“I told her. Kat spent her entire life alone. I can’t imagine what that is like because I’ve always had you,” Brody said, looking around the table at his siblings. “I just wanted her to know that I cared.”
“And then what happened?” Kat asked, her expression serious.
“She left,” he said.
“You let her go?” Chad demanded. “Just like that?”
“What would you have done?” Brody said, not bothering to mask his frustration. “Follow her and demand that she love me back?”
Chad frowned. “When you put it that way, it sounds a little creepy, you’re right.”
“And it wouldn’t work. Making demands,” Lena said. “Give her time. And just keep loving her. Without asking for anything in return.”
Brody swore he saw Chad grasp Lena’s hand under the table and give it a squeeze.
“Lena’s right,” Katie said. “You need to prove that you’re going to stay in her life. No one else ever has. You need to show her that you will.”
“Yeah, man, what the hell are we doing here talking about my memory with the sun barely peeking over the mountains when the woman you love is upstairs?” Josh said, pushing back from the table. “For all I know, I might forget everything again tomorrow. My short-term memory isn’t important.”
“Yes, it is.” Katie stood and wrapped her arms around her brother. “I didn’t want to start planning my wedding until we knew if there was a chance you’d get your memory back. I’d hoped you would remember the day.”
“No guarantees,” Josh said.
Brody watched his family exchange hugs and then head for the door. He’d do anything for these people. He’d known that for a long time. And he wanted to add Kat to that group. But he couldn’t push her to feel something when she wasn’t ready. His family was right. He needed to give her time. And even then there were no guarantees.
But waiting didn’t mean he had to avoid her. He could go to her now. And heck, maybe find out her favorite color before she flew across the country.
After taking the stairs two at a time, Brody reached the door to his little sister’s childhood room and paused. Inside, he heard Kat’s voice. He picked out the words “I understand” and “good-bye.” There was a beat of silence and he raised his hand to knock.
And then sobbing.
He froze, recognizing the choked-up gasping for air that accompanied free flowing tears. He’d held his sister while she wept after their father died. In the aftermath of Josh’s accident, he’d stood on the other side of the hospital door waiting for his brother’s tears to fade, knowing Josh wouldn’t want an audience while he cried.
Brody knew the sounds. But he didn’t know if Kat wanted comfort or if crying in front of others embarrassed her.
You don’t know enough about me to love me.
In the moment, he’d wanted to tell her that love didn’t have strict standards. There wasn’t a numbered checklist floating around that demanded he know X, Y, and Z before offering his heart. He knew that her compassion drove him nearly as wild as her Miss Perfect looks. And he was in awe of her drive to succeed.
Standing out here, listening to her cry, he had to admit there were things he didn’t know. But he knew she’d stood by him when he was feeling ripped apart by a lost kid on a mountain. She didn’t need to know his favorite color before offering comfort.
Taking a chance, he raised his hand and knocked. “Kat, it’s Brody. Can I—”
“Just a minute,” she called, her voice wavering. He heard a deep breath, as if she was struggling to hold back tears.
The door opened. With one hand on the knob, Kat faced him, tears still flowing over her cheeks. But apart from her red eyes, she looked damn near perfect. Wearing the same shirt he’d used to bind her hands that first night in the hotel, a skirt that hugged her curves, and boots, every inch of her screamed “City doctor.”
“Just the person I needed to see.” Kat forced a smile, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Kat,” he said gently, wishing he could wrap his arms around her. But the tension flowing from her, filling the space between them like an imaginary barricade, sent a clear message. Stand Back! He had a feeling if he reached for her, she’d break away.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I didn’t get her,” she said. “Brianna, the little girl who asked me if I would adopt her.”
“They said no? To you?” Shock filled his voice. “You would be a great parent. And you know better than anyone what she is going through. I thought the goal was to get kids out of foster care.”
“It is. And Brianna is getting a forever home. Just not with me. The family who adopted Brianna’s younger sister found out about her and offered to take Brianna too. The state always tries to keep siblings together when they can. And it’s the best thing for her.” Her voice wavered over the words. “But I had already started to think about her as mine.”