Love Me Tender (Seven Brides, Seven Brothers) Read online

  He pulled up into his driveway, cringing as the memories washed over him. After all these years he still didn't know how everything had fallen apart between them. He still couldn't figure out why he'd let Layla slip through his fingers like grains of sand.

  “Don't get in over your head and do anything foolish. Keep your eye on the prize.”

  Brandon Donahue

  Chapter Two

  Ten years earlier

  Breezy Beach

  “Please, don't cry, Layla. Everything is going to work out. Just you wait and see,” Nick crooned to his girlfriend, Layla, who was sitting next to him on the rocks quietly crying into her hands. He had his arm around her, holding her close to his side. Her whole body was heaving as she cried. All he wanted to do was take away every ounce of her sorrow and replace it with joy. But, at the moment, that didn't seem quite possible.

  She raised her head up and looked him straight in the eye. He winced at the sight of her tear-stained face and red rimmed eyes. It felt like a knife in his gut.

  “It's impossible, Nick. And you know it,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “California and New York City aren't that far away.” Even as the words slipped past his lips he knew the utter ridiculousness of his statement. The two states were worlds apart to college students. Stanford University was located on the West Coast. Julliard was on the East Coast. It was a six hour flight. Not impossible, but how long could they keep it up without it taking a toll on both of them?

  Layla let out an indelicate snort. “Yeah, right. It will be so easy to visit each other on the weekends. Neither one of us can afford those flights, not on a regular basis.” She moved out of his embrace and put her hands on her knees, then lowered her head.

  “Trains, planes, automobiles,” Nick said in firm voice. “It's not impossible. Not if we truly are committed to each other.”

  “Are you?” Layla whispered. “Or was this just a summer fling? Something to pass the time?”

  He reached out and pushed long tendrils of her hair away from her face. All summer his feelings for Layla had been growing by leaps and bounds. Now, it was time to tell her how he felt about her.

  “I love you, Layla. I've never said those words to another girl. Not ever.”

  “Oh, Nick,” Layla said, turning her head back towards him. “I love you too. And I'll never love anyone else the way I love you.”

  Nick leaned down and placed a kiss on Layla's lips, one that was filled with all the excitement befitting the moment. Instead of holding it in as he always did, he was letting all his feelings show on the outside. They'd declared their love for one another. It was a sacred thing.

  “I feel like we should make a promise or something.”

  Layla crinkled her nose. “What kind of a promise?”

  “A promise that ties us to one another, despite all the miles between us,” Nick explained.

  “Oh, I like the sound of that,” Layla gushed.

  “We could promise to call or write every week,” Nick suggested.

  Layla bit her lip. “We're both going to be really busy. My schedule at Julliard is going to be pretty intense. I'm going to be sleeping, breathing and dreaming dance. And my spending part of second semester in Paris means we'll be in different time zones.”

  “And I've got to maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to keep my scholarship. That means I'm going to have to focus on my studies. And I'm going to be a mentor for Christian youth in the community as well.” He scratched his chin. “I can't let my parents down. Not after everything they've done for me.”

  After being placed in the foster care system due to the neglect of his biological parents, he'd been fortunate enough to have been adopted by his amazing parents, Alec and Maggie Donahue. He'd only been seven at the time and bewildered about his status in the world. He'd felt utterly alone. Then they'd adopted him, along with six other boys, and created a loving, dynamic family. The love he felt for the Donahue clan couldn't have been any stronger if he'd been born into it.

  “Why don't we promise to meet up seven months from now over Spring break. I could meet you in New York.”

  Layla jumped up from the sand. She extended her arms and twirled around. “That's brilliant. We could make it something really significant. Like meeting in Times Square at the stroke of midnight.”

  Nick threw his head back and laughed. “Sounds like something from a movie.”

  Layla tugged on the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “It sounds romantic.”

  “If you say so,” he teased. “I know how much you love your romance novels.”

