And Never Brought to Mind
Chapter 1
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Craig felt a tightening across his chest.
The man claiming to be a relation, a John Patrick Taylor, had just slammed his
way out of Craig's office. If he didn't know any better, Craig might have
thought he was having a heart attack. He wasn't, he was having a panic attack.
He immediately got on the phone and called his lawyer, but the son of a bitch
had the nerve to be away for the long holiday weekend with his family. Craig
was working and his lawyer was away playing happy family.
Shit!
Craig had no family. His second marriage
was failing. He thought when he met the beautiful and talented Susan, he had
hit the jackpot. But now she was beginning to resent him. She wanted children
of her own and wanted Craig to 'reconnect' with Justin and Molly, a son who's
queer and living with the child molester who tainted him and a daughter who now
hates him. He once had a beautiful and dutiful wife but she's now making it on
her own. Now this, a man trying to stake a claim on whatever
money he had. No way. Craig picked up the phone,
then slammed it down again. He turned off the lights and locked up the office.
Out in the hall he pulled out his cell.
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"Mother, it's getting late. We can
drive you home now," Claire whispered to Joan who was sitting in the porch
holding the sleeping star of the day.
It was just about nine. The christening
party was winding down. Emmett's minions had cleaned up; he and Drew had gone
home. The leftovers were packed up and stored, and each guest went home with a
goody bag. Nick and Hunter were saying their goodnights. Claire and Steve were
just about out the door. John and Bobby had put Patrick to bed and were
lounging with the family in the porch. Ted, Allen and the rest of the
"What do you want?"
"Jen, I may have a problem. I need
your help."
"Oh?"
"I mean, we may have a problem. Not
you, but Molly and maybe Justin."
"You son of a
bitch!" Jennifer
screamed into her cell. "You refuse to speak to our son, you don't
acknowledge our granddaughter and now you want my help? How dare you!"
"Jen, please!" Craig desperately pleaded.
"Speak fast, asshole." Craig
quickly told Jennifer about what took place in his office. "Shit. The
family is here. I'll get back to you." Jennifer snapped her phone shut
cutting off her ex-husband mid-sentence.
"Mom?" Justin and Molly said in unison. They were very
concerned hearing only their mother's side of the conversation.
"Let's go inside. We may be in
trouble and may need the family's help." Justin and Molly followed their
mother back into the cottage.
In the porch, Joan was tired but reluctant
to give up the precious little girl she was holding. Joan had behaved
impeccably during the whole day. She didn't get drunk; she remained calm and
polite, even when she saw several men kissing each other and even Gus' mothers
were prone to overt displays of affection. Joan had kept her eyes closed for
most of the afternoon. But she couldn't turn a blind eye to the sweet little
girl who won her heart. And her heart ached, knowing she'd have to leave soon.
Joan wasn't sure when she'd be invited back again, if ever.
"Mother, Claire, it's late. And we
have plenty of room if you want to stay the night." Brian couldn't help
but notice how his mother hadn't moved since Bree had
climbed into her lap and fallen asleep.
"But I..." Joan couldn't believe
her son's suggestion. Plus she had no clothes, nothing
for an overnight.
"Mother, we can figure something out.
Claire, John's mother, stays here often to babysit.
I'm sure we can find something for you to sleep in. The Squirt will have fun
eating breakfast with her grandmother in the morning."
"Well, if it's not too much trouble
and Claire and her husband don't mind staying, I'd love to have breakfast with Briana." Joan paused then ventured a questioned.
"Brian, why do you call her Squirt? It's so unladylike."
"Mother, if you haven't noticed, I'm
no lady." Brian was about to explain when Jennifer rushed in with Justin
and Molly hot on her heels.
"Brian, I think you better put the
baby to bed. We may have a potential problem."
Jennifer helped herself to a glass of wine
and waited until the family gathered and Brian put Bree
to bed.
"Mom, what's going on and what did
Craig say to you that made you so angry?" Jennifer was visibly shaken and
Justin needed to know why. Brian's fists began to ball up at his sides.
Jennifer was about to explain but she hesitated when she saw Joan.
"Brian?" Jennifer gazed at her
son-in-law with the question in her eyes.
"It's okay,
Mother Taylor. You can speak freely," Brian reassured Jennifer, using that
term for her that may have at one time been derogatory but now was a term of
endearment.
"Craig, that bastard, just called. He
said a young man claiming to be a relative snuck his way into his office
demanding money. Well, that's not exactly what he said but you get the idea and
I'm not sure how this is going to affect anyone but he wants my help and I
thought I'd ask you all and....." Jennifer was so nervous and flustered,
she wasn't making much sense.
