Mail Order Bride

Chapter 18

            In the morning they’d have to start figuring things out on their own because that’s when he was leaving. Brent was going to miss her like crazy, but this was the only thing that he could think of to do, so that they could get their relationship back on track.

            When he walk in the house he found two very—and he meant very—tipsy females, and one not so tipsy, but sleepy female, all watching the lifetime channel while they talked about their failures in the love department. Anna was smiling at something, and he almost couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, even though he was mad at her for not believing him, she was still breath taking when she smiled.

            The coffee table had at least two empty bottles of wine on it, no wonder why they were tipsy. “I think it’s time for this little party to get shut down. It’s almost eleven o’clock.” He looked Cassie’s way. “We need to talk, but first we have to get Jess set up in the guest room, some coffee into you to wake you up, and Anna in bed as well, and tall glasses of water, and an aspirin on Jess and Anna's night stands.”

             Brent quickly went upstairs and put fresh sheets on the bed that Jess would be sleeping on, and also to add a note to Anna’s night stand telling her that he’d be gone for a couple of days, among other things.

            When he got downstairs a couple of minutes later he found Anna passed out on the couch and jess sitting next to her while Cassie tried to make coffee in her sleepy state.

            He tipped his head into the kitchen where Cassie was. “I’m going to carry Anna up to her bed.”

            Cassie looked at him, and her eyes started to flutter closed. “Sure, okay. We’ll talk when you get back downstairs.”

            Brent left the kitchen and went back to Anna. She was still in the same position on the couch, she looked so peaceful, and he knew right then in that very moment that he’d never loved anyone more in his life, than he did Anna. He loved her because she was Anna, she wasn’t perfect, but she was real and he found that completely refreshing.

            Extremely carefully he picked up Anna up, and he held her in his arms much like a man would carry his bride over the threshold. She stirred a little, but for the most part stayed she stayed tucked in his arms. As Brent made his way up the stairs he was very careful, as to not wake her up.

            When Brent opened up the door he cringed, and looked at Anna, but she hadn’t stirred at all, which he was grateful for. He shifted Anna a little in his arms so that he could pull down the covers on her bed, and placed her on them. With a quick tug of the comforter he had her covered up in seconds. Anna stirred a little bit when she felt the fabric covering herself.

            The urge to lie down next to her and hold her for the night was almost overwhelming, but he had to hold himself back.

            He put his hand to her cheek and then he kissed her lips and then her forehead. “I love you, Anna.” He’d always thought that it would be hard to say that to a woman, but honestly it was surprisingly easy. Brent kissed her once more on the forehead and then he left the room.

            Once back down stairs he found that Jess had already gone upstairs to bed. Cassie was sitting at the island in the kitchen nursing a cup of black decaf coffee.

            “Hey, sis.” He opened up the cabinet above the coffee maker, and grabbed a mug. After filling it he took a seat next to Cassie.