Stepbrother Backstage (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 3) (20 page)

“But we didn’t have a choice once you sprung it on us,”
Maddie puts in, as Cash slings an arm over her shoulders.

“It’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Cash says, ever the poet.

For a minute that feels like a lifetime, our parents are too
flummoxed to speak. Ethan, who is surely rethinking his career by now, clears
his throat to break the awkward silence.

“I’m just…Going to give you all some time to talk this
over,” he says, edging up the dock and breaking the matrimonial tableau, “This
feels like a family-only kind of conversation.”

The poor guy all but sprints away across the lawn, leaving
the Hawthorne and Porter clans to sort out our predicament. Or try to, at
least.

“I’m sorry you guys had to find out this way,” I say to Mom
and John, taking a tentative step forward, “We know this is going to be hard to
sort out—”

“Sort out?” John cuts me off, his voice low and menacing,
“There’s nothing to sort out. I don’t give a shit who’s been screwing who here,
it ends now. Robin and I are getting married, period. So you all can cut this
perverted shit out and grow up.”

“That’s not going to happen, Dad,” Finn says sternly, “Not
if we have anything to do with it. None of us have any intention of breaking
things off.”

“Well tough shit,” John laughs meanly, “It’s not your
decision to make. You’re just a bunch of children. What do you know about
relationships, or commitment, or life for that matter? You’ll get over it and
move onto your next fuck buddies in no time.”

“You don’t understand,” Luke says fiercely, “These aren’t
just summer flings, Dad. We care about each other. All of us. You have no idea
what you’d be ruining if you—”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” John groans, “Spare me, Luke. You
sound like a whiny little bitch.”

“Watch it,” Cash growls, “Or do you want us to beat the shit
out of you. Again?”

“You little fucker,” John growls, taking a step toward his
oldest son.

The six of us brace ourselves for the impending conflict,
but Robin puts out an arm to stop John in his tracks. I look over to see that
her eyes are hard on my face. The searching directness of her gaze takes my
breath away. For the first time in years, I feel like my mother isn’t just
looking at me—she’s
seeing
me.

“Girls…” she breathes, taking in first me, then Sophie, and
finally Maddie, “Are you…Are you trying to tell me that you’ve fallen in love
with these boys?”

I glance over my shoulder at my older sisters, see the truth
written clearly on their distressed faces. Finn gives my hand a squeeze,
lending me the courage to turn back to my mother and say, “Yes. That’s exactly
what we’re trying to tell you.”

Robin takes a deep breath, processing the facts and
implications. Her performative giddiness fades away as she considers the
situation, and I watch her eyes fill with empathetic tears. She looks up at
John as if she’s just woken up from a trance.

“John…” she says softly, laying a hand on his arm, “I don’t
think I can do this.”

If Finn weren’t supporting me, I’m sure I’d topple over with
baffled surprise. I hear the sound of seven mouths falling open in shock at my
mom’s words. And no one’s jaw hangs lower than John Hawthorne’s.

“Robin…What are you saying?” he growls.

“Look at them, John,” she says, gesturing to the six of us
kids, “They’re begging us not to go through with this. We can’t get married
without their blessing.”

“And why the hell not?” John demands, seeming to grow even
taller in his outrage, “Last I checked, we’re the parents here. Not them.”

“And as their parent, I can’t devastate them like this,” Mom
whispers, “I’m sorry.”

John’s chest rises and falls with every heaving breath as he
looks wildly around at all of us. “Are you all happy, now?” he snarls, hands
balled into fists, “Are you all fucking pleased with yourselves?”

“Yeah,” Cash replies, “I think pleased is one word for it.”

“You spoiled, selfish little brats,” John roars, glaring
around at us all.

“Don’t speak to my daughters like that,” Robin snaps,
stepping between us and John.

“This is my goddamn house,” John shouts back, “And I’ll
speak any damn way I please. Don’t forget you’re here as my guest, Robin.”

“Your guest?” she breathes, taking a step back and sizing up
the man standing before her. “Is that how you think of me, John?”

“How else should I think of you?” he shoots back, “You’ve
been on the edge of leaving ever since you got here. I thought proposing would
make you stay put, but I guess I was wrong.”

