When he finished paying, he was wheeling the cart out the door when he caught sight of a flyer that advertised kickboxing lessons from a nationally ranked instructor. Ripping off one of the phone number tabs, he tucked it into his pocket and headed into the dark parking lot after his midnight shopping trip.
Once home, he put away the groceries, dropping the tab next to the phone, and heading off to bed. The next morning, after a long swim, he dialed the phone number.
“Hi. I saw your ad for kickboxing lessons.” He scribbled down the information relayed to him.
“Yeah, I can make it this afternoon.”
“Okay, I’ll be there at two.”
Setting the phone back in the base, he drummed his fingers on the counter as he thought about what to do with the rest of his morning.
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At a quarter to two, Nick pulled up in front of the gym and climbed out of his Durango. He walked into the building and looked around the large room filled with punching bags, free weights, and a ring. A boy approached him, looking up at him with questioning eyes.
Nick smiled down at him. “I’m looking for Damien.”
“Fresh meat.” The boy muttered as he motioned for Nick to follow.
An older version of the boy was seated behind a desk, scribbling in a notebook.
“He’s here.” The boy jerked a thumb in Nick’s direction before disappearing through another door.
Damien looked up and gave Nick a cursory glance. What Nick didn’t know was that Damien used these quick looks to size up students and determine what type of approach to use during class.
The older man stood up and extended his hand. “Hi. Damien Cartwright.”
“Nick Carter.”
The two men shook hands, silently testing the strength of the other. Damien gestured towards the gym.
“How about we go out there and run over a few things to see if we can work together.”
He was pleasantly surprised to find Nick wasn’t a complete novice. “You’ve had some training.”
Nick shrugged. “Nothing formal. Just some basic hand-to-hand.”
Damien noticed the terminology and decided to wait a while before asking about it. He continued to run through some exercises before they both collapsed on a mat.
“I think we could work well together. What’s your schedule like?” He grabbed a bottle of water and drank half of it.
Nick rubbed his face with a towel. “Early mornings are probably best. I’ve got about a month or so before I’ve got to work on some stuff to get ready for the tour. Once that starts, I’ll have to see how the schedule is laid out to tell you more.”
“Tour?” He looked over at the young man.
Nick grimaced a bit. “Yeah, I’m in a music group. We’ve got a promo tour in a couple of months, then the actual tour for the album after that. My schedule’s fixin’ to get crazy.”
Damien nodded. “You check your schedule and let me know. I think we can work something out.”
The two men stood, and Damien escorted Nick to the door. “When are you available for another lesson?”
Nick grinned. “Tomorrow?”
The older man chuckled. “Be here at 8:00. We’ll start on punches.”
Nick waved as he left, climbing into his SUV and whistling along with the radio as he drove home.
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Brian pushed the grocery cart through the aisles, sweeping things into the basket without thinking much about it. Ever since he had gotten home, he felt a bit lost. The weeks with Meredith had been fairly structured, and he had kind of enjoyed it (but would never admit it to the rest of the guys). Now, he was at a loss for what to do with his time since they didn’t have any promo work scheduled for several weeks. So caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t see the hand reaching towards the same box of macaroni and cheese he was eyeing until their fingers touched.
“I’m sorry.” He let go of the box at the same moment she did, and it fell to the floor with a macaroni chorus.
They almost bumped heads as they reached down to get it, but she reached it first and handed it to him. He handed it back to her with a smile.
“There are plenty more, go ahead and take it.”
She smiled her thanks as she deposited the dinner in her basket. His eyes followed her as she rounded the corner for the next aisle.
They met on Aisle 3 near the soda. They met on Aisle 7 near the toilet paper. They met again on Aisle 11, reaching for the same flavor of ice cream.
“Do you think it’s a sign?” He chuckled.
She laughed as well. “I’ve learned to never discount a sign.” She held out her hand.
“I’m Serenity Bluefeather.”
“Brian Littrell.”
They shook hands, and she enjoyed the quiet strength in his broad hand. He enjoyed the feel of soft skin pressed against his.
“Shop often at this time of night?” She leaned on her cart, looking at him.
“I’ve found it’s easier and quieter. You?” He leaned on his cart as well, slowly pushing it back and forth.
“I just got off work.” She moved out of the way of another customer, shifting her cart to a quieter aisle.
