He had chuckled, but was once again assailed with longing as he envisioned Susan pregnant with his child. She had told him that she wanted to have lots of children and he was certainly willing to get started on that as soon as she gave him the go-ahead. The ranch would once again be filled with laughter and running feet.
Once he’d finished talking with his parents and disconnected the call with the promise that he would see them soon, Sebastian had gone into the living room, ready to pick up Susan and carry her off to bed. He was forestalled by the front door opening and a whistling Marcus returning home from his date. Sebastian went into the hall to greet him. He put a finger to his mouth for quiet before gesturing to Susan, still asleep. Marcus grinned and motioned for Sebastian to follow him into the kitchen.
Marcus went straight to the refrigerator as he resumed his whistling and pulled out the carton of orange juice before retrieving a glass from the cupboard. Sebastian took a seat at the island across from him. “You look like a man who had a good time tonight.” He said with a smile.
Marcus’s face positively glowed with happiness. He let out a sigh. “I haven’t felt like this in years, Sebastian. That woman…” He trailed off and grinned again before shaking his head. “She makes me feel about twenty years younger.”
“I’m happy for you, sir.” Sebastian said sincerely.
Marcus looked at him for a moment. “I bet Susan makes you feel like that. Well, maybe not the younger part, but the happiness inside.”
Sebastian thought of Susan and smiled softly. “I love her, sir. I plan to ask her to be my wife.”
Marcus nodded and took a drink of his juice before he smiled. “I approve, my boy, wholeheartedly.”
Sebastian was quiet for a moment before he said, “It occurs to me, sir, that when this war started you could have sent Susan anywhere, Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, wherever. But you sent her to me. Why is that?”
Marcus eyed him carefully. “How much has Susan told you about how she felt when you left, Sebastian? I don’t want to say anything that’s going to have her snapping my head off.” He shuddered. “Never piss off a female bear.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I’m pretty sure she’s told me everything. She told me how she felt about me, and how she was the one who sent the pictures.”
Marcus nodded again. “She was heartbroken when you left. Oh, at first I figured she would get over it; teenage infatuation tends to fade after all once you find someone else. The problem was Susan never found anyone else.” He waved his hand in the direction of the living room where Susan slept on. “As the years went by I introduced her to countless young men but I could see it in her eyes; none of them compared to you. Oh, she’d go out to dinner with them, give them a chance to make an impression, but I think she was just humoring me.” He sighed, “So when the war started and I made the decision to send Susan away, I admit I took advantage of the situation. I figured there would be one of two outcomes: she’d see you and you’d fall in love and she’d finally be happy, or she’d see you and finally get the closure she needed to move on with her life.” Marcus took another drink of his juice and then smiled at Sebastian. “I must say that things turned out better than I hoped.”
Sebastian stood and reached out his hand to the older man to shake. “I thank you, sir. I absolutely believe that your daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me. If you hadn’t sent her…” He trailed off, the thought of his previous existence too depressing. He shook it off and smiled. “I won’t let either of you down.”
After that he’d left Marcus in the kitchen and carried Susan upstairs to her room before he curled up next to her and pulled her tight into his body. She sighed and snuggled closer and he imagined doing exactly this every night. Warmth and contentment filled him at the thought. He fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning after breakfast Sebastian and Susan were driving out to the ranch which was actually a misnomer since the property as far as Sebastian knew had never been a ranch in either purpose or design. Calling it the ranch had started as a joke long before he was born or so Sebastian had been told. The house, which could only be called a mansion, had been built during the gold rush in the nineteenth century when the town was still Agua Fria and a large deposit of gold had been discovered. A fire had destroyed the town and it had been rebuilt elsewhere, but this house had survived the blaze, out of the way as it was. Sitting on over a hundred acres of land, it was one of the oldest and wealthiest places in the area.
They pulled up to the wrought iron gate that depicted a sitting bear with butterflies hovering above its head in the center. Susan sighed as she looked through the windshield. “I’ve always liked that design.” She said with a smile.
Sebastian was feeling rather nostalgic. How many times had he climbed that gate as a child? Racing with Christian to see who could make it over faster. His mind was already flooding with memories and he wasn’t even inside yet. He took a deep breath and got out of the car to unlock the gate.
As they continued up the drive toward the house he noticed the grounds had been well maintained as expected. Marcus had assured him that his parents had hired a service to see to the landscaping and any maintenance on the house as well as a caretaker.
Once he’d gotten out of the car and unlocked the front door Sebastian almost dropped to his knees in the foyer; he was hit first with the familiar smell and then with the sight. How he had missed this place. He had been so happy, they had been so happy; such a tightknit family. Sebastian felt the familiar surge of anger against Christian and Mary Beth, but he quickly banished it. Things with Christian were improving and they would be close again one day. As for Mary Beth, he could only hope that she found someone who would take her to the other side of the country and he’d never have to see her again. He grunted and then turned to look at Susan who was smiling questioningly up at him. Well, Mary Beth was Susan’s sister, so for her he would tolerate the woman, but that was about it.