Brian was getting a headache.
"JENNIFER!" Brian shouted,
startling almost everyone in the room. "So some guy comes in and claims to
be a relative of Craig's, big fucking deal! What difference does it make to
us?"
"I guess I didn't make myself
clear." That remark garnered a Kinney glare.
"He said a young man with black hair
and blue eyes with an accent walked in with some papers and claimed to be
related to Craig and Justin."
"Yeah, so? Craig probably got around," Brian snarked.
"Brian, I don't think you fully
understand. Craig certainly doesn't because he has no idea what we know."
By now the whole family had a headache.
"Jen, honey, WILL YOU GET TO THE
FUCKING POINT!" Debbie shouted in frustration.
"His name, the man's name..."
Jennifer began.
"WHAT!?" The family, minus Joan who was thoroughly confused,
shouted back.
"John Patrick Taylor!"
It got so quiet in the porch that you
could hear a pin drop. Justin sidled up to Brian then hung on to him in a
limpet-like grasp. Brian kissed the top of Justin's head then closed his eyes.
The family waited in silence. They could almost see the wheels turning in
Brian's head. Then the master quietly issued orders.
"Bobby, does your computer have
copies of our contracts?" Brian addressed his brother-in-law.
"I'm on it. I'll check Justin's first
then yours," Bobby replied as he got up and went up his spiral staircase
to his attic office.
"No loopholes. Clear?"
"Clear."
"Ted, go up to my office. You know
I'm linked to Kinnetik and Perspective and you need
to check on the special accounts..."
"You got it, boss." Ted climbed
the other staircase to boot up Brian's computer.
Brian looked around and casually addressed
the family.
"We have one advantage," Brian
remarked softly. Justin looked up into Brian's eyes.
"What's that?" Justin asked.
"It's a holiday weekend. You really
can't conduct too much business until Tuesday. We have time to formulate a plan
and to make sure your assets are protected. And the
kids."
Justin nodded; he trusted Brian to protect
him and their children.
Brian closed his eyes again, deep in
thought, then they snapped open.
"Mel, you still handle Michael's
accounts and contracts?"
"Yes, I do."
"You better go through everything
with a fine tooth comb. Check out the contracts that have anything to do with
Rage. If Michael's assets are too closely wrapped with Justin's..."
"I understand. Lindz,
we should go, I need to do some research." Lindsay nodded,
then she and Melanie started to get ready to leave, Debbie and Carl with them.
"Bri,
should I be worried?" Michael asked his long time friend and at times,
guardian angel or devil as the case may be. Brian smiled reassuringly at
Michael.
"No, Mikey,
you let me do the worrying. I promise, it'll be okay.
Professor, take your husband home and, um...distract him. I'll keep you posted.
This may prove to be nothing." Ben nodded and they said their goodbyes.
"Pop? Me and JR, can we stay. We
don't have school until Tuesday." Gus wanted to stick around to lend his
support to his father and Justin. And Gus knew he and JR could keep an eye on Bree and Patrick while the grownups dealt with the latest
drama. Brian understood what his son was doing and he couldn't be any prouder
than he was at that moment.
"Check it out with your moms. If it's
cool with them, it's cool with me." Brian gave Gus a hug and ruffled the
boy's hair.
"Okay, Pop."
"Brian?" Ted called out from the
attic office.
"Yes, Theodore."
"Bri, a lot
would have to happen for anyone but the designee to get a hold of any of the
special accounts. They're all locked up tighter than a drum," Teddy said
with a bit of mirth in his voice.
"Same here, Big Guy," Bobby
called out from the opposite end of the porch. "We did a lot to protect
your individual assets as well as any joint assets and ventures."
"How about the
Farm?" Brian glanced
at Claire and Steve.
"That's all dependent upon JABK,
nothing to do with Patrick. We're okay there but I'll go through it all again
in the morning, just in case." Bobby shut down the computer and rejoined
the family.
"Ted! Hang it up for now. It's
late." Brian looked up at the balcony.
"You got it, boss." Ted came
down the stairs.
The family offered their support and
promises to call the next day. Joan watched her son. The significance of what
was happening was lost on Joan but she couldn't help notice how the family
rallied around Brian and Justin. And how, in a crisis, Brian remained cool,
level headed and in control. This was something Brian didn't get from either
her or Jack. This was something Brian developed all on his
own. It's what helped to make him so good at what he did. Brian was the
unnamed protector of the family and they, in return, would do just about
anything for him. She was trying to understand why. Joan had never seen the
family side, the sweet and gentle side of her son. She never knew that this
part of Brian existed.
