Secret Obsession
Authors: Olivia Linden
by Olivia Linden
© Olivia Linden 2014
Thank you for your interest in reading Secret Obsession. Please do not copy or share this eBook.
This book is a work of fiction.
No part of the contents relate to any real person or persons, living or dead.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
Introductions
Blurred Lines
Secrets and Lies
Coming to Terms
Endings
Introductions
Finn
was a country boy. One thing most country boys dislike is change. Change usually came along with something big or life altering. Marriage, death, or in his case his mother deciding to
remarry
. At twenty-four years old, he was a little bit too old to be in the market for a new daddy. His own father had passed away five years prior, and Finn still hadn't quite come to terms with it, as his mother suggested he do.
So he wasn't enthusiastic when Harry Davis began coming around the ranch to help out. To make matters worse, Harry was far from a cowboy. He had roots in the Northeast somewhere but had spent most of his adult life in the military, moving from duty station to duty station. Finn was downright pissed when his mother announced that she and Harry were getting hitched. He understood that his mother might have the need for companionship. His practical mind knew that they needed help running the ranch, especially since it wasn't his plan to be there forever. He'd stayed by default, being thrust into the role of man of the house when his father died. But as the man of the house, he resented the intrusion.
Once again, change was pulling into his driveway in a candy apple red Mazda Miata. Who the heck even drove a car like that in the country? All his friends drove pickups, ranging from old clunkers to souped-up monster trucks. Right off the bat, he knew the driver was the high maintenance type.
He stood at his window peeking through the curtains his mother insisted would help block out the sun and keep his room cooler. Finn was fine with the decorative wooden blinds that he had installed to match the paneling of the walls in his room, but as usual Dorothy Walters wasn't satisfied until things were the way she wanted them. It didn't matter that she never even came into his room, or his side of the house for that matter. He could burn the curtains in his tub and she would never be the wiser.
He contemplated taking the damn things down when the driver of little car opened their door. At the same moment Harry and his mother stepped off the porch in greeting. Finn stared in shock as a young woman hopped out. She was tall and slim, like Harry, but with shapely long legs covered by skintight jeans. Wild tendrils of tight dark curls swayed and bounced with her every move, obscuring her face. Even from a distance he could tell she was attractive. At least her body was.
What the heck was going on?
Finn vaguely remembered something about Harry having a daughter, but she was supposed to be away at school somewhere on the east coast. Maybe Pennsylvania? It was a bit early for summer vacation, so he couldn't make sense of her being there.
A few light taps on his door alerted him that his mother was bringing him news. It probably wasn’t good if she made the trip into his bachelor domain.
"C'mon in.”
The door opened a crack, and his mother peeked her head in as if she were afraid to disturb him.
Something was up.
"Hey, sugar. You busy?"
Finn sighed.
"You called me sugar? Either something's up or something's wrong."
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, silly," she replied with a nervous chuckle.
"What is it Mama,"
"Well you don't have to get that tone with me. I've been meaning to talk to you about a few things, but we've been so busy it kept slipping my mind. And now. Well now, I feel bad cause I wish I would have told you sooner."
Finn was very familiar with this behavior from his mother when she felt guilty about something. He watched her do this with his dad about a million times in the past. Usually when she waited until the last minute to do something she didn't really want to.
He took a deep breath, placing a hand on his dresser for support.
"Just give it to me straight. You know I can't stand when you go ‘round in circles like this."
"Well. Ok. Harry's daughter, Raven, is moving in with us. I think it's temporary, but it could be for a while, I don't have a timeframe. So we figured it would be best to put her in your spare room, versus right across the hall from us. You're hardly here, and I'm sure she could use the extra space."
Finn scowled. The extra space she was referring to was the man cave that he had created by turning their attached garage into his own living room, adding to the two bedrooms and bathroom that were on his side of the house. His own little apartment, furnished to suit his tastes with a large flat-screen TV, and a pool table for the rare occasions when he had company.
"I'm sure she would have been fine in the guest bedroom, if you ask me," he replied.
"Well. I didn't ask you. And no, Harry and I are newly married and need our privacy. Why should the three of us stay cramped up on that side of the house while you're over here in your mansion?"
"Because, she's not my daughter," he replied testily. While his mother may have had a point, he paid for every bit of the renovations out of his own pocket, and had been paying a large majority of the bills until Harry came around. It wasn't like Finn was living off of her hospitality. He felt like he was entitled to his space, or at least a heads-up discussion about sharing it.
"Finn, you’re being unreasonable and that ain't like you, sugar. She may not be your daughter, to use your words, but she's your stepsister now. So treat her like family."
With that closing statement, his mother was out the door, making sure to slam it behind her. Finn let out a frustrated growl and kicked one of his cowboy boots at the back of the door. It wasn't often that he butted heads with his mother, but when they disagreed, he was usually the one left licking his wounds.