He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. “Have I told you yet today how much I love you?” He asked.
Susan blushed and smiled happily. “You woke me up showing me how much you love me.” She said, “If you told me as well, I’m afraid I may have been too distracted so feel free to repeat it.”
Sebastian growled low, picked her up and kissed her. When they both came up for air several minutes later he waggled his eyebrows. “Want to go see my old bedroom?”
A little over an hour later, Susan was curled into Sebastian’s side and drawing random shapes and swirls with her fingertips on his chest. He couldn’t believe how content he felt. Everything was exactly right. He had just finished the thought when the doorbell rang followed by the sound of the door opening. Susan stiffened next to him and he inhaled. His senses flooded with the familiar and unwelcome scent of lavender and vanilla. The perfume that had always given him a bit of a headache it was so strong but he hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings. Of course she would break into his contentment and ruin this moment. She was the thorn in his paw and he had jinxed himself the moment he thought everything was perfect. He sighed and looked at Susan, “Your sister’s here.”
He rolled off the bed and pulled his clothes on. This confrontation was long overdue. Susan was pulling on her clothes as well and she was biting her lip. Was she nervous? Of course if she’d seen Christian’s scars on his belly he supposed she may well be a bit concerned. Obviously Mary Beth could be vicious. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. He was about to reassure with words when he was interrupted with the shrill sound of Mary Beth’s voice. “Susan, I know you’re here, I saw your car. There’s no use in hiding from me so get your fat ass down here.”
Sebastian growled and palmed one of Susan’s ass cheeks. “Your ass is not fat. It’s a perfect ass. I love this ass, and later I’m probably going to kiss this ass.”
Susan chuckled and leaned her forehead against his chest. She took a deep breath. “I better go down and talk with her.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t need to talk to her if you don’t want to, I’ll go down and kick her right the hell off my property.”
Susan grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his. “How about we go down there and face the dragon lady together?” She asked with a smile.
He pulled their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed her knuckle before he nodded. “As a team we march into battle.”
She laughed and tugged him forward. “Come on before she decides to come up here looking for me.”
Mary Beth was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking like she had every intention of mounting them to find her sister on her own. In Sebastian’s opinion, the years had not been kind to her. Female wolf shifters tended to be lean and well-muscled while feline females tended toward sleek, smooth lines and graceful. Bears on the other hand were soft and rounded just where a man wanted to touch most – exactly like his Susan. Mary Beth however, looked like she had been severely starved. The bones were prominent in her face, the hollows under her cheeks sunken, while the bones in her shoulders, arms, and wrists were displayed in stark relief under the gauzy fabric of her top. Sebastian could only assume that her ribs and hipbones would be fully visible underneath her clothes. She looked older than she actually was as well, harder, and if it wasn’t for the fine fabrics and jewels currently adorning her emaciated frame, Sebastian would think she was a homeless, starving waif.
She looked up at Sebastian with clear surprise and her hand went up to her neck before she dropped it and wrapped both arms around her waist. A calculated gleam entered her eyes that any idiot could recognize and she licked her lips. “I had heard you were back but I hadn’t believed it.”
Sebastian snorted. “Then why are you here, Mary Beth?”
She sent him a provocative smile and flipped her dark hair back over her shoulder. If she had even noticed her sister standing beside him, she didn’t show it. “I was driving by and I saw the gate open. Of course I had to come up here to make sure everything was all right.”
Sebastian let out a little huff of a laugh and shook his head at how transparent she was. “Driving to where? There’s nothing around except the ranch.”
She stiffened at the derision in his voice. “Well, this is my husband’s property. Of course I keep an eye on it.”
Susan spoke up, her voice calm. “You know better than that, Mary Beth. The house is Sebastian’s now per his parents’ wishes – and aren’t you getting a divorce?”
Mary Beth pulled her attention away from Sebastian and finally looked at her sister and then down at their laced fingers. Her mask fell away as she snarled at Susan; any semblance of civility leaving her face. “This doesn’t concern you. You’ve done your little job and chauffeured him here. You can leave now.” She spat out. Her anger was evident in the tight fists that were curled white-knuckled against her bony hips and her aggressive posture. Sebastian knew that if he and Susan hadn’t had the high-ground, Mary Beth probably would have attacked.
Sebastian tightened his grip slightly on Susan’s hand, his temper rising. “Don’t ever talk to her that way again. This is her house now as much as it is mine. She’s going to be my wife.”
He saw the look of shock that crossed Mary Beth’s features before he closed his eyes in self-disgust. Damn his temper. He hadn’t meant to announce it like that. He had meant to do this proposal thing right, with romance and an engagement ring. He had wanted to give Susan something memorable and instead he had shouted it at her sister.
His eyes snapped open as Mary Beth snarled. “You bitch!” She launched herself forward despite the stairs and Susan let go of his hand to take a defensive stance against her sister’s imminent attack.
