Chapter 10

Lunch went smoothly, and over the next few weeks, as spring bloomed, so did Sienna and Brian’s friendship. He had explained to her about the doubts, fears, and unanswered phone calls he had endured and had told her about seeing Leighanne. How he hadn’t felt desire for her but for the family she had. When news came, in March, about Leighanne giving birth to a daughter, Brian came to realize that he felt nothing at all. Just a sense of satisfaction that someone he’d cared about was happy.

In late March, Faith had finally run into Brian when he was at Sienna’s house. Her ear-splitting shrieks had made Brian laugh and Sienna wince. After nearly fainting, Faith managed to have a normal conversation with Brian—one that didn’t involve asking about the other Boys too much. Brian had decided he liked her.

Later, when Sienna was weeding out the winter flowers and planting new ones for spring in her greenhouse, he hung around and learned the different flower names and when to plant them. He would ask her about her opinions on different homes, condos, and apartments. Once, he managed to drag her to see a condo, which both of them hated at first sight. Finally, after a month and a half of searching, Brian settled on a place, but he wouldn’t let her see it.

“Not until I move in,” Brian promised. “I want to get it all fixed up, and then you can come over. It’s got a great flower bed area, and I wanted to ask your advice about it, too.”

“Brian, if you want to plant flowers, you’re going to have to do it soon,” Sienna told him. “Which is why I should see it as soon as possible. So I can help you out with it, you know.”

“Uh-uh. Nope, not yet. Give me two weeks, Sienna. I promise you’ll see it soon,” Brian repeated.

So, two weeks later, he blindfolded her and drove her to his new house. Once he helped her out of the car, he untied the blindfold and waited for her reaction.

Sienna looked at the house he had bought and took in the pretty, two story, cottage structure with its white, stone walls and blue shutters. There were definitely flowerbeds in need of flowers and a lovely wraparound porch where a large porch swing sat. Slowly, she turned to face Brian.

“Did you do this on purpose?” she asked.

Brian was perplexed. “Do what on purpose?”

“Buy a house not a half mile down the street from where I live! What are you trying to pull, Brian?!” Sienna was practically screaming.

“Nothing,” Brian shouted back. “I liked the house. I thought it was cozy, and it feels like my house. That’s why I bought it! Not to be closer to you! I hadn’t even realized that until I bought the house and looked at the street name on the form. Okay?”

Sienna blew out a breath. She was being unreasonable and knew it. It scared her to know he was so close. Something was going to go wrong, and she didn’t want him close enough to be tempting. It was bad enough that he would drop by to see her every day. And he brought her things. Little doodads and tchochkes he’d seen and thought she might like. Now, she had dancing frogs as wind chimes, a stuffed penguin plopped on an armchair in her bedroom, and a bobble-head dog that sat on her dashboard and nodded to her all day—among other things. She had to admit she secretly liked everything, but it still bothered her that he would just bring her things.

“Yes, okay, that’s fine. I’m sorry, I don’t know what set me off,” Sienna apologized. “Brian, the house is amazing. And the flowerbeds have so much potential; we could do so much with them! Can we see inside?”

Brian nodded and led her up the steps into the house. The first floor had a small den, a living room, dining room, and a cozy little kitchen. He had placed the biggest, most comfortable couches in the den and streamlined beige sofas in the living room. The dining room had a lovely mahogany dining set. Sienna loved the fireplace in the den and told him that, when he had kids, he should read to them in front of the fireplace because it was the perfect place to sit and dream. She missed the pained expression on his face as she moved up the stairs. The second floor had three bedrooms and a study. The study was full of books, but, against one wall, Brian had hung all the album awards, pictures, and memoirs from the ten years the Backstreet Boys had been together. Sienna walked over to look at some of the earlier photos and laughed.

“What?” Brian asked.

“Nothing. It’s just, well, look at you!” she tried hard to stop laughing as she pointed to the picture of the Boys on the stoop of a Disney World set.

Brian shook his head as he realized which picture she was giggling over.

“Okay, yeah, I admit it. The hair, the clothes, and that expression were the coolest thing to me ten years ago. I was eighteen, and we all do stupid stuff when we’re younger,” he tried to explain. Then gave up and laughed with her.

