Subtle Reminders

  Table of Contents

  Subtle Reminders

  Copyright

  Also by D.J. Pierson

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Keep reading

  Copyright © 2016 by D.J. Pierson

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ISBN-13: 978-1523668342

  ISBN-10: 1523668342

  Cover by: Marisa-rose Shor of Cover Me, Darling

  Edited by: Kim Young

  Formatted by: Marisa-rose Shor of Cover Me, Darling and Allyson Gottlieb of Athena Interior Book Design

  Also by D.J. Pierson

  Forever Altered

  Left Behind: Left Behind #1

  Left Together: Left Behind #2

  To my kids.

  Thank you for the subtle reminders.

  I’d be lost without the two of you.

  Gambling away the prior week’s paycheck at the blackjack table in Atlantic City with my best friend was nothing new. Long before we were legally allowed, we had been sneaking in. Being half shot in the ass after spending a few hours in a strip club with a bunch of our buddies was also part of our normal routine. However, my best friend of over twenty years not enjoying himself at said strip club? Well, that shit was something I never expected to see. Looking back, I should’ve known. Not every guy who was about to be shackled for life wanted a strange, practically naked chick bouncing on his lap, especially when he had to go home to the one he would be with for the rest of his time on earth. Thankfully, that was only a few hours at the beginning of a bachelor party weekend. The main event, for which he’d owe me big, wasn’t until the next day.

  Leaning back on the tall stool, I watched the tall blonde waitress drop off our drinks and walk away. She was shaking her ass more than necessary, but I still enjoyed the view. If Vince wanted to be a bitch and not look, it was his loss. Just because he was getting hitched didn’t mean he had to stop checking out the scenery. Good thing I was paying attention or I would’ve missed when she turned around and winked.

  “Please tell me I’ll be graciously rewarded for providing all of these services by having to walk down the aisle with someone as hot as her at this wedding you’re dragging me to next month,” I said, bringing my attention back to the hand of cards I held. It was just the two of us with a few older men at the table. The other guys were out gallivanting. We had plans to meet back up in a little over an hour. Vince laughed, as if I was missing out on a joke. “What?”

  “Damn you, Sullivan. You’re costing me two hundred fucking dollars.”

  “How?”

  “Your stupidity.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Lex bet me you’d never guess her maid of honor. I thought you’d definitely know and would tell me to fuck off when I asked you to be in the wedding.” He motioned toward the dealer, who slid a card across the table. Vince picked it up, adding it to his hand.

  “Poor bastard. You act like someone else would want to be your best man.” Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. Vince had been my best friend since kindergarten. He didn’t even need to ask. There’d never been a time I wasn’t there when he needed me. Why the fuck would I care whom Lex wanted by her side? “Are you going to tell me, dickhead? Is she ugly or something? Do I know her?”

  “You better hope I win this hand so I can pay Lex.” He shook his head and guzzled his beer, then sighed. “Didn’t you realize a sister is the most appropriate person for a girl to have as her maid of honor?” No, I fucking didn’t. My oldest friend laughed at my shocked expression. “Surprise, dumbass. You get to hang out with Brielle for an entire day. Don’t even think about backing out now. Lex will beat your ass if you bail on us.”

  Holy fuck! “BC’s coming home?” I asked, barely able to form the words. To my knowledge, she hadn’t returned to New Jersey in nearly seven years.

  “She’ll be here for two full weeks.”

  A flash of the prettiest brown eyes came to my mind. Despite the fact I hadn’t seen them in a long time, I could never forget them. Hell, I still dreamt of the way they used to stare back at me. Those beautiful brown things made me…well, me. BC was my world, plain and simple. I would’ve gone as far as betting anything I had that she felt the same way. However, she suddenly shattered my life by ending us. My only saving grace was I hadn’t seen her since that dreadful night, which helped…for the most part. My heart excitedly fluttered in my chest just by hearing her name. If I knew what was good for me, I’d squash that shit. The thought of what having to be near her would do to me should’ve been terrifying. I traveled that road before, barely coming out the other side.

  A memory of how her soft skin felt under my fingertips came to mind. Damn it! The way her body always responded to mine. Son of a bitch! How much I loved her. How she was the only girl I ever wanted and would for the rest of my life. Motherfucker!

  My heart beat faster as it grasped the reality of finally getting to see her again. I knew what it wanted, but it would never happen. It couldn’t. She told me to let her go. She didn’t want me anymore. I stayed away all this time because she asked me to.