Stepsister
?
How could she forget to tell him this?
The spare bedroom was separated from his room by the bathroom suite. It was clean, except for his art supplies and utensils. His easel was set up next to the bay window that gave him a grand view of the ranch, starting with the barn. Painting landscapes was what he did to relax, and for a bit of side income. In a huff, he marched into the room to gather up his things and head for the barn.
He wasn't in the mood to be cordial.
Raven
was relieved that her father didn't make a big fuss over her arrival. Dorothy couldn't hide her surprise at the unexpected visit, but did a fantastic job of playing it off. Her father toted her luggage as her newly acquired stepmom showed her around the house.
It was as she imagined a ranch would be. The one level cedar wood house with decorative white pillars on the outside was modestly decorated and cozy on the inside. Modest until they entered the other side of the split-level home.
Dorothy explained that this was the area that her son, Finn, had remodeled into his bachelor pad. Raven wanted to ask if Mark Twain was her favorite author, but didn't think it would go over too well. The furniture was more modern than the rest of the house, including a huge flat-screen TV, tan leather couches and a pool table. The words
Man Cave
flashed in her mind. The fully stocked wet bar in the corner lead her to wonder what kind of person her stepbrother was. First impressions said he was the bona fide bachelor or playboy sort.
She heaved another sigh of relief when it became clear that the man in question wasn't home. Dorothy was miffed, mumbling that he was just there. But he wasn't at the moment and Raven was glad for it. Anything to get out of another awkward introduction. His room was down the hall from the guest room that she was taken to, so her plan was to make herself scarce. She would only be there for the summer. Less than that if she could help it.
Dorothy gave her a long hug and promised they would talk later.
Finally, she was alone.
Raven plopped down on the bed. The room was nice enough. The light blue paint used to decorate the walls added a calming touch. Besides the dresser and night table, the only other adornment to the room was a floor to ceiling mirror that hung on the wall across from her bed. Trailing her fingers over the intricate pattern of the blue and white quilt, she tried to accept the peacefulness of her new home.
The last few months had been a nightmare. Between finals, dance rehearsals and an ugly breakup, she was ready for some peace. It was also going on two years since she’d seen her mother. The divorce of her parents had been hard on Raven, but with her mother overseas there wasn’t anyone she could really confide in.
Getting up, she walked over to the bay window and tried to make out the landscape outside in the dark. There was a large red barn off to the right, and then acres of nothing for miles around.
Raven shrugged. With nothing else to see, she turned back to look at the room. It was a little bare, but she could spruce it up with the few belongings she brought with her from her dorm room.
That reminded her of her long drive there. She didn't want to dwell on all the reasons why she left school and came running to Daddy. There was no point, and she was too damn tired. Her entire trip was spent trying to figure things out. Sometimes thinking was overrated. She needed to do something to keep her mind from wandering.
She located the box with her personal effects and rummaged around until she found her iPod docking station. She needed music. Dancing would help her burn off some of her tension. After that, and a nice long shower, she would be ready for bed. She could think about things in the morning.
An
hour spent in the barn seemed like enough time for things to settle down. Finn waited until he saw the lights go out on his mother's side of the house before he ventured inside. It wasn't like him to be so anti-social, but he was still annoyed by the fact that his mother sprang the news of his new housemate on him at the last minute. Maybe if he had the time to adjust to the idea, things would’ve been different. But as he set up an area in the hayloft for his canvas and art supplies, his blood continued to boil.
What was this Raven person like? Would they get along, or would she disturb the serenity that he was used to having? Being an only child, Finn never had to learn to live with other siblings, or how to share his things. He laughed at himself, feeling like a spoiled brat for a moment. But still, he should have been given some type of warning. Heck. Harry should have come to him and explained things. Maybe that was what was really bothering him. He was a man, and they had treated him like a child with no say so.
On his way back to the house, he slowed his pace as he approached the little red car. Peeking into the back windows he saw the clutter of boxes and girlie things. It could be the result of her travels, or she was a messy molly. Shaking his head, he moved on towards the house, checking the sturdiness of one of the front tires with his boot as he passed.
The house was silent as he entered the side door to his domain. The lights were still on, the way he'd left them, and he turned each one off on the way to his bedroom. The door to the guest room was closed. He didn't bother knocking to introduce himself. She could wait until breakfast. He made a quick stop by the bar to pull a cold brew out of his mini fridge before going into his room.
The room was dim, except for the light that shone in from his half cracked bathroom door. He put his beer down just long enough to strip off his shirt and pull off his boots. Without a second thought, Finn strolled over to his bathroom door. He liked to turn on the shower and let the room get steamy while he sipped his beer. Something about the sauna like effect helped him to relax before bed.