Bound by Love Read online

  He came back smiling. “I have good news for you, babygirl. Your parents have just landed and should be here soon.”

  She looked up at him, beaming. “I can’t wait for them to meet their grandchild.” She looked down at little Hope, completely and utterly in love with her. “They’re going to be so proud….”

  “I wonder if your father will be wearing the mouse ears,” Thane joked.

  Brie started laughing, causing the poor baby to slip off again. Brie’s giggles wouldn’t stop and she had to take several deep breaths before she could begin nursing again. “Forgive me, Hope. Your grandpa has an interesting relationship with your father.”

  She had to squelch more laughter for the baby’s sake as she thought back on how that had all played out.

  Brie was wrapping up the Bambi music box to set it into the shipping box, along with the Mickey Mouse ears and the bottle of catsup.

  “No,” Sir told her. “I think they should be sent separately. Your father’s first, and then your mother’s gift the day after. It’s the only way for it to have the correct impact.”

  Brie wondered what he was up to and shook her head, grinning.

  Sir explained as he handed her another box. “Your father will open this box without the return address to find only the ears and the catsup bottle inside with no explanation. While he thinks about who could have possibly sent it, your mother’s gift will arrive the following day with a sweet note from you telling them we hope they enjoy the gifts.”

  “You’ve thought this all out, haven’t you?”

  Sir stroked his chin. “Yes, I have, as a matter of fact. After your father realizes the gifts came from us, he will look at the items in a new light. If we are lucky, he will make the connection to the diner those many years ago. As to what he will think of it, well…that’s what makes this interesting for me.”

  Brie pulled the music box out and replaced it with more paper so the items were well cushioned for the trip. “So no note to Dad?”

  “Correct.”

  Brie giggled as she taped the box shut. “You’re so naughty, Sir.”

  “Hopefully, he will receive it in the spirit it’s been given,” he replied with a smirk.

  While Brie was readying the second box, Sir walked over and handed her a blank card. She took it from him, admiring the delicate artwork of flowers.

  “For your mother. It reminds me of her. She seems fragile like a flower but, in truth, she is strong—strong enough to counterbalance your father and do it with grace.”

  Brie smiled, running her fingers over one of the flowers on the front of the card. “You’re right, Sir. My mother has a silent strength. They make a perfect team, I think.” She smiled at him. “They’re like us in some ways—but totally vanilla.”

  “And he’s stubborn,” Sir added with a chuckle. “However, the fact that your father invited me into your family means a great deal to me. I am indebted to him.”

  Brie wrote a short note and was about to lick the envelope when Sir stopped her. “I would like to write something, as well.”

  In his perfect penmanship, he wrote:

  Mom,

  Brie saw this music box and said you would enjoy it. Naturally, we had to get it for you.

  I am honored to be a part of this family. Here’s to adding to the ranks in a few months.

  Please give Dad our best.

  Love, Thane

  “She’ll love this note, Sir,” Brie commented after reading it. “I think they both will, once my dad gets over the shock.”

  At five minutes after six, exactly three days after mailing her mother’s gift, her cell phone rang.

  Glancing at the clock, Brie grinned at Sir. “It’s Dad. He’s just gotten the mail. He does it right after he gets home. My dad is all about keeping to his routines, and he goes to the mailbox exactly at six every evening.”

  “This phone call should prove interesting, then,” he chuckled. “Would you like me to answer it?”

  “Oh, no, Sir. Let me do the honors.” Brie answered with an innocent, “Hello?”

  “What is the meaning of this?” her father growled on the other end of the line.

  “Oh, hi, Daddy! Did Mom like the gift?”

  “I’m not calling about your mother’s gift.”

  Brie held her hand over the receiver and mouthed the words, He sounds mad to Thane.

  “I would like to speak to your husband,” he demanded.

  “Certainly, Daddy. Let me put you on speakerphone.” Before she did, she rubbed her tummy, telling him, “The baby must know her grandpa is on the phone because I just felt her kick.”

  She then hit the button for the speaker, handing it over to Thane as she looked down at her belly, whispering, “That was perfect timing, little girl.”

  “Thane,” her father barked.

  “Yes, Dad?” Sir answered in a calm voice.

  “Are you trying to provoke me?”

  “How so?”

  “This package I received. It must have come from you.”

  “I’m glad you got it, Dad.”

  “I don’t understand, and I don’t appreciate being played for a fool.”

  “That was not our intention, I assure you.”

  “Then why send it anonymously, son?”

  Brie spoke up. “We were hoping it would jog your memory, Daddy.”

  “What?” her father growled in irritation. “Brianna, what has one thing got to do with the other? It makes no sense.”

  “Brie and I made a connection we hadn’t realized before,” Sir explained. “We were wondering if you might remember it, too. That’s why we sent you the two items.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier just to ask?” he grumbled.

  “It would but, Daddy, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.”

  “You’re testing my patience, little girl.”

  Hearing the anger rising in his voice, Sir encouraged him to ponder the meaning behind the gifts. “Take a moment to think back on a past vacation. I’m positive it will come to you.”

  He winked at Brie.

