by Alex Grayson
“Your dad sounds like an amazing man,” I tell him, enjoying the small smile on his face as he talks about him. He looks at me and his smile grows bigger.
“He is. He’s the best man I know.” He lifts my hand and kisses the back of it, sending butterflies to my belly.
“At the same game he surprised me with, one of the players hit a foul. It came our way, and I had my glove ready, but the asshole beside me snatched it right out in front of me. He literally leaned in front of me to catch it. My dad was pissed and ended up punching the guy, then made him apologize to me and give me the ball. The guy ended up leaving early because the crowd kept booing him. I don’t know how he did it, but after the game, my dad somehow got my favorite player, Chipper Jones, to meet us down at the field. He signed my ball, and I got a picture with him. It was one of the best days of my life.”
I squeeze his hand, glad he has good memories of his childhood. After what his mom forced him to do, I’m surprised he’s not more affected by it. Those are life-altering, emotionally scarring incidents. Tegan is strong and tough, and I admire him so much.
“Have you told him about me?” I ask anxiously, hoping like hell he’s not bringing me home to meet his dad for a surprise.
“I have. Shocked the shit out of him. I’ve never brought a girl home before. I thought his jaw was going to hit the floor.”
I grin. “That’s gotta mean I’m special, since I’m the only girl you’ve brought home, right?”
I say the words jokingly, but the look Tegan gives me says it’s anything but funny. The intense look in his eyes sends shivers down my back and straight between my legs.
“You are very special, Willow,” he says quietly, his voice deep with emotion. “More special than you can ever imagine.”
I swallow, all of a sudden nervous, but also extremely excited and happy. He says I’m special, but I think he’s the special one. I also think that I’m falling in love with him, and I hope his words imply that he might be too. Actually, I don’t think I’m falling in love, I know I am.
The realization of that sends a giddy feeling through me. It’s also ramps up my nerves a hundredfold. Before I was just meeting my lover’s father, now I’m meeting the father of the man I’m falling in love with. There’s a big difference there. The need to impress and the worry that his father may not like me jumps up ten rungs.
Oh, God, I’m going to be sick.
I pull in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Tegan must sense my anxiety, because he looks over at me.
“We’re here.”
My hand in his jerks, and I look out the window. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts of what Tegan said and my worry about impressing his dad that I didn’t realize we had pulled up to a house.
My wide eyes fly back to him, and he laughs. The asshole actually laughs. I try to yank my hand away, but he doesn’t let me.
“This isn’t funny, Tegan,” I tell him with a glare.
He stops laughing, but a smile still lingers. “You’re right. It’s not funny.” He contradicts his words by letting a short chuckle slip free. “Actually, it is kinda funny.” At my growl, his face sobers again. “Come on, Willow. I’m telling you, it’s going to be fine. Just wait until you meet him. You’ll see.”
He leans over the console and lays a soft kiss against my lips. His intoxicating male scent surrounds me, and I want nothing more than to leave here and go back to his place, where we can devour each other until neither of us can think straight. Unfortunately, I know that’s not possible. His dad would really hate me if we left without going inside.
Tegan climbs from the truck and pulls my door open, grabs me by the waist, and helps me down.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m meeting my dad’s girlfriend for the first time,” he remarks. “Well, technically, I’ve met her before, but she was his nurse then.”
“When he was in the hospital after his stroke?” I ask.
“Yep.” He stops me at the door. “You should probably know, I asked her out and flirted with her.” I snicker, and he has the decency to look embarrassed. “I didn’t realize she was interested in my dad though.”
I laugh, because that shit is funny. I can imagine the awkward feeling Tegan’s about to have. That right there makes me feel so much better.
We hear laughter when we walk inside. Tegan drags me toward the sound and we enter the kitchen a moment later. A man who looks like an older replica of Tegan is pressed up against the back of a woman at the stove. He has his arms around her, as if showing her how to cook something.
Tegan clears his throat, and the woman screeches, sending what looks like strips of peppers through the air. Tegan’s dad curses under his breath and turns away from the woman, waving his hand.
“Damn it, son. You can’t sneak up on us like that,” he grumbles.
“Oh, Benjamin, I’m so sorry,” the woman says with worry, then grabbing him by the arm and dragging him to the sink. Turning on the tap, she pushes his hand under the running water. “Keep it there for a minute.”
“Sorry, old man,” Tegan says, walking us further in the room.
I stand awkwardly by his side as the woman fusses over his dad’s hand. She’s young. A lot younger than I would have expected his dad’s girlfriend to be. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just didn’t expect it.
When he sees me standing there, something passes over his face. Almost like relief and happiness.
“Hand me that towel, will you, Samantha,” he asks. He dries his hand and steps over to us.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Willow, my girlfriend. Willow, this is my dad, Benjamin.”
He extends his hand. “Hello, young lady. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And please, just call me Ben.”
I smile timidly and take his hand. “The honor is all mine.”
He smiles, and I swear it makes him look even more like Tegan. The resemblance is uncanny. It if wasn’t for the gray scattered in his hair and the few lines on his face, they could pass for twins.
