My Stepbrother, My Lover

by Ward, Alice

  “I’m always happy to help a good cause,” Jack told me. “I must admit, I’m impressed that you’ve been able to bring out Jackson’s charitable side. I’ve tried to instill the importance of giving to others, but until now I’ve thought those efforts were futile.”

  Jackson’s jaw clenched and I knew that he was about to lose his patience with his father. Jack’s generous spirit was a sore spot for Jackson. In his eyes, his father was giving away his birthright.

  “Jackson has been quite helpful. But enough about us, you two are the ones with the big news. How did you meet?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Oh it’s such a wonderful story. You tell it, darling,” he said, taking my mother’s hand.

  “You remember a couple of months ago when I flew to D.C. for the Global Women’s Health Summit?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, Jack was in town visiting Congressman Warren. We ended up at the same cocktail party and the moment I spotted him across the room, I was star struck,” she confessed, a blush bringing color to her cheeks.

  “And when I spotted her, everyone else at the party seemed to fade into the background.” Jack smiled, a little curve of his lips that that softened his entire face. It was a smile he reserved for my mother, I could tell.

  “He crossed the room and introduced himself,” Mom continued. “When he offered me his hand, I was shaking so hard I dropped my champagne flute.”

  I laughed. “That doesn’t sound like you,” I told her. My mother has always been a strong, independent woman and I was surprised to hear that any man had made her that nervous.

  “I know, that’s the first thing I said to Jack.” She laughed and took a sip of her cabernet. I eyed my water and wished I’d ordered something stronger.

  Where the hell is the waitress?

  “I was immeasurably flattered,” Jack told us. “I’ve been a fan of Gloria’s for years, ever since her first paper was published. I never expected her to have the slightest interest in me.”

  Mom glowed. “But I of course knew all about Jack’s philanthropy and the impact The Montgomery Foundation has made on women’s issues around the world.”

  “We struck up a conversation about a school I’m building for girls in the Congo and before we knew it, we were the only guests left at the party.” Jack laughed.

  “We were politely asked to leave and ended up at an all-night diner. We talked about everything, our careers, our interests, and you kids of course. We’ve been attached at the hip ever since.” Mom appeared to have a light glowing from within.

  “Sounds like you’ve had a whirlwind romance, Dad,” Jackson said, staring at me. “I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous.”

  “Don’t be coy with me Jackson Montgomery,” Jack good naturedly teased his son. “Your granddad told me that you’re seeing someone new. I was happy to hear it after that nightmare with Meredith. When are you going to introduce us to her?”

  Jackson opened his mouth to reply just as the waitress appeared at our table.

  “Are you ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes to look over the menu?” she asked as she refilled our water glasses.

  “I’m sorry, we’ve been a bit distracted since we got here,” Jack replied, opening his menu. “We need a few more minutes, but go ahead and bring out a bottle of your best champagne. We’re celebrating today. This beautiful woman has agreed to be my wife.”

  “Congratulations, Mr. Montgomery,” the waitress said, smiling broadly. “I’ll bring the bottle out immediately.” She disappeared and Jackson turned to his father with a scowl.

  “Do you really think it’s wise to make such a casual announcement? You know granddad likes for the publicity team to handle things like this,” he warned. “Does granddad even know about this yet?”

  “I’ve found the love of my life and I’m getting married,” Jack replied, not the least bit admonished. “I will not have it handled like some sort of impersonal business merger. And no, I haven’t said anything to your grandfather yet. Gloria and I wanted you and Kennedy to be the first to know.”

  “Fantastic, Dad. You’d better hope our waitress knows how to keep her mouth shut. Granddad will be furious if he hears about this on television instead of from you.”

  “Jackson,” my mom interrupted in a soothing voice. “Your father and I have already invited your grandfather to dinner tonight. He’ll hear this from us, don’t worry.”

  Jackson’s jaw and shoulders relaxed and he leaned back in his chair. “Thank you, Gloria. I’m sorry if I overreacted. Our family is just… complicated.”

  “No apologizes necessary, dear. I admire your grandfather and I understand how important he is to you.”

  The waitress reappeared with champagne on ice and four empty flutes. We took turns placing our lunch orders and then Jack popped the cork and we toasted the upcoming wedding.

  “Have you set a date yet, Mom?” I asked cautiously. I was hoping for a long engagement so I’d have plenty of time to wrap my head around the fact that Jackson was going to be my brother.

  Ten or twelve years should do nicely…

  “We don’t have an exact date, but we don’t want to wait long,” Mom replied. “I definitely want to do it before fall semester starts so I don’t have any distractions.”

  Damn it, that’s not long enough.

  “Wow, that’s pretty fast,” I said, taking another long sip of champagne.

  “Well, there’s no sense in waiting sweetheart. Besides, it will be easier on you and Jackson if we have the wedding over the summer. You’re both be seniors next year. Between your coursework and getting your grad school applications together, we’ll be lucky to see you at all,” she reminded me.

  “I understand, Mom. A summer wedding will be great. You know I’ll help out in any way I can.”