  “No worries, Sully. You have Shannon. Plus, Brielle has been seeing some guy for over two years or some shit. It’s not like she’s your date or anything,” Vince chimed in. “Lex already said she won’t even make you dance with her.”

  Hearing she had been dating someone didn’t do a damn thing to stop the fluttering. Shannon me
ant nothing to me. She was just…convenient. “BC will be here for two weeks?” I questioned, hoping I’d heard him right.

  “Yup,” he responded, concentrating on the game in front of us. The one I had forgotten.

  “Is the boyfriend coming?” The wheels in my head spun faster, further mixing up the emotions. She told me to let her go, I repeated to myself. Of course, my dumb ass didn’t listen.

  “I’m pretty sure he’s only coming for the wedding and then leaving. Lex said something about it, but I wasn’t really listening. She’s pissed he won’t come earlier to spend time with the family. He’s too busy at work or something. If he doesn’t have time for us, why the hell should I worry about him?”

  “Perfect.” Oops, did I just say that out loud?

  “What’s perfect?” He turned in my direction.

  “Uh, nothing.” Would I be able to do it? Was it even possible? I didn’t know, but there was no way in hell I wasn’t going to try. It would be worth the risk. Two weeks was plenty of time. It had to be.

  “Sullivan, I have no idea what’s going on in that fucked up head of yours, but you have that crazy look again. The one where you’re about to do something really stupid and I should stop you. What’s going on?”

  I folded on the hand I was holding. My brain wasn’t capable of concentrating on the cards and those damn brown eyes at the same time. An involuntary smile formed on my face. “You’ll see, my friend. You’ll see.”

  When the waitress came back and brushed her chest against my arm, I barely noticed. The only thing I focused on was devising the perfect plan to win back the only girl I had ever loved.

  “Okay, Mr. Harrison. You’re all done for today,” I said, helping my favorite patient lift his head from the table. Shakily, he sat up and waited to get his bearings. He was also a tad drowsy since he tended to doze off during his treatments. The man was fifty-five and trying his damnedest to beat cancer, but having a lot to live for helped. “Don’t stand until you’re ready. I don’t want you to fall.”

  “You sound like my wife.” He brushed off my warning, just as I knew he would. No one liked being reminded that they weren’t as young or healthy as they used to be, but Mr. Harrison was a very stubborn man by nature. It was probably one of the things I liked most about him. A few moments went by before he took a deep breath.

  “Better?” I asked, holding out a paper cup. He liked to have a sip of water when he was finished.

  He raised his head, smiled, and took a sip. “Much. Thank you, Brielle. If I could only get Nancy to spoil me the way you do, I’d be set.” We laughed because everyone knew she treated the man like gold. The way they loved each other was right out of a fairy-tale, Hollywood blockbuster, romance novel… Whatever you wanted to call it. It was pure, two-sided, and stood the test of time. If I hadn’t seen the two of them together, I wouldn’t believe that kind of thing still existed.

  “You’re welcome. Be careful she doesn’t hear you talk like that, though. She won’t cook for a week.” Mrs. Harrison cared for her husband with everything she had, but could still hold a grudge with the best of them.

  “True.” Using both hands, he pushed himself off the table. I looped my arm through his for support, and the gesture didn’t bother his persevering side in the least. He smiled proudly, leading me toward the waiting room. “Good thing you’re always watching out for this old man.”

  “Someone has to or you’d starve.”

  He was still chuckling when we reached the cozy lounge where his wife waited. “Oh no! Please tell me you aren’t torturing Brielle with your jokes again,” Mrs. Harrison pleaded. Dr. Collins, who was sitting in the chair next to her, looked at me, but I quickly glanced away.

  “Yes, he was, but I enjoy them,” I told her kindly, covering for him.

  She shook her head, embarrassed. “How many times do I need to tell you, Carl?”

  “I’m sure Brielle can handle it. She seems pretty tough. You have nothing to worry about,” Dr. Collins remarked as he stood. He helped Mrs. Harrison to her feet, then glanced over her head to wink at me. Truth be told, he had a general idea of just how tough I could be. “How are you feeling, Mr. Harrison?”

  “How the hell do you think I feel? Do you see the beautiful brunette attached to my arm?” he joked.

  “Carl!” his wife scolded.

  Dr. Collins laughed. “I can see how that could make any man feel pretty damn good.”

  When the oncologist joined the practice three years ago, I thought I was going to have to find a new job because his presence made it hard to concentrate. We were used to the lone female and two much older male doctors. But when Aidan Collins moseyed in, flashing his baby blues, panties evaporated into thin air. His light hair was a perfect contrast to his olive-toned skin. His muscular build demanded complete attention whenever he was within a few yards. Then the guy smiled, practically ripping off the rest of my clothes. In my defense, it had been so long since my panties had seen any action, I thought the lace would disintegrate if touched. Perhaps I should’ve bought clothing made of more durable material.