The smile along with the entire situation serve to help relax me, and I wonder why I was so worried. I’ve only just met him, but I already feel welcome.
Releasing my hand, he reaches out for the woman. “Come here, you.” When his arm is firmly planted around her waist, he says proudly, “This is Samantha. You’ve already met my son, Tegan.” He winks. Tegan looks slightly embarrassed, while Samantha looks smug. “This here is his girlfriend, Willow.”
We smile at each other and say hello. She’s pretty with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her smile is genuine and kind. I’d place her in her late twenties to mid-thirties, which probably puts her at twenty years Ben’s junior. When they look at each other, they do it with love and adoration in their eyes. I don’t know these people, but I can’t help but be happy for them.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Tegan asks. “It smells delicious.”
“Oh, crap!” Samantha cries, and rushes away to the stove.
“Teriyaki stir-fry. When you walked in I was teaching Samantha how to cook the veggies so they aren’t soggy and keep their crispness. Either of you want a beer?”
“Or there’s wine,” Samantha puts in.
On his way to the fridge, Ben stops by her to lay a kiss to her cheek. He looks at us over his shoulder. “Or there’s wine,” he repeats.
Tegan looks down at me for an answer.
“Wine, please.”
“Beer for me.”
He grabs both, hands the beer to Tegan and pours me and Samantha glasses of the wine.
“Come sit.” He gestures toward a four-seater table in the middle of the room.
Before we walk away, I ask Samantha, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
She turns with a smile. “No thanks. This is almost done and everything else is finished. You go sit and relax.”
I take a seat beside Tegan at the table. He throws his arm over the back of my chair, then leans back, puts his ankle over one knee,
and rests the bottle of beer on his thigh. I take a sip of my wine and welcome the sweet but bitter taste.
“So,” Ben starts, leaning his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together. “Tell me about you, Willow. I’m intrigued because you’re the first girl Tegan’s ever brought home.”
I slide my eyes to Tegan and he winks at me.
“He told me as much on the way here.” I turn back to Ben, some of the anxiety coming back. I never like talking about my life because so much of it lately hasn’t been good. “I was born and raised in Texas.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “When my mom passed away a couple months ago, I decided to move here, as I had no family left there.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” And he genuinely looks sad on my behalf. “What about your father?”
A searing pain hits my chest, but I push it back. “He died when I was in college. Robbery gone wrong.”
He reaches across the table and grabs my hand. The touch is very comforting, and I’m grateful for it.
“That must be tough. Are you alone? Do you have any siblings? Grandparents?”
I take a sip of my wine, then look at Tegan. His gaze is steady, silently telling me it’s up to me how much I want to reveal. I set my glass back down and take a deep breath.
“I have a brother. My twin. He didn’t take my father’s death very well.” I look down at my hands closed into fists, before looking back at him. “He’s not in a good place right now. It pushed him into doing drugs, so he hasn’t been a very good person in a long time.”
I feel oddly safe revealing all this to Tegan’s dad. He looks at me with empathy, sending support through his eyes. Tegan puts his arm around me, and I look over at him. He’s there for me, but I also see the hidden anger lurking in his eyes.
There’s no comfort that can be had in this situation, so Ben doesn’t try to offer any, just looks at me with understanding and moves on, as if he knows the subject is hard for me. It makes me like him even more. Tegan was right. There’s nothing I need to worry about with his dad. He’s wonderful.
“What do you do for a living?” he asks next.
“I actually work for Tegan’s friend, Nathan, as his secretary.”
“That’s right,” he says. “He just opened up his security firm, right?” Tegan nods. “How is Nathan? Still grumpy?”
Tegan chuckles. “That boy will always be grumpy.”
Samantha walks over just then carrying a steaming bowl of vegetables laced with strips of steak and sets it on the table.
“Hey honey, grab the rice out of the microwave, please.”
“Sure thing, sweetie.”
We eat and make idle chitchat. I learn that Samantha’s been a nurse at the local hospital for the last three years, and she’s currently taking classes to become a nurse practitioner. Tegan’s dad is a retired transportation engineer. He used to help design railway systems. Ben’s taking Samantha on a cruise next month, and she and I make plans to go shopping for bathing suits for her. The whole time the conversation flows easily, and by the time Samantha sets a homemade lava cake on the table, I feel like I’ve been a part of this family for years.
Tegan takes a bite of his cake, then asks, “Dad, do you know who Bruce is?”
The bite that’s halfway to Ben’s mouth falls back to his plate and his eyes jerk to Tegan. The look he gives is glacial.
When his eyes slide to me, Tegan says, “She knows what the woman did, and I assume so does Samantha.”
The pain that crosses his face is unmistakable, and I know immediately that they’re talking about Tegan’s mom. I’m surprised he brought up whatever he’s referring to in front of me and Samantha. This seems like a conversation that should be had between the two of them.
“I’ll take the plates to the sink,” I say, rising from me seat.
Tegan grabs my arm, but it’s Ben’s words that stop me. “No, if you already know, then you may as well stay to hear this.”
He sets his fork back down on the plate. Samantha reaches over and grabs his hand and he laces their fingers together.
