Chapter 67

Kevin ambled down the hall talking to himself in his head.  I don’t need this on top of everything else.  That little kid does not deserve this.  I am so worried about Bron.  I am sick and tired of everyone interfering.  He checked Brian’s room.  Stevie was sleeping on the couch and Bounce at the other end.  Now where the hell is she.  I’m not playing with her.  Kevin figured he would try Carlos and Jake’s room.  He walked further down the hall and the door was open. 

He saw Bron had her head on the table and she was holding Nick’s hand.  Mary was hovering over Bron’s head.  Kevin listened to the conversation in the room since he hadn’t been noticed.  Mary was telling Bron she was a baby and Bron was whining like she was a baby.  Mary was getting upset with Bron and it was very noticeable.

Kevin decided to intervene as he walked into the suite.  “You wouldn’t be going through this if you’d have just listened to me in the first place.”

Bron heard the words.  Oh yeah if I had done exactly what you told me to do the stitches wouldn’t have been necessary.  I know we had this fight already.  “Yes daddy Backstreet,” Bron replied sarcastically. 

Mary told Bron three more and she was done.  Kevin glanced at Nick who had expression on his face of pain.  “I won’t be able to practice my drums for a week,” he said to Kevin. 

Kevin shrugged.  “Payback!” was his response to which Nick frowned at him.

“Ouch!” came out of Bron.

“Jesus Bron.  They should’ve have come out over a week ago, but since you were being so uncooperative…”

“Mare,” Kevin warned her and she shut up. 

Calm had taken over the room while Mary finished.  “All done,” she announced.

Bron picked her head up and rubbed the back of it.  “Thank you,” she smiled at Mary.

Kevin cleared his throat, “I need to talk to Bronwyn it’s important.”

Brian glanced at Nick who stood up, “Let’s go visit Jerald and Tim.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes at both of them, “Good idea and keep your mouth shut.”

“Thanks for the moral support guys,” Bron called to them as they left.

“Anything for you,” Nick grinned and made a hasty retreat.

Mary smiled at Bron, “Well I’m done and Alex should be back, bye.”

Kevin and Bron watched Mary leave.  Bron went and sat on the couch.  She was grinning from ear to ear, “You want to talk,” as she patted the seat next to her.

“Yes, but I am staying right here,” he chuckled as he watched her go into a pout.  “It isn’t easy for me either you know.  Seriously I need to talk to you,” he added.  Kevin walked over and sat down next to her.  Bron’s stomach did a flip; mother’s intuition was kicking in.  “It’s about Bounce?” he said.

Kevin watched the panic well up in Bron and show in her eyes, “She’s fine.  But I want to tell you something and I know that you will be upset.  I’m afraid of how you’ll react.”  What was running through his mind was the fact that he was scared to death how she would react.

“You have to tell me first,” Bron sighed.

Kevin repeated what Jerald had told him about Bounce’s nightmare.  Kevin saw the tears begin to slide down Bron’s face.  “I wonder how much she knows?”  Bron croaked out.

Kevin stood up and wiped the tears from her face with his hand.  “Let’s go find out.”  They went down the hall to Brian’s room.  Kevin pushed open the door and Stevie was in the chair reading.  Bounce wasn’t on the couch.  Stevie picked his head up and looked at Kevin.  “Is she still sleeping?”  Kevin asked. 

“In the bathroom,” he replied. 

Stevie looked at Bron, “What’s wrong with you?”  Stevie had always been able to read Bron like a book.

“I know about the nightmare,” Bron told him.

“I hope you’re not upset with us.  I knew you were already stressed.  I handled it.”  Stevie explained as Bounce came out of the bathroom.

“Hi Mom, Hi Kev,” Bounce smiled. 

“Did you sleep good?”  Kevin asked and Bounce gave him thumbs up. 

“Bounce, Kevin and I want to talk to you about something.”  Bron said cautiously. 

Stevie got up to leave and Kevin motioned him to stay.  Bron grabbed Bounce’s hand and led her to the couch.  Kevin followed and sat on the other side of Bounce.  “Baby, Kevin’s brother said you had a bad dream about a bad man.  Can you tell us about it?”  Bron asked trying to control her own emotions.

Bounce dropped her head.  “It’s okay Bounce.  Please tell us?”  Bron begged her. 

“The bad man was in the bathroom and you were crying and yelling,” she said with a sad face.  “Did he hurt you mommy?”  Bounce asked her.

Kevin was ready to burst he wasn’t handling this as well as he thought he would.  But Bron wasn’t having a problem.  “Did you hear or see anything else Bounce?  I need to know if you did?”  Bron continued.

“No I just heard you crying and then I went back to bed.”

“Bounce the bad man did hurt me, right here,” Bron replied as she pointed to her heart, “But he can’t hurt me or you anymore,” Bron smiled.  Inside it was a flood of relief.  I can still protect my child from this hurt.

“Are you sure?”  Bounce asked.

Bron beamed, “Yes, Kevin and Your uncles made sure of that.”

Bounce turned towards Kevin and reached up.  She gave him a hug and said thanks with a smile.  Bron knew Kevin was going to lose it and he did.  He broke down and a tear slid down his face.  Bounce giggled, “Guys don’t cry,” she told him.

