Page 61 of A Case of You
Lara seemed to notice, too, because several times, Brandon caught her watching him.
Finally, when the older man was sitting down again while Ellen was up talking to a cousin, Brandon leaned in. “You feeling okay, sir?”
Carl shrugged. “Heartburn. Ellen’s been bugging me to go see the doc, but I don’t have time for that. I took something a few minutes ago. It’ll settle down.”
Jake must have driven himself, because he clung to the party like a sandspur on a sock, even as people started filtering out. When someone he was talking to made their departure, he’d latch onto another poor victim. Several times, Brandon spotted him handing out business cards.
Clueless fuck.
There were still about twenty guests there, in addition to the families and John’s friends, when Jake made his last-ditch attempt to regain his perceived lost manhood. He sauntered over to their table and stared down at Stuart.
“If you had a decent bone in your body, you’d be living with Mom and Dad and helping him with the farm.”
Not thisagain. “I have a job. A career. And afamily.”
“I can’t believe you had the nerve to bringhimhere.”
There’d been minimal alcohol served, champagne for the toast, and beer and white Zin. It appeared Jake had managed to get more than his fair share. His breath blew across them with a hops-scented funk.
Brandon slowly stood, his gaze locked with Jake’s. This time, Jake stepped in, but it was a miscalculation. It forced Jake to have to look up at him.
“At least I’m not a drunk,” Brandon said, not blinking.
Jake had drawn back to hit him when Miranda, who’d walked up behind Jake without him seeing her, caught his fist and used the leverage to shove him back, hard, throwing him off-balance.
“Out, asshole,” she said. “Now. You’redone.”
He stared at his parents, who sat there watching. “You gonna say anything about this? You gonna let these worthless spics talk to me like this? I’m your son!”
Carl shrugged. Brandon didn’t like his color. The man looked paler than he had at the start of the evening. “The major said get out. I’d listen to her, if I were you. She looks feisty. I think she can kick yer ass.”
“How can you take their side over mine? I’m yourson! I gave you two grandchildren! I’m not a—”
Carl stood, but now Brandon totally focused on him. The older man swayed on his feet a little and had to reach a hand out for the table to steady himself. “Let me tell you something, you drunken, self-righteous little…”
Carl’s eyes rolled back in his head as his knees gave way. Brandon caught him and eased him to the floor as cries of alarm went up. Lara shoved her way through the throng and knelt next to Carl, her face serious as she took his carotid pulse.
“Call 911!” she yelled. “And someone get me the AED from the lobby!” Then she ripped his shirt open and started chest compressions. Someone brought the emergency defibrillator, and she got it hooked up, activating it once it beeped it was ready.
From there…
Brandon had all he could do wrangling Stuart and keeping him out of the way as Lara took charge of the EMS crew that arrived. She climbed in with them, barking orders and asking for stuff as the doors swung shut behind them and it peeled out.
“Let’s go,” Brandon said. He’d grabbed their jackets and overcoats and jogged for the rental car as the rest of the wedding party scrambled behind them.
“Mom!”
She waved them on. “I have my car. You go—I need my purse.”
Brandon already had the car started when Stuart climbed in. He’d lost sight of the ambulance, but Stuart gave him directions.
Fuck.
This wasn’t exactly how he’d pictured the end of tonight, and hoped it didn’t undo everything he’d tried to do for Stuart’s confidence against Jake.
Chapter Sixteen
Stuart had never been so glad for Brandon as he was that night. Brandon and John took charge, making sure everyone had coffee, that people had information…everything.