  After several moments, Bill started mumbling to himself and then called out to his wife. “Marcy, do you remember how old Brianna was when we took her to Disneyland?”

  “I think she was seven, dear?”

  “Oh hell…”

  “What is it?” her mom asked in the background.

  “Are you seriously telling me that it was you at the diner?” Bill demanded.

  “It was.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Her mother begged him to put them on speakerphone too, and asked, “What’s this all about? I want in on the joke.”

  “It’s not a joke, Mom,” Brie told her. “Actually, it’s quite amazing.”

  Her father replied harshly, “That’s certainly one way to spin it.”

  “Please, someone take mercy on me and tell me what this is all about,” her mother begged.

  Sir detailed how they’d come to discover their past history. “Your daughter and I were at a café, and she happened to notice a little girl wearing mouse ears. Naturally, it caused her to reminisce about her trip to Disneyland as a child. A momentous occasion for any child, I’m sure. A quick calculation in my head led me to ask her what her favorite Disney character was. I met a little girl once who loved Pluto.”

  “Wait. What does this have to do with catsup?” her mother asked, clearly still not understanding.

  “Marcy, do you remember that college boy who wanted to molest our daughter?”

  “No! It can’t be…” she laughed. “Do you mean that nice young man who handed Brie the catsup?”

  “That’s not how I remember it,” he muttered.

  “How do you remember it, Daddy?” Brie asked, having way too much fun with this.

  “A man his age had no business interacting with you.”

  “He was only trying to pass me the catsup.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have been talking to him in the first pl
ace, Brianna,” her father huffed. “You don’t know what kind of perverts are out there.”

  The line grew silent.

  “Bill isn’t trying to imply you’re a pervert, Thane,” her mother quickly added.

  “Maybe I am,” her father stated abrasively.

  “Is that really how you felt at the time?” Sir asked.

  “I didn’t trust you. I know that much.”

  “Was your distrust specifically toward me, or was it a general mistrust of men around your daughter?”

  “Both.”

  “Really, and why was that?”

  “You were too smooth. I could tell you were trouble.”

  Sir laughed. “All I did was hand her a bottle she couldn’t reach.”

  “But she trusted you enough to talk to you. I taught Brianna better than that.”

  Brie thought back on that encounter and realized her dad was right. She had trusted Thane, even back then.

  “So, how do you feel about it, knowing I would eventually marry your daughter?”

  “How do I feel now?”

  “It was Fate, Bill!” Brie’s mother exclaimed excitedly. “It’s obvious these two were meant for each other.”

  “To be honest, I’m in shock,” he replied. “If I had postponed the trip to Disneyland, would you two still have hooked up years later?”

  “It certainly begs the question,” Sir agreed. He pushed it one step further. “If you could change the past, would you?”

  There was a long pause on the phone.

  The longer the silence dragged on, the more nervous Brie became. “Daddy?”

  “In answer to your question, Thane, I guess I would have to say no. Even if I had the ability to change the past, I would choose to sit there and allow you to interact with my little girl. Despite everything.”

  Brie felt a surge of relief.

  “I am glad to know that,” Sir said, his voice tinged with emotion.

  “You are good to my daughter, and I trust you will be the same to our granddaughter. However, I can’t stand the thought of her being a part of your kinky lifestyle.”

  “I assure you that our child will be encouraged to think for herself and lead a life that is of her own design, not ours.”

  “I trust you to do just that,” Bill stated firmly.

  “So, did you like the ears, Daddy?” Brie prodded.

  “It certainly was a surprise, and to find out that the four of us have met before is disconcerting, to say the least.”

  “It was a surprise to us, as well—once we put two and two together,” she giggled.

  “Whether Marcy is right about it being Fate or not, the simple fact is that we love you, little girl. We did then when we made your childhood dreams come true with a trip to Disneyland, and we do now as you are about to become a mother yourself.”

  Brie felt her throat constrict, touched by her father’s heartfelt words.

  “I’ll make you this promise, Brianna.”

  Brie cleared her throat. “What’s that, Daddy?”

  “I will wear these ears when we take our little granddaughter to Disneyland. How does that sound?”

  “Like a dream come true,” Brie told him, tears filling her eyes.

  After the phone call, Sir gathered Brie into his arms. “Well, that went even better than expected.”

  “I agree.” She pressed herself against him. “Just when I thought I knew my dad, he completely surprises me.”

  “I could say the same about my own family, I suppose. However, my surprises never ended up being good ones where they were concerned.”

  “We are your family now, Sir. And you are accepted by my dad just the way you are.”

  “It was an unexpected revelation to come from this little stunt, I must admit.”

  “And well deserved, Sir. You are a gentleman through and through.”

  “You, my dear,” he said, grasping a fistful of her hair and pulling her head back, “inspire me to be a better man.”

  She smiled up at him. “You have always been a good man. I’m just the lucky girl who gets to inspire your kinky domination.”

  He pressed his lips against hers, drawing out her sexual desire with his deep kisses. “And you do inspire me, babygirl…”

  Hope was peacefully asleep, cradled in Brie’s arms, when her parents walked into the hospital room. The instant her mother saw the baby, she stopped in her tracks and started crying.

