“How?” Jess asks embarrassed.
“I came into the kitchen last night to get a drink of water, and almost walked in on you guys standing here close to each other. So, I snuck back out and I wasn’t going to say anything, but then this morning, he was going on and on about how you were disrespectful and you are bringing tramps into his house, that he lets me live in, and I didn’t raise you right, and so on,” she explains, still crying. “When I knew what was going on, I wasn’t going to tell him because I thought it was just a fluke, a onetime deal. I didn’t know you guys,” she stops on a sob. “I didn’t know,” she says as her shoulders shake with her silent sobs.
“Ma, it’s okay. Thank you for protecting Jess, and I am so sorry I put you in that position,” I say as I fill with regret.
“Nonsense, boy. How long?” she asks nodding to Jess and I.
“Since high school,” Jess says looking at me. “I’ve loved him for years.” She adds that part on for me.
“But we disconnected due to misunderstandings,” I add.
“And then got together before we came home,” Jess finishes.
“So, when you first got home?” my ma asks.
“We were together the night before,” Jess smiles. Naughty girl.
“Oh my,” my ma says. “Well, nonetheless, today starts a new day, a new chapter. And the first part of that chapter is walking the fuck out of that front door. What do you say, kids?” My ma giggles as she takes a deep breath and stands tall.
“That’s my ma.” I smile. “Don’t worry, you still have your old house, Ma,” I tell her as Jess and I stand up.
“What?” she gasps.
“Yeah, I bought it. Something about it . . . I could let it go,” I shrug.
“Boy, you have so much money you don’t know even know what to do with it,” she laughs.
I take Jess’s hand in mine and we walk out of the kitchen, stepping over her dad, of course. I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss it. I look at my mother, and then to Jess, and realize that I have surrounded myself with strong women.
“Why don’t you both run and grab a few things, then we will head out? Yeah?” I ask them.
“Sounds good. I’d like to change out of my pajamas,” my ma agrees.
“Grab me a shirt would ya, babe?” I ask Jess as she heads upstairs.
I walk to the foyer and slip on my shoes. I walk back into the kitchen and see Drew lying on the floor. As he starts to sir, I kneel down and just look at him. He’s so fucking pathetic. When his eyes open and focus on me, he flinches.
My lips form the most satisfying smile I’ve ever felt.
“Since you’re awake, I won’t have to come back to tell you what I’m about to say. So listen close, old man, because if I catch wind this didn’t happen I will be back and it won’t be pretty.” I raise my eyebrows waiting on some sort of reply.
At his nod, I continue, “You will never speak to my mother, or my woman, ever again. If, and I mean only if, Jessica wants to come back and have any form of contact with you that’s up to her, but you will not reach out to either one of them.” I pause for him to nod again.
“Second, you will give my mother the divorce she will ask for, and you will not leave her fucking high and dry either.” I look around us to make my next point, “because I know you have plenty of fucking money to give her. Don’t be a prick, or else again, I’ll come back for you.” I pause, waiting for that nod to let me know he’s still with me.
“Third, and lastly, a quick history lesson: while you have been here, surrounded by your money and high class life, I went to work. And man, did my work pay off. See, you’re not the only one who has made money in their life. The only difference is that I have more than you. So with money comes certain . . . how do you say it? Aah, privileges. See, when I got here and realized who my mom had married? I had some of my guys look into you.” His eyes got huge when I let that sink in. “I can guess you know what they found, yeah? Enough tax fraud to put you away for life, and that’s only the start of it. But that’s not what bothers me. What irritates me is the fake prenup you had with Jess’s mom.” He starts to shake his head no, so I reach down and flick the open wound on his eye, causing him to cry out. “Do not lie to me or I will cause more pain while I call the law on you.” I nod my head with raised brows to get his attention once again.
“So here is what you will do. . . Pay close attention because if you don’t do this, I’ll be back, I’ll beat you to the end of your life, and then I’ll have you put away in jail for the rest of the sad life you’ll live. Got me?”
