I was just glad it wasn’t the following weekend when I needed to help Emily out. This weekend I could do. And I wasn’t lying; I really had nothing else to do with my day. I’d hoped to sleep in, but that hadn’t happened, anyway. And the money was pretty good on the ranch when you worked weekends.
“Great, I’m on my way there now. Help yourself to food and meet me there?”
“Perfect. I won’t be long.”
After a quick bite to eat and two cups of coffee, I made my way over to meet up with Brady, and I started working immediately. While we worked, he asked me all about my date with Emily.
“You came home late,” he said.
“Uh, yeah. We went for dinner, and then I spent some time at Terra’s house with her.”
“Oh yeah? How’s Terra doing?”
“Oh, she’s fine. I mean, I only saw her before the date when I went to pick up Emily. She actually went to see her mom and spent the night there.”
Brady laughed. “So, let me get this straight. You spent the evening at Terra’s house without Terra?”
“Yep,” I said without saying anything else.
“Oh, come on. Something had to have happened then.”
“What do you mean? It was only our second date,” I said innocently.
But Brady was my brother and knew me too well. “Then why can’t you stop smiling? Go on, spill the beans. You know I’ll keep asking until you do.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, we got together.”
“You slept together? Stop beating around the bush. I want facts, man.”
“We slept together,” I said and laughed. “And it was amazing!”
“I’m sure it was. You haven’t been laid in a long time.”
“That’s true. But that wasn’t why it was amazing. Let me just say that Emily might be sweet to the rest of the world, but she’s a very different person in bed. Did you know she has two tattoos?”
“I didn’t know. Where?”
“On her ribs and on her back. Beautiful.”
“I guess she saves that for the men she sleeps with. Lucky you.”
I thought about Emily’s naked body and quickly tried to push the thought away. “Lucky me,” I said. “She’s incredible.”
“You seem to really like her.”
“I do. A lot. Look, the sex was amazing, and I’m dying to do it again. But it’s more than that. I get along so well with her. She’s the easiest person to talk to. And she’s very easy on the eyes.”
“So you’re going to see her again?”
“Of course I am. I’m actually helping her next Saturday when she moves into her new house.”
“I’m sure you’ll be doing more than just helping her move.”
“Let’s hope so,” I said and grinned.
For a while we worked in silence, working with the hay bales. I was so lost in thought about Emily that I didn’t mind the silence at all. It was Brady who broke it. He stopped and looked at me with a concerned look on his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked him.
“Just be careful, okay.”
“Careful? Of what?”
“I know you like Emily, and I’m sure she likes you. But just be careful. She’s a nice girl, but it’s obvious that someone is upset with her. I mean, come on dude, someone burned down her house. If there’s someone out there that would go to those lengths to get back at her, you know it’s got to be bad. And do you really think they’re going to do that and then just walk away? They’re probably watching her. They probably know that you are now sleeping with her. Just be careful. Don’t get involved in something like this. You’ve had to go through enough shit in your life. You don’t need this too.”
“You really think someone cares about me being with her? I don’t think we’re being watched. In fact, we’re not even a hundred percent sure that it really was arson. That’s just what we were told.”
“Your chief told you that. He’s not the sort of guy that bullshits people. If he told you that then it was because it was true. Anyway, just be careful. This is a small town. People talk.”
I sighed. “Sure, I’ll be careful. I promise.” But I wasn’t really that worried. Brady was just being paranoid. He’d been living in a small town by himself for far too long. I liked Emily, and she liked me. I didn’t see any reason why the two of us couldn’t be together. And how did we know that the arson wasn’t just some random act of violence by some madman? Maybe it had nothing to do with her. I wasn’t going to stop seeing her just because of that. And even if someone did do it on purpose, then I wanted to make sure that she had someone by her side to protect her. I was more than happy to be that man.
It was a particularly hot day, and working all day on the ranch had me exhausted. I was happy when Brady called it a day.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Harold called a little while ago. He’s coming over to do a few things on the ranch. He’s probably already here. He wanted to know if we were up for meeting him for a beer. Want to join?”
I wiped my forehead with my shirt and nodded. “I’d do anything for a cold beer right about now.”
Harold was waiting for us when we arrived and the moment we sat down, two beers were placed in front of us.
“I figured you’d want a cold one as you got here. Today is so hot.”
“Thank you,” I said and took a grateful sip while Brady did the same.
“I’ve got to hand it to you boys. It’s not easy working out on the ranch all day, but it’s even harder when the weather is like this. You boys did well. I’m very impressed.”
“Ah, it’s no problem at all. I love it,” Brady said.
Harold sighed. “I have to say. Sometimes I’m a little jealous of the two of you. I mean, you’re doing what you love. You’re out there on the field. I miss my ranch days.”
“You could still come out though,” I said.
Harold laughed. “Have you seen me walk around? Or should I say, have you seen me hobble around? Nah, my body is just not what it used to be. I battle now. But I sure do miss it. I miss having something to do all day. You know, I might have a lot of money, but sometimes it all seems a little pointless. I’m going to have to find a good hobby to get into. I can’t sit around at home all day.”