  She studied him solemnly. “Seven months from now, on March 20th, we'll meet at Times Square.”

  He'd jumped up and taken her in his arms, twirling her around on the sand. “No excuses allowed.”

  “No excuses,” she'd said. “Only absolute, one hundred percent follow through.”

  Nick leaned down and placed his lips over Layla's. He ran his hands through her long hair as she pressed herself against his chest. Nick felt a sense of urgency run through him. He sensed it in Layla as well. It was as if they both knew these last few kisses would have to last for the next seven months, and both of them wanted to be able to hang on to this memory. These kisses, he'd thought, would carry them through the next few months until they met once again.

  March 19th

  Nick reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out the small velvet box. For some reason he couldn't stop staring at it. It made this whole thing very real. Spring break had started three days ago when he'd arrived back in Cape Cod after a long flight from California.

  Without warning, his older brother, Brandon, crashed into the room. Startled, he shoved the box back into the dresser drawer, then slammed it shut.

  Frowning, Brandon advanced towards him. “What did you just shove inside the drawer?”

  “N-Nothing, Brandon.” The words rushed out of his mouth. “Nothing that concerns you,” he said, meeting his brother's intense gaze head-on. Just because Brandon was older didn't mean he was the boss of him. His drawer. His ring. His business. “Can't a person get any privacy around here?” he grumbled.

  “You're hiding something. I can tell.” Nick couldn't evade Brandon's probing gaze. “You can tell me. I won't tell anyone,” Brandon promised.

  Nick let out a sigh. Brandon was an excellent person to confide in. He was honest. And strong. He was the most intelligent person he'd ever known in his life. He'd been a huge role model in Nick's life. At the moment he was attending Harvard University on a full academic scholarship. Most importantly for the situation, Brandon didn't pull any punches. And if he said he wouldn't betray Nick's confidence, he meant it.

  Nick turned towards the dresser and yanked the drawer open. He pulled out the ring box, popped it open and held it up so Brandon could see it.

  Eyes wide, Brandon swiveled his gaze toward him. “This isn't....what I think it is. Is it?”

  Nick slowly nodded. “I'm getting married.”

  Brandon took his cap and slapped him on the back of the head.

  Nick groaned. “What was that for?”

  “To wake you up. Fast.” Brandon folded his arms across his chest and looked down at him.

  “Who are you giving this to?”

  “Layla. We've promised ourselves to one another. I'm heading to New York in the morning to meet up with her....and to ask her to marry me.”

  Brandon's lip curled upwards. “Layla from last summer Layla? The girl you were running around town with attached to your hip?”

  “Yes.” Now that Brandon was grilling him about everything, it sounded so stupid. So incredibly implausible. Of all his brothers, Brandon was the one he looked up to the most. Brandon was about to enter his junior year at college. He excelled in the classroom and had been named a Presidential Scholar. He'd shown Nick that he too could study hard and win a scholarship. And he'd done just that! Despite his learning disability, he'd achieved academic success.

  “How is this whole thing go
ing to work? Are you really going to drop out of one of the best colleges in the country? You have no job, no means of supporting yourself or Layla. Mom and Dad are killing themselves at the bakery trying to help all of us pursue our dreams.” Brandon's tone was incredulous.

  “And I appreciate everything they've done for me. But the past few months without Layla have been torture.” He jammed his hand through his hair. “I can't take it a minute longer. I promised her that I would meet her in New York City. We're supposed to meet in Times Square at the stroke of midnight. I'm going to try and convince her to come back to California with me.”

  “You're nineteen.” Brandon shook his head and made a hissing sound. “Too young to be throwing your life away. And do you think her parents will just let her toss aside her own plans to be with you?”

  Nick clenched his hands into fists. “Being with Layla wouldn't be throwing my life away,” he said through gritted teeth. “She believes in me. And she'll be there tomorrow night waiting.”

  “Call her now and tell her you've changed your mind,” Brandon pleaded.