“Yes.” He stutters and nods his head.
“Alright. You are going to take all that money you got and you are going to give at least half to Jess’s mom. Since you had that fake prenup, and you most likely beat her like you did my ma, I think she deserves it, yeah? Then the rest of your money? You’re gonna give it to my ma. Call it restitution. That way she won’t have to work another day in her life. You can live here in your lifeless, loveless, pathetic tower. You understand?”
“You can’t get away with this!” he tries to yell, but the pain of moving his jaw makes him cry out, and me laugh.
“That’s the thing, Drew, I can. You have two weeks to make it happen. If it doesn’t, I’ll be back,” I finish.
Just as he begins to open that mouth of his to say something else, I swing out and my right hook connects with the side of his face, and his eyes roll back in his head once again.
I stand up and grab the towel off the counter and wipe my hands clean of this trash.
I walk out to the living room, headed for the foyer, when I see Jess standing there with a smile to her lips and tears shining in her eyes.
“No tears, baby girl,” I say as I reach her and lift her chin up. My eyes search hers for any sign that this isn’t what she wants.
“Thank you for taking care of my mom. It means so much,” she whispers as a tear rolls down her cheek.
“Even without him around, I’ll always take care of you guys,” I say.
She shakes her head and kisses my bare chest, right over my heart.
We hear the door shut to my mom’s room so we both turn and wait for her to walk into the foyer. Jess hands me my shirt and I slip it on.
“I think it’s safe to say, I will never be back here,” I declare as we walk out of the door.
My mom is to my left, her arm tucked into mine. Jess is on my right, her fingers laced with mine. As the sun comes up over the horizon, we close our eyes and take a deep breath. I look over to my woman and the sun is covering her skin, making her look like a goddess that I get to love.
I look to my left, and see my mother looking at us with tears in her eyes.
“Sometimes when darkness closes around us, there is still just enough light to help something beautiful grow. I am so happy I get to watch you be in love, Jaxson,” she whispers. “I just hope this morning didn’t taint your souls any.”
“My mom always told me – sometimes sunshine is the best disinfectant.” Jess tilts her head back into the sunlight, explaining, “It’s a new day, Arlene. And this sunrise right here? It has cleansed our souls.”
“A new day has never felt so good,” my mom breathes.
Epilogue
Jess
Two Years Later
She puts the key into the lock to her ocean front home and steps through the door. As her feet meet the tile on the floor in the foyer, she closes her eyes and breathes deep. She stands there soaking in the feeling of being home after a long day. It’s the same process every single day – she walks through that door into the home she’s made with the love of her life. That bone deep feeling of belonging. That feeling she still gets even after two years have passed. Wondering if it’ll ever go away, but somehow knowing it never will.
She grips the handles of the white and red drug store bag in her hand as she walks into her home and looks around. She looks at tiny little things that make this house a home. That curio cabinet
he bought her because she told him she wanted to collect tea cups because she thought they were so pretty.
As she walks over to the cedar trimmed glass cabinet, she spies her favorite cup. It’s a little yellow one, with a tiny chip in the rim of the glass. It’s painted like an exact replica of the tea cup in her favorite Disney movie. She smiles as her eyes fill up with tears at the memory of the time she got it.
“Do you know why I brought you here?” Jax asks me as we walk down the brick lane, holding hands.
“Because you know and understand the tiny child who lives in my soul?” I snicker.
“That is a tiny bit of the reason why,” he snickers back.
He pulls my hand and brings my walking to a stop. He turns me and points to the castle that is bathed in lights.
“They always say that magic and dreams come true here,” he murmurs.
“Oh, Jax, all my dreams already came true,” I whisper.
When I don’t get a response, I turn to look at the man who has stolen my heart. When I see him down on one knee looking up at me like I supply the oxygen he breathes, I gasp.
I throw my hands up and cover my mouth as tears spring to my eyes and my whole body starts to shake.
