  “Only one way to find out.” Brianna stepped ahead of him. She didn’t want him to see her as a sick baby. She smiled back at him.


  Scott ran to catch her hand. He liked that she was his now. He talked to her about a couple of funny things that had happened at work. She laughed with him. She told him about the kids who she was teaching piano to.

  They entered the coffeehouse and ordered. He ordered her a brownie. She gave him a scolding look. “I’ll eat the rest when you’re finished.”

  They sat down at a table and talked some more. Scott had a feeling like they had always been together. He went over to the cupboard that was filled with board games and cards. He got out a game of checkers. They played for hours. He slowly walked her home, wanting to make the date last as long as possible. They talked some more about this and that, mostly about school next year and their apartment.

  Scott kissed her at her door again. He drove home, and he was the happiest man in the world. He would see her again tomorrow. What more could he want?

  The Greene family and the Banks family met outside of the apartment building. Both sets of parents had been there already. The neighborhood was an especially good one. This was the richest part of town. Their children would be safe here.

  Scott held Brianna’s hand as they walked in. There was an elevator even. He pointed it out to Brianna. She nodded but headed towards the stairs. He smiled at her and followed her up. They rang the bell and waited for the door to open. Their jaws dropped as the door opened. This was a huge and very modern apartment. It looked like it should be in a magazine. It had hard wood floors and all the walls were painted white with lots of white bookcases. The kitchen, dining room and living room shared a room, giving the room an open and elegant feeling. They would always be together.

  Scott would get the master bedroom. He could hardly believe his luck. The girls had their own bedrooms, but they had to share the joining bathroom. They were all amazed.

  The wife talked to them about the plants that they had. Cathy got out a pad and wrote along. Her mom was a plant lover so they talked about that. Scott spoke with the husband. He had worked at the granary in his younger days too. Brianna stood next to him quietly holding his hand. The men seemed to be getting along well. She excused herself and went to learn about proper plant care.