Then they boarded Chris’s plane on a private landing strip and flew back to the ranch. The whole time, Yun yakked about how excited she was to be here and how different it all was.
Once they got to the ranch, Chanda took Yun on a tour of the house and the grounds outside. “Be sure to take her by John’s cabin,” Chris whispered in Chanda’s ear.
Chanda blushed, then beamed. “You should meet the hands. They are like in the movies. You’ll love them.”
“OK!” Yun linked her arm in Chanda’s and they set out.
Chanda was so proud to show her place to Yun. She felt as if she lived in a palace, and indeed she did, compared to her modest, threadbare place in Cambodia. Yun had grown up in a slightly nicer place, and they had both gone to a nice girls’ school on her uncle’s dime, but even Yun was not prepared for the gorgeous ranch and the huge ranch house.
“This is your closet,” she cried when Chanda opened the closet door, revealing the rotating rows of clothes.
“And this is your TV?” she cried again, when she saw the elaborate entertainment center.
When they stepped outside, Yun shivered in the yarn shawl that Chanda pulled around her shoulders. “That’s John,” Chanda said, catching sight of the awkward young man heading into the barn.
“Is this the man that you wanted me to meet?”
Chanda offered a mysterious smile. “He’s very cute. And Chris pays him very well. He lives in a cabin on the ranch, so you would be close. If you two liked each other, of course.”
“Take me to meet him,” Yun insisted, clutching Chanda’s arm with frantic excitement.
Chanda led Yun into the barn. Yun didn’t even notice the horses. Her eyes were fixed on the young man who was straightening out the tack room, putting up supplies. “John,” she said softly. Only recently had John started to be able to look her in the eye.
John froze when he looked up and saw the beautiful young woman on Chanda’s arm. Then he stammered, “Is this your sister?”
“The sister of my heart,” Chanda laughed.
Yun, always full of life and confidence, sauntered toward John. “I’m Yun. And you are John?” When he only stared, she giggled and took his hand in hers firmly. “It is nice to meet you.”
“Are you joining us for Thanksgiving tomorrow? Rita is making us a nice spread. She’s starting on the ham today,” Chanda asked, keeping her usual polite reserve with the hands.
John nodded slowly. “Will she – will you be here?” he addressed Yun.
Yun nodded. “I came just for Thanksgiving. Chris’s family is coming too.”
“Chris’s family?” John seemed shocked.
“Yes! We wanted all the family together,” Yun said happily. “My parents meant to come, but my father could not get away from his work and my mother doesn’t like to leave my father for long.”
John nodded, surprised by the chatty boldness of Yun, who was very different from Chanda. “Well…I’ll be there,” he nodded, as he slowly walked away.
“He is cute,” Yun agreed with Chanda.
Family started trickling in the next day. First came Uncle Jerry and Aunt Linda from Dallas, bearing green bean casserole and pie. Then there was Aunt Carol, with Chris’s paternal grandfather in tow. She brought a questionable-looking sweet potato dish. Chanda stood by the door, greeting everyone and directing them where to put the food. She felt like an important wife and she loved how Chris’s family eagerly greeted her and even hugged her. They clearly all accepted her. Aunt Carol even told her that she looked too pretty in her little black and white polka dot dress and with a red bow fixed in her hair. Yun stood timidly by her side, also stunning in a new dress. Neither of them had ever partaken in Thanksgiving, so the day was exciting for them. They were seeing all sorts of dishes that they had never sampled before.
Rita stood by the counter where the food was being placed, fussing and making sure that everything had its place. She had made succulent ham with pineapple as well as turkey with stuffing. There was at least a week’s worth of food, which she already planned to make into all sorts of delectable sandwiches and casseroles in the following days. Chris had asked Rita to invite her family along to join everyone, so she brought her grandkids and her daughter who lived with her. They stood around the room, looking out of place and awkwardly greeting Chris’s family members.
John also joined the gathering at the last minute. He offered Yun a nervous glance before stammering hello to her and offering her a single red rose. He set a store-bought pie on the counter with the rest of the spread.
After half an hour of pleasantries and introductions, everyone assembled in a line to get food. Rita treated it like a buffet, handing each person a plate and urging them to help themselves to whatever they wanted. Yun and Chanda stood at the end of the line, uncertain of themselves. “What should I get?” Yun whispered to Chanda in Khmer.
“A little bit of everything, I suppose,” Chanda answered as she spooned some stuffing onto her plate. She took a tiny bit of everything, afraid of the food being too rich. Since coming to America, she had gained a few pounds and found that the food was always so filling and calorie-laden. Yun followed suit. She was still carrying her rose in her free hand, which made it cumbersome for her to ladle food onto her plate.
They gathered around the huge dining room table. Chris never used the dining room. Chanda could tell that he was overcome with emotion to have so many people present for Thanksgiving. Since Jake had died, he had spent every holiday alone, including a Thanksgiving in jail shortly after Jake’s death. She sat beside him at the head of the table and squeezed his hand.