Brian followed. “What do you do that keeps you out this late?”
“I’m a computer programmer. Since I just write the code, I can pretty much set my own hours. I’m a definite night owl.”
He looked her over as he smiled at her comment. She was about 5’6”, with a willowy figure reminiscent of her ancestry. Long legs topped by denim shorts gave way to a white t-shirt that hung loosely. He could only tell that she had a nice figure. Black hair was secured neatly in a French braid. Dark eyes were framed by long lashes and appeared quite amused by his inspection.
He blushed a bit, then watched as she repeated the process on him
“Guess I need to get finished.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He reluctantly left her and headed for produce to grab some apples and bananas.
As he maneuvered his cart into the checkout line, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking back, he found Serenity smiling at him.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
“Imagine that?” He wondered if his grin was as big as he thought it was.
His groceries were quickly rung up and bagged, and he moved out of the way so the cashier could ring up Serenity. When she grabbed her bags, he fell into step beside her.
“Would you like an escort to your car?” Ever the gentlemen, he waited for her to exit first.
“Thank you, Brian.”
They walked towards her jeep, and she clicked her remote to open the doors. Once she placed her groceries on the seat, she turned around to face him.
“I appreciate you walking me to my car.”
“My momma would never forgive me if I didn’t make sure a lady was safe at this time of night.” He shifted the bags in his arms.
“Then be sure to thank your mother for me for raising such a nice man.” Serenity enjoyed the flirting. It had been a long time since she’d done that, and it felt good to just tease and laugh.
“I know you don’t know me from Adam, but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t ask if I could see you again.” His blue eyes pleaded with her, and she felt a rush.
Leaning into her car, she pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “This is my number at work. I usually get in around three, so give me a call.”
Unable to free his hands, he opened his mouth. Serenity giggled, the sound giving him a thrill as she slipped the card between his lips.
“Bye.”
“Bye.” His farewell was a bit garbled, but she understood it. He backed away so she could leave, and he watched her taillights as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street.
“Yeff!” If he’d been able to, he would have danced in the middle of the lot. Instead, he settled for getting into his car and driving home.
After he put his groceries away, Brian turned on his computer and pulled up his inbox to record Serenity’s e-mail address. He’d already memorized her phone number. As he looked at the incoming mail, he debated whether he should send her an e-mail so she would have it when she arrived at work the next day.
Talking himself out of it for fear he would look like an idiot or possibly a stalker, he answered a few personal emails, then shut everything down.
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He wiped his hands on his jeans, which was completely unnecessary since he wasn’t even in the same room with her. Picking up the phone, he dialed the memorized number and waited for an answer.
“Serenity speaking.”
“Hi, this is Brian…from the grocery store?” He pushed the paper around on his desk.
“Hi, Brian from the grocery store.” She smiled broadly, even though no one was there to see her.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Coding a particularly heinous application.”
He heard the click-clack of keys as she typed. “Sounds like fun.”
“It can be. Crap.”
All he heard was silence for a couple of moments.
“Then again, it isn’t always fun.” She sighed into the phone.
“I don’t want to interrupt you or anything. I just wanted to call and see if you were interested in getting together.”
“Today?”
“If you want. My schedule’s pretty flexible right now.” He looked at the planner laying on his desk.
“Um, I don’t usually eat until around 8 or 8:30. Is that too late for you?”
“Naw. I can always grab a snack until then. Where’s a good spot for you?”
She looked down at her clothes, mentally slapping herself for wearing grubbies to work again. “There’s a little diner called Joe’s just around the corner from me, at the intersection of Maple and Houston. Want to meet there at 8:45?”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you tonight. Bye, Serenity.”
“Bye, Brian from the grocery store.”
They hung up the phone at the same time.
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At 8:40, he pulled into the parking lot of Joe’s and got out of the car. Figuring she hadn’t dressed up, he wore a pair of jean shorts and a blue t-shirt with the Wildcats logo sprawled across his chest. He walked in, saw her sitting in the back, and waved off the waitress who was getting ready to seat him.
He slid into the booth and smiled at her. “Hi.”
Looking up, she caught her breath at the incredible smile on his face and the laughing eyes looking back at her. “Hi.”
The waitress appeared, order book in hand. “What can I get you two?”
Brian looked at Serenity after glancing at the menu. “What do you recommend?”
