Dirty Stepbrother

by Alycia Taylor

  “Yeah, I’d be a mess. Although maybe when it happens to you, it’s different. You’ll probably find she cried when nobody was watching or something,” Brady said. He was just about to take a bite of his toast when he suddenly looked up at me in confusion. “Hang on, how do you know all that about Emily? About the photos and the diary?”

  “Oh, I helped her the other morning. She came back the next day to see if she could get anything, and I went to help her. I actually found the diary for her. She’s a nice girl.”

  “Yeah, she seems sweet.”

  “Actually, I’ve asked her out on Saturday.” I tried to downplay it, but I was actually a lot more excited about the date then I cared to admit. I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since I’d asked her. I was surprised that she’d even said yes considering she’d hid behind her car the first day she saw me.

  “What? On a date?”

  I laughed. “I don’t know why that’s such a shock to you. Can’t a guy like me go on a date? You do realize that I’m only twenty-nine years old. You’re twenty-six. We should we going out more. Hard work is good, but it’s also good to get out and meet people.”

  Brady pulled a face. “No, it’s not that. It’s good that you’re going out. But, just be careful with the women from this town.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? I thought everyone in this community was nice and helpful.”

  “They are. But some of the women have a bit of a reputation. That’s all. I think they get bored sometimes because there’s not all that much to do around here. Some of them are involved in some things that they shouldn’t be involved in. And there was some story about two girls running around naked the one time. The descriptions seemed to fit Emily and her friend, Terra. Although I couldn’t be too sure.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the image of Emily running around naked. I was almost sure that it wasn’t her, but even if it was, it was pretty funny.

  “It sounds a bit like small-town gossip if you ask me,” I said.

  He sighed. “Maybe. But you haven’t been around here that long. Trust me; sometimes it’s better not to meddle with some of these people.”

  “Emily seems nice, though,” I said.

  “That’s also true. She’s been nothing but nice to me, and she does seem like one of the more innocent ones around here. Anyway, that’s just me being me. I don’t want to see my brother getting hurt.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. Not much can hurt me.”

  We dropped the subject, finished breakfast and then headed out to work for the day. We had a busy schedule, and at the end of the day we were meeting with the owner for a beer. It would be my first time meeting with him, and I wanted to make sure I was presentable. So after work, I rushed back to Brady’s house to shower and then quickly met back up with him.

  Harold Frank was an old man, with white hair and even whiter teeth. He oozed money despite his relaxed demeanor. He was very friendly, and I took an immediate liking to him.

  “It’s good to have more help at the ranch. I’m too old to help out now, and I’ve been wanting to get someone else in for a long time. But I could never find anyone as good as Brady. I wanted someone that would come in and help him and not hinder him with a million questions on how to do what. When he told me that his own brother wanted to do some work on the ranch, I had to say yes. And from the sounds of it, you’re doing very well there. Seems like you fit right in.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I’m enjoying it. It’s a great place.”

  “Sir? Nonsense, call me Harold. And yes, it is a great place. There’s nothing quite like the cowboy life isn’t there?”

  I wanted to laugh. With his sparkling white teeth and expensive boots, he was the richest-looking cowboy I’d ever seen.

  “My brother here used to be a Navy SEAL. That’s where he gets his work ethic from.”

  I wanted to kick Brady under the table for bringing that up. That was another lifetime ago, and not something I liked to talk about too often. But I couldn’t be angry. Brady had no idea that it was a conversation I didn’t like having. Whenever he’d mentioned it in the past, I’d simply brushed it off or moved the conversation somewhere else. Thankfully, Harold didn’t seem to want to talk about it either. Either that, or he sensed that I was desperate for a change in topic. He simply lifted his hat toward me and thanked me for my service. And after that, he went straight back into talk about the ranch.

  After the beer, I decided to visit the fire station to hang out with the boys for a little while. I didn’t get much of a chance during the day, and after the beer, I wasn’t in the mood to sit around at home with Brady. I enjoyed his company, but I was a bit tired of doing the same thing every night after work.

  The boys seemed happy to see me and invited me to join them for pizza. They’d all ordered takeout, and they had plenty to spare. I called Brady to tell him that I wouldn’t be home for dinner and then sat down to join them.

  “Thanks for all the help the other day, Grant,” they said to me.

  “Thanks for letting me join you. It’s really something being out there.”

  “You’re made for this sort of work. I tell you what, most people think they want to be a fireman, but then they freak out when the time comes to actually go in there and do the job. It’s not easy, and I don’t blame them for freaking out. But I always say that it takes a certain person to do a job like this. And you’ve got what it takes. Come on, when are you going to join us full time?”

  I beamed. “Thanks, man, that’s nice of you to say. I’m not sure. My brother really did me a solid by letting me stay with him. And I know he needs help at the ranch. So I’ll probably stay there for a while longer. Also, I’m really enjoying it. But we’ll see. I enjoyed working with you guys too.”

  “Cool, man, we understand. Come help out as much as possible. The chief told us that the more involved you get, the more likely he is to let you in when you are ready. You can do your training with us.”