“So when we used to meet here for Thanksgiving, we had a tradition of each stating what we are grateful for. I would like to continue that tradition. So I just want to say that I am thankful for everyone coming,” Chris began.
“We are thankful to be here with our mom,” said Rita’s daughter next.
“I’m thankful that the whole family is back together, and that Chris has found his soul mate,” Aunt Carol said happily. Her cheeks were especially red at the moment.
“I’m thankful for that too,” Chris’s grandfather said gruffly.
“I’m thankful for my husband, and our kids, who unfortunately couldn’t make it out,” said Aunt Linda. “I’m also thankful to be here today. This family reunion has been long overdue.”
“I’m thankful to be here in America with my sister of the heart,” Yun chirped merrily. She then looked to Chanda.
Chanda was bursting with the news. Thus far she had been patient, but now that it was her turn to speak, she couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “I am thankful to be in America, to be with Chris, and to have all of you here. But I am also thankful for something else.” She stood up, her chair scraping back. Everyone looked at her expectantly. “I am thankful to announce that I am expecting.” She exhaled sharply with relief and joy now that the news was out, as she placed her hands over her stomach.
“Oh, my!” gasped Aunt Carol.
“What?” Chris cried, standing up as well. “Are you really?”
She beamed at him and nodded.
He clasped her in a tight hug. “Oh my God. I’m so happy to hear this. I never thought I would have a child. Oh, Chanda, I love you.” He kissed her deeply.
Yun also jumped up and grabbed her in a tight hug. “I love you, cousin! I can’t wait to be an aunty!”
Everyone around the table took turns congratulating Chanda. Chanda was so happy that tears spilled down her face. “You better eat all of that,” Aunt Linda chided her, “because now you’re eating for two!”
“Yes, you need seconds,” Rita volunteered.
As the family began to eat, Chanda noticed that Yun and John were holding hands under the table. She reached over and squeezed Chris’s hand and he gave her an enormous smile. She looked around the table, unable to believe that her life had changed so much in the past year. But she was overjoyed. This was family. This was love. She wished tha
t her uncle and aunt could be there, and her deceased parents as well, but she felt content and complete.
She had gotten the life that she had always dreamed of.
My Stepbrother's Rapture
By: Shirley Douglas
My Stepbrother's Rapture
© July 2017 – All rights reserved
By Shirley Douglas
Published by Passionate Publishing Inc.
This is a work of fiction. All names and characters in this novel are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.
This book is for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Warning
This book is intended for adult readers, 18+ years old. Please close this e-book if you are not comfortable reading adult content.
Chapter One
I’d never been much for socializing, but I did tend to lose my inhibitions when I drank too much. I had fuzzy memories where I had woken up with a bad taste in my mouth. I swore off alcohol, taking a break from men in general because I just didn’t need the hassle or the drama when I was going to college to become a teacher. Besides, I had to project a wholesome image if I were to make it past the initial stages of interviews. My degree was right there in reach and one more year and I would be free to begin my life.
“I know you have a busy life, Chelsea, but when I talk to you, I expect you to listen. Just because we are halfway around the world in Tokyo doesn’t mean that you can run amok. We don’t mind you having small gatherings with friends, but do try and not go overboard.” My mother was wearing a sarong and no doubt enjoying the amenities of the five-star resort.
“Do I dare ask where father is or should I just take it at face value that it’s business as usual? Sometimes I wonder if he knows what retirement means, but at least you’re getting the chance to see the world.” I was on my bed with a white duvet underneath me and my legs were curled up in the Lotus position. I was wearing pajamas.
My dirty blond hair was tied back into a ponytail and some guys had mentioned that I had the eyes of the devil. They were a very unusual green and I could get somebody’s attention just from looking at them.
“Retirement has slowed him down, but he hasn’t completely stopped. I do see him more than I did when you were growing up and I pretty much had to be father and mother all rolled into one. He’s a good provider and he loves us which is more than some people can say. We are lucky to have him and truth be told, I’ve found myself falling in love with him all over again. This is like an extended honeymoon and I have no idea what our next destination is going to be.” Her voice conveyed a relaxed atmosphere and she didn’t look as frazzled as she did when she was living at home.
I had the whole place to myself and the few friends who came over didn’t stay the night. I turned on the stereo in the living room and the radio in my bedroom. I hated the silence and it was deafening to hear nothing but my own heart beating.
“Father does know how to make it up to you and who knew he was going to surprise you on your 50th birthday with an around the world cruise. I thought we were losing him and then he does an about face like that to change my opinion.” My father was a workaholic burning the candles at both ends. He could multitask, but he wasn’t getting any younger.
“We are having the time of our lives and these next few days in the port of Tokyo is going to be spent right here by the pool. I wish that you could be here, but I know that your studies come first. I never thought that I would miss some of your milestones, but I know that you’re living vicariously through the photos I send home.”
