An Unexpected Love, Amber Riel [i have read the book .txt] 📗

left the food out for him.  “Thank you, Laura,” he said as he walked over to the table.  He grabbed four slices of bread.  He picked up the knife which was laying on top of the lid for the mayo and dipped it into the jar.  He spread the mayo on each slice of bread one at a time.

          “Are you making yourself two sandwiches?” Laura asked.

          Brandon smiled.  “Yea.  I’m a growing man and I’m hungry.”

          “You need a girlfriend, Uncle Brandon.”

          “Why do you say that?” Brandon asked as he looked at the child, smiling and amazed that she would say that.

          “Well, you’re lonely and only lonely people eat nonstop,” Laura said.  “I’m surprised you’re not fat yet.”  She laughed.

          Brandon knew she was joking and couldn’t help but laugh.  What he couldn’t tell her though was that no woman would want him after what he had done recently.  When he finished the sandwiches, he placed them on the same plate so Laura wouldn’t ask him any questions.  “Um…. Laura, I’m going to go to my room and listen to the radio for a little bit…. Are you going to be alright down here by yourself?  Or do you need me to stay down here?” he asked as he placed some chips on the plate.

          “I’ll be fine.”

          “Are you sure?”

          “Yes.”

          “Okay.”  He headed for the doorway and stopped.  He turned to face Laura.  “If you need anything, I’ll be upstairs.  Okay?”

          “Okay.”

 

 

          Cassie lay back on the bed.  She loved how soft and comfortable it was.  She closed her eyes and imagined herself in a field.  A man walked toward her and sat next to her.  He grabbed her hand and held it in his.  She smiled and turned her attention toward the man.  Her smile vanished when she realized the man was Brandon.  She sat up and wiped her eyes.  Why was she imagining that Brandon was her love?

          There was a knock on the door.

          She stopped wiping her eyes and looked at the door.  She had to play it off.  “Come in.”

          Brandon opened the door and Buck quickly hurried out of the room.  Brandon was surprised by the blur of fur.  He hadn’t realized that the dog was even in the room.  “How did he get in here?”

          “He snuck in when you asked me if I wanted a sandwich.”

          Brandon nodded, kind of opening his mouth as if to speak but no words came out.  He walked over and sat next to Cassie on the bed after he closed the door.  Then his memory reminded him to turn on the radio.  “Can you hold this?” he asked.

          “Why?” Cassie looked at the plate.

          “Because I told my niece that I was going to listen to some music and I don’t want to look like a liar.”

          “Okay.”  Cassie took the plate and looked at the sandwiches.  “I’m not going to be able to eat all of this.”

          “It’s not all for you…. One of those sandwiches is mine…. Do you think that I’d starve myself?”

          “Maybe.”  Cassie smiled.

          Brandon kind of laughed.  “You actually look like you need to eat.”

          “Believe it or not, I do eat.”

 

 

          Ten O’clock at night and Brandon had finished reading a story to Laura who had fallen asleep.  He kissed her forehead.  “Good night, kid.  Sleep tight.  See you in the morning,” he whispered to her.  He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders so she wouldn’t freeze.  He stood up and placed the book on the bookshelf.  He headed out of the room and flipped off the light before closing the door behind him.

 

 

          Cassie had just changed into a shirt and a pair of sweat pants that Brandon had let her wear for bed.  Even though the clothes were kind of baggy on her, she felt comfortable.  The only problem was what they were going to do about the sleeping arrangements.

          There was a knock on the door and of course Cassie knew it was Brandon.

          Cassie sighed.  “Come in,” she spoke loud enough for Brandon to hear but not to where she would wind up waking up Laura.

          Brandon walked in and closed the door behind him.

          “Is she asleep?”

          “Yea.  She just went to bed.”

          “Okay…. Um…. What are we going to do about sleeping?”

          Brandon hadn’t thought about it.  “Well, we’re going to sleep on the bed.”

          Cassie dropped her mouth at the suggestion.  “No…. No….”

          “What?”

          “I am not going to sleep in the same bed with a man until after marriage…. And that means I’m not going to sleep in the same bed with a man that I just met especially the man who kidnapped me.”

          Brandon moved closer to Cassie and held her arms.  “Nothing has to happen in order for a man and a woman to share the same bed,” he told her as he looked into her dark brown eyes.

          “Still.  I don’t know you that well and why do I---”

          Brandon kissed her, catching her off guard.  He pulled away from her, shocked by what he had just done.

          Cassie was just as surprised by what had taken place.  She just stared into space.

          “I see what you’re saying…. I’m going to go sleep on the couch.”

          Cassie looked at Brandon and nodded.  “That’s…. That’s…. That’s probably a good idea.”

          Brandon grabbed a blanket and pillow and started to leave the room.  He turned to face Cassie.  “I’ll see you in the morning.  Good night.”

          “Good night.”