  Over the next seven months, I declined his numerous invites to grab coffee or a drink after work, to go to dinner, or to attend office functions together. The worst part was he totally called my bluff on not being interested in him or his sky-colored irises. Eventually, he wore me down, but only after I insisted no one at work find out. He agreed, and things have been the same for a little over two years. A few people from the office had made comments regarding the way Aidan would look at me or things he’d say, but I never let on to anything. I consistently responded with the same answer. The one I had been using for many years before meeting the dreamy doctor. The one that would always be true. My heart was back home in New Jersey. It was also the reason I’d never be able to go home to stay.

  “You two would make such an adorable couple,” Mrs. Harrison said.

  “I’m pretty sure that would be against company policy,” I teased.

  “You wouldn’t have to worry about company policy if you stayed home to raise the kids,” she whispered, causing me to choke on the air in my lungs. Aidan bit his lip to hide an arrogant smirk. He was already married to his job and had no plans of divorcing it. That was why our relationship worked. Neither one of us wanted anything more than occasional companionship. He had his place. I had mine.

  “Speaking of home… Remember, I won’t be here for the next two weeks, so Laney will be doing a couple of your treatments. Don’t give her too much trouble. I’ll be hours away and won’t be able to come bail her out.” I silently hoped all talk of kids and being a couple had vanished. “She’s almost as good as I am. I’ve taught her everything she knows, so you’ll be in good hands.”

  Laney had come to our group as a student. I took her under my wing and didn’t let her go. She had a sweetness about her that couldn’t be learned in any classroom, caring for her patients as if they were family. That was rare in today’s world, but necessary in our field. It didn’t take much convincing from me to get our office manager to bring her on after she graduated.

  “We remember, dear. When is the big day?” Mrs. Harrison questioned.

  “Next Saturday. I can’t wait to see my little sister get married.” I was also a tad envious. Not because she was getting married, but because she was getting a forever with her best friend. That was something taken away from me.

  “And you’re in the wedding, right?”

  “Maid of honor.”

  “That’s so exciting. It’s been many years since my sister’s wedding, but I remember wondering if she was as happy getting married as I was standing beside her.” Over the last few months, I had repeatedly thought the same thing. Listening to her chat on the phone about this or that had been the highlight of many days. She was on a constant high over her upcoming nuptials, and she deserved every single second of it. “Make sure you take lots of pictures. I’ll be looking forward to hearing all about it.”

  “But you’ll be back
for my last treatment, right?” Appearing more worried than hopeful, Mr. Harrison lightly squeezed my arm.

  I leaned into him, putting my hand over his. “That’s something I wouldn’t miss for the world,” I promised. He visibly relaxed.

  “All right. Let’s get you some lunch,” Mrs. Harrison said. She reached her arm out to her husband and, after patting my hand, he went to her. “Have a wonderful time, Brielle. Enjoy the time with your family. I can’t imagine how much they’ve missed you.”

  “Thank you. I will. Have a great weekend,” I replied, waiting until they were out the door to sigh. Since it was the lunch hour, the waiting room was empty.

  “They aren’t the only ones who will miss you,” Aidan said softly. “Did you really have to take a half-day today?”

  “Yes. I still have packing to do,” I told him as we headed toward my room to clean it up. “If you want to go out for lunch, I know this little place up the street. I’ll be the only one there.”

  “Hmm… I might have time for that. My next patient isn’t until two.” Surprised, I turned to look at him. Aidan very rarely had time for anything in the middle of the day, let alone sex. “See you in about twenty minutes.” He winked, then disappeared down the hallway.

  Laney popped out of her room, startling me. Did she hear what Aidan had said? If she did, her face gave nothing away. “I can’t believe you’re finally taking a vacation. I expected you to come up with a reason to skip out on Alexa this week, run home for the wedding next Saturday, and teleport back here the second the reception ended.”

  “I’d never do that to my sister.” My body released the tension, assuming she heard nothing. “She has stuff planned for every day I’ll be there.”

  “I believe it. She hasn’t seen you in a long time.” It had been five months since she and my parents had come to visit for Christmas.

  “She’s been pretty wrapped up in Vince and their new house. I doubt she noticed I was missing.”

  “That’s a bunch of shit and you know it.” She eyed me suspiciously. “What I really want to know is how you feel about seeing Joe again. How long has it been?”