I was jealous and I hadn’t been more than a few 100 miles outside of our hometown of Illinois. I had my first kiss during one of those ill-advised escapades and it still lingered on my lips to this day. I couldn’t imagine anybody holding a candle to the young man who made my knees knock together. I was quite selective about the men I spent time with. I found I could read a man after a few minutes of talking to know whether or not there was something there to build on.
“I’m glad to hear everything is going exactly as father predicted. It’s too bad he gets caught up in his work, but it could be a whole lot worse. I know I remember quite vividly about some Christmases he didn’t make it home from the office. It’s good to see his priorities have shifted and he must have felt like we were slipping through his fingers.”
He was dedicated to family, but his business always came first before anything else. One wrong step and he could cost his clients millions of dollars because of his dereliction of duty.
He wasn’t technically my father, but it didn’t matter if he was blood and he would always hold a special space in my heart. My biological father died when I was too young to remember him and my mother married Joseph three years after his passing. At first, I was resentful of her trying to replace him, but I began to realize he was the best thing to happen to the both of us.
“I can never remember the time difference and I hope that I haven’t been keeping you away from anything pressing. You’re my daughter and we will never lose touch no matter what distance separates us. I know your birthday is in a week and I have arranged for something which I’m sure you will appreciate. But I don’t want to give anything away.” She was always surprising me and she always found a way to outdo herself each and every time.
“This is your time to let your hair down and be as wild as you were when you were younger.”
My mother and father lived like it was going to be their last day until my father was recruited into corporate life at the ripe age of 20-years-old. It was too much money to pass up and he had a knack for making his clients rich beyond their wildest dreams.
“I was the reason why your grandmother has her gray hairs. I think I started to realize my actions had consequences when I had you.” My mother was my best friend and the one thing coming from her marrying my father that didn’t stick well with me was having a little brother right away. Bailey was always hanging around asking questions and making it necessary to have fun at his expense.
“I’m sure that I’ve been responsible for some of the gray hairs that you have gotten over the years. I was a bit of a rebel and I still fly by the seat of my pants just to remind myself I’m alive. There’s no better feeling than having the adrenaline rushing through my veins with that real possibility of life ending with the snap of my fingers.” I was quite adventurous, but I couldn’t translate that into the bedroom. I wanted to, but I found nobody worthy of spreading my wings.
“You’ve had your fair share of broken bones and bruises, but you’ve always managed to stand on your own 2-feet. We’ve given you the tools to survive on your own and you have shown yourself to be a remarkable young woman. I know you’re still young at 25, but you have shown some real maturity and don’t think for one second it has gone unnoticed. We’re very proud of you, Chelsea and your work ethic is beyond reproach.” She was making me blush with her praise and I believed every word because she had never been known to lie to me.
“Nobody’s perfect and I’ve made some mistakes, but each one shaped me into the woman I am today.” I wanted to tell her to come home soon, but there was no way that I was going to ruin their fun because I was missing them.
Joseph was my father in every sense of the word and he was patient when I was moody. He was there when I needed somebody to talk to about boys and he had the unique insight of what a man was thinking.
“I know it’s probably late and you have an early start in the morning. I’m going to go and find some young thing to put my mark on. Don’t worry, I’m only kidding and my eyes have always wandered but I always come back to your father.”
As far as I knew, I didn’t believe either one of them had stepped out and found comfort in someone else’s arms. It was possible and secrets were inevitable in any relationship.
“I’m just finishing up a paper and I’m g
oing to turn in shortly.” Finals were coming up quickly and in a couple of months, it would be summer break. I was looking forward to shedding some layers and I’d heard a rumor that the weekend was going to be in the high twenties. It was only the end of April, but summer was trying to make a return quicker than usual. The snow had melted and there were actual flowers blooming.
We finished our conversation and I threw myself into the paper for the next hour without distraction.
***
I heard something downstairs around 1:00 AM and I felt this chill run through my spine. I heard a muted voice behind the door and breathing deeply, I grabbed the Louisville Slugger behind the door. It was a gift from my brother and he told me to protect myself. I never had a reason to pick it up, but the commotion downstairs indicated I wasn’t alone.
Chapter Two
I held the baseball bat in two hands over my shoulder like my brother had taught me before his deployment. He was my stepbrother and we had learned to coexist because of our parents. I thought he was a slacker, completely directionless and having no idea what he was going to do with the rest of his life. It was a bit of a shocker to hear him talk about protecting this country and watching him leave with the green duffel bag over his shoulder wasn’t easy.
The noise was in the kitchen and I was hoping it was nothing more than a creature of the night. I hated mice, but it was far better than the alternative of having to face a burglar in the process of taking things that didn’t belong to him.
I smelled the aroma of coffee and I was confused by how he could be so comfortable to make something to drink. I saw the front door was ajar and I kicked it closed lightly. I picked up the phone and held it precariously between two fingers.
PRIZE: An MMA Fighter Secret Baby Romance Page 27