"Sunshine, let's work out the
sleeping arrangements, then go to bed. There's nothing much more we can do
right now." Brian, Justin, John and Bobby got everyone settled in for the
night, locked up the cottage then went to bed.
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Joan rolled over and opened her eyes. She
looked around disoriented, then she realized she
wasn't in her own bed. It had been years since she had slept anywhere but in
her own bed.
Gradually it all came back to her, the
baptism and her beautiful granddaughter, Briana, the
party and Brian suggesting that she stay for the night. She reached for her
wrist and gave it a pinch. She was still there at the cottage. It wasn't a
dream. Brian had actually invited her to stay overnight. Her head could hardly
comprehend it.
She was sleeping in Brian's office on the
upper floor of the cottage. Claire and her husband had taken the sun porch bed.
Joan had been amazed to see it revealed when the screens that surrounded it
were pulled back a little bit. It had been almost invisible while the party was
going on. And now here she was on the pullout couch in Brian's office. It
wasn't bad as a bed.
She looked around the office noticing the
desk and computer and pictures, pictures of Justin and Gus and Bree and various combinations thereof. With a sigh she
noted that there were none of her. Of course, there
wouldn't be since Brian had cut her off after the lawsuits about the Kinney
paintings and over Claire's children. And truthfully Joan had estranged herself
from Brian as well. She had felt so hurt and cheated by what had happened that
she had never made any effort to contact Brian after that. What she knew about
him came through Claire, and that was very small and guarded.
Joan drew in a deep breath and propped
herself up against the back of the couch. She didn't here any noise from below.
Glancing at her watch she saw that it was still early. After the upset last
night about somebody named John Patrick Taylor, Joan wondered if people would
sleep late.
Just then there was a light tap on the
door to the office.
"Yes," Joan said hesitantly
pulling the sheets up under her chin.
"Gamma Doan," a little voice
said.
"Briana, is
that you?" Joan asked. There was a wide smile on her face.
The door opened slowly and a little blond
head peeked around. "Gamma Doan," Briana
said again.
"Come in, little one," Joan said
holding out her arms.
Briana ran over to the bed and Joan helped her up. The
little girl nestled against her and Joan hugged her tight.
"What a beautiful face
to see first thing in the morning," Joan said kissing the top of Bree's head. Bree giggled contentedly.
"Did you enjoy your party yesterday?" Joan asked. Bree
nodded. "You were such a good girl, so grown up." Bree
beamed with pride. "I loved having you sit on my lap. Did you know you
fell asleep there?" Bree shook her head.
"Where is everybody? Are they still asleep? Where are your daddies?"
Bree pointed at the door and said, "Dada."
Brian knew he was busted. He had been
listening to the exchange between Bree and his
mother. He wiped the tear from his cheek and pushed open the door. "I'm
here, mother. Bree wanted to see you,
and I'm going to start making breakfast."
"You? Cook?"
"I cook," Brian said simply.
"Only a few things but I do them … well," he said with some pride.
She still had a way of criticizing everything he did.
"That's good, Brian. I guess I should
get up."
"Do you want to stay with Bree for a while until breakfast is ready?"
"That would be lovely, wouldn't it, Briana?" Bree nodded her
approval.
"You have towels and everything from
last night, so I'll go get to work on breakfast," Brian said stepping out
of the room.
"Shall we go wash our face and hands,
Briana?" Joan asked. Brian heard his mother's
voice. "I bet you're a big girl and can wash your own hands. You're so
beautiful, and such a good girl." Brian heard Joan's words and wondered
that he had never heard anything like that in his life before. Joan had rarely
if ever had a kind word for him. He hurried downstairs.
When Joan and Briana
appeared a little while later, Brian was in full chef mode. He had a huge pan
of scrambled eggs cooking and bacon frying. Justin was buttering toast. Claire
and her husband were setting the big table in the porch. Everyone said good
morning to Joan as she came into the room.
Joan felt herself blush and mumbled a
greeting back. She held tight to Briana's hand. They
almost seemed glad to see her, and she found that strangely disconcerting.
"Can I do something?" she asked.
"Could you pour some glasses of
orange juice?" Justin asked as he continued buttering. "Oh,
and a guava juice for Brian."
Joan looked up startled. Guava juice? She wasn't even sure what that was. She
released Briana's hand.
"Dada," Briana
called as she ran across the kitchen and wrapped herself around Brian's leg.