“No girlfriends running around your mansion?” Brady said and chuckled.
“I’m not exactly Hugh Hefner, you know. But no, no girlfriends. I’m not sure I could handle being with a woman again now that my wife has gone. It’s two years this week, you know. Two years. I can’t believe how quick it’s gone.”
I didn’t know much about Harold’s life. I figured he didn’t have a wife, but I didn’t know that she had passed away two years ago. “I’m so sorry,” I said to him. “I didn’t realize.”
“Sorry? For what?” Harold asked. He seemed genuinely confused by my statement.
“For your wife passing away. I’m so sorry to hear it. I didn’t realize. How long were the two of you married for?”
“Too damn long if you ask me,” he boomed and took me completely by surprise. That was not the answer that I had been expecting.
“Too long?” I said to him with raised eyebrows.
“You try and be married to a woman like that for thirty years. It was a nightmare. It was the longest thirty years of my life. And she was impossible to divorce. I knew it would’ve been more hassle than it was worth. The only thing that I had going for me was my ranch, which is probably why it’s done so well. I put everything I had into that place. I tell you what, between you and me, her passing away was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
I gulped. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Brady was chuckling away, and it was clear that he’d heard it all before. But what was I supposed to say? It wasn’t exactly like I could tell him that I was happy for him. I just took a sip of my beer and hoped he wasn’t expecting me to say anything.
“I’d rather have nobody than be with a woman like that.”
He laughed. “Have you looked around this town? Choices are slim pickings here. You obviously haven’t been here long enough to realize that. And anyway, some people are just better off on their own, don’t you think?”
I didn’t think that. I believed that everyone deserved to find true love. I believed that everyone was happier when they found someone to share that with. But I had a feeling he wouldn’t take too kindly to me saying that. So I just nodded.
“Sure,” I said. “To each their own, I always say.”
“I know it sounds horrible for me to say I was happy when she died. I’m making it sound worse than it was. I didn’t actually want her to die. But I was a miserable old man before. Ask Brady; he remembers me then. I used to come to the ranch all the time just to escape her nagging. This place was my saving grace. But for the past few years, I’ve never felt freer. Now, the next thing for me to do is to find a hobby that I enjoy. Beer drinking as a hobby is sounding good right about now,” he said and took a big swig of his beer.
“Yeah, I must say, you’re much happier now. And far more pleasant to be around,” Brady said and laughed. Harold laughed with him, and I wondered what was so funny about being happy to be alone. I drank my beer and kept my thoughts to myself.
“I think Brady here is very much like me,” Harold said confidently. “Very much like me. Sometimes he feels like my son.”
“He is?” I asked. I looked toward Brady, and he was nodding. It made me uncomfortable to think of Brady wanting to be like Harold. He was a nice man, but he was clearly not the happiest.
“Oh yeah. I never plan on getting married. I’m happy just to be left alone out on the ranch doing my own thing. Living my own life. That’s who I am, it’s who I’ve always been, and it’s who I will continue to be.”
Perhaps that was the Brady everyone knew today, but it wasn’t the Brady I knew from long ago. But I didn’t say anything. Instead, I ordered another beer and promptly changed the subject.
Chapter Twenty
Emily
I slept better after my date with Grant than I had in a long time. When I got up that morning, I quickly checked the living room to make sure that nothing would give us away. I put some music on cleaned the house, and then sat down to enjoy some breakfast and coffee. I was on my second cup of coffee when Terra walked in.
“You alone?” she said looking around.
I nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t spend the night or anything.”
“Oh man, I was worried I’d walk in on something. I wanted to come here much later, but my mother was going out, and she was dropping me back off. Wow, this place looks clean.”
I chuckled. “I was in a cleaning sort of mood.”
“You were? Since when is anyone in a cleaning sort of mood? That can only mean one thing; something happened last night!”
“What? Nothing happened. He checked the house like you asked—which, by the way, couldn’t have been more obvious, thank you very much—and then he left.”
“Oh yeah? So why then are you grinning like a Cheshire cat?”
“I’m kidding. We totally screwed.”
“You see, now aren’t you happy I gave you the house to yourself?” she said. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down to join me at the table.
“I’ll admit, I wasn’t very happy about it at first. I was so embarrassed. But now I can’t thank you enough.”
“Ah ha! I knew you’d be happy. So, was it as amazing as you thought it would be?”
“How do you I know I was thinking about it?”
She laughed. “Oh, Em. You can’t fool me. I’m your best friend, and I know that beneath the sweet exterior is a very naughty girl. Am I right, or am I right?”
“You’re right. Actually, Grant mentioned that himself.”
“You see! I knew you were good in bed. My sources were correct.”
“I just haven’t done it in such a long time.”
“Was it worth the wait?”
I sighed in contentment. “Oh yeah.”
“I hope you didn’t do it in my bed!”
I looked at her in shock. “Terra! Of course not. Gross, I wouldn’t do that.”
“Good, because that’s why you have the spare room, you know.”