  Her father put his arm on her back and guided her forward, whispering, “Isn’t she beautiful, Marcy?”

  Brie smiled, thrilled to see them. “Would you like to hold her?”

  “Not yet,” her mother said, wiping away her tears. “We don’t want you to wake the baby.”

  “She can sleep through anything, Mom. Please…” Brie held Hope out to her. “Say hello to Hope Davis.”

  “Hope…what a lovely name.” Her mother tentatively took the baby from her arms, shaking her head as she stared down at the child. “She’s so tiny,” she whispered in wonder.

  Her father stood beside her, grinning down at Hope like the proud grandfather he was. He looked up at Thane. “You have a beautiful daughter.”

  “And you have an equally beautiful granddaughter,” he replied.

  Her father snorted in response, and the baby startled, her hands flailing out momentarily before she settled back to sleep.

  “Bill,” her mother whispered, “don’t go scaring the baby like that.”

  He looked down at Hope and stroked her cheek softly. “Sorry, munchkin.”

  Brie’s heart swelled with pride, watching her parents with her child. She had never known this level of happiness. It was impossible to explain.

  “How was the delivery, honey?” her mother asked softly, not wanting to disturb the baby again.

  “As you know, she came sooner than expected, and it got a little scary there at the end. But here she is, a healthy, six-pound girl.”

  “What happened during delivery?” her father asked, clearly concerned.

  “She was struggling for oxygen, so I had to push as hard as I could to avoid a C-section. But I did it, and here’s the proof,” she said proudly.

  “So she’s healthy even with the early delivery?” he pressed her.

  Brie gestured toward Hope. “As you can see, Daddy, she may be small, but she is strong. Dr. Glas said that avoiding a cesarean was important for her health because she was preterm. We were also lucky that her lungs were mature enough to handle her early entry into the world. Now, I just have to make sure she gains the weight she needs.”

  “That must have been so frightening for you, sweetheart,” her mother said.

  “I was freaking out a little, at first.” Brie took Sir’s hand. “But Thane was a rock through the whole thing.”

  “Durov had a part to play in that, as well,” Sir stated.

  Her mother seemed surprised. “Was he there for the birth?”

  Brie nodded, smiling at the memory of his first dance with Hope. “He was up until I had to go to the operating room, Mom.”

  “Isn’t that a little strange?” she asked.

  “No, Mom. Rytsar was actually the reason Thane and I started planning for a family. It seemed only natural to have him there at the birth, especially after all he’s suffered to be here. We were lucky to have him with us.” She reached out to her mother. “But I really wanted you there, too. I can’t tell you how much.”

  Her mother frowned. “I wanted to be here, Brianna. Your father can attest to how frantic I was when we couldn’t find a sooner flight.”

  Her dad nodded. “It was a real shame she didn’t get the chance.”

  Brie looked at Sir questioningly, wondering if it would be okay to tell her parents about their future plans. She smiled when he nodded.

  “Mom, Dad…you’ll get your chance. We’re planning to have another baby so Hope can be a big sister.”

  Her mother’s mouth dropped. “Another one?” she asked, her voice trembling with joy.
<
br />   Brie nodded, smiling at her.

  “Oh, Bill, isn’t that wonderful news?”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “As you know, Brianna, I wasn’t thrilled to see you tie yourself down with a family so early in life. But the fact is, Marcy was right. We had you soon after we got married and have never regretted that decision. I am happy for you.”

  Her mother told Thane, “I would give you a hug right now if I wasn’t holding your precious daughter.”

  “Consider the hug received, Mom,” he said tenderly.

  Her father looked at Brie with a glint in his eye. “That reminds me…” He patted his pockets, looking for something, then pulled out a small, wrapped gift. He handed it to Brie, saying, “It’s from the both of us.”

  Brie looked at Sir excitedly, ripping at the paper. She burst into giggles when she held it up for Sir to see. It was a tiny headband with miniature mouse ears and a red polka dot bow. “That’s the cutest thing ever, Daddy!”

  He smiled modestly. “I’m glad you like it, little girl.”

  “I’m not so little anymore,” she laughed.

  “You will always be my little girl.”

  “Oh, yikes,” she muttered when her eyes started to water. “I don’t want to cry. I’ve been doing that all day today.”

  “No need to hold back your emotions,” Sir reassured her.

  She nodded, smiling at him before turning back to her father with tears running down her cheeks. “I want a hug.”

  “Oh, little girl…” he croaked, close to tears himself as he took Brie in his arms. “I love you.”

  The Sheik

  Brie insisted that Sir get one last night of uninterrupted sleep before she came home with the baby, officially making a good night’s rest a thing of the past for them both.

  He was reluctant at first, but then reasoned that he could better care for Hope on their first day home by giving Brie the rest she needed.

  “You certainly won’t be getting uninterrupted sleep in the hospital,” he chuckled.

  “I know! Which is all the more reason I want you to head home, Sir. At least one of us should have sweet dreams tonight.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “That gives me an idea, babygirl.”

  Sir left for a couple of hours, returning with her favorite take-out and an even more exciting treat—her fantasy journal.