Free Brody by Vanessa Devereaux Page B

think of our big brother?” asked Jackson.
    “I think he looks like a Mckinney. Now we’ll
have more competition for the women.”
    “Speaking
of which, have you met Maddie?” asked Branndon Sr.
    “No,
no, I have not.”
    Branndon
Jr. took off his hat, lifted Maddie’s hand, and kissed the back of it.
    Like
father, like son.
    “If
I did not have a lady waiting for me later tonight, I’d ask you out for a
drink.”
    Branndon
Sr. slapped him on the shoulder. “Mckinney’s have a rule. We do not take our
brother’s women, you got that, son?”
    Branndon
Jr. lifted both his hands. “My apologies, big bro.”
    Bro. Brady hated that
word, and he was already beginning to dislike Branndon Jr., and not just
because of the move he’d made on Maddie.
    “Let’s
get a photo of the four of us,” said Branndon Sr.
    “I
can take it for you,” said Maddie.
    Branndon
Sr. got in the middle with Brody and Junior next to him and Jackson by Branndon
Jr.’s side.
    “Smile,”
said Maddie.
    She
took three photos for them and then handed the camera back to Branndon Sr.
    “I’ll
upload these to my Facebook page,” he said.
    “So,
Dad, you didn’t think about using condoms back in the old days?” asked Branndon
Jr. while taking a beer from the bar.
    “What
would you do if you knew you’d fathered a child years ago?” Jackson asked his
brother.
    “That
would never happen because my dick is always covered, but I know sometimes you’ve been a little haphazard in the
rubber department.”
    Betty
whistled. “Guys, I don’t think this is the event for talk about those things,
now is it?”
    Brody
smiled. He liked this lady a lot. He could tell despite her stepsons being
grown men, she’d taken on quite a job when she’d married their father.
    “Both
of you follow me out to the kitchen, and help me bring in the food.”
    Brody
watched as they walked out to the kitchen. Maddie was talking to Katy and
Jennifer, and they were showing her photos of what were obviously their new
babies. Branndon Sr. was chatting with Connor and Cash, so Brody decided maybe
Betty needed another pair of hands to help. He got as far as the edge of the
kitchen and then stopped and hid behind a cabinet when he heard the
conversation.
    “What
do you think of him?” asked Jackson.
    “I’m
suspicious of him,” said Branndon Jr.
    “Yeah,
me too. I know the DNA said he was Dad’s son, but if he wasn’t in need of a
kidney, would he even have thought to come look for Pa?”
    “Betty,
what do you think about Dad considering donating a kidney to Brody?”
    “I’m
not happy about it. I mean, a man of his age. It’s a big operation, and he
could be laid up for months. However, it’s his decision, and whatever he wants
to do, I will be behind him one hundred percent.”
    “I
don’t think he should do it,” said Jackson. “What if he dies during the
surgery? I looked it up online, and they almost have to cut you in half to get
your kidney out.”
    “What
if his one kidney gives out? What then? One of us will have to come to the
rescue and no, thank you. I’m checking out of this life with everything
intact.”
    Brody
moved and the floorboard squeaked. They looked his way. Damn, they’d spotted
him. He walked quickly toward them, hoping they didn’t catch on that he’d been
eavesdropping. Both men looked at one another and fell silent.
    “Can
I help you carry anything into the den?” he asked.
    “That’s
very kind of you, Brody,” said Betty. “If you could take this dip and salsa,
that would be great.”
    He
took the bowl and platter from them, trying not to make eye contact with his
two half- brothers. He’d only just met them, but he already disliked him. If it
wouldn’t seem rude to Branndon Sr., what he really wanted to do was grab
Maddie’s hand and run the hell away from here and never come back.

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    Maddie
guessed something was wrong with Brody. He was quiet on the drive back to her
place, and she figured