When he had shown her the entire house and they were moving back down the stairs, they heard a scratching sound from the back of the house.

“Brian? What was that?” Sienna asked, a little wary of the kinds of wild animals that could possibly scratch on doors.

“Oh, that’s just my dogs,” Brian called over his shoulder as he walked to the back door. When he opened it, two little Chihuahuas darted in and began to jump up and down around his legs. Brian lifted them up and walked towards Sienna.

“Sienna, these are my dogs—Tyk and Litty Leigh,” he held them out so she could pet them, and they could sniff her hands. “They usually like most people right away. And, look, they like you!” he congratulated her as both dogs tried to leap into her arms.

There was a meowing sound as Sienna took hold of the two yapping pups, and Brian began to look under the table for something.

“Missy? Baby, where are you?” he called. “There you are,” he exclaimed as he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a cat that rubbed against him. “And this is my cat, Missy,” he introduced the cat to Sienna.

“You’ve got a regular old menagerie here, don’t you?” Sienna wondered, amused.

Brian grinned. “I love these guys. They’re fantastic!”

“Why Litty Leigh?” Sienna wondered. And then she wished she hadn’t asked the most obvious question when she saw Brian’s smile disappear.

“Leighanne and I bought the dogs together, and I named Litty after her,” he explained.

“I’m sorry,” Sienna began.

“No, don’t be. My life’s an open book to you, and all you have to do is ask,” Brian told her.

Sienna managed a smile while mentally kicking herself. “So, now that I’ve seen your house and met your pets, what’s next?”

Brian smiled mischievously. “Lunch!”

The door jingled open, and Sienna glanced up from the bouquet of daffodils she was tying together with a bow for elderly Aislinn Gaiman. Brian walked in with a grim expression on his face. Uh-oh, Sienna thought, but smiled as she rang up Mrs. Gaiman’s purchase.

When Mrs. Gaiman turned away from the counter with her daffodils, she spotted Brian.

“Brian Littrell? Is that you?” she called.

Brian frowned and walked closer. Then, the frown cleared, and his face lit up.

“Mrs. Gaiman! How are you? I haven’t seen you since the fifth grade!” he exclaimed, giving her a careful hug.

“Well, that’s probably because I retired the following year, and you went gallivanting off around the world with that angel voice and face of yours,” she answered, giving him a fond smile.

He had been one of her favorite students because of his angelic behavior, although she had seen the humorous side of him multiple times, too. Like the time he’d put a frog on her desk, and she hadn’t seen it until it had ribbit-ed at her. He’d laughed hysterically as she had scolded him. Then, she couldn’t help but laugh, too.

Brian spoke with her for a few minutes then helped her to her car, while Sienna cleaned up. When he came back in, she came around the counter.

“I never thought I’d see her again,” he said. “She told me you’re a ‘good girl’. And then she said if I knew what was what, I would beg you to marry me!”

Sienna smiled. “Every young, eligible man that comes in here is treated to that same lecture. So, what’s wrong?”

Brian sighed. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?” Sienna shook her head. “Okay, well, I have a flight to the Keys in about two hours. I’m going to see Nick.”

“Good,” Sienna said, even as she wondered what it would be like without him for a few days.

“Yeah, I think it’s time to face my demons and find my friends again,” Brian said. “I just wanted to let you know. I mean, you’ve helped me work through all this stuff that’s been going on in my head.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Sienna replied.

Brian shuffled his feet. “So, I guess, this is goodbye for a few days.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then. Goodbye, Sienna. I’ll see you in a few days.”

Sienna smiled. “Good luck. I’m sure everything will work out.” And she hugged him.

Brian hugged her back then turned to walk out the door. And stopped with his hand on the door.

“Sienna?”

“Yeah, Brian?”

“I know it’s only a few days, but I’m going to miss you.”

Sienna tried to stop the frantic rumba her heart was doing and said, “I’ll miss you, too, Brian.”

He looked back at her with impossibly blue eyes and smiled. Then he pushed open the door and walked out.

***

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