by K B Cinder
When he knocked on the door, it was the moment of truth, the big reveal. He hadn’t told either brother a thing, wanting to explain everything in person, because the facts were bizarre, cruel, and downright awful.
It was the bride-to-be who answered the hulking wooden doors that were more suited for a castle than a home. “Josie!” she squealed, hauling me into her arms, beaming in her flowing white maxi dress, long brunette waves flowing like a goddess.
“Hi, Future Mrs!” I greeted, hugging her back, grateful for the ally. I was sure I’d need every one I could find when it came to Ethan. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you!” She pulled Luke in for a quick hug, glancing behind us and pouting. “No Linc?”
“He’s staying with my sister,” I replied, sidestepping so Luke could slide inside.
It was the furthest I’d ever been from him, and I missed him like crazy already, but Liv was excited to have the company. Alex’s schedule kicked into overdrive after the wedding, his last few months of residency grueling with long hours at the hospital.
“He could’ve come!” She swatted playfully at Luke with a scowl. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“No, really, he’s having a blast!” I insisted. He really was, literally. They were headed to the first round of fireworks in Portland, a show much larger than any in Briar.
Elena bent to pet Tally, laughing as she spied her new collar. “You could’ve brought him in Luke’s place. He’d probably be a more charming best man.”
“Not wrong about that,” Luke admitted with a shrug, parking our rolling bag to the side with the rest of everyone’s luggage.
While they teased one another back and forth, I took in the lodge’s interior, shuddering at the thought of what they must’ve forked over per night.
Thick, knotted wood stretched high to frame the two-story entryway, a car-size chandelier hanging above. I’d never been anywhere so grand, and I’d been to the White House a handful of times. Even that didn’t hold a candle to it.
“Look what the cat dragged in!” a voice boomed, a scruffy-faced Jason making his way down the sweeping staircase of stone and wood.
He gave Elena a quick kiss on the cheek before shaking Luke’s hand. I held my breath waiting for rejection, but he surprised me by smiling, a genuine Jason one lighting up his face and finally reaching his eyes. “Hey, Sis.”
I would have cried on the spot if he hadn’t pulled me into a bear hug, tickling my sides as he had when we were younger, giggles replacing any potential tears.
“Where’s the little one?” he asked, setting me down to pat Tally. “We could’ve used a ring bearer. Our flower girl is looking lonely.”
He squished Tally’s jowls as he rubbed noses with her, her tail going wild.
Luke had her groomed for the occasion, her nails painted a shade of sunny yellow that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses. I was initially confused at the dog as a flower girl idea, but it made sense after I’d thought about it. She was Luke’s baby, and everyone treated her as such.
“Where’s Ethan?” Luke asked, scanning the entryway. “His car’s here, but the room is missing the overwhelming sense of cocky asshole only he can bring.”
“Arguing on the phone somewhere,” Luke laughed, rolling his eyes as he stood. “With his piss-poor attitude today, the longer he’s MIA, the better.”
Josie
Jason was right.
The longer Ethan was MIA, the better our night was. He made a brief appearance at the rehearsal dinner, but headed back to his room for the night immediately after, slamming doors and grumbling up a storm as he went.
I didn’t see him again until the ceremony, a sunset affair overlooking the mountains. Luke stood in the front with the rest of the wedding party, a fire-haired woman name Lee accompanying him while I sat in the crowd.
She and I had become fast friends in the parking lot beforehand when I found her cursing out a pinecone she’d stepped on.
Soft music hummed in the background as the officiant went on about the importance of love and marriage, a long-winded speech that felt more like a college lecture. Still standing, Luke was noticeably antsy as the guy dragged on, fidgeting with his hands like Linc would do.
I looked his way, catching his eyes. He smiled as I did, instantly stopping and blushing.
We were trapped in each other’s eyes as the officiant went on.
And on.
And on.
His smile dipped as a body scooted into the open seat beside me, Ethan appearing in his tuxedo, his woodsy cologne strong as ever. As part of the wedding party, he belonged upfront with the others, not to mention he should’ve been there at least an hour earlier with the rest of us.
He crackled beside me, hate emanating in waves, goosebumps rising as his eyes burned into the side of my head.
“Why are you here?”
“Excuse me?” I whispered, sure I misheard him.
All the while, the officiant droned on, now discussing middle-aged love, whatever that was.
“Answer the question.”
“Later,” I murmured back, smiling at Luke, who was watching us closely with his brows bent in concern.
“Now.”
I shifted in my seat, leaning towards the nice woman on my other side. At least what I hoped was a nice woman. “Very long story.”
“We have all day with this motherfucker talking.”
The nice woman stiffened at Ethan’s language, shooting me with a fuck-off look if I’d ever seen one.
“Later, Eth.” With nowhere to turn, I stared ahead, a smile still plastered on my face.
“You really think I’ll let you back in our family that easily?” he scoffed, a sinister laugh biting through. “You left us, Josie. Family doesn’t abandon family. We let you in once. We won’t make that mistake again.”
* * *
Ethan’s verbal lashing continued through the ceremony but switched to a silent barrage at the reception. He sat across from us at our table, glaring openly as we ate.