“Where did you hear that name?” he asks, his tone hard.
“One of her nurses said she used to wake up screaming the name. Said she was so hysterical they had to give her sedatives to calm her down.”
He closes his eyes for a minute, then opens them, and a flood of emotions swirl in their depths.
“Bruce is Linda’s brother.”
“Wait. I thought Mom didn’t have any siblings,” Tegan says with confusion.
“She did, but she wishes she didn’t. He was seven years older than her. When she was six, he started sneaking into her room at night. At first he would just crawl underneath the covers with her and touch her on top of her clothes. But then he started getting more aggressive. The night before her seventh birthday was the first night he raped her.”
I gasp while Samantha throws her hand over her mouth in shock. Tegan doesn’t respond physically, but I can see the disgust and hatred flaring in his eyes. The hard edge to Ben’s tone says he’s just as pissed.
“Why in the fuck didn’t she go to her foster parents?” Tegan growls.
“She said Bruce threaten to kill them, and once he was done with them, he’d kill her as well.”
“What happened to him?” I ask with a shaky voice.
His eyes meet mine when he answers. “He was taken out of the home and put back in the system when he was caught stealing stuff from their foster parents. They had been having trouble with him for a while and couldn’t take it anymore. Linda never saw him again, but she did see his name in the obituaries years later. He was stabbed to death in prison.”
“Were they just foster siblings or were they related by blood?”
“Blood. Their parents died in a car crash when Linda was five.”
I sit in my chair, shocked at the revelation that Tegan’s mom was abused just like what she put him through. You’d think someone that’s been through something similar would do anything to protect their child from the same kind of harm.
Tegan’s squeezing the bottle in his hand so much I’m surprised it’s intact. “Did she have nightmares when you were together?”
Ben nods. “She had them more so in the beginning of our relationship, but they trickled off over the years. It would be six months or so between them.”
“I wonder why she’d start having them again,” Samantha remarks.
Ben’s jaw gets tight. “My only guess is what she was forcing Tegan to do brought them on. I’d never wish what happened to her on any living soul, but I just can’t find it in me to feel sorry her dreams returned. It’s not enough, but it’s part of her punishment for hurting him the way she did.”
It may make me a bad person in some people’s eyes, and God forgive me, but I can’t help but agree with him. The least she could do for putting Tegan through what she did is suffer along with him.
“Do you know what Bruce was in prison for?” Tegan asks next.
Ben looks off to the side and takes a long swallow of his beer. His voice is raw when he answers. “The rape and murder of a teenage girl.”
“Fuck,” Tegan says, grabbing his own beer and polishing it off.
“Enough of this,” Samantha says, getting up from the table. “You men go to the living room and watch whatever sports will take your mind off this. Willow, could you help me with the dishes and leftovers?”
“Of course.”
I get up from my seat, relieved Samantha put a stop to the conversation. When I walk by Tegan, he grabs my hand and pulls me down so I’m face-to-face with him. He plants a soft lingering kiss to my lips, then releases me. I smile at him, and he returns it, but I know it’s fake. I can see the haunting pain in his eyes, and my heart breaks for him. To learn his mother suffered like he did as a child can’t be easy. I’m sure his emotions are running rampant right now, and I just wish I knew what to do to help him.
Chapter Fourteen
Willow
I shake my head at the case of Yoo-hoo Tegan sets in the buggy, then step past him to grab a couple bottles of juice to offset the overly sweet drink.
“I seriously have no clue how you stay so fit with all the junk that’s in this buggy. Do you normally shop like this?”
He leans across the shopping cart and gives me a kiss.
“What can I say? I have a sweet tooth.” He winks and pulls back, leading the way to the next aisle, where I’m sure he’ll find something else sweet to toss inside.
When Tegan announced we were going grocery shopping this morning, I grumbled and begged to get out of it. I hate grocery shopping. To me, it’s a tedious job that I only do to survive, and I always wait until the last minute. We only had mayo, one slice of cheese, and an egg, so we needed food, but I was hoping he would volunteer to go by himself. Unfortunately, he dragged me out of bed and threw me in the shower and told me that if I wasn’t ready in twenty minutes, he was dragging me out of the house in whatever state I was in.
Today, however, I’ve learned that shopping can be quite enjoyable. Or it can be if Tegan is your shopping partner. He’s a very happy shopper, and I’ve never laughed so hard before.
“Which one?” he asks, holding up Chips Ahoy and Oreos. Before I get a chance to tell him neither, he throws both in the buggy. “Both. I can’t decide.”
I laugh and follow him, stopping just long enough to throw in a box of granola bars.
Today marks a week I’ve been living with Tegan and three days since we’ve had dinner with his dad and Samantha. To say Minnie was shocked when I told her I was going to be staying with Tegan for the time being is a big understatement. She pulled me to the side and grilled me. Although she knows we’ve being seeing each other regularly, she had no clue it was so serious. To be honest, I had no idea it was so serious either. My feelings for him snuck up on me and one day just smacked me in the face. I like it though. I feel safe and free with Tegan. When I told Minnie this, she pulled me in her arms and said she was happy for me and wished me luck.