Hold Me Close: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 6)

by Shanade White

  As it always was, the beginning of August was time for the town to take stock of the success of the logging festival. They would also clean up the town and make any repairs to the town before winter hit. Scarlet herself was on several committees and spent a lot of time away from the diner. This year they had an additional problem on their hands.

  After one of the driest winters on record, they’d had little rainfall, which had been good during the logging festival, but now was quickly becoming a problem. The extended forecast called for increasing temperatures and virtually no rainfall. Forest fires where quickly becoming a real worry. Scarlet had always known that living in the mountains came with both the good and the bad, the snow in the winter and the possibility of fires in the summer, but she’d never been faced with the real potential of fires.

  Now they were all scrambling to get the word out about fire prevention and how to protect homes in case of a fire. As the days passed and the heat continued, Scarlet knew that it was only a matter of time before they had a real crisis on their hands. The news from the ranchers wasn’t good. The grass even in the high meadows was brown and dead and the ground crunchy with dry undergrowth. All it was going to take was one spark and the whole forest could go up.

  It was Sean’s last weekend off before the season was over, and Marc’s brother and girlfriend were coming into town. Scarlet had been racing from one task to another, constantly worried about what the next crisis in her life would be. As great as the extra business at the diner was, it had put a strain on her already busy life. The tense relationship between Sean and Marc was also a constant worry, and now she was about to meet his brother.

  Saturday morning found her rushing around the house, cleaning frantically since she’d done little over the last few months. That was pretty normal for this time of the year, but she’d invited everyone over for dinner that night and the house wasn’t ready for guests yet. She knew that she was being obsessive about the house, but it was a problem that she could actually do something about so she’d thrown herself into it full force.

  It was mid-morning, but she’d been up for hours, baking, cleaning, and worrying. Sean had been behaving himself with Marc, but he’d been less than excited about tonight’s dinner, making her worry that he’d say something to embarrass her at some point during the night. With a sigh, she finished wiping up the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. Not only did she have all these worries on her mind, but she was experiencing some doubts about her relationship with Marc.

  The attraction she felt for him hadn’t changed, she still melted at his touch, but something had shifted over the last month and she just couldn’t figure out what it was. They spent most of their nights together, finding solace from the hectic pace of their lives in one another’s arms, but lately that didn’t seem to be enough. She found herself longing for more, but what that more was, she wasn’t sure.

  As these thoughts were floating around in her mind Marc pulled up out front right on time with the groceries he’d promised to bring her. Instead of being excited to see him, she thought about how much of an interruption it would be to her day and was shocked at herself. It seemed much too soon in their relationship for her to be feeling that way. But when Marc walked through the door, arms full of bags, those feeling evaporated at the sight of him.

  Taking one look at her, he crossed the room and pulled her up and into his arms. “You look exhausted. What time did you get up this morning? I told you not to make such a fuss, my brother’s not going to notice if there’s a spider web on the ceiling. They live in an RV,” Marc said, rubbing her back.

  “I just want everything to be perfect,” she said, resting her head on his chest.

  “And it will be as long as you’re there. Stop worrying so much, they’re going to love you,” he said, then pulled her back to the bed room. “I think you need a nap. Sean won’t be home for a few more hours, it would do you good.”

  “But I shouldn’t,” she said, pulling back.

  Marc got a mischievous look on his face. “I have a couple of hours free too. If you’re not going to sleep then maybe we can think of something else to distract you,” he said, pulling her to him again.

  Scarlet knew that look all too well and a thrill went through her as always. “You might be able to convince me to take a break,” she said, unbuttoning his shirt. No matter what her mind told her, her body had ideas of its own.

  Marc had sensed the change in Scarlet but hadn’t said anything. He’d noticed the change as the day of his brother’s visit got closer. He wasn’t sure why this had prompted Scarlet to pull back, but she had. His hope was that once the visit was over, she’d be able to relax again. But he knew that was only part of the problem, Sean’s continued resistance was creating a gulf between them with each stiff dinner they shared. He was hoping that his brother’s visit would be an opportunity for them to create some memories, a shared experience that would help to create some kind of bond.

  Scarlet was distant when they made love, her body responding to his as only she could, but he sensed her heart wasn’t in it. Afterward, instead of curling up in his arms, she rolled over on her side, her back to him, saying more with that action than words ever could have. Marc slid over and snuggled up to her, spooning her until she relaxed against him.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? I can’t guess, you have to talk to me about what’s wrong,” he said, his breath tickling her ear.

  “I wish I knew. Suddenly, I’m filled with all these doubts. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, but it’s just such a struggle. Sean just doesn’t seem to be coming around, the diner is so busy, and now all I can think about is how close we are to a huge forest fire. One strike of lightening and the whole thing is going to go up, and Sean’s right in the middle of it all,” she said, all her worries pouring out of her in one breath.

  “Scarlet, you have to share all these fears with me. I might not be able to make them go away, but part of being a relationship is sharing our fears and worries. If I don’t know what’s bothering you, I can’t be supportive. It’s not a bad thing to depend on someone. You’ve been doing well on your own, but I’m here now to help,” he said, rolling her onto her back, his eyes meeting hers.

