Change (Finding Anna Book 5)

by Sherri Hayes

  I pressed my cheek to the top of her head, my eyes never leaving the road, and took a deep breath. In that moment, I knew my life was about to get very complicated.

  We pulled up to Diane and Richard’s house five minutes later, the conversation still fresh in my mind. I needed to let it go, though. At least, for now. My relationship with Richard had come a long way. He no longer looked at me as if he were waiting for the other shoe to drop. And he was good to Brianna. That went a long way.

  He'd still never asked me anymore about being a Dom. Every now and then, I’d see him give me a long, measured look after witnessing an exchange between me and Brianna, but good to his word, he’d kept his opinions to himself.

  Speaking of Richard, he strolled out the front door as I was helping Brianna out of the vehicle. “I hope you all brought your swimsuits. Diane insisted on a pool party.”

  “We’ve got ours,” Lily said as she and Logan sauntered up beside us.

  “We do?” Logan asked.

  “Of course. I knew we were coming today and that Diane and Richard have a pool.” She smiled at my uncle. “It always pays to be prepared.”

  Diane was in the kitchen mixing what looked to be a type of pasta salad. She beamed as soon as she saw us and abandoned her position behind the counter to greet us. She enveloped first Brianna, and then me in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. I made a new dessert I want you to try.”

  Once greetings were out of the way, Diane shooed us out onto the back patio so she could finish getting things ready. Brianna had offered to help, but my aunt refused, saying she had everything under control.

  I lowered myself into one of the lounge chairs and pulled Brianna onto my lap. She wedged herself between my legs and rested against my chest. Logan and Lily took up a similar position a few feet away.

  Richard pulled up a straight-backed chair and sighed as he sat down. “It turned out to be a perfect day. Not too hot. Not to cold. Couldn’t ask for anything more in July.”

  “Hard to believe it was ninety degrees last week.”

  My uncle nodded at Logan. “I’d rather have that than the subzero temperatures in winter. The older I get, the less I like the ice and snow. Diane and I’ve been talking about maybe getting a winter house in Texas or something.”

  “You planning to retire?” I asked. He hadn’t mentioned it before, but if they were seriously talking about spending winters down south, that had to be on the table.

  “I ain’t getting any younger.”

  That wasn’t exactly an answer, but the patio door opened, and Diane began bringing out the food, so I let the subject drop. There’d be plenty of time later to talk.

  Chapter 4

  Brianna

  We all sat around a long glass table in Diane and Richard’s backyard talking and eating. Well, Lily and Diane did most of the talking. Once it had come out that Lily and Logan were getting married, Diane had gotten really excited and started asking a bunch of questions.

  Stephan, Logan, and Richard seemed content to let them dominate the conversation while they dug into their meal. I found I was rather fascinated with the conversation, but I couldn’t figure out why exactly. They were talking about dresses and flowers and even honeymoon destinations.

  I was focused on their conversation so much that Stephan had to remind me to eat a couple of times.

  Once everyone was finished, Diane brought out the dessert she’d made. It was a pineapple upside down cake. The last time I’d had one was when my mom was still alive.

  The combination of sweet pineapple and cake hit my tongue and I closed my eyes remembering the last time I’d experience the same flavors.

  “Brianna?”

  I opened my eyes and turned toward Stephan’s voice. There were concerned creases in his brow as he stared back at me.

  He reached up and it was only then I realized I was crying. “What’s wrong, love?”

  “I was just remembering my mom.”

  The tension at the corners of his eyes eased and he brushed the moisture away from my cheeks. “Did you make this a lot with her?”

  “No. Just once. Right before she got sick.” Those were the good times. Although looking back, the cancer had probably already been inside her.

  He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Finish your cake and we’ll take a walk.”

  I did as he asked. Luckily, the only person who appeared to have noticed my emotional response was Diane. She gave me an encouraging smile from across the table, and then returned her attention to the others.

  True to his word, as soon as I was finished eating my cake, Stephan stood. “Brianna and I are going for a walk.”

  Lily looked as if she were going to get up from her chair, but Logan placed his hand on her arm, and she stopped. Maybe Diane wasn’t the only one who noticed my crying.

  “Have fun,” Diane said, already beginning to gather the dessert plates to take them inside.

  Stephan and I walked hand in hand down the path that led to the river. He didn’t say anything until we reached his rock.

  There was more white water here than there was at our new house, but I loved them both. The water called to me, and I’d learned it did the same to Stephan.

  He circled his arm around me, drawing my head to his shoulder as we sat on the end of the rock as it jutted out over the water. His warmth seeped into my skin and I felt myself breathing easier.

  “I still miss her,” I whispered.

  “I know.” He kissed the top of my head. “I still miss my parents, as well. I don’t think it ever goes away.”

  We sat there for a while not saying anything, just listening to the water flowing by. “Sir, can I ask you something about your parents?”

  “You can ask me anything, Brianna. You know that.”

  I knew that was true, but I was still a little nervous asking, although I had no idea why. “Do you think . . . do you think your parents would have liked me?”

  Stephan opened his mouth, and then shut it again, thinking about his answer. “My mom was a lot like Diane. She would have embraced you and taken you under her wing. She would have loved cooking and baking with you in the kitchen.”

