by Parker, Ali
“Hey, what the fuck does that mean?”
“You are perfect in every way,” I teased.
“I am pretty damn perfect.”
“It wasn’t always bad,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. All in all, I think we had a pretty good childhood. We weren’t poor. Our mom was awesome. Our dad was strict, but it did keep us in line for the most part.”
The most part was me. “I suppose.”
“How come you aren’t married yet?” he asked.
“Way to switch subjects.”
“I don’t have a lot of time. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
He was right. Growing up, we had been pretty close. Over the years, we had drifted apart with him always gone and me working my ass off to make some money. “I haven’t found the right woman to marry.”
“Have you even looked?”
“It’s not that easy,” I told him. “I have found some women like me for one reason only.”
He groaned. “Aren’t we passed the days of comparing our sex skills?”
“Not that, asshole. I’m talking about money. Now that I have it, that seems to be the motivating factor. I don’t think most of them even like me.”
“You are hard to like.”
“I suppose I am,” I admitted. “There is one woman that likes me for me.”
“Oh?” he asked, immediately intrigued.
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to say. Then I remembered he would be leaving soon and would have no one to tell anyway. “Evie. We met at a party. She’s a party planner.”
“Wow. This is a new development.”
“It’s nothing serious,” I assured him. “We haven’t even officially gone out. It’s a very casual thing.”
“It doesn’t sound casual.”
I smirked. “It might be on the way to a step above casual.”
He laughed. “You’re a pretty shitty liar. I want to meet her. Invite her over to your house or maybe we can go out to a club or something.”
“She’s working tonight.”
“Damn. What about tomorrow?”
“No.”
“What’s the matter, big brother? Are you afraid I’m going to steal your girl?”
“Like you could,” I shot back.
“There was that chick in high school. What was her name? Ashley? Amber?”
I scowled. “April. The cheerleader.”
“She saw the better man and couldn’t resist,” he teased.
“Whatever. April wasn’t exactly choosy.”
“You’re just jealous.” He laughed.
We spent a couple hours out on the boat, reminiscing and catching up on the last year since we had seen each other. I drove us back to my house and showed Kade to the room he would be staying in for his visit. I had insisted on him staying with me instead of a hotel.
“This is seriously really nice,” he said after we had gone for a swim in my pool and were now lounging on the patio with cold beers in our hands.
“It’s my oasis. I don’t go out much. I don’t really see the need in going out. I like my house. I like being alone. I like the quiet.”
“Your house is basically a five-star hotel. Speaking of, I’m hungry. This place have room service?”
“Do you want pizza? Chinese? Name it and I will have it here within the hour.”
He sighed, settling in on the chair. “I have to say, that is one thing I miss most when I’m over there. Takeout. I miss being able to eat whatever I’m craving.”
I imagined it would be a tough life. “I’ll order a little of everything.”
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” he asked.
“Anything you want to do, I’m open.”
“I might just lounge poolside all day.”
“We could go down to the beach,” I offered.
“I’d like that.”
“Sit tight,” I said and headed inside.
I felt the urge to take care of him. When we had been really young, I always looked out for him. When he turned twelve or thirteen, he had kind of turned into this full-grown man that didn’t need me taking care of him anymore.
He would always be my little brother and I sensed he was tired. Not tired like he needed some sleep, but tired as in life was wearing him down.
I had two days to spoil him and that was what I was going to do.
Chapter 32
Evie
I finished pulling my hair up into a messy bun that would keep the heavy strands off my neck. It was going to be a warm one.
I sat down on the foot of my bed and put on my tennis shoes before standing up and checking my reflection in the mirror. I wasn’t really all that concerned with my appearance. I was going for an extra-long walk today. I needed to walk off the frustration of the week.
I headed for the kitchen and filled my water bottle that I carried when I knew I was going to go farther than my usual spot in the park. Despite my declaration I wasn’t going to work today, I needed to check my email. One peek.
When my phone started ringing, I slowly shook my head. “No. No way. I’m off.”
I glanced over at the screen, unable to keep my curiosity from checking to see who it was. I smiled and grabbed the phone. “Hey there!” I answered.
“Hi,” Xander’s rich baritone came through. “What are you doing?”
“Uh, getting ready to go for a hike. What are you doing? Are you with your brother?”
“I am with my brother and I was wondering if maybe we could tag along, if you don’t mind?”
“Really?” I asked with surprise and a bit of excitement.
“Yes, really. Kade needs to stay in shape.” I heard laughing and assumed it was his brother in the background. “And he would like to meet you.”
He’d told his brother about me. I wasn’t going to get too excited about what that meant, but it was pretty damn cool. “Are you guys up for a hike?”
“To your usual place?”
“I was going to go a little farther.”
I waited while he talked to his brother. “Yep. We’re up for it.”
“Do you want to meet in say thirty minutes? Is that enough time for you to get there?”
“Absolutely. We’ll be there.”