          Brandon left the room as Cassie closed the door and turned off the light.  She worked her way to the bed and lay down.  The kiss replayed in her head over and over again.  It was horrible…. Terrible…. Plain out wrong…. But it was also amazing and enjoyable even if it didn’t last long.  Cassie knew she was in trouble.

Cassie Meets Laura

          Laura stood in front of the couch, staring at Brandon with confusion.  She didn’t know whether or not to wake her uncle up.  Her and her uncle were the only two people in the house so she wondered why Brandon wasn’t sleeping in his room.  That was when she heard a noise for upstairs.  It sounded as if someone else was walking around.  Buck was lying on the floor, staring at her so she knew it wasn’t him.  Fear began feel the little girl.  She didn’t want to wake Brandon up because she knew he wasn’t a nice person when someone woke him.  “Buck,” she whispered.

          The dog lifted up his head and continued to look at her.  His ears lifted up, letting the child know that he heard the noise too.  He stood up and hurried out of the room.  Laura followed behind him.

 

 

          Cassie walked out of the bathroom as Buck jumped on her out of nowhere.  The giant and heavy dog knocked Cassie to the ground.  His long wet tongue kissed Cassie’s face, making her laugh as she tried to keep her mouth shut.

          Laura stared at Cassie, more confused than before.

          Cassie looked over and noticed Laura standing on the staircase.  Brandon was going to kill her for not hiding but it wasn’t her fault.  She hadn’t known the child was up.  She managed to push Buck off of her and sat up.  “Hello…. You must be Brandon’s niece…. Laura?  Right?”

          “Yea.”

          Cassie smiled at the child, letting her know that everything was alright.  “Your uncle’s told me so much about you.”

          “Are you my uncle’s girlfriend?”

          Cassie grew wide-eyed.  She knew telling the truth would have been the wrong choice.  “Actually I am,” she lied.  “Why?”

          “Are you the reason that my uncle’s sleeping on the couch?”

          “Ye-a.”

          “Did you two get into a fight last night?”

          “No.  Why do you ask?”

          “Because whenever my parents get into a fight my mommy makes my daddy sleep on the couch.”

          “Oh.”

 

 

          Brandon sat up.  It was about time for him to wake up, although sleep still hung around in his eyes.  The kiss from the night before still lingered in his mind.  He tried to remember if it had really happen or if he had dreamt it.  He looked around the living room.  His attention dropped down to the couch.  Laughter began to fill his ears but he was too tired to know who it was.  He stood up and stretched.  If he didn’t do some exercises then he wouldn’t wake up mentally.

 

 

          “So, Cassie, how and where did you meet my uncle?” Laura asked, curiously.

          Cassie knew she couldn’t say anything about the robbery but how to come up with some kind of story.  “Well…. We…. Met at the bank…. I was running earning for my mom and your uncle was making a deposit…. And we locked eyes…. It was as if we were the only two there….”

          “That’s so romantic.”

          Cassie smiled.

          Brandon worked his way up the steps and grew wide-eyed when he noticed Cassie and Laura talking.

          “Oh hey, honey.”  Cassie smiled, trying to get the man to go along with the lie.

          “Good morning, you two.”  Confusion had filled Brandon’s mind.

          “Is Cassie going to be my aunt?” Laura asked.

          “Aunt?” Brandon asked with more confusion.

          Cassie stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his hand and looked into his eyes.  “I told her we were dating,” she whispered.  “I figured that you wouldn’t want her to know the truth….”

          “Oh.”  Brandon understood.  “Um…. Baby, can I talk to you alone?”

          “Yea,” Cassie replied.

          Brandon held onto Cassie’s hand as he dragged her to his room.  “Laura, can you go to your room while I talk to your Aunt Cassie…. We might start arguing and I don’t want you to listen…. Okay?”

          “Okay.  Come on, Buck.”  Laura hurried into her room, followed by the overgrown puppy.

 

 

          Brandon closed the door and had Cassie sit on the bed.  “What exactly did you tell my niece?” he asked, eyeing the young woman.

          Cassie sighed.  “Well I told her that we met at the bank….”

          “What?!”

          “Let me finish.  Anyways I told her that I was running earnings for my mom and that you were making a deposit and we locked eyes and fell in love.”

          Relief filled Brandon’s mind.

          “I’m not going to tell a six year old kid that her uncle is a bank robber, a killer, and a kidnapper…. That would be horrible.”

          “Okay.”  Brandon walked over to Cassie and sat next to her.  “There’s something else that I want to talk about.”  He locked eyes with Cassie.

          “What?”

          “Did we kiss last night?”

          Cassie began blushing and quickly looked away.

          “Well did we?  I want to know so that way I can say it wasn’t a dream and….”

          Cassie closed her eyes and turned her head toward him, kind of opening her eyes.  “Yes we did…. Well actually you kissed me.”

          “But you enjoyed it.”

          “What?!” Cassie looked away.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  She stood up and moved over toward the door.  Embarrassment began to fill up inside of her.

          Brandon could tell she was lying.  He grinned