  When he didn’t say anything more, I had to ask. “And your dad?”

  His mouth twisted. I couldn’t tell if he was thinking really hard or he didn’t want to tell me something. “With my dad it’s hard to say. He had a difficult time trusting people sometimes. I have a feeling it would have been an uphill battle, much as it has been with Richard. Although, for different reasons.”

  “I’m glad Richard isn’t mean to you anymore.”

  He tilted my chin so I could look into his eyes. His thumb caressed my jaw before he kissed me.

  It was a slow kiss, long and deep, his tongue taking its time to explore my mouth. My lips tingled and heat spread to every inch of my body. I felt myself getting wet and it had nothing to do with the water below us.

  Stephan hummed as he released me. “I can never get enough of you.”

  “Nor I you, Sir.”

  He smiled, and then started to get up. I followed his lead, moving back on the rock before standing.

  As we neared the edge of the forest that opened to Diane and Richard’s backyard, we could hear water splashing. “It sounds as if Logan and Lily are enjoying the pool.”

  A loud squeal filled the air. It wasn’t one of fear, however, given it was immediately followed by laughter. Lily’s laughter.

  “Want to go for a swim?” Stephan asked as we left the shade of the forest.

  “I don’t have a swimsuit.”

  “I’m sure Diane can find you something to wear.”

  Did I want to go swimming? I looked over to the pool and found Logan and Lily twirling around in each other’s arms, smiling as if they couldn’t be happier.

  I glance up at Stephan. “Will you swim, too?”

  He placed a kiss on my knuckles. “I’m sure Richard has a pair of trunks I can borrow.”


  “Okay.”

  It took Diane all of five minutes to find an old swimsuit for me and a pair of trunks for Stephan. The top of the bathing suit she found me was a little big as her breasts were a bit larger than mine, so she gave me a t-shirt to wear over it. The shirt was so long, it came down past where the bathing suit bottom ended. If one didn’t know any better, it looked like all I had on was the shirt.

  I cautiously walked onto the patio where Stephan was waiting, wearing nothing but a pair of long shorts. He spotted me right away and his gaze roamed over me from top to bottom. It didn’t take long for that flutter in my stomach to start when he looked at me that way.

  Stephan extended his arm, silently asking me to come to him.

  Crossing the distance, I took hold of his hand and stood before him. He gave my shirt another brief look, so I explained. “The top was too big.”

  He released my hand and gripped the hem of the t-shirt with both hands. Before I understood what he was doing, he had the material bunched up and was tying it in a knot at my waist.

  Once that was done, he turned me so I was facing away from him. “Much better.”

  It took me a moment to realize that he was looking at my butt. I felt a blush stain my cheeks.

  His chest vibrated as he turned me around and noticed I was blushing. With a quick kiss, he led me toward the pool.

  I’d gone in Diane and Richard’s pool once last summer. Before that, the last time I’d been swimming was when my mom used to take me to the community pool for lessons. It had taken me a few minutes to get used to being back in the water, but soon everything I’d learned had come back to me.

  The water was warm today as I made my way down the stairs into the pool. It wasn’t as big as the community pool had been, but it was fancier. They even had a hot tub at one end, although I hadn’t been in it yet.

  Stephan dove underwater as soon as his feet hit the bottom. When he came back up, he slicked his hair back out of his eyes. Water beads trickled down his chest and I had the urge to lick them off him.

  He noticed me staring at his chest and got that gleam in his eyes I knew so well. Closing the distance between us, he pulled me into his arms. Immediately, I felt the hard length of him against my belly. I thought maybe he’d tease me and tell me I needed to behave or even comment on how he’d have me take care of him later, but instead he cupped the back of my head and crashed his lips over mine.

  I sucked in a breath at the sudden onslaught as he plunged his tongue into my mouth without warning. The kiss was intense and all I could do was hold on.

  Stephan

  The woman didn’t know what she did to me. One look from her and it sent my body into hyperdrive. I wanted her with every fiber of my being, and it didn’t matter that our friends were nearby or that my aunt and uncle could walk in on us at any given time. Logic and reason didn’t mean much when she looked at me like that.

  And it was even hotter that she had no idea. Even though Brianna was more confident sexually than she used to be, she still didn’t understand the power she held over me. She didn’t realize that I would lay the world at her feet if I could.

  Water splashed on us and I released her. I turned to glare at Logan.

  He laughed. “Cool it, lover boy. I don’t think your aunt and uncle want that kind of a show.”

  My gaze whipped in the direction of the house. Sure enough, Diane and Richard had come back outside. They were deep in conversation and weren’t paying us much attention . . . yet.

  Reluctantly, I released Brianna. “Why don’t you swim a couple of laps.”

  She nodded and headed for the deep end of the pool. As soon as she was away, I lowered myself into the water, submerging my entire body. I needed to cool off.

  By the time Brianna finished two laps, I was feeling more in control of myself. We spent the next hour chatting with Logan and Lily and lounging in the pool.