I ended the call, unable to stop smiling. He had called me. He wanted to see me. He wanted me to meet his brother. It was a lot and it was awesome.
All week, I had been worried my father had scared him off. I kept thinking I was going to miss the chance to be with someone awesome because my dad couldn’t see past his own prejudices.
I went back into my bedroom and gave myself another onceover. This time, I added just a hint of eye makeup and slathered lotion on my arms.
I was wearing my running pants and a long tank that hung just below my ass. Technically, the outfit was made for running or maybe yoga, but I liked to wear it when I went hiking. The fabric protected my legs from scrapes from branches and the little bugs that loved to cling to sweaty skin.
I didn’t want to be late, so I headed for the park. I parked in the same area I did the first time I met Xander. I got out of the car to stretch and text to see where they were. I heard my name.
I spun around to find Xander and a smaller version of him walking toward me. It had to be his brother. I waved and watched as they made their way toward me.
They were a couple of very handsome men. Both were wearing similar khaki cargo shorts and T-shirts. Xander’s was a little tight in the chest area, while his little brother’s was tight around his biceps. They were both built like gods.
“You showed up,” I teased. “I wasn’t sure you were up for this.”
Xander put his hands on my hips and gave me a quick kiss before stepping away. It was so sweet and natural and had me feeling all warm and gooey.
“Evie, this is Kade,” he said and stepped out of the way to introduce his brother.
I stepped forwa
rd, extending my hand, which Kade used to jerk me against him. “I’m a hugger,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Evie.”
I heard what sounded like a growl and stepped back. Xander was staring at his brother like he wanted to eat him. “Kade,” Xander said the name in a warning tone.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said. “Are you guys ready?”
“Let’s do this,” Xander said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. We walked toward the trailhead.
I was not going to be able to walk the entire four miles with his arm banded around me.
“How long are you in town for?” I asked Kade, although trying to see him over Xander’s arm was a little difficult.
Kade grinned and I had a feeling he was purposely teasing his big brother. “Just for today. I head back tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” I said.
“Why?” Xander snapped. “Why is it too bad?”
I patted his broad chest. “Because you won’t get to spend much time with your brother.”
“Oh,” he said, relaxing a little.
I could sense the rivalry between them. Rivalry and maybe a little jealousy. “I bet you two were quite the handful when you were younger.”
Kade was the first to laugh. “I wasn’t. Xander was.”
“Not true,” Xander protested. “You did just as much shit, but you got away with it.”
“Because you were too big and obvious about it,” his brother shot back.
I managed to extract myself from Xander’s grip as the trail began to narrow. I began to fall in line behind him with Kade behind me. Xander grabbed me and practically lifted me, plopping me in front of him with Kade bringing up the rear.
“Did you guys get into a lot of trouble?” I asked.
“Xander did,” Kade quickly answered.
“Will you shut up?” Xander snapped.
“He was always in trouble. Not when we were young, but when he turned about fourteen, he kind of took the rebellious thing to a new level. He was always doing shit to piss off our dad.”
I turned to look over my shoulder at Xander.
He shrugged. “I never did anything that bad.”
“One time, he purposely broke the lawnmower. My dad was gone, and my mom had no idea how to fix it.”
“You guys lived on base?” I asked.
“Yep, and if the lawn isn’t cut, you get in trouble. Our dad was pissed when he got in trouble for it.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Xander argued.
“Yes, it was, and you know it,” Kade retorted.
“You could have mowed the fucking lawn,” he shot back.
Kade chuckled. “But that was your job.”
The two bantered back and forth. Kade revealed more about Xander than I had ever known before. Their relationship made me a little sad. I never had a sister or a brother to have that fun banter with. I didn’t have a person in this world that knew me like that. There was no one who had shared my childhood.
We made it to the lookout, each of us a little out of breath.
“I need to take a leak,” Xander said, looking around.
I laughed. “There are no bathrooms up here.”
Kade nudged me with his shoulder. “Sweetie, he isn’t looking for a bathroom.”
Xander walked off, disappearing into the trees.
I was a little shocked. “Oh. Okay. Wow.”
“He likes you,” he said.
“What?”
“My brother likes you. I’ve never seen him like that.”
“Like what?” I pressed. I didn’t want to interrogate him, but I was going to pump him for as much information as possible.
“He’s possessive of you.”
“That’s just how he is,” I replied.
“No, he isn’t. I’ve stolen a couple of his girls before. He didn’t care. He pretended he did. I think if I touched you, he would remove my arms.”
I had to laugh. “Xander and I are just friends.”
“He has never had a girlfriend to introduce me to, at least not in the last five or six years. I was beginning to wonder if he was headed over to the other side and didn’t want to tell me.”
My eyes widened and I laughed. “He’s definitely not switching teams!”
He grinned. “I didn’t think so. The fact he wanted to hang out with you and spend time with you in general says a lot.”