  “But you’re part of the problem,” she said, before she could stop herself. Then seeing the look on his face, she added, “I didn’t mean it that way.”

  Marc took a deep breath and rolled onto his back away from her. He didn’t want to fight with her now, his brother would be here in only a few hours. “Look, maybe we can hold off on this conversation for a few days,” he said.

  “That’s fine. Sean will be here in a few hours and I still have a lot of work to do,” she said, getting out of bed and putting on her robe.

  Needing to escape before she cried, she ran to the kitchen, but Marc quickly put on his clothes and followed her. “I’m sorry. I guess that was the last thing I should have said. I know you’re worried that Sean and I will never get along, but I really think given some time he’ll come around,” he said, putting on a pot of coffee.

  Chapter 10

  Sean had Adam drop him at the end of the block. He wanted to surprise his mother. She wasn’t expecting him for a few more hours, but Adam had been ready early and he’d been so excited to get home, he’d finished packing and jumped in the truck not caring if he forgot something. Sneaking up to the back door, he set his bag down outside so he wouldn’t make any noise, then slipped inside, closing the door quietly.

  He took a step forward, then stopped when he heard voices in the kitchen. He recognized his mother voice at once, but it took him a few seconds to realize that the other voice was Marc’s. It shouldn’t have surprised him to find Marc here with his mother, but he instantly revered to his earlier dislike of the man. Scowling, he started to go into the kitchen to break up their little party but then realized that they were fighting and stopped to listen.

  Marc had actually begun
to grow on him over the last few weeks, and he’d been looking forward to this weekend. But if they broke up then he’d have his mom all to himself again and things could go back to the way they were before he’d gone off to work for the summer. All he had to do was sit back and let them fight, eventually they’d break up and all would be well.

  Scarlet and Marc were unaware that Sean was listening to them from the back porch. Scarlet had wanted a discussion and Marc was going to give her what she wanted. They both had a cup of coffee in front of them, but neither had touched it. Instead, they sat in silence after Marc’s pronouncement that everything would be fine.

  “I just don’t know if Sean will ever get used to sharing me with someone,” she finally said.

  “I think he will, but, Scarlet, I have to ask. Do you think that he has secret hopes that you and his father might get back together? I know I always used to fantasize that my mom would come back and we’d be a happy family again,” Marc said. “You’ve never told me much about him and what happened between you two.”

  “Does it matter?” she asked, finally meeting his eyes.

  “To me? No, honestly as long as I know that he’s not a part of your life anymore, I don’t really care. But what about Sean? Have you talked to him about it?” His words gentle but cutting none the less.

  “I’ve never talked with him about it, he was there. He knows what happened,” she said, getting angry. “I don’t see what good it’s going to do to remind him what a terrible person his father is. How exactly am I supposed to tell him that?”

  “It’s not going to be easy, but he needs to know what happened. Do you really think that a seven-year-old was able to process whatever it was that happened to you guys?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Marc, you weren’t there. It was bad enough without making him relive those days. I’m his mother I have to protect him,” she said, jumping up from the table.

  “I know that it’s your job to protect him, but someday he’s going to want to know more about his father, and if you wait too long that protection you’re giving him might just hurt him. At least now you’re here to help him deal the truth. He’s fourteen years old, a young man, it’s time to give him the truth. It’s his truth too,” Marc said, pulling her into his arms.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” she said, taking comfort from his arms again.

  “And maybe after you talk to him, we can talk about it. I’m afraid that until you share this with me too, we’re stuck right where we are and that’s part of what you’re feeling too. Not that I mind being right where I am with you,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.

  Sean’s head was spinning with all that he’d overheard. He and his mother never talked about his dad. In fact, he had very few memories of him. But he’d always wondered, especially when he was mad at his mom, and even a few times this summer when he’d been forced to endure Marc’s company. He had vague memories of a time when he’d only been able to see his mom for a few hours a day, but he’d been with Nana the rest of the time and had good memories of that time with her.

  He was so distracted that he accidently backed into the door making it rattle. He quickly opened the door and pretended to walk though, horrified at the thought that he might get caught eavesdropping on them. He walked into the kitchen as if he hadn’t heard a word, not even batting an eye at the fact that his mother was standing in Marc’s arms in her robe.

  Scarlet was so flustered to find Sean standing there when they had just been talking about him that she didn’t even notice that he hadn’t noticed them together or the way she was dressed. “Honey, you’re home early,” she said, crossing the room to give him a hug, suddenly nervous because he was staring at Marc. “Marc just stopped by to deliver some groceries I forgot in town,” she added, shooting Marc a look.

  “But I’m leaving now. I have to make a quick trip into Stewarts Ville to get pick up a few things and then I have to meet Michael and Annabelle,” Marc said, picking up his keys off the table and heading for the door.

  Sean surprised them both by asking, “Can I go with you? I’ve got some spending money and there’s a new video game I want.”