“You were very wrong,” my mom replies, shaking her head,
“And I was too, thinking I could make this work. Thank you for reminding me of
all the reasons I left you in this backwoods dump in the first place, John.”

“Get the hell out of here,” John snarls, glaring down at my
mother, “Get out before I—”

“Don’t you dare threaten her,” I warn, stepping up beside my
mother.

“Who do you think you are?” Sophie demands, as she and
Maddie rush forward to stand with us against the mountain that is John
Hawthorne.

He stares down at the four Porter women arrayed before him,
taken aback by our show of force. That just goes to show how little he knows
about our family. If there’s one thing we are, it’s ferocious in our
convictions.

“Just go,” John says again, crossing his thick arms, “I want
you all out of my sight.”

“If I leave now,” Mom tells him, “I won’t be coming back.”

“Well then,” John says, his jaw set, “It was nice knowing
you, Robin.”

Mom’s chin begins to quiver as she stands on the dock,
staring at the man she’s come so close to marrying. Twice. Without a word, she
tugs the engagement ring off her finger and thrusts it toward John. I’m
surprised she didn’t just chuck it in the lake, to be honest. My sisters and I
all lay supportive hands on her back, leading her back up the dock and across
the lawn. The Hawthorne brothers follow behind us, a three-man security detail.
I glance over my shoulder and see John Hawthorne still standing on the dock.
He’s all alone, as requested. Maybe some people really are better off that way.

Our party of seven comes to a stop at the top of the
driveway, unsure of how to proceed. There are so many ways we could all go from
here. A million different outcomes to be had. Once again, I find myself articulating
what no one else much wants to say.

“So…” I begin, looking around at my unconventional family,
“Now what?”

Epilogue

Portland, Oregon

The following Spring…

I perch on the edge of the claw foot bathtub, adjusting the
water’s temperature until it’s just right. What I need more than anything right
now is a long, hot soak to calm my nerves. Tonight is a big deal, after all. I
have to have my wits about me.

Shucking off my cotton robe, I dip my feet into the
gathering water, relishing the pleasurable shudder that runs up my spine.
Through the bathroom window, I can see the sky growing saturated with the
impending sunset. It’s almost time.

My cell phone vibrates on the edge of the bath, and I rush
to answer it before it buzzes right into the water. There’s a photo message
from Sophie, and I open it to find a selfie of her and Luke standing in New
York City’s Hudson River Park. They’re giving big, cheesy grins and even
cheesier thumbs-up. The accompanying message reads,
“Good luck tonight from both of us! Wish we could be there! xoxo.”

I grin down at the message, shaking my head at Sophie and
Luke’s antics. Since they moved to New York this past fall, my sister’s
dispatches have been nothing but good times and Big Apple adventures. She’s
been hard at work apprenticing with a big shot theater company in the city,
while Luke had the good fortune to get in on the ground floor of a new tech
start up just before it took off. Their life together is all brunches, rooftop
parties, and strolls through Prospect Park. They’re living in the Fort Greene
neighborhood of Brooklyn, which Sophie complains is overrun by yuppie couples
and stroller mafias. But if I’m not mistaken, I sense a note of longing in her
voice every time she mentions marriage and kids.

Setting my phone down far away from the water, I turn off
the taps and lower myself into the hot bath. My blonde hair floats to the
surface of the water, fanning out all around me as I feel my cares melt away.
Tonight’s going to be wonderful. Even if Sophie can’t be there, Maddie is
coming with Cash. He’s relocated permanently to Seattle, having made enough of
a bundle on the ad campaign Maddie’s company cast him in to start a whole new
branch of his bike shop. Maddie’s no longer working at ReImaged—they were too corporate
to hold her interest for long. These days, she organizes events with a boutique
agency that specializes in the visual and performing arts. I was so glad to
hear that she could make it to my show tonight, seeing as she’s partially
responsible for making it happen.