“Their cheeseburgers are great.” She looked at the waitress. “I want the cheeseburger platter, fries, and a Coke.”
The waitress looked at Brian. “I’ll have the cheeseburger platter with onion rings. Dr. Pepper, please.”
The older woman gathered their menus and left them alone once more.
“So.”
“So.”
She leaned on her hand, looking him over. “I hate first dates.”
“Me, too. Perhaps we should have prepared a list of questions beforehand.” He mimicked her pose, looking at her as he leaned on his hand.
Grinning suddenly, she opened up her notebook and pulled out a sheet of paper. Passing it to him, along with a pen, she pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen for herself.
“What?” He looked at, the quizzical expression making her giggle.
“Write some questions. I’ll write some, then we can go over them while we eat.”
He shrugged and began to write, chewing on the end of the pen as he thought. The time spent waiting for their food was filled with the sounds of pens scratching against paper. Their waitress showed up with their platters, and they moved their questions out of the way. Brian said a quick prayer over his food then looked up to find Serenity doing the same over hers. He fixed his cheeseburger, poured some ketchup for his onion rings, and put a straw in his drink.
“Who’s first?” He bit into an onion ring. “Hey, these are really good.”
“They have great food here. The fact they’re open 24 hours means we come down here a lot.” Serenity smiled. “Why don’t you ask the first question?”
“Okay. He looked over his list and decided to just start at the top.
“Do you like basketball?”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I much prefer baseball.” Serenity looked over her list.
“What do you do for a living?”
Brian choked on his drink, and she looked at him with concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. It just went down the wrong way.” His voice was a little hoarse from the coughing, and he took a minute before he answered.
“I’m in the music business.”
“Doing?” She looked at him, sensing that he didn’t really want to discuss his job.
“Um, a little bit of everything, I suppose. I write, play guitar, do some producing, some singing.” He fiddled with his cheeseburger, taking a bite to delay more answers.
“Your turn.” She ate a French fry and waited for his next question.
“Where did you go to school?”
“Texas A&M, Class of ’98. Major was computer engineering, with a minor in computer science.”
“Where are you from?”
“Lexington, Kentucky, until I moved here in ’93.”
“What about family?”
“I have two older brothers and a younger sister. They’re in Oklahoma with my parents and other family members. The oldest is Jackson, he’s a doctor. Adam, the next, is an engineer with the Corps of Engineers. My little sister, Summer, is still in high school.”
“Got any brothers or sisters?”
“Yeah, an older brother, Harold. He’s still in Lexington with my parents.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Red. Let me guess, yours is Wildcat blue.” She laughed at the proud expression on his face.
“You’d better believe it.”
They ate in silence for a while. Brian looked down at his list, his eye caught by a question he had written in big letters.
“So, anything in the romance department?”
Serenity choked this time, patting her chest as she caught her breath. “No, nothing in the romance department. You?”
“No. I ended a long relationship a few months ago. Haven’t really wanted to get back into it…” He looked up at her, catching her gaze and holding it. “…until now.”
She smiled shyly and looked down at her plate.
He was very glad that he had said it after seeing her reaction. It made him smile. “So, tell me about this heinous application you’re coding?”
She launched into an explanation of the application she was working on, trying not to get to technical because she’d seen the glazed expressions on the faces of family and friends when she talked about her job. She used a sheet of paper to draw the workflow of the products, explaining what each one did and how she fit her code into it. By the time they finished eating, she had finished explaining.
‘Can I get you two anything else? I’ve got some apple pie, Serenity.” The waitress looked at her regular customer, then over at the newcomer.
“Is it good?” He smiled at her across the table.
“It’s delicious.” She smiled back.
The waitress smiled. “I’ll bring ‘em over in a minute.” She left them to continue their conversation.
“Do you actually get out in the daytime?” He played with his drink straw.
“Sometimes. It depends on what my deadlines are. Working at night gives me an opportunity to use more of the machines because so many people work during the day. I can have several things going at once, and it speeds things along. Why do you want to know?” She took a sip of her Coke as she watched him play.
“I thought it would be kind of cool to see you in the daytime. I mean, if you want to.” He looked at her quickly before looking back down at the table in front of him.
“I’m free on Saturday.”
Her response brought his head up so fast she was afraid it would go flying off. The waitress chose that moment to bring out warm slices of apple pie topped with ice cream. She set the plates down in front of them, smiled, and laid the check on the edge of the table.