“No girlfriends?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
He shook his head. “None that he has ever mentioned and certainly never introduced me too. He’s a private guy but I would have known if he had a girlfriend.”
“He’s a good guy. I have a feeling he’s misunderstood.”
Kade nodded slowly. “Absolutely. I’m glad he has you. I hate the thought of him being all alone.”
“Aren’t you alone?”
“I’ve got my brothers. And I hate to admit it, but my dad stays in touch with me. Him and Xander don’t talk.”
“What are you telling her now?” Xander asked, coming back into the small clearing.
“I was telling her you were the victim of a small penis,” he said totally deadpan.
I almost choked. My cheeks flamed red. Xander looked at me with that sultry smile. “Yep,” was his response.
He didn’t argue or deny it. The three of us knew it was bullshit. I was certainly not going to jump to his defense and praise the size of his penis in front of his brother.
Kade was laughing, clearly enjoying himself. “My turn,” he said and started to walk into the trees where Xander had just been. “Do you want to come with me, Evie?”
“Fuck you,” Xander growled.
“I’m good,” I told him.
“I don’t even want to know what he told you,” Xander said once Kade was out of the way.
“Nothing bad,” I assured him. “I like him. I’m glad you have a brother. Trust me, you are lucky.”
He rolled his eyes. “You didn’t have to live with him.”
I could tell he was joking. It was pretty clear there was a close bond between them. They loved each other. It was evident in the way they teased one another and, whether they realized they were doing it or not, the way they spoke about one another with a sense of pride.
Kade came back a minute later. “Are we going to keep going or you too weak?”
I rolled my eyes as they started to compare stamina and then size and everything else two brothers could argue about. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Xander relaxed and having fun. By the time we made it back to our cars, I was sure they had covered every topic they could argue about.
“It was nice to meet you, Evie,” Kade said, giving me another hug.
I smiled and hugged him back. “It was nice to meet you. When do you think you’ll be coming back for a visit?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure. These things can be hard to predict but I will most definitely be back.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I told him.
“I’ll give you two a minute,” Kade said before getting into Xander’s car.
“Thanks for being cool with him,” Xander said. “I know he can be a little obnoxious. It’s how he blows off steam.”
“He wasn’t obnoxious at all. I like him. I’m bummed we couldn’t hang out more.”
He stepped close to me, heat from his body emanating against me. “Don’t be too bummed. I don’t consider myself a jealous man, but I will kick his ass.”
“I am not interested in him like that,” I told him, leaning forward and brushing my lips over his. “I only want what you have, no matter how small it is.” I jumped away before he could grab me.
“Small, my ass. You can barely take me inside you.” His husky voice dripped sex.
Just like that, I was wet. “I should go. Your brother is waiting.”
He slowly nodded. “He is, but I bet he’d wait ten minutes while we climbed into the backseat of your car and I gave you that orgasm I can see building inside you.”
>
I felt flushed. “Stop!”
He winked. “I’ll call you tomorrow. I don’t care what we have to do, but we need to see each other this week.”
I nodded, gulping down the desire. “Yes. Definitely. Call me.”
I got into my car and blasted the AC. He always left me feeling hot and achy.
Chapter 33
Xander
I jogged downstairs. I had canceled my meetings for the day and was going to hang out with him until it was time for him to catch his flight back to Oregon.
I was going to make him breakfast. Something nice and greasy and completely unhealthy. I spoke to Alexa and asked her to turn on the morning news station.
While I was apprised of the events happening in the country and the city, I fried bacon and cooked hash browns. I cheated a bit and opened a jar of gravy and popped open a can of biscuits. The final touch was the scrambled eggs, a little on the wet side, just like Kade liked them.
I had thought he would be down by now. Neither of us was prone to sleeping in. Years of living on a military base and living with a military man stole away the whole sleeping in thing.
I went upstairs and knocked on the door to the room he was sleeping in. “Kade! Wakey, wakey, little brother.”
There was no answer. I opened the door and immediately noticed the bed was neatly made. I didn’t have to look around. I knew. He was gone. I walked into the empty room anyway and found a note sitting on the dresser. There was an old four-by-six picture resting on the dresser next to the note.
I picked up the picture first and was transported back to one of the few happy memories I had. I was probably ten or eleven in the picture. Kade would have been nine. My dad had his usual high and tight cut. I was holding up a large fish and grinning like I had won the lottery. Kade had his own fish as well. My dad looked so proud. I knew my mom was the one behind the camera.
I closed my eyes and let myself drift back to that day. My dad had just come back from a deployment. We went fishing and had a picnic. I could practically feel the cool breeze coming off the lake. I remembered the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my mother had made and the chocolate chip cookies.
I remembered my father’s laugh. He never laughed, but that day, he had laughed a lot. My mom had laughed a lot as well. It was strange that I had not remembered that day until just now. Just thinking about it made me feel very nostalgic and very lonely. I missed that life and those days. Growing up sucked. Hormones and being stubborn sucked.