“Jessica Lyne White, all of your dreams might’ve come true, but all of mine haven’t just yet. I can’t breathe easy at night knowing I have not made you completely mine in every single way possible. When I go to work every day, I wonder if you know how much I love you. When I’m in a meeting at work, I think of how your handwriting looks better than mine. When I go to lunch and open my wallet to find some silly note stuffed in the folds, I can’t thank god fast enough, often enough, loud enough that he gave me you. When I drive home every single day I pray that I’m not dreaming, and that you’ll still be there when I walk through the door. Without you, I’m nothing. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to breathe. You are the air I need to fill my lungs. You are the one who keeps us strong.
“I love you more than I can express. I can’t put into words the way you soothe my soul, the way you can make any tension in my body disappear with just one smile. So, here we are, at Disney, where dreams come true. Because I need all the magic I can get on my side when I ask you, Jessica Lyne White, will you make all of my dreams come true and become my wife?”’ He finishes with a hard swallow.
With tears pouring down my cheeks, a lump in my throat, and in emotional sobs I can’t stop, I shake my head yes and throw myself into his arms.
“This place really is magical,” I whisper right before his lips crash against mine.
She looks down at her ring and can’t help the emotion swelling inside of her. It is a beautiful three tier diamond surrounded in a black diamond jacket, something she would have never imagined on her finger. Her husband works hard for what he has, and the pride she has for him tries to overtake her heart every time she thinks about the amazing man who came into her life like a wrecking ball, and blasted through every wall she tried to build around herself.
She walks into her bedroom and sets her bag on the bed, before digging to the bottom of it. She pulls out a box, and walks to the en suite of their bathroom.
As she stands in front of the mirror, her hands shake. This could be the moment everything changes. And oh, what a beautiful change it will be. She already knows. But this – this will tell her for certain.
Her hands rip the box open and she pulls the tiny pink stick out and removes the cap. Her bladder is full, and she wastes no time sitting down and peeing on it.
After washing her hands, she grabs her stick, not looking at it yet until the full two minutes is up, and walks back out into the living room.
She looks at the wall to the left and the biggest photo in their house is her favorite. It’s a candid shot of her and Jax laughing at their wedding.
In the background, you can see their moms watching them, with tears of happiness in their eyes. You can see their pride. Their excitement. But mostly? Their love.
Jessica lifts her hand and looks at the test. It’s flipped over right now, so she can’t see the results. She looks up at the clock and knows that Jaxson will be home any minute. The butterflies swarming her stomach have turned into full bird wings, fluttering all around. She takes a deep breath and flips the test over. Two lines. Two tiny lines that show it won’t be just her and Jax anymore. Excitement, nervousness, and pure awe over take her.
She reaches her hand up and instinctively cups her flat belly.
“Oh, tiny peanut, you’re going to be so loved,” she whispers through an emotional smile. “Your daddy is going to be so excited to find out about, you sweet baby.”
She stands there with tears rolling down her face; she will remember this moment for the rest of her life. After trying for nearly two years, they finally finally got the news they have prayed for. The heartbreaks they have suffered? The hopes they had to keep giving up time after time? The stress they put on themselves to try better? All of that has led them here – to her standing in this quiet living room, looking at the perfect memories they have made, but imagining the new ones that are going to come.
She hears the garage door opening. She imagines their child one day recognizing that sound, screaming in excitement that daddy is home. Or freaking out in panic when he or she gets older. She feels the stretch of her smile again. She closes her fist around the test and holds it to her chest.
“Hey, babe? You home yet?” Jax calls from the kitchen where the door to the garage is.
Jess takes one more deep breath as she steps into the kitchen. With tears in her eyes, she looks at Jax as she soaks in the calmness he still gives her soul.
“Hi honey, I have some news.” She greets him with an emotional smile as she holds her hand out for the man who has made every single one of her dreams come true.
The End
Steele: A Step Brother Romance Page 5