They dug into the pie, both of them enjoying the warm cinnamony sweetness combined with the cool, sweet vanilla. When they finished, they both reached for the check, their fingers brushing together.
For a moment, neither of them moved as they absorbed the sensation of that first touch. Sighing and biting her bottom lip, Serenity slowly drew her hand back and let Brian grab the check.
“Thank you.” She practically whispered the words.
“Thank you for joining me.” Brian smiled at her, winking when she looked at him.
They got up and went to the counter, where Brian paid the bill. He gave the waitress a large tip, smiling at her as he let Serenity precede him out the door. Once outside, they stood beside their cars.
“So, I’ll call you tomorrow about our plans for Saturday?” He leaned against his car door, playing with his keys.
“I’d like that.” She leaned against her car door, jamming her hands in her pockets as they fumbled around their goodbyes.
“I’ve got to get back to work. If I don’t get that code written, I won’t be going anywhere for a while.” She smiled.
“I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.” He held her car door open as she climbed inside.
“Bye, Brian.”
“Bye, Serenity.” He closed her door and watched her pull out of the parking lot.
Climbing into his car, he whistled as he started the engine and headed home.
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The message light was blinking when he walked into the kitchen. Pressing the button, he listened to messages from his mother, his brother, and Nick. He made a note to call his mother and brother, then picked up the phone to dial his friend.
“Hey, Frack, what’s up?” He sat down on a bar stool and doodled on the pad in front of him.
“Nothing much. Wanted to see if you still want to play some b-ball in the morning.”
“Sure, 11:00 at our usual spot?” Brian stood up and walked out of the kitchen towards the living room.
“I’ll be there. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Nick.” With a simple click, the conversation ended.
Brian sat down on the couch and reviewed his evening. He had enjoyed talking with Serenity and especially liked the fact she hadn’t made a big deal about the music. He wondered if she was a fan or just trying not to make a fuss. He figured he would check on Saturday to see. Laying the phone on the table, he got up and went to his room, stripping down to boxers and falling into bed.
As he relaxed his body, he smiled as Serenity came to his mind. He definitely liked this one.
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They had made it through the movie without anyone noticing him, and he was beginning to think he was home free. As they walked out of an ice cream parlor, he heard the familiar screech of teenage fans and turned to his right.
“Oh my God, it’s Brian!!!!” A group of eight girls caught sight of him.
He groaned, and Serenity looked at him as the girls clustered around him asking for autographs. She was pushed away from him by the press of fans, so she leaned against the building and watched as he chatted and signed pieces of paper, then posed for pictures with the lucky few who had cameras. After fifteen minutes, he started easing himself out of the crowd.
“I’ve really got to get going now. Thanks for all your support. I really appreciate it.” He grabbed Serenity’s hand and quickly walked away.
“We love you, B-Rok!!”
After they had gotten into Brian’s car, Serenity turned to him. “B-Rok?”
He cringed a bit. “I didn’t tell you the whole story about my job.”
“Apparently not.” She turned back to face the front.
Unsure if she was pissed, he took a quick look at her face and saw the slight grin. Breathing freer, he made a decision. Heading for his house, he told her he would explain everything once they arrived.
Serenity stared at the sprawling house in the gated community, appreciating the open space. Brian ushered her inside, stooping to pick up Tyke.
“This is Tyke.”
She petted the small dog, rubbing behind his ears. He loved her immediately and began to lick her face. Laughing, she backed away a bit.
“You were going to explain?”
“C’mon.” He led her into his office, then nodded at the wall opposite his desk.
Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she examined the awards and plaques that heralded his success. Turning, she looked him over. “You’re a Backstreet Boy?”
“Yeah. I’m guessing you’re not a fan.” He leaned against his desk, petting the small dog as he watched her.
“Well, I’ve heard you on the radio a couple of times, but I don’t own any CDs. I’m sorry.” She finished examining everything before sitting down on the sofa.
He put the dog down on the floor and joined her. “That’s okay. It was very nice being anonymous and having you say you’d go out with me because of me, not because of this.” Brian waved his hand at the wall.
“That’s a lot of stuff you’ve got there.” She smiled at him.
“Yeah, I’ve been pretty successful.” They both laughed at his modest description of the success the group had achieved.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on tour or something?” She leaned back and tucked a leg under herself.
