Brady's Love

"Audrey, you really ought to talk to your man more. All those guys are special forces. They do a lot of protection work for the rich and famous."

A woman who was sitting at the next table got up to leave. She stopped at Audrey's table first. "Sorry to have been eavesdropping but I want to tell you my story. I was married to a man who sounds a lot like your Brady. He was always forgetting things like my birthday and our anniversary. It used to make me so mad. But, he was killed in Iraq. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish he would come home to me. He could forget my birthday for the rest of my life and I wouldn't care if I could just hold him again. If you love your man, go to him and forgive him."

Audrey was crying when the woman turned to leave. She jumped up from her chair. "I've got to go. I've got to find Brady and tell him I'm sorry."

Audrey jumped into her car and raced to Brady's house. She was hoping he was there but saw his drive way empty when she arrived. Realizing it was a weekday she knew he would probably be at work. That was her next stop. She saw Brady walking across the parking lot as she pulled in. There were two buildings that shared the same lot with an alleyway running between them. As her car neared Brady, Audrey saw a man step from the alley and raise his hand in Brady's direction. There was a loud bang and she saw Brady grab at his chest.

After that, everything seemed to play out in slow motion. She watched the man she loved fall to the ground. Brady rolled to his side and his hand came up and another loud bang sounded. This time it was the man from the alley who slumped to the ground, his pistol falling from his hand. Audrey threw her car into park and leaped from her seat to run to Brady. He was trying to sit up when she came up behind him and threw her arms around him.

"Don't you die on me Brady Ryan. I'll never forgive you," she sobbed hysterically.

Brady twisted his head around to see who was grasping at him. "Audrey?"

"Hang on darling. I'll call an ambulance," she cried out.

Just then the parking lot was filled with sirens as police cars pulled in. Brady kept trying to get to his feet but Audrey was clinging to his back holding him down. An officer rushed over to them.

"Are you okay?" the cop asked Brady.

"Better than that guy over there. I reckon that's the guy you've been looking for."

"Yeah, looks like it. Were you hit."

"Yeah, took one in the vest. Hurts like hell but I'll be okay."

Audrey looked at Brady questioningly. She scrambled around in front of him and saw the bullet hole in his shirt. Grasping the front, she ripped his shirt open and saw the bullet proof vest.

"You're not going to die?" she beseeched.

"Someday but not today," he chuckled and then groaned as he rose to his feet.

Brady undid his vest and took it off to reveal an already ugly looking bruise forming. The vest had done it's job in stopping the bullet but the impact still hit him with a lot of force. Audrey started to faint and Brady reached out to catch her. He picked her up in his arms and carried her into his office followed by the officer. The other cops who had arrived were attending to the crime scene.

Audrey came to just before Brady could set her down and wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go. He just sat down in a chair and held her as she cried into his shoulder. When he finally got her calmed down enough to sit in a chair he explained to her that the guy who had tried to kill him was the brother of the other guy he had killed at the millionaire's party. The police were afraid he would try to retaliate but had lost track of him. It took him and the cop another twenty minutes of talking to convince her that this should be the end of it.

Audrey refused to go home that night. She wouldn't let Brady out of her sight. He took her to his house and to his bed.

"Baby, I'm so sorry I missed your showing."

Audrey put her finger to his lips. "No darling, I'm the one that's sorry. I won't ever get mad at you like that again. All that matters is that I have you and you're alive. I love you so much."

"Do you love me enough to marry me?"

Audrey squealed in delight. "Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes," she cried out.

"And you'll never get mad at me ever again?"

Audrey snickered. "Well, I'll try not to. If I can train you to not leave the toilet seat up and pick up your dirty socks off the floor it would help."

Brady shook with laughter and pulled her tightly into his arms. "I love you Mrs. Ryan to be."

"And I love you to, Mr. Ryan."