  “Oh yeah? He said that?”

  “He did. And trust me, the chief is not an easy man to please.”

  “I’m not, am I?”

  We all looked around and laughed as the chief walked in. He was, in fact, a rather scary-looking man, but the boys all loved him. They were constantly talking bull about one another when it was clear that they all loved each other like a family. The chief hit one of the guys on the head, then grabbed a slice of pizza and joined them at the table.

  “Nice to see you again, Grant,” he said to me. “Thanks for your service the other day. We appreciated both the call and the help. You did very well out there. Far better than most people do their first time out on a call.”

  “It’s no problem. I was glad to help. I think I was just acting on impulse. Get in, and get out. Like I said to the guys, I’m just glad you let me join in.”

  “So, any idea what the story was? Because that didn’t look like a case of a candle left to burn or something. And I’ve met Emily. She’s got her head screwed on straight. I wouldn’t expect her to accidentally leave anything that might cause something like this.”

  “Actually, that’s what I came to tell you boys about,” the chief said, and we all turned to look at him.

  “Oh yeah? Did you find out what happened?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, you won’t believe it. Turns out it was a case of arson.”

  “Arson? Whoa, man! Serious? Someone would actually do that to her? Dude, that’s crazy!” one of the boys said.

  “Do they know who did it?”

  The chief shook his head. “Nah, that’s all the information I got so far.”

  Arson? I wondered if Emily knew. Was someone really trying to hurt her? The men’s voices blurred around me as I thought about my talk with Brady that morning.

  Just be careful with the women from this town.

  Did I have to be careful with Emily? Or was this just a complete coincidence?

  Chapter Ten

  Emily

  I missed my h
ome. I’d been keeping busy for most of the week, but that morning I’d woken up to a note from Terra telling me that she’d gone out early to stop in at her mother’s before going to work.

  I’ll see you at work. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.

  And just like that, the enormity of what had happened hit me. Even though I knew the fire was real, part of me kept thinking that I’d still be going home. That somehow someone would be able to fix what had happened. But that morning, as I looked into a fridge that didn’t belong to me, and ate food that wasn’t mine, and sat in the home of someone else, I felt a heaviness that I’d never felt before. My home was gone. Everything was gone. For a long time, I just sat there crying. I was grateful that Terra wasn’t home to see me, although I knew that if she was, I probably wouldn’t have gotten so emotional. She’d been keeping me busy all week, and now that I couldn’t stop the emotions that were running through my head. It was the first time that I’d really allowed myself to feel sad.

  I cried until I felt like I had no more tears. And, when it was time to go to work, I washed my face about ten times to stop myself from looking like I’d been crying. I’d never been the most elegant of criers, but I was hoping that nobody would notice.

  Of course, Terra was my best friend, so it was the first thing she picked up on when she saw me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My house burned down,” I said. My lips were trembling, and I started crying all over again.

  “Oh no, I shouldn’t have left you. I’m so sorry.”

  “No, don’t be sorry. It’s good to cry. I need to get this part over with. But it’s like I’ve only just realized now that I’ve lost my house. I don’t think it hit home before this. Ha! Hit home! Now that’s funny.” But it wasn’t that funny, and it only made me laugh even more.

  Terra made me a cup of coffee, and the two of us sat in her office to talk.

  “When is your first appointment?” I asked her.

  “Not for another thirty-five minutes. And yours too. I checked your books. So we have time to just sit and relax for a while.”

  I smiled at her through my tears. “I’m such an ugly crier.”

  She chuckled. “No, you’re not. Your nose goes all red, but that just makes you look cuter than you already are. But don’t worry. You won’t look like you’ve been crying when we’re finished talking. You’ll see.”

  “I hope not. I don’t want the kids to see me cry.”

  “Okay, let’s change the subject then. Tell me about this date you have tomorrow night. Where is he taking you? And what does this guy look like now that you finally saw him up close?”

  I chuckled. “I don’t know where he’s taking me. Maybe I should come up with a place. Poor guy doesn’t know the area at all, and I doubt Brady is going to be any help whatsoever. And what does he look like? He’s pretty damn fine. He has short black hair and dark-green eyes. He has a kind face, but he also looks a bit rough around the edges. He looks like someone who thinks a lot but who keeps the thoughts to himself. And he’s crazy muscular. He’s just started at the ranch, so I don’t think it’s from that. Maybe he had an outdoor job before or did a lot of gym. I hugged him, and trust me, he has muscles.”

  “Wait a second . . . you hugged him? Since when?”

  “Remember when I said he came to help me rummage through the house?”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t me about the hug.”

  “He was the one that found my grandmother’s diary. I was so overwhelmed that I hugged him. It wasn’t a very long hug, but I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Emily Wessler, are you blushing?”

  I fanned my face which suddenly felt as hot as the cup of coffee in my hand. “No, I’m not. It’s just this coffee making me hot.”

  “I cannot believe you hugged him. And the way you talked about him. It was very . . . descriptive.”

  “Well, when you ask someone what a person looks like surely you are looking for a descriptive answer,” I said defensively.