“Not until January. We’re finishing up the album, got some promo stuff. We just got back from our training program in the Navy, so we’ve got some down time.”
“I heard about that.” Her eyes grew round. “Weren’t you involved in some sort of situation down in South America?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, we were. Never want to do that again, let me tell ya. There were moments we weren’t sure we’d make it home.”
Serenity reached out and laid a hand on Brian’s arm, surprising him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He laid his hand over hers. “Me, too.”
After a few moments of silence, Brian smiled at her. “Want a tour?”
“Sure.”
He stood up and held out his hand to help her off the sofa. Once she stood, he kept hold of it, and he was glad she didn’t pull away. He took her all over the house, showing her all of the rooms, pointing out his studio. She traced her hand over the keyboard.
“Do you play?” He watched her touch the keys with the same reverence Kevin did.
In response, she turned it on and began to play Mozart, her fingers flying over the keys as the melody poured through the speakers. When she finished, she looked at him.
“Wow.” He was amazed and surprised.
“Thank you.” She grinned as he escorted her out the door and down the hall to the patio door.
The landscaping in the backyard was very soothing, the stone wall providing a natural barrier to the outside world and the shrubs and trees keeping the area private. Brilliant flowers grew in random spots, adding color to the greenery. The pool was sparkling, the sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water.
“This is beautiful, Brian.”
He looked around, admiring the scenery. “I like it, although I don’t get to spend nearly enough time here.”
He pulled out a chair for her at the patio table, sitting down beside her. They picked up where they had left off at the diner, talking more about family, friends, jobs, and dreams. He only left to get them something to drink and snack on as they sat under the beach umbrella in the Florida sunshine.
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Meredith grew accustomed to phone calls and e-mails at all hours of the day and night. When AJ called, she was treated to soft words and a love song or two. She talked about her beginning years in the service and places she had been.
When he flew up to surprise her one weekend, they had spent the afternoon and evening making love, then talking all night as they cuddled in bed. He talked about growing up without his father, then the reappearance of his dad after he had some success. When she heard the pain in his voice, she wanted nothing more than to hold him. In response, she shared more of her experience in Desert Storm and the horrible nightmares that had plagued her after her return. It was a night of crying and gentle murmurs of assurance that someone, somewhere, was there to dry the tears and sweep away the sadness.
Howie would call her late at night after he had awakened from a nightmare. He moved out of his parents’ house not long after he returned home, and now he didn’t have to worry about waking anyone up with his cries. Meredith listened to him, reassuring him that she believed he had done the right thing, and that she was glad he had been there. Sometimes, after she finished talking, she would hear silence and then a soft snore. Smiling, she wished him wonderful dreams and hung up the phone.
Brian called just to say hi. They talked about music, telling each other about new artists they had heard and thought the other would like. They discussed sermons and lessons taught in church, each realizing that though they came from different backgrounds, they each felt their faith was one of their best strengths.
Kevin called every so often to talk about problems he was having with some flashbacks and to just bounce ideas off her. Having served under a strong commander, he appreciated having someone there to listen and offer suggestions when he was faced with monumental decisions that concerned his career. Meredith listened to him, asking questions, letting him answer them as to how they best solved his problem. They also talked a little about Irene and his relationship with her. He told her that he loved her sister, and Meredith chuckled and welcomed him to the family. He breathed a bit easier after that.
Nick was in an entirely different category than the others. His shoulder had healed, leaving him with a small scar that he joked about with his friends. The experience in Sierra Ramon had taught him valuable lessons about responsibility and courage. When he thought about that time, he realized, usually with a start, that he had done everything he thought a man should do—protect his family, do what was right, and keep fighting in spite of his fear. Meredith had told him several times that she was proud of him, the glimmer in her eyes letting him know in no uncertain terms that she meant every word of it. His “brothers” told him the same thing, and it gladdened him to realize that they understood he was growing up.
His relationship with his mother was rocky at best, their conversations pared down to topics like money and his brother and sisters. He spoke with his dad, but it was sporadic and stilted. His favorite moments were spent on the phone with his siblings, keeping track of their comings and goings and telling them what was going on with him.
He filled Meredith in on all the news during his bi-weekly phone call, and it made her happy to hear the relaxed tone of his voice when he finally hung up the phone.
Table of Contents
Chapter Seven