Mail Order Stepbrother (14 page)

“You weren’t there for her.”

Burton surprised everyone by nodding in agreement. “You’re right,” he said softly, his voice choked with emotion, “I wasn’t. I screwed up. But I never pretended to be perfect.”

Nash’s shoulders fell, the tension seeping away. Melanie moved up behind him and ran her hand up his back.

“Everything I’ve done,” Burton continued, “was for you and your sister, Nash. I wanted you to have it better than I did when I was a kid. I didn’t want you to have to know what poverty is like, what it means to go without.”

“When does it stop?” Nash asked. “When do you stop controlling us to protect us?”

Burton shook his head. “I don’t—“

“You do, Daddy,” Alyssa said from across the room.

He turned and looked at her, then turned back to Nash. “I gave you an education, a career. How is that controlling you?”

“It’s not the career I want.” Nash took Melanie’s hand and drew her closer against his side. “I’m giving notice at Merchand. It’s time for me to move on.”

“And do what?” Burton asked, incredulity in his voice.

Nash looked down at Melanie and winked. “My wife and I are opening a restaurant.”

Melanie smiled even as Burton began to protest. But his wife joined them, grabbing his hand and saying, “That’s wonderful, Nash.”

Burton looked from her to his son. “So, we’re happy about this? We’re happy that he’s giving up a seven-figure income to open a risky business? We’re happy that he’s married to his stepsister and just announced it to the world at large without bothering to tell his father? We’re happy about missing out on the wedding?”

“Not all of us missed it,” Amanda said quietly.

Burton immediately pulled away from her, backing up as though running from a wild animal.

“You’ve all gone insane.”

Tension flooded Nash’s shoulders again as he turned, frustration flowing from every pore. Amanda’s face tightened, fear and anger snapping at each other in her eyes. Alyssa stayed in her corner across the room, watching to see who would come out on top. Clearly the only one with any common sense left was Melanie.

“Look,” she said quietly, “we’re a family. We’re a little dysfunctional and we don’t always go about things the way we should, but we are a family. And as a family we have to take each other for better or for worse because nothing is black and white.” She almost laughed when she realized she was repeating Jack’s words, but they were words that had led her to make the best decision of her life, and she wasn’t about to let anyone disparage that. “I love Nash, and he loves me, and we’re going to have a baby together, so the world is just going to have to accept that. And so are you.”

Melanie didn’t even realize what she had said until everyone was staring at her. And then Nash grabbed her face between both hands and lifted it so that he was staring right into her hands.

“Are you serious? You’re pregnant?”

“Yeah. I took a test last night, then this morning…I was going to tell you later today.”

“Oh, babe,” he groaned as he began to pepper her face with kisses. And then he laughed. “I’m going to be a dad!”

“Congratulations,” Alyssa said as she came up behind them. “You’re going to be a great father.”

Nash laughed again, wrapping his arms around both his sister and Melanie.

“Congratulations, baby,” Amanda said, hugging her daughter.

Then they all turned and looked at Burton. He was watching them, his cheeks flaming red, his eyes on the ground. He slowly looked up, moisture in his eyes and his gaze moving slowly over the faces of his children, his stepdaughter, and his wife.

“Somewhere along the line I forgot what family meant,” he said, his voice low, deeper than before. “But the four of you,” his eyes fell on Melanie for a long second, “you remind me every day. To hell with the press, with careers and money and reputation. This,” he gestured at them, “is all that matters.”

Amanda held out her hand to him and he moved into their embrace.

After a moment he stepped back. “However, you will have another wedding so that I can walk this beautiful lady down the aisle and give her away properly.”

Nash laughed. “I think we can handle that.”

The End

I hope you enjoyed this book! If you liked it please leave me a review to let me know what you think. All the best, -Kira

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