  “I can't. Her phone is turned off. It was getting too expensive, especially going overseas.” Nick hated how his voice sounded so uncertain.

  “Nick! Do you really think she's going to be there?” Brandon shook his head and clapped Nick on the shoulder. “She's going to school in New York. You haven't heard from her in months, right?”

  Nick bit his lip. He didn't want all the doubts to creep back in. “She's been really busy. So have I. She's been in Paris for a dance exchange program. That doesn't mean she's forgotten about me...or the promise we made.”

  “I'm not trying to hurt you. Someone needs to give you a reality check. It would kill Mom and Dad if you threw everything away for a....”

  He clenched his teeth and fisted his hands at his sides. “For a what?”

  “A pipe dream.”

  “Layla's not a pipe dream. She's real. And she's the best thing to ever happen to me,” he said in a defiant voice.

  Brandon arched an eyebrow. “Better than Mom and Dad? 'Cause you running off to get married...it will devastate them.”

  Nick let out a groan. “Brandon! Don't.” His brother knew his weak spot. The ties that bound them all together. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting his parents or any of his brothers. He owed them the world. He'd be nothing without them.

  “You know I'm right,” Brandon said with a nod of his head.

  Nick hung his head. He'd been having second thoughts about this whole thing, but he'd stuffed them down out of loyalty towards Layla. But for weeks now he hadn't been able to get a hold of her. She didn't even have a working email address. Was it possible her dance career and life in New York and Paris had become way more important to her than he was?

  Suddenly, he felt completely lost. He needed his big brother to show him the way.

  “What should I do?” Nick asked.

  “Stay here in Breeze Point for Spring break. Don't go to New York City.”

  “What if....she's there waiting for me?” He couldn't stand the thought of Layla hanging out in Times Square waiting for him, only to have her hopes dashed.

  “What are the odds that she'll be waiting for you there after seven months of not being together? You said you guys don't even talk on the phone or email each other anymore.”

  “That's right,” he said dully, feeling as if he'd been doused by a bucket of cold water. Why had it taken so long for him to put the pieces together? He'd been doing all the work of trying to keep them together, while Layla was floating with the breeze.

  Brandon let out a sharp laugh. “Do yourself a favor and start thinking like a realist. You have your whole future to consider. College. Grad school maybe. Then opening your business, just the way you've always dreamed about.”

  Nick stayed silent. Although his head had always been filled with dreams of opening his own restaurant here in Cape Cod, Layla had shown him how to dream about other, more precious things.

  “I love you, Nick. I'll always have your back,” Brandon said as he pulled Nick into a tight hug.

  As Nick felt the power of his brother's heartfelt embrace, a feeling of relief rushed through him. He loved Layla, but this whole thing had been way over his head. Brandon was right. He needed to put his parents and his family first. Now and always.

  When the ache for Layla rose up inside him he stuffed it down, convincing himself that what he felt for her was nothing more than puppy love. It was what he planned to do until the hurt went away, until his soul didn't cry out for her. Something told him it might take a lifetime.

  *

  As the memories washed over Nick, he once again asked himself the million dollar question. What might have been if he'd followed his heart rather than his head all those years ago? He'd always believed he would never know the answer to that question. But, God had brought Layla back into his life. Like a brilliant rainbow after a lightning storm, Layla had appeared at the cottage bestowed on her by Aunt Trudy. He liked to think that someone was pulling the strings up in Heaven, creating a circumstance whereby he and Layla could be reunited. A few weeks after his no-show in Times Square he'd reached out to Layla through email and by phone, only to discover both had been disconnected. It was the final proof that she'd moved on from him.

  But, in the here and now, he could reach out and connect with her. Was it possible, he wondered, after all this time to still have a bond? Was this a second chance being tossed in his lap? He wasn't a romantic person. Not really.