“Uh, well, we didn’t do it there either.”
“What? Where did you do it? Don’t tell me the kitchen.”
“The living room.”
“Couldn’t you make it to the bedroom on time or something?” she asked in amazement.
I shook my head. “Nope. I couldn’t wait.”
“No wonder you cleaned like a maniac this morning. You really look happy. It must’ve been amazing.”
“It was. He’s . . . uh . . . how can I put this without sounding crude . . . ?”
“I’m your best friend. If there’s one person you can be crude with, it’s me.”
“He’s pretty big,” I finished, and she gasped.
“EMILY!”
“Hey, you asked!” I said and chuckled. It was usually Terra telling me about some well-endowed guy, so it was fun to be on the other side of it for a change. “But seriously, besides that, it was amazing. He’s amazing. And I am smitten.”
“You are. I can tell. I haven’t seen you this happy in a very long time. Well, you deserve it, Em. I hope he treats you well. I must say, he’s very polite. I get a good feeling around him. I think he’s one of the good ones.”
“I think so too,” I said.
“Maybe Brady is a good one too then. I mean, they’re brothers. They’re cut from the same cloth.”
“Oh yeah? You interested in Brady? I didn’t know that.”
“I’m not. I mean, I’ve never really thought of him in that way before. He keeps to himself, and I just figured he wasn’t interested. But I’m starting to think that maybe I should’ve made a move in the first place. I don’t know. It’s just an idea that came to me. He’s certainly very good looking. He’s got that shaggy look about him. He’s very manly.”
I chuckled. I had never thought about Brady in that way, but she had a point. The Maxwell brothers were very good looking. Each in their own way.
“Well, maybe we should go on a double date. I can talk to Grant about it. As far as I know Brady doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Worth a try. Right now I’ll take anything. I’m desperate for love! DESPERATE!” she cried out in exaggeration, and I laughed.
“Quiet, broody Brady with crazy little Terra. Yeah, there’s something about that weird mixture that I like. I’ll set something up.”
“Thanks, Em. So, what have you got planned for today?”
“Nothing really. Maybe we should go for lunch or catch a movie? I feel like a good girls’ day with you.”
“Ha! You just want someone to talk to about your sex life.”
I giggled. “No, I honestly just want a day with you.”
She smiled. “I’d love that. Hey, isn’t that your phone ringing?”
I listened and jumped up. “It is,” I said and ran up to my room.
“Say hi to Grant for me,” Terra said, and I grinned.
But it wasn’t Grant. It was, however, a man with a very deep voice.
“Is this Emily Wessler?” he asked. It was a voice that I had never heard before. There was something about it that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
“Uh, yes. Who is this?”
The man didn’t say anything, but I could hear that he hadn’t put the phone down.
“Uh, hello? Are you still there? Is this a bad line? This is Emily. Who is this?” I said again.
More silence. I was just about to put the phone down on him when he finally spoke.
“Emily. This is John.”
“John? I don’t know a John,” I said.
“I’m your father.”
For a while, I didn’t say anything. Then a pain came
shooting through my hand, and I realized I was gripping onto the phone tighter than I’d ever done before. I loosened my grip.
“Are you still there?” he asked.
“Did you just say that you were my father?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, I know this must come as a surprise. I didn’t know what else to do. And I didn’t just want to show up. I thought a phone call first might be better.”
“You thought a phone call might be better? I don’t even know who you are. I don’t have a father. My mother brought me up. My gran brought me up. They were my parents. Not you. That’s even if you are who you say you are. Anyway, I thought you had died?”
“What? Is that what you thought?”
“Yeah. I mean, if you didn’t die, then why haven’t you been around all these years. Is this a prank? Because it’s not a very funny one. It’s the worst prank in the world.” If this was a prank, then I would never talk to this person again in my whole life.
“It’s not a prank. I promise you. I’m your father. I’m sorry, Em.”
“Em? Don’t you dare call me Em. That name is reserved for people who actually know and care about me.”
I felt a headache coming on, and I desperately wanted to slam the phone down on him. But part of me was too curious to hang up. After all, I’d only been waiting for this moment my whole life. Now that it was here, I wasn’t sure I wanted it to be him. It was far easier to think that he was dead. Otherwise, why didn’t he contact me all these years? There was nothing worse in the world than the feeling of being unwanted. Like being picked last in school. It was devastating.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. His voice had become a whisper. And I realized that I believed him. This was my father. Somehow, somewhere, he’d come back to me. Where had he been all these years? I had so many questions for him. And yet, at the same time I didn’t want to know.
“You’re sorry? Really? Because . . . because . . .” I stopped speaking because I could feel the tears spring to my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want him to hear me cry. I took a few deep breaths. “What do you want from me?” I finally said.
“I want to get to know you. I want to find out all about you. I want to say sorry for not being there for you. I want to meet you.” There was a sense of urgency and passion in his voice that I tried to ignore. I didn’t want to like this man. For years, I’d hated him.
Dirty Stepbrother - A Firefighter Romance (The Maxwell Family) Page 120