Bron chuckled and tapped Bounce on the shoulder, “This one does.”

Bounce gave Kevin another hug, “You shouldn’t cry.  Uncle Stevie says Mommy loves you, she just doesn’t know it yet.”  Kevin laughed loudly.  That is exactly what he needed to hear to cheer him up.

“DAMMIT STEVEN!”  Bron turned to him, angry as hell.

Stevie smirked, “Sorry.”

“Mom you said a bad word,” Bounce looked at her mother in shock.  “Don’t do that around Mrs. R.  She’ll put you in your room and ground you, she means it too.”

Kevin looked at a half dazed Bron, her kid had just corrected her and it stunned her temporarily.  “My mom doesn’t stand for cussing, especially from a little kid,” he grinned.

Bron moaned, “Great my kid has been taken over by the Richardson clan.”

Kevin’s eyebrows went up, “Is that a problem?”

“No,” Bron replied quickly as she tried to cover for herself.  Don’t mess with the family went flying through her head.

Bron turned to Stevie, “Who’s been watching her?”

Stevie shrugged his shoulders, “Kevin’s mom.”

“That’s your job.  Why?”  Bron hissed.

“Because Kevin keeps me busy,” Stevie smiled.  Bron looked confused as in fact was.  “You don’t work for Kevin.”  Bron scrunched up her face.  Somebody has been up to something.  I want to know what, she thought.

“Boss Man’s orders,” Stevie grinned.  Yep Mc can deal with her, I’m not, he said in his head.

“I’m gonna kick his ass,” Bron announced as she headed for the phone.  “Mom, you did it again,” Bounce whined.  Kevin and Stevie busted out laughing at the remark.

“Listen you, I am still your mother and you better stop correcting me.”  She spoke as she spun around to look at Bounce who had discreetly pushed herself closer to Kevin for protection.  Kevin dropped an arm around Bounce and pulled her a little closer. 

“Ease up Bron,” Kevin warned her. 

Bron was pissed and Kevin knew it.  Time to defuse the situation, he thought.  “So how’s the riding lessons going?” as he pulled Bounce on his lap.

“Great.  Are you going to put horses in your barn?”  Bounce asked extremely excited.

“I was thinking about it,” Kevin answered her as he raised his eyes to Bron’s.

“Riding lessons?  What else has Kevin and his family have you doing Bounce?”  Bron spoke with a slightly acid voice.

“Stuff.  You know, school, church, Sunday School, and riding lessons,” Bounce was thrilled at all the new things she had been doing and more than happy to share her adventures.

“Busy girl,” Bron said sarcastically as she looked at Kevin.

Kevin pushed Bounce onto the couch, “Come on time to get ready for dinner.”  Bounce looked at Kevin, “Can I go and wear the new dress Uncle Mc gave me.”

Bron’s temper hit the ceiling.  She walked to Stevie and placed both arms on the chair he was sitting in and got in his face.  “We need to talk my friend.  I have rules and you haven’t been following them.  He knows he isn’t suppose to be doing shit like that,” Bron hissed in his face.

Bron stood up, “You go get ready Bounce and I will get ready.”

“Okay, Hey mom how come we aren’t in the same room?”  Bounce inquired.

“Because we didn’t know you were coming.  It was a surprise.”  Bron explained.

“Oh okay.”  The three adults watched her head for her little suitcase and then the bathroom.

“Yeah a big one,” Stevie chuckled under his breath. 

“We will talk Steven,” Bron announced as she walked out the door with Kevin behind her.

She reached Jake’s door and Kevin grabbed her hand.  “Kevin,” she gave him an annoyed look as she tried to shake her hand free.

“I want my kiss,” he smiled.

“No, no kisses,” she exclaimed.

“Why not?  Just one,” he said as he grinned at her.

“No,” she replied as she tried to pull away.

“Sorry darlin’,” as he captured her head with his free hand and kissed her.  Bron moaned lightly and he stepped back from her.  “See ya at dinner,” he smirked.

“You’re a freakin’ tease,” she ground out as he walked away snickering on his way to Howie’s room.

Bron walked in to see Brian and Nick back in the room and no one else.  “What are you doing here?” she asked them.  “Waiting for you,” they grinned.

“Oh why?” she leaned against the wall and folder her arms.  “We wanted to apologize for our surprise,” Nick told her. 

Bron shook her head wanting to believe them but somehow she knew better.  “Fine I accept, but no more pranks, please.  He can’t take it and neither can I.”

“Okay,” as they grinned at each other.  Jake and Carlos walked in and Carlos looked at them.  He had been around them for years and knew instantly, “What are you up to now?”  Haven’t you caused enough trouble today,” he asked.

Bron stood there and chewed on the side of her cheek, “They told me they were here to apologize for their little surprise,” Bron said dryly.

“You buying that?”  Carlos laughed.

“For now I will,” Bron shook her headed for her duffel bag.  Brian and Nick watched her and quickly glanced at each other.  “We have to get ready for dinner,” Brian said and they were out the door in a flash.

“Bron, they’re up to something,” Carlos warned her.

“I know, but what this time?” as she headed for the shower.

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