Mary Beth went into partial shift; the long claws extending from the tips of her fingers, her intent clear. Sebastian easily caught her, but grunted as those lethal claws dug into his new sweatshirt as well as his bicep. Mary Beth didn’t even seem to notice as she continued to scream at her sister. “He was mine! You stole him! How dare you steal him from me you worthless little bitch?!”
Sebastian’s temper had hit its limit and he let out a loud bellow. “Enough!” With Mary Beth still held secure he extricated the claws from his arm and marched her back down the stairs; oblivious to the pain. Still holding her upper arms he snarled, “She has stolen nothing from you, Mary Beth. You didn’t want me and thank God for that.” Mary Beth stiffened but he continued. “You said you wanted my brother and you got him. What you did with him after the fact is between you and him. I love your sister and your sister loves me, if she does me the honor of becoming my wife than I will be your brother-in-law. Our children, should we be so blessed, will be your nieces and nephews. I will not deny you access to them should Susan wish it but that’s the end of it. I will never be yours and this house will never be yours.”
Mary Beth dropped her head and let out a sob. She seemed to wither and shrink right before his eyes and he led her to a bench near the door and gently pushed her down into it. He felt Susan’s hand on his back and one on his injured arm. He looked down to see she was holding a towel to the wound. He would need to clean it, but it only stung slightly so he knew it wasn’t overly deep.
“I’ve dreamed of being the mistress of this house since I was a child.” Mary Beth said in a small voice and Sebastian and Susan could only stare as she continued. “I would have grand entertainments and everyone would envy me.” There was a wistful note to her voice and she had a small smile on her face despite the tears as she lost herself in her thoughts. “There’d be tea on the veranda every Tuesday with my circle of fine ladies while we discussed our charity events. Dinners for important clients, parties every weekend and of course during the holidays everyone would be clamoring for an invitation to one of my gatherings.” Her eyes cleared as she came back to the present. She looked up at Sebastian her face showing her loathing. “But then your brother had to get a guilty conscience and ruin everything! He ruined my life!”
With as much dignity as she could scrape together Mary Beth stood and smoothed her hands over her hair and then adjusted her clothing. She took a deep breath and pasted a brittle smile on her face. “Felicitations on your engagement.” she said calmly before walking out the door and then ruined the effect by slamming the door so hard behind her that the windows rattled.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Susan took a deep breath and let it out on a shuddery sigh before she pasted a smile on her face. “Well that went better than I expected,” she looked at the four small circles of blood marring Sebastian’s new sweatshirt. “Much less bloodshed than I had imagined.”
Sebastian chuckled at her sarcasm and she was relieved. Her hands were shaking a bit and she attempted to screw up her courage. She cleared her throat and licked her lips. It seemed way too dry in here all of a sudden. She was such a coward but she needed to ask. Whatever his answer may be, she needed to hear it and accept it. She cleared her throat again. “I’m going to be your wife?” She wanted to close her eyes and hold her breath, but she held steady.
Sebastian frowned and Susan’s heart kicked painfully against her ribs waiting for him to speak. “I’m so sorry about that, Susan. I didn’t mean to do that but she made me angry.”
Oh, God, the pain was excruciating. She had felt such all-consuming joy when he had told Mary Beth that she was going to be his wife and now to hear he hadn’t meant it. This had to be what hell was – hope built and then dashed cruelly.
She was about to nod her understanding, put on a brave face but he continued. “I planned on having a ring first and doing it right. I even had your dad’s approval. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do, but I wanted it to be special for you. I wanted it to be a romantic night that you’d look back on with happiness. Something you’d tell our children and our grandchildren about someday. I’m so sorry I ruined that for us.”
He pulled her tightly into his arms and she was grateful for the support before she collapsed on the floor. We
re women supposed to stay calm and collected when they heard things like that? She had loved him for so long, had dreamed about this moment, but never had she imagined herself reacting this way. Was she supposed to just nod and smile? She’d always pictured herself happy, yet calm, serene even, but she felt like she was having a heart attack the organ was pounding so hard. She was also pretty sure she was turning purple. That couldn’t be attractive. She sucked in a lungful of air and the words rushed out of her. “I don’t need romantic; ask me.”
Sebastian cupped her cheeks to tip her head back and then leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, Susan. Will you allow me to be your husband?”
“Oh, thank you, God, YES!” She hadn’t meant to yell it out like that, but it was out there. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, her feet leaving the floor as he lifted her close and she laughed. Finally, all her dreams were coming true; perhaps not as she had imagined, but true nonetheless.
They had cleaned Sebastian’s arm and she had been relieved that the gouges weren’t deep; they had even stopped bleeding so he hadn’t needed more than a few Band-Aids. He was currently locking up the house in preparation for them to leave.
Susan was dreamily imagining her wedding and how soon she could get it all accomplished. According to Sebastian, his parents were coming home and planned to stay through Christmas. A Christmas wedding with all of the Black’s in attendance would be perfect. She imagined a white velvet dress and red poinsettias, evergreen garlands, kissing balls, white lights, and mistletoe. It would be lovely but could she pull it off in such a short time?
Until You: A Malsum Pass Novel Page 18