I didn’t mind, winging them right back, subtly flipping him off every time I got up to dance with Luke.
Unlike Jason, seeing us together and happy wasn’t enough. Ethan always wanted more.
I blocked him out, settling in for the sixth slow dance of the night with Luke under the stars, the grounds of the estate home to a nighttime reception so gorgeous it made my eyes mist.
“You’re beautiful, Josie,” Luke whispered in my ear, leaving a kiss beneath it that sent a shiver through me. “As cute as you were as a cotton candy catastrophe, I like this more.”
He fingered the delicate fabric of my turquoise gown, one of the few items I owned that fit the black-tie demands of the wedding. I’d had dozens as a teen from attending countless fundraisers with my parents, but they’d been donated long ago.
For a mountain man, Luke was surprisingly nimble and had yet to crush one of my toes as we circled the dance floor. All that brute force was harnessed into holding me and leading, and I’d never felt safer than in his arms.
I gripped his lapel, ready to rip the ridiculous bowtie off him the moment we got in the car. He might’ve liked me dressed up, but I liked my man free, gritty and raw as he’d always been, his hair flowing rather than slicked back.
With a kiss on the cheek, I murmured, “As handsome as you are, I prefer my Luke naked.”
A husky laugh vibrated through his chest, hand tightening ever so slightly on my waist. “A bare Barrett?”
“Bare it all for me.”
He spun me in a surprise twirl, catching me off guard, completely out of sync with the stiff tune overhead. As I whirled back his way, he caught my hand. “Your wish is my command.”
* * *
Luke led the way off the dance floor, head down as he sliced through the crowd.
I struggled to keep up in my pumps, a sky-high pair I hadn’t donned in years. One misstep would surely lead to an ice wrap and a swollen ankle.
With the cover o
f darkness, slipping out was easy. Luke threw me over his shoulder once we fled the cobblestones for the grass, his hand gripping my ass more than necessary. A finger slipped between my thighs as we ventured into the woods, toying with me through the thin fabric.
Once we were far enough out of view, he set me down, spinning me to hike my dress up my hips, the air cool against the exposed flesh.
The hiss of his zipper joined the soft music in the distance, my thong hiked to the side as he prodded my entrance, a thick rod of muscle ready to bring me to ruin.
He rubbed the tip against my flesh, teeth nipping at my neck as he did, a hand wrapped around my waist to keep me from toppling forward.
“What do you want, Josie?”
“You.” I spread my legs, pushing myself back against him, just the tip slipping in, a thick pull I wanted more of.
As I went to roll my hips back for more, he gripped my upper arms, slamming in the full length, a strangled cry escaping my lips. He held me tight as he drove it home, his fingers biting my flesh.
“Is this what you wanted, baby?” he asked, kissing and sucking at my neck, rocking our bodies in a relentless rhythm. “You’re so wet for me.”
I gripped at his hips the best I could as he fucked me from behind, trying to hold on longer, a strong pull straining at my core, the promise of an explosion nearing.
“Tell me!” he ordered, fucking me harder, the slap of my ass against him unmistakable.
“Yes!” I choked out, body betraying me as I shook with orgasm.
He met me on the other side, coming hard and fast, filling me with everything he had.
With a few tugs, our outfits were righted, and he pulled me against his chest, staring down at me in the moonlight. “Just a taste, my dear. Naked Luke is for later.”
Luke
Pop.
Pop.
BANG.
The air on the harbor walk was heavy with gunpowder, Briar’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display in full swing.
Unlike most places, Briar’s show came in waves, the first with gentle popping safe for little guys, the next turning things up a notch with screamers thrown in. Finally, the finale came, leaving your organs vibrating with every boom.
Locals and tourists alike mingled in the crowds, the town seeming to double in size for the occasion. The streets were lined with vendors selling a little bit of this and that.
And some of that was the stuffed whale toy I was grabbing for Lincoln while Josie found a bathroom for him, the jumbo lemonade he’d downed ready to come out his ears if she wasn’t quick.
My legs were still stiff from the long drive back from Vermont. We’d shared breakfast with the newlyweds before hitting the road, while Ethan left right from the wedding to head back to Boston, still walking around with a pole up his ass.
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice to see Mr. Perfect up in arms for a change, for once not being the self-righteous asshat in the room.
As the booms overhead intensified, I hoped Josie had found a bathroom. Otherwise, we’d be driving home with a wet kid in my truck, thrusting me into the horrors of parenthood.
Each explosion quickened my pace, not wanting to miss the finale. I could’ve grabbed the toy afterward, but I couldn’t risk the vendor selling out.
I stopped at the red canopy, stuffed toys still hung around its perimeter, three of the humpbacks among them, thankfully.
Pow.
Pop.
BANG.
Each burst of color lit up the sky, unleashing another haze of smoke to wash below.
“Oh, Luke, hey!”
I turned, groaning as Lynette ambled over in a denim dress, still knock-kneed as ever in high heels.
She’d taken to wearing her platinum locks in waves the last few times I saw her, perhaps thinking that copying my girlfriend might catch my eye.
