Chapter 68

Bron got in the shower.  She was thinking to herself.  It was time to let her mind wander so she could relax.  The family dinner tonight was making her anxious.  She knew that Brian and Nick were up to something but what was the question of the day.  Her thoughts moved on to Bounce.  She was relieved that she hadn’t seen or heard anything.  That was not something for any child to carry into adulthood.  Then she moved on to Kevin.  She was pissed, she said no kisses for a reason and she meant it.  I hate when he kisses me like that, it’s like he knows what he is doing to me and does it on purpose and he says I’m a tease.  She washed her hair.  It felt good not to feel those damn stitches in her head.  Finishing up, she dried off and slipped her robe on.  She walked out and over to her duffel bag and grabbed it, taking it back with her into the bathroom.

Jake and Carlos sat watching television, when they heard her scream.  “What the fuck!”  The next thing they saw was an enraged Bron come flying out of the bathroom screaming, “They’re freaks.  I’m gonna kill them.”

Carlos didn’t know what to make of this display of anger and didn’t say a word.  Not to mention the fact that her robe was barely on.  Jake asked in a calm voice, “What’s the matter?”

Bron stood there fuming, “They’re freaks and they are so dead.  I’m calling Kevin right now.”

Carlos knew who the freaks were that she was referring too, “What did Frick and Frack do now?”

“They took all of my underwear,” she screamed at the top of her lungs at him.

“What!”  Carlos said in horror.

“You heard me,” she answered as she headed to the phone.

Jake was laughing, “Why the hell would they do that Carlos?”

Carlos shook his head, “With those two it could be for any reason,” he laughed.

“It’s not funny,” Bron screamed.

Bron dialed the number down to Kevin’s suite.  Please let him answer, please, she said out loud.  Shit it’s his mother, she mumbled to herself.  “It’s Bronwyn can I talk to Kevin please,” trying to control herself.

“Hello,” he answered.

“They took my underwear!” she screamed into the phone at him.

“What?” he answered.

“Those little freaks that you call your brothers took my underwear.  They were here by themselves when I came back.”  She spoke into the receiver.  “We’re they in your room when you came back?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he said in a steady but undeniable upset voice.

“Then this has something to do with your family then.  Go find those little freaks and get my clothes back.”  She hissed. 

Bron heard the receiver slammed down in her ear.  She looked at Carlos as she headed back to the bathroom, “I think they may end up being a trio after this stunt.”  The bathroom door was slammed almost off the hinges. 

Carlos chuckled, “She likes slamming doors doesn’t she?”  Jake just nodded yes with a grin.

Kevin searched his suite and the entire floor.  Oh they are hiding from me and very well too.  He glanced at his watch, I don’t have time for this shit he muttered to himself as he got on the elevator.

Bron finished putting makeup on doing her hair while she waited for Kevin to return.  She stood in the suite in her bathrobe ready to kill somebody, no not somebody, those two little shits that were always around.

Kevin sauntered into the room and tossed Bron a bag.  “I couldn’t find them.”

“Thank you,” Bron sighed as she rushed back into the bathroom to finish getting dressed.  “I’m gonna kill them Kevin,” she yelled from the bathroom.

“I’ll take care of them later.  I need to go get dressed,” he yelled back and left.

Bron stayed in the bathroom thinking evil thoughts about Brian and Nick, or at least ways to get even.

Kevin got back and headed for the shower.  Jerald was in the bathroom shaving.  Kevin profusely apologized as he undressed and got in the shower.  “I’m late.”

“I hope you don’t mind I borrowed your shaving gear,” Jerald laughed.  “Interesting shaving stuff in here Kev,” he added.

“What are you talking about?” he yelled from the shower.

Jerald laughed, “I’m not use to finding ladies panties in your shaving gear.”

Jerald heard the water turn off quickly and Kevin came out of the shower, grabbing for towels.  He wrapped one around himself and grabbed another.  “Dammit that’s what they did.  She is going to kill them, but not until I do it first.”  Kevin had to laugh.  Nick and Brian were trying there hardest to set him up for extreme embarrassment with his family.

“They seem to enjoy annoying her and embarrassing you,” Jerald grinned.