Joan expected Brian to yell or shake her
off or tell her to get out of the way, as he was stirring and flipping things.
Instead Brian dropped his utensils, turned a couple of knobs and picked up his
daughter. He tossed her in the air causing squeals of delight. Then he kissed
her cheek and said, "Is Miss Briana hungry this
morning?"
Bree nodded. "Hungy,
Dada."
"You certainly have your father's
appetite, Squirt," Brian said blowing a raspberry on Bree's
tummy where her nightshirt had ridden up.
"Hey," Justin laughed, "a
hearty appetite is a good thing."
"It certainly is," Bobby said as
he came into the kitchen with John and Patrick. He snatched a piece of Brian's
bacon. "Can we do anything?"
"Dish up the food," Brian said.
"It's all ready. He carried Bree out to the
porch and set her in her high chair. Everyone followed picking up platters of
food or toast or a tray of juice. Joan trailed behind wondering who this
stranger was in her son's body.
Soon they were all settled around the
table.
"I hope everybody slept well,"
Justin said as he dug into his food.
Joan looked at her eggs. They had little
green bits all through them. She wondered if she dared taste them. After all,
her son had cooked them. She looked up and saw everyone digging in and mumbling
about how good they were.
"Um … what are these green
things?" Joan finally asked.
"Herbs … from my herb garden,"
Brian said. "A little basil and lots of chives."
"You … you have an herb garden?"
Joan asked in disbelief.
"Brian has quite an extensive
one," John said proudly. "We have fresh herbs for all our cooking
thanks to him. He does all the flower beds too. Maybe he'll give you a tour
when we're finished eating," John suggested.
Joan stared at her son wondering again at
all the things she didn't know about her son. She took a bite of the eggs. They
weren't bad. In fact, they were quite delicious. "These are very good,
Brian," she said.
"Thank you," Brian said,
"and if you'd like to see the gardens, that can be arranged."
"Thank you, I'd like that." Joan
continued eating her eggs and bacon and toast. She watched Brian breaking up
pieces of bacon for Bree and helping her use her
spoon to get some of the egg into her mouth. He seemed so patient and loving.
How could she have been so wrong about him all these years?
"Would you like that tour now,
Mother?" Brian said as he shoveled the last bit of egg into Bree's mouth. He wiped her face and hands and lifted her
out of her high chair. "Briana loves the
gardens. She's my best helper. Aren't you, Squirt?" Brian tickled her
tummy and Bree giggled nodding her head.
Brian and Joan walked out through the door
at the end of the sun porch. Outside he set Bree down
and they each took one of her hands.
"Here's the herb garden," Brian
said nodding at the nearest bed. It's close to the door so that we can get the
herbs easily."
Joan nodded. "What kind of herbs do
you grow?"
"A little bit of everything,"
Brian replied.
"How … how did you come to do
this?"
'No thanks to you and Jack,' Brian
thought. "I taught myself by planting and seeing what would grow. I read
some books on herb gardens," Brian said aloud.
"You always were the smart one,"
Joan admitted.
Brian almost made a retort to that but bit
his lip instead. Bree was trying to pull her hands
out of those of the adults. "Let her go," Brian said. "She loves
to run around out here."
Bree took off as soon as they released her. She ran over
to the flowers sticking her nose in some and smelling. They watched her pull at
one large flower until she broke it off falling back on her bum when it finally
gave way.
"You don't mind that she breaks
them?" Joan asked.
"No, more will grow to replace that
one," Brian stated. He knew if he had done that at Bree's
age in Joan's meager garden, he would have been in for a strapping. Her gardens
were sacrosanct.
Joan chuckled as Bree
ran over to them carrying her flower. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Brian
expected her to give the flower to him. She almost always picked a flower for
him when they went on one of these walks. Surprisingly she ran right past him
crashing into Joan's legs.
"Gamma Doan," she giggled. "For you."
"Oh my!" Joan said, a humongous lump suddenly developing in
her throat. She blinked rapidly trying to hold back the tears. "Thank you,
sweetheart," she managed to get out.
"Pwetty,"
Bree declared.
"Very pretty, just like you,"
Joan said smelling her flower. "I'll take this home with me. It will
remind me of you."
"You can always come and see Bree. We have lots of flowers too," Brian admitted.
Joan nodded but was unable to say anything
else.
Hours later Joan sat at her kitchen table,
her flower in a little vase in front of her. It had been a most amazing
weekend. She had so much to think about and remember and evaluate. But
uppermost in her thoughts was a lovely little girl with blond curls.
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