Thinking of my first solo photography show gives me
goosebumps, even submerged in piping hot water. I’m nervous and excited and
terrified all at once to be exhibiting my photographs at a small gallery in
Downtown Portland tonight. I’ve never presented my work on its own before—I’ve
only ever been part of group shows before. But Maddie introduced me to a
gallery owner she met through work, she liked my photos, and the rest is
history.

Taking a breath, I slip down beneath the surface of the water.
Cradled in this warm, quiet place, I feel safe enough to admit the real reason
I’m so on edge about this show tonight. After all these months, I’m going to be
seeing Robin there for the first time. She headed back to the East Coast after
her engagement to John fell apart, but only long enough to move ahead with
selling the farm house. With time, my sisters and I came to terms with her
decision. There was no way she was ever going to move on, still living in the
home she and Dad shared for so many years. And since Sophie, Maddie and I have
all settled in other cities anyway, selling the old farm house only made sense,
in the end.

Mom’s been living in Berkeley, California these past few
months. We’ve started to repair our relationship, to the point where she
confided in me that she’s seeing a new man. But not on a one night stand basis.
No, this seems serious. His name is Robert, and he’s a college professor, just
like Dad was. I guess everyone has a type. Maddie and I are meeting Robert for
the first time tonight, but I have a good feeling about him from what Mom’s
told me so far. I’m happy for her, if sad to know that we’ll never be as close
as we once were, after everything that’s happened.

Coming back up for air, I let my head rest against the edge of
the bathtub, sighing contentedly as steam rises from the water. I have to say,
this bathtub is one of my favorite features of the new house Finn and I found a
few months back. It’s a little two-bedroom in Goose Hollow, a tiny, tree-lined
enclave on the west side of the river. Our neighborhood is quiet and green, the
perfect place to come home to at the end of a long day full of hustle—which is
most days for me and Finn. Between my freelance photography and his slew of
weekly solo gigs, we keep plenty busy. But at the end of the day, it’s just me
and him back here together.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Want some company?” I hear Finn’s voice ask from above.

I let my eyes flutter open and see my man standing in the
bathroom doorway. His blonde hair is longer than ever, falling down toward his
collar in perfect waves. The stubble on his chin has progressed into a full on
beard, which I happen to adore. He stands in the doorway in a red tee shirt and
perfectly cut jeans, his sleeves of tattoos standing out against his tanned
skin. And in his arms is a small bouquet of rustic wildflowers.

“Finn,” I breathe, sitting up in the tub. Rivulets of bath
water run down my skin as I peer up at him. “Are those for me?”

“I was going to wait until after your show,” he says,
stepping toward the claw foot bath, “But I just couldn’t.”

“They’re beautiful,” I say softly, happily accepting the
flowers he holds out to me.

“They’re alright,” he grins, “
You’re
beautiful.”

“And you are getting corny in your old age,” I tease him,
kneeling in the tub and catching his lips in a long, slow kiss.

“If that’s my reward for being cheesy, I need to bone up on
my knock-knock jokes,” he smiles, kissing along my throat.

My back arches as he runs his hands down my bare,
water-slicked arms, and that now-familiar pang of longing twists at my core.
After almost a year, my body is still on a hair trigger to Finn’s touch. If
anything, I’ve become even more addicted to the feel of his hands on me as
we’ve come to know each other more and more intimately.

“You know, there’s room in here for two…” I murmur, resting
my hands on the firm panes of his chest.

“Oh yeah?” he smiles, letting his thumbs brush against my
hard nipples. I suck in a breath as pleasure shoots through me, emanating out
from his touch.

“Mhm,” I reply, whipping open his belt buckle and popping
open the button of his jeans.

Finn lifts his shirt up over his head, rising to his feet as
I tug down his jeans. His cock strains against the black briefs he’s wearing,
and I run my hands eagerly along the length of it. We’ve only been apart for a
few hours, but with the intensity of my need for him you’d think it had been
years.

“You’re so hard already, babe…” I breathe, tugging down his
briefs and setting his glorious cock free.

“What do you expect?” he laughs roughly, letting his eye
close as I work my hands along his thick, pulsating shaft.

“Fair point,” I whisper, bringing my mouth to the swollen
tip of him.