“Constantly, but Brian is worse than Nick this time around.”  Kevin replied as he looked through his shaving gear pulling out Bron’s underwear.

Jerald leaned against the vanity and smiled, “I’m glad I found them and not Tim or Mom.  You would never live it down.”

“Me too!”  Kevin said as he grabbed Bron’s clothes and wrapped them in a towel.  “They will pay for this though.  He’s twenty-one now.  I won’t get nailed for child abuse.”  As he headed to the bedroom passing his Mom and Tim on the way. 

Kevin quickly dressed, it was already quarter to eight.  He came out of the bedroom and announced he was going to go get Bron and Bounce and would meet them downstairs in the restaurant.

Kevin went down the hall and into Carlos’s room.  “You ready?” he called.  “Almost,” came from the bathroom.  Bron was slipping her shoe on and trying to put an earring in at the same time.

“Very Nice,” Kevin smiled.

Bron twirled around, “Do I pass for the inquisition?”

“Come on let’s go get Bounce.  I found your stuff too,” he added.

“Yeah where?” she said sarcastically.

Kevin laughed as Bron took a swat at him, “They planted it in my shaving gear.”

They headed down the hall with no sight of Brian or Nick.  Bron had to laugh, they knew better then come out when it was just the two of them.  They went to Stevie’s room to find Bounce all dressed up in her new dress and sound asleep.  Bron shook her head as she went to her.  “I have to put her to bed first.”  Kevin helped by picking Bounce up and carrying her to the bedroom.  Bron put her in her pajamas and kissed her goodnight.  Stevie agreed to baby-sit as always and they headed back down the hall.

“Maybe it’s better.  We wouldn’t want her to see what I’m going to do to Nick and Brian,” Kevin grinned.

Everyone was downstairs and had ordered all ready.  Kevin and Bron promptly put in their order, not wanting to hold up the meal.  The first course was served and everyone was finally relaxed.  Bron casually let her left hand slip under the table and rest on his thigh.  Kevin slipped her a casual glance.  Bron smiled at him sweetly and turned away.  Oh here we go he thought, the Bronwyn torture games have now begun.

Everyone was oblivious to the cat and mouse game going on under the table.  The waitress served the main course and everyone was enjoying the moment.  Jerald interrupted the chatter with one sentence that took both Bron and Kevin by surprise.  “So Kev, we heard the Chicago interview on tape.  What’s this new present you got that’s so fascinating?”

Nick and Brian snickered.  Howie, A.J., and Mary looked at Kevin with sympathy but with an added smirk.  Bron’s eyes grew as full as the moon as she fixed her stare on her plate.  Kevin stabbed his steak with his fork.  “Why don’t you ask Brian and Nick?  They seem to be enjoying more than I have lately,” He answered his brother.

Three baffled people turned to Brian and Nick and awaited the answer.  In the meantime Bron’s nails were digging into the hard flesh of Kevin’s thigh.  He flexed his leg hoping to shake her off but it didn’t work.  Dammit, she’s just like a cat, he groaned as he casually slipped his hand under the table and tried to pry her hand off of him before she went to another part of his anatomy.

“A new MP3 player,” Nick grinned. 

“You boys and your toys.  I’m glad Kevin is sharing it with you.”  Anne laughed.  The fellas laughed, it really couldn’t be helped. 

Bron sat there she had to turn this conversation and fast before they had a real problem on their hands.  “Mrs. Richardson I really do need to thank you for helping Stevie take care of my daughter.”

Anne nodded to her, “It wasn’t a problem dear honest.  She is such a delight.”

Jerald chuckled, “Yeah a delight with an attitude.”

Bron sort of giggled but the remark did sting a little, “I’m sorry about that.  Bounce can be a handful.”

Tim noticed Bron’s reaction to Jerald’s remark.  If he were closer he probably would have kicked him under the table.  “She is a good girl, she just needs more discipline,” Tim smiled at Bron.

Anne looked at both of her sons, of all the nerve she thought.  Bron was truly beginning to get upset.  She set her fork down and glanced at Tim.  The remark left her feeling like she was an unfit mother.  “Well since my husband died I have let that go.  She misses her father terribly and I figured the last thing she needed was me on her all the time.  She is only six years old.”