Wrong.
“How are you?” I asked, letting manners take the wheel while I waited for the stuffed cetacean.
I hoped that she’d take the hint and realized there would never be anything between us. So far, telling her flat out over the years hadn’t worked.
She grinned, glossed lips shining as another burst of color erupted overhead. “I’m great. I’m here with my son!”
Son?
Since when did she have a kid?
I blinked, hoping I’d misheard her.
Oh, God.
I hoped someone hadn’t let her buy one like a puppy. She had enough money to buy a dozen, at least.
She giggled, reading my face. “I know! I know! I don’t talk about him much.”
Who had a kid and didn’t mention it to anyone?
Did she keep him locked up in her castle all day?
I saw her almost daily wandering around town, always alone or with an assistant. Sometimes Pete. Sometimes another airhead. Never a kid.
In fact, most people with kids darted when they saw her coming.
“Evan! Evan, come here, honey!” she called, holding out a manicured hand, the talons as long and polished as ever.
A boy wandered over, maybe ten at most, a stark cry from his flashy mother in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. He had auburn hair and gentle brown eyes.
Eyes that matched those that I’d dreamed of for years.
Eyes that finally stared back at me with love again.
Josie’s eyes.
Suddenly, the filth I’d buried in the past became an imminent threat to our future.
Luke
ELEVEN YEARS EARLIER
$643.82.
I’d finally done it.
I saved up enough for the downpayment on the ring, enough to get the payment plan started with the jeweler.
I filled out the check and handed it to Mrs. Harris, the first check I’d filled out in my life. Nan showed me how that morning, and I nailed it on the first try.
“Congratulations, Luke!” Briar’s only jeweler smiled my way, one of the few people that didn’t treat me like crud. “The payment plan is detailed on the back here. Any questions?”
“You said you engrave, right?” I asked, eyeing the white gold setting I’d selected. I wasn’t sure how much it’d cost, but personalizing it would make it extra special.
“Yes, did you want it engraved? I can do it for free if you’d like.” She waited with a pen and a slip of paper for instruction.
“Oh, anything I want? What do people usually get?”
I felt like an idiot. I didn’t own a piece of jewelry, and Nan wore a simple gold band. I knew I should’ve brought her along.
She smiled, pleasant despite my ignorance, a tiny gesture I appreciated more than she realized. Most people would’ve laughed. “Usually an anniversary date or initials. Sometimes a word or two that means a lot.”
“Oh…” I trailed, tapping my fingers on my jeans, trying not to touch any of the cases in front of me. They didn’t have any smudges, and I’d headed over straight from work. I’d washed my hands but still didn’t feel right touching anything so clean after working in a body shop all day. “Barrett Always.”
“Oh, that’s precious!” She scribbled it down, her thick, stubby fingers sliding along the page as she skimmed instructions, dotting her Is and crossing her Ts as Nan always said.
It reminded me of Josie, stirring up a smile, my love rescuing me from the unrelenting nerves that gnawed at my guts.
Other than cars, I’d never spent so much at once, and I’d never signed up for a payment plan before. The word debt was scary enough. Going into it was a whole other ballgame.
But Nan said I needed to build credit if I wanted to buy a house, so there I was, signing my name on the dotted line, sticking my neck out for the bank to hack at if I didn’t keep my word.
“Well, you’re all set, Mr. Barrett.” Mrs. Harris offered a hand which I readily accepted. No one had ever shaken my hand in town before, too afraid to be seen with a Barrett. “The ring will be ready for pick up in two to four weeks. Did you need it by a certain date?”
She smiled, reaching out to pat my hand. “That’s where Mr. Harris took me many moons ago for the same thing.”
I nodded, grateful for the support, one of the few elders who seemed happy for me outside of Nan. The man at the bank was a total jerkoff about it, telling me to wait until I was thirty to get engaged. I didn’t take it personally, though. I’d met his wife. She was a witch.
Not Josie. She was an angel. I’d be a fool not to marry her as soon as possible.
“Great minds think alike,” she cooed, closing her order booklet. “Have a good night, Luke. Drive safe, okay? It’s getting nasty out there.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I strolled across the tiny shop and onto the sopping wet sidewalk of Main Street, stuffing my hands in my work jacket pockets to save them from the frigid sludge falling from the sky.
With each step, the soupy ice squished, leaving me grateful I’d left straight from work in boots. If I’d been in sneakers, they would’ve soaked straight through.
I had to head home to shower and change, dinner plans with Nan and Josie set for seven o’clock. Josie was probably already there with Olivia. Nan was teaching them how to make Fancy Hungarian chicken as she called it, a recipe she’d found in a magazine that she couldn’t pronounce.
The late-season storm left most of downtown deserted, a single car parked in the lot of Sammy’s, the gas station everyone knew closed at five. Stupid, but the grumpy bastard wasn’t budging in his ways, leaving everyone scrambling for gas before he closed up shop each day.
As I got closer, I recognized it as Ed’s car — Josie’s dad. It was definitely his gray sedan, the tinted windows and ROBERTS vanity plate giving it away.