  Diane had brought towels out for us and laid them on a chair near the entrance to the pool. I threw a towel around my neck, and then picked one up for Brianna and began drying her off as best I could. The t-shirt didn’t help as it held onto more water than a bathing suit would.

  Once we were as dry as we were going to get in our swimming attire, we rejoined Diane and Richard. We still had several hours before evening and no one was in a hurry to leave.

  “It doesn’t get much better than this,” Richard said as he lay back in his lounge chair. Diane, Lily, and Brianna had gone upstairs to wash off and change. They’d been gone for a while, though, which led me to believe they were doing more than just washing and changing. That was good, though. Brianna felt safe with Diane and Lily and she needed to have relationships with other people besides me.

  “I just wish I didn’t have to go back to work tomorrow. I need at least a week of this,” Logan said.

  Richard took a sip of his drink. I think it was whiskey, but I couldn’t be certain. Since I didn’t drink, I didn’t pay all that much attention to types of liquor. “It’s one of the things I’m looking forward to most when I retire. I can sit out here by the pool every night if I want. No paperwork to do. No rushing to the hospital.”

  “We can’t all be like Stephan.” Logan winked at me.

  “It’s nice for a while, but eventually it catches up to you. I can’t imagine what it would be like if not for Brianna.” I looked up at the sky, taking in the changing colors as the sun began to move lower in the sky. “Still, a part of me would like to get back to work. I miss managing big projects.”

  “You could do some traveling,” Richard suggested. “I doubt Brianna has seen much of the world. Neither have you, for that matter.”

  “We drove up to Lake Superior last year and did some exploring. It’s not as if we stay at home all the time.”

  “Maybe it’s time you got over your fear of flying.”

  Logan knew why I didn’t like to fly. I’d been in a plane once since I met Brianna and that was to take her to see her mother’s grave. It wasn’t an experience I wished to repeat anytime soon. “I’ll think about it.”

  Before either could say any more on the subject, I stood. “I’m going to see what’s taking the girls so long.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Logan said. “Lily and I should probably be going soon. We both have to work tomorrow.”

  I didn’t argue when Logan followed me into the house. The downstairs was quiet, which meant they were still upstairs.

  About halfway up the stairs, we heard them giggling. “What about this one?”

  There was a pause, and then more laughter.

  The sight we were met with when we reached my aunt’s bedroom wasn’t what I’d expected. Brianna and Lily were trying on hats. Some I’d seen my aunt wear before and some that looked as if they hadn’t seen the light of day for several decades.

  It took a few minutes for them to notice us in the doorway. My aunt was smiling from ear to ear. “Did you boys want to join us?”

  “Why are you trying on hats?” I asked.

  My aunt waved her hand dismissively as she began gathering the hats and putting them back into the boxes they’d been stored in. “It’s a long story.”

  “I was being nosey.” Lily removed the hat from her head and placed it in a box.

  Diane chuckled. “Okay, not so long a story.”

  “It’s after seven,” Logan said, speaking up for the first time since we’d come upstairs. “We should start heading back to the city.”

  Lily nodded. “Thanks for letting me try on some of your hats. You have a great collection.”

  “Anytime.”

  Goodbyes were exchanged, and I promised to bring Brianna into the city next Friday so she and Lily could go look at dresses. By the time Logan and Lily pulled out of the driveway in their vehicle, I knew Brianna and I should probably be heading home as well.

  “You both could spend the night,” my aunt said as she packed up leftovers for us. “I put clean sheets on your bed a few days ago.”

&
nbsp; “As tempting as that is, I have some things to do in the morning that I need to be home for.” Even though those things weren’t on a hard time schedule, there were several things Brianna and I needed to go over and that would be easier to do at home. As much as I loved my aunt and uncle, they did tend to limit my time alone with Brianna since my aunt always tried to think of ways to include her in whatever she was doing. It was great, but it was contrary to any long, heartfelt discussions.

  Diane made sure she packed enough food for Brianna and me to have lunch tomorrow and handed the bundle over to me. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in for a hug. “Dinner was delicious. Thank you.”

  She held me close and gave me a kiss on my cheek. “You know you and Brianna are welcome anytime. Not just on Sunday’s.”

  “I know. Maybe one of these days you and Richard can come to dinner at our place. You haven’t been there since we moved in.”

  Diane averted her gaze before looking back at me again. “We didn’t want to impose.”

  While things had been good between my uncle and I for the last year, I wondered if maybe Diane was concerned there would be something at our house that could create a rift again. I’m sure that was the case, however, I had no plans to show my uncle our bedroom or my playroom. Those were the only two rooms that contained anything out of the ordinary.

  “It wouldn’t be imposing.” I figured there was no reason not to leap in with both feet. “How about next Wednesday? That’s Richard’s half day, right?”

  She nodded. “All right. We’ll plan on Wednesday. Four o’clock okay?”

  I grinned. “Four o’clock sounds perfect.”

  Brianna returned from the bathroom and came immediately to stand at my side. I rested my hand on her waist. “Diane and Richard are going to come for dinner next Wednesday.”

  Before Brianna could respond, my aunt spoke up. “If that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course,” Brianna said. “Do you like lasagna?”

  “I love lasagna. So does Richard.”

  Brianna smiled.