  She laughed. “Wow, I cannot believe you are going on a date. And there you were telling me just the other day that new men never come to this town.”

  “That’s true. But it’s not really a date. It’s just dinner.”

  “A dinner date.”

  “Terra, stop it. You’re making me nervous.”

  “This is the first time I’ve known you to go out on a date with someone that’s not from around here. A big city boy.”

  “Terra, you’re making me more and more nervous.”

  She chuckled. “Oh, I’m just kidding. You deserve to go out and have a good time. And look, your face has cleared up. You’re still blushing a little, but at least you don’t look like you’ve been crying anymore.”

  I took a look in the mirror and smiled. She was right. The blotchiness around my eyes had almost disappeared. “You’re a miracle worker,” I said.

  “Yes, yes I am,” she said and chuckled.

  “And just for that, I’m going to treat you to some mac and cheese tonight.”

  “You are?”

  “I am!”

  “Ah, I like having you as my roomie.”

  The day went by quickly, with Wendy as my final child for the day. This time it wasn’t her father who dropped her off, but some woman that I’d never seen. Wendy said it was her nanny who helped out when her father was too busy with work. I’d breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to deal with Brett that day.

  But, I was wrong. Because just as I was finished with Wendy and waiting for the nanny to return, Brett showed up. He looked a little bit different today, but I couldn’t figure out why. He had on his usual jeans and shirt combo.

  “Hi, Emily, it’s good to see you again. You look beautiful today.”

  “Oh, uh. Thank you.”

  “I hope you enjoyed the chocolates last week. They’re my personal favorite.”

  I smiled weakly at him. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk to him but he was a paying customer, and I had to be polite. Also, his little girl was standing nearby, and I was sure she was listening in.

  “I did. They were delicious. Thank you so much again. Wendy is doing so well. I think we’re only going to need a few more lessons at this rate. She’s advancing quicker than I thought she would. Smart girl you have,” I said and smiled at Wendy instead of at her father. She beamed back at me. As usual, I tried to deflect the conversation of him and me toward his daughter.

  “She is doing so well. I keep telling her to slow down, but it’s good that she’s done so well. That’s good to hear. Although, I’ll keep her here for a bit longer. She really enjoys these lessons.”

  I heard a sound coming from Terra’s room, and I knew she was listening in. I took a step closer so that she could hear the conversation and come in to save me if Brett took it too far.

  “Look, Emily,” he said and moved in closer too. “I heard about your house. I’m so sorry. That is just awful.”

  “You did? Wow, news travels fast in this town.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m fine. It was quite a shock, but I’m doing okay. I’ve had a great deal of support through it all. It’s one of those crazy things that you just never think is going to happen to you.”

  “I’m sure. It couldn’t have been easy for you. Are you sure you’re coping?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for asking. At least I wasn’t in the house, you know. I have to concentrate on the positive.”

  “That’s good of you. Would you like a place to stay? I have a spare room, and you are more than welcome to take it. It wouldn’t be a hassle at all. And we’d love to have you.”

  I gulped. In a way, it was like he was asking me on a date for the fourth time. I shook my head and forced myself to smile.

  “Thank you so much for the offer. That’s so nice of you. But it’s okay. I’m actually staying with a friend.”

  “Are you sure? I have the space. That way you won’t have to put your
friend out.”

  “Oh goodness, no, it’s fine. In a way, it’s nice for the two of us to catch up again. She has the space, so I’m all sorted. Thanks, Brett. Well, I better get going. I’m making her dinner tonight, and I still need to go out and buy the ingredients.”

  The moment he was gone, Terra came rushing out.

  “Can that man get any creepier?”

  “Remember when we thought he was nice? You even said he was cute. I actually thought so too. But now I just look at him and all I can see is some weirdo who won’t stop asking me out. Does he really think I’d go and stay with him?”

  “I don’t like this guy, Em. Are you sure you don’t want to tell the boss about him? I’m not sure I want him coming here. And you heard him; he doesn’t want Wendy to stop having her lessons. That’s because he needs an excuse to come and see you. If Wendy doesn’t come here, then what is he going to do? And why does he want Wendy’s progress to slow down? No, that guy is just too strange. Why didn’t we pick up on it before?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t do that to Wendy. And anyway, I think I need to be smarter about this whole thing. I don’t want to piss him off either, and I don’t want a target on my back.. I’m going to propose three more lessons with Wendy. That’s it. After that, I’m going to tell him that there is no point as she has learned all that she can with me and that I need the space for other kids. I’ll be nice, but I’ll also be firm about it.”

  “Three more lessons. Okay, that’s a good idea. That way he won’t think you’re trying to get rid of him.”

  “Yeah, if I told him to go now, then he’d know I was trying to avoid him. Three lessons and that’s it.”

  “Okay, but do you promise to tell the boss if he continues to harass you after this? Or if he doesn’t anything weird again? I know you don’t want to hurt Wendy, but you also have to think of your own safety. There is just something off about that guy.”

  “I promise.”

  “Good, because if you don’t, then I will.”