Kevin grinned at his plate, you both asked for it and now you got it.  Tim and Jerald were astounded at the tone with which the comment was made.  They glanced at the fellas and Mary who were upset with them for bringing it up.

Anne smiled and thought, good girl, don’t take anything from them.  If they know they can get away with it they will.  “I’m very sorry about your husband Bronwyn.  Stevie told us what happened and that is very sad.”

Bron knew that Anne was giving her some support against her sons.  Bron raised her head and looked at Kevin but spoke to Anne.  “Well it still hurts sometimes, but not as much as it used to.”

The fellas were beaming at the two lovebirds.  They were all chanting for Bron in their heads, she wasn’t going to be intimidated by the Richardson boys.  Hell she had one wrapped around her finger and didn’t know it.  The rest would follow soon.

Jerald realized that Bron was going to take their flak and was happy about it.  A woman with guts, he grinned.  “So Kevin, how did you two meet?”

Kevin shrugged his shoulders, “In Pittsburgh.”

“Really?  I thought you said Toronto,” his mother interjected.

A.J. started to snicker he was reminded of the toast Bron had uttered at the bar in Toronto.  Mary elbowed him to be quiet.

Bron groaned in her head, way to go Kevin.  Get your shit together.  Bron looked at Anne, “We met in Toronto but he didn’t really leave an impression on me until Pittsburgh.”  She giggled as she looked at Mary and A.J.

Oh, not funny darlin’, Kevin said in his head.  However, when he looked across the table his band mates were struggling to control their amusement at what the statement really meant.  You wanna play sweetheart.  I’ll play, as he grinned at Nick.  “Yes and I did leave quite an impression on you didn’t I,” he spoke with a twinkle in his eye when he looked at Bron.

Bron was on the border line of cracking up.  She was listening to the ones who knew trying so hard not to laugh.  She smirked at Kevin, “You sure did.  I felt it all the way to my bones.  Some days I can still feel it,” she laughed loudly.

The entire table filled with laughter; his friends for knowing the truth, his family for thinking that is was so sweet.

Kevin was laughing at this point.  At least she doesn’t hold a grudge, he mulled over in his head.  Kevin’s cheeks pinked slightly as he took a short stroll down memory lane.  Anne watched her son and knew there was more to the story then anyone was telling them.  Bron glanced at Anne and smiled, you sly old fox you don’t miss a thing do you, Bron thought, and Anne winked at her.

Dinner was finished by then, drinking coffee and letting Anne know what everyone had been up too was the conversation at the moment.  Jerald and Tim watched their little brother become so animated and happy with the woman that was sitting beside him.  Kevin was ready to explode they thought.

“Bronwyn do you know how long you plan on having Bounce Stay with us?”  Anne asked.  Silence fell on the gathering at lighting speed.

Bron took a second to gather her thoughts, what do I say, it’s up to your son, he’s been calling all the shots.  “Not much longer Mrs. Richardson.  I need to go home.  I have a house and a business to take care of.”

Kevin turned his head sideways and looked at her.  What the hell is she talking about, she isn’t going home.  I told her she is staying with me.

Bron didn’t look at Kevin she looked directly across from her at Nick.  Nick’s expression said it all.  Bron had cross the line and pissed Kevin off.  He couldn’t defend himself or say a word without everyone knowing the real story.  Nick was taken aback he never thought of Bron going home.  Kevin wouldn’t allow it.

“I think we should go check on Bounce,” she heard Kevin speak.

“Bounce is fine,” she returned as she winced from the grip Kevin had on her leg under the table.  It was getting tighter and tighter the more she sat there.  She couldn’t take it anymore, he was so angry he was going to end up breaking her leg.  “Maybe we should,” she announced as she set her napkin on her plate.

Quietly they both got up, Kevin stopped the waitress and signed the bill.  He grabbed Bron’s shoulder roughly as they went out the door, practically dragging her.  Anne noticed it and glanced at Tim and Jerald, who didn’t like what they saw at all.  Kevin was not being nice to her, but why.  Everyone who sat at the table were too stunned at what just happened to move.

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