  There was a long silence in the kitchen as Scarlet and Marc absorbed this new turn of events. “Of course, I’d love some company. What game are you looking for? I used to be pretty good at those games in my day,” Marc said, shooting Scarlet a brilliant smile.

  “Oh, yeah? I didn’t know they had video games back then. Was that on an Atari or what?” Scarlet heard Sean say on the way out the back door.

  “Geez, Sean, how old do you think I am? I’ve got an idea, you pick the game and I’ll beat you at it. I’ve still got a few moves in this old body,” Marc countered as the door closed on them.

  Scarlet stood in the middle of the kitchen floor stunned for a minute before bursting into laughter, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She had no idea what had just happened, but it could only mean good things. Her heart dropped a little when she thought about what Marc had said about Sean’s dad. The worst part was that he was right, she’d been putting off talking to Sean for much too long, it was time to share the truth with him and let him do with it what he would.

  Deep down she knew that there was a part of her that was afraid that he was going to want to meet his father, it would feel like a knife in her back if he did, but she’d honor his request. But first, she’d have to make Sean understand what a truly dangerous man his father was. How she was ever going to tell Marc about Louis she wasn’t sure. He’d said he didn’t care if he was out of her life. But Louis was still there, hovering in the background, the threats he’d made hanging over her head.

  Deep down, she knew that what was coming between she and Marc was the specter of her ex-husband, but she’d gotten so used to pushing him out of her mind that it hadn’t occurred to her that he was holding her back. It was time to put all her cards on the table, tell Marc the entire story, and hope that it would be enough to free her from the past. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on those problems; with one huge problem lifted off her shoulders, the others seemed like an easier load to carry.

  She waited anxiously for Marc and Sean to return but was unprepared when they came back through the door weighted down with boxes and bags. “What did you buy?” she asked, suddenly suspicious.

  Sean took his load of loot and scooted off to his room, leaving Marc to handle Scarlet. “Well, I challenged Sean to a video game battle, but I had to buy a system and a television. He decided that I had an unfair advantage so I had to buy him a new one too,” Marc said, waiting for her to explode as Sean had predicted.

  “So, now you’re buying his acceptance?” she asked, not really mad, but feeling like she needed to put on some kind of show.

  “He said it would work and I took his advice,” Marc said, pulling her into his arms. “And he said I could kiss you if he wasn’t around.”

  “Oh, I see. Why do I feel like you two just ganged up on me and it won’t be the first time?” She laughed, letting Marc kiss her.

  “We boys have to stick together. Now I have a video game to learn. Michael and Annabelle will be here in a few hours, they wanted to get settled in a little.”

  “Go play your games. I’ll be done here in a little while,” she said, pushing him away.

  When Michael and Annabelle got there, she practically had to drag the guys out of Sean’s room but finally managed to get them out to the front hall just as the doorbell rang. Marc went to the door and grabbed the knob but then hesitated as if he’d just thought of something.

  “What’s wrong? Open the door,” Scarlet chided.

  “Um, okay, but don’t be mad,” Marc said, throwing the door open.

  Scarlet could see why he’d have thought she’d be mad when she saw Michael and Annabelle standing on the porch. Not only was Annabelle the complete opposite of Michael in height, but she was as dark skinned as he was light. Scarlet managed to close her mouth after only letting it
hang open for a few seconds, then narrowed her eyes at Marc, giving him a look that clearly said you’re going to hear about this later.

  Marc remembered his manners and made introductions all around, then with a nod from Scarlet sent Sean back to his room. Sean went back to his room obvious to the slight tension between Marc and Scarlet. As soon as he was out of the hall, Michael burst into laughter and said, “Marc, did you forget to tell Scarlet something?”

  Scarlet thought she’d die of embarrassment, but Annabelle stepped in quickly. “Don’t mind them, wait till you meet the rest of the family. It’s a little strange when we’re all together in the same room,” she said, pulling a picture up on her phone.

  Scarlet looked over her shoulder to find that all the Terrell men had married dark skinned women who could only be described as both beautiful and curvy. “It must run in their genes,” Annabelle said, patting Scarlet on the back. “He should have told you though,” she added, shooting Marc a dirty look.

  “I really meant to, but I forgot,” Marc said, hanging his head, but having a hard time not laughing.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll pay for it later,” Scarlet said, finally able to laugh at her embarrassment.

  “And I’ll be looking forward to that,” Marc said, putting his arms around her and giving her a squeeze, which sent a sizzle of desire rushing through her.

  After only a few minutes, Marc managed to move the conversation around to video games, how Scarlet wasn’t sure. But the end result was that the game console was moved into the living room while Sean and Michael gave Marc a crash course in modern gaming techniques. Scarlet and Annabelle watched for a few minutes but eventually were driven from the living room into the kitchen.

  Scarlet was worried that it would be uncomfortable, but found that Annabelle was not only easy to talk to, but she had a sharp mind and a keen sense of human nature, rare in one so young. They found it easy to float from one topic to another, an easy friendship developing almost immediately. Scarlet explained about the problems they’d been having with Sean, and Annabelle gave Scarlet additional background information on the Terrell family.