He groans and I take him between my lips, running my tongue
along his head. I ease his staggering cock further and further into my mouth,
grabbing hold of his firm, sculpted ass. With every passing second, I can feel
him growing harder against my inquisitive tongue, and I feel my sex begin to
ache with want of him. I grab hold of his balls with one hand, pulling gently
as I run my tongue all along his sturdy shaft.

“That’s it,” he growls, catching my wrists, “I’m coming in
there.”

“Be my guest,” I grin up at him, making room behind me in
the steaming hot tub.

His cock throbs at attention as he lowers himself into the
bath, pulling me back onto his lap. I rest my back against his hard chest,
tightening my thighs around his stiff member.

“No…” he murmurs in my ear, easing my legs apart, “I want
you spread wide for me.”

I let out a low moan as he brings his hand to my throbbing
sex, rolling long, delicious circles over my hard clit. Every muscle in my body
clenches in blissful anticipation, and already I feel that pressure in my core
mounting to a fever pitch.

“Wait,” I gasp, grabbing hold of the tub’s edge and lifting
myself ever-so-slightly, “I want to come with you, Finn.”

A low growl rises in his throat as I lower myself onto his
staggering cock, and I cry out as I feel him drive deep inside of me. I’m still
amazed at the way he fills up every inch of me, the way I’m sure every time
that I’ll split right down the middle at the sheer immensity of him. I rock
back against his broad, muscled body, moaning as he pounds even deeper into me.

“You’re fucking incredible,” he groans, taking my breasts
his hands as I ride him.

The bath water splashes dangerously toward the edge of the
tub as we move together. Finn bucks his hips against me, driving into me with
all his might as I let my head fall back between my shoulders. All of the worries
about tonight drift away toward the ceiling, dispelled by the force of our
lovemaking.

“Oh…” I breathe, shoving my hands through my wet blonde hair
as I teeter on the edge of bliss.

“I’m there,” Finn gasps, grabbing hold of my hips.

We cry out in unison as our orgasms overwhelm us, sweeping
through our bodies in a rush. I fall back against Finn, holding him inside of
me as we ride the epic swell of sensation. My body relaxes against his, and I
feel as loose and light as ever. We recline there together in the piping hot
water, letting the steamy air silence us save for the heaving of our breath.

“Was that just you trying to get me to relax before
tonight?” I ask, peering back at Finn.

“Hey, you’re the one who invited me in,” he replies,
wrapping his arms around my waist, “How do I know you’re not just using me a
giant, sexy stress ball?”

“Oh please,” I laugh, giving him a playful shove and
scooting to the other side of the bathtub. Whatever his intentions, I do feel
more relaxed than I have any right to be. But then, I should be used to Finn
making impossible things the stuff of reality.

“Why don’t you finish getting washed up,” he says, lifting
himself from the tub, “I’ll put these flowers in some water.”

“What an excellent house husband you’d make,” I say
unthinkingly.

Finn straightens up as his feet land on the bathmat, and he
looks back at me in surprise. I bite my tongue, too late as usual.

“I mean…I don’t…” I sputter, “I didn’t mean—”

“I love you, blabbermouth,” he grins, regaining control of his
senses. Is it me, or is there a little blush rising in his cheeks?

“I love you too. I guess,” I grin back, flicking him with
water as he turns to walk away.

I sink back in the bath, enjoying a few more minutes of
relaxation before the big night begins. Even though my mom and sister will be
at the show tonight, I’m not panicked or anxious about having to mediate their
issues. Since last summer at the lake house, my mom and sisters have started to
feel more like friends than anything else. We can see each other, be happy for
each others’ good fortune, but we’ve set off on our separate paths. There’s
more distance between us, literally and figuratively, than ever. And you know
something? We’re a better family for it. An unusual family, perhaps, but a good
one all the same.

And with a good family, a wonderful man, and home of my own
at last…I think it’s safe to say that my life is starting to come into focus. I
may not have the picture perfectly lined up yet, but I have to say, the
composition is pretty promising. And when the time comes, I know I’ll finally
have the courage to take my shot at happiness. Who would have thought that I’d
have a potentially disastrous summer fling with my almost-stepbrother to thank
for that?

THE END

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