“Brody, please. You’re insulting us both. You love the competition. You love proving to everyone that you’re better than them! All I’m doing is helping you with it. Just say thank you so we can move on.” He paused. “Leanna didn’t happen to bring dessert, did she?”
“Unbelievable,” he murmured. “You are absolutely unbelievable! We’re in the middle of a serious conversation and all you can ask is what we’re having for dessert?”
“We’re not having a conversation. You’re having a tantrum for who knows what reason. You got what you wanted. You won! And in the process, I’ve managed to push your brother’s buttons to wake him up a bit, put his snooty bride-to-be in her place, and made you look even more appealing to Leanna because you’ll take her someplace she’s always wanted to go. Everybody wins!” He stood. “Now come on. Let’s see if coffee’s on.”
That was not an option.
Brody stepped in his path and stood firm. “Not until we’re done talking.”
“We are done,” his father countered. “Now come, your mother is probably worried we’re in here arguing.”
“We are in here arguing!” Then, before he could help it, a mirthless laugh came out of his mouth. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? How the game you’ve played with us our whole lives has screwed us all up? You’ve turned us into competitors instead of brothers! You pit us against one another and then sit back and enjoy yourself while we fight things out! Openly choosing sides to make sure someone’s pissed off!”
The words were out and he had no regrets, but he did expect his father to deny it.
But he didn’t.
“I made you the men you are today!” his father roared. “If it weren’t for me, the three of you would have been trust fund brats who had no idea how to work for a living!” He took a step toward Brody. “Your mother was always coddling you boys and I had to step in and make sure you became men! My father did the same to me and my brothers and look where we are! We own one of the most successful companies in the world! And you dare stand here and act like what I did was wrong? I did what I had to! For years, you’ve all fallen in line and done what you were supposed to do! You’re the only one who constantly fights me. You always have and yet I tolerate it because I know exactly what to do to get you back in line!”
“You’re playing with our lives!” he shouted. “I’m a grown man who no longer knows what the hell he wants because you manipulated me into thinking this was it!”
“And you’ve done very well for yourself! Other than this nonsense with leaving work to go after a crying woman, you’ve been an exemplary employee!”
“I’m your son, dammit! Stop looking at me as only someone who works for you!”
“That’s how you get weak! That’s how you go back to being spoiled and coddled and I won’t allow it! And I won’t have you speaking to me like this and questioning my actions! I’m your father! Your boss! And I deserve respect!”
Brody was about to respond when his father paled dramatically.
“Dad?” he asked, stepping forward. That’s when he noticed the sheen of sweat on his father’s face. “Dad? Are you alright?”
His mouth moved but no sound came out. One hand reached for Brody while the other reached for his chest.
“Oh, shit!” Quickly, he maneuvered his father over to the sofa and screamed out for his brother. It was his mother who came through the door.
“What’s going on?” She saw her husband and gasped.
“Where’s Travis?” Brody asked, panicked, pulling his phone out of his pocket and dialing 9-1-1.
“Marshall? Darling? Darling, I’m here. Are you alright?” she asked, her voice trembling. Brody quickly gave the dispatcher their information and knew the next few minutes were going to be crucial.
“Mom, do you have any aspirin? They said to get him to chew one.”
She quickly ran from the room and he knelt beside his father and did his best to keep him calm. “It’s going to be okay, Dad. An ambulance is on the way. We’re going to get you taken care of.” Even as he said the words, he felt terrified and unsure.
He’d caused this.
Brody and his need to say what was on his mind did this. How was he supposed to live with himself knowing what he’d done?
“Here,” his mother said as she raced back into the room. “I take one daily. He’s always refused.” She knelt back down, taking her husband’s hand and talking soothingly to him. Brody looked around and still wondered where his brother was but was too busy wondering how long it would take for the ambulance to arrive to go looking for him.
Five minutes later, he heard the siren and raced out to the foyer and opened the front door to direct the paramedics. Several staff members were standing there with him and before he went back into the office, he asked, “Has anyone seen Travis?”
Their chef, Mrs. Foster, gently cleared her throat. “Mr. Travis and Miss Charlene left, Mr. Brody. So did Miss Leanna.”
“What?” he roared and watched as everyone flinched. There wasn’t time for this; he needed to get back into the office to be with his father. He’d call Leanna once everything got settled.
Before he knew it, the paramedics had his father on a stretcher and were wheeling him out to the ambulance. His mother was crying and begging to ride with them, but Brody knew she’d only be in the way.
“Mom,” he said gently. “We’ll ride together in my car. We’ll be right behind them. He’s going to be okay.”
And hoped he wasn’t lying to her.
The entire ride to the hospital had him on edge. He talked to his mother the entire time and listened as she cited all the ways his father didn’t take care of himself. And while he knew it was true, it didn’t seem possible that the man had any weakness.
“Just last week he was complaining about how tired he was,” she was saying. “We all thought it was prolonged jetlag. What if something was wrong all this time? I begged him to go see his doctor, but he refused to listen. And now look where he is!” She broke down crying again and Brody prayed they’d have some answers soon.
He dropped his mother off at the doors to the ER and then went to park. Pulling out his phone, he decided to quickly call Leanna and make sure she was okay.
It went directly to voicemail.
“Leanna, it’s me,” he said wearily as he rose from the car. “I’m not quite sure what happened, but I came out and you were gone. There’s been a bit of a situation and I’m at the hospital with my father and not sure when I’ll be able to talk. I’ll try to call you later tonight. I hope you’re okay.” He paused and was about to say goodbye when the message cut off.
It was for the better because he was already at the emergency room entrance and knew he had to shut off his phone. But before walking in, he sent a text to both his brothers letting them know what was happening.
When he stepped inside, he found his mother at the front desk and decided to simply mute his phone instead of shutting it off in case Daren or Travis responded to him.
There were forms to fill out and questions to answer and then they were told to have a seat and someone would be out to talk to them soon. Brody led his mother to a seat in the corner of the waiting area and asked if she wanted anything to drink. Rather than answer, she patted the seat beside him. He sat and she immediately reached for his hand.