  It was strange how those feelings had died after things fell apart with Layla. He'd had a few girlfriends here and there, but he'd never allowed himself to fall in love with them. Whenever things started moving in a forward direction, he'd cut the cord. Every single time he'd ended up comparing the lady in question to Layla. Because nothing or no one had ever felt right, not after Layla had been imprinted on his soul.

  “What I've always loved about Breeze Point is the sense that everyone is greeted with open arms.”

  Gabrielle Turner

  Chapter Three

  A quick trip to the center of town had turned into a full-fledged walking tour of the downtown area. After picking up some nails at the hardware store, Layla had found herself strolling around the quaintest town square she'd ever known. How she'd missed Main Street with all the cute shops and the friendly townsfolk passing by. A father cradled a baby in his arms as the doting mother looked on. A little girl no more than five chased after a dog trailing a leash.

  She smiled at the sight of Sweet Treats. The sign out front was pink and purple, with a big cupcake on it. Sigh. The Donahue family bakery. It brought back a host of memories. If she closed her eyes she could almost taste the famous Donahue Whoopie Pies. They'd always melted in her mouth and satisfied her sweet tooth. She felt too awkward to just saunter inside and re-introduce herself to them. With seven sons, she was certain Maggie and Alec couldn't remember every young woman who'd walked in and out of their sons' lives.

  Layla jumped at the explosive sound that rent the air. Gunshots! Instinctively, she threw her purse down to the ground and started to run away. She let out a shriek as a hand gripped her wrist.

  “Hey, lady. It's only a car backfiring.” The teen boy with the dirty blond hair picked up her purse from the sidewalk and handed it back to her. His expression was disbelieving.

  She must have looked like an idiot throwing her purse to the ground like that. Her cheeks flushed at the notion that she'd mistaken the sound for gunshots. At least no one else had witnessed her foolishness. Taking a deep breath she reminded herself not to jump at every loud noise and commotion. She wasn't in Seattle anymore. She was back in Cape Cod with gentle summer nights and the tangy smell of the ocean permeating her senses. This morning she'd taken a run on the beach, followed by a dip in the ocean. It had felt nice to bask in the chill of the salty water and to dig her toes into the sand as the sun caressed her skin.

  To her, Breeze Point would always rep
resent Nick Donahue. And even though she'd been angry at him for a long period of time, several years ago she'd decided to lay all her burdens down before the Lord so she could get a fresh start. She'd forgiven Nick for his dismissive treatment of her and his decision not to uphold the promise they'd made to one another. Bitterness only hurt the person who housed it in their soul. She'd refused to give in to that negative energy.

  It was hard to deny that Nick, the man of her dreams, still tugged at her heartstrings. She didn't know if it was wise to spend time with him, but he'd invited her to dinner tonight at his fabulous restaurant. The invitation had been slipped under her door, presumably in the early morning hours. A restaurateur's hours, she imagined.

  Her head was so in the clouds she accidentally bumped into a woman on the sidewalk. “Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going,” she said as she looked into the woman's face.

  “Layla Mason! I can't believe my eyes.”

  Layla smiled at the sight of the beautiful redhead with the angelic face. “Oh my goodness. Delilah Dalton. Or should I call you Lilah?” The two reached out and embraced one another in a tight hug. Suddenly, it felt like they were teenagers again and ready to take on the world.

  “No, call me by my full name. My family loves to shorten it. Wow. I had no idea a simple walk into town was going to be like taking a trip down memory lane.”

  “Neither did I. And I go by Layla Delgado now.” Layla didn't want anyone calling her Layla Mason. She'd changed her last name to Delgado to make it more difficult for Grant to find her. The names he would look for her under would be Layla Mason or Layla Cummings, her married name and the one she'd used as a ballerina.

  “Are you married?” Delilah asked, her face filled with curiosity.

  “I was,” she acknowledged with a shake of her head. “But we're not together anymore. No kids either.” It was still hard to talk about her failed marriage to Grant. She prayed Delilah wouldn't ask any questions. It was hard to have a real conversation without telling the truth about why her marriage had failed.