  As long as it doesn’t interfere with the drinking problem I’ll probably develop. I can’t believe I slept with my step brother.

  “I’m so happy to hear that, sweetheart. Jack and I actually have big questions to ask you and Jackson.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  My mother took my hand and looked at me with happy tears in her eyes. “You and I have been on our own for so long. I can’t imagine having anyone else by my side on my wedding day. Will you be my maid of honor?”

  “Of course I will, Mom,” I quickly replied. She wrapped me in a hug and I rested my head on her shoulder the way I used to when I was little. In that moment, I almost forgot that this engagement was the worst thing that had ever happened. All that mattered to me was that my mother was happy.

  The waitress delivered our meals and my mother finally released me. “I hope you know what you just signed up for,” she teased, wiping tears from her eyes. “You know the maid of honor is usually the one who does all the work.”

  “I know, Mom. I watched you do it for your friends plenty of times. I’m honored you chose me instead of one of them.”

  “Like it was even a choice.” Mom smiled and waved off the comment. It was completely out of character for her to show so much emotion in public and I knew that she was embarrassed. Jack turned to Jackson.

  “I’m sure you already know my question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. What do you say? Will you stand up for your old man on his big day?”

  “Of course I will, Dad.”

  “Fantastic, it’s settled then. The wedding will be a family affair,” Jack said. “Now, let’s dig in before our meals get cold.”

  While everyone else ate, I pushed my Crab Alfredo around on my plate and tried to look content. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and I was having trouble processing it all. I set my brain to autopilot, paid close enough attention to the conversation to nod and smile at appropriate times, and prayed for the check to come.

  ***

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Lauren gasped, her eyes wide in horror.

  I shook my head and collapsed onto the bed.

  “I don’t
believe it.”

  “I don’t believe it either and I was there,” I told her. “I got there expecting to hear that she was publishing a new book or planning some sort of god awful, mother-daughter sociology field trip to torture me with over break.”

  “And instead she announced that she was engaged to Jackson’s dad,” Lauren finished. “I can’t believe you had to sit there with them and pretend you barely knew each other. How did he handle it?”

  “He seemed to be getting some sick pleasure out of the whole situation. This is a disaster, Lauren!” I grabbed a throw pillow and flung it to the floor. “I swear, so much has happened in the last twenty-four hours my head is spinning. This time yesterday, I was nervous about our first date. Then everything went so well, and then… this morning…”

  “You caught him with Meredith.”

  I nodded. “And now…”

  “He’s going to be your brother,” Lauren finished gravely.

  As I sat on the bed, the numbness and shock began to fade and the reality of the situation started sinking in. Jackson was going to be my stepbrother. If our parents’ relationship worked out, I’d be stuck with him for the rest of my life.

  “This is insane, Kennedy. How did Gloria and Jackson the Second even meet?”

  “Jack,” I corrected her. “They met at a cocktail party in D.C. I guess they’ve been big fans of each other for a while and it was love at first sight.”

  “Does your mom seem happy?”

  I nodded. “It was strange to see her so content with someone. I’m thrilled for Mom and Jack and I don’t want my mistake with Jackson to get in the way of their happiness. You have to promise that you’ll never tell anyone what happened last night.”

  “Kennedy, everyone knows that you’ve been seeing each other. It’s only a matter of time before someone tells your mom. Don’t you think she should hear it from you?” She propped herself up on one elbow and gave me a sympathetic smile.

  “No,” I insisted. “As far as anyone knows, Jackson and I never did anything more than flirt a little. I was careful to keep things platonic between us while I was still his tutor. You’re the only one who knows the truth. Everyone else is just speculating.”

  “But I’m not the only one who knows the truth Kennedy,” Lauren reminded me. “Do you really trust Jackson to keep his mouth shut? Did the two of you have a chance to talk alone?”

  I shook my head. “He’s called a couple of times since I left Monkfish, but I haven’t answered.”

  “You’ll have to talk to him eventually.”

  “I know, but I’m just not up for it right now. So much has already happened and I don’t know what to think or how to feel about any of it. And if I talk to Jackson, he’ll try to tell me what to think and feel instead of letting me figure it out for myself.”

  “He can be pretty persuasive,” Lauren agreed. “What about his grandfather? Didn’t he call Sidra and insist that you keep tutoring Jackson because he knew Jackson had feelings for you?”

  I sat up straight. “Shit, I forgot all about that! I’m not sure how much Jackson told his grandfather about us. Mom and Jack are having dinner with him tonight to tell him their news.”

  “Do you think he’ll say something?”

  “Depends on how much he knows, I guess,” I replied in panic. I retrieved my phone from my purse and saw that I’d missed three calls and a single text from Jackson.

  “We have to talk,” the message read.

  I typed a quick reply with Lauren reading over my shoulder. “Not now. I need time. Please tell me your grandpa doesn’t know about us.”

  We waited in a tense silence for his response. Lauren stretched back out across her bed while I paced the floor. After a few minutes, my phone chimed.

  “He knows I had a crush on you. He doesn’t know about last night. We have to talk about what happened this morning.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief and tossed my phone back in to my purse without another reply. “I guess it could be worse. The story will inevitably make its way to Mom or Jack eventually, but I think we’ll be able to downplay it.”

  “I’m so sorry you have to deal with all of this.”

  “I’m sorry you have to deal with me,” I joked. “I apologize in advance for any extra bitchiness you have to endure while I make peace with all of this.”

  “What’s upsetting you more, Kennedy?” she asked. “Is it that you never wanted to see Jackson again and now you’re stuck with him? Or is it that a part of you still wants to be with Jackson and now you can’t? I know better than anyone how much you liked him… and I saw the look on your face when you read his texts.”

  I considered her questions, trying to figure out the answer. “I did like him, right up until the moment I walked in and found Meredith straddling him on that couch. But after what I saw this morning, I think we can rule out your second suggestion.”

  “Are you sure?” She hesitated. “I mean, you told me how she acted at the frat party. Meredith seems like a pretty aggressive girl. There has to be a part of you that believed Jackson’s side of the story. Maybe she really did force herself on him.”

  I let out a long sigh before replying. “There’s no point in thinking about it, Lauren. The truth won’t change anything. I need a break. I need just a few hours where none of this is real and life is normal again.”

  “I can help with that.” She smiled brightly. “How about a girls’ night? I’ll call Becky and see if she’s free for dinner. We haven’t celebrated the end of finals. We can have some drinks and relax. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone new to take your mind off Jackson. Besides, you’ll need a date to the wedding,” she teased.

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s the last thing I need,” I told her seriously. “Promise me you won’t try to set me up with anyone. I can’t even think about that right now.”

  “Okay, I promise,” she relented. “We’ll have a nice night, just the three of us.”

  “Why don’t you call Lewis and Steve too?” I suggested. “I’m sure that they’re in the mood to celebrate.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded, liking the idea even more as I thought about it. “I think a night out with everyone is exactly what I need. I know I’m asking you to keep a lot of secrets, Lauren, but could we keep the news about my mom and Jack to ourselves, just for tonight?”

  “No problem,” she quickly agreed. “I’ll make sure you have one more night of normal before your whole world changes.”

  ***

  “Kennedy!” Jackson called from the other side of the quad. Two days had passed since our parents had made their big announcement. I’d spent most of my time in my room, ignoring Jackson’s phone calls. It was clear what I had to do, but I wasn’t ready to face him. I finally ventured out to discuss my summer tutoring schedule with Sidra and sure enough, Jackson found me.

  I knew that he would follow me if I tried to dodge him so I took a deep breath and waited for him to reach me.

  “You haven’t answered my phone calls,” he said as he approached.

  “I know. I don’t have anything to say right now.”

  “Well, that’s too bad because we have a lot to talk about. Jesus, I don’t even know where to start.”

  I looked at my watch and starting walking. “I don’t have time right now. I need to get to the library to talk to Sidra.”

  “Summer classes don’t start for another week, Sidra can wait,” he insisted, grabbing my arm to stop me. “Call her and reschedule your appointment.”

  I shifted my weight from leg to leg. “I didn’t actually have an appointment,” I mumbled. “I just wanted to talk to her.”

  “More like you were tired of sitting in your room,” he said gruffly. “I know you’ve been hiding from me and it ends now.” He took me by the elbow and led me towards the student center. “I’m going to buy us some coffee and then we’re going to talk.”

  “Fine.” I sighed, allowing him to pull me along.

  I’
m going to have to deal with him eventually. I may as well get it over with.

  Most of our classmates had already gone home for summer vacation, so the student center was nearly deserted. I took a seat at a small table while Jackson bought our coffees. A few minutes later, he joined me with two steaming cups and a handful of cream and sugar packets.

  “Before we talk about our parents, I want a chance to explain what you saw at the fraternity house.”

  “That was pretty clear, there’s no need to talk about it,” I insisted. “I knew that you were too good to be true. Guys like you never end up with girls like me.”

  “Kennedy, you couldn’t be more wrong!” he insisted. “After our night together, I was too excited to sleep. I was up most of the night playing video games with some of the guys, and I ended up dozing off on the couch. I was asleep when Meredith showed up, I swear. You can ask David or Mark if you want.”

  “You expect me to believe that you just woke up with her on top of you, and that I walked in at that exact moment?” I asked hotly, surely he didn’t think I was so stupid.

  “I wasn’t asleep when she climbed on top of me, but I was asleep when she came in,” he answered in frustration. He pinched the top of a sugar packet and shook it forcefully.

  “I told her the exact same thing I said at the party, that I don’t want anything to do with her sorry cheating ass and that who I see now is none of her business. She said she wanted to remind me of what I was walking away from and crawled into my lap. That’s when you walked in.”

  “Well, from where I was standing it looked like you enjoyed your little trip down memory lane.”

  “Then you obviously didn’t have a very good view,” he said without missing a beat. “As close as we’ve become over the last couple of months, how could you possibly doubt my feelings for you?”

  “Jackson, none of this really matters,” I reminded him. “I’ll get over it eventually and